PW Mar 09 P10.qxd 2/23/09 10:09 AM Page 10
Park News
www.parkworld-online.com
HARD ROCK
Bed and brick-fast
PARK SOLD
The City of Carlsbad Planning Commission has approved Legoland
California’s request to build a hotel on resort property. “This is an exciting
step in the planning process for the Legoland Hotel,” says Peter Ronchetti,
the resort’s newly installed general manager. “While the opening of the
New owner could reopen by May
hotel is not in the immediate future, we are looking forward to this new
chapter in our development.”
Hard Rock Park could be open again by the end of May in Myrtle Beach, South The proposal must still be approved by the Carlsbad City Council and
Carolina. A conglomerate called FPI MB Entertainment has paid $25 million the California Coastal Commission before ground can be broken on the
(Euro.18620m) for the park’s assets and promised to spend a further $15 million to hotel, which will be located to the right of the park’s entrance in an area
reopen it for the 2009 season. currently used for bus parking. The proposed property will be three stories
Members of FPI MBE include Freestyle Park International, a division of MT high with 250 rooms upon completion. Construction will be carried out in
Development of Moscow, Roundbox Advisors and a group of local Myrtle two phases.
Beach area investors, who between them have more than 100 years’ There are already two hotels on the property in Carlsbad, but like
experience in the attractions industry. A well-known theme park management Legoland California and the neighbouring Sea Life Aquarium, the new hotel
company has been retained to manage the operations of the park. Another will be designed for families with young children, featuring rooms and
company, Coastal Entertainment, failed to buy the park after submitting a last suites themed after the most popular Legoland areas.
minute bid. While it may be the first Legoland themed hotel in the United States, it is
Hard Rock Park famously closed last September, just five months after it the second in the world. Legoland Billund opened a
opened. Management said it expected to see about three million guests during 176-room Legoland-themed hotel in 1991, which
the first year, but those forecasts proved unrealistic. When it finally closed, the has become an integral part of the Legoland experi-
park's website thanked the "hundreds of thousands of guests" who visited.
Hard Rock International has already removed some memorabilia from the
park, but FPI would like to continue
use the Hard Rock brand if a new
New parade planned for Disneyland
licence agreement can be reached. If
it can’t, then FPI will be forced to Disneyland, Anaheim,
destroy any Hard Rock-branded California, will introduce a new
merchandise before the park reopens. parade called Celebrate! A
FPI has confirmed that it wants to Street Party on March 27.
reopen the park by May 25, and Described as an “interactive
believes it will take about three months street party” it will travel along
to get ready. the parade route daily,
replacing the outgoing Parade
LEFT: The gates to Hard Rock Park
of Dreams.
won’t be closed for much longer
Celebrate! A Street Party will
feature seven floats and 90
performers, including dancers,
Waterplay …without
Disney characters and three DJs. Performers will invite spectators to join the
celebration as they take to the street for a high-energy street party.
the big footprint!
Similar in scale to the Parade of Dreams, the new parade will run twice on
busy days and once on slower days.
Who says interactive water playrgrounds
have to be big? SCS Interactive recently
installed this compact waterplay structure
New at Dutch Wonderland
at The Alaska Club Valley health and
Dutch Wonderland will open its castle doors in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for its
fitness club in Wasilla, Alaska.
46th season on May 2 with a couple of new attractions. A Dragon’s Tale is a new
The installation was part of a pool
high-dive show from Mirage Entertainment featuring the adventures of Queen
expansion project, which opened in
Gwinneth and Puff, her pet dragon. The show will be performed twice daily in
January, and comprises a HexDek D with
rotation with the park’s current high-dive show, The Adventures of the Frog Prince.
over 10 interactives as well as a tube
Guests can also watch the divers practice and prepare for the acrobatic show in
slide and a 3ft tipping bucket.
an open dive session.
“The pool expansion was a great way
Also new for 2009 is The Twister, a circular-motion ride designed for the entire
for us to draw in new members to our
family. The 20-seat attraction spins guests horizontally, and then starts fluctuating
club," says Valley Club general manager,
The new attraction in Alaska
in a wave-like manner. The ride, by Chance Morgan, will be located near the
Sam Kehler. "By including the SCS
Crazy Plane and Double Splash Flume.
attraction in our pool we have definitely heightened the excitement for children.”
Other highlights for 2009 include the return of the Thomas &
The HexDek design features an interchangeable panel case that not only
Friends and Beyond the Castle live shows from RWS &
make installation easier, but also allows the ability to refresh the structure with
Associates. A new dining option, meanwhile, will be a
new interactives as desired.
Tex-Mex restaurant.
10 MARCH 2009
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