Park News
parkworld-online.com
ParkHoppin’ with Paul Ruben
Restore the shore
It’s been 10 months since Hurricane Sandy came aground at Brigantine, New Jersey, just north of Atlantic City. Lives and homes were lost, ships sunk, and many amusement facilities on the shore were damaged, some catastrophically. But park operators are resilient, and quickly began work to repair damage and rebuild. I toured the Jersey Shore this summer, and found that the losses became more widespread as I travelled from south to north. "We suffered almost no destruction," admitted Jack Morey of Morey’s Piers. “We lucked out.” Heading north to Sea Isle City, Gillian’s Funland had four feet (1.2m) of
water, and all 13 of Jay Gillian's rides suffered some water damage. At Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City, Scott Simpson endured no ride damage, but two housing units for summer help had been flooded. Nearby at Gillian’s Wonderland, they lost seven garage doors, had to replace their roof and repair three rides that had lost their tops. Their maintenance shop also took on about 30 inches (76cm) of water. The Steel Pier in Atlantic City survived intact, as Tony Catanoso’s crew had removed endangered rides. However, Catanoso had a Funtime Sling Shot (The Rocket) at Funtown Pier in Seaside Heights. It blew over into the Atlantic Ocean. Catanoso has insurance for wind damage, so of course the insurer asserted it suffered water damage. Sounds like this carnage produced an attorneys’ bonanzafest. From Seaside Heights to Keansburg appear to be Ground Zero for this storm. About 60% of the 350ft-long Funtown Amusement Pier was lost, many of its rides reduced to rubble. It has not opened this year, but owner Billy Major is working towards a reopening in 2014 once the pier is rebuilt. A short walk north of Funtown Pier, a small portion of Casino Pier is now open for business. Summer had begun and while the boardwalk portion of the pier was open the pier itself remained fenced off with just a handful of rides in place during my visit in June. The progress at Keansburg Amusement Park was amazing. The park had been washed away by the storm surge. Co-owner Hank Gehlhaus had been urged to abandon the amusement park, but he had worked tirelessly to completely restore his waterpark and now had much of his amusement park up and running again.
So it was business as usual up and down the Jersey Shore, and there’s no place else like it. The sun was shining, as along the boardwalks the arcades were open offering visitors the chance to win “useful gifts” or “valuable prizes.” You want salt water taffy or soft ice cream? Why not both? Beach wear or hermit crabs? They are both available in the same stores. The ubiquitous T-shirt shops were happily selling shirts with “Restore the Shore” emblazoned on them, along with information like “For a face like yours I’ll need a few more beers,” “I hate being bi-polar, it’s awesome,” and “Ride it, Eat it, Vomit.” Culturally insightful? No, just the Jersey Shore getting back to normal.
What’s new in New Jersey? See page 44
20th Century
Genting Malaysian park set for transformation
Resorts World Genting, Malaysia, is to open a new look theme park in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox, offering guests branded attractions and experiences
incorporating intellectual property (IP) such as Ice Age, Life of Pi, Alien, Predator and Night at the Museum.
The existing Genting Theme Park at Genting Highland will close this September to enable a RM400 million (US$125m/ €95m) transformation. When it reopens it 2016, the 25-acre site will feature more than 25 rides and attractions including media-based attractions, thrill rides, water rides, dark rides and children’s attractions. Also featured will be The Dream Parade, billed as “a one-of-a-kind, animatronics parade” based on all of the characters and titles represented at the theme park. Twentieth Century Fox’s previous excursion into the theme park industry included an ill-fated “backlot” attraction in Australia, however it currently licences a number of its brands, including Ice Age, to various parks around the globe. Located on a mountain peak at the border of the Malaysian states Selangor
Dato’ Lee Choong Yan (president of Genting Malaysia), Tan Sri Lin Kok Thay (chairman/CEO Genting Malaysia) and Jeffrey Godsick (president of 20th Century Fox Consumer Products)
and Pehang, Resorts World Genting (formerly Genting Highland) offers six hotels, a casino, convention facilities, 200 retail and dining outlets, plus various rides, attractions and live entertainment – attracting a combined an attendance of over 20 million. The Genting Group also operates casinos and “integrated resorts” in Kijal and Langkawi, Malaysia, plus Singapore, Manila New York City, Miami, the UK and the Bahamas.
genting.com
Genting Theme Park pictured in 2010
The Thunderbolt is coming to Coney Island in 2014 – see story top right 6 AUGUST 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48