American Coaster Enthusiasts

The American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admissions to amusement parks. ACE members often meet at various parks around the United States and other countries for special events, sometimes sponsored by the parks themselves.

According to it's constitution, "The purpose of ACE shall be to foster and promote the conservation, appreciation, knowledge and enjoyment of the art of the classic wooden roller coaster and the contemporary steel roller coaster; to create and promote among and between its members a tie of fellowship while striving to maintain good working relations with the outdoor amusement business and operate in harmony with its policies; to foster and promote the preservation and continued operation of roller coasters; and to perform any other functions of a not-for-profit corporation."

ACE is governed by five officers, four of which are directly elected and one indirectly elected by the club's membership. These officers are the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Immediate Past President. Additionally, ACE currently has twelve Executive Committee positions, which are appointed by majority vote of the elected officers.

One such Executive Committee position is the Regional Rep Director, who oversees a system of ACE regions, Regional Representatives, and Assistant Regional Representatives. These regions and their reps often sponsor events at amusement parks, produce regional newsletters, and keep members within the region up to date via email and regional web sites. There are currently 28 different ACE regions, most (but not all) of which are located in the U.S. and Canada.

At the national level, ACE typically sponsors several events each year including an annual Convention (usually in June, starting on Father's Day), two or three Conferences held at various times (often one Spring Conference and one Summer Conference), and two winter non-riding events (No Coaster Con held near Chicago in mid-January and Eastcoaster held near Allentown, PA in early February).

The annual convention, called Coaster Con, usually features two or three host parks, but sometimes focuses on just one and other times may feature as many as seven. This year's Coaster Con, Coaster Con XXIX, will take place from June 18-23, 2006 in Florida with official host parks that include Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios, Old Town, Magic Kingdom, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, and Busch Gardens Tampa. An add-on day is also scheduled for June 24, 2006 at Wet 'n Wild and Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Coaster Con is the most complete and extensive event that exists for coaster enthusiasts on an annual basis. Not only are ACEers admitted to the host parks, but Exclusive Ride Time (ERT) is often granted on certain coasters before a park opens and/or after it closes. This is a time during which only registered attendees of Coaster Con may ride whichever roller coasters are offered. Coaster Con also generally includes a photo contest, video contest, Midway Olympics (where teams of participants play midway games for "Olympic Medals"), ACE annual business meeting, banquet (with presentations, awards, industry keynote speaker, and auction to benefit ACE's funds), workshops, discussion groups, displays, and memorabilia sales tables.

ACE supports riding roller coasters responsibly and following all posted ride rules. To this end, ACE members must follow a code of conduct. Failure to do so may result in suspension or expulsion of the offending member from the club.

ACE is almost entirely run by volunteers, only employing ARDEL, a management firm, to run certain day to day operations regarding mailings, receipt of event payment/membership dues, and merchandise.

Current annual membership dues are $60 for an individual, $80 for a couple, $85 for a family of three ($5 for each additional family member), and $90 for a corporate membership in the United States. All memberships except for corporate are available in one, two, and three-year options (with a small discount for choosing longer term memberships). Postage for mailings is included in the dues for U.S. members, but those outside of the U.S. must pay an additional postage fee to cover the extra expense.

ACE offers a variety of club logo merchandise and back issues of its magazine, RollerCoaster!, to its members.

RollerCoaster! is published quarterly in full-color heavy stock glossy magazine format. The club's newsletter, ACE News, is published six times a year in black and white 8 1/2" by 11" format.

ACE maintains a list of coasters known as ACE Coaster Classics. These are coasters that operate in a classic manner as determined by a strict set of criteria: they must be wood rather than steel; they must utilize a traditional, non-ratcheting lap bar restraint; they must not have seat dividers; they must feature few or no headrests; and riders must be free to choose where they sit rather than being assigned a seat by the operator. As of December 6, 2004, there were approximately 35 coasters on the ACE Coaster Classic list.

Official site

American Coaster Enthusiasts