Front Gate www.parkworld-online.com


Kernels


Intamin currently has three 10-inversion rollercoasters on order, one due for imminent unveiling at Hopi Hari in São Paulo, Brazil, plus a second and third opening in 2013 at unidentified parks in Europe and Asia. According to the company’s Sascha Czilbulka, a fourth ride may follow if the contract can be finalised. Existing 10 inversion rides by Intamin can be found at Thorpe Park near London and China’s Chimelong Paradise .


The Big Sheep a farm park in Devon, south west England, is to add its first rollercoaster in 2013. The 400-metre long (1,131ft) Zierer Tivoli ride formerly operated at Metro Land near Newcastle- upon-Tyne, which closed in 2008.


North California’s Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will introduce Undertow, a new $5.5 million (€4m) spinning rollercoaster from Maurer Söhne for 2013. Scheduled to open next summer, the ride will take over the location currently occupied by the Hurricane rollercoaster, which was due to cease operation on September 3 and has now been sold to Western Playland Amusement Park, New Mexico.


Morey’s Piers, Wildwood, New Jersey, will present another season of Morey’s Fears for nine nights this October. As well as the chance to ride many of the piers’ regular attractions after dark, visitors will be able to enjoy a spooked up Ghost Ship experience and two new Halloween-only attractions, The Other Side and Terror Trench. Pumpkin-flavoured food, Halloween snacks and seasonal craft beers will also be on sale.


Great Wolf Resorts, North America’s largest operator of indoor waterpark resorts, has announced James Anderson as general manager of its original Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Anderson boasts 13 years' experience as a “pack member” with Great Wolf Resorts, starting as a lifeguard.


Figures of Fun


5


number of UK attractions that can be enjoyed with a £52.50 ($84/€65.50) Blackpool Resort Pass – allowing 7 days’ access to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Tower Eye, Blackpool Tower Dungeon, Sea Life and Madame Tussauds


13


percentage point increase in value added tax faced by Spanish theme parks – up from 8% to 21% – as a result of government austerity measures


25


anniversary celebrated this season at Nigoland, Dolancourt, France. The park was founded in June 1987 by showmen Philippe and Patrice Gélis


29


percentage of British parents who worry their children will not have an enjoyable summer if they don’t visit a theme park


10,000


Chinese yuan (US$1,575/€1,230) – monthly salary reported to be offered to female lifeguards at a Guangzhou waterpark (more than three times regular salary) if they wear bikinis “to help them swim faster”


Ups & Downs


Get A Life – Local councillors look likely to dismiss objections by animal rights campaigners to Merlin’s plans to build a Sea Life aquarium next to Legoland Discovery Centre at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, England


Kids Snub Parks – Visiting a theme park was rated only the 21st most popular summer activity in a survey of British children aged 5 to 11. Playing in the garden/park, water fights and building a den were ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd


Concert Chaos – New York’s Darien Lake has had to restrict pedestrian access and impose on-site parking following disorder from youths attending concerts at the park


Grand Gesture – Grandparents were offered a free day of fun earlier this month at Gulliver’s theme parks in the UK


BigQuestion


Are web forums, fan sites etc a help or hindrance to your business?


Søren Kragelund, Fårup Sommerland, Denmark: Web forums are a great help to us when we’re planning new rides and developing the park. The forums are useful because the contributors have a lot of knowledge


about what’s happening at parks around the world – and a lot of them are exceptionally well informed about rides, theming and the Fårup-brand. Normally we don’t join the conversations on the forums, but do have that that dialog on our Facebook page. Last year we asked our 59,000+ fans what we should build as the next big ride, and now we have revealed details of new coaster, Orkanen, as a result, of that feedback from fans.


Kevin Stumpf, Hersheypark, USA: I don’t know if they are either a help or hindrance, but they are certainly a communication channel. And yes, we do sometimes respond to questions or


certain comments that we read.


Dale Kaetzel, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, USA: We welcome bloggers and comments to talk us up at the park. It is up to our guests to separate fact from fiction!


Carbon-Conscious Kids – “China’s first low carbon theme park” has opened in the north east city of Dalian. The kid-friendly facility features such initiatives as rainwater recycling, wind power and solar power generation


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