Park News
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Angry Birds Activity Park
Following the opening of Angry Birds Land at Särkänniemi, Tampere, Finland, Rovio has teamed up with Lappset to market Angry Birds Activity Parks worldwide. The two Finnish companies have enjoyed strong relations for a
number of years and now Lappset, already one of Europe’s biggest playground manufacturers, expects to export more of its product across the globe as a result of the licensing deal with Rovio. With over 1 billion games downloaded as “apps” since launch in 2009, Angry
Birds is the fastest growing consumer franchise of all time, and a big hit with smart phone and tablet computer users. One of Rovio’s goals in creating attractions, other than the obvious financial rewards, is to provide active real-life experiences to Angry Birds fans, and maybe distance itself from the “couch potato” image of the traditional gamer. Already Angry Birds is notable for having a much wider user demographic, in both age and sex, than many other computer games. At Särkänniemi, Angry Birds Land includes amusement rides in addition to a large playground and a number of touchscreen-based games featuring unique content. The initial Angry Birds Activity Parks, which will include additional outlets in Finland, many venues in China and also Sundown Adventure Land in England, will not all include rides. The typical installation is cited as 600 square metres. Watch this space!
Bluegrass Boardwalk – the dream is over
Following nine months of planning to reopen the shuttered amusement park in Louisville, Kentucky, Bluegrass Boardwalk Inc – the company lead by the Koch family from Holiday World – has withdrawn from the project. “We entered into this discussion last October with full expectation of leasing the park,” says Bluegrass Boardwalk CEO Natalie Koch. “However, we have come to the realisation that leasing a park rather than owning it would take us too far from the business model my family has followed for more than 60 years.” Koch says she and her partners were financially prepared to meet the challenge of reopening the abandoned park, formerly known as Kentucky Kingdom, however the many layers of governmental regulations and stipulations ultimately caused them to withdraw. She adds that her family believe reopening the Louisville park, last operated by Six Flags, is still a worthwhile project and they wish any future operator well.
Severn-Lamb delivers
Delivery was due last month by Severn-Lamb on a 24-inch gauge Arrow River train to Al Khor Park in Qatar. Manufactured in the UK in association with the Clifton Cowley Group (CCG), it is capable of climbing an 11% gradient, something that had not previously been available within the sector. Severn-Lamb also supplied a train to the Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) in
Kota, India (pictured). The package, delivered in May, included the track and a 24-inch gauge locomotive with two coaches, each seating up to 36 adults.
Kernels
The Fabbri Group is to supply a package of five rides for a new park in Taipei, Taiwan. The attractions in question will be a 40-metre Ferris Wheel, Pirate Ship, Coffee Cups, Telecombat and monorail, the first system of its kind from the Italian manufacturer. Additional rides will be supplied by IE Park. Delivery is expected in 2013 for the parl, which will be run by the local municipality.
Italy’s SBF/Visa Group recently supplied three rides to Walibi Aquitaine in France. The attractions in question, a guitar-themed tower ride, Flying Bus and Wander Fly, have all been produced in keeping with the Walibi group’s new music theme.
Kidzania, the kids’ role-playing attraction, is to open in two years’ time at Sentosa island in Singapore following a deal with the Malaysian government- backed Themed Attractions & Resorts (TAR).
Dollywood’s Splash Country, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is to add a hydro- magnetic waterslide coaster. RiverRush, by ProSlide, is set to open in May of next year and will total 1,175ft in length.
Merlin Entertainments is to continue the roll out of its Legoland Discovery Center (LDC) brand in North America with the opening of new attractions in New York and Toronto, the latter representing the company’s first venture in Canada. Both will open by spring/early summer of 2013, the Toronto attraction at Vaughan Mills and the New York outlet at County. Each represents an investment of $12 million.
Ridge Hill Mall in Westchester
Orlando’s Fun Spot Action Park is ramping up the thrill factor on International Drive with the addition of two new rollercoasters over the coming couple of years. White Lightning, an out-and-back wooden coaster from Great Coasters International, will open next year followed in 2014 by a Suspended Family Coaster from Vekoma.
The brother and sister that rebuilt the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare following a fire in summer 2008, England, have been awarded the MBE (Member of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The Big Blue Hotel at Pleasure Beach Blackpool has received a Certificate of Excellence Award from TripAdvisor. The recognition is given to the 10% of establishments that consistently achieve outstanding reviews on the website. Opened in 2003, the Big Blue Hotel is features a high quality finish and excellent guest service.
International Theme Park Services (ITPS) has withdrawn from the ORA mixed-use leisure development – including the Landora FEC/theme park – in Istanbul, Turkey, after three and-a-half years of providing operational, management and design support. “We can no longer be a part of the colossal mismanagement of the ORA project,” says ITPS president Dennis Speigel.
Pan Amusements’ new midway water game Clownin’ Around is flying out of the firm’s UK factory. Sega, which boasts worldwide distribution rights, took delivery recently of 15 machines – and many more are in the pipeline for arcades, FECs and small amusement parks. “There is a tendency amongst venues these days for smaller attractions with a fast payback time,” note Pan’s Paul Whittaker.
A man convicted of reselling discount vouchers to English amusement park Alton Towers has been sentenced to four months in prison. “I do not believe that those who buy from touts fully appreciate the vouchers they are paying for cease to be valid for entry when they are purchased from a tout,” explains Alton Towers divisional director Ian Crabbe. The vouchers sold for profit by Michael Sarginson are typically available for free through various marketing offers.
Eschewing the multinational brands that proliferate many visitor attractions, England’s Paultons Park has chosen a local company as its official ice cream supplier. New Forest Ice Cream (
nfic.co.uk) is a family business founded in 1983, just 14 miles (23km) from the Paultons site in Hampshire. Over half a million New Forest whippy, wrapped and scooped ice creams are sold at the park every year. The company also supplies other UK parks including Camelot and New Pleasureland.
18 JULY 2012
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