Park News
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ParkHoppin’ with Paul Ruben
Fun Spot grows up
Can you think of an amusement park that began life as a family entertainment centre? [Try Toverland in the Netherlands – Ed] I’ve been racking my brain, and can’t think of any other than the one that I visited recently, Fun Spot America in Orlando. If you're attending IAAPA this month, don’t miss it. It began in December 1997 as a classic FEC with go-karts, redemption games and birthday party facilities. But now it’s all grown up, three times the size, and with three rollercoasters. Across the Interstate highway is Universal Studios Florida. They have three coasters, too. It’s the addition of a wooden rollercoaster, the first in Orlando, that appears to have lifted the Fun Spot from FEC to amusement park status, although it’s worth noting the park has also added a suspended coaster from Vekoma/Chance. Built by Great Coasters International, the woodie is 2,032ft (619m) long, 78ft (24m) tall, and has 12 moments of lift. Park owner John Arie Snr has named it White Lightning. He should have called it Goldilocks because it’s not too big and it’s not too small. It’s just right.
Arie reports that people who have ridden it love it. I asked him to tell me what he thought the best part of the ride was. “The best part,” he said, “is the incredible 80ft banking drop, 12 moments of ‘air time,' multiple sashaying cut backs, and a 90° aerial turn. It’s just a great ride!” Yes, John, it is a great ride, but that’s not the best part; that’s the entire ride. John is also an inventor. He holds four patents for go-kart tracks, and his handiwork is on display at each of his parks. His patents pertain to elevated tracks, a concrete track over wood supports, and combining go-kart tracks with other amusement rides. Next time I visit I will pay more attention to his go-kart offerings. This time I was mesmerised by the new rollercoasters.
I had gone to the park with a family
friend who lives in the area and who enjoys parks. She loved the coasters, but was fascinated by the 250ft-tall (76m) arch from which the park’s Skycoaster is suspended. It had been a while since I had been on one of these giant swing rides, ever since riding the 300ft (91m) Skycoaster at Arie’s other park, Fun Spot Kissimmee, just outside Orlando. It was time to ride again, so the two of us geared up to ride. You can see the harness I had to wear in the photo. Did I mention? She had never been on one; she was a Skycoaster virgin. I have a little “trick” I play with Skycoaster virgins. I pull the rip cord to launch us. We get towed to the top, and she's getting very nervous because of the height. They call out, “Three, two, one, fly.” I’ve always been puzzled that they tell us to fly. We swing, we don't fly. Nevertheless, as soon as they say “fly,” I report to my partner that the cord is stuck, and wait for a few seconds for the panic to escalate. Then... I pull the rip cord. More fun that way, much more fun. We plunged; she screamed. We swung; she screamed. We never really flew, although I did outstretch my arms just in case. She enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Next time I'm in town I’ll take her to Kissimmee and she can pull the cord.
10
Ocean Kingdom employees gain know- how at Europa-Park
A team of employees from the new Ocean Kingdom theme park in China attended an intensive training course last month at Europa-Park in Germany. The five-day programme (6 to 10 October) was jointly developed between staff at the two parks and Mack Rides, which as well as being Europa-Park’s “in-house” manufacturer is also supplying a number of key attractions including two water rides to Ocean Kingdom. Far Eastern colleagues from the new park, which has been developed by the Chimelong Group and will open before the end of the year in Zhuhai (Guangdong Province), were given both theoretical and on-the-job training at the German park as they got to grips with their future duties.
Mickey speaks! But does it spoil
the magic? He might talk in Disney’s theme park shows and parades, but when it comes to one-on-one meetings with guests, Mickey Mouse – like most park mascots – has been mute for years. But now visitors to Disney’s Magic Kingdom can go behind the curtain in the Town Square Theater to meet “everyone’s favourite mouse” – and hear him speak back! Dressed in his finest magician duds, Mickey greets guests in his rehearsal
room while posing for photos, signing autographs and dishing out hugs. But should park mascots speak, or does it spoil the magic? Park World asked both a fellow park operator and a costumer character supplier for their views.
“Disney understands that, despite doing the simple things better than anyone else, they are also challenged today with delivering to a more sophisticated and technology-savvy customer base,” notes Simon Foulkes of UK mascot manufacturer and character events company Rainbow Productions. “We have also had to rise to the challenge of installing voice boxes, talkback features, GPS locators and moving facial features into mascots to satisfy the demand that our clients pass on to us from their own guests”.
“Here at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, we plan to have our mascots continue to communicate non-verbally,” says Matt Eckert of the park in Santa Claus, Indiana. “This helps create a bit of mystery and encourages the youngsters to use their imaginations. Plus children who do not yet have a large vocabulary can feel comfortable connecting with a friendly high-five, a wave or a hug. And although we don’t consider him to be a mascot, Santa Claus is always available for a nice chat at Holiday World too.
Kitty & Holidog at Holiday World
See Mickey Mouse speaking for yourself at
parkworld-online.com
NOVEMBER 2013
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