Park News
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Branded children’s land
for Alton Towers Alton Towers is to create its first single-branded area. CBeebies Land will launch at the leading British theme park this coming spring as the result of a partnership between BBC Worldwide and operator Merlin Entertainments. Bringing to life some of the most-loved characters from the UK’s top children’s TV channel, the new 5-acre land comes on the back of other branded attractions introduced in recent years at parks across the country, including Thomas Land at Drayton Manor and Nickelodeon Land at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Like Peppa Pig World at Paultons Park, CBeebies Land will be pitched at the pre-school market. The new land will be developed in the area of Alton Towers close to the main entrance that is currently home to Storybook Land and Old Macdonald’s Farmyard. As from next season, young visitors will be able to interact with characters and shows likely to include The Tweenies, Teletubbies and Zingzillas as they enjoy themed rides, immersive play areas and live entertainment. Hands-on learning experiences will encourage pre- schoolers to explore and understand more about themselves and put a smile on the face of everyone who visits. “The Alton Towers project is very exciting,” says Merlin Entertainments’ chief development officer, Mark Fisher. “Most importantly it is the first project in what we hope will be a very important long term relationship with BBC Worldwide. CBeebies Land will add a different and original element to the already fantastic offering we have for young families, making Alton Towers Resort the ideal destination for both day trips and short breaks.” Whilst Peppa Pig World has done massive things for the previously relatively unknown Paultons in Hampshire, Alton Towers already enjoys national and international fame. Nevertheless, the new land extends an olive branch to families after the opening this season of The Smiler, the park’s menacing 14-inversion rollercoaster. CBeebies Land opens in May.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
ready to roll 2014 When it opens in spring 2014, it will “crown” the New Fantasyland expansion at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida. The much-anticipated Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will take guests on a rollicking ride into the mine “where a million diamonds shine” and through the surrounding rolling countryside.
A stone bridge over a creek leads guests to the entrance of the swinging car coaster. The family-friendly attraction will feature first-of- their-kind ride vehicles mounted in cradle-like pivots that allow the cars to swing back and forth during the ride.
The journey will be accompanied by music from the classic Disney film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and there’s a cast of animated playful forest critters too. An interactive queue line will feature activities themed to mining, going some way to making the inevitably long waiting time worthwhile.
OCTOBER 2013
Park Bloggin’ by Jack Samuels
Summer trails
My summer trails have taken me to many places but of particular note were trips to China and West Virginia. Allow me to highlight three of the attractions I encountered on my travels.
Chengdu is known for the home of the China’s famous panda bear. I expected to see maybe a couple of pandas before heading out to lunch, but what I encountered was in fact a panda theme park! No rides, but many, many shows and exhibits. If they added rides it would surely be panda-monium! You are greeted by a large video wall on arrival of what else than the film Kung Fu Panda. The park is full of fine food facilities and gift shops and many opportunities to view the famous black and white bears, together with educational opportunities and much more. A four hour or more visit is highly recommended. To see how the Chinese manage and construct these types of places is always amazing.
Just as I was leaving Chengdu, the world’s largest (though not the tallest by any means) building had just opened to the public. The size of 329 football fields (1.7 million square metres) it felt like it could accommodate the entire 16 million population of this, the largest city in western China.
The building features an ice skating rink, several hotels, a humongous shopping facility, and of particular note to Park World readers, the Paradise Island waterpark. Among the many WhiteWater-supplied attractions are an elaborately themed AquaPlay structure, a towering Abyss slide, Whizzard mat racer, AquaLoop and a Family Raft Ride. Guests can also test their surfing skills on a double FlowRider wave simulator. Will this project be the dawn of a new worldwide competition for the biggest building in volume, rather than the race for to be the tallest? Who knows, but I would be disappointed if they next such project did not include some rides as well. Back in the US, I think I have seen the next generation of outdoor adventure attractions, and it was created by none other than the Boy Scouts of America. Located at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, the Boy Scouts have done amazing things with this wonderful piece of property donated by the Bechtel Family. There’s a swimming area with climbing mountains, kayaking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, the largest man made climbing wall I’ve ever seen, the world’s second largest skate park, mountain biking, zip lines and just so much more. Add to this a 50,000-seat ampitheatre, souvenir stands, food stands and other facilities and it’s an impressive project. The original development cost was projected to $50 million, but the Scouts have apparently spent well over $300 million to date, and plan to spend more. I only wonder if the Scouts might have the Greenbrier Resort or some other company built a build a hotel on this property and open up its many delights to the general public.
In exchange for enjoying such facilities, every Scout in attendance is required to do a service project for six to eight hours in the surrounding community. And let’s not forget that the Boy Scouts and other youth organisations as they also provide our industry with a large amount of business.
Dr Samuels has written over 150 articles for the amusement, theme park and entertainment industries. He provides consulting services in marketing, facility development, customer service, safety, crowd and event management together with promotional activities programming such as birthday parties. He can be reached
atsamuelsj@mail.montclair.edu
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