'LED ZEPPELIN – The Ride' Gets Its First Public Test Run; Video Available

Claudia Lauer and Jonathan Tressler of the Myrtle Beach Sun News report: Visiting the LED ZEPPELIN roller coaster at the new Hard Rock theme park has been a ritual for Steve Ammons over the past few months, even though the park and the ride are still several months from opening.

"I'm a big fan of the manufacturer of this roller coaster and a big fan of LED ZEPPELIN," said Ammons, an Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., resident who came to watch the first public test run of the roller coaster from the street Sunday afternoon (December 17). "I've been watching the construction on the Web site and we try to stop by every month just to see how it's coming along."

Steve Ammons' wife, Carrie, and 5-year-old son, Garrett, also watched from the fence surrounding the park on George Bishop Parkway.

"We travel around the country going to roller coasters," said Carrie Ammons. "My husband is a bit of a fanatic."

Steve Ammons wasn't the only enthusiast watching the test run Sunday. More than 30 cars lined up along the road and the median to watch park officials christen the ride during a press conference before its premiere voyage.

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Watch video footage of the first public test run of Led Zeppelin - The Ride at this location. More footage of the christening and the test run can be viewed below.

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.

Hard Rock Park is scheduled to open next spring.