PW May 09 P18.qxd 4/23/09 1:22 pm Page 2
Park News
www.parkworld-online.com
An artist’s impression of the new ride
Congo River Expedition
Themed water ride for Schlitterbahn
A new family water ride opens this summer at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New
Braunfels, Texas. The highly themed Congo River Expedition will take guests deep
into the heart of the rainforest.
Towering over a themed encampment is a giant angry volcano that blasts water
more than 20ft in the air. At the volcano’s base lies an enormous “lava-heated” hot
tub offering explorers the last opportunity to relax prior to beginning their river
expedition. Guests are greeted by an archeologist who warns about the dangers of
travelling the Congo River. As the voyage begins, riders float deeper into the jungle
and are surrounded by an intensifying thunderstorm and variety of special effects
and animatronic creatures. The attraction finale takes unsuspecting riders down a
25ft long waterfall and plunges them into an underground abandoned diamond carried out in-house by Schlitterbahn, except for the animatronics, by TBFX.
mine on the verge of collapse. “Not only do we feel that this is the most exciting new attraction to open this year in
The ride, which is set to open over the Memorial Day weekend (May 25), will Texas,” says the waterpark’s general manager Darren Hill, ”but we are also proud
total 835ft in length and last more than eight minutes. All the construction has been to premier our new family adventure as part of our 30th anniversary celebration.”
Animal Maze opens in
Bart Kinzel named at Carowinds
Bart Kinzel has been named the new vice-president and general manager of
Hong Kong
Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina. Kinzel Jnr began his park career aged 15
at Valleyfair in Minnesota, also a Cedar Fair property, where he worked in the
Amazing Asian Animals, the first major foods department filling soda machines. From there, he rose through the ranks
new attraction to be completed under and several years later moved to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, the flagship
Ocean Park’s HK$5.55 billion redevel- park of Cedar Fair chain. Bart has also held positions at Geauga Lake & Wild
opment plan, was set to open at the Water Kingdom in Aurora, Ohio, and Star Trek: the Experience in Las Vegas.
popular Hong Kong attraction on April
30. To launch the new exhibit, Ocean
Park also unveiled two new mascots Merlin makes TV debut
called Later Gator and Goldie the gold-
Its attractions are already some of the best known in the UK, but
fish.
until recently many visitors were probably unaware they were
Described as eight attractions in one,
part of the same group. Merlin Entertainments is now hoping
the new exhibit is located beside the
to bring that situation to an end with its first ever “corporate”
Ocean Terminal Forecourt and includes
TV advertising, promoting its annual pass to British viewers.
giant pandas, red pandas, Chinese
As operator of leading attractions including The London Eye, Alton
giant salamanders, Chinese alligators,
New Ocean Park mascots Later
Towers, Madame Tussauds, Sea Life and the London Dungeon, Europe’s no.1
Asian
Gator and Goldie the goldfish
visitor attraction operator has plenty to shout about. The Annual Pass allows entry
small-clawed otters, birds and goldfish. As well
to all of these attractions and more in a 12-month period for £150 per person
as the creatures themselves, interesting com-
($218 /Euro.037167), or £480 for a family of five. Additional benefits are available such
mentary on provided on each of their charac-
as 20% off food, beverage and retail, previews of new attractions and exclusives
teristics, habitats and conservation insights.
ride times, plus discounts on hotel accommodation and car parking.
As part of the new attraction, guests can also
The advertising campaign was created by Delaney Lund Knox Warren (DLKW),
enjoy a new dining experience in the shape of
with a number of 10-second spots taken out on commercial television in the
Panda Café, which features a host of popular
run-up to Easter.
Southeast Asian dishes, as well as the Panda
Kingdom Shop.
LEFT: Cong Cong the red panda
Tivoli gets Vertigo
Tivoli’s new interactive plane ride was due to
Dino Park opens new outlet
open on May 1. Following suggestions submitted
in a competition the Copenhagen amusement
West Media, the operator of the Dino Park chain in the Czech Republic and park has decided to name the new attraction
Slovakia (see profile at www.parkworld-online.com), has opened a fourth outlet in Vertigo.
the city of Ostrava. Described as, “the wildest and fastest
Like the existing outlets in Plzen, Vyskov and Bratislava, the new park offers a interactive ride in Northern Europe,” the eight-
cheap and cheerful day out with its collection of static and animated dinosaur seater was constricted by Technical Park in Italy
figures, a 3D cinema, playground, dinosaur dig, shop and a prehistoric pine and is only the second ride of its kind in the
called Wollemia Nobilis. world, following the prototype installed two
Over three million guests have visited a Dino Park in the last five years. season ago at Europark near Milan.
www.dinopark.cz
18
MAY 2009
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