Park News
parkworld-online.com
CDA confirms fourth park for Belgium
Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) has been selected to develop an indoor leisure park as part of a major new development in Brussels.
The Spirou-branded outlet, dedicated to the comic book character of the same name, will feature as part of the first phase of the Heysel Plateau regeneration project, known as Neo (
neobrussels.com). The development will transform the area adjoining the Belgian capital’s famous Atomium structure into a new economic, tourist, recreational and cultural destination comprising a shopping mall, expo centre, concert hall, planetarium and residential space – attracting a potential 15 million visitors a year (three times the current total). CDA has been selected to develop the indoor
Reach for the sky at Rainbow’s End
Described by the park as “our scariest ride ever”, Stratosfear is now open at Rainbow’s End, New Zealand. The custom-made Discovery 360 by Zamperla takes riders to a height of 30m, swinging higher and higher until it eventually goes over the top – the Italian manufacturer’s first giant swing of its kind to do so.
As an alternative to the full, adrenaline-pumping experience, guests can opt for the ‘less extreme’ programme which swings and rotates but doesn’t loop. Zamperla rides already in operation at the park in Auckland include the Power Surge and Disk ‘O Coaster. Stratosfear opened in April.
rainbowsend.co.nz
park by Unibail-Rodamco, part of a consortium appointed by the City of Brussels. The French operator has developed an attraction concept targeting families with children aged three upwards to Spanning an area of 10,000 square metres, (107,600 sq ft), it will include rides and entertainment based both on Spirou and also the Marsupilami comics. It will be CDA’s fourth attraction outlet in Belgium, joining the Walibi Belgium amusement park and Aqualibi waterpark in Wavre, south of Brussels, and Bellewaerde animal/amusement park in Ypres, West Flanders. “We are naturally very happy to be working with Unibail-Rodamco on this iconic project,” says Compagnie des Alpes chairman and CEO, Dominique Marcel. “This new contract clearly affirms CDA’s position among the world's top leaders in the leisure industry.” Marcel adds that the park’s weather-proof and
cost-efficient operation will be in keeping with the group's strategy for a diversified range of attractions, spanning both seasonal leisure parks and ski resorts.
*Compagnie des Alpes might offload more of its European amusement parks as it refocuses its
efforts on “only parks that can bring great satisfaction to customers.” So the French company’s Dominique Marcel told a French website recently. “Now is the time to review our parks,” he said.
In April, the company sold its 30% stake in the
Looping Group for €9.7 million, which was formed in 2011 when CDA sold some of its smaller European parks to Looping owner HIG Capital. The plan now remains for CDA to focus its efforts on properties such as Futuroscope (which it operates as a joint venture with local Poitiers government) and the Walibi chain of parks in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Towards the end of this year, the company is expected to open the new look Parc Sindibad in Morocco following extensive rebuilding of an older facility. Other new attractions include a Charlie Chaplin museum in Veveym, Switzerland, which will be operated under CDA’s Grévin brand, and a possible Parc Astérix in Yunnan, China. A new Grévin waxwork museum, its second outside France, opened last month in the Czech capital of Prague.
compagniesdesalpes.fr
Fun on the farm with Fergie Tractor rides are nothing new, but this one is a rather nice. Now open at Kongeparken, Norway, Gråtassland features kids TV character Fergie – or a mini Massey Ferguson TE20 tractor to me and you. The ride’s 205m-long is track surrounded by all kinds of fun farm-flavoured theming, plus real goats, donkeys and even a rope course for active kids. The concept for the attraction, which uses a ride system us by Metallbau Emmeln was developed by Eric Daman and implemented on site in Ålgård (near Stavanger) by the park’s own team. The same team was previously involved in the development of Kongeparken’s Thea Award-winning Barnas Brannstasjon fire station attraction.
kongeparken.no
14
JULY 2014
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