Roller Coasters can be found in almost every corner of the world. The Dominican Republic likely isn’t the destination that comes to mind.
As the most-visited island in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is navigating a golden age of economic growth and prosperity. That’s not to say that their fledgling entertainment industry has fully found its footing. But as a dual citizen, I’ve had the opportunity to experience much of their offerings firsthand over the years. Should any of you coaster credit hunters take your tourism dollars to the Dominican Republic, here’s what they have to offer.
Gusanito at Olympic Park, Plaza Juan Baron
- Manufacturer = Fajume
- Model = Wacky Worm
- Accessibility = Easy
The primary unit of Olympic Park is stationed full-time on the waterfront in the older, more touristy part of Santo Domingo. The ride collection is situated in the perfect spot to take advantage of foot traffic driven by the precinct’s restaurants, concerts, and nightlife. In other words, it’s not terribly challenging to visit.
Gusanito appeared to be in pristine condition, an observation compounded by the ride operator’s hands and clothes being covered in fresh paint. Foreigners can laugh at the grotesque Buzz Lightyear figurine within the ride, but otherwise, the coaster is unremarkable. Tickets are RD$200 for adults.
Gold Mine Coaster at Screamland, Agora Mall
- Manufacturer = SBF Visa
- Model = Figure 8
- Accessibility = Moderate
Screamland first splashed onto the scene in the early 2010s, quickly receiving attention for its colorful, larger-than-life presentation and modern Italian ride imports. A larger spinning coaster was planned as a future phase but ultimately never materialized; they instead eventually rescued the Gold Mine Coaster after a sister location went under during the pandemic.
Tickets are sold at a minimum package of RD$500, which is enough to experience both the coaster and another attraction. For your spare ride, I’d recommend the drop tower, which rises up into a cylindrical ceiling ornament and is quite fun for what it is.
Screamland can be found by the fourth-floor food court in the Agora Mall, which is located in the heart of Santo Domingo. It’s less of a destination park and more for the children begging the mothers to let them on the rides after lunch, but who can fault them for knowing their audience?
Gusanito at Terra Magica, traveling
- Manufacturer = Pinfari
- Model = Wacky Worm
- Accessibility = Tough
Terra Magica is the other arm of Olympic Park, compromising their own team and collection of fairground rides. This unit, however, leases out land in the southern regions for several months at a time; I visited when they rented out a portion of Aqua Splash Caribe’s parking lot during the fall of 2023.
Something was clearly wrong with this Gusanito. The warnings were there with the train itself; the vehicles were only loosely screwed to the chassis, a car was missing, and there was no form of restraints. Twice while riding in the front, I became stuck and the operator had to use a stick to push the train towards the drop; when sitting in the back it would just barely clear the layout on its own. On the other hand, the final turn after the drop is taken at full speed, and one must hold on for dear life to not go flying. This is unironically the best wacky worm I’ve ever ridden.
American Flyer, traveling
- Manufacturer = B. A. Schiff
- Model = Kiddy Coaster
- Accessibility = Don’t Even
Enter the typical third-world fair circuit — stick figure rides, rusted material, and obnoxious gas-powered motors. Watching the creaky Ferris Wheel testing at breakneck speed would dissuade sensible people from doing business. Naturally, I chose to overlook this and coughed up RD$100 for ten horrific laps on the coaster.
Before being sent abroad, American Flyer previously traveled on the American fair circuit for decades and was briefly set up at O.D. Pavilion Amusement Park. Back there, it would have never passed inspection in the condition I found it in; track joints didn’t mesh with one another, and the structure was only loosely bolted together. A small migraine stuck with me for part of the evening, serving as a lesson to not sacrifice personal safety for a rare credit.
I encountered it outside of a resort on the Samaná Peninsula a few Christmases ago; tracking American Flyer is virtually impossible, but in case you run into it, the ride has since been painted purple and blue. I can’t say anything further about its condition.
Dragon, traveling
- Manufacturer = Unknown
- Model = Kiddy Coaster
- Accessibility = Hard
As of this writing, the country’s smallest coaster remains the only operational one I’ve yet to ride. The Dragon uses powered rails to propel the three-car train through a bumpy oval; the lack of front wheels on the second and third two vehicles allows the front to nearly nudge the track at times. It’s a unique little attraction that I hope to tick off someday.
Courtesy of Santiago Xtreme Park
Death Train at Wonder Island Punta Cana
- Manufacturer = Guangzhou Jason Amusement Equipment
- Model = Looping Coaster
- Accessibility = No
Oh, Wonder Island, what were we to ever do with you? Punta Cana is, despite my personal distaste, a beacon in Caribbean tourism and on a domestic level their equivalent of Las Vegas. While their waterparks have thrived more easily, both recent attempts at theme parks have folded after a year of operations. In life, for every well-intended, high-concept Katmandu Park, there’s the sleazy, poor-value Wonder Island squatting in the industrial part of town with less than honest business practices. I was fortunate enough to visit in the weeks leading up to its opening in 2021.
In all fairness, an evening destination for the locals that championed rides, games, and a constant stream of events isn’t a bad concept. The devil is always in the details though, and both the shoddy offerings and a shady management team soon wore out its welcome. The social media machine genuinely tried to sell it as a Cedar Point-caliber park; it almost seemed merciful when they disappeared the next fall.
The rides were cheap machines from China but did the job just fine. The coaster, however, was a piece of junk delivered in poor condition and wasn’t physically capable of operation. The fabrication and welds were atrocious, the structure lacked connection points to attach the rusty chain lift mechanism, and the train was sitting on the track without wheels. It was easier for the park to not light it up during the evenings and just forget its existence.
It’s hard to know what the coaster would have been like if it ever ran. However, the manufacturer commissioned the infamous Death Train at Sharm Park in Gaza, which uses the same basic hardware. You can watch it in action below:
Now, obviously, as a coaster destination abroad, the Caribbean will never go toe to toe with Europe or other tourism hotspots. If anyone ever finds themselves exploring Santo Domingo though… perhaps a mildly obscure roller coaster credit wouldn’t be amiss?
We hope you enjoyed reading about the Roller Coasters of the Dominican Republic. Have you ever visited the Dominican Republic? Let us know in the comments below.
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