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Southport Pleasureland closes
Pleasureland in Southport, England, closed for business on Tuesday, September 5, following a decision by Blackpool Pleasure Beach Ltd to pull the plug on what was for many years was its sister park.
Morphis goes 4D!
The highly-popular Morphis from Simworx is now available with a 4D option, the first simulator attraction of its kind to be offered in this format.
Mystery solved for Swiss park
Mystery Park near Interlaken in Switzerland has been saved from closure, just three years after it opened.
Ocean Park opens mainland office
Following big success so far targeting visitors from Mainland China, Ocean Park of Hong Kong has set up a representative office in Guangzhou, in the neighbouring Guangdong province.
The end of the Rollercoaster Arms Race?
While some may consider riding a rollercoaster a preventable trauma, I’ve always enjoyed it. So when Six Flags president and CEO Mark Shapiro told me, “We’re going to stop buying $20 million rollercoasters,” I was momentarily overjoyed, expecting him to now buy bigger and faster $25 and $30 million dollar rides. But that was not his intention.
Steel tears as Steel Pier closes
The Steel Pier at Atlantic City, New Jersey, is to cease trading as an amusement park, having been earmarked for redevelopment by the neighbouring Trump Taj Mahal Resort. The Catanoso family has operated the Steel Pier as a amusement park for 15 years under contract with Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc but its contract will not be renewed.
Free food at Kennywood
First Holiday World in Indiana did it with drinks, but more recently Kennywood in Pennsylvania offered a startling perk for those who attended its Phantom Fright Nights' Preview in September: Free food.
Huss returns
The Huss brand is back. While not the legal successor to Huss Maschinenfabrik GmbH, which filed for insolvency in August, the new Huss Park Attractions GmbH will continue to market the products of the famous German ride manufacturer.
Aquatons arrive in China
Empex Watertoys from Canada has completed its first Aquatons water playground installation in China. The colourful new equipment was well received by crowds of young children at the Tian Jin Recreation Complex.
Waterworld USA shuts
HolidayWaterworld USA, the 14-acre Caribbean water park in Sacramento, California, has closed. The 25-year-old park had floundered periodically since its inception.
Is IAAPA international enough?
Scott Simpson, Playland’s Castaway Cove, USA:
They do a great job within the United States. They’re very professional and very organised. Everything they do is done exceptionally well. Their international trade shows allow for IAAPA’s tremendous expansion.
Tower of Terror Tokyo opens
Tokyo DisneySea, Japan, has finally opened its own version of Tower of Terror, making it the park’s 26th attraction. Located in the themed American Waterfront port, Tower of Terror takes guests through an eerie, abandoned hotel where they experience a series of paranormal manifestations before heading for an exhilarating climax.
Schott to oversee Tokyo Disney parks
Joe Schott, an operations executive at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and a 25-year Disney veteran, has been named vice-president and executive managing director of Walt Disney Attractions Japan and Disneyland International.
El Toro tears into town!
El Toro is an enormous new wooden rollercoaster by Intamin at Six Flags Great Adventure. At 188ft tall and reaching speeds of 70mph, it is among the tallest and fastest wooden coasters in the world.
‘Everyone comes off smiling’
Gillian’s Wonderland Pier has introduced the Runaway Train, a specially designed Compact Coaster 800 from L&T Systems of Italy, and it’s filled with thrills the entire family can enjoy.
New ride traces the journey of man
A roaring 19-ft-tall Indricotherium and a growling, snapping, 25-ft long pre-historic crocodile are among the many museum quality animatronic creatures from the Sally Corporation awaiting visitors inside Spain’s newest dark ride, El Último Minuto (The Last Minute).
That’ll be Your Day
Preparations are well on their way at Alton Towers in England to introduce a video system that will track guests through the park and record their day as a souvenir DVD.
Diving machine for Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Europe, in Williamsburg, Virginia, has announced a 2007 opening for its latest steel marvel, Griffon, the world’s only floorless dive coaster. Currently under construction, this Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) Diving Machine will debut late spring. Each floorless coaster car will consist of three, 10-person wide rows.
Ripley’s opens in Williamsburg
A Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Ripley’s 4D Theater have opened their doors in Williamsburg, Virginia. The new museum is the second Ripley’s Believe It or Not! franchise to open in 2006, following a new venue in Panama City Beach, Florida, which debuted in June.
Atlantis comes to San Antonio
SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas, will add a new Journey to Atlantis water rollercoaster in 2007. Built by Mack Rides, it will be similar to a water ride operating at Mack’s own Europa-Park in Germany but will be the first of its kind in the North America.
Parking issues worry park guests
Almost two thirds (60 per cent) of UK motorists would avoid visiting an attraction where there was a lack of parking and over half (51 per cent) would stay away from somewhere renowned for bad traffic.
All over at Erieview
Erieview Park, a small American amusement park in the Lake Erie resort village of Geneva-on-the-Lake, has closed. Founded in 1945 by EM ‘Pop’ Pera as a kiddie park with just two rides, the venue eventually expanded to include 198 rides large and small.
Holiday Inn waterpark
The Holiday Inn chain has added a waterpark to another of its US properties. Fort Rapids is the name of a new indoor waterpark resort at the Holiday Inn in Columbus, Ohio, offering “60,000 square feet of Wet, Wild,Western Fun.”
Dickens World gets go-ahead
Thanks to a £62 million (€90m) finance deal from the Bank of Scotland, work has begun on the three-and-hall-acre Dickens World in England. Dedicated to the life and times of author Charles Dickens, it is expected to open next March.
Cairo show postponed
The CFA Expo, which was due to take place last month in Cairo, Egypt, has been postponed because of fear and uncertainty in the Arab region caused by “the continuous Israeli war against Lebanon and Palestine.”
Bosch Rexroth takes flight
Are you sitting comfortably? Then you’re missing the point of this attraction! The Blue Jet, which opened this summer at the Blue Dome “nature experience theme park” in Austria, is a thrilling flight simulation from Bosch Rexroth that has left audiences – who stand for the duration of the ride – begging for more.
New president for WDW
Meg Gilbert Crofton has been promoted to president of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, replacing Al Weiss. A 27-year Disney veteran who has held key positions in worldwide human resources, operations and sales, she becomes the first woman to lead the Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, attraction in its 35-year history.
Wendi’s new role at NASCAR park
NASCAR SpeedPark, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has promoted Wendi Willis to regional sales and marketing manager over all NASCAR SpeedPark locations in North America.
Ownership tweaked at S&S
Stan Checketts and Gene Mulvihill, original founding partners of S&S Power, Inc., have formed a group that has purchased controlling interest of the company. The negotiation of this purchase took several months. Checketts will be chief executive officer of the company. The business operations of S&S will remain under the direction of Rich Allen, who will continue in his role as chief operating officer.
Rocky Point turns out the lights
The 2006 Halloween season will be the last for the Rocky Point Haunted House in Salt Lake City, Utah. Owner Cydney Neil has decided to close the attraction, profiled in Park World in October of 2004, saying "I created my event as a youth training facility. I wasn't training the kids to work in a haunted house, I was training them for life. Now I need to let them go live it."
Preston & Barbieri flies high
Two new flying rides from Preston & Barbieri opened this summer at amusement parks in Europe, both featuring guest-activated pneumatic lifting mechanisms.
17th Coaster stampedes into Cedar Point
New in 2007 at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, will be Maverick, a $21 million (€17m) steel rollercoaster from leading Swiss manufacturer IntaRide.
Busch and Sesame extend licence
Keith M Kasen, president and chairman of the Busch Entertainment Corporation, and Gary E Knell, president and CEO of the non-profit educational organisation Sesame Workshop, recently signed a long-term agreement to establish Sesame Street-themed attractions in four of Busch Enter tainment's US theme parks.
New rides beat lines at Marineland
Three new family rides have been added to Marineland of Canada, Niagara Falls.They include a Zierer Kontiki XL called Viking Adventure, a Zierer family tower themed as Orca Screamer, and a Bumble Bee Tri-Star by Huss.
Flushed with fun at Knight’s Park
Based in Springfield, Illinois, Knight’s Action Park & Caribbean Water Adventure has been giving guests a new way to get wet and have fun this season in the shape of the Royal Flush bowl slide by Amusement Leisure Worldwide.
Ghost Town comes back to life
Ghost Town, located atop the 4,000ft Ghost Town Peak in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, will reopen in 2007 under new ownership after being closed since 2002. It will feature many of the classic amusements and live-action shows that made the 99-acre theme park such a success for 40 years.
Management change at Worlds of Fun
Following the $1.24 billion acquisition of Paramount Parks by parent company Cedar Fair LP, management has changed at Worlds of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri. H Phillip Bender has been promoted to regional vice-president for Cedar Fair, Frank Wilburn to vice-president and general manager at Worlds of Fun, and Matt Steere to director of retail at Worlds of Fun.
The Cascades - Dollywood's Splash Country
In 2007, visitors to Dollywood's Splash Country, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, will have the opportunity to explore The Cascades, the facility’s new $2.75 million leisure pool. Offering a unique blend of adventure and tranquility, the expansion features a lagoon-style, 7,500 sq ft beach-entry pool surrounded by lush landscaping.
Johnny Western Theatre at Wild West World
Country music star Neal McCoy headlined the grand opening celebration of the Johnny Western Theatre in September at Wild West World, Park City, Kansas, giving guests a taste of what to expect when the park itself opens for business next spring.
Themed Entertainment Association
The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is to produce the What’s New Theater opening session at next month’s November’s IAAPA Attractions Expo in Atlanta. “TEA will bring its storytelling, experience design and themed entertainment skills and expertise to bear on this session,” says TEA president Craig Hanna of Thinkwell Design & Production.
October 2006
Flick through our news pages this month, and you’ll find details of more parks closing than opening. Depressing, huh? This is by no means a scientific survey; it’s simply the news that we had ready to go for this issue, and of course we must consider there are going to be few new openings at this time of year.
