Park News
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Joke Shop, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods and Dervish and Banges, catering to all one’s Quidditch needs. Butterbeer will be for sale along with other tasty food and drink in The Three Broomsticks and the Hog’s Head. Universal Studios Japan recorded an attendance of over 10 million in 2013. If Harry Potter has anything like the impact he did in Orlando, numbers are sure to rocket yet further.
usj.co.jp/harrypotter
Madame Tussauds covering the world with wax There are now 18 Madame
Tussauds attractions operating around the world. The sixth outlet in Asia opened on 31 May with the arrival of Madame Tussauds Beijing on the historic ‘blood line’ that runs through the heart of the Chinese capital – next to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Operator Merlin
Entertainments says China’s continued economic growth and overwhelming hunger for western brands makes this a key strategic step for the company, which already has Madame Tussuads outlets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Wuhan. Chinese celebrities featured in Beijing include Olympic Swimmer Ye Shi Wen, rockstar Cui Jian and TV presenter Yang Lan, who appear alongside wax replicas of western figures such as President Obama, Lady Gaga and David Beckham.
The attraction has become an instant hit on social media, not least with some of the six million Weibo followers of Pan Shi Yi, the Chinese business magnate who has played a key role in supporting Merlin in bringing Tussauds to the city. Over in the USA, Madame Tussauds San Francisco opened last month, replacing the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf. Merlin has paired the attraction with its first ever Dungeon experience in North America.
At Madame Tussauds, local landmarks and personalities feature in a special “Spirit of San Francisco” room, where the likes of Mark Zuckerberg and Harvey Milk are displayed in a themed setting. At the San Francisco Dungeon, which opens following the success of similar attractions in Europe, the Bay Area’s murky past is brought to life courtesy of a full theatrical cast, special effects and an underground boat ride. A further four Madame Tussauds currently operate in the USA, in New York, Washington, Las Vegas and Hollywood, with a fifth opening next year in Orlando. There are also six in Europe and one in Australia (Sydney). The latest European outlet is a temporary exhibition opened by Merlin in Prague to compete with Compagnie des Alpes’ new Grévin waxworks in the Czech capital.
San Francisco Dungeon
JULY 2014
Kernels
Steve Van den Kerkhof, CEO of the Plopsa parks group, is to deliver the keynote address at this September’s EAS Leadership Breakfast in Amsterdam. Plopsa is the theme park division of Belgian TV production company Studio 100, of which Van den Kerkhof is also chairman. The company bought its first park, in De Panne near the French border, in 1999 and now boasts three properties in Belgium, an indoor park in the Netherlands and one park (Holiday Park) in Germany – all featuring Studio 100 characters and intellectual property. EAS (Euro Attractions Show) takes place from 23 to 25 September, with the Leadership Breakfast staged on Wednesday morning, the 24th.
It may surprise you to learn that 57% of British visitors to Orlando travel without children. “Without the constraints of school schedules, these travellers can benefit from great rates during off-peak periods,” notes Danielle Courtenay, chief marketing officer for Visit Orlando in the UK. Accordingly, Visit Orlando recently began a new a five-week digital marketing campaign in the UK to bookings to local attractions outside busy holiday periods.
Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman was due to step down as chairman of the famous Hong Kong attraction at the end of last month. The German- born, Canadian raised entrepreneur, who recently adopted Chinese citizenship, has been a local resident since the age of 19. He made his name in Hong Kong by establishing the Lan Kwai Fong dining/entertainment district and was appointed Ocean Park chairman in 2004 – during which time the publicly-owned institution has seen the number of visitors more than double and a deficit turn into a multi-million Hong Kong dollar surplus. Zeman is expected to stay on as an advisor. He is replaced as chairman by former commerce and economic development secretary Greg So Kam-leung.
Lakeside Amusement Park, Denver, Colorado, had added a kiddie pirate ship from SBF/Visa for the 2014 season, replacing its old Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel. Also new is a Jolly Choo-Choo from Wisdom Rides and some Sports Cars from J&J Amusements. The park’s merry-go-round has also been repainted.
Triotech has installed in XD Dark Ride motion theatre at La Ronde, the Six Flags-operated amusement park in Montreal, Canada. The attraction features in the Zone Ultime area of the park and will offer a choice of three interactive adventures all summer long.
Ron Malinowski has joined the sales and management team at leading midway game manufacturer Bob’s Space Racers. He’ll assist in all areas of business development for North America, focusing also on game development as well as sales. The industry veteran returns to the amusement sector after several years facilitating the VLT (video lottery terminal) gaming market in Illinois. Wise move, Ron!
UK 3D/4D film distributor The Juice has secured the exclusive rights for two new productions from US-based Vision Films. Freedom Force features four brave kids on a top secret mission to enter the Imaginasium, a device that beams them right into a series of famous Jules Verne tales. The Illusionauts is a ride version of the film for the simulator market.
Thinkwell, the LA-based experience design and production agency, is opening new offices in both Beijing and Abu Dhabi. Over 50% of the company’s current projects are now outside the US, including China, Singapore, Japan and the United Arab Emirates, as well as England and France. Ryan Kester, a project director with more than 10 years of construction experience in China, has been appointed to look after the Beijing base, while Amin Rashmani will oversee the Abu Dhabi office (as previously reported). Thinkwell has a new Chinese language website too.
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