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London Dungeon II New home for long-running attraction


One of Merlin Entertainments longest-running attractions, The London Dungeon is moving into a new home. As from March 1, it will entertain visitors in the vast underground vaults of County Hall on the South Bank, next to Merlin’s London Sea Life Aquarium and EDF Energy London Eye. Visitors are promised a bigger, bolder and better attraction as result of a multi-million pound investment that will bring 1,000 years of London history to life across 18 scenes. Featuring such notorious characters as Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd and, for the first time, Guy Fawkes, the experience will be suitable for families with older children, couples and mates on a day out. Two rides, a boat ride and drop tower, will be offered as part of the attraction. “The Dungeons experience is fantastic and unique,” notes general manager Ben Sweet. “It


JRA turns 25


JRA – or Jack Rouse Associates – is currently celebrating 25 years of planning, designing and realising theme parks, museums, sports attractions and visitors centres around the world. While the Ohio firm did not formally incorporate until 1987, its founders Jack Rouse and Amy Merrell had known each other since the ‘70s. That’s because, as a professor at the University of Cincinnati, Jack taught Amy, and also Keith James and Dan Schultz, now JRA’s chief executive and chief operating officers. After a stint at Taft Broadcasting and subsequently Kings Entertainment, Rouse founded his own company. Originally focused on trade show production, Jack Rouse Associates completed its first museum exhibit in 1990, the Public Landing Gallery at the Cincinnati Museum. Four years later, the firm landed its first European theme park project when it was


Son of Beast RIP The final section of the Son of Beast wooden


rollercoaster at Kings Island in Cincinnati came down in late November as work crews brought


combines theatrical storytelling, comedy, special effects, exciting rides, jumps and a few surprises..” Founded in 1974, the London Dungeon is one of Merlin’s original ‘Midway’ attraction formats, with which the company made its name before embarking on an aggressive programme of acquisition and expansion. There are now eight Dungeon attractions throughout Europe. The old London outlet on Tooley Street near London Bridge station is set to close on January 31. The new home at County Hall will allow Merlin to offer more cross-selling opportunities with the London Eye and Sea Life, as well as removing it from the immediate neighbourhood of the London Bridge Experience/London Tombs, which it has been embroiled in rather bitter competition for visitors.


the-dungeons.co.uk


chosen to provide planning and design for the new Legoland Windsor near London. Soon after, JRA began its first brand experience, the CNN Studio Tour in Atlanta. Since then, the company has developed numerous entertainment and cultural experiences around the globe for a wide variety of clients, including blue chip brands such as Coca-Cola, Jack Daniels, Volkswagen and Ferrari, with whom JRA collaborated to create the world’s largest indoor theme park, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Keith James, who took over the company in 2008, believes that the key to JRA’s success begins with the firm’s people. “I started working with Jack in the 1970s, and many of our staff have been with us for over 20 years,” he says. “Without a doubt, the success of JRA is a direct result of the talent, dedication and loyalty of our staff. We are certainly proud of our portfolio, but we are even prouder of our people.”


down the lift hill using cables, nearly two months after work began to dismantle the ride to make room for future park expansion.


Son of Beast opened in 2000 as the tallest, fastest and only looping wooden coaster in the


Lo-Q acquires Accesso


British-based Virtual queuing specialist Lo-Q – the company behind the Q-bot – has acquired leading North American attraction ticketing and e-commerce company Accesso in a deal worth £13.7 million ($22.3m/€16.8m). Lo-Q’s directors hope the acquisition will allow them to strengthen management and accelerate relationships with top park operators in the United States, whilst introducing Accesso’s products to the European and Asian markets for the first time. Current Accesso CEO (and 100% equity holder) Steven Brown, a Disney employee for 16 years, is set to join the Lo-Q board as COO of the North American business. Both organisations believe mobile-based services, including payment, ticketing, queue line management and content, will become intrinsic to delivering a great guest experience in the years to come.


world. Featuring a 214ft first drop and reaching speeds up to 78 miles per hour, it offered a thrilling proposition at first became increasingly uncomfortable to ride and expensive to maintain. The attraction last operated in 2009.


Sweeney Todd: demon barber


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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013


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