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Ocean Park (Hong Kong), Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (California) and Puy du Fou (France) are in the running for this year’s Applause Award. Presented by Liseberg every two years at IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, the award honours a park whose management, operations and creative accomplish ments have inspired the industry with their foresight, originality and sound business development.
The Australian theme park operator Village Roadshow is hoping to open a park in China, according to Australasian Leisure Management. The project would, "effectively leverage the extraordinary value of our 40 years and more of world quality theme park expertise and without any heavy investment burden," chairman Robert Kirby told the magazine.
David Sanvoisin has been appointed event manager for the UK’s Leisure Industry Week (LIW) exhibition. David boasts more than 14 years experience in the leisure and events industry and formerly oversaw the Play & Attractions sector of LIW from 2003 to 2008. LIW returns this year from September 18 to 20 in Birmingham.
1) Located between the beach and residential buildings, the Wonder Wheel has been in continuous operation for 91 years! The only time it stopped was during the great blackout of 1977. The first wheel of its kind, it features 16 cars that swing back and forth, while providing a traditional Ferris wheel ride on the rim. The original owners, Alfred and Herman Garms, would get very upset when a reporter would call it a “Ferris” wheel during an interview. They actually threw reporters out of the office on several occasions. The Wonder Wheel was declared a New York City Landmark in 1989. The colours are protected as well as the signage and the property around it. This ride was truly a “Wonder” when it was built and still is!
2) The Sweet Shoppe is actually a 1970 Waymatic Chalet trailer which has been at the park since then. It was my dad’s “good luck charm,” as it was from that little “pushcart” where he saved enough money to finally buy the park in 1980.
3) The Mangels Fire Engines were actually built in Coney Island two blocks away from the park, where they have called home for the last 62 years. The original park founder, William Ward, purchased them along with a Whip and a pony cart. My brother Steve has totally rebuilt all of them. His son DJ, who is a computer whiz, has installed a frequency drive unit, allowing a softer start for the ride.
4) The Snack Bar was re-themed to look like the original Deno's Snack Bar which opened in 1970 when Columbia Pictures prepped the entire park for the filming of a scene for Men in Black 3. They made our modern signage look retro and also brought in vintage pinball and other arcade games, umbrellas, even garbage cans. The film will be released sometime in summer 2012!
Dennis Vourderis, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, Coney Island, New York
UAE shopping mall operator Emaar Retail has announced plans to open a second Sega Republic family entertainment centre (FEC) in Dubai. The 3,600ft sq ft facility at the Dubai Marina Mall is set for a summer 2012 debut. The existing Sega Republic at the Mall of Dubai features a combination of high tech arcade games, simulators and a handful of rides and attractions including a Maurer Söhne spinning coaster.
Paultons Park, Hampshire England, has closed its Village Life Museum. An auction was held at the park on March 14 when items including hand carts, heavy horse harnesses, hand tools and equipment from the workshops of a farrier, carpenter, shoemaker and a cooper went under the hammer.
Zoombezi Bay at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is the latest waterpark to install and operate a Q-band ride reservation system. The Ohio venue has signed a five-year deal with Lo-Q, the 11th waterpark globally to utilise the waterproof Q- band.
APRIL 2012
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