ANAHEIM – A race car engine roars, and passengers slowly creep in reverse aboard the new Rewind Racers roller coaster at Adventure City.
Then the linked seven cars glide forward, sending riders through a swooping maze of twists and turns along an orange metal track, with speeds topping a gentle 28 mph.
The coaster briefly stops, and makes the same journey in reverse.
“I liked that it kept turning and when it went backwards,” 6-year-old Paige Powell of Los Angeles said after taking a recent spin. “I want to do it again.”
After going through a soft opening over the last few weeks, the Rewind Racers officially roll into action Saturday as the newest ride to open at Adventure City, a tiny theme park that straddles the border of Anaheim and Stanton and caters to families with children up to age 12.
Construction began in September on the $2 million roller coaster, manufactured by German-based Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GMBH. The height requirement for riders is only 39 inches.
“We wanted something that was unique that would be exciting but smooth for the kids,” said Allan Ansdell Jr., president of Adventure City. “It provides just the right amount of excitement. And, obviously, going backward on a ride is a lot of fun.”
The new Rewind Racers replaces Tree Top Racers, a coaster built during the 1950s and imported from a theme park in Australia to Adventure City in 1999. The new roller coaster, visible from adjacent Beach Boulevard, celebrates a quasi-NASCAR theme, complete with checkered flags and televised safety instructions provided by a character known as Max the Mechanic.
“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s not too rough for the kids,” Victor Perrusquia of Orange said as he exited a two-passenger coaster car with his 4-year-old son, Ben.
When asked what he thought, Ben silently looked back at the ride and pointed.
“He’s too stunned for words,” Perrusquia said with a laugh.
Adventure City, billed by its owners as “The Little Theme Park Just for Kids,” opened in 1994. Ansdell said his inspiration for the park was a small train operated at the adjacent Hobby City, a series of shops that were owned by his maternal grandparents.
Ansdell said that he was able to build the theme park, which now has 17 rides and attractions, with financial help from his parents, Yvonne and Allan Ansdell Sr. Other attractions include a carousel, a petting zoo and a train.
Even though Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Knott’s Berry Farm cast long shadows as Orange County’s mega-theme parks, the Ansdells said that their Adventure City is aimed at providing an affordable option for families with small children who may be too short to board thrill rides.
“I know this isn’t a big roller coaster for most parks,” Allan Ansdell Sr. said. “But this is a big ride for us.”
Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or amarroquin@ocregister.com