In 1989, Su Zhigang (“Mr Su”) opened a restaurant in Guangzhou, southern China. Five years later he added a hotel. New businesses followed bit by bit, but it’s been in the last two years that things have really exploded. A brand-new amusement park and award-winning waterpark have put Chimelong on the map as a fully-fledged entertainment resort and the largest of its kind in China. And there’s more to come. Owen Ralph gets the lowdown in Guangzhou.

Based on the symphonic rock masterpiece of the same name by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, Nights in White Satin – The Trip is both unique and daring among dark rides.

Zamperla has installed launch coasters at two amusement parks in the United States, the first rides of their kind to be produced by the famous Italian manufacturer.

Canada's Wonderland outside Toronto has added the country’s biggest, fastest and tallest rollercoaster – Behemoth. As Paul Ruben reports, B&M ride also features a new style of open seating.

The Great Nor’Easter, a Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) by Vekoma that opened in 1995 at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey, has received new trains this season. As a result, Morey's has increased the thrill-factor on one of its most popular rides.

Continuing its move around the continent, IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo arrives for the first time this July in Macau – dubbed the “Chinese Las Vegas.”

Following a similar blueprint to that adopted by IAAPA at its Summer Meeting in 2004, the British Association of Amusement Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA) visited Europa-Park in Germany from June 16 to 18 as guests of the Mack family.

Around 80 members of the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) gathered at Disneyland Resort Paris for two days in June (Thursday 5/Friday 6) for the association’s second European members’ meeting.

I intended to start this piece on another topic, but in light of everything that is going on here in the US, decided perhaps it would be better to reflect on the economy and how its is affecting the industry on a global scale.

What if someone built a venue filled with statues of prize-winning swine and called it Hard Rock Pork? No? Then what if someone built a venue paying homage to late 20th Century music, filled it with themed rides, and named it Hard Rock Park? A better idea, for sure, and now it’s reality.

 While Beijing prepares for the Olympic Games, a few hundred kilometres away in Dalian, guests at Sun Asia Ocean World can witness the Undersea Olympics!

It is a sign of the economic times that an increasing number of American amusement parks are this season offering inducements and promotions to lure guests. In the face of rising prices for food, fuel and airline tickets, a variety of venues are slashing prices and throwing in extras ranging from money-off admission and hotel rooms to free fuel.

Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, has opened Thomas Town, a seven-acre children’s area based on the popular Thomas & Friends brand. New attractions have also opened in Atlanta and the UK.

The Galleon Pirate Ship ride has hoisted anchor at Quassy Amusement Park, Middlebury, Connecticut, and is now entertaining guests with some high sea thrills.

From the opening sentence, it is clear that author Jeffrey P Stoneking, a former maintenance assistant and ride operator, had an axe to grind in writing Theme Park Safety Failure$.
It reads like a tabloid journalism exposè of the outdoor amusement industry.

In a theatre overlooking the South China Sea, Ocean Park in Hong Kong has opened a new show called Sea Dreams.

Italian ride manufacturer Technical Park recently installed two attractions at Power Park, Härmä, Finland. The addition of a Pegasus thrill ride (pictured) and a Balloon Tower takes the number of Technical Park rides installed at the venue in recent years to three, following the introduction of a Typhoon (Frisbee) a few years back. The park also has a Ferris Wheel from the same firm.

This year has seen the opening of two more Gerstlauer Spinning Coasters at Six Flags parks in the United States (pictured here is the ride at Six Flags Over Texas).

Riesenradplatz has opened at the Prater in Vienna, giving the famous Viennese amusement park the grand entrance area it has long been crying out for. The project was designed and managed by local firm Explore 5D, which was also responsible for the two multimedia attractions that can be found inside one of the period-themed buildings.

Turtle Talk with Crush has opened for a limited time at Hong Kong Disneyland. Similar to the existing attraction at EPCOT in Florida, this fun experience gives young guests the chance to engage in live, spontaneous conversation with the 150-year-old animated sea turtle from the Disney-Pixar hit film Finding Nemo.

New this year at Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah, is OdySea, a themed jet ride from Zierer in which guests take control of their own plane. 

An early morning fire on June 16 damaged Morey’s Mariners Landing Pier, Wildwood, New Jersey. The blaze took place in the vicinity of the Super Scooters and the Seal Flume rides on the north side of the pier but was quickly brought under control and the damage was limited to just these two attractions (as seen here). Click below to see the full picture.

Merlin Entertainments is due to open its eighth Madame Tussauds attraction in Berlin on July 9. The high traffic location chosen for the €10.5 million attraction is Unter den Linden, close to the Brandenberg Gate and not too far from Merlin’s existing Legoland Discovery Centre on Potsdamer Platz.

Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia, has introduced its 14th rollercoaster, Dominator. This 4,210ft steel ride by Bolliger & Mabillard is the longest floorless coaster in the world and has the largest roller coaster loop.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Is about to open its new outlet in the heart of London’s West End. Introducing a host of peculiar and wonderful exhibits never before seen in the UK, the museum of oddities at 1 Piccadilly Circus occupies 24,000 sq ft of prime tourist heartland.

Dollywood’s Splash Country, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. is now welcoming guests to its new $1 million SwiftWater Run ride. This CannonBowl attraction from ProSlide offers double or single-passenger tubes that take riders through a 54-inch diameter tunnel and into a large bowl.

The Lost City of Atlantis has been recreated as part the new Sea Life Aquarium at Legoland California in Carlsbad, due to open August 11.

Spanish waterpark supplier Action Park also completes a number of theming projects for various attractions, and recently it secured a commission in its home city.

Lindstrand Technologies has installed a HiFlyer tethered balloon in the popular British resort of Torquay. Soaring to 400ft (120 metres) above the coast, the attraction gives up to 30 passengers at a time a breathtaking 15-minute bird’s eye view over the “English Riveria.”

Raffi Kaprelyan, Canada's Wonderland:  I take all attractions around us seriously as we are competing for the limited entertainment dollar. To do so, we create an environment where safety and guest service is of the utmost importance. We work diligently to ensure our park is maintained to give our guests a very pleasurable day and to ensure that they are happy to have visited Canada’s Wonderland. 

Donning 3D glasses and manning "spring-action shooters," Walt Disney World guests in Florida can enjoy a new dark ride experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Nickelodeon’s number one character, SpongeBob SquarePants, features in a new ride at Nickelodean Central, Dreamworld, Australia.

Finland’s biggest tourist attraction has just opened its seventh rollercoaster. Introducing Salama at Linnanmäki…

Chester Zoo in England could triple in size if a proposed expansion is given the go-ahead. Plans drawn up by Leisure Concepts of Warwickshire include a number of new world-class animal environments and visitors experiences that would take the zoo’s total developed area to around  140-hectares.

IAAPA has announced a new event to “enhance and update” the traditional Summer Meeting it holds each September. And amusement industry executives with time and money to spare will love the choice of venue for this new winter fixture – the Bahamas.

Keith James (pictrured), president of Jack Rouse Associates (JRA), has taken full control of the company from Jack Rouse and Amy Merrell, who are both staying on at the Cincinnati-based design firm they founded in 1987.

It is a sign of the economic times that a number of American amusement parks are this season offering an increasing number of inducements and promotions to lure guests.

Officials at PARC Management have agreed to purchase the operations of Magic Springs & Crystal Falls in Hot Springs, Arkansas, from current owner Magic Springs Development Co LLC. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Turtle Talk with Crush has opened for a limited time at Hong Kong Disneyland. Similar to the existing attraction at EPCOT in Florida, this fun experience gives young guests the chance to engage in live, spontaneous conversation with the 150-year-old animated sea turtle from the Disney-Pixar hit film Finding Nemo.

SeaWorld Orlando has released more information about the rollercoaster it is planning for next season. The Bolliger & Mabillard ride will be a flying coaster called Manta.

Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, has unveiled the transformation of its X rollercoaster, now named X2. Billed as “the world's only 5th dimensional coaster,” the ride initially opened in 2001, this first-of-its-kind with 360-degree rotating seats.

Europa-Park has broken ground on a 15-hectate expansion which will see the leading German attraction add a number of new attractions over the coming years.

Departing Efteling CEO Ronald van der Zijl has been made an officer of the Order of Orange Nassau (a Dutch military recognition) for his achievements in and outside the famous theme park near Tilburg in the Netherlands.

The Al Wadi Waterpark is the first phase of the Al Wadi Hotel and Resort on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan. Developed by Sundays International for Tourism Investment, the Wadi name has been licensed from the Jumeirah group of Dubai.

The world's first theme park devoted entirely to rock ‘n’ roll, Hard Rock Park is turning up the volume in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Paul Ruben reports on the largest new park to open in America for almost a decade.