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2 AMUSEMENT TODAY April 2013

NEWSTALK CARTOON: Bubba Flint

OPINIONS CARTOON LETTERS AT CONTACTS

Gary Slade, FounderPublisher and Editor-in-Chief (817) [email protected]

Stacey Childress / Childress MediaWeb & Graphic [email protected]

John Robinson / W.H.R. Inc.Daily E-mail Newsletter

[email protected]

Tim [email protected]

Pam [email protected]

Scott [email protected]

Jeffrey L. SeifertEditorial / Special Projects

[email protected]

Sammy PiccolaAccounting / Circulation(817) [email protected]

Sue NicholsAdvertising(615) [email protected]

Bubba [email protected]

AMUSEMENT TODAY STAFF

Contributors: Andrew Mellor, B. Derek Shaw, Richard Munch, Marlon Scott, Janice Witherow, WHR Inc.

During the first full operating weekendof Silver Dollar City’s new Outlaw Run, itwas clear that park General Manager BradThomas was as giddy as a youngster onChristmas morning.

His park had debuted their new record-setting $10 million wooden coaster just afew days prior. The coaster, from Rocky

Mountain, was all the buzz in the park by both guestsand long-time employees.

But Brad was quick to point out what the Bransonthemer is really all about — its food.

Just down the walkway from the new coaster fun, thepark debuted Crossroads Pizza. This 145-seat sit downrestaurant features hand-tossed (think of it as airtime forthe dough!) oven fired pizza, calzones and other Italian-style sandwiches.

Not stopping there, across the street is the newCokes and Floats stand where guests can mix and matchtheir favorites together to recreate that float enjoyed asa child.

What may go unnoticed is that the Silver Dollar Cityteam did both of these new establishments in-house.The attention to detail, as seen in hand crafted Cokebarrels, and corresponding theming is a perfect matchfor the park. Thomas was quick to point out that manySDC guests are repeat visitors to the park, and some ofthose will never get on a single ride. They are at the parksimply to visit the park, enjoy the wide variety of foodand take in as many shows as time allows.

The Silver Dollar City recipe for success is not builtaround its rides, it’s built around the food, shows and itspeople. The paying guest is truly the one who benefits,although you can’t tell that to the employees.

As one candymaker told this publisher, “I was readyfor a break after the Christmas season. Then when thecalendar turned over to March, I was ready to comeback to the park, because I know I have baking to do.Baking is my love!”

Ahh — the sweets...well that’s another story.

—Gary Slade

More than records and thrills

EDITORIAL: Gary Slade, [email protected]

Slade

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Amusement Today is an independent newspaper, published monthly by Amusement Today InBox 5427, Arlington, Texas 76005. Presort Standard Postage (Permit No. 2069) pre-paid at ForTexas. The entire contents of this newspaper and its related websites are copyrighted and tradby Amusement Today 2013, with all rights reserved.

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Gary Slade is the founder and publisher of AmusementToday. His love for amusement parks began at age six when hefirst visited Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park and Six FlagsOver Texas. His long newspaper career helped lead to

the launch of AT in 1997.

I attended an attractionsindustry conference in the U.K.recently at which the keynotespeaker was the head of tour-ism at the government’s De-partment of Culture and MediaStudies (DCMS).

The lady in question dis-cussed a number of key issuesrelating to tourism in her presen-

tation but one clear message that came acrosswas that the tourism industry — which obviouslyincorporates all types of attractions, includingtheme parks, seaside piers et al — is key when itcomes to growth in the country’s economy.

She stated that “from the government’s per-spective, all departments realize how importanttourism is to the economy,“ providing examplessuch as the fact that it creates GBP90 billion ofdirect business per annum and is the third high-est export earner for the country. She also gaveexamples of various initiatives and funding thathave been put in place by the DCMS and otherparts of government to assist the tourism indus-try as a whole, adding that the tourism industrywas growing significantly compared to the rest

of the economy.The Olympic Legacy was also mention

a major part of the government’s tourism egy as it seeks to build on the tremendouslic relations opportunities that were geneduring last year’s games. All in all, therefolooks like tourism is at last being taken serby government and is being properly recogfor the important part it plays in the coueconomy.

Which is refreshing, to say the least. fully, though, things can be taken further stvarious issues which have been impacting oindustry can also be dealt with to help opeand encourage more growth within the s VAT (Value Added Tax) on the admissionto parks is currently at 20 percent, while in parts of Europe it is significantly lower, in places just five percent, so a reductionwould help enormously. Likewise, a fairer pfield when it comes to public projects suppby the Heritage Lottery Fund.

I just hope all the positive “noises” I will actually bear fruit for everyone’s longbenefit.

Tourism a key player in economic growth

EDITORIAL: Andrew Mellor, [email protected]

Mellor

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April 2013 AMUSEMENT TOD

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY •1893: An accident on theSwitchback Railway at Blooms-bury Park, Raleigh, North Car-olina, on April 4, resulted inmultiple injuries, when one car

jumped the track, passing ontothe oncoming track, where acar from the other end had al-ready started. Both cars, loadedwith school children from a local

school (St. Mary’s), met at thelowest point where the crash oc-curred. Eight children were hurt,although no deaths were attrib-uted to the incident.

•1904: A fire on the afternoon of April 11 at Bergen Beach Ament Park, in Brooklyn, New York, almost wiped out the resJamaica Bay. The rising tide and two Brooklyn Rapid Transit cars, which carried firefighters to the resort, would supply help necessary to extinguish the flames. The New York Times the two trolley cars the real heroes, as it was impossible to gequipment to the park by any other means. The L.A. ThomScenic Railway was saved, but the park still suffered about $2in damages. Firemen said without water, their fight would bbefore it even started.

•1924: The newest wood coaster at Kennywood Park, West Pennsylvania, opened on Sunday, April 18. The Pippin, desby John A. Miller, at a cost of $60,000, would follow Miller’s

Jack Rabbit , which opened in 1920. In a reversal of the accstandard, the Pippin was built in a valley, with its first drop imately out of the station into the gully. The final drop would athe largest, with the lift in the middle of the course. Today, thegully portion still remains, although after modifications in 196known today as the highly enjoyable Thunderbolt.

•1928: The final cash settlements from Westchester Couna part of the land acquired for Playland, in Rye, New York wleased in early April. Fred Ponty, who owned Paradise Paceived $536,000 for the property, not including $137,000 fvices such as the Old Mill. Appraisal on the John Miller Blue Swas for $62,000 to Harry C. Baker of Port Chester, N.Y. In tdollars, the property alone sold for about $7 million.

•1942: Owner Neville Bayley announced on April 26, thatnecticut’s famous Roton Point Park, in South Norwalk, woureopen in 1942. The park, on Long Island Sound, was compriover 30-acres, which had been an excursion resort and amuspark for New Yorkers and locals, for nearly three-quarters of tury. Neville, who had operated the park for 28 years, suggthat the war effort had hurt the park. The park was placed omarket, and all amusements were removed that summer. Todaroller coaster station is still used in the public park, a faint remof better times.

•1963: Sky Hook opened at Six Flags Over Texas on April 2150-foot ride featured two enclosed baskets that hoisted ridethe air where they could see the skylines of both Dallas anWorth. Manufactured by Von Roll of Switzerland, the ride wasally a cargo crane modified to carry passengers. It formally opeat the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair.

—Compiled by Richard Munch, NRCMA and Jeffrey Seife

Presented by

www.RollerCoasterMuseu

For Paul Noland, takingthe reins in January as

president and CEO ofIAAPA seemed natural.With vast experience asa respected theme parkconsultant, IAAPA BoardMember and former WaltDisney Parks and Resortsexecutive, Paul brings avaried background withproven results to theassociation. Known forhis keen business sense,analytical approach andpassion for the industry,Paul is looking forward totaking IAAPA and its mem-bers on a “great ride” …working together … into

the future.

TitlePresident and CEO.

Number of years in the indus-try18.

Best thing about the industryThe people that work in it.

Favorite amusement rideIt’s hard to answer in my position and sincethere are so many great rides in the world, butif I have to pick just one, it is the Santa CruzBeach Boardwalk Giant Dipper since it was myfirst roller coaster.

If I wasn’t working in the amusement indus-try, I would be …Somewhere else in the travel and hospitalityworld. Biggest challenge facing our industryPeople and families crunched for time.

The thing I like most about amusement/wa-ter park season is …We bring families and friends together.

To me, the most influential person in historyis …The world is too diverse to have a single mostinfluential person. For my money, though, it’s

hard to beat Abraham Lincoln.

Favorite dessertCoconut cake or key lime pie.

When I say exercise, you say …Where are my running shoes?

The best pizza I have ever eaten was at …A small Trattoria in Italy.

Growing up, my nickname was …Well, my actual first name is Royce. With thatas a first name you don’t need a nickname.

Right now, the ring tone on my cell phone is … Very boring.

The last book I read was …The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

The food I crave most often is …Unfortunately, pizza.

The concert I would really want front-rowseats to is …The Beatles reunion that never happened.

Coolest celebrity chef …I think food should be the celebrity, but I willsay that we do have some real family favoritesfrom Ina Garten in my house.

In 10 years, I hope to be …In the best shape of my life.

My favorite sport to play is …Poker … just kidding, it’s tennis.

My next vacation will be …Nice, I’m sure, but unknown at this point.

People say I remind them of …Funny, I don’t get that a lot.

If I could be part of any TV family it wouldbe …Modern Family—The Dunphys perhaps, agreat extended family that takes care of eachother.

The newspaper I read every day is …The Wall Street Journal.

All-time best comedianTough one, but I would likely go with BillCosby.

The most useful invention in the last 10years has to be …The iPhone is the easy answer, but I think,really, the cases protecting your iPhone whichkeep you from having to get a new one everythree months are probably the MOST useful!

Paul Noland, IAAPA

COMPILED: Janice Witherow

MINUTE

DRILL2

Noland

Newly appointed IAAPA CEO Paul Noland takes a minuteto enjoy an amusement park favorite for all ages, a game ofSkee-Ball. No word yet on how his game skills were!COURTESY IAAPA

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coach Depot. While roamingthe queue, guests pass the of-ce of Depot Proprietor ClemBarker, whose wall of tickingclocks demonstrates his pas-sion for punctuality and thedetermination for keeping thestagecoaches on time. “Takethe time to notice the subtlethings,” says Rau. “I like thetheming. I like the wholewild adventure of the West.America going out into thegreat adventureland where wedidn’t really know where wewere headed. And that’s whathappens on this ride.” Rauadds, “That’s one of the cool-est things about Silver Dol-lar City — when we immerseourselves in the theming. Youdon’t want to miss anything.”

When asked about thename, President and CEO ofHerschend Family Entertain-

ment Joel Manby says, “Our big issue was whether to haveguns in the photos with all thegun issues out there. Origi-

nally in our logo we had a gunin it, and we passed on that.And of course, we don’t wantto ‘promote’ outlaws as a posi-tive thing. We are dedicatinga lot of our work to the policeforce. The whole storyline isgeing away safely from theoutlaws.” In April an iconicmonument dedicated to lawenforcement will be installedadjacent to the ride during aGrand Opening Celebration.

With the sound of thecrack of a whip and an au-dible “H’yah!!” riders are dis-patched from the depot andengage the lift for its 107-footclimb. But don’t let that height

be deceiving. Like virtually allthe coasters at Silver DollarCity, the park’s hilly terrainalways oers greater potential

speeds as rst drops are typi-cally — and dramatically —far larger than the lift heightitself. In this case, Outlaw Runhas a rst plunge of 162 feet.Combine that with the factthat it is the steepest drop onany wooden coaster at 81 de-grees, and the makings for arollicking adventure are un-derway. The wooded land-scape then permits the coasterto make startling dives andcurves darting into the val-leys and through the trees. It ismarvelously orchestrated andredenes “out of control.” Forthe park to boast that there isno other wooden coaster likeit, that’s dead on.

Manby says, “That ridenever lets you go. It’s a fantas-tic ride. More importantly forthe park, it makes [Silver Dol-lar City] a unique experiencewhether anyone is 2 to 92. Wehave a very complete parknow that will serve the needs

of more and more customerseach year.”

Brad Thomas, generalmanager of Silver Dollar City,adds, “Outlaw Run providesus with something we neededwhich was more thrills, moreexcitement, more fun, butkeeping it to where it is notso intense that mom doesn’tfeel safe and mom doesn’twant to ride it with her kids.You’ve got three signicantcomponents — you’ve gotthe world’s steepest drop ona wooden coaster, we’ll takeyou upside down three times,and at 68 mph, it is the secondfastest wooden coaster on theplanet.”

Fred Grubb of Rocky

Mountain could bask in theopening day success of hislatest project, but should alsotake considerable pride in histrains. Debuting with OutlawRun, the “coaches” — as SilverDollar City terms them — areof innovative and researcheddesign. Grubb says “First of allwe had to design the trains to be able to handle the amountof twists we put into the track.

We put suspension systemson the train so the wheels arealways touching the track —there’s no bouncing back andforth.” Grubb adds that thisdesign of train will ride onany existing wooden coasterout there.

Other companies involvedin Outlaw Run were CostasurInc. of Cincinnati that suppliedthe boosters, chain drive as-sembly and transfer table; Ve-locity Magnetics, New Castle,Pa., supplied the braking sys-tem; and Consign, Hanover,

Md., supplied the control sys-

tem. In addition, Silver DollarCity installed the mechanicalcomponents.

Both Grubb of RockyMountain and Thomas of Sil-ver Dollar City praised oneanother for the teamwork in-volved in puing the projecttogether. “The overall expe-rience was just great,” com-ments Thomas. “Our guysare accustomed to buildingin tough terrain. There’s nota lot of soil to work with. Youget past a quarter inch, you hitsolid rock. Puing in all those

footers was a real challenge.Our guys had to work shoul-der to shoulder with RockyMountain. There were oppor-tunities for friction and therewas no friction. From the 108degree weather of the summerto the frigid temperatures ofthe winter, our guys got along.They were great and they cre-ated this amazing coaster thata lot of people are going tocome visit.”

In this case, the good guysreally do win.

OUTLAW RUN Continued from page 1

To navigate the twists andturns of Outlaw Run, ridesupplier Rocky Mountaincreated their own style ofcoaster train, shown here.AT/GARY SLADE

Riders race past Outlaw Run’s first drop in a blur as thecoaster tops out at 68 mph, making it the world’s seconest woodie. AT/GARY SLADE

Name/ParkOutlaw Run/

Silver Dollar CityBranson, Mo.

WhatWooden coaster utiliz

Topper Track on a woostructure. Highlights a

the steepest drop onwooden coaster

(81-degrees) and a 72degree double barrel

(world’s first)on a wooden coaste

Height/Length/Inversions

107 feet/2,937 feet/

Opened/CostMarch, 15, 2013/

$10 million

Drop/Maximum Spee Airtime Moments

162 feet at 81 degree68 mph/

9 locations during rid

Ride Time/CapacityHeight Requiremen1 minute, 27 seconds

800-850 riders an hou48 inches

Trains2 trains, 24 passengers

train. Each train featurU-bar lap restraint &

individual fiberglass se

Design

Alan Schilke,Ride Centerline, LLCHyde Park, Utah

Supplier of RecordFred Grubb,

Rocky MountainConstruction Group

Hayden, Utah

Other SuppliersCostasur Inc., CincinnaOhio/ Velocity MagnetNew Castle, Pa./Cons

LLC, Hanover, Md.

FAST FACTS

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PARKS ATTRACTIONS RESORTS SUPPLIERS

INTERNATIONAL

Asian Attractions Expo moves to Beijing for 201Industry to convene at the China National Convention Center June, 17-20, 2014BEIJING, China — TheInternational Association ofAmusement Parks and At-tractions (IAAPA) announcedAsian Aractions Expo (AAE)2014 will take place at theChina National ConventionCenter (CNCC) in Beijing June17-20, 2014. Since 1997, AsianAractions Expo has been thepremier international tradeshow and conference for themultibillion-dollar leisure andaractions industry in Asia.

“IAAPA is looking for-

ward to bringing Asian Arac-tions Expo to China,” IAAPAVice President, Asia PacicOperations Andrew Lee said.“The aractions industry

within China is growing ata rapid pace with several at-tractions recently completedand a number of other majoramusement parks in develop-ment, making its capital city,Beijing, a logical choice to hostAAE 2014.”

“Beijing’s experienceas host to the 2008 OlympicGames, its area tourist arac-tions, and its history and di-verse culture make it a perfect backdrop for Asian Arac-tions Expo, the aractions in-

dustry’s fastest growing tradeshow and conference in theregion,” said IAAPA Presi-dent and CEO Paul Noland.

More than 5,000 arac-

tions industry professionalsfrom more than 60 nationsare expected to participate

in the event. The trade showoor will showcase productsfrom more than 250 compa-nies from around the worldin more than 100 categories,

including amusement andtheme park rides; architec-tural and design services; andcoin-operated games, skillgames, and redemption priz-es.

Beijing is the second mostpopulated city in China, and itserves as the country’s politi-cal, educational, and culturalcenter, lled with historic sitesand government institutions.The city is home to Tianan-men Square, in DongchengDistrict, which is surround-

ed by such landmarks as theGreat Hall of the People, theMuseum of Chinese History,the Museum of the ChineseRevolution, the Chairman

Mao Memorial Hall, anMonument to the PeMartyrs. While in BAsian Aractions Expoticipants can visit the BZoo in Xicheng Districmous for its traditional scaping and giant pasee the Olympic Water tour the Palace Museumknown as the Forbiddenenjoy the Beijing Aquaor experience the araat Beijing Happy Valley jing Shijingshan Amuse

Park, or World Park BAlso, participants can the The Great Wall of located approximatelyminutes from the capital

Tivoli Copenhagen, Sentosa in co-operation agreemeSTORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

COPENHAGEN, Den-mark — Tivoli Gardens Co-penhagen, one of the world’soldest amusement parks, andSingapore’s premier SentosaIsland resort have entered intoa two year co-operation agree-ment.

The agreement will en-able Tivoli and Sentosa toestablish closer co-operativeties through the exchange of best international tourismpractices, as well as gain in-sights and inspiration fromeach other. The arrangementincludes developing feasiblecollaboration concepts withinthe tourism and amusementpark sectors, in addition to anemployee exchange program

and other cultural and gastro-nomic initiatives.

The co-operative agree-

ment provides a platform for both aractions to tap intoeach other’s experiences andstrengths. The rst commonproject saw Tivoli contributeto Sentosa’s annual interna-tional Sentosa Flowers festi-val, one of its award winning,signature events, which tookplace on Sentosa Island in Feb-ruary, on the occasion of theChinese Lunar New Year.

Commenting on the ar-rangement, Tivoli A/S CEOLars Liebst said: “One of Tivo-li’s prime objectives is to beamong Denmark’s best workplaces and with that in mind,we have established a strate-gic co-operation with Sentosa,one of the largest leisure andlifestyle operators in the tour-ism industry. With a co-oper-ative partner of Sentosa’s cali-

bre, Tivoli obtains a fantasticshowcase of our capabilities,and with the employee ex-

change program, select Tivoliemployees get a unique op-

portunity to increase theirprofessional competences at

the highest level. It is essfor us to bring in inspirfrom the outside but ainspire others. The rswill be (was) Sentosa Fland other initiatives are pipeline.”

For Sentosa Devment Corporation, CEOBarclay commented: “Wvery happy to collabwith one of the world’est and most famous amment parks. Through thlaboration, we aim to tathe strengths and advanof our respective leisuferings and gain from astructive employee exchprogram. This partnersin line with Sentosa’s gstrategy to continuouslnew benchmarks and p best-in-class service stan

for the benet and enjoyof our guests.”

Sentosa Development Corporation CEO Mike Barclay (left)and Tivoli A/S CEO Lars Liebst sign the co-operation agree-ment.

COURTESY TIVOLI

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Gröna Lund set to debutEurope’s highest StarFlyerSTORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

STOCKHOLM, Sweden

— As part of its 130th anniver-sary celebrations, Gröna Lundamusement park in Stock-holm, Sweden, is due to openits latest new ride on April 27in the shape of the Europe’shighest StarFlyer.

To be named Eclipse, thenew, 400-foot (122-meter)high addition is located at thepark’s waterfront, oppositethe Main Stage, and will pro-vide a breathtaking experi-ence as riders soar high aboveStockholm. The new aractionreplaces the Extreme ride.

Representing an invest-ment of SEK 50 million (USD$7.9 million), Eclipse is therst StarFlyer in Sweden andis being promoted as a uniquefamily araction, with a heightrequirement of just 47 inches.It features 12 swings with double seats hanging from 26-feet

(8-meter) long chains. Ridingat full speed, passengers willtravel at 43 mph (69 kph) asthey circle above the city.

“Eclipse takes thrills tonew heights,” says the park’sride manager Peter Osbeck.“Standing an imposing 400 feettall, Eclipse has redened ourskyline and will oer guestsa 360-degree, bird’s eye viewof the capital of Sweden. Noteveryone will dare to ride it, but those who do will admire

a fantastic view across Stock-holm, thanks to the waterfrontlocation. Luckily it has doubleseats, which means that you’renot alone up there.”

Ride time on Eclipse will be two minutes and the ca-pacity per ride is 24 people.Capacity per hour is 600. Sup-

plied by Funtime of Austria,the araction’s design is in-spired by architecture from

the end of the 19th centuryand uses the Eiel Tower asone of its sources of inspira-tion, with a color scheme ofwhite and gold. The theme ofthe araction follows the Ste-ampunk style — a mix of 19thcentury architecture and sci-ence ction with inspirationfrom Jules Verne and H.G.Wells.

Gröna Lund is the oldestamusement park in Swedenand is part of the Parks & Re-sorts Scandinavia theme parkgroup, together with Kol-mården, Vildmarkshotellet,

Furuvik, Skara Sommarlandand Aquaria Vaenmuseum.

Gröna Lund’s Eclipse Star-Flyer ride will be the first

in Sweden and the highestexample in Europe.

COURTESY GRONA LUND

Jora Vision to design new Russian parSTORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

RIJNSBURG, Netherlands— Dutch design and produc-tion company Jora Vision hassigned a contract with the Rus-sian company EntertainmentIndustry Ltd. to begin workon the new Anapa Theme Parkproject.

Located on the northerncoast of the Black Sea, AnapaTheme Park will be “the rstthemed theme park in Russia”according to Jora Vision, whowill be responsible for the de-velopment of the 10 hectarearaction’s master plan andtheming design utilizing a

team of 14 designers and de-velopers.

Anapa is principallyknown as a family holidaydestination, aracting hun-dreds of thousands of familiesannually, so it is an ideal loca-tion in which to create and de-velop new entertainment of-ferings. The design of the parkwill take into account the locallandscape and climate andwill be based on stories fromin and around the Black Sea.The area has a rich history of

cultures and civilizations andwill serve as inspiration for thearaction.

The park will feature awide range of rides and at-tractions suitable for all ages,while also incorporating a va-riety of F&B and merchandiseoutlets. Jora Vision CEO JanMaarten de Raad said: “Weare very proud to sign the con-tract with the Entertainment

Industry Ltd. and start work-ing together. We both haveone common goal — to createa unique theme park in Russia.We cannot wait.”

Entertainment IndustryLtd. is equally pleased withthe co-operation between thetwo companies, CEO ValeriyZirinov commenting: “Theestablishment of such a parkhas both economical and stra-

tegical value for our comin particular and Anageneral, as it will aractmore guests to our seacity. Our choice for a pin production of the parnot random. We took incount Jora Vision’s greatrience in theme design anwell co-ordinated team.”

Jora Vision’s past projects have covered a wide range of venues and attractions, suthe design and production of the theming for the Safari Ride at Kolmården Zoo in Swshown here. COURTESY JORA VISION

DP Leisureopens third U.K.360 Play FEC

LEICESTER, UnitedKingdom — With two success-ful sites already in operation,DP Leisure (DPL), operatorof the 360 Play family enter-tainment center brand, hasnow opened a third venue, inLeicester, U.K. The latest addition to thechain is located at the MeridianLeisure Park, just five minutesdrive from the M1 motorway.The site already features aVue cinema, Hollywood Bowl,David Lloyd Leisure centerand a variety of restaurantsand the 360 Play center brings

another high quality leisurechoice to the mix. As with the existing sites,design and master plan-ning of this latest project,which is housed within an18,000-square-foot building,was carried out by DPL’s sis-ter company, DP Associates(DPA), who also project man-aged the build, with construc-tion commencing in August. The new venue offers 360Play’s well established mix of4See 360 PLAY, page 10

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Major new developments for PortAventura waterpaSTORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

SALON, Spain —PortAventura will completethe renovation and extensionof its Costa Caribe AquaticPark, the second park withinthe resort, for the main 2013season.

Following the recent ad-dition of the hugely success-ful SesamoAventura familyarea and the Shambhala rollercoaster, the highest in Europe,the investment will continuewith the much-anticipatedCosta Caribe project whichwill see the park extended by14,000 square meters (150,694square feet), resulting in theAquatic Park covering a to-tal of 50,000 square meters(538,195 square feet). The bud-get for the new area is €10 mil-

lion (U.S. $13.4 million) and itis scheduled to open in May.

The project is part of the €75 million (U.S. $101 million)investment plan approved bythe resort’s owner, Investin-dustrial, in November lastyear with the goal of expand-ing and adapting the venueincreasingly to an internation-al audience. The waterpark,which originally opened in

2002, is a key part of this strat-egy, something that is proved by the fact that foreign visitorsaccount for over 50 percent ofthe visitors to the water play-ground, most of these beingEnglish and Russian.

Among the new arac-tions will be the highest free

fall waterslide in Europe, TheToboggan, a FreeFall sup-plied by ProSlide, which willtop out at 31 meters (102 feet).With a 55 degree pitch and adrop speed of 6 meters (20feet) per second it will providea thrilling and fun experience.Alongside will be a Multi-

bump waterslide, also fromProSlide, standing at almost20 meters (66 feet) high andtaking guests on a 100 meters(328 foot) journey.

In another area of the parka six lane, ProSlide ProRacerwaterslide araction will beadded, on which both chil-

dren and adults will beto compete against eachfor the fastest descent, the success of PortAvenSesame Street themed will also be reected in ttroduction into the wateof a Sesame Street themrate ship in the children’area. Youngsters will beto wonder around the of the ship and slide dowof the four slides into shsurrounding pool areas.to the children’s pool wiSplash Pad play area oevariety of interactive watfor young visitors to play

Connected to the dren’s pool will be an Tropical pool, placed at ferent level to the formcreate a waterfall in thedren’s area. A waterfalalso be a feature of the

pool to enhance the Caritheme of the whole park,water beds and invigowater eects will be incrated too. A new snacwill be another new adand with the exception aractions from ProSlidother new additions havecreated by PortAventuravelopment Department.

Above, This artist’s impres-sion of how the new area inPort Aventura’s Costa Caribewaterpark will look. Left: Theproven Sesame Street them-ing will be brought into thewaterpark with the additionof a Sesame Street themedpirate ship for younger

guests.COURTESY PORTAVENTURA

Huss introduces unique film-based family ride concep BREMEN, Germany —German ride manufacturerHuss Park Attractions GmbHhas announced the develop-ment of a new ride concept(patent pending) that willprovide a unique experiencefor visitors to parks and otherattraction destinations. The Explorer makes useof Huss’ many years of experi-ence in the design and manu-facture of observation towers,combining this with an audiovisual system and sensory ele-ments that together providean immersive experience in a

totally enclosed environment. Utilizing a circular gondo-la similar to those used on thecompany’s Sky Tower rides,the Explorer will accommo-date up to 70 guests, includingwheelchair users. The expe-rience begins with a themedpre-show in the queuing areaas waiting guests watch thegondola descend dramaticallyinto the ‘earth’ and out of sight beneath a closed iris. The scen-ery and theming in the pre-show section will depend onthe subject chosen for the core

content of the ride. Guests are seated in theenclosed cabin facing out-wards, looking through the fullheight glass sides of the gon-dola that allow for unrestrict-ed views of the surroundingscreen. A seamless 360-degreemulti-projector film formatdelivers immersive, high defi-nition content which is uniqueto each installation. Once below the surface,guests can enjoy a wide rangeof environments, such as those beneath the sea, in space, inthe eye of a storm or some of

the world’s most spectacularscenery. The content can also be created as CGI, live actionor a composition of both, theflexibility of the system beingone of its key benefits. As afilm based attraction, the expe-rience can be almost anythingan operator chooses, froma calm, scenic journey to awhite knuckle thrill ride, whilerefreshing the ride is simpleand cost effective with only themedia needing to be replaced. Huss has taken a number of key considerations into

Huss Park Attractions GmbH has announced the development of the Explorer, a newconcept that will will take guests into a variety of exciting environments viewed thrthe full height gondola windows and delivered via a seamless, 360-degree, multi-projfilm format, creating a totally immersive experience.COURTESY HUSS

account in the design of theExplorer, as Mirko J. Schulze,CEO of Huss Park AttractionsGmbH, explains: “We are gen-uinely excited by the Explorerconcept and believe it ticks allthe right boxes for operators. Itis brand new, is based on our

proven observation tower tech-nology, has a high capacity,offers a smooth guest flow forloading and unloading, is easyto maintain, can be enjoyed by all ages and is extremelyflexible as far as changing theexperience is concerned. It

also covers a relatively footprint in combinationminor requirements on ing construction; evenutilisation of existing bustructures is possible.

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creative play and amusementwhich has proved so success-ful at the company’s othertwo sites, in Milton Keynesand Stevenage. Arranged overtwo floors, there are four mainzones inside and two outside,the indoor areas including the360 Street creative play zone,made up of individual playunits such as a fire station,supermarket, pizza parlour,car garage/body shop anddressing up shop. The central indoor featureis an active zone designed byDPA and supplied by the SoftBrick Co., which incorporatesa three story soft play struc-ture with a host of sliding,climbing, crawling and otheractivities and a skills area withmid-size dodgem cars fromIE Park/Soli Bumper cars thatchildren can ride on their own

or with an adult. A sportszone with sports games and afeature carousel, also from IEPark, along with a party zoneaccommodating a dedicatedarea for up to four individualparties, are also on offer. The two outdoor zones,due for completion in time for

360 PLAY Continued from page 8

the spring/summer months,will include one designed forvery young guests with a sandplay activity area and outdoor

seating, and a larger, Club 360area catering for the three to10-year-old age group, withwater boats, climbing attrac-tions, water play and an eventsarea. A café serving a wideassortment of drinks, refresh-ments and freshly cooked foodchoices is also available, as are

seating areas throughout the building, while the center willalso offer ‘out of hours’ open-ing on specific nights for fami-

lies with children with specialneeds. The new venue has brought an impressive number of new jobs to the area too,with approximately 50 fulland part time positions beingcreated.

DP Leisure has opened its third 360 Play family entertain-ment center in the U.K. Located at the Meridian LeisurePark, the FEC offers a number of indoor and outdoor activi-ties and attractions including mid-size dodgem cars from IEPark/Soli Bumper cars.COURTESY DP LEISURE

Bumper Action Amusementsand Redemption Plus team up foindustry partnership in Australi

MELBOURNE, Australia — Melbourne’s Bumper AcAmusements recently announced that the company has nered with Redemption Plus of Lenexa, Kansas in the UnStates to exclusively supply redemption and incentive chandise to Family Entertainment Centers (FECs) and dren’s Entertainment Centers (CECs) across Australia.

Bumper Action Amusements has operated in the sservice and hire of classic amusements and collectiblesmore than 40 years — offering the best new and vinpinball machines, video arcade games, sports table gaWurlitzer jukeboxes and neons for the home consumer, porate and leisure location based markets. Recently,company also inked a partnership deal with Castle GoMesa, Arizona in the U.S. to design and build miniature courses in large city markets Australia wide.

Established in 1996, Redemption Plus is the leading vider of redemption and incentive toys, tools, and trainOffering a unique mix of staple, licensed and exclusive itproduct range includes novelties, plush toys, sports and venir memorabilia, party goods, homewares and electroA leading crane operator and counter merchandise manturer and supplier, the company currently serves the am

ment, educational, fundraising and specialty retail marke“As the exclusive representative of Redemption PluAustralia, this partnership will deliver our growing Austrcustomer base a more diversified offer of quality produca lower price, ” said Robert Farrell, General Manager of Bper Action Amusements. “With direct shipment to their dwe can now deliver the kind of product variety and ordeconvenience with special attention to one-of-a-kind mercdise not otherwise available in Australia,” Farrell added.

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April 2013 AMUSEMENT TODA

RIDES ENTERTAINMENT REVENUE SUPPLIERS

PARKS & ATTRACTIONS

Universal Studios announces Despicable Me attractio UNIVERSAL CITY,Calif. — Universal StudiosHollywood recentlyannounced the much-antic-ipated arrival of DespicableMe Minion Mayhem, a 3-DUltra-HD movie motion-sim-ulator adventure. UniversalPictures and IlluminationEntertainment’s worldwide blockbuster Despicable Me willcome to life in Hollywood inan attraction modeled afterthe one in its sister park,Universal Orlando Resort –with the addition of a fewsurprises. “Based on the consumer

feedback at our sister park, weexpect the Despicable Me rideexperience to be a popular,family-friendly attraction forUniversal Studios Hollywood.

The ride continues the storyline of the main charactersfrom the blockbuster filmthrough all-new 3-D Ultra-HDanimation, together with aninteractive ride vehicle sys-tem,” said Larry Kurzweil,president and chief operat-ing officer, Universal StudiosHollywood. “In DespicableMe Minion Mayhem, ourguests will experience thehilarious and heartwarmingcharacters of the beloved filmin a whole new way.” The fully immersive expe-rience will debut in 2014 withthe loveable cast of leading

characters that have cap-tured the laughter of audi-ences worldwide: super-vil-lain Gru, his adorable girls(Margo, Edith and Agnes) and

the unpredictably hilariousMinions. “The Despicable MeMinion Mayhem attraction atUSH will continue to pushthe creative envelope with

its exceptional show content,sight gags, special effects and3-D digital animation. Theexterior treatment will fea-ture even more thematic and

colorful creative touches thatwill literally place park guestsinside Gru’s world,” saidMark Woodbury, president,Universal Creative.

Guests will experiencewhimsically themed queues,preshow videos and comedicdialogue that set up the fun-damental plot: Gru schemesto create more mischievousMinions from human recruits. Guests will be transport-ed into Gru’s house as theymeander through his livingroom and encounter visualelements as seen in the film— including the moon-shrink-

ing SR-6 shrink ray — whilethey zig zag through a zanyadventure featuring Gru’ssuper-villain laboratory. Theexciting journey continues

as they swerve, bounceplunge to get throughfrantically humorous Mtraining mission while ning specially designedMinion goggles. Fun frolic continue in a post-dance party where Mwalkaround characters guests to strut their stuffimpromptu Minion-insdance party. Despicable Me MMayhem was produced ilaboration between UniCreative and IlluminEntertainment, and recently honored as

Animated Special Produat the 2012 Annie Awwhich recognizes OutstaAchievements in the fieAnimation.

Petition to save RyePlayland gains momentum

RYE, N.Y. — A Change.org online petition has beencreated by those who wantPlayland Park in Rye, N.Y.to remain a true traditional

amusement park. The petitionis gaining momentum withseveral thousand individualsfrom around the world show-ing their support by signingand commenting.

The petition asks that theWestchester County, N.Y. Ex-ecutive and Board of Legisla-tors select a future operator ofPlayland Park that will main-tain Playland as a traditionaland historic amusement parkwithout reducing the footprintof the amusement area. Sig-natories of this petition wantPlayland to be operated by an

experienced amusement parkoperator which will main-

tain and improve the existingamusement park including allhistoric buildings and struc-tures, without shrinking thefootprint of the amusement

area or decreasing the numberof rides.The petition states: “Sig-

natories support plans ofStandard Amusements and/orCentral Amusements Interna-tional (CAI) as said proposalsstood as of Feb. 20, 2013. Bothcompanies would improve theamusement park and investin additional capital improve-ments, while respecting theproperty’s history and atmo-sphere. They believe that theseproposals oer the strongestchoices for the nancial suc-cess of Playland.

“Signatories are opposed

The Change.org online petition created by those who want Playland Park in Rye, Nremain a true traditional amusement park is gaining momentum with numerous indivfrom around the world showing their support by signing and commenting. The Fred Chdesigned Dragon Coaster (pictured here) is just one of the many historical highlighttrip to Playland.AT/SCOTT RUTHERFORD4See PETITION, page 12

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to the proposal of SustainablePlayland Incorporated (SPI)as said proposal stood as ofFeb. 20, 2013. SPI plans to re-move 30 percent of the ridesand reduce the footprint sizeof amusement park by over50 percent. We believe that de-creasing the size of the amuse-ment park and removing rideswill drastically reduce thenumber of paying users ofPlayland.”

The petition and signato-ries comments can be found

at: www.change.org/petitions/save-playland-amusement-park.

Chance Ridesoffering Hyper-Litesteel coaster

WICHITA, Kan. —Chance Rides recently addeda new item to its arsenal ofsteel roller coasters. Sportingthe appropriate name of

Hyper-Lite, this latest offer-ing addresses those customerswho want a thrilling coaster ina slightly smaller package. Obviously influenced by the legacy of the largerMorgan Manufacturinghypercoasters, Chance’s newHyper-Lite tops out a 100 feetand features 2,500 feet of trackarranged in a compact layout.Despite its relatively smallerdimensions, the Hyper-Lite isno slouch in the thrills depart-ment. The new ride kicks offwith a steep 80-degree firstdrop followed by a rapid-fire

collection of climbs, dropsand high-G spirals at speedsof 55 mph. The Hyper-Lite’srun home is punctuated witha series of airtime-inducingspeed bumps.

The Hyper-Lite canaccommodate 800 guests perhour with two 20-passen-ger trains. Chance offers theHyper-Lite with custom tracklayout configurations.

•www.chancerides.com

Chance Rides recently added the Hyper-Lite steel coaster to its ride arsenal. Inspired by larger hypercoathe Hyper-Lite features a 100-foot, 80-degree first dro2,500 feet of track. With custom configurations avaithe Hyper-Lite’s 20-passenger trains can reach a top sof 55 mph and offer many of the same thrills in slismaller package.COURTESY CHANCE RIDES

Six Flags Great America to run

Batman The Ride backwardGURNEE, Ill. — Go Big. Go Backward! For a limited

only, the world’s rst suspended looping coaster, BatmaRide at Six Flags Great America in Gurness, Ill., will beintense than ever when riders dare to take on an all new exence — going backward!

As the roller coaster climbs the 10-story lift hill, ridertake in the full scope of Batman The Ride’s track as they apate the adventure that lies ahead. The train will reach spof 50 mph and travel through 2,700 feet of track, all whilneuvering hairpin turns, vertical loops, corkscrews and ag roll. The excitement is magnied since guests cannot smaneuvers that await.

“Batman The Ride will open for its [22nd] seasonspring, oering our guests an entirely dierent ride exper

by going backward. No maer how many times you haveon Batman The Ride, nothing compares to the thrill of rdown 10 stories facing the other direction,” said Hank SaSix Flags Great America park president. “You literally haidea what is coming next. This is a tremendous new experfor our guests and one to take advantage of quickly since only be available for a limited time.”

Six Flags has given Amusement Today conrmation thatthe seats on both trains will face backward. No forward-fseats will be available during this limited time period.

Since opening in 1992, Batman The Ride has given than 28 million thrilling rides and reigns as one of the popular roller coasters in the world. Batman The Ride backwill launch on Saturday, May 4 – the park’s opening weekand be available for a limited time this summer.

PETITION Continued from page 11

Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/amusementtoday

Find us on Facebookfacebook.com/amusementtoday

Subscribe to our YouTube channelyoutube.com/amusementtoday

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SeaWorld Parks & Ent. launching new Madagascar sho

ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld Parks& Entertainment has announced it willpremiere Madagascar Live! Operation:Vacation, an original live musical showfeaturing the characters from DreamWorksAnimation SKG, Inc.’s Madagascar fran-chise, at two of the company’s parks thissummer.

Celebrating the box office success ofMadagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,which has grossed more than $740 mil-lion worldwide, Alex the Lion and friendswill party while on vacation with guests atBusch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld SanDiego throughout 2013. The 20-minute musical show followsthe antics of Alex the Lion, Gloria theHippo, King Julien, Mort and the Penguinsduring a vacation adventure. The showwill feature rock/pop music performed bya live band and include both classic andoriginal songs. The characters also willconduct meet and greets with park guests.

Additionally, special co-branded merchan-dise exclusive to the parks, will be avail-able. These two locations will be the onlytheme parks in the U.S. where fans cansee the characters of Madagascar live. Thenew show Madagascar Live! Operation:Vacation premieres at Busch Gardens

Tampa on May 18 and SeaWorld San Diegoon June 15. The company also has the opportunityto expand the show to other parks in theSeaWorld family in the future. “Audiences around the world haveembraced the characters of Madagascar,and SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parksare the ideal places for families to enjoy thisimmersive live entertainment experience,”said DreamWorks Animation’s Headof Worldwide Licensing & ConsumerProducts, Kerry Phelan. “The entire cre-ative team behind this uniquely originalversion of Madagascar Live! has done an

impressive job of translating the beworld from screen to stage, bringinglife for young park guests and familyences alike.” “Our parks both entertaininspire guests to care about animsaid Scott Helmstedter, chief creativcer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertain

“Likewise, the Madagascar moviesinspire animal lovers, but in a differenwith their inimitable charm and hWe welcome these characters to ourily with open arms and look forwaworking with DreamWorks Animatithis incredibly funny and engagingshow.” Madagascar is one of the most suful CG animated movie franchises time, grossing more than $1.8 billion worldwide box office. In 2012 Madag3: Europe’s Most Wanted, grossed$740 million at the global box office, bing the highest grossing film of the se

Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld San Diego to receive shows

SeaWorld Parks &Entertainment will premiereMadagascar Live! Operation:Vacation, an original livemusical show featuring thecharacters from DreamWorksAnimation SKG, Inc.’sMadagascar franchise, atBusch Gardens Tampa (May18) and SeaWorld San Diego(June 15).COURTESY SEAWORLD PARKS& ENTERTAINMENT

SeaWorld San Antonio introduces new adopted animal show SAN ANTONIO, Texas— Pets Ahoy!, opening atSeaWorld San Antonio inJune 2013, is a new comicalshow featuring the talents ofa menagerie of dogs, cats,birds, rats, pot-belly pigs, andother animals performing aseries of amazing skits. Most

impressive is the fact thatnearly all of these animals willbe rescued from animal shel-

ters.“Not only is Pets Ahoy!

a hilariously funny show, butit also talks seriously aboutthe importance of properlycaring for animals,” said ParkPresident Dan Decker. “Lastyear, SeaWorld’s Happy Tailsthanked more than 8,000 ani-

mal lovers with free admis-sion tickets to SeaWorld foradopting a dog or cat from

either Animal Care Services,Animal Defense League or theSan Antonio Humane Society.These shelters are doing phe-nomenal work to save as manyanimals as they can, yet thisremains a significant issue forour community. By continuingthe Happy Tails program in

2013, we’re supporting theseincredible organizations andsaying thank you to people

who help save animals.” Nationally acclaimedSeaWorld animal trainer JoelSlaven has more than 30 yearsof animal training experience,with numerous televisionappearances and major filmcredits such as Ace Venture,Pet Detective and That Darn

Cat. For SeaWorld’s newestshow, he directs the trainingof more than 130 animals,

from the initial selectiothe shaping of behav“There is nothing more gfying than adopting a untrained cat or dog fa shelter,” said Slaven, “seeing the animal transinto an amazing, confiand happy show animal

looking forward to builrelationships with all of tanimals.”

SeaWorld Orlando sets May 24 for Antarctica openin ORLANDO, Fla. —SeaWorld Orlando’s CreativeDirector Brian Morrow hasrevealed that Friday, May 24,2013 will be the official open-ing date for the park’s newestattraction, Antarctica: Empireof the Penguin.

During a recent tour ofthe exteriors of the attractionunder construction, Morrowexplained that theming of theinterior sections are nearlycomplete. “That is a criticalpath for our project,” saidMorrow. “All that work insidehad to be done first — allow-ing various show, lighting,sound, architectural facilityand ride and animal teamsto all get in there and do thework they had to do to pre-pare for opening.”

Work on the exterior rockand “ice” has started in ear-

nest. Artists have now com-pleted the largest section ofice located near the southernend of the compound. “It was

a treat to walk out here andsee it all finished and done. Iget excited about that!” addedMorrow.

The simulated ice is a blend of acrylic and fiberglassmaterial. To Morrow, this

was a critical element of the“Glacial Rift” lining the mainwalkway that connects the gift

Shown here during a recentmedia tour is the CreativeModel Room for SeaWorld’sAntarctica: Empire of thePenguin opening on May 24.Park Creative Director Bri-an Morrow shows how the

model and images help keepthings organized during theconstruction phase.AT/MARLON SCOTT4See ANTARCTICA, page 15

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shop, restaurant, educationalfacility to the ride and livepenguin environment. “Wewanted the ice to have a prop-er scale, we also wanted tonot paint the rockwork (just) blue, or white — most impor-

tant was the integration of theice and how it ‘glows’ in theAntarctic sun,” said Morrow.

The materials used in therock and ice allow the sunto glisten realistically butwill also allow show lightingto pass through it at night.The robust lighting package

will be integrated with thesoundtrack and various soundeffects to complete the immer-sive environment. At the heart of Antarctica:Empire of the Penguin is amotion-based simulator vehi-cle that will utilize a tracklessnavagation system. The seem-ingly free-roaming vehicles

will whisk riders into the storyof a young penguin namedPuck, his family and theiradventures at the bottom ofthe world. AT will cover the openingof SeaWorld Orlando’s newestattraction in a future issue.

—Marlon Scott

ANTARCTICA Continued from page 14

This rockwork depicting a mother penguin and a (yet to becompleted) baby herald will be featured at the main en-trance to the ride. AT/MARLON SCOTT

DOSWELL, Va. — Kings Dominion hasannounced a major expansion in its live showofferings for the 2013 season, highlighted by a high-energy BMX bike show and aBroadway-style musical revue. In all, theentertainment package will include sevennew live shows, 10 total, making it the larg-est entertainment line-up in years at KingsDominion.

Headlining the 2013 live entertainmentpackage is the all new All Wheel Sports, aBMX-style show with bikers, skaters andgymnasts who were semi-finalists on Season7 of NBC’s "America’s Got Talent.” Parkguests will watch in awe as the cast will flip,dive and perform stunts that defy gravity.All Wheel Sports will be performed in thePeanuts Showplace Theater in Planet Snoopydaily from June 22 – August 18. Broadway is making its way to KingsDominion with the all new On Broadwaymusical revue at the Kings Dominion Theater.From the classics that started a sensation tothe biggest hits in New York, On Broadwaytakes over from June 15 – August 18.

The additional live entertainment sched-ule includes: New – Charlie Brown’s All Star’s: Helpcheer on Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus asthey gear up for the big baseball game in thisall-new family musical, running March 29 –October 27. New – Schroeder’s Sing-Along: Warmup your voice and join Schroeder and the

Peanuts gang for singing and dancingrunning March 29 – October 27. Got Country: Kick back and relacountry music takes center stage as weebrate some of today’s hottest hits, runMarch 29 – September 2. New – Karaoke Superstars: Take tmicrophone with the biggest hits from50s to today and be a star on stage, run

March 29 – September 2. New – Pop Fusion: Keep the going as Kings Dominion presents tomost electrifying hits, running April September 2. Peanuts Rockin’ Party: Join the Pegang for a rockin’ party on InternatStreet; photo opportunities, along with and greets following the show. New – Dominion at Dusk: The sky lup at night with Dominion at Dusk, featmore than one million LED lights in SnoStarlight Spectacular, a chance to join sinand dancers with a new live show, SBeats and time to blast off with our nifireworks show. Dominion at Dusk will

at dusk on all 10:00 p.m. park closings, A27 through September 1. “This expansion of our live entement, along with our new Planet SnooKings Dominion, emphasizes our comment to provide our guests with the bestily-fun in the region,” said Kings DomEntertainment Manger Jason Holbrooks

Kings Dominion announces largest entertainment line-up in ye

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INDOOR FACILITIES AQUATIC CENTERS RECREATION SUPPLIERS

WATERPARKS & RESORTSWhiteWater West, ProSlide biggest suppliers

Much-anticipated Yas Waterworld opened in JanuarSTORY: Jeffrey L. Seifert [email protected]

YAS ISLAND, Abu Dhabi— After a few days of sneakpreviews to Facebook friends,Yas Waterworld ociallyopened to the public on Janu-ary 22, 2013 — four days aheadof schedule. The 15-hectare(37-acre) waterpark was builtwith an investment of $245million and has been underdevelopment for more thantwo years. The waterpark ispart of a $36 billion Yas Island

development that includesFerrari World, Yas Marina, YasMarina Circuit race track, YasLinks golf course, Yas Gate-way Park, Yas Arena, as wellas restaurants, hotels, resorts,villas and shopping centers.The man made island on thecoast of the Persian Gulf wasa dusty wasteland that wasseparated from the mainland by a series of canals and wa-terways, and transformed intoa lush recreational area over aperiod of 30 months.

The opening ceremonyinvolved hundreds of per-

formers, re-breathing drag-ons, high-thrill owboardtricks, a tight rope walk overthe waterpark’s canals anddeath-defying sword ghts.His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan,the Ruler’s Representative inthe Eastern Region, ociallyopened the waterpark, signinga classically-styled guestbookwith a ourish in keeping withYas Waterworld’s Emirati-in-spired seing. The ceremonyconcluded with the tumblingroar of the waterpark’s central

waterfall and a spectacularfountain show.“Yas Waterworld Abu

Dhabi came to life today — both symbolically and liter-ally. It has been an incredible journey to this point and un- believably satisfying to watchthe people’s reaction to whathas been created. We are con-dent that people will haveseen nothing like it before andwe look forward to the wavesof visitors expected to arrivenow that the park is ociallyopen,” said Mike Oswald, Yas

Waterworld Abu Dhabi, gen-eral manager.

Even before opening tothe public, the park was pro-claimed the winner of theWorld Waterpark Associa-tion’s (WWA), “Leading EdgeAward” in 2012.

WhiteWater West sup-plied and manufactured 12 ofthe 14 slide complexes includ-ing the world’s rst Ralerthat contains special eects, la-sers, lights and sounds; and anAquaLoop with an AquaDropcapsule — the rst loopingwaterslide in the Middle East.

ProSlide provided the twolargest aractions at the park— the largest HydroMagneticMammoth in the Middle Eastand the world’s rst Hydro-Magnetic Tornado. Both useProSlide’s six-man Clover-Wheel tubes.

Vekoma supplied thepark’s Bandit Bomber rollercoaster. The 550-meter (1,800-foot) Vekoma Splash Partysuspended coaster winds overslides and aractions. The ve-hicles are equipped with wa-

ter tanks and riders can shootwater guns at guests below ordrop a 20-liter (5.2-gallon) wa-ter “bomb.” Guests under thecoaster can re back with wa-ter cannons.

A Wave Loch FlowBarrelTen Double is allegedly thelargest sheet wave surf ridein the world, awaiting conr-mation from Guinness WorldRecords. The water tempera-ture in all of the aractions iscontrolled and varies with dif-ferent seasons to keep guestscomfortable.

Other aractions includea wave pool, lazy river, shopsand boutiques, eight restau-rants, and a unique pearl div-ing araction that showcasestraditional Emirati pearl div-ing. The choreographed show,presented in both English andArabic, allows guests to inter-act with the divers to selectthe oyster of their choice thenhave the pearl mounted into anecklace, bracelet or keychain.Cabanas throughout the parkare available for rent. Splash-Quest, a WhiteWater West

partner, created PearlMas-ters an interactive game thatuses RFID technology to takeguests on a treasure huntaround the park.

Upon entry to the park

every guest is given an RFIDwristband that can be loadedwith money for the conve-nience of not having to carrycash around and can be usedat any of the food outlets andshops located within the wa-terpark. The RFID wristbandscan also be used to accesslockers throughout the day, atan additional cost. The samewristband will be used to playPearlMasters if that option ispurchased. The park acceptsVisa, American Express, Mas-terCard and cash in Dirhamand U.S. Dollar currencies.

Complimentary wireless In-ternet is provided through-out the park. In keeping withIslamic traditions, two prayerrooms are available in thepark.

“Yas Waterworld AbuDhabi is a milestone in theleisure sector in the MiddleEast, and indeed in the world.Our 43 rides, slides and at-tractions feature ve one-of-a-kind rides that have never been seen in any other water-

4See WATERWORLD, page 18

At the newly opened Yas Waterworld, six different Whitter slides (above) are intertwined in this area of the pacluding a SuperBowl and the world’s first Rattler with llights and sounds. Below, WhiteWater supplied multiplter play structures including an AquaPlay Giant RainFoas well as the The FlowBarrel from Flow Rider, below

Double is allegedly the largest sheet wave surf ride iworld, awaiting confirmation from Guinness World RecCOURTESY WHITEWATER

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Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Pa. wasgiven approval, after four years of waiting, tocreate a $20 million waterpark. The waterparkis the first step toward making the ski resort ayear-round operation with a hotel. Feasibilitystudies indicated that a hotel would not beprofitable unless the resort could attract cus-

tomers during the summer months. AlthoughBlue Mountain does offer disc golf, mountainbiking and an adventure camp, these activi-ties do not draw enough visitors to keep thehotel occupied in the summer — but the ad-dition of a waterpark will. The initial plan isto create a 20-acre family-friendly park witha wave pool, lazy river, children’s pool andmulti-slide structure. The resort intends togive the waterpark a natural look and utilizethe scenic vistas available atop the mountain.Boulders and rocks discovered during ex-cavation will be incorporated into the land-scape.

The waterpark will also allow the resortto keep more of its winter staff by creatingfull-time positions for some of the seasonal

departments. Park President Barbara Greensfeels that full-time year-round employees willprovide better customer service. “We willtake departments we already have now andsay ‘OK, you are full-time people now andare eligible for benefits,’ said Green. Currentplans are to have the waterpark completedfor the 2016 season.

•Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia is getting

ready to open Vuvuzela, the world’s largestwater ride. The MYR15 million ($4.8 million)slide is 11 stories tall and includes an elevatorto take guests to the top of the ride wherethey will board four- and six-person rafts.Once aboard, the rafts will traverse a 152meter (500-foot) course before dropping into

the world largest water funnel. The rafts areexpected to make at least four oscillationswithin the 22-meter (72-foot) diameter fun-nel before entering an enclosed flume andfinally ending in a splash pool. Vuvuzela wasdesigned and built by WhiteWater West ofCanada and was scheduled to open mid-March.

•In the short span of just three weeks,

more than 20,000 people in New Brighton,New Zealand, have signed a petition call-ing for a waterpark to be built in their hometown. City councillors of this seaside suburbof Christchurch hope the waterpark will res-cue New Brighton from decline and help putit on the map. The Christchurch city coun-cil has about $30 million set aside for anaquatic center on the eastern side of the cityand another $37 million is in the city coffersfrom the Prime Minister’s Earthquake Ap-peal Trust. Those monies along with moneysecured from private investors could makea waterpark in Brighton a reality. Preliminaryestimates showed that a waterpark could bebuilt for about $50 million. New Brighton andChrist church were both heavily damaged ina December 2011 earthquake. Much of therebuilding effort has been taking place in thecentral city area of Christchurch. “Here is anopportunity for an area that was very badlydamaged to get something really great,” said

City Councillor Peter Beck.•

Rapids Waterpark in West Palm Beach,Fla. opened its new Wave Loch FlowRider onMarch 9. Sold by Wave Loch’s North Ameri-can Licensee and Partner, Aquatic Develop-ment Group (ADG) the FlowRider adds to

the growing legion of FlowRiders in Floridaand fits perfectly with Wave Loch’s strategyof growing the sport of flowboarding. Rapidswaterpark is scheduled to have a US FLOW(Flowboarding League of the World) Tour ProAm event June 8, 2013, to help promote thesport.

•Raging Waves Waterpark in Illinois, is

adding a new playful character this season —Lil’ Nicky — the crispy, crunchy, yummy onionmascot for Onion Crunch. Unlike the typicaltheme park character, Lil’ Nicky is not a themepark mascot, but a new character that will ap-pear to promote a new item on the condi-ment shelf. Onion Crunch is a brand new con-diment that is the only kosher pareve, vegan,

crispy, crunchy onion topping that delivers adelicious roasted onion flavor to enhance anyamusement park meal whether it’s a hotdog,hamburger, pizza or salad.

•Hilton Milwaukee City Center Hotel

closed its indoor waterpark in March in favorof something more “upscale and contempo-rary.” The indoor waterpark, which opened inNovember 2000, was the first urban indoorwaterpark in the country. It helped draw anumber of weekend leisure travelers untilthe novelty wore off. Now, families who wantto do a hotel waterpark vacation will typi-cally drive to the Wisconsin Dells area, wherethere are a number of large indoor water-park hotels. Although the hotel announced

no plans for the space, this downtown Hiltondoes not have a spa and salon or a lap poolwith a lounge area.

• Wisconsin Resorts Consulting wants to

build a new $85 million indoor/outdoor wa-terpark, retail, restaurant and hotel resortin the Caban Marketplace development inBel Aire, just outside of the capital city ofWichita, Kansas. The project depends on theapproval of sales tax revenue (STAR) bondsfrom the State of Kansas but the developeris confident the approval will go through.Craig Wilkinson, principal owner of Wiscon-sin Resort Consulting was formerly an assis-tant general manager at Great Wolf LodgeWisconsin Dells. He claims to have hotel-de-velopment partners ready to help finance theproject once the bonding is approved. With-out the STAR bond financing Wilkinson saidsomething smaller might be possible. The BelAire project would be less than three hoursaway from Schliterbahn Kansas City whichhas had a similar waterpark, retail, restaurantresort under construction for several years.So far, only the waterpark portion of Schlit-terbahn has opened.

•Have waterpark, resort or other aquatic

facility, news of interest for NewsSplash? Email it direct to Jeffrey Seifert at: [email protected].

NEWSSPLASHCOMPILED: Jeffrey L. Seifert, [email protected]

WATERWORLD Continued from page 17

4See WATERWORLD, pa

park in the world,” said MikeOswald. “We have a collection

of aractions that have never been seen before in the region.Our unique combination ofrides, innovative themes andlocation on Yas Island, whichis already one of the globalhotspots for leisure and enter-tainment, is an unparalleleddraw for visitors.”

The park is built around acentral theme — the “Legendof the Lost Pearl,” based on alegend that represents localEmirati culture and heritage.Visitors will be able to enjoyaractions that follow the ad-ventures of the waterpark’s

main character Dana — ayoung Emirati girl in searchof a legendary pearl that brought prosperity to her vil-lage. Other characters includeDana’s parents and brother aswell as playful animals suchas a camel, falcon and dolphinalong with two greedy banditsand a snake that serve as pro-tagonists.

“WhiteWater collabo-rated closely with Yas Water-world to develop and customtheme unique and innovative

signature aractions”, Geo Chuer, WhiteWCEO. “We are thrilledthe results and are extreproud to showcase our a

tions at this groundbrewaterpark, including seworld’s rsts: the Familytler waterslide, the laFlowBarrel Ten DoubleSplashQuest, an intervideo game adventure.”

WhiteWater arafeatured include an AquaAquaPlay AP300, AquGiant RainFortress, ATune, Extreme River, FWaves, FlowBarrel Ten ble, FlowRider Double, all Slide, Inner-Tube SKids’ Slides, Raler, SpQuest, Speed Slide, S

Bowl and Whizzard.“We turned to Pro

for our two most spectawater rides because we to deliver out-of-this-wexperiences that create lamemories for our guests,Mike Oswald, general ager, Yas Waterworld. “counting on these cuone-of-a-kind rides to hearact close to 700,000 ga year and be protable rst year.”

ProSlide supplied this HydroMagnetic Mammoth (aand the world’s first Hydromagnetic Tornado, below. attractions use high-capacity, six-person rafts to provthrilling, unique thrill ride for its guests.COURTESY PROSLIDE

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WATERWORLD Continued from page 18

“What we care about mostis helping our customers dif-ferentiate themselves in themarket which is why we’reso proud to have providedYas Waterworld with the twomost iconic water rides intheir park”, says Rick Hunter,ProSlide president & CEO.

The project was developed by Aldar Properties PJSC, con-structed by Al Jaber L. E. G. T.Engineering and ContractingLLC, and will be managed byFarah Leisure Park Manage-ment LLC, a wholly ownedsubsidiary of Aldar Properties.

Yas Waterworld is sched-uled to operate year-round.The park opens at 10 a.m. andcloses at 6, 7, or 8 p.m. de-pending on the season. Tick-ets cost AED 225 (U.S. $61)for adults and AED 185 (U.S.$50) for children. The park is

10 minutes from Abu DhabiInternational Airport, 30 min-utes from the city of Abu Dha- bi and 50 minutes from Dubai.

Lake Compounce introduces patio in Crocodile CovBRISTOL/SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — Lake Com-

pounce’s Crocodile Cove waterpark is not only featuringa new wave pool called Bayou Bay this season, but nowhas announced the addition of a Lakeside Party Patio,where groups of up to 15 people can gather for a cel-ebration of any kind.

The Lakeside Party Patio may be reserved onlinein advance, for a two hour period, between noon and

7 p.m., from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The price in-cludes admission to Lake Compounce and CrocodileCove for up to 15 people, as well as food and bottledbeverages.

“This is an excellent option for birthday parties,fice gatherings, family reunions and even club evewhere our catered pavilion area may be too large for 15 guests,” says Jerry Brick, general manager. “We knthat it can be difficult to find outdoor gathering plain the summer, and this affords groups the chance tooutside instead of hosting an event at an indoor venu

Reservations for the Lakeside Party Patios must

made in advance, and can be done by visiting the pawebsite.

•lakecompounce.com

Schlitterbahnbreaks ground inCorpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tex-as — Residents turned out inforce February 15, to celebratethe groundbreaking of Schlit-terbahn’s newest waterparkand resort. The new 65-acreproject will embody the best of

Schlierbahn — rivers, rides,slides, surf, and lodging — ina community that has beenanxiously anticipating thenew park.

“We’ve been impressed by the incredible support andenthusiasm from citizens inCorpus Christi,” said Je Hen-ry, co-owner of Schlierbahn.“While the groundbreakingis taking part today, ride fab-rication is already underway.Schlierbahn plans on open-ing Summer of 2014.”

Schlierbahn’s Waterparkand Resort in Corpus Christiwill launch with Schlier-

bahn’s signature aractionsincluding a Torrent TidalWave River, a river system thatallows guests to oat alonga wave-lled river; swim-up bars; beaches; and of course, aBoogie Bahn, an inland surngride; as well as on-site lodging.

Subscribe to our YouTube channelyoutube.com/amusementtoday

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Ingenuity from R&R Creative Amusement Designs

Aqua Talkers poised to add ‘cool’ to waterparks, spraygrounSTORY: Dean LamannaSpecial to Amusement Today

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pa-trons at waterparks, themeparks and other leisure spotslooking to amp their fun may

nd extra-cool compadres insome new animated charac-ters that are seeking a berth inthe world of amusement.

Called Aqua Talkers andsprung from the ever-playful,multi-award-winning mindsof Southern Californians RickBastrup and Richard Ferrinof R&R Creative AmusementDesigns, these friendly andhighly vocal interactive foun-tains are aimed at keepingpark guests engaged longer inan age of decreased aentionspans.

“We’ve incorporated morethan 30 years of experience do-ing dark rides and animatedcharacters into this system,”said Rick Bastrup, speak-ing with AT at his company’sresidential oce not far fromDisneyland — where he and

Ferrin, as park employees,struck up a friendship andthen formed their company in1981. “Kids just love it, and italways aracts a crowd.”

Working with the Hawai-

ian Falls waterpark chain inDallas-Fort Worth, for whichit has been doing overall parkdesign, R&R Creative beganconceptualizing Aqua Talk-ers about seven years ago.The patent-pending anima-tronic system, which incor-porates electronics and up toseven spray features withina customizable character thatcomes with dozens of pre-programmed voice scripts,music selections and soundeects, was rst tested at Ha-waiian Falls’ Roanoke, Texas,location before being fully in-troduced at its Manseld parklast spring.

That character, the Tiki-themed Maui Max, was sosuccessful that a Fort Worth- based company, Aqua Talkers,LLC (www.aquatalkers.com),

was organized to manufac-ture the system and marketit industry-wide. It is beingpitched not only as an inno-vative waterpark peripheral, but as a cooling diversion and/

or promotional tool for themeparks, FECs, zoos and shop-ping malls.

Bastrup pointed out AquaTalkers’ versatility. “You canoverride the automatic pro-gramming and operate itmanually from a nearby loca-tion for maximum interactiv-ity with guests,” he said, add-ing that his company suppliesscripts and voice recordingsfor the characters in additionto coordinating their assem- bly. “It has a built-in micro-phone that allows the operatorto hear what guests are sayingand address them ‘in charac-ter,’ as if there’s someone ac-tually inside of it.”

Considering the cost of at-tractions these days, Bastrupfeels that the current $35,000

4See AQUA TALKERS, page 23

Maui Max, the first fullythemed and operationa

Aqua Talkers characterdesigned by R&R CreatAmusement Designs, isproven crowd-pleaser aHawaiian Falls WaterpaMansfield, Texas.COURTESY R&R CREATIVEAMUSEMENT DESIGNS

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Universal’s Cabana Bay BeachResort accepting reservations

ORLANDO, Fla. — Guests can now book reservationsfor Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, the new, 1,800-room hotel at Universal Orlando Resort that will featurevalue-priced guest rooms and moderately priced familysuites. The hotel is scheduled to open in early 2014, withreservations now being accepted for stays beginning onMarch 31, 2014.

The new hotel is the fourth hotel within UniversalOrlando Resort and will evoke the classic, retro-feel of icon-ic beach resorts from the 1950s and 60s. An area locatedaround the North Courtyard will open first, followed later in2014 by an area located around the South Courtyard. Eacharea will have a unique look and feel.

Families will have two options for experiencing thehotel, a value-priced standard guest room or a moderatelypriced, 430-square-foot family suite that sleeps six. From

the moment they arrive, they will be surrounded by thehotel’s bold design, period colors, neon and retro feel.When complete, there will be two pool complexes with asand beach and interactive features, a themed lazy riverexperience and 10-lane bowling alley.

“We believe Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort willoffer an experience unlike any other in Central Florida,”said Alice Norsworthy, executive vice president of mar-keting and sales at Universal Orlando Resort. “And atthe same time, it will create an entirely new, value-drivenoption for families that want to stay within the UniversalOrlando Resort.” Each of Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort’s court-yards will have a unique design and atmosphere. They willshare a highly themed, two-story arrival building that willalso be home to a food court serving traditional American

classics along with an ever-changing selection of interna-tional cuisine, a bowling alley, a game room and a fitnesscenter.

Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is scheduled toopen in 2014 at Universal Orlando Resort.COURTESY UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

PAPA Spring Meeting well attendeNJAA’s Kim Samarelli

gives New Jersey parkre-opening update

HERSHEY, Pa. — Onehundred eleven members ofthe Pennsylvania AmusementParks Association (PAPA) metMarch 4 and 5 for their annualspring Meeting at HersheyLodge. The event was aend-ed by representatives of over20 manufacturers and 10 ofthe 17 member Pennsylvaniaparks and aractions.

The rst day consistedof a board of directors meet-ing followed by a receptionand banquet that evening thatwas run by Carl Crider, gen-eral manager of DelGrosso’sAmusement Park in Tipton,Pa. He is the current presidentof PAPA, nishing his secondyear of a two year term. Speak-ers included Kimberle RolleSamarelli, executive directorof the New Jersey Amuse-ment Association (NJAA). Shespoke about the recent devas-tation from Superstorm Sandyand the seaside park owners

resolve to move past this set- back, adopting the mantra,“Rebuild, Restore, Reopen.”

The second day was re-served for the membershipmeeting held over breakfast.Association business includ-ed reports in various aspectsof the industry: legislative,amusement ride safety advi-sory board, ride safety semi-nar, scholarships, waterparkand human resource issues.When asked to give a nancialreport, Secretary/TreasurerDick Knoebel led the group(with many responding inunison), “We are solvent!”

The new slate of ocers

was presented by Ron “Bud-dy” Knoebel, voted on andapproved. The 2013 – 2014team moves Crider to pastpresident and chairman. Bri-an Bossuyt with CamelbackMountain Waterpark is thenew president; Je Davis fromSesame Place is rst vice pres-ident and Dick Knoebel con-tinues as secretary/treasurer.The second vice president po-

sition is vacant at the moIn his welcome in the PAPA directory, Criderthis to say about Dick bel: “He is an amazing wof knowledge for our astion as well as our indus

The biggest issues fPAPA member parks coues to be legislation peing to post Labor Day s

STORY: B. Derek Shaw [email protected]

4See PAPA, pag

Outgoing PAPA President Carl Crider, Jr., DelGrosso’shanded the reins off to to incoming President Brian BoCamelBeach Waterpark during the association’s 78 a

Spring Meeting in Hershey, Pa. AT/GARY SLADE

New Jersey Amusement Association Executive DirectoRolle Samarelli gave the PAPA attendees an update orebuilding underway by many of the damaged amusefacilities and piers, following the path of destruction bperstorm Sandy. Also on hand was NJAA President JoMaurer. AT/GARY SLADE

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New CEO is committed to family fun, founder’s legacy

Beyond chocolate, Hershey’s William Simpson is raising the bSTORY: Dean LamannaSpecial to Amusement Today

HERSHEY, Pa. — Thewell-traveled president andnewly appointed CEO of Her-shey Entertainment & Resorts

Company (HE&R), WilliamF. Simpson, Jr., cheerfully ad-mits to skipping a trip on Her-sheypark’s recently installedSkyrush roller coaster.

“I’m in my late 50s, somy body doesn’t hold up thatway,” he says with a laugh.“I’ve turned that over to theyounger generation.”

Besides, Simpson, whosucceeded retiring CEO TedKleisner on January 1, is fullyimmersed in everything elsethat makes Hershey a desti-nation for families and con-

ventioneers. In addition toHersheypark, his purview in-cludes Hersheypark Arena &Stadium, ZooAmerica NorthAmerican Wildlife Park, TheHotel Hershey, Hershey Lodgeand the newly re-brandedHersheypark Camping Resort.

All of this supports themost important legacy ofcompany founder Milton S.Hershey: the Milton HersheySchool (www.mhskids.org),that has provided opportuni-ties for children in need since1909.

Simpson began his suc-

cessful career at HE&R in 1996as general manager of HersheyLodge. In 2002, he became vicepresident of the company’s en-tertainment group, overseeingthe Hersheypark Entertain-ment Complex and leading itto new performance and guestsatisfaction benchmarks.

In April 2010, Simpsonwas promoted to HE&R’s chiefoperating ocer and soon af-ter given the role of president.He was appointed to the com-pany’s board of directors thenext year.

Previously, Simpson, a na-tive of Reidsville, N.C., wasgeneral manager of the Shera-ton Grand Hotel in Houston.He also held key leadershippositions with the Williams- burg Inn, The Opryland Hoteland Hya Hotels Corporationin Phoenix.

Now residing in Hersheywith his wife and their twochildren, Simpson took a fewmoments to chat with AT andoer his take on hospitalityand the business of fun done

the HE&R way.

What’s your take on theindustry’s current health?

Back in October, we pre-sented our strategic directionfor the next three years to our board, and of course, part ofthat is a lot of environmentalscanning to see what we couldlearn about where our (hos-pitality and amusement) in-dustries are going. We’ve de-termined that the growth rate

is probably around two anda half percent — and whilethat’s not the number we’dlove to see, it’s still a numbermoving in the right direction.

We’ve continued to investin our properties even throughtough economic times. Othercompanies may not have beenin the same position to do that, but it’s exciting to see thatthey’re now making capitalimprovements and adding at-tractions. That’s a great boostfor the industry.

How well has HE&R,

and specifcally Hersheypark,weathered the recession?Very well. Part of our ad-

vantage is very loyal guestswho come back time aftertime. We put in a $27 millionroller coaster, Skyrush, lastyear, and that did well for us— boosting our aendanceabout ve percent, based onour guest research. Our loca-tion also works to our advan-tage, given the demographicsof the population around us.

You oversee a much more

diversifed company than thetypical industry executive.How do you make all theparts work together?

We take a three-prongedstrategic approach. Our core

assets that have been hereawhile — the Hotel Hershey, built in the early 1930s, andHersheypark, now 106 yearsold — require a lot of mainte-nance capital. We’ve also gotto identify capital to grow the business and keep it fresh andaractive.

The third area we in whichwe invest is our employees byproviding opportunity for pro-fessional growth and develop-ment. It’s up to them, after all,to make sure we create lastingmemories for our guests and

make them want to come back.How are you position-ing Hersheypark for overallstrength and growth?

We are a destination forfamilies, so everything we dogoes into that thought process;we don’t do the biggest, tall-est, fastest. We oer things ev-ery member of the family canparticipate in, ride or enjoy.

Being associated withiconic brands people havegrown up with — whether it’sa Hershey bar or the Reese’sPeanut Buer Cup — sets usapart from other parks. Those

brands have great strength,and we model the experientialpart of them into our thinkingin terms of how we developand operate the park.

What changes in andaround the park will we seethis season and beyond?

We hear from our guestsall the time: “More coasters!”and “More water!” Having justadded Skyrush, this year we’remaking an additional invest-ment in The Boardwalk. We’vetaken out the Roller Soakercoaster and repurposed that

area as a sprayground, with 12new play structures, 16 danc-ing fountains, and more shadeand seats in about 7,000 squarefeet of interactive play. We’realso adding two more slidesto the complex, doubling ourthroughput.

Outside of the park, we’r

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