Kings Island, outside Cincinnati, Ohio, will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year with the addition of a 14th rollercoaster, Firehawk. A Vekoma flying coaster, it operated for the past six years as X-Flight at Geauga Lake, Aurora, Ohio. It will be located at Kings Island behind the Flight of Fear in the park’s Coney Mall.
The Sea World Eye, a 60-metre observation wheel from Ronald Bussink Professional Rides, will stay at the Australian park until May 17. The ride offers unparalleled sweeping views of the Gold Coast and Sea World’s Broadwater surroundings and passengers are given facts about the area courtesy of the on-board sound system in each of the 42 air-conditioned gondolas. The Sea World Eye is free to ride as part of the normal park admission price.
In late April, Six Flags St Louis, Eureka, Missouri, will introduce a spinning coaster from Gerstlauer of Germany, identical to the ride opening this season at Six Flags Over Texas in San Antonio. The new addition will be called Tony Hawk’s Big Spin, themed after skateboard superstar Tony Hawk.
Jora Vision is to supply a themed, Mechanical Minigolf installation to a new FEC (family entertainment centre) in Molenheide, Belgium. The new facility will make use of a converted old factory building. Owners of the FEC will receive operational guidance for the golf course from Center Parcs, which worked with Jora Vision to develop the original Mechanical Minigolf at a number of its outlets in Holland.
The Fabbri Group is to supply a 50-metre Giant Booster to a travelling showman in Holland, as well as Spinning Madness rides to customers in Holland, Switzerland and Spain.
Dutch theming specialist Jora Vision has established a joint venture with a factory in China to produce its fibreglass mouldings. A new park in Malaysia will be one of the first venues to benefit.
Kepong Metropolitan Park in Kuala Lumpur is to be turned into a waterpark, local reports suggest. It is one of three parks which will use water sport as the main attraction for Visit Malaysia Year 2007, says Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique. “We hope to complete work at the Kepong Metopolitan Park by this year. The other two parks might be the Batu Metropolitan Park and Kuala Lumpur’s oldest and most popular park, Lake Garden."
Schwaben Park in Germany is to add a crocodile mini flume from ABC of Switzerland. This semi-portable attraction, delivered with pre-fabricated steel channels requiring no foundations, will be the Kaiserbach park’s second flume ride, in addition to a full scale version.
A second Funtasia FEC is to open in Ireland. Bernard McCormick, who transformed his fun fair and arcade at Bettystown into a well-appointed indoor, year-round venue a few years ago is to start a new FEC in Drogheda, close to Dublin city centre. The new venue will include a selection of waterpark equipment by Whitewater West. Jora Vision of the Netherlands is to help with theming.
Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, will add a Zamperla Mega Disk ‘O’ for the 2007 season called Cosmic Chaos! Themed as a flying saucer from outer space, the 24-seat flat ride stands 50ft tall and has 120ft of concave track.
Thorpe Park, London, England, is about to reintroduce the Flying Fish to its guests. Originally built by Zierer, this powered family coaster was once one of the only coasters in the park but has been in storage for several years. Following a refurbishment by Mack, it is ready to fly again. Improvements include a new bus-bar pick-up and fresh colour scheme. Meanwhile Stealth, the Intamin launch coaster installed last season at Thorpe, has been upgraded for 2007 and will now features increased acceleration.
Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina, is the latest park in the Cedar Fair group to lower its admission prices. The former Paramount property will mark its 35th season by dropping in the price of one-day regular admission tickets by $5.
Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida, is offering guests an all-new Trainer for a Day programme. Participants will enjoy the ride of a lifetime through the water on the front of two Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. This deep-water interaction, known as a double-foot push, is the highlight of the new promotion and grants Discovery Cove guests their greatest wish: More time with the dolphins. The programme is limited to 24 people per day.
The Christmas-themed 3D feature film Polar Express is now available in a shorter version with added 4D special effects for the attractions market courtesy of SimexIwerks. The animated Warner Brothers production, in which a little boy boards a train to the North Pole to see Santa Claus stars Tom Hanks and was a big hit at movie theatres last winter, It has already been running for four or five months at a handful of venues. SimexIwerks is also marketing a new production called Monster Trucks 4D. “Kids like trucks!” notes the company’s David Needham. “And they like branded content. We’ve got them covered.”
Have you changed your food & beverage offer recently to include healthy eating options?
- 16 - 18 October, 2008
SUREXPO - Warsaw, Poland - 29 - 31 October, 2008
INTERSCHAU / TECHNOFOLIES - Stuttgart, Germany - 29 - 30 October, 2008
WWA TRADE SHOW - Las Vegas, USA - 18 - 21 November, 2008
IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO - Orlando, USA - 02 - 04 February, 2009
MEAAPLE - Abu Dhabi - 11 - 13 February, 2009
EAAPA 2009 - Moscow - 21 - 23 February, 2009
IAAPI TRADE SHOW - Mumbai - 15 - 17 April, 2009
RAAPA 2008 - Moscow - 26 - 28 April, 2009
DEAL 2008 - Dubai
