Polar X-plorer

Transcription

Polar X-plorer

PW_May12_p01:PW_May12_p01 02/05/2012 16:59 Page 1
MAY 2012
Polar X-plorer
Zierer drop coaster anchors
Legoland’s latest land
Fantasilandia
Aquatica San Antonio
40 years of Kings Island
+ more!
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P12
MAY 2012
6-7
Front Gate
Setting the agenda for the month ahead
8
Park Hoppin’
Paul Ruben’s Great Wolf adventure
9
Kernels
Bite-sized news
8-18
Show Preview
Asian Attractions Expo
22-23
Q-Lines
Aquatica San Antonio
24-26
Polar Land at Legoland
Attraction profile
30-31
Pharaonique at Parc Astérix!
Attraction profile
32-34
Fantasilandia
Park profile
34-35
Seabreeze
Park profile
36-37
Kings Island 40 years
Park tribute
38
Ride Guide
Products and services for parks and attractions
41
Show Guide
Exhibitions and networking for amusement professionals
Web Guide
Online resources for the amusement industry
MAY 2012
er
Polar X-plor
rs
coaster ancho
Zierer drop
latest land
Legoland’s
Tim Morrow discusses SeaWorld San Antonio’s
new waterpark, P22-23
Park News
Your monthly update
20
42
“
Fantasilandia
Antonio
Aquatica San
Kings Island
40 years of
+ more!
THIS MONTH’S COVER SHOT: Polar X-plorer by Zierer is the
highlight of Legoland Billund’s new Polar Land area. This unique
coaster is one of two from the German manufacturer to feature a
vertical drop, alongside Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
in the USA. Turn to page 24 for more on Polar X-plorer.
zierer.com
Lost Lagoon was a prototypical steel
and concrete waterpark. We really
wanted to bring the Aquatica brand to
this part of the country and give our
guests a waterpark unlike anything else
they have experienced
”
P22
P28
“
We were worried that this new park was
not going to attract any more guests
than Coney Island. However, on July 4,
1972, the floodgates opened and we
attracted approximately 40,000 guests
Dennis Speigel remembers the opening of
Kings Island, P36-37
P38
”
www.parkworld-online.com
ParkWord
May 2012
Around 15 parks and attractions professionals
from across Europe gathered recently in the north of England as part of an
ongoing quest to establish a worldwide standard for the safety of
amusement rides and devices.
Ranging from representatives of trade associations and amusement
parks to ride inspectors and engineers, the people in question were all
members of the ISO/TC254 committee’s working group 3, and I was
invited to sit in on the first day of their meeting at the offices of Leisure
Technical Consultants (LTC) near Manchester. You can read more on page
8 of this issue.
What struck me, apart from what a nice lunch LTC had laid on for
delegates, was how committed they were to the cause. That’s perhaps to
be expected, as theme parks and other attractions rely on the safe
transportation of millions of guests each and every day of the year. In the
amusement industry, safety is no laughing matter, and without it there
would of course be no industry.
Nevertheless, I was encouraged by the time everyone had given up to
formulate what will eventually be the ISO/TC254 N9 guidance document
for theme parks, amusement parks, fairgrounds and other visitor
attractions worldwide. Just as it’s a thing of wonder that people are willing
to forge careers as nurses for the good of our health, I’m also very grateful
to those helping to ensure we can continue riding rollercoasters carefree.
As legislation varies from country to country, the document will be not
become law, and restrictions within the USA will prevent it becoming
completely global. Nevertheless, the TC254 committee is in close dialogue
with the American ASTM F24 committee, and the guidance is expected to
become the most authoritative international work published to date,
pooling knowledge and best practice from around the world.
Unlike yours truly, who will do anything for a ham sandwich, some
people really do earn their lunch.
Owen Ralph – Editor
Editor
North American Editor
Contributors this issue
Sales Manager
Publishing Director
Data Development Manager
Managing Director
Publication Secretary/
Subscriptions
Head Office
MAY 2012 ISSN 1462-4796
© Copyright 2012. All materials in this
publication remain the copyright of Datateam
Business Media and no part of it may be
reproduced without the written permission of
the proprietors.
A request to insert an advertisement is
deemed to be an acceptance of Datateam
Business Media Ltd’s conditions of trading,
copies of which are available on request.
@ParkWorldMag
Owen Ralph (+44 161 438 2934)
[email protected]
Paul Ruben (+1 585 381 1012)
[email protected]
Richard Veldhuis, Thomas Clarke,
Linda Hill, Dennis Speigel
Mark Burgess (+44 1622 699124)
[email protected]
Paul Ryder
[email protected]
Alex Wetton
[email protected]
Parvez Kayani
[email protected]
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[email protected]
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MAY 2012
Mack Rides p35:Layout 1 30/04/2012 10:15 Page 1
Front Gate
24 26 28
2
3
Figures
BigQuestion
What will be your biggest challenge in 2012?
Gary Conroy, Old Town (Kissimmee, Florida), USA: As new
owners of Old Town we believe our greatest challenge will be rebuilding
our brand to attract a larger segment of the tourist and local population
back to the park. Branding is a very scientific concept and it will be
imperative we achieve a very unique and memorable experience for our
guest by ensuring a high standard through exceptional guest service. We
must teach all our vendors to provide the same experience so our guest has
one fluid experience. We will also invest significant capital in theming and
getting the environment back to its iconic status.
Michael Mack, Europa-Park, Germany: Getting our new hotel, Bell
Rock, ready on time is our greatest challenge. I think we got the season off
to a nice start with out new wooden coaster Wodan, but the challenge with
that could be capacity, which our operations guys think is too low
compared to Blue Fire Megacoaster. Apart from this we are looking forward
to a great season as a result of the biggest investment in the history of
Europa-Park!
Bob Montgomery, Darien Lake, USA: Our biggest challenge this year
will be educating our market that Darien Lake is more than just an
amusement park. Recent enhancements to our accommodation and our
waterpark make Darien Lake a destination experience for families, teens
and young adults. We have added $5 million in new attractions and
entertainment to make 2012 our best season ever. Communicating our
value proposition will be especially important this year, as economic
conditions and rising gas prices make close-to-home vacations particularly
attractive for families.
Pascal Fliche, Parc Astérix, France: Oz Iris, our new B&M inverted
coaster, is the big news for 2012 at Parc Astérix. Our main challenge is to
get as many visitors as possible to come and discover it! We are confident
once they have ridden it they will become our new park ambassadors;
flying over an Egyptian temple is definitely unique experience! The ride is
part our new land Pharaonique and integrates the worlds of Astérix and
Cleopatra, leading comic and movie stars in France, and reinforces Parc
Astérix as one the top European theme parks.
Ups &
Downs
Amazing Easter! - Great
weather over the Easter period
meant bumper business for
theme parks and attractions on
the Gold Coast in Australia
6
20
of
50 Fun
38 41
17
number of Gentoo penguins at Polar
Land, the latest addition to Legoland
Billund, Denmark (see page 24)
20
per cent – increase in visitors this Easter to
parks and attractions operated by Grupo
Xcaret, Mexico (compared to Easter 2011)
167,000
euros ($219,587) – amount donated to
charity since 1985 as a result of coins
thrown into the wishing fountain at
Efteling, The Netherlands
20,000,000
euros ($26m) – cost of new Pharaonique
Egyptian-themed area at Parc Astérix in
France (see page 28)
100,000,000
US dollars (€76m) – planned investment
in new attractions over next four years at
Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Produced in association with AECOM.
www.aecom.com/economics
Drop in Standards - Eleven people,
including the park’s president, have been
charged with manslaughter following the
death in February of a 14-year-old girl on
the Eiffel drop tower at Hopi Hari, Brazil
Average Easter! - Mixed
weather over the Easter
period meant varied business
for theme parks and
attractions across Western
Europe
Kentucky Comeback - The
Koch family has received
approval for tax credits in
Louisville, Kentucky, bringing the
reopening of Bluegrass
Boardwalk (former Kentucky
Kingdom) one step closer
Cheers! - West Miffin City
Council has approved a liquor
licence for Kennywood,
meaning the Pennsylvania
amusement park could sell beer
for the first time in its history
MAY 2012
EMPEX fp p31:Layout 1 30/04/2012 09:55 Page 1
PW_May12_p08_09:PW_May12_p08_09 09/05/2012 16:47 Page 8
Park News
ParkHoppin’
with Paul Ruben
Splashing With Wolves
It was the dead of winter and I was suffering
waterpark depravation. What to do? There
were two options. Fly to a warm weather
destination with an outdoor waterpark, or
drive to an indoor waterpark.
Driving meant I didn’t have to overpay for
what should be a cheap flight, take my shoes
off in the airport, suffer flight delays or
endure those onboard who, as the plane
lands and taxis to the terminal, phone to tell
their friends waiting in the terminal that their
flight has arrived. Isn't that why God invented
arrival boards?
I decided to head to the Great Wolf Lodge
Poconos in Pennsylvania. Because of its
proximity to the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, this is
the most heavily attended lodge in the Great Wolf chain. But I went
during the week, and the facility was not full. Great Wolf Lodge is a
themed 401-room hotel with amenities, lots of amenities, including a
massive indoor heated waterpark. It’s the perfect destination for families
with young children looking for a few days’ escape. I had no young
children, just moi.
My Great Wolf Lodge adventure began in the 84°F (29°C) waterpark. I
splashed the day away in over 79,000 sq ft (7,339 sq m) of waterpacked excitement, including some jaw-dropping slides. I floated along
the lazy river, but avoided the zero-depth entry areas for little ones.
During my visit I discovered a new second-favourite waterpark element.
The lodge is filled with ProSlide attractions, including a Tantrum Alley. I
had never been on one before. It begins with a high speed in-run into an
enclosed funnel, followed by a dark slide before another funnel and a
final splashdown. I’m a fairly jaded thrill-seeker, so when I dropped
sharply into the first funnel and nearly flipped, it pulled a scream from my
throat. I don’t do that, but I did on the Tantrum Alley, twice. My firstfavourite waterpark element is, of course, the hot tub. Pig heaven.
Outside the waterpark, the fun continued, at least for the kids. They
could play MagiQuest, an attraction that has been rolled out to several
other Great Wolf destinations. The interactive treasure hunt game allows
guests to fight goblins, slay dragons and interact with magical creatures.
Using a magic wand as a wireless controller, visitors move throughout
the hotel’s four floors finding clues and hints to solve problems and earn
points.
Kids can get an ice creamthemed manicure in Scooops Kid
Spa before gathering their family in
the Grand Lobby for nightly fireside
Story Time, the perfect ending to a
Great Wolf day. For me, the perfect
ending was a visit to the lounge for
an adult beverage, a cold one. The
bartender asks, “Would you like
your Shirley Temple with or without a
cherry?” It had been a long day.
In the interests of taste and decency,
readers may prefer the picture of
Paul Ruben to the right
8
A global standard?
The quest continues
A group of around 15 industry professionals from across Europe gathered recently
in England as part of an ongoing quest to establish a worldwide standard for the
safety of amusement rides and devices.
The meeting of the ISO/TC254 committee’s working group 3 took place on
April 12 and 13 at the premises of Leisure Technical Consultants in Hyde near
Manchester, addressing the topic of ride operation and use. The two-day gettogether followed meetings during 2011 in Moscow, London and Munich.
Allied to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the committee
was formed in late 2010 following a proposal from the Russian national
standardisation body GOST R and now includes representatives from nine
European countries, as well as South Africa, China, Singapore and North Korea.
An additional two working groups have been established to examine the
biomechanical effects of amusement rides and devices and their design,
manufacture and construction. Members of the committee also enjoy a close
dialogue with the ASTM F24 committee in the United States.
Represented in Hyde were various national trade associations,
inspection/certification bodies, plus operators including Pleasure Beach Blackpool
and Merlin Entertainments. One of the main objectives of the meeting, chaired by
Ken Rundle, was to review the draft ISO/TC245 N9 document. In doing so,
delegates set out to remove any ambiguities, particularly important considering
many of those following the guidance once it is published may not necessarily
boast English as a first language. There was, for example, some acknowledgement
from the working group that the term “ride” is not suitable for all equipment due to
emergence of certain new amusement devices.
Recognising that many attractions are built within Europe and so conform to
existing EN1318 standards, it is hoped that ISO/TC254’s efforts will lead to a
wider set of guidelines that will apply to all rides or amusement devices, wherever
they are manufactured. By definition, an ISO standard should adopt the best
knowledge and practice from many different countries.
The committee hopes to finalise its work in around a year’s time, issuing a
document for the use of designers, manufacturers and operators of amusement
rides and devices across the world. As legislation varies from country to country,
the content will be for guidance only; nevertheless it is the expected to be the most
authoritative work published internationally to date.
All three working groups of the ISO/TC254 are scheduled to meet this October
during Euro Attractions Expo in Berlin. For more details please contact the
committee’s secretary Anna Novikova: [email protected]
Delegates pictured outside the LTC offices, from left to right: Will Gilbert (LTC),
Eric Dudhout (AFNOT/SNELAC, France), Brian Tranter (British Standards
Institution), Jimmy Williams (Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain), Vladimir Nikulin
(Pax, Russia), Martin Booth (Merlin Entertainments), Vladimir Gnezdilov (Pax), Jens
Dahlslund (DS/Force Technology, Denmark), Anna Novikova (Pax/ISO/TC254 secretary), Gianni Chiari (Uni-EMASH/ANCASVI, Italy), Bob Nicholls (LTC/ADIPS,
UK), Ken Rundle (ISO/TC254), Alex Nicolls (Ferrari World Abu Dhabi), Alex Payne
(Pleasure Beach Blackpool/BALPPA), Mark Wolstenholme (LTC/ADIPS/NAFLIC),
Janet Nicholls (LTC)
MAY 2012
Park News
10 years of Belantis
East Germany’s largest
theme park has turned
again to Gerstlauer for a
new ride to celebrate its
10th anniversary season
in 2012.
Named after the
Belantis mascot, BuddelTanz (Bottle-Dance,
pictured) is a Crinoline
ride that seats up to 100
passengers, making it the
highest capacity attraction in the park. Existing Gerstlauer attractions at the
venue include the rollercoasters Huracan (EuroFighter) and Drachenritt
(Dragon family coaster) and Götterflug (Sky Roller).
Entertaining around half a million guests a year, Belantis is located in the
city of Leipzig. The season continues until November 4.
eventpark.de
Buddel performs the
Buddel-Dance
Kernels
Legoland Malaysia will open on September 15, it has been revealed. This, the
first Legoland park in Asia, will feature seven themed areas including The Beginning,
Imagination, Land of Adventure, Lego Kingdom, Lego Technic, Lego City and
Miniland. The location is Nusajaya in Johor, close to the border with Singapore.
Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, Ocean City, New Jersey, is introducing five new
attractions for the 2012 season. These include a new Wacky Worm family coaster
from Fajume, a Zamperla Disk 'O’, Wisdom Gravitron, a black-light Mini Golf
Course and an attraction to be confirmed. Gillian's Funland at nearby Sea Isle City
is adding three new attractions. An Eli Bridge Scrambler, and Zamperla Demolition
Derby and Mini Telecombat by Barbieri.
Wilderness Territory, America’s largest waterpark resort located in Wisconsin
Dells, will open two Lunar Loop extreme waterslides by WhiteWater later this month.
In January, the resort unveiled the indoor Northern Lights Sky Ropes Course from
Ropes Courses Inc.
New York’s Darien Lake is adding more than $5 million of new attractions and
upgrades this season. The “Rowdy’s Ridge” family area will feature three rides
including Moose on the Loose, a pony ride from Metallbau Emmeln, Heave Ho!, a
Heege Tower, and the Hornet’s Nest, a Flying Scooters from Larson International.
Seven new live shows will also make their New York State debut and guests can take
advantage of numerous improvements to the park’s on-site lodging options.
Mt Olympus waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, USA, is adding an AquaPlay Giant
RainFortress by WhiteWater. Themed as The Lost City of Atlantis, it will feature an
erupting volcano feature with water surging 100ft (30m) into the air.
A Crazy Cups tea cup ride by Zamperla has been installed at Quassy Amusement
Park, Middlebury, Connecticut.
The Hettema Group has been selected to spearhead the creative design and
production of the USA Pavilion at this summer's World Expo in South Korea. Central
to the installation will be a 70ft-wide screen with music and film conveying the
diverse beauty of the American coastline and the connections that Americans enjoy
with it.
Introducing Europe’s
tallest rollercoaster
Silver Star at Europa-Park in Germany has lost its crown: work is complete on the
newest tallest rollercoaster in Europe. Shambhala at Port Aventura in Spain stands
76-metres high and is set to open on May 13 following a nine-month
construction period by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M).
At €25 million, the new coaster is the most expensive ride in the park’s history,
snatching signature attraction status from the existing B&M coaster Dragon Khan.
Reaching speeds of up to 134km an hour, it features 1,650 metres of track. The
ride features an 86° first drop, a tunnel section and five camelbacks, the shortest
of which is the height of a 7-storey
building. Plenty of airtime in
ensured!
Located near Salou on the Costa
Dorada, Port Aventura is Spain’s
busiest theme park, welcoming 3.7
million guests in 2011. A full report
on Shambhala will follow in the
June issue of Park World.
Shambhala’s final piece of track is
lowered into place
MAY 2012
Fourteen youngsters aged between 12 and 16 were inducted onto the Junior Board
of Pleasure Beach Blackpool recently. Issued with their own uniforms and ID
badges, they were given chance to check out some of the rides in Nickelodeon Land
and taste some of the British park’s new food offerings. “I hope they all enjoyed their
first board meeting and saw what Pleasure Beach has to offer because one day they
could be making the decisions at an executive level should they choose a career in
the industry,” notes the park’s managing director, Amanda Thompson.
Garner Holt Productions has become a diamond sponsor of the Themed
Entertainment Association (TEA) as it celebrates its 20th anniversary year. “As a
young entrepreneur 35 years ago creating a company in the themed entertainment
business, I appreciate the need for an association to offer support and
encouragement to emerging professionals in this field,” says Garnet Holt himself.
Magic Memories, the tourism photography company, has launched its first
operation in China providing holiday memories and storytelling photo books for
guests who visit the country’s largest aquarium, Shanghai Chang Feng Ocean
World.
Blood dripping from walls, deathly screams, actors bound in chains and frothing at
the mouth …what a great time Park World had recently at the local S&M club. We
jest of course; it was in fact the scene at Hawkshaw Farm Park in England as
AtmosFEAR! Entertainment filmed a trailer for Scare Kingdom Scream Park.
The “Doomsday” edition of the Halloween attraction will run for 15 selected nights
from October 13 to November 3 and promises “gore like never before.” See the
trailer at scarekingdom.com.
The Producers Group has added five regional directors, giving the company
representation in Europe and major Asian markets for themed entertainment and
destination attractions. The regional directors are Fumiyasu Yamakawa (Japan),
Peter Kim (Korea), Charlie Xu (China), Bear Zhang (China) and Jean-Michel Louis
(Europe). producers-group.com
9
Park News
Big plans for Steel Pier
A record-setting Star Flyer, America’s tallest giant
wheel and a rollercoaster are destined for the Steel
Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as part of a $100
million (€77m) investment plan.
In total, 11 rides, an arcade, nightclub, museum
and ballroom will open over the next four years. The
plan calls for two-thirds of the rides to be covered,
allowing the pier to stay open 300 days per year.
Renovations are currently underway to make room
for eight new rides this season including Water Circus
(Bertazzon Swing), Fuze (130ft/40m Fabbri Booster),
DEAL 2012
The 18th DEAL (Dubai Entertainment And
Leisure) trade show took place from April 17 to
19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with over
200 exhibitors representing 30 countries.
“The entertainment and amusement industry is
growing in the Middle East,” notes Mohammed
Falaknaz, vice-president of International Expo
Consults (IEC). “We are expecting approximately
18-20% growth this year, which is a remarkable
rate. Our show was completely sold out several
months prior to the event and that is a great
indication that the industry was not impacted by
the regional or the global situation.”
According to IEC more than 6,000 people
visited this year’s event and more than AED800
million ($217m/€168m) of business was signed.
DEAL 2013 is scheduled for April 23 to 25.
themeparksdubai.com
10
Seamour (SBF Airborne Shot), plus an SBF Dance
Party (mini-Frisbee style ride), SBF Air Trip (Miami)
and midi tea cups and a custom-designed Zamperla
Rockin’ Tug and beach buggies.
A 385ft-tall (117m) Funtime Star Flyer will be
erected in 2013, becoming the tallest swing tower in
the world. The 384ft Star Flyer at the Prater in
Vienna, Austria, holds the current world record. A
new rollercoaster, possibly an Intamin ZacSpin, will
be added in 2014, with a 250ft-tall (76m) giant
wheel due in 2015. Featuring 42 enclosed gondolas
A new conference
focusing on digital outof-home interactive
entertainment event is
scheduled for the US.
Put back from its original May dates, the
inaugural DNA US event will take place in Los
Angeles on October 2 and 3 and examine the
emergence of technology into a variety of social
experiences and real life attractions, tackling
such topics as:
•Fusion of real and virtual experiences
•The “next-neneration arcade”
•New models of interactivity in movie theatres
•3D interactive experiences in public places
•Augmented reality's next stage
•Gesture-based experiences
•Maximising social media in leisure facilities
Confirmed speakers include representatives of
Walt Disney Imagineering, Kidzania, Thinkwell
Design, Super 78 Studios, GestureTek, Total
Immersion, Blue Wave Media and many more.
As well as an “on the spot” session at a local
entertainment venue, a VIP reception and DNA
mixer are also planned.
The venue is USC Davidson Conference
Center, Los Angeles, California, and sponsors
include United Kingdom Trade & Investment and
the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA).
More information at thestingerreport.com/dna
Here’s how the pier should
look after the improvements
and an LED lighting package, the latter will become
the tallest Ferris wheel in the US, taller than the 212ft
Texas Star in Dallas, supplier yet to be decided.
Tokyo Disney
makes quake
comeback
Tokyo Disney Resort experienced favourable
attendance in the last fiscal year, in spite of the
Great East Japan Earthquake last March. The
resort’s two parks – Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo
DisneySea – appeared to recover strongly from
the tragedy, attracting a combined 25,347,000
guests from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012.
That’s just 19,000 fewer persons than the
previous fiscal year, or 99.9% of the last
recorded attendance figure. It was observed
that guests who could not visit due to park
closures or who had refrained from visiting
immediately after the parks reopened came
later in the year. Instead. This lead to a record
14,608,000 guests during the second half of
fiscal year.
At Tokyo Disneyland, visitors were able to
enjoy a new night-time spectacular called
Fantasmic In the coming months guests at the
same park can look forward to the debut of Toy
Story Mania! and a brand new event featuring
Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck.
tokyodisneyresort.co.jp
MAY 2012
SBF fp p17:Layout 1 14/05/2012 09:42 Page 1
Park News
Antartica comes to
Orlando details revealed
SeaWorld Orlando has revealed more details of its largest-ever attraction,
Antarctica – Empire of the Penguin.
Scheduled to open in 2013, this first-of-its-kind family boat ride will utilise new
technology to provide an experience that can change from visit to visit. Guess in
each eight-seater car will be able to choose the level of thrill they experience on
the ride, with a young Gentoo penguin as their guide. The ride supplier is not yet
known.
SeaWorld says that by immersing
guests in the penguin’s environment,
Antarctica – Empire of the Penguin will
be the coldest theme park attraction
in the world. The footprint for the new
attraction is the biggest of any at a
SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park.
Considered as a new area of the
Orlando park, rather than a single
ride, Antarctica will also include the
penguin habitat, a gift shop and
restaurant.
Fishy fun at Familypark
Neusiedlersee
Austria’s Familypark Neusiedlersee
has unveiled a Flying Fish ride
courtesy of Zierer. With a giant
octopus as its centre, the new 12gondola attraction is surrounded
by fountains that spray wild jets of
water at various intervals. To ride,
passengers must be at least 1.2
metres tall or accompanied by an
adult. Each car seats two riders or
three children, providing an hourly
capacity of approximately 720
based on a 90-second ride time
and 30 seconds for
loading/unloading. The attraction occupies a 17.3-metre diameter footprint.
Flying Fish forms part of the new Abenteurinsel (Adventure Island) area of
the park, which also includes the Fischerhütte restaurant. The park is located in
the beautiful Burgenland area of Austria, close to Neusiedlersee lake.
Djurs Sommerland
reaches for the sun
Lake Winnie
adds tower ride
The Danish amusement park Djurs
Sommerland was due to start its
new season on May 4. The big
Solguden
news for 2012 is the addition of
a heavily-themed Flying Fish ride
from Zierer. Solgunden (Sun
God) features a Mayan Aztec
theme and is located, fittingly
enough, in the park’s
Mexicoland area.
Each of 12 plane gondolas
is controlled by the passengers
within it. A special song plays
during the ride, alerting riders
to which sun statues around
the ride are about to shoot streams of
water. It is then up to passengers to manoeuvre their plane in time to
avoid getting wet.
“Our goal is to continue the high level of theming that has characterised
the development of our popular Piratland the last few years into the rest of the
park,” notes Djurs Sommerland spokesman Andreas O Hansen. “I think we
have managed that quite well.”
Djurs Sommerland is
located in Nimtofte,
about 50km north of
the city of Aarhus. Also
new for 2012 is a fleet
of Buffalo-themed
bumper cars from
Bertazzon.
Tennessee’s Lake Winnepesaukah (“Lake Winnie”)
amusement park has opened for the 2012 season.
Towering over the tree line is Oh-Zone!, a new
14-storey freefall tower from ARM/Larson
International.
And that’s not all: “We’re unveiling a thrilling
new surprise later this spring,” reveals the park’s
Talley Green. “We’ll be sending our guests headover-heals with excitement with the new addition."
Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lake
Winnepesaukah has been entertaining families for
over 95 years.
djurssommerland.dk
One of the new bumper
cars from Bertazzon
12
Dragon's Den at the
Sandcastle
The Sandcastle in West Homestead, Pennsylvania, has added Dragon's Den, a
ProSlide CannonBowl, to its family of water slides. The attraction represents the
biggest addition to the waterpark in nearly 10 years.
Guests catapult through a dark 45tt tunnel slide, which then plummets into a
35ft bowl where they
encounter a 9ft-tall dragon
that spits mist at its riders.
After completing two to
four revolutions in the
mist-shrouded abyss, riders
suddenly disappear from
sight, splashing down in a
landing pool.
The 2012 Sandcastle
season starts on May 26.
MAY 2012
ProSlide fp p13:Layout 1 08/05/2012 11:16 Page 1
Park News
Ropes on water!
AquaCourse opens in Alabama
Put a ropes course in a waterpark? Why didn't
anyone think of this before? Enter WhiteWater
with its new AquaCourse, a multi-level play
structure that sends safely harnessed guests
through a course of ropes, towers, bridges and
zip lines. The first unit has opened at Alabama's
Splash Adventur (formerly Alabama Adventures
Theme Park) in the USA.
By removing all of the barriers of typical
waterplay structures, such as decks and handrails,
guests can safely interact with others without any
obstacles in the way. Geysers bubble up from
below, sprays drop from overhead, water guns
shoot from side to side and even spectators can get
in on the
action by pulling a rope that dumps a bucket of
water onto the head of those paying on the
AquaCourse.
Up to 20 different types of automated and
manually-operated water features can be combined
in a variety of ways to make each AquaCourse
installation as wet or dry as the operator desires.
Rides revealed for
Yas Waterworld
Waterpark for Georgia’s
newest city
WhiteWater has revealed that it is supplying 12
of 14 waterpark attractions for Yas Waterworld
in Abu Dhabi. The other two will come from
ProSlide, including a Hydro Magnetic
Mammoth and Tornado. Vekoma, meanwhile
is installing an interactive Splash Party water
coaster.
Set on over 15 hectares at Yas Island –
adjacent to Ferrari World – the new waterpark
is expected to become one of the biggest in
the Middle East, competing with existing
United Arab Emirates facilities such as Wild Wadi and
Aquaventure at Atlantis, Dubai.
WhiteWater’s contribution includes the world's first Rattler Megatube
waterslide, plus an AquaLoop, AquaPlay AP300, AquaPlay Giant RainFortress
(pictured below), AquaTune, Extreme River, Family Waves, FlowBarrel Ten
Double, FlowRider Double (pictured above), Freefall Slide, Inner-Tube Slides,
Kids' Slides, Rattler, Speed Slide, SuperBowl and Whizzard.
The Canadian company will also deliver the world’s first SplashQuest, a live
action video game adventure using a patented waterproof AquaGlove or
SplashBand. Players activate dozens of fun water effects to score points while
following clues to complete challenges as they actively explore the quest
spread all over the waterpark.
Anaklia, which was awarded city status in August 2011, will welcome a
waterpark as from this summer. The new facility will belocated at the Anaklia
City Resort, a luxurious seaside development on Georgia’s Black Sea coast.
AquaPark Anaklia has been designed by WhiteWater and will feature of the
Canadian company’s newest waterslides, the Constrictor. The flume
expands from 4.5ft (1.3 m) to 7ft (2.1m) and back again,
delivering a series of spirals which allow riders to
experience the tightest, highest banked turns in the
waterpark industry.
Other WhiteWater attractions will
include a Family Rattler, Master
Blaster, Boomerango, AquaPlay
AP350, AquaLoop, family wave
pool, innertube slides, a
speed slide and
SuperBowl.
14
Adventure Forest at
Wilderness at the Smokies
Following an exceptionally strong 2011 season, Wilderness at the Smokies in
Sevierville, Tennessee, has opened a new attraction called Adventure Forest.
“Unlike our other attractions, Adventure Forest is a ‘dry’ park,” notes Wilderness
at the Smokies’ general manager Steve Cruz. “It features a three-storey ropes
course, a multi-level enclosed laser tag arena, mini-bowling, black-light mini-golf,
more than 100 arcade games, a laser maze, a
25ft tall spring ride, a 23ft climbing wall, party
rooms, restaurant and lounge, plus other
attractions that do not involve water – all of it
indoors and open year-round.”
The new addition will be open to the general
public, whereas the all the existing amenities
are available only to Wilderness at the Smokies
resort guests. Wilderness at the Smokies is the
largest tourism investor in Sevier County after
Dollywood. On June 1, Wilderness at the
Smokies will open Wild Vortex, a 66ft-tall
AquaLoop waterslide from WhiteWater.
MAY 2012
Polin_MagicSphere p21:Layout 1 05/03/2012 11:38 Page 1
Park News
HEDGEHOG ENCOUNTER
New adventures await Fårup Sommerland guests
Guest visiting Denmark’s Fårup
Sommerland will be able to enjoy
an encounter with a hedgehog, a
squirrel and a Road Runner this
season.
Located on the northern
Jutland peninsula, the park
reopened on April 30 with the
addition of a new family
rollercoaster called Pindsvinet
(Hedgehog).
Supplied by Zamperla, the
ride seats 14 riders and travels
at a speed of up to 7 metres
per second. Its name was supplied by Fårup fans on
Facebook, however a hedgehog and a squirrel
(Egern & Pindvin) are also the new mascots of the
park and will feature in their own theatre show.
A new look entrance awaits guests in 2012, in
keeping with the park’s woodland theme, meanwhile
a fresh film has been added to the 4D cinema in the
shape of the adventures of Wile E Coyote and Road
Runner. Debuting in time for high season will be a
high diving show. Supplied by the French company
Sokol, it will feature six performers leaping into water
from heights of up to 25-metres.
Hungry Fårup Sommerland guests may wish to
take some time out in the new 350-seat
Spisekammeret restaurant, offering three separate
food options.
Dragonfly at Duinrell
The Dutch holiday park Duinrell
has opened a new Gerstlauer
coaster. Measuring 361m
(1,184ft) in length, Dragonfly
features a 15m (50ft) first drop
and stands between the park’s
Falcon (Gerstlauer EuroFighter))
coaster and Waterspin (Huss
Top Spin).
“The brand new family rollercoaster
sends you flying through hair-raising
curves on an exciting ride through the
trees,” says Duinrell’s Sabrina Menheer.
Dragonfly has already secured an 8.3
out of 10 rating from Duinrell guests on
the park’s website. To view a video of the
ride, which opened last month, visit
bit.ly/IVTQYp. Duinrell is located in
Wassenaar between Leiden and The
Hague.
In total more than DKK25 million ($5m/€4m) has
been invested in new attractions for 2012. For more
details visit the park’s new look website.
faarupsommerland.dk
Biggest ever investment for
Astrid Lindgren’s World
A 22,000 square metre new land featuring a turn of the 19th/20th century
farm is planned for Astrid Lindgren’s World in 2013. The Swedish park is
ploughing (pun intended) SEK 95 million ($14m/€11m) into the Katthult
project – its largest ever investment.
Guests will be able to stroll under hundred-year-old oaks and see the
animals, hayfields, pole fences and stone mounds in a recreation of the
Småland countryside. They will also be able to meet the character Emil and
his family and sample homely local produce in a new restaurant. Next year
will mark 50 years since Astrid Lindgren – the park’s inspiration – wrote his
first book about Emil in Lönneberga.
“In our attempts to bring stories to life, it feels important to be able to show
a farm and the Småland farmers’
countryside, the way it looked in Emil’s
day and when Astrid Lindgren grew
up,” says the park’s managing director
Mikael Ahlerup. “It feels important, not
least today, when many children grow
up in a town environment and may not
go to the country very often.”
alv.se
Mack Rides expands
Following the appointment of its new executive board
(see Park World, March 2012), Mack Rides has
announced has begun construction of a new logistics
centre in its home town of Waldkirch, Germany.
The facility on Mauermattenstrasse will be complete
by the end of October and give the manufacturer an
extra 2,000 square metres of space. This will make
the flow of goods easier, enabling the company
greater flexibility in responding to customer orders.
"The great interest across the world in our quality
products with the ‘Made in Germany’ seal
encourages us to invest in Waldkirch," says Mack
Rides managing director Christian von Elverfeldt. "It is
16
particularly important in times of a shortage of skilled
personnel to find expertise in the domestic market."
Known these days for a wide range of
rollercoasters, water rides and carousels, the Mack
family manufacturing business began as a supplier of
fairground wagons and circus caravans.
mack-rides.com
Pictured at the groundbreaking are, left to right: Mack
Rides’ Günter Burger and Christian von Elverfeldt,
circus priest and friend of the Mack family Ernst
Heller, Roland Mack, Mack Rides’ Thorsten Köbele,
Michael Mack and Christel Mack-Even.
MAY 2012
N Wave fp p23:Layout 1 04/04/2012 10:10 Page 1
Goddard’s Ring of Harmony
visual ‘centre’ to symbolise its place in China and
in the world,” explains Gary Goddard. “I thought
about the many iconic symbols throughout the
world, and realised no one had really perfected
the circle on a grand scale. So we designed the
‘Ring of Harmony’ as a unifying symbol for
Shenfu.”
While the 550ft stainless steel structure will be
completed first, The Goddard Group’s masterplan
also includes housing, retail, entertainment, civic
buildings, parks, lakes and other community-based
elements.
It might look like another giant wheel concept, but
this is in fact the “Ring of Harmony” that will
become a landmark for Shenfu New Town in
China. Based in the north east of the country
between Shenyang and Fushun, this entirely new
city is being built in phases over the next four to
five years. Around two square kilometres of the 10
sq km project will be built to a concept and
masterplan by The Goddard Group, including two
massive lakes.
“I felt that this massive new town needed a
IE Park puts Indian mall in the loop
Pictured here is India’s first indoor looping
rollercoaster – outside. The ride, now open as a
signature FEC feature of the Infiniti Mall in
Mumbai, is seen below at the premises of Italian
manufacturer IE Park, ahead of its shipment to the
subcontinent.
According to Prakash Vivekanand of
Amusement Services International, who ordered
the ride on behalf of the mall, ”It is the star
attraction and accounts for close to 40% of the
revenue from the FEC. People are coming from
far and wide to the mall just to ride the coaster.”
Another loop coaster from IE Park will open
this autumn in eastern region of Saudi Arabia,
18
while a Miniotto Cotroceni is due to open in
Bucharest, Romania, any day now. Earlier this
year, a JR40 coaster was opened in the
Anatolium Mall in Ankara, Turkey, complete with
a Grand Prix theme.
In the past eight years, IE Park has completed
over 40 coaster projects of various shapes and
sizes for customers around the world. A young
but experienced team of engineers and
technicians work within a dedicated rollercoaster
division at the company’s 10,000sq m facilities
in Praticello di Gattico, Reggio Emilia.
iepark.com
MAY 2012
Park News
Kiss the sky in Kissimmee!
Following our tribute in March to 25 years of Old Town, Park World is pleased
to bring you this exclusive picture of a new attraction that has opened alongside the park in Kissimmee, Florida.
The Vomatron was provided by Funtime from Austria, which previously
installed a Sling Shot on the same site. The new addition stands 60-metres tall
and rotates like a giant propeller at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour.
Eight passengers are accommodated across two gondolas.
The ride is operated by Old Town Slingshot Inc on an upcharge basis and is
not included in the price of an Old Town wristband. A second Vomatron was
installed by Funtime recently in Florida, this time at Panama City Beach.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Panama City Beach
Here’s a shot of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium and 3D Moving Theater
in Panama City Beach, Florida. Opened in 2006, the attraction is housed inside a
replica 1950s vintage luxury liner that had run aground on the beach – quite an
eye-catcher!
The Odditorium is one of four Ripley’s attractions brought in-house by
Ripley’s Entertainment since 2010, in this case following an acquisition from
long-time franchisee Nole One LLC. The effective date of the acquisition was
April 20.
Amongst many other weird and wonderful exhibits in Panama City Beach,
curious visitors can discover a 23ft long Lincoln Town Car covered with 23,000
gold-plated coins, an 11ft
tall Eiffel Tower made of
matchsticks and a sixlegged calf from Robert
Ripley’s personal collection.
A new Ripley’s Believe It
or Not! attraction, to be
operated by Ripley
Entertainment, is schedhuled
to open in Baltimore,
Maryland, on June 1.
ripleys.com
MAY 2012
19
Show Preview
HONG KONG CALLING
Asian Attractions Expo ... just weeks to go!
Around 4,500 industry professionals are expected in Hong Kong next month for Asia’s
largest theme park and attractions conference and trade show
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,
host venue for the week’s events
Owned by IAAPA, Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) takes
place in the Chinese Special Administrative Region
for the first time in several years.
“IAAPA’s Asian Attractions Expo is the attractions
industry’s one event in Asia that offers participants
countless sophisticated learning opportunities
combined with events designed to connect industry
professionals,” highlights IAAPA president and CEO,
Chip Cleary.
In addition to more than 275 trade show
exhibits from 30 countries, five days of education
sessions and networking activities are planned
including tours and behind-the-scenes access to
local attractions, Leadership Breakfasts, a day-long
IAAPA Safety Institute and IAAPA Institute
for Attractions Managers (June 3 to 5).
Seminar topics include employee engagement,
attraction design/concept development, maximising
revenue, marketing, industry trends and social media.
Speakers confirmed for the Leadership Breakfast
sessions, on June 7 and 8 respectively, are Hong
Kong Disneyland managing director Andrew Kam
and Wu Siyuan, chairman of OCT Vision.
Hong Kong Disneyland will host “Disney at Dawn”
20
Ahead of the main show, a
Young Professionals
Reception will be held on
Tuesday night at Sky 100
observation deck in Kowloon.
Don’t worry if you’ve got the odd grey hair, you
should still be able to get in so long as you’ve got a
ticket! On Wednesday and Thursday night
respectively, social events will be held at Ocean
Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. If, however
you’d like to have a detailed look at either park you
might be better visiting independently of AAE, as
each event lasts only a few hours, including
networking.
A highlight of tour programme, just announced, is
a “Disney at Dawn” backstage visit on Tuesday
morning, June 5. Buses leave the Renaissance
Harbor View Hotel at 0430, but those willing to
forego a few hours’ sleep should enjoy a unique
view of the park including a sneak peek of the
Grizzly Gulch coaster and a question and answer
session with Hong Kong Disneyland executives.
Straight after the Expo finishes on Friday evening,
there will be a trip and behind-the-scenes access to
the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, and then on
Saturday there is a three day-tour (June 9 to 11) to
Chimelong Resort in Guangzhou, for which
participants will require a Chinese visa.
Since 1997, Asian Attractions Expo has appeared
in a variety of cities including Singapore, Kuala
Lumpur, Seoul, Shanghai, Bangkok and Macau.
However Hong Kong, with its rich mix of attractions,
shopping, food, drink, and nightlife, plus excellent
public transport, make it a particularly popular
destination. So don’t miss it!
AAE 2012 takes place from June 5 to 8 (trade show
June 6 onwards at the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Centre. More information, registration fees,
tour prices, travel advice etc can be found at
iaapa.org/AsianAttractionsExpo
Ocean Park will host Wednesday night’s social
MAY 2012
ParkWorld_May12_p21:PW 15/05/2012 06:11 Page 21
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Park People
Q Lines
Tim Morrow Aquatica San Antonio
Following the success of
Aquatica in Orlando,
Sea World Parks &
Entertainment has rolled
out the waterpark brand
to Texas with a
multimillion dollar
transformation of
SeaWorld San Antonio’s
former Lost Lagoon.
Representing the largest
single investment since
the park’s debut in 1988,
signature attractions
include Stingray Falls and
Ke-Ke Reef, along with
lush tropical theming and
up-close animal
encounters. Ahead of the
grand opening on May
19, Aquatica vicepresident Tim Morrow
(pictured) tells Park World
why Lost Lagoon is lost
forever
Why did Sea World Parks & Entertainment
choose to roll out the Aquatica brand to San
Antonio?
Lost Lagoon was an example of a prototypical steel
and concrete waterpark. We really wanted to bring the
Aquatica brand to this part of the country and give our
guests a waterpark unlike anything else they have
experienced – a waterpark only SeaWorld could
create.
Prior to beginning this project we conducted focus
groups across the state of Texas. Our guests, past,
present and future, told us they wanted something
different. They wanted a waterpark where they could
relax, feel like they could have their own “home base,”
be able to interact with animals and experience
attractions with their entire family. Aquatica provides all
of this.
What changes have you made to the
waterpark?
We saved the best elements of Lost Lagoon that could
be incorporated into Aquatica, but we have given these
legacy attractions new life with Aquatica’s theme. You
won’t be able to recognise them when you see them,
but they’ll be just as much fun as they were before.
Was there the same level of animal
interaction previously?
There was no animal interaction previously at Lost
Lagoon! One of Aquatica’s biggest points of difference
is up-close animal experiences. Besides Ke-Re Reef,
there are bird displays and we will have lots of
appearances by other animals for our guests to meet.
Walhalla Wave
22
What were some of the biggest challenges in
making the transformation?
Some of the big challenges were timeframe. We didn’t
want to go a summer in Texas without a waterpark so
we had construction happening around the perimeter
of Lost Lagoon all through the summer of 2011. This
allowed us to get started on the project while still
having the waterpark operational.
What is your favourite part of the park?
If I had to pick one thing that it would be Ke-Re Reef.
There is so much to do at this reef and it is so
beautiful. Guests can touch, feed and wade with rays.
Then there’s Stingray Falls, which runs underwater
through a grotto that gives guests a “face-to-fin”
experience like nothing else!
Who were some of the suppliers?
PGAV was our architect on the project. Theming
design was through Suzanne Sessions, with Weber
Group doing all of our rock work and in-park
theming. The building/installation was completed
through Guido Brothers Construction. Tubing was
provided by Zebec of Canada (Ke-Re Reef), Z-Pro
(Wahalla Wave) and Talburt & Associates (Loggerhead
Lane and Kiwi Curl/WooHoo Falls). Chairs are
provided by Tropitone, whilst Water Safety Products
supplied our lifeguard uniforms and water safety
equipment.
Are you expecting an increase in multi-day
visits and season pass sales as a result of
Aquatica?
Stingray Falls
MAY 2012
Park People
South Seas
oasis
A scuplture from
the waterpark
We believe with two parks at our location we are a
true multi-day visit, and have high hopes for the
impact Aquatica will have for San Antonio’s thriving
tourism industry. SeaWorld San Antonio is huge on its
own with lots to do and a challenge to see in one
day. Now with the addition of Aquatica you can have
two totally separate experiences and easily spend a
day or more at each park.
How are you marketing the waterpark to
your guests?
We’re putting all of our efforts into promoting the new
park, from an in-park preview centre and signage to a
fully featured advertising campaign with TV, billboards,
radio, print and tonnes of PR. It’s amazing the amount
of buzz we’ve been able to create with social media
and public relations. Our social and traditional media
contacts have shown great interest in the project since
we announced it in May 2011.
Can we expect to see other Aquatica
properties emerge in the US?
A general view of the waterpark
MAY 2012
We do not have any other Aquatica waterparks
planned at this time, but SeaWorld Parks &
Entertainment is always actively seeking ways of
extending our brands. Most recently, for example, our
company has branched out into movies, home
entertainment, television, digital publishing and
product licensing.
What else is new this season at SeaWorld
San Antonio?
Due to a phenomenal 2011, we kicked off the 2012
season on February 4, the earliest SeaWorld has
opened in 20 years. Aquatica is our biggest
attraction this year. For that matter, it’s the largest
capital investment in SeaWorld San Antonio’s history.
We’re strengthening our consumer events line-up
this year with a new kids concert series called Just
For Kids. We’re also investing more in our
established fall events, Howl-O-Scream and
Christmas Celebration.
AquaticaSanAntonio.com
Aquatica San Antonio is designed
as a South Seas oasis, with all the
luxury and amenities of a
beachside resort including
terraced pools, expansive sandy
beaches and private cabanas –
all in a tropical setting.
The waterpark’s signature
attraction is the one-of-a-kind
Stingray Falls, where guests in
four-person rafts come face-to-fin
with stingrays and tropical fish in
an underwater grotto. Walhalla
Wave, meanwhile, is the first
clover-tube ride of its kind in
North America, featuring a zerogravity wall.
One of the park's most
exhilarating rides is Hooroo
Run, where guests choose single
or double tubes for their descent
down a 48ft-tall (15m) ride
featuring open and closed slides,
water curtains and lots of twists,
turns and drops. Tassie's
Twisters are a pair of slides,
each culminating in a large bowl
Additional slides include Kiwi
Curl and Woohoo Falls, all
by ProSlide.
Walkabout Waters is the
name of Aquatica’s 3-storey,
interactive water fun house
featuring geysers, sprays, giant
dumping buckets and spouts. In
Loggerhead Lane, guests can
hop in a tube, swim, walk or float
as they enjoy a relaxing time
along a winding 1,200ft-long
(365m) water route enhanced by
tunnel jets, foam shooters and
misters. The avid body surfer can
kick it up at Big Surf Shore, a
huge wave pool with over
400,000 gallons (1.8 million
litres) of water with swells of up to
5 feet (1.5m). Numerous other
pools and kids’ activity areas can
be found throughout the almost
20-acre (8-hectare) waterpark.
Amongst Aquatica’s multiple
animal habitats, Ke-Re Reef will
offer guests a chance to see and
feed several species of stingrays
in a unique tropical reef.
Macaws, roseate spoonbills and
a multitude of colourful fish will
also enhance the park’s
atmosphere.
In order to enter Aquatica,
visitors must have a SeaWorld
San Antonio ticket or pass. A twopark, two-day adult ticket will be
available for $79.99 plus tax, or
$69.99 plus tax for children aged
3 to 9. A SeaWorld/Aquatica
annual pass is available at
$129.99 plus tax.
23
Attraction Profile
Polar X-plorer
Legoland Billund has just
launched a new Arcticthemed environment for the
enjoyment of its young
“explorers” – the first of its
kind at any Legoland park
worldwide. The highlight is
a unique Zierer rollercoaster
promising a penguin
encounter. Owen Ralph
reports
Legoland Billund CEO Henrik
Hohrmann (left) with explorer
Philippe Costeau Jnr
24
pened on April 29 by explorer and TV
presenter Philippe Cousteau Jnr, Polar Land is
the biggest addition to the Danish theme
park since it opened in 1968, representing a DKK75
million ($13m/€10m) investment by operator Merlin
Entertainments.
At the heart of the new land, which can be found in
the far right hand corner of the park, is Polar X-plorer.
This one-of-kind Zierer rollercoaster features a vertical
drop and a dark ride section that passes by the park’s
newest arrivals: 17 live Gentoo penguins.
“It was important for us to offer something unique,”
explains Legoland Billund CEO Henrik Höhrmann. “As
we are the original Legoland park, we already have all
the classic Lego themes such as Pirate, Kingdoms
(castle) and Adventure. Our research showed that the
polar theme was well accepted among our guests, plus
it gave us the opportunity to include a new type of
coaster. The majority of our guests will never have tried
anything like this before, and I think they will be quite
surprised to see the penguins too!”
Unlike several Legoland attractions, Polar Land is not
based around a particular Lego toy range, but brickbuilt models of various Arctic animals reinforce the
theme. As well as Polar X-plorer, the new land also
includes a brand new restaurant and Ice Pilots School,
the park’s former Power Builder (Robocoaster)
attraction.
“We are very proud of our achievement,” says
Höhrmann, “but at the end of the day the only thing
that matters is our visitors’ verdict. All of us were
therefore eavesdropping on opening day, and it seems
that we have hit the spot with Polar Land.”
And what about Polar X-plorer? “Most visitors found
the ride fun and wild, but it was the freefall which
O
brought out most screams,” adds the park’s CEO. “It’s
a very nice coaster actually.”
Set around a giant mountain, the 111-second
journey begins as riders board one of two 16-seater
trains themed as a snow mobile, before setting off on
a half-a-kilometre-long expedition (498m). On leaving
the 20-metre lift hill, explorers dive beneath a frozen
waterfall into a helix and through a series of twists and
turns, reaching a maximum speed of 65kmh. Forces of
up to 4.2G are experienced during the ride, countered
by a surprising amount of airtime for a family-friendly
offering such as this.
Polar Plunge
Yet – unlike most coasters – the attraction’s highlight
comes towards the end of the ride as the train reenters the mountain and comes to a halt. A short
animated film accompanies this sequence as two Lego
men are seen working on a frozen lake. Suddenly one
of the men drops his pick, breaking the ice and the
track, together with the train, plunges 5-metres.
Passengers then proceed into a slower, dark ride
section and see the penguins on the left hand side,
before returning to the station area.
Polar X-plorer’s storyline provides a particularly
effective way of integrating a vertical drop, but
Legoland Billund is not the first Merlin park to
introduce this feature on one of its rollercoasters. Alton
Towers (UK) did it in 2010 on Th13teen, its Intamin
Family Freefall Coaster.
However it was actually an attraction at Busch
Gardens Williamsburg in the USA that brought this
particular ride system to Legoland’s attention. By the
time you read this, the Virginia-based theme park will
have opened Verbolten, its new multiple launch
MAY 2012
Attraction Profile
POLAR LAND
Vertical drop coaster anchors Legoland’s latest land
coaster by Zierer. It too features a vertical drop section.
News of the ride’s development reached Billund due to
the good relations Busch Gardens owner Sea World
Parks & Entertainment enjoys with Merlin (both
companies recieve financial backing from Blackstone
private equity).
“At Alton Towers they have a hydraulic system for the
drop, whereas the Zierer solution uses magnetic
brakes,” notes Höhrmann. “Operationally we think this
is going to be more stable, with much lower
maintenance costs. So far it’s been working really well
and we feel quite comfortable about it.”
The team from Legoland was invited to Zierer’s
premises last July to sample a test vertical drop that
had been set up during construction of Busch
Gardens’ ride.
“It was a very special experience to try the
rollercoaster in a factory building,” remembers
Höhrmann. “The drop took us completely by surprise
the first time we tried it. It’s a great feeling and just right
for our target audience, which was confirmed on April
29 when we had the first families riding Polar X-plorer.”
Zierer’s project manager on the ride, Martin
Weichselgartner, explains how the vertical drop works:
“The train enters a piece of track on a platform held in
place by an electro magnet, with some additional
mechanical locks for safety purposes. When fully
loaded with the weight of the train, we have a load of
around 20 to 22 tonnes. The platform is then released
and falls 5-metres, guided by polyurethane wheels.
Magnetic brakes in the lower part of the drop bring the
platform to a complete stop. Once the train is sent on
its way, the platform is winched back to the top ready
for the next ride.”
Fabrication on Polar X-plorer stared in April of last
year, with work on site beginning in September. The
first pieces of steel were shipped this January, and
Zierer completed commissioning (ahead of schedule)
in late March, giving Legoland and its contractors
enough time to finish the rest of Polar Land.
“It was a very efficient co-operation with Zierer and
everything worked out as it should,” notes Höhrmann.
“We were very lucky this winter with just three weeks of
frost, whereas the last two years were very cold with a lot
of snow” – somewhat ironic given Polar Land’s theme.
for Scandinavia, the Benelux, UK and Ireland. “This
type of coaster can be enjoyed by relatively small kids
– 1.2 metres and taller – because there are no
inversions, however there are still some nice speedy
elements and older kids will definitely not be
disappointed either.”
“Our core age group is two to 12,” states
Höhrmann, “but we do have quite a number of kids
coming that are between 12 and 14 years. Power
Builder and X-treme Racers [a Mack Wild Mouse]
were traditionally the major attractions for them, but
we came to the point where we needed another
coaster at the top end of the age range.”
Asked if Polar X-plorer could be rolled out to other
Legoland parks, he replies: “That’s usually how we do
things; we do all the development work on the first
one, but the coaster can be used with other themes
depending on what kind of areas they have already in
the other parks.”
Revamped as the Ice Pilots School, Billund’s Power
Builder/Robocoaster attraction had been integrated
into Polar Land and will also please the pre-teens. Its
new theme has been realised in co-operation with the
TV documentary series Ice Pilots, together with support
from Arctic travel experts Buffalo Airways.
The penguins, of course, appeal to the whole family
and are the first animal inhabitants of the park, save for
a selection of marine life inside the Atlantis by Sea Life
aquarium. Sourced from Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland,
home to one of the world’s largest Gentoo colonies
and breeding programmes, the birds take up residence
at Legoland in a 7-8ºC climate-controlled enclosure
with large panoramic windows on three sides.
“
Most
visitors found
Polar X-plorer
fun and wild,
but it was the
freefall which
brought out
most
screams. It’s a
very nice
coaster
actually
Henrik Höhrmann,
Legoland Billund
CEO
”
Polar X-plorer
Family-Friendly
Whilst Polar X-plorer uses the same track and chain lift
system as Zierer’s Elevated Seating Coaster, the
vertical drop is an element that can be incorporated
into the manufacturer’s full range of rollercoasters. At
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, for example, it features
as part of a much larger and longer launch coaster.
“It used to be that you had kiddie rides and then
you had teenager rides; there wasn’t really much in
between,” notes Jeroen Nijpels, Zierer’s representative
MAY 2012
25
Attraction Profile
Polar X-plorer
Zierer at
Legoland
Polar X-plorer is
Legoland Billund’s
fourth Zierer
attraction, in
addition to the
Timber Ride
(Tivoli Coaster),
Jungle Racers
(Jet Ski) and
Duplo Airplanes.
In fact, the German
manufacturer has supplied rides
to all of the Legoland parks
worldwide, including a double
Jet Ski (as pictured) at each
outlet in Denmark, Germany, the
UK and USA.
Four of the company’s rides
will feature at the new Legoland
Malaysia, opening on September
15 near the border with
Singapore. These will include The
Dragon and Dragon’s Apprentice
coasters, Aquazone Wave Racers
(Jet Ski) and Lego City Airport
(plane ride).
zierer.de
The new Pizza & Pasta Restaurant
26
One of those windows faces towards Polar X-plorer,
where separate foundations shield the penguins from
any vibration as the coaster’s train moves through
one of slowest and smoothest sections of the ride.
These windows also feature dark one-way glass, so
riders can see the penguins but they cannot see you.
The other windows look out onto an
amphitheatre, in which the park will present talks on
how the penguins live, and a new Pizza and Pasta
Restaurant. An audio system within the penguin
habitat allows Legoland guests to hear the hungry
birds braying to be fed by their keeper, while
families can discover even more about the
penguins, Polar Regions and conservation in a quiz
trail throughout Polar Land.
The design of the new era was overseen by Justin
East at Merlin Magic Making (formerly Merlin
Studios) and Legoland Billund’s own Tom
Christiansen, with theming and rockwork completed
by Theming and Animatronics Industries (TAA).
Love Thy Neighbour
Whilst Legoland enjoys legendary attraction status in
Scandinavia and beyond (one particular Park World
reporter was always keen to holiday in Denmark as a
child), Billund and the surrounding area still has a
very low population.
This is why the construction of 829 holiday chalets
at the neighbouring Lalandia FEC/waterpark was
welcomed when the development opened in 2009.
Children chill out with the penguins!
Merlin now works together with Lalandia and Givskud
Zoo to market the facilities together under the banner
of Legoland Billund Resort.
“Over the last few years this has allowed us to
increase our share of foreign visitors from 35% to
over 40% and we now include Norway, Sweden,
Germany and Holland within our catchment area,”
details Höhrmann.
There’s also 199 rooms available at Hotel
Legoland, a former Esso motel that has been
transformed over the years into family-friendly
accommodation offering direct access to the park.
Fifty of those rooms are now themed following a
refurbishment of the property that was used to
prototype several features of the new Legoland Hotel
at Windsor near London.
Whilst Lalandia’s undercover facilities are open
year round, Legoland Billund’s CEO says that the
weather in Denmark does not permit a 12-month
operation at his park, and so the focus remains on
optimising capacity during the key July and August
holiday period. Since 2005, space has been made
for an extra 5,000 hourly guests.
Good things are predicted this season for the
grandfather of all Legoland parks and, as optimism
slowly returns to the Danish market and Polar Land
makes its mark, attendance should exceed last year’s
record 1.7 million guests. Plus 17 penguins.
legoland.dk
Zierer’s test vertical drop in the factory
MAY 2012
Zierer fp p27:Layout 1 08/05/2012 10:16 Page 1
Attraction Profile
Pharaonique Magnifique!
Egypt arrives at Parc Astérix
A B&M inverted coaster is the
spectacular new attraction
anchoring the latest themed
land at Parc Astérix
outside Paris
oining a line-up that already includes Roman,
Gallic, Greek and Norse themed areas,
Pharaonique immerses guests in the spirit of
ancient Egypt. Its arrival at the park is perhaps
inevitable given that the territory already features in
various Astérix comic books and films.
“This new extension of our park is targeted at
families and young adults,” reveals Parc Astérix
manager Pascal Fiche. “Oz Iris is the highlight of this
new land and already thousands of people have
taken to this attraction and enjoyed the feeling of
flight.”
As visitors on the ground discover the land of the
Pharaohs, Queen Cleopatra and Tutankhamen, thrill
seekers fly overhead on Oz Iris. The new coaster is
dedicated to an Egyptian magician and is
surrounded by rich theming, taking riders on a
journey through the bowels of the Temple of Iris.
A haunting soundtrack, striking statues, ancient
antiques and murals set the tone as potential riders
make their way through the queue line, coming face
to face with Iris and his hypnotic gaze. On the
second floor, the lights dim, the music becomes
more intense and passengers prepare themselves for
what is now one of the park’s most extreme
attractions.
The 1,030-metre-long layout was specially
designed for Parc Astérix by Bolliger & Mabillard
(B&M). During the two-and-a-half minute
experience, intrepid riders reach speeds of up to
90kmh as they speed through an exciting series of
twists, turns and subterranean – and sub-aqua –
dives, including five inversions. The coaster’s tallest
J
Caption here?
28
Astérix character Obelix stars in an Egyptian ‘tomb painting’
featured as part of the Pharaonique environment
point is 40-metres, but to ride it guests need to be
just 1.3-metres tall.
Covering a area of around three hectares,
Pharaonique adds around 10% more surface area to
Parc Astérix and represents an investment for the
park’s owner Compagnie des Alpes of €20 million
($26m). The new land was two years in the making
for a passionate team of more than 300 park
employees and contractors. Oz Iris was installed on
B&M’s behalf by the German company Rollercoaster
Construction Services (RCS).
Now in its 23rd year, Parc Astérix is located 30km
north of the French capital. The 2012 season
continues until November 7.
parcasterix.com
Caption here?
MAY 2012
Attraction Profile
‘B&M’s best for
years’
In the one month it has already
been open, Oz Iris has won
many fans, not least Park
World’s man on the ground
Thomas Clarke: “The
combination of an entirely
unique layout with unusual
elements and wonderful
theming, typical of Parc Astérix,
has lead to arguably the best
B&M coaster for many years,”
enthuses the photographer. “The
ride’s well-paced layout gives
just enough breathing space
between elements and is packed
full of intensity and surprises.”
And he goes on: “While it's
possible to see most of the track
while queuing, an inline twist has
been hidden behind the station
building and comes out of the
blue when riding. Incredibly this
inverted coaster even offers two
significant moments of airtime
normally reserved for hyper
coasters. The only negative
aspect of Oz Iris is that is has
been given exactly the same
colour scheme as Montu at
Busch Gardens Tampa.”
Egyptian theming as featured in the
queue line area
MAY 2012
29
Park Profile
With adrenaline and
people-watching
opportunities galore,
Fantasilandia amusement
park in Chile’s capital city
of Santiago packs a
powerful punch. Linda Hill
reports
antasilandia, Chile’s biggest amusement park,
is nestled within Santiago’s central Parque
O'Higgins, a public park that takes its name
from one of Chile’s independence leaders. The
amusement park sits in the northwestern corner of
this 77-hectare recreation spot and covers 6.5
hectares, surrounded by lots of shady trees and
beautiful flowers, with landscaping set all throughout
the park. For a tourist, it is a great way to kill an
afternoon while seeing an entirely different side of
Chile’s cosmopolitan capital city.
From the outset it’s obvious that similarities
between Fantasilandia and your average American or
F
Kids’ Zone – keeping the young ones happy!
30
European theme park are limited. While the rides are
certainly as technologically advanced, the
atmosphere is distinctly Chilean. Instead of corn dogs
or cotton candy, vendors sell completos (a variation
on a hot dog) or mote con huesilllo (the national
drink), alongside rides blaring out reggaeton and
cumbia rhythms. It’s a Luna Park with a Latin
American twist.
“We have a very democratic audience,” observes
Gerardo Arteaga, the park’s general manager and
IAAPA’s current third vice-chairman, “almost the
same as the socioeconomic distribution of the
country.”
The Evolution is one of several Fabbri rides at the park
MAY 2012
Park Profile
Fantasilandia
Chile’s number one!
But most entertaining are the hundreds of
rambunctious, good-humoured kids who flock to the
park on days off from school, taking their pololas
(girlfriends) for a day out, or hanging out with their
friends, playing music as loud as they can from
mobile phones that double as boom boxes.
Fantasilandia opened in 1978 with just eight rides.
Today, the park boasts 41. According to Arteaga, the
most popular attractions are the suspended
rollercoaster Raptor and all the water rides. “People
love coasters and like water rides so much,” he says.
The Raptor was built by Vekoma in 2008. Water
rides include Tsunami, a 2007 Intamin Shoot-theChutes, a Rapid River ride built by a local company in
2003 and equipped with rafts by Zebec, and Black
Hole, another locally-built ride. In addition to The
Raptor, there are four other rollercoasters in the park.
These include a 1996 Vekoma Boomerang, a 1978
Galaxy by SDC, a powered Zamperla Dragon coaster
and a Zamperla Wild Mouse, which was the first to be
installed in South America when it opened in 2006.
MAY 2012
Italian rides feature heavily throughout the park.
Other highlights include Xtreme Fall, a Fabbri drop
tower; a Zamperla Disk ‘O’; Piratas del Caribe, a
themed dark ride, and a walk-through Haunted House
walk-through. There’s a Huss Top Spin; Zierer Wave
Swinger; Fabbri Evolution, Kami Kaze and Crazy
Dance; an SDC Tagada and Barco Pirata (Pirate Ship),
The park’s Vekoma Boomerang
“
Vendors
sell completos
(a variation
on a hot dog)
or mote con
huesilllo (the
national
drink),
alongside
rides blaring
out reggaeton
and cumbia
rhythms. It’s a
Luna Park
with a Latin
American
twist!
”
31
Park Profile
Rapid River, with rafts by Zebec
Xtreme Fall, by Fabbri
Meet Gerardo
Arteaga IAAPA
chairman 2015
Fantasilandia’s
Gerardo Arteaga
grew up in the
amusement
industry. His
family built the
Santiago-based
amusement
park in 1978.
Twenty years
later, Gerardo
was named operations
manager for Happyland, a chain
of family entertainment centres
across Chile, moving back to the
family park in 2000 to manage
customer services. Two years
later, he became general
manager.
President of the Latin American
Association of Attractions and
Amusement Parks (ALAP). From
2006 to 2008, Gerardo has
served on various IAAPA
committees, including the
advisory committee for Latin
America. Elected the
international association’s third
vice-chairman in November of
last year, he will assume the role
of chairman in late 2015.
Gerardo is also an active
member of the Make-A-Wish
Foundation in Chile and part of
the national council for the
Hogar de Cristo, the country’s
largest Catholic organisation. As
part of the Navidad con Sentido
programme, he hosts 5,000
underprivileged individuals at
Fantasilandia each year.
Photogenic riders enjoy the Tsunami, by Intamin
Huss Top Spin
Barbieri bumper cars, Zamperla Rockin’ Tug and a
Bongo-Train from Chance. The first of Zamperla’s new
eight-arm Air Race rides is planned later this season.
Children’s rides include Mini Splash built in-house,
Barbieri Mini Skooters (bumper cars), a Carousel,
Zamperla Super Trucks, Fire Chief and Toing & Boing
(Jumping Star); plus several other attractions.
The latest attraction to be added was a Huss
Condor called Ikarus. “We add something new each
year,” explains Arteaga. “It’s important to ‘change the
movie,’ and vital to keep the product fresh. When
adding a new attraction, we look at the experience
the ride will give to the passengers, check the safety
standards, and also look at the size of the ride since
this is our main restriction.”
Boasting a permanent staff of 300 plus 200
seasonal employees, Fantasilandia receives an
average of about 1.1 million visitors a year across no
more than 200 operating days. Arteaga reports that
about 15% of the attendance is from group sales and
the park’s main competition is anything that can be
done on a holy day or on a weekend during the
summer. In the winter, it’s football. But that’s a
different ball game altogether.
fantasilandia.cl
Young Fantasilandia guests shake it up on the Tagada!
32
MAY 2012
Freij_page 39:Layout 1 26/10/2011 14:38 Page 1
Park Profile
In 1879, on the shores of Lake
Ontario, a small lakeside
trolley park opened offering
picnic groves, band concerts
and a hotel. Today Seabreeze
is North America’s fourth oldest
amusement park. Why did it
survive? How did it survive?
Gary Kyriazi goes to find out
Jack Rabbit
Seabreeze
A shining example of survival
The Seabreeze
family
Seabreeze remains a family
business, with the fifth and sixth
generation now at the helm. Here
are the key family members
keeping the fun alive: Rob
Norris – president and general
manager. Focus on vision for the
future, government relations,
association work, operations,
design and engineering,
maintenance and leading the
team. Anne Wells – Rob’s sister,
vice-president and treasurer.
Focus on finance, office
operations, personnel, food
service, retail stores and
insurance. George Norris –
Rob’s brother, vice-president.
Focus on operations, technology,
research & development and
entertainment. John Norris –
Rob’s brother, vice-president and
secretary. Focus on marketing,
promotions, public relations and
games. Suzy Hofsass – Rob’s
cousin, assistant treasurer. Focus
on accounting, payroll and taxes.
Deb Norris – Rob’s wife. In
charge of landscaping and assists
in retail merchandise buying.
Genevieve Norris – Rob’s
daughter, attractions manager
and director of personnel. Focus
on operations, personnel and
buyer for retail stores. Alex and
Jack Norris – John’s children,
currently in school. Work at the
park during the summer. Aaron
and Kyle Hofsass – Suzy’s
children, currently in school.
Work at the park during the
summer.
34
ocated in a district known as Sea Breeze, just
north of the city of Rochester, New York,
Seabreeze is the world’s twelfth oldest
amusement park, still entertaining guests after well
over 100 years.
“Reinvention is the only way to go,” declares Rob
Norris, park president and fifth generation of the family
which became involved with Seabreeze in 1904.
And reinvent itself it has. Like many of today's parks,
Seabreeze is two operations in one. Guests can enjoy
both the rides of Seabreeze and the waterslides of
Raging Rivers waterpark for a single price. Visitors to
the ride park will find it has a turn-of-the-century feel,
with Victorian buildings, soft colours and floral
landscaping. The waterpark has a contrasting modern
look with white structural steel, seashore landscaping
and contemporary graphics.
The family’s genesis in the amusement industry
were brothers Edward F Long and Fielding Long, who
began building carousels in England back in 1876,
and later operating them. Seeking new opportunities
throughout the northeast United States, the Longs
began assembling and building carousels in
Philadelphia in the late 1890s. One of the places they
settled was in Rochester, where Arthur Long operated
a carousel on Ontario Beach from 1892 to 1907.
George Long Snr, Arthur's brother, worked there
before operating his own carousel at Cape May, New
Jersey, in 1899 and 1900. In 1901 he moved the
ride to Burlington Island near Philadelphia, where it
operated for two years.
In 1903, George relocated to Norfolk, Virginia, but
his ride wasn't doing very well there when Arthur wrote
to him about opportunities at Seabreeze. In 1904 they
brought one of their carousels to Seabreeze to
operate as a concession. Only the Trimper family of
Ocean City, Maryland, has been associated longer
with a park. But Edward's 12-year-old grandson,
George W Long Jnr, fell in love with Seabreeze, and
with Rochester, and dedicated his life to both.
L
Hard Work
Seabreeze's evolution from picnic grounds to
amusement park mirrors that of America’s other trolley
parks: a steam-driven carousel in 1883, a switchback
coaster in 1887, a Figure Eight coaster in 1903, the
Long brothers’ carousel in 1904. Along came a Giant
Circle Swing in 1908, the Laughing Mirror Gallery in
1914 and a succession of “modern” rollercoasters with
the Dips (later renamed the Greyhound) from 1916 to
1933 and in 1920, Seabreeze’s surviving coaster, the
superb Jack Rabbit, featuring John Miller’s signature
gullies and ravines.
By the time the Jack Rabbit debuted, George W Long
Jnr, the amusement industry running through his veins,
was aggressively managing the park. In 1921 he
replaced the old Figure Eight with the Virginia Reel, and
a dance hall was erected in 1924, followed a year later
by the Natatorium, a large outdoor saltwater swimming
pool. In 1926 Philidelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC)
built what, in its time, was the park's tallest rollercoaster,
the 93ft-tall Wildcat, dismantled in 1935. In 1937,
Long began renting Seabreeze from the trolley
company, until he finally purchased the entire park in
1946 for $85,000, renaming it Dreamland Park.
“My grandfather was in love with the park,” George
W Long’s grandson and former IAAPA chairman Rob
Norris recalls today. “He was hard-working and driven.
It was his passion and scrutiny that drove Seabreeze’s
growth after he bought it.”
So driven, and aided by his daughters Lois and Betty,
and their husbands Merrick Price and Bob Norris,
George Long proceeded through the 1950s with a
wooden Junior Coaster, a Fun House, a dark ride, train
ride and the Over The Falls water chutes in 1958.
Hooked
In George Long's drive and dedication to detail, one
recalls a Walt Disney type of passion, and in fact,
Disney did have an unknowing influence in the creation
of Seabreeze's most unique ride. George Long visited
MAY 2012
Park Profile
Disneyland many times, and he loved its 1959
Matterhorn Bobsleds. In 1961, he met changing public
tastes when he converted the wooden tracks of his
Junior Coaster to tubular steel tracks and added
bobsled-styled cars. To this day, it's one of Seabreeze's
most popular rides.
In 1973, at the age of 81, George Long was ready
to retire and considered selling his beloved park for a
condominium development; Seabreeze could have
become yet another statistic in the history of America's
great traditional trolley/amusement parks. But his
grandchildren, Anne, John, George and Rob Norris,
who later were joined by their cousin Suzy (Price)
Hofsass, decided to devote themselves to the industry
that they had grown to love.
“My grandfather would take my brother George and
me around the country to visit the other parks,” Rob
recalls. “It enabled us to see the amusement industry in
its entirety, and we became hooked.”
One of the first changes that the new regime made
was to officially change the park's name from
Dreamland Park back to Seabreeze. After all, that was
how the locals referred to it anyway. But the more
worrisome change they instituted was to put up a gate
and charge admission. “We were concerned about that
one,” Rob Norris concedes, “but it needed to be done.
The industry had evolved from ‘amusement’ parks into
the 'theme' parks, pay-one-price policies had been
MAY 2012
instituted, and we just couldn't operate profitably with
an open gate. Yes, there was some minor backlash, but
we've been fortunate to have a loyal following.”
Continual free parking, letting people bring in their
own food and offering a cheaper spectator pass for
non-riders have helped maintain and build Seabreeze's
attendance, and the park has flourished.
The waterpark, opened in 1990, has been wildly
popular, while new attractions such as the Whirlwind
spinning coaster from Maurer Söhne, Revolution 360º
(Disk ‘O’) from Zamperla, Moser Spring Ride,
Bertazzon Musik Express and last season’s Twirling Tea
Cups brings guests back year after year. Today's
Seabreeze is a clean, modern, beautiful park, with a
strong following within a 120-mile radius. It's a shining
example of survival in a very challenging industry.
“We usually add something every other year.” Norris
allows. “We are careful, and if we hit a soft time, we
just tighten up and keep moving. We’re caretakers of
this institution that is Seabreeze, and we have to do it
right. We keep it valid, and we keep it fresh.”
Gary Kyriazi is the author of The Great American
Amusement Parks and the writer/producer of America
Screams, the first pictorial history and television
documentary about American amusement parks. He has
been a researcher and historian on amusement parks
for 40 years.
“
Continual
free parking,
letting people
bring in their
own food and
a cheaper
spectator pass
for non-riders
have helped
maintain and
build
Seabreeze's
attendance
”
MAIN PIC, LEFT TO RIGHT:
John Norris, Jack Norris, Alex
Norris, Genevieve Norris, Rob
Norris, Anne Norris, George Norris
and Suzy Hofsass
seabreeze.com
35
Park Tribute
Happy Birthday
Kings Island!
King Island in 1972
40 years of making
Cincinnati smile
Dennis Speigel, who was
there at the very beginning,
asks “Can it really be 40 years
since we opened the doors to
one of the greatest amusement
parks in North America?”
The ribbon cutting ceremony in 1972
with project manager Charles Flatt,
Kings Island president Ralph Wachs,
group vice-president Gary Wachs,
Kings Island general manager Ed
McHale and Fred Flintstone
36
Y
es, 40 years ago this month, we welcomed the
first guests to Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio.
What a remarkable time it was for the theme
park industry in the United States. We had just closed
Cincinnati’s Coney Island on Labor Day of 1971. We
had to literally move the entire park in about 45
days. I am talking from knives and forks to flume
rides, sky rides, and everything in between.
Ed McHale and I, as assistant general manager,
were responsible for the move. We almost
completed the entire moving process in 30 days! An
amazing feat as I look back. We had to transport
everything 26 miles up Interstate 71, using a local
company to handle the move. They came through
for us.
I remember a conversation with Errol McCoy and
Larry Cochran – both young general managers in the
Six Flags system at the time. We had them on
speaker phone discussing our anticipated first year
attendance. Charles Thompson, a former Six Flags
employee, performed the feasibility study for Gary
Wachs, senior vice-president of Taft Broadcasting.
Charles projected two million in attendance in our
first year. When we told Errol and Larry our projected
attendance, they laughed for what seemed liked
about two minutes.
Cause For Concern
Back in the office, Gary, Ed and I just looked at one
other. Quite honestly we were a little concerned over
the response we received from that phone call. At
that point in time, no other park outside of the Disney
parks had ever “cracked” the two million attendance
mark, particularly a regional park. At the time that
included Six Flags over Texas, opened in 1961, Six
Flags over Georgia, opened in 1967, and Six Flags
Mid America in St Louis, which opened in 1971.
We held our grand opening celebrations at Kings
Island on Saturday, May 27, 1972. Charles Mechem,
chairman of the board; Dudley Taft, company
president, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera (Hannah &
Barbera) and Earl Wilson, the New York Times
columnist, were all there on the day.
We released 2,000 balloons. We had a group of
fighter jets flying overhead, almost breaking the glass
of the International Restaurant when they hit their
after-burners. Thanks to Hannah & Barbera, we had
a parade with the Flintstones, Yogi Bear and ScoobyDoo. The Kings Mill High School band marched and
played. We welcomed Miss America, Miss Ohio and
Junior Miss America. We also featured clown bands,
hot air balloon ascensions and sky divers. All in all, it
was a great and festive day enjoyed by about 5,000
attendees.
Then the season began and I’ll have to admit it
started out very slowly. After that initial opening, we
welcomed about 5,000 visitors per day. It remained
in that range until the first day of July. We were
actually worried that this new and beautiful park
was not going to attract any more guests than
Coney Island had. However, on July 4, the
floodgates opened and we attracted approximately
40,000 guests! It was unbelievable! And it never
stopped!
MAY 2012
Park Tribute
Euphoric Feeling
The crowds continued to come in enormous numbers. Having 25,000
up to 40,000 visitors every day the rest of our first season was not
unusual. It was a euphoric feeling to say the least. Every day was
spectacular. People were amazed at the park. In our region, they had
never seen anything like Kings Island. It was huge, entertaining,
exciting and fun.
We offered new attractions such as the Racer Roller Coaster (the first
wooden coaster to be built since 1947). The Racer launched the
renaissance of the wooden rollercoaster. Since 1972, over 1,000
coasters have been built, and I believe this resurgence was due to the
enormous success of the Racer. Not only was it a new wooden roller
coaster, it was a double racing coaster! The weight of the passengers in
each train determined the winner of the race. There really were so many
“firsts” associated with Kings Island’s opening year. It is difficult to list
them all.
Oh and, yes, on the final day of the season when we closed, our
attendance count was 2,012,000! We were the first regional theme park
to break the two million attendance barrier in an opening year. So, you
can probably guess what we did. We had another speaker phone
conversation with the Six Flags team. They asked what our final
attendance was …2,012,000 we told them. You could hear the
proverbial pin drop. It was fantastic! Those times were memories I will
always cherish.
Dennis Speigel is president of International Theme Park Services, a full-service
management/consulting firm. As well as Kings Island, he has served in senior
positions at Cincinnati’s original Coney Island, Kings Dominion (Richmond,
Valencia) and the leisure division of Taft Broadcasting. A past president of IAAPA,
last winter he was presented with an IAAPA Service Award in recognition of his
dedication to the association and the industry. Reach him via interthemepark.com
Still going strong
King Island as
it is today
During its existence, Kings Island has had five
owners, Taft Broadcasting, Kings
Entertainment, American Financial, Paramount
Parks and Cedar Fair, which has been at the
helm since 2006.
As the park celebrates its 40th anniversary
season in 2012, attractions like the Racer
rollercoaster and Grand Carousel are still
going strong. Yet when Kings Island opened
there were just over 60 attractions for the
public’s entertainment. Now, after four
decades of capital investment representing in excess of $250
million, there are more than 100 for guests to enjoy, including a waterpark.
In 1972, five themed areas were highlighted. Today there are seven. The
employment opportunities have changed dramatically as well. Where it once
took 1,300 employees to operate the park on any given day during the
inaugural season, approximately 4,000 are needed to keep the 364-acre
facility in operation today.
The changes have not been limited to the park itself. The surrounding area,
once farmland, now thrives with commercial and retail businesses, as well as
increasing population of homes. During the past 40 years, a day out to Kings
Island has become an annual tradition for many families across the Midwest
United States, with 120 million visits recorded since 1972.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary, Cedar Fair is expanding and rebranding
King Island’s waterpark as Soak City, as well as adding three new live shows.
Remember When: The 70's! is a song and dance revue featuring songs from
the decade Kings Island was born, British Invasion features the music of The
Beatles, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Queen and many other, while for kids and
families there's is Charlie Brown's All-Stars.
visitkingsisland.com
MAY 2012
37
Park Products
Products and services for parks and attractions
XLR8
BY
KMG
Prolific European ride manufacturer KMG launched
its latest compact thrill ride recently in the
Netherlands.
XLR8 (Accelerate) made its public debut at the
Easter fair in Drachten, Friesland, under the ownership
of loyal KMG customer Jarno Otten. Arriving on site
the previous evening, the trailer mounted construction
was assembled in just a few hours.
The eight-car attraction features a simple ride
pattern with each swinging, twin seat suspended on
the end of an arm connected to the machine’s
centre. During the ride, extreme acceleration and
deceleration is experienced, giving a launch coaster
style thrust to the ride vehicles. The minimum
passenger height requirement is 1.2 metres.
XLR8 is believed to be the first transportable
amusement ride with a rechargeable power system.
During deceleration, the returned energy is stored in
“Super Cap” capacitors ready for the next
acceleration. This means the prototype attraction,
which uses just 80 amps (including LED lighting) can
connect to a 63 amp power supply,
KMG reports that Mr Otten was satisfied with the
ride’s performance over Easter. Although the fair in
Drachten suffered from bad weather and a low
turnout, XLR8 attracted several repeat riders. A
number of potential buyers were expected to view
the ride in Rotterdam, where it was appearing as
part of the Queen’s birthday celebrations from April
21 to May 6.
•See a video of the ride in action at bit.ly/InSS97 or
by reading the digital version of this magazine.
kmg.nl
LESOURDSVILLE
LAKE by Scott Fowler
Another book in the
Images of America series,
Lesourdsville Lake
Amusement Park was
written by the co-founder
of the Southwest Ohio
Amusement Park Historical
Society, and a former park employee.
Located in Monroe, Ohio, LeSourdsville Lake
opened in 1922 and from 1977 onwards was
known as Americana Amusement Park. The park
closed down after the 1999 season and sold in
2000. It opened briefly in 2002 but shut
unexpectedly before the end of the season and
has remained closed since.
Despite being 15 miles from Kings Island near
Cincinnati, Lesourdsville was for many years a
popular recreational park in its own right.
Emphasis on providing quality food and
personalised catering enabled the park to host
hundreds of annual company picnics, high school
proms and family reunions. Classic rides included
the Electric Rainbow, Whip, and Screechin’ Eagle
and Serpent rollercoasters, while the families
visited “the Lake” as religiously as they drove the
same route to work every day.
arcadiapublishing.com
CRYSTAL BEACH PARK: A CENTURY
OF SCREAMS by William E Kae
JUNGLE TWIST
BY
WISDOM
Wisdom
Rides has
introduced
Jungle Twist,
a new
spinning
rollercoaster
intended for
families.
Each of the
five cars in
the train
carry three adults or four children and travel over a
140-foot-long oval track with an eight-foot drop – just
enough to give a little kick.
This new
publication from
Cyclone Books is
a must-read for
anyone who has
ever visited this
now defunct
Ontario
institution. The book recreates the sounds, scents
(really? – Ed) and screams that emanated from
the midway over many generations.
Starting life as a picnic grove in 1890, Crystal
Beach developed into a major amusement park
serving the Buffalo metropolitan area through
until its 1989 demise. All of the rides that
populated the park through the century are
presented among more than 300 photographs.
Original blueprints are shown of the Comet,
Magic Carpet, Laff in the Dark, Caterpillar and
the dance hall, plus many site plans.
Printed on high quality paper stock, the book
includes a comprehensive index and bibliography,
with images arranged meticulously in
chronological order. Author William E. Kae has
created a very user-friendly book.
buffalobooks.com
wisdomrides.com
38
MAY 2012
EAS page 39:Layout 1 16/05/2012 08:11 Page 1
IAAPA Asia fp p37:Layout 1 05/04/2012 06:07 Page 1
Calendar
ShowGuide
Exhibitions and networking for amusement professionals
• May 14 to 16
AALARA Conference
Crowne Plaza, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland,
Australia
+61 7 3807 3508
[email protected]
aalara.com.au
• June 6 to 8
Asian Attractions Expo
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition
Centre, China SAR
+852 3796 2568
[email protected]
iaapa.org/expos
NEW SENSATIONAL
PARK RIDE
“XLR8”
• June 28
Vision XS Leisure Operators’
Conference
Latimer House, Buckinghamshire, UK
+44 1235 420327
[email protected]
visionxs.co.uk
• September 18 to 20
Leisure Industry Week
NEC, Birmingham, UK
+44 207 955 3979
[email protected]
liw.co.uk
16 passengers • High speed (65 km/h)
G-force (4G) • Extremely fast acceleration
The “XLR8” gives riders the
experience as if they are
being launched (like in a
Launch Coaster).
• September 19 to 21
SATE 2012
Newport Bay Club Hotel,
Disneyland Paris, France
+1 818 843 8497
[email protected]
teaconnect.org
• October 9 to 11
Euro Attractions Show
Messe Berlin, Germany
+32 4927 20268
[email protected]
euroattractionsshow.com
• October 1 to 5
WWA Symposium & Trade Show
Paris Hotel & Convention Center,
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
+1 913 599 0300
[email protected]
waterparks.org
• November 12 to 16
IAAPA Attractions Expo
Orange County Convention Center,
Orlando, Florida
+1 703 836 4800
[email protected]
iaapa.com/expos
More events at www.parkworld-online.com
The Super Caps power
system and LED lighting
package make it possible
that the ’XLR8’ will run on
just 80 Amps!
Diameter: 53ft • Power: 80A, 400V
Number of Gondolas: 8 • Capacity persons: 16
Persons per hour: 960
Also available
as transportable
ride
ParkWorld_MAY12_p42.qxd:PW WEBGUIDE 10/05/2012 10:51 Page 42
Web Guide
Online resources for the amusement industry
BUMPER CARS
www.candsrides.biz
CASHLESS SYSTEMS
MAZES
MAZES
RIDES
www.wiegandslide.com
www.teleacoustics.co.uk
www.amazenmazes.com
PA R E N T & C H I L D
B AT T E R Y R I D E S
SPECIALIST TELECOM
PRODUCTS
THEMING
AND
DESIGN
www.pax.ru
www.embedcard.com
COIN HANDLING
EQUIPMENT
www.cumminsallison.co.uk
www.worldofrides.com
PEOPLE MOVERS
www.dottotrains.com
www.ridesandfun.com
www.jaravision.com
THEMING
www.sbfrides.com
AND
DESIGN
www.sarner.com
T R A D E A S S O C I AT I O N S
DARK RIDES
www.technicalpark.com
www.sallycorp.com
www.severn-lamb.com
EXHIBITIONS
PLANNING & DESIGN
www.hauntcom.com
www.alesuk.org
TICKETING
www.mack-rides.com
www.accesso.com
www.forrec.com
www.intaminworldwide.com
F A M I LY /C H I L D R E N S
E N T E R TA I N M E N T C E N T R E S
www.gatewayticketing.com
www.kcc.be
www.whitehutchinson.com
HIGHWAY 66 COIN
O P E R AT E D S C A L E D D O W N
BOWLING SOLUTIONS
PLAY STRUCTURES
www.vekoma.com
SHOWS
www.iplayco.com
REVIEWS
AND
www.nationalticket.com
www.omniticket.com
VISITOR VIDEO SYSTEM
I N F O R M AT I O N
www.amusement.qubicaamf.com
www.falconshow.com
www.tapemyday.com
INTERACTIVE PROJECT
DISPLAY
RIDES
4 D AT T R AC T I O N S &
S I M U L ATO R S
WAT E R R I D E S
www.eyeclick.com
www.gerstlauer-rides.com
www.simworx.co.uk
www.Interlink-lg.com
SNOW & ICE
INTERACTIVE RIDES
www.proslide.com
www.mondialrides.com
www.trio-tech.com
LEISURE ENGINEERING
www.garmendale.co.uk
42
www.snow.biz
www.tschu-tschu.de
www.prestonbarbieri.com
WAT E R R I D E S & PA R K S
SPECIALIST PRINTING
www.syndicateprinters.com
www.vanegdom.nl
www.whitewaterwest.com
www.wiegand-maelzer.de
MAY 2012
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Polar X-plorer

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