Park News
parkworld-online.com
Harry Potter expansion will link
two parks at Universal Orlando In space where Jaws once terrified visitors to Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, in the past few months buildings have risen for what will eventually become “London” – or Diagon Alley, the second phase of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Construction is now taking place on a Hogwarts Express railway that will link the former Jaws location with Hogsmede at neighbouring Universal Orlando park Islands of Adventure. The new area will bring to life some of the London places and experiences found in the Harry Potter books and films, offering brand-new adventures for fans and theme park guests from around the world. Diagon Alley will be just as immersive and authentic as the existing Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade themed environment at Islands of Adventure. But now, just like in the books and films, Universal Orlando guests will be able to travel between the two locations aboard the
TEA Asia Pacific The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has announced
the formation of a new Asia Pacific division. “With so much industry activity in the region, the association is forming this new division to help organise activities and events, and to help improve our understanding of and dialogue with our member companies and their clients throughout the region,” explains TEA president Christine Kerr of BaAM Productions. An interim Asia Pacific division board has been appointed to assist with the election and installation of a permanent board, with Chris Conte of Electrosonic acting as president during this period. All TEA members working in the region are encouraged to consider running for the board. For more details contact
TEAAsiaPacificMembership@teaconnect.org The TEA already has regional divisions in Western North America, Eastern North America and Europe & Middle East (EME). The EME division is due to stage a two-day conference, site tour and networking event at PortAventura in Spain on 21 and 22 May. More details from
EMEevent@teaconnect.org
Brushboarding meets skydiving
A new indoor skydiving centre in the UK will offer an added attraction for adrenaline-hungry guests when it opens next month. Airkix at The Leisure Park in Basingstoke will be the newest site where
visitors can sample the “sport” of BrushBoarding, where participants board surf on brush-covered rollers. “We are looking forward to working with the team at Airkix,” says of BrushBoarding creator Kyle Dent. “I know they are looking forward to getting BrushBoarding into other leisure related facilities.”
A mobile BrushBoarding ramp is currently touring Ireland under the banner of Mountain Dew Energy and is already engaged thousands of onlookers and riders alike, as another unit did previously at sites including Thorpe Park in the UK (as pictured). One of its next confirmed appearances is the Sea Seasons surf and music festival in Donegal from 21 to 23 June.
extremesportszone.co.uk airkix.com
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Hogwarts Express. Work on the new area is progressing swiftly. When complete, it will feature shops, a restaurant and an innovative, signature attraction – rumoured to be a rollercoaster – based around Gringotts bank.
Kernels
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will be open to the public every day starting in the fourth quarter of 2013, bringing it into line as a 365- day-a-year operation with sister Yas Island waterpark Yas Waterworld. Previously the indoor theme park was closed on Mondays, but now manager Andy Keeling says “there’s been a growing demand for a continuous entertainment offering and the appeal of Yas Island as a leisure destination is now even higher.”
Theming and Animatronic Industries (TAA) has revealed that it is creating a major part of the theming at the Vialand, opening later this month in Istanbul, Turkey. The German company, with production facilities in Romania, is building a
25m-tall Viking ship
and 21m Viking warrior for the park’s big Intamin water ride as well as a dragon sculpture that will cover the tunnel that the boats travel through. In addition TAA will create facades for Fun Zone Street, the Happy Farm and arches for several other rides. Eight of the largest rides have been chosen for express access using Lo-Q’s virtual queuing system.
Maurer Rides, the ride manufacturing arm of Maurer Söhne, has secured DIN EN 13814 certification for its rollercoasters from the TÜV. As one of only a handful of companies in the industry to achieve such credentials, the Munich-based manufacturer says it can offer, “products of the very best quality, with the highest level of safety where rollercoaster operation is concerned and an effectively organised, flexible supply chain.”
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment will premiere Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation, an original live musical show featuring characters from DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar franchise, at Busch Gardens Tampa and Sea World San Diego this summer. Merlin Entertainments is also introducing various Madagascar Live! productions this season at its resort theme parks in Italy, Germany and the UK.
John Stegall, 11-year veteran technical services manager at Sally Corporation, has been promoted to the position of technical services director for the dark ride and animatronics design/build company.
Funtown Splashtown USA, Saco, Maine, has selected Gateway Ticketing Systems as its new ticketing and access control provider. The park’s 500,000 annual visitors can now print both regular and corporate discount passes using Gateway’s eGalaxy Web Store. “We have seen a marked increase in the requests from customers for more electronic means of ticket purchasing,” notes the park’s Ed Hodgdon.
MAY 2013
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