Park News
parkworld-online.com
Bye bye de Boer! Efteling CEO Bart de Boer (pictured) stood
down from the helm of the market-leading Dutch theme park on September 1. Recruited in 2008 from Eindhoven Airport, he oversaw the park’s move to a 12 month operating calendar and its subsequent annual attendance increase to over 4 million (4.2 million) in 2012. New attractions introduced in this time included the George and the Dragon wooden coaster, Bosrijk holiday village, Raveleijn open air theatre and Aquanura water spectacular.
News of a successor had yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.
New Simpsons ride
Kernels
After a sojourn last September to Europe, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) brings its SATE conference back to North America with a two-day event on October 3 and 4 in Savannah, Georgia. Check out Park World’s full profile at
bit.ly/1ey2DjS or see
sate2013.blogspot.com
launches at Universal Orlando
The first real life Simpsons themed environment is now complete at Universal Orlando Resort. Visitors to Universal Studios Florida can step inside Springfield and discover a large themed food court, retail opportunities and two themed rides – The Simpsons Ride simulator attraction that opened in 2008 and now the new Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl (pictured), a flying jet ride believed to be by Zamperla.
Guests can also visit replica Springfield landmarks and meet Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob costumed characters.
An English radio presenter recently set a new Guinness World Record for the longest ride on a bumper car. DJ Giuliano from Free Radio in Birmingham spent 26 hours, 51 minutes and 8 seconds on the dodgems at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire, completing the marathon drive on 15 August. In doing so he beat previous record holder and Park World reader Marcus Gaines by 42 minutes, Marcus setting the record earlier this year at Funland in Haying Island on the UK south coast.
Nathan Jones has joined Vekoma as its new vice- president of sales for the USA and Canadian markets. Also representing Vekoma’s giant wheel division, Dutch Wheels, Jones boasts over 15 years’ experience in the industry with Prime Play/WhiteWater.
Nigloland, Dolancourt, France, will open a new coaster in 2014 called Alpina Blitz. Supplied by Mack Rides, it will reach top speed of almost 100 kmh.
After establishing Asian outlets in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok and Tokyo, Merlin Entertainments is to open a Mdame Tussuads attraction in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Opening 28 September, it will feature waxworks depicting famous chracaters including actress Sun Li. The three-floor exhibit forms part of the Wanda group’s Wuhan Central Cultural District.
EAAPA, the Eurasian Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo, is reaching out to a wider range of Eastern European attraction operators with a new trade show next month in Kiev, Ukraine. The event will take place on 9/10 October at the Kiev Expo Plaza in response to what organiser Smile Expo has identified as a growing demand in the country for amusements in shopping centres, which previously relied on cinemas as their main leisure component. The regular EAAPA Expo returns to Moscow this February.
eaapa.kiev.ua
Slide inside slide!
In just a short amount of time, Aquaventure at Atlantis The Palm has become one of the Middle East’s leading waterparks, with an annual attendance of more than a million – many of whom enjoy the park as an integral part of their stay at the Atlantis resort on the manmade island The Palm, Jumeirah.
But with strong local competition, including Wild Wadi
Waterpark and the new Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi, Atlantis officials were keen to up the ante at Aquaventure. Leading supplier WhiteWater responded to the challenge with a six slide complex including several unique features.
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Anchored by a 40m (131ft) tower, the complex was unveiled last month and includes two AquaTubes that fly through an Anaconda (as pictured). At 9m wide (30ft), the Anaconda is the world’s largest diameter waterslide. For the first time anywhere in the world, WhiteWater has also integrted a zipline into a waterslide tower. Finally, a Family Boomerango and two duelling AquaLoops offer adventure seekers challenges and thrills as they test their courage. WhiteWater’s existing attractions at Aquaventure
Waterpark including four Master Blaster water coasters, a custom themed AquaPlay interactive play structure, and the highly-popular Leap of Faith waterslide offering an unforgettable drop through a live shark exhibit.
SEPTEMBER 2013
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