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ParkHoppin’ with Paul Ruben
Dark in the Park
I spent the last month visiting as many dark rides as I could, from coast to coast. In California, I went to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to ride their whimsically dark Cave Train and sample their new Haunted Castle. At Disneyland I meandered through the wonderful Haunted Mansion. At Disney’s California Adventure I climbed aboard both the Tower of Terror and Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Over on the east coast I lurched my way through Stillwalk Manor at New Jersey's Casino Pier, previewed Gillian’s Wonderland’s Haunted House dark ride, walked through Morey’s majestically decrepit Ghost Ship, floated through their Pirates of the Wildwoods and bounced through Dante's Dungeon. Then I gamely found my way through the brand-new Morbid Manor just up the boardwalk, where I met ticket- seller Andrea pictured here. Isn’t she lovely? Next I inspected the nearly completed Haunted Golf in Ocean City. I went to Knoebel’s in Pennsylvania to discover their splendid new Black Diamond dark ride/coaster, which you can read more about elsewhere in this issue. While there I couldn’t pass up a visit to their highly-rated Haunted House. I finished the tour at Hersheypark with a trip through Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge. Let’s see, that’s 15 dark attractions within a 30-day period. After these experiences, one would think I could shed some light on dark rides. But no, that would spoil the experience. Dark rides are intended to be dark, or at least dim, like moi.
What I did learn is that dark
rides are making a comeback. Long a mainstay of the amusement park experience, they fell out of favour following the 1984 fire at the Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure when eight teenage visitors were trapped inside and killed. Many other dark attractions were subsequently removed from parks. Only now, with the use of improved fire retardant materials and sprinkler systems, are we witnessing a renaissance of dark rides in North America. And not a moment too soon. Dark rides and dark walk-throughs give a park a unique attraction, and give it some distinguishing character and personality. They’re different, they’re mysterious, they’re exciting. The one dark ride that has yet to make a comeback, however, is the
Tunnel of Love. The only one I know that still operates as a Tunnel of Love is the River Caves at England’s Blackpool Pleasure Beach. We need more Tunnels of Love, or at least more Tunnels of Messing Around a Little.
While I love dark rides, I think dark walk-throughs, especially those with actors, best bring out the fear factor. They are the most fun. Here’s why. Some people walk through and are not going to get scared, but there are other people who go through and are easily frightened. They scream the minute they come in the door. If a group goes through, half the group is screaming, the other half is laughing at them for screaming. So everybody comes out happy. My favourite is Nightmares, a dark walk-through in Niagara Falls, Canada. It is the oldest haunted house in North America in continuous operation. Try it. It’s pure fun. It’s just you, the dark, and things that go bump in the night.
8
Polar Adventure Ocean Park transformation is complete
Ocean Park has completed its six-year HK$5.55 billion Master Redevelopment Plan (MRP) with the opening of the Polar Adventure, a new area combining Arctic and Antarctic themed environments with a family coaster ride. Located on Brick Hill, high up in the Summit area of the park, the new attraction is dedicated to raising awareness of the impact of global climate change on polar wildlife and habitats. It spans over 150,000 sq ft and features two climate-controlled pavilions – the North Pole Encounter and South Pole Spectacular. Ocean Park guests can step out of the Hong Kong heat and, without having to criss-cross both ends of the world, see over 100 species of Polar animals including three different species of penguin, walruses, spotted seals, northern sea lions, snowy owls and arctic foxes. Interior lighting is adjusted to mimic the seasonal conditions in the respective Polar regions. The two-storey North Pole Encounter allows visitors to view the marine mammals in an open environment from both above and below the water level, while in the South Pole gentoo, southern rockhopper and king penguins can be seen behind floor-to-ceiling glass. Guests can also dine beside dozens of penguins at Tuxedos Restaurant, where 5% of proceeds will be donated to the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation. Featured inside both pavilions, guests can also discover numerous interactive educational displays. Sprawled out in front of the two connected pavilions is the winding blue track of Arctic Blast, Ocean Park’s latest rollercoaster. This family-friendly installation by Mack Rides features cars shaped like snow sleds that travel at up to 35km per hour. The ride passes just metres from Hair Raiser, the floorless B&M coaster opened last year. The aim of Ocean Park’s Master Redevelopment Plan (MRP) was to transform the “people’s park” of Hong Kong into a leading world-class family travel destination. In the process, annual attendance has shot up to over 7 million, making it the park busiest in Asia outside Japan, and eclipsing numbers at Hong Kong Disneyland. A large part of the increase is due to an influx of visitors from mainland China. “With the launch of Polar Adventure,” notes the park’s chairman Dr Allan Zeman, “we have fully realised the new Ocean Park experience envisioned in our six-year Master Redevelopment Plan – on time, on budget and at the expected quality level.”
Read an exclusive interview with Ocean Park’s Tom Mehrmann in next month’s Park World Let the Adventure begin!
The developers of Adventure World Warsaw have broken ground on their planned theme park resort in Grodzisk Mazowiecki outside the Polish capital Guests at the groundbreaking ceremony on July 21 were treated to a themed reception by Jora Vision, the Dutch company that is designing the 230-hectare resort, and were able to view a 1:16 model of what will be Poland’s first large-scale theme park. After speeches from various industry executives and Polish officials, a spectacular 15-minute fireworks display rounded off the night’s proceedings. “Today marks a very special day not only me, but for the people of Poland and all Central Eastern
Europe”, declared the project’s Dutch CEO, Peter Mulder. “Adventure World Warsaw will
immediately join the ranks of the world’s top theme parks and resorts when in 2015.” AWW will feature both a theme park and an undercover
waterpark, as well as an entertainment village, two themed
AUGUST 2012
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