ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT
THEME PARK NEWS
Six Flags closes Kentucky Kingdom
Visitors will be taken on a “forbidden journey” by Harry Potter and his friends
June opening for Harry Potter world
The world’s best known boy wizard is set to arrive in Florida, US on 18 June, with the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, US. The new attraction will comprise three
themed elements - Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
, a newly created ride
system at the heart of Wizarding World,
plus Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon
Challenge. Within the castle are iconic locations taken from the fi lms, including Dumbledore’s offi ce; the Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom, where visitors
Paramount plans Spain’s largest park
Film company Paramount Pictures is looking to build what would be the largest theme park and entertainment centre in Spain in the south eastern region of Murcia. Reportedly aimed at competing
with Disneyland Paris, the project will also incorporate a fi lm stu- dio designed to centralise all of Paramount’s production in Europe. Spanish minister of culture, Pedro
Alberto Cruz, said he has received a letter from Paramount’s licensing division expressing their interest in launching the project once its eco- nomic viability has been proven. According to Cruz, the 2.5sq km
complex would increase the number of tourists to the area by three million.
12
Ferrari World will open later this year
Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital
fi rst meet Harry, Ron and Hermione; the Gryffi ndor Common Room; and the Room of Requirement, plus the Dungeon pas- sageway and hallways of Hogwarts. Elsewhere are talking portraits includ-
ing the Fat Lady and the never-before-seen founders – Godric Gryffi ndor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Huffl epuff and Rowena Ravenclaw; the Sorting Hat; the One-Eyed Witch statue; and the Mirror of Erised. The full ride, including the queue line, is anticipated to take about an hour. (For an
indepth opening report, see p. 36).
Theme park operator Six Flags is to close its Kentucky Kingdom operation. The company had recently pro- posed a new lease arrangement to the Kentucky State Fair Board, a move designed to enhance the viability and future of the park. When the propos- als were not accepted, Six Flags announced that the park would close. It is now working on plans to relocate affected employees and move several of Kentucky Kingdom’s more than 40 rides and attractions to one of its 13 other operations. Mark Shapiro, Six Flags president and CEO said: “We are deeply disap- pointed to be leaving such a great fan base in the greater metropolitan area of Louisville and we are grateful to the thousands of employees at Kentucky Kingdom and the millions of guests for their dedication, support and loyalty over the years. “This action relates solely to
Kentucky Kingdom. Our other parks, which reside largely on company- owned land, will be unaffected and will open as scheduled.”
Aldar Properties suffers huge losses
Aldar Properties, the UAE property group responsible for many Middle Eastern attractions – including the forthcoming Ferrari theme park – has seen its full-year profi ts fall from AED3.4bn (£596m, 672m, US$918m) to AED1bn (£175m, 197m, US$270m). Revenue fell from AED4.9bn (£859m, 970m, US$1.3bn) to AED1.9bn
(£333m. 375m, US$513m), while EBITDA dropped from AED3.3bn (£579m, 653,
US$892m) to AED906.8m (£159m, 179m, US$245m). The group blames the decrease in revenue on a lower sale of land plots during 2009. Despite the bad news, the group’s chair Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh remains optimistic. In a statement, he said: “The board believes Aldar will enjoy a strong 2010 despite con- tinued economic uncertainty in the world. Abu Dhabi has demonstrated its resilience and provided regional stability which, in turn, provides a strong platform for Aldar to continue moving forward. “The solid foundations put in place in
recent years have made the business more resilient and well placed to prosper in this rapidly changing environment. We have taken proactive measures to adapt Aldar to the new economic environment.”
AM 2 2010 ©cybertrek 2010
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