You are in:
- Back Issues » 2009 » September
Thomas Town Shinmisato
HIT Entertainment has teamed up with Pleasurecast, the attractions division of Bandai Namco Group, to open the first indoor Thomas & Friends-themed amusement facility in Japan.
Fun City Interactive
In a market full of family entertainment centres (FECs), one Dubai-based shopping mall developer has taken the bold step of developing a new attraction format. Owen Ralph explores the interactive world of Fun City 2.0
Dark Rides 2009
Tried, tested and up there with the classics, dark rides are an essential ingredient at most amusement parks and, arguably, a severe oversight at those without one. Capable of entertaining large numbers of guests in most age ranges, it’s not hard to see why they are loved by operators and park visitors alike. Here’s Park World’s pick of new projects from this season – interactive and otherwise.
Diamondback
Kings Island in Ohio has been thrilling guests this summer with a new mega-coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard. Paul Ruben slithers on down to Cincinnati to sample Diamondback – a world class ride.
Pilgrims Plunge
When Holiday World opened for its 63rd season it introduced a record-breaking new shoot-the-chutes, Pilgrims Plunge. With its 131ft drop, the ride immediately claimed the bragging rights to the world's tallest water ride. Paul Ruben gets wet in Santa Claus, Indiana.
LIW hosts Attractions Expo
Leisure Industry Week (LIW) takes place this September at the NEC in Birmingham, England, and this year organisers are marketing the event as several “shows within a show.” Park World looks ahead to what lies in store – including Attractions Expo.
Euro Attractions Show or Amusement Expo Europe …you decide!
Now that IAAPA’s Euro Attractions Show (EAS) has taken up residency as a permanent autumn fixture – just a month before Amusement Expo Europe (formerly Technofolies) – park owners from across Europe will have to ask themselves which exhibition they should attend.
Park Security: Lawfully Enforcing the Rules
Amusement parks, like most other businesses open to the public, host a wide array of visitors. Some of those visitors, although "invited," may be unsavory.
Farewell Free Beer!
Ever since it had been announced last year, I had been looking forward to experiencing Manta, the new B&M flying coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. Not just for the ride, but for the theming.
Heimo diversifies
Heimo is now offering an expanded range of services to its clients. While it continues to design and build theming and animatronics, a newer and busier area of the business right now is in the design and planning of complete parks and attractions.
Dreamland heritage park secures lottery funding
The UK’s Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has given the green light to The Dreamland Trust to move forward with its plans for the world’s first amusement park of historic rides.
World’s largest water play structure!
Sitting on a two-acre site, Cowabunga Bay waterpark is located in Draper, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. Opened in mid-July, the park is the latest offering from Huish Entertainment Group and includes the world’s largest waterplay structure.
Deluge at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
ProSlide’s first Rocket waterslide coaster is now up and running in Louisville, Kentucky.
Aquasplash adds extreme slides
Guests at Aquasplash in the south of France this summer enjoyed two high-energy attractions courtesy of Polin. The Turkish slide supplier installed both a Turbo Lance and Space Boat at this waterpark near Antibes.
Meet the Scarecrow!
The Scarecrow is the latest Tilt Tower from ABC Engineering and it’s been thrilling guests all season at Märchenpark Neusiedlersee in Burgenland, Austria.
BillyBird's first coaster
BillyBird Park in Holland now has its first rollercoaster! The ride is the second Tube Coaster from ABC Engineering of Switzerland and best described as a bobsled run on a rollercoaster track.
Mega coaster for Kings Dominion
Virginia’s Kings Dominion amusement park will introduce its 15th and most expensive coaster next season.
Kennywood's new coaster
Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, will add a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) launch coaster by Premier Rides for the 2010 season. Totalling 2,100ft in length the ride will feature a zero to 50 mph launch in three seconds, a vertical ascent, 90-degree drop and three inversions.
Asia's first AquaLoop
Spa World in Osaka, Japan, recently unveiled Asia’s first looping waterslide. The gravity-defying AquaLoop offers riders a heart pounding ride and was supplied by Whitewater West.
Galway Swing
Perks’ Leisureland in Galway, Ireland, this summer added two new rides from Zamperla amid what was a generally disappointing season in terms of business.
Do you plan to extend your season this winter?
Håkon Lund, Konge Parken, Norway (pictured): We are constantly looking at ways to extend the season. All parks struggle with how to spread big capital expenditure across more operations days. We have a season which is very short, only 110 days. We introduced a successful Christmas market in 1997 which has grown and grown ever since. This year it runs from the end of November until December 20. Since we are located in the northern climate, we have very challenging weather from September to November and have not done Halloween until now. However, earlier this year we bought an indoor FEC, and will start more winter programming here, including Halloween among other things.
Happy Valley Shanghai & Chengdu
China’s largest park chain just got a little bit bigger. Since last month, the OCT Group’s Happy Valley brand can be found in four cities and provinces, and plans have already been announced for a fifth. Park World profiles the two newest additions to the portfolio, Chengdu and Shanghai.
Woodie revealed for Efteling
The Efteling has revealed plans for a duelling wooden coaster, set to open at the famous Dutch park in around a year’s time.
Morey’s history is ‘A Wild Ride’
The rise of Morey’s Piers is chronicled in a new book by, A Wild Ride, a ride so wild it’s available with a choice of two covers!
Merlin 'sponsors' London Eye
Merlin Entertainments has revealed the second part of its three-year upgrade plan for the London Eye. The leading attractions operator now lends its own name to the ride, which visitors can enjoy together with a complementary 4D cinema experience.
Hong Kong Disneyland expansion
Three new themed areas will be added to Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) over the next five years, bringing the total number of attractions, entertainment, and interactive experiences at the resort to over 100. The plans were approved recently by the Hong Kong SAR Government.
Great City Attractions - it all started with a Ferris Wheel
Great City Attractions is the name of a new company that becomes the world’s leading operator of observation wheels. Formed by a merger between the Great Wheel Corporation (GWC) and World Tourist Attractions (WTA), the new enterprise boasts a portfolio of permanent and semi-permanent rides ranging from 40 to over 100-metres in height.
Freestyle Music Park introduces new characters
Freestyle Music Park, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has introduced three new family-friendly characters as it continues to distance itself from the former Hard Rock Park. Boom The Troll, Piper the Elf and Clover the Garden Fairy perform live in the Faerie Glenn area of the park.
