Another strong year for the parks and attractions industry
Andrew Mellor Editor
THE beginning of a new year often sees us reflecting on the previous 12 months and looking forward to the year ahead and as far as the park and attractions industry is concerned, doing so brings to mind many positive thoughts. The past few years have, overall, been pretty healthy for this industry of ours, with new projects and developments
throughout the world bringing many new opportunities to
manufacturers and suppliers, while parks and other venues themselves have continued to invest and thrive. The status of the industry can be gauged in many different ways but one I usually base it on
is the feedback received from exhibitors at the annual IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando. Of course it’s easy for supplier companies to say that everything in the garden is rosy as a matter of course, so that they come across in the right sort of way, but the proof of the pudding is in the number of confirmed contracts and projects so many are talking about – and right now, there are plenty. Last November’s Expo was no exception and the same can be said of at least the previous
two years’ Expos too. The positive atmosphere surrounding almost all the manufacturers and suppliers we came into contact with at the event was infectious and it has been great once again to report on so many new ride installations and other developments within parks, new product introductions and technology advances and the overall sense that the industry is currently enjoying an extremely productive and successful period. Many major ride manufacturers I spoke to at IAAPA commented on the strength of their order
books, some being full almost two years or more down the line, while it was also interesting to note that more and more customers are now realising that, for large attractions in particular, they must place their orders several years in advance. That factor alone reflects very clearly on the strong position of the industry, while some of the attractions and facilities being created in our parks also bring to the fore how well the industry is currently performing. Nowhere was this more evident during the IAAPA Expo than at the ‘IAAPA Celebrates’
evening event held at Universal Orlando Resort. The occasion provided attendees with the chance to see the new The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley area at the Universal Studios park, built on the site previously occupied by the iconic JAWS attraction. I was mightily impressed by the Harry
Potter Hogsmeade area at sister park Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley is just as impressive, with theming, décor, facilities and rides that simply take your breath away. The detail and imagination that has gone into the area is astonishing and with key, state-of-the- art attractions that include the Escape from Gringotts ride and the Hogwarts Express train ride, a wonderfully immersive experience is provided for all ages. No-one can fail to be in awe of what has been created and following the success of this latest addition, it must only be a matter of time before Universal looks to replicate it at other parks around the world too. So as we move into 2015 there’s clearly a
great deal to look forward to in the parks and attractions sector for many different reasons. Long may it continue.
www.InterPark.co.uk 3
6 World news 8 Europe news 12 US news 16 Asia news 22 Waterpark news 26 IAAPA show news 34 IAAPA show report
38 Feature Making the most of social media
44 Feature F&B in parks
49 Country profile The Netherlands
54 Park Life
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, Universal Studios, Orlando
58 Open to Question Rick Hunter, ProSlide
62 Show preview VAE, London
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