Park News
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Gillian’s Funland returns!
Gillian's Funland, Sea Isle City, New Jersey, has expanded by more than 60% in its second season. Open from late May to September, the park now boasts an additional 15,200 square feet (1,412 sq m) of space and five rides from the former Kiddieland park outside Chicago. New this year are a Zamperla Galleon and Kiddie Swing, a Tilt-A-Whirl from Sellner, an Eli Bridge Scrambler and a boat ride by Allan Herschell.
Business at the park, a sister operation to the established Gillian’s Wonderland in Ocean City, continues to be steady.
Foundations University
The 20th edition of the Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) was held in Chicago from July 13 to 15. During its 7-year history, FEU has provided valuable information to those planning family entertainment centres (FEC) and other location-based entertainment facility. “Foundations is a unique experience and opportunity to be taught by the brain trust of the entertainment industry,” said an enthusiastic Susan Hoffland, currently developing a new children’s entertainment centre in Phoenix, Arizona. “What is generally coined as the next great recession is now seen as the key incubator in fostering project development within the leisure entertainment sector,” noted FEU presenter Jerry Merola, a partner in Amusement Entertainment Management. ”De-valued real estate, eroding construction and materials costs, and pro-business attitudes with regulatory and government agencies have created the perfect conditions for entertainment development.” From boutique bowling and movie theatres to a wide range of indoor and outdoor FECs, the diversification within the industry was easily seen in the Foundations classroom.
Delegates were also able to gain knowledge in the field, with tours to Chicago area attractions including The Enchanted Castle/Lucky Strike Lanes and Sugar Grove Family Fun Center. The next Foundations Entertainment University is scheduled for September 21 to 24 in Dallas, Texas.
www.foundationsuniversity.com
Zamperla’s Far East success
Zamperla is supplying more than 40 rides this year to customers in the Far East. Among these is the Italian manufacturer’s seventh Volare coaster, a custom made Junior Coaster, several Disk 'O’ and a number of other bestsellers. Several installations are planned
Energy Storm at Happy Valley Shanghai
at parks in China operated b the OCT Group. At Happy Valley Beijing, for example, a new area will soon open which including four new rides from Zamperla – a Surf's Up, Sky Chaser (Kite Flyer), Hawk 48 and a Power Surge. Large screens will be erected around several of the attractions to create an eye- catching effect. At Happy Valley Shanghai, still only a year old, no less than eight new Zamperla attractions are planned including a Disk 'O’ Coaster, Twister Coaster, Power Surge and a themed monorail. Down in the Guangdong Province, Happy Valley Shenzhen is set for a giant Sky Chaser and Sombrero ride, while OCT East outside Shenzhen gets a 24-seater Mega Disk ‘O’. As already reported in these pages (June 2010), Changzhou Dinosaur
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Park in the Chinese city of the same name has added three attractions from Zamperla including a Suspended Windshear and giant Sky Chaser, plus an indoor family coaster opening soon (see Dark Rides, page 36). At Trans Studio Makassar in Indonesia, one of the biggest indoor parks/FECs in the world, visitors can enjoy a Rockin' Tug, Sky Tower, Family Swinger, Magic Bikes and a Zamperla dark ride. The company has also been contracted to supply several attractions to a second park from the same developer, Trans Studio Bandung. Perhaps the most curious project is Moranbong Park in North Korea. Zamperla is supplying a package of six new attractions including a Giant Discovery, Z-Force tower ride, Power Surge, Galleon, Mega Disk 'O’ and a Volare coaster. We’d love to show you some photos from this interesting sounding park, but the secretive owner does not want anything publishing!
AUGUST 2010
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