Park News
www.parkworld-online.com
Kernels
The developers of a planned leisure development on International Drive in Orlando have agreed to change its name from I-Walk to I-Drive Live following an objection from Universal Orlando which claimed the name was too similar to its CityWalk entertainment district. The $100 million destination will include an Orlando Eye observation wheel, Madame Tussauds wax museum and Sea Life aquarium from Merlin Entertainments. Developers are also talking to Ripley Entertainment about including a Guinness World Records attraction.
Featuring 250 rooms spread over three-storeys, North America’s first Legoland Hotel will open at Legoland California Resort in summer 2013. The property will feature brightly coloured Lego decor, a pool area and restaurant. Construction is set to begin in October. The world’s first Legoland Hotel will open at Legoland Windsor near London this coming spring. Legoland Billund in Denmark also features a hotel, although it was not purpose built as a Lego-themed property.
Goliath, a suspended looping boomerang coaster from Vekoma, is the newest addition for Six Flags New England, Agawam, Massachusetts. The ride formerly operated at California's Six Flags Magic Mountain, and will reside in the Crack Axle Canyon section of the New England park when its makes its debut there in late spring 2012.
DP Associates (DPA), the UK-based leisure and attractions industry consultancy run by ex- Gulliver’s Theme Parks director Duncan Phillips, was recently approached by Flambard’s Experience in south west England to it plan a new children’s play centre called One2Eleven. DPA’s services including design and operational advice, and concept planning for the new attraction, including how it would fit into the existing park. “DPA’s assistance was invaluable,” says Flambards managing director James Hale. “We simply wouldn’t have got the same product without them.”
BigQuestion
What’s been the reaction to your new attraction this year?
Melinda Ashcroft, Six Flags Over Georgia, USA: Dare Devil Dive [Gerstlauer EuroFighter] has been an instant hit and a great addition to our coaster line-up here at Six Flags Over Georgia. Just seeing the guests’ reactions when
their train is dispatched and they stop in front of the 10-storey vertical lift… it is quite amusing. Everyone from avid thrill seekers to first-time coaster riders has had very positive reviews.
Peter Osbeck, Gröna Lund, Sweden: Guests lover our new wooden coaster, Twister [by The Gravity Group]. We make a survey every year of how guests feel about the park, not a survey at the exit but comments they can make
over the internet when they get home so they really think about it and we get an honest answer. I heard from our marketing manager today that we have 89% of satisfied guests; I think it is difficult to get much higher.
Greg Scheid, Kings Island, USA: WindSeeker [by Mondial], our new 301- feet [91.7m] attraction, has become a family favourite at the park, attracting guests who want to take the typical family rides to the next level, and do they ever with this
ride! The views of the park are awesome and riding WindSeeker at night with the amazing light package and while the fireworks show is in progress will give all a never before seen experience.
Figures of Fun
50
per cent – predicted increase in revenue as a result of new Scream Zone at Luna Park in Coney Island, New York
359
number of hotel rooms at Aulani in Hawaii – the first Disney resort not to feature a theme park
216,000
litres – amount of water dispensed on water cannons via SMS (text message) at Sommerland Sjælland in Denmark
800,000
number of additional annual guests Blackpool Council hopes to attract to the British resort following the reopening of Blackpool Tower
1,000,000
number of guests up to the end of August at Chester Zoo, England. The zoo reached the figure almost four weeks earlier than last year
Produced in association with AECOM.
www.aecom.com/economics
Ups & Downs
Stop Thief! - Living up to their daredevil reputation, a pair of stunt men at Movie Park in Germany chased and caught two men that broke into their apartment
Aftershock - Oriental Land Co, operator of Tokyo Disneyland remained in the red for the second quarter in a row, after closing for a month due to damage caused by the March earthquake and tsunami
Night Rider - Two men in their early 20s were injured when they broke in during the night to German waterpark Inselbad Landsberg and rode a waterslide – without water
Workplace Recognition Fårup Sommerland has been named Denmark’s best seasonal workplace by a collective of trade unions
Fit For A Princess - Shanghai Disneyland will get the largest storybook castle in the world. It will be the first Disney castle not dedicated to a specific princess but will represent all of them
6
SEPTEMBER 2011
24 26 28 50
32 20 3841
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50