Hard Rock Takes Bids On LED ZEPPELIN Coaster Ride

WLTX.com reports that LED ZEPPELIN fans will get a whole "lotta" thrills if they win tickets to ride the new theme roller coaster at Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The rock 'n' roll theme park is auctioning 15 tickets to be the first to ride the 155-foot-high roller coaster with sound system blasting the band's hit single "Whole Lotta Love".

The online auction continues through April 7, with proceeds going to charity. Winners also get a commemorative photo, park admission and autographed LED ZEPPELIN poster.

The 140-acre park, which opens later this month, will feature 40 attractions, including rides, restaurants, stores and live shows.

Easily viewed as far away as the three highway bridges that surround the Park, Led Zeppelin - The Ride will tower more than 150 feet into the sky (15 stories tall),serving as a landmark that will help travelers pinpoint Hard Rock Park whether arriving by air or land. The ride is most notable for the iconic relationship with band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, who have contributed to all aspects of Led Zeppelin - The Ride, including the ride's name, logo and overall look and feel of the vehicles.

Located in the Park's Rock & Roll Heaven zone, the signature steel roller coaster will thrill riders with a six-and-a-half minute experience, partially over water. Reaching speeds of 65 mph, the coaster will boast six breathtaking inversions, the largest of which will be a 120-foot loop. Every moment of the ride, including thrilling drops and loops, is timed to LED ZEPPELIN's hit single "Whole Lotta Love", creating an unprecedented sensory experience and an adrenaline rush rivaled only by a live LED ZEPPELIN concert.

The experience will begin in a huge silver airship, which is designed to make guests feel as if they are stepping onto the cover of LED ZEPPELIN's debut album. Once inside, band-related murals and props will adorn the walls, while music and videos play throughout the queue, leading to a "studio" area where guests will be treated to a moving, multimedia show before climbing aboard the coaster. As the ride begins its initial ascent, excitement will build in time with "Whole Lotta Love", which is pumped into each car, thanks to a high-fidelity on-board audio system.

Hard Rock Park will be an approximately 140-acre theme park boasting more than 40 attractions for rockers of all ages, including roller coasters, shows, children's play areas, restaurants, cafes and retail stores, a multi-purpose live music amphitheatre, and ultra-modern sound system specifically developed for the project, creating a totally immersive full-day experience.

Watch video footage of the christening and first public test run of Led Zeppelin - The Ride below (filmed in December 2007).