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Park News
www.parkworld-online.com
Quassy plans wooden coaster
$5 million of improvements coming
Quassy Amusement Park, Middlebury, Connecticut, is to erect its first all-wood
rollercoaster as part of a $5 million multi-year improvement plan at the lakeside
park. In addition to the coaster, Quassy will add a 35ft drop tower and a “Bullet
Bowl” water raft attraction as part of its Saturation Station water play area.
“These projects will be phased in over the next three years,” reveals Eric
Anderson, one of Quassy’s co-owners. “We hope to have the drop tower on site
for next year and construction for the coaster could begin as early as this year, or Big Flush ride), the ride will actually drop around 40ft, obtaining a maximum
perhaps next spring.” speed of 35 mph. One three-car train with a capacity of 12 persons will run the
“We’re investing in the future of the property,” adds owner George Frantzis II. course. The vendor for train has yet to be confirmed.
“These projects are necessary for us to remain competitive, and in the amusement The wooden coaster will act a replacement for Quassy’s aging steel Mad
park business you have to feature a family roller coaster.” Mouse, which has been operating at the park since 1983, delivered new to
The last wooden rollercoaster to operate in the area was at Connecticut’s Playland in Rye, New York, in 1967 from Allan Herschell.
Lakewood Park. Built in 1930, it lasted only a few years before being dismantled As for the other proposed new attractions, SBF/Visa is in line to supply the drop
and moved to Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire, where it continues to tower, and ProSlide the Bullet Bowl.
operate today.
At least four other coaster manufacturers presented proposals, but in the end
Quassy chose The Gravity Group to supply its new ride. “They came in with a
couple of designs that immediately caught our eye,” says Anderson. “These
Lo-Q = no queue?
engineers have a real passion for their trade and The Gravity Group has
Mirabilandia in Ravenna, Italy, is employing a VQ2020 virtual queuing system
designed and built some of the best rides of the genre.”
from Lo-Q for the 2009 season. By renting a Q-bot hand held wireless
The as-yet un-named coaster will feature 1,200ft of track and be 35ft at its
device, guests can reserve their place in line for a number of the park’s rides
highest point. However, due to the topography in this part of the park (near the
and attractions.
Mirabilandia, which is also debuting a major new launch coaster this
spring, is branding the system V_pass. Guests can make reservations for rides
from anywhere within the park. Once reserved, they are placed in a virtual
queue, thereby avoiding physical waiting times allowing to enjoy their time in
the park’s grounds, visit other attractions, gift shops or restaurants.
. . . OUR BUSINESS IS CHILD’S PLAY!
“We’re very proud to be the first park in Italy – and one of the first ones in
Europe – to offer our visitors an electronic reservation service,” says
BERG TOYS FOR ‘FAMILY FITNESS & FUN’
Mirabilandia managing director, Claudio Bertozzi. “This follows our recent ride
investments (Reset and iSpeed) and shows Mirabilandia is pleased to
INCREASED INCOME… WITH NO AIR POLLUTION OR NOISE POLLUTION! implement additional services to make our guests visit more pleasant and
comfortable.”
The V-Pass installation includes an initial batch of 370 Q-bots and was
expected to be operational in time for the busy Easter period.
Lo-Q has also installed a “Text-Q” system this season at Flamingo Land in
the UK, allowing mobile phone users to reserve their place in line by sending
an SMS message from anywhere in the park.
THEME PARKS COASTAL RESORTS
OmniTicket gets new owner
OmniTicket Network (OTN) has agreed to a “merger” with Best Union
Company (BUC), an Italian ticketing and service provider listed on the Milan
stock exchange. BUC will take 100% of OTN’s capital, but the OmniTicket
name and operations will remain.
Paolo Moro, former OTN president and CEO, will remain with the company
FARM PARKS HOLIDAY PARKS
as corporate business development executive, working side by side with Best
FOR THE STRONGEST COMMERCIAL PEDAL CARS FOR PUBLIC USE . . . Union CEO Luca Montebugnoli.
PLEASE CONTACT DAVID OR ANDREW AT . . .
The new group becomes one of the top five global providers for ticketing
systems, distribution and related services, and one of the top three in Europe. It
WWW.WORLDOFRIDES.COM
predicts revenues this year will exceed $30 million (Euro.18622m).
Established in 1999, BUC’s clients are primarily in the sport, live
THE FUN FACTORY, Third Avenue, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham, DH2 1AY
FUN Phone: + 44 (0) 191 49 20 999 FUN Fax: + 44 (0) 191 49 20 888
entertainment and exhibition arenas. This summer, for example, the company
FUN E-mail: info@worldofrides.com FUN Web: www.worldofrides.com
will provide all ticketing services related to the European soccer championship
. . . WITH FORTY YEARS SERVICE TO THE FARM, PLAY, HOLIDAY & LEISURE INDUSTRIES in Rome. By partnering with OmniTicket, which is strong in the leisure market,
. . . OUR PAST . . . IS OUR PRESENT . . . TO YOUR FUTURE!
the two companies should complement each other well.
18 JUNE 2009
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