Lead Roller Coaster Engineer and Designer Shares EXCITING Details About NEW Mattel Adventure Park

Big things are in store for the theme park industry, including a brand-new theme park experience inspired by our childhood.

That park happens to be Mattel Adventure Park, opening soon in Glendale, Arizona with another to follow shortly after in Bonner Springs, Kansas in 2026. These parks will be based on the Mattel brand, promising “the only place where you can get behind the wheel of a lightning-fast Hot Wheels go kart, join Thomas & Friends on a treasure hunt journey and enjoy a signature pink beverage on the third story rooftop of The Barbie Beach House.”

A major draw of the new Mattel Adventure Park in Arizona will be its coaster offerings. The park will feature two Hot Wheels coaster standouts: Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer, a launch coaster that reaches nearly 60 mph with two giant loops along a 2,503-foot track, and Hot Wheels Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride, a more family-friendly coaster with an iconic skull-themed design that reaches 31mph in the helix at the end.

We had the opportunity to talk with these coasters’ lead designer and engineer, Cindy Emerick,  an industry veteran with 30+ years of experience in themed entertainment, including credits on the Revenge of the Mummy Coaster, the Sons of Anarchy Coaster, Italian Job Coasters, the Wings Over Washington Fly Theater, the Chase the Tornadoes Motion Theater, the Batman Robotic Arm Ride, and the New York, New York Coaster in Las Vegas.

In partnership with Mattel’s Vehicle Brand Creative team which was at the forefront of design development, art direction, and marketing for both attractions, Emerick helped bring these two highly-anticipated coasters to life.

When asked about what makes for a good coaster experience in an industry that increasingly values bigger, faster, longer, and more thrilling coasters, Emerick said, “The first thing you have to ask is, ‘Who is your audience?”

When designing these coasters, Emerick highlighted that the park’s primary audience is families. She said family coasters are her favorite type of coaster to design. “They don’t get wobbly; they don’t feel nauseous. I think those are the most satisfying roller coasters, for me.

When asked how she toes the line when blending thrill with something more manageable for families, Emerick added, “You want to make it thrilling enough for that 15-year-old thrill-seeker and gentle enough for that first-time rider.” The goal is to create that love of roller coasters right off the bat and foster a lifelong love of coasters.

As for the coasters at Mattel Adventure Park, Bone Shaker fulfills the family coaster aspect. Emerick said the coaster’s ride vehicle design is meant to inspire confidence and it does take you up pretty high, challenging fear of heights without going too far.

Twin Mill takes more inspiration from adventurous Hot Wheels creations and the toy car of the same name. This coaster is meant more for a teenage and older audience, featuring more intense G-force and inversions. It creates a nice balance to the family-friendly forces of Bone Shaker.

Getting the details right was a major priority for Emerick. The goal was to really honor the Hot Wheels enthusiasts, meaning reworking coaster designs. For example, Twin Mill was initially a lift coaster, but for Emerick, it felt right to lean into the idea of a launch coaster, as that coaster element felt more natural and something fans of Twin Mill would expect.

In an age of IP dominating major amusement park theming, the planning process naturally becomes more meticulous as developers have to consider built-in audiences. Mattel is a MAJOR brand, so it’s no surprise Emerick took her responsibility to the park AND fans seriously.

Emerick has made her imprint on the industry with impressive feats in her field while climbing the ranks in a male-dominated industry. Her father was an engineer and she was taking apart cylinders when she was 12, so it’s no surprise she went into engineering. However, she went into material engineering, and while waiting tables to make her way through college, Emerick met her first boss, TOGO’s Tom Yamada, a leading ride manufacturer in the world at the time.

“I feel like that just changed my entire life. He was such a strong mentor.” Emerick was brought on as a subcontractor and was hired as an engineer after college and given several responsibilities. “They (her Japanese coworkers) knew the most about roller coaster manufacturing at the time. What they taught me I took throughout my entire career and I made improvements everywhere with that teaching from the Japanese from the very beginning.” She said they gave her the confidence to perform.

Throughout her illustrious career, Emerick says the biggest surprise about bringing a coaster to life isn’t necessarily what she sees, but what guests don’t.

“To actually install and operate a roller coaster touches so many job disciplines and they’re all important. You have your mechanical engineers, your structural engineers, your electrical, your controls, your civil engineers, your architectural, your graphic artists, your welders, your marketing personnel, your machinists, inspectors, painters, then your operators, and your mechanics. They can’t run safely without all of them.”

Tying it back to the Mattel Adventure Park, Emerick said they’re going to be “guest-obsessed.” She said they have hundreds of ideas for attractions and the team is dedicated to bringing new rides to life not only in this park, but in future Mattel parks to create diverse parks full of unique attractions.

Right now, Mattel Adventure Park is slated for a soft opening later this year, and the park in Kansas is set to open in 2026. We can’t wait to see these parks open and all the incredible attractions they’ll feature! In the meantime, continue to follow us here at AllEars for more theme park updates!

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