Busan, Wednesday, 19 November 2025.
Lotte World Adventure Busan has secured the world’s first Zamperla double‑heart coaster — a dual‑heartline layout with a record‑setting triple‑launch due to open in 2026 — an attention‑grabbing headline and a genuine operational challenge. For retail and park professionals this one‑off installation signals a shift toward differentiated, media‑driven attractions to drive visitation across APAC, but the most intriguing fact is its unique propulsion/track combination: a triple‑launch paired with two heartline rolls that may constrain throughput and complicate reliability. Expect intensive collaboration between Zamperla and Lotte on commissioning, regional safety certification, and bespoke spare‑parts plans; operators should predefine maintenance regimes for launch systems, plan contingency trains or temporary capacity measures, and model guest flow integration within the resort masterplan. Commercially, the coaster boosts positioning versus regional rivals and offers marketing lift, yet success will hinge on operational resilience, predictable dispatching, and spare‑parts logistics for a non‑standard layout.
The headline: a world first announced
Lotte World Adventure Busan has been reported to have secured the world’s first Zamperla “double‑heart” roller coaster — a dual‑heartline layout partnered with a triple‑launch system slated to open in 2026 — a claim first posted publicly on a coaster‑enthusiast social channel and amplified in online community threads [1][2]. [alert! ‘primary public announcement is via social media posts and forum discussion rather than an official press release; the original social‑media post requires login, which limits independent verification of full technical details’] [1][2]
What the layout claim means technically
The reported combination — two heartline rolls integrated within a single circuit and a three‑stage launch sequence — is unusual for Zamperla, a manufacturer better known for compact launched coasters and family attractions, and would represent a technical first for the company if the design and propulsion scheme are confirmed [1][2][5]. The ‘double‑heart’ descriptor implies two distinct heartline roll elements placed so the train inverts riders around the passengers’ cardiac axis for a distinct lateral‑rotation sensation; coupling those with multiple launches typically requires additional mid‑course launch motors, longer launch track segments, or both, escalating the ride’s electrical and control‑system complexity [GPT].
Operational implications of a triple‑launch + dual‑heart layout
From an operations perspective, the triple‑launch/dual inversion pairing raises three immediate challenges: constrained throughput from longer cycle times, higher failure modes from multiple launch propulsion subsystems, and complex dispatch and train‑management procedures to avoid rollback incidents and to maintain predictable headways [GPT][1][2]. Because the installation has been described as a unique, one‑off layout for Zamperla, spare‑parts provisioning and maintenance protocols must be bespoke rather than off‑the‑shelf, increasing inventory needs and spare‑parts lead times [1][2][5].
Throughput and guest‑flow consequences
A triple‑launch ride typically requires additional time per cycle compared with a comparable single‑launch coaster because of staged acceleration sequences and any mid‑course braking or hold segments; that lengthened cycle time can reduce theoretical hourly throughput unless offset by more trains or faster dispatches [GPT]. For a one‑off attraction at a new resort like Lotte World Adventure Busan, integrating the attraction into guest‑flow models — queueing, timed entry, or virtual queueing — will be essential to prevent bottlenecks in neighbouring retail and F&B zones and to protect per‑capita spending in the park [3][4].
Maintenance, spare parts and reliability planning
Operators should expect to negotiate long‑lead spare‑parts agreements with Zamperla and to define preventive maintenance intervals for the launch motors, power electronics, and control software well before commissioning; bespoke launch track segments and unique roll‑element hardware can require parts that are not stocked in regional distribution centres, increasing the need for on‑site spares or rapid‑shipment clauses [1][2][5]. Maintenance planning must also consider electrical power provisioning and redundancy, since staged launches concentrate peak electrical demand into short bursts that may exceed average park power allocations unless mitigated by energy‑storage systems, dedicated feeders, or staged launch sequencing [GPT].
Commissioning, certification and vendor collaboration
Close technical collaboration between Zamperla and Lotte’s engineering teams will be necessary during installation and commissioning to meet Korean regional safety certification and to validate dynamic launch and rollback behaviours under local environmental conditions; such collaborations typically include integrated test plans, third‑party inspection, and staged load testing before passenger service [1][2][5][alert! ‘no official Zamperla or Lotte press release was provided among the sources to confirm the exact scope of collaborative engineering arrangements’].
Commercial strategy: visibility versus operational risk
Strategically, installing a record‑oriented, highly shareable headline coaster is a proven way to drive earned media and to differentiate an APAC‑market resort, which aligns with other high‑profile programming and events Lotte World Adventure Busan has hosted as it builds market awareness [4]. However, the commercial upside depends on delivering consistent daily availability and predictable guest experiences; novelty alone can attract initial visitation, but sustained revenue gains require robust dispatching and high reliability, especially in a resort already positioning itself with signature attractions [1][2][4].
Practical steps for park operators ahead of opening
Industry best practice for a unique propulsion/track pairing is to predefine contingency capacity measures — temporary extra trains for early operations, virtual queueing to smooth peak demand, and conservative dispatch windows during the first months of guest service — alongside detailed spare‑parts lists and training for maintenance staff on launch system diagnostics [GPT][1][2]. Lotte’s resort planning should also map guest circulation to ensure retail and F&B catchment areas can absorb peak unloads without creating queue spillover into main walkways [3][4].
Signals to the market and timing context
The reported attraction reflects Lotte’s broader approach to building a media‑friendly portfolio of attractions at its Busan resort while the park continues to scale operations and host large promotional events — a strategy visible in recent park programming and large‑scale guest events reported at the venue [4][3]. [alert! ‘timing and final technical specifications including restraint type, train count and peak capacity were not disclosed in the available social‑media and community sources’] [1][2][4]
Bronnen