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    Vol. 16 • Issue 8.2 NOVEMBER 2012

     AIMS NEWS AND NOTES — PAGE 54

    Two traditional family-owned parks to expandPAUL NELSON: Waldameer Park announces 2013 plans; 10-year expansion

    ADRIENNE RHODES: Lake Winnepesaukah unveils plans for new waterpark 

    STORY: Scott Rutherford [email protected]

      ERIE, Pa. — With autumnin full swing and winter onthe way, Waldameer Park &Water World have closed forthe 2012 season. But there is noslowing down at the nation’s

    10th oldest amusement parkas workers are already prepar-ing for the 2013 season and beyond.  First up for next seasonis the addition of a BertazzonMusik Express that will beplaced in front of the park’sMerry-Go-Round picnic shel-ter and be surrounded byflower gardens, a large waterfountain, and plenty of new benches. The park’s 21 year-old Eli Bridge Scrambler will be moved slightly to fit thenew ride, giving more room

    for guests to enjoy the new

    area.  In addi-tion to thenew ride,W al dame e rand TheG r a v i t yGroup are

    partnering tomake repairs and modifica-tions to the park’s signatureride, The Ravine Flyer II. Afterfive seasons of great drops,thrills, and airtime, partsof the wood track and steelstructure will be replaced andtightened it to make sure itis in top form for 2013. Theengineers from The GravityGroup along with a large car-penter crew will make tweaksand minor adjustments tothe ride that will make thecoaster — ranked as number

    Nelson

    4See WALDAMEER, page 6

    Aerial view of Waldameer Park illustrates the current property (red) and the recentacquisition (yellow) as well as the lakefront parcel (blue), which will be developed aextension of the main park over the next 10 years at a cost of more than $20 millionpurchase included seven acres that houses the 58-room Inn at Presque Isle as well group of rental homes known as the Cottages at Presque Isle.

    COURTESY WALDAMEER PARK 

    This artistic ren-dering illustratesthe major multi-million water-park expansioncoming to LakeWinnepesaukahin summer 2013.To be constructedon the west sideof the propertynear the park’ssignature Cannon

    Ball wooden rollercoaster, the water-park will featurea lazy river, wavelagoon, flume bodyslides, enclosedtube slides andside-by-side racerslides, and a splashpark for toddlersalong with otheramenities.COURTESY LAKEWINNEPESAUKAH /AQUATIC DEV.GROUP

    STORY: Scott Rutherford [email protected]

      CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.— Lake WinnepesaukahAmusement Park officialshave announced they will adda water entertainment addi-tion to the park’s attractionlineup for summer 2013. Thefive-acre waterpark expan-sion will be situated on thewest side of the property nearthe park’s signature Cannon

    Ball wooden roller coaster.Construction is slated to beginthis January and be complete by next summer.  “We have looked for theright opportunity to expandLake Winnie and give ourguests even more reasons tocome back and more waysto have fun,” said TalleyGreen, public relations direc-tor. “Within a 250 mile radiusour customer base continuesto increase, enhancing tourismin the Chattanooga area. After

    r e s e a r c h -ing variousw a t e r p a r k sfor a numberof years, weare thrilled by the plansthat have beendeveloped byour award-winning teadesigners.”  The multi-million dwaterpark will feature a

    river, wave lagoon, flumeslides, enclosed tube and side-by-side racer sand a splash park for todIt will also offer covereduncovered lounge seretail shops, concessiona changing facility. The fis being designed by arcChristopher M. Jones of NPalm Beach, Florida Aquatic Development Gof Cahoes, N.Y., both of whave extensive wate

    4See WINNIE, pa

    Rhod

    www.amusementtoday.com

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    2 AMUSEMENT TODAY   November 2012

    NEWSTALK 

    As the lingering effects ofanother wickedly hot summerfinally began to wane, I foundmyself eagerly looking forwardto Amusement Today’s   15thGolden Ticket Awards ceremo-ny, which was slated for earlySeptember in Pigeon Forge,Tennessee.

    While the GTA event isdesigned to acknowledge and honor “The Bestof the Best” in the amusement industry, it hasalso become an end-of-season, pre-IAAPA soireefor colleagues in “the business.” These fine folksare dedicated people who work very hard at whatthey do. Over the years, many of these businesscontacts turned into friendships. And it is thesewonderful people I always look forward to seeingin a casual setting, which is something we all needafter a busy summer season.

      Our host park for the GTAs this yearwas, of course, Dollywood. This incomparablegem nestled in the picturesque Great SmokyMountains is truly one-of-kind. I’ve been fre-quenting Dollywood for years, and with eachvisit, I find yet something else that impresses me.The manner in which the park’s many employees

    approach their positions and guests is insThis interaction doesn’t feel forced or artand that’s a credit to the their leadershitraining.

      In addition to the obvious grandthe venue, an absolute highlight of theGTAs was the willing participation of the esteemed co-owner and ambassador, the leary Ms. Dolly Parton. This unconventionabeloved entertainer accentuated our shthe point that it may never be equaled. Itwas that incredible. Not only did she join performance of one of her songs, she contappeared on stage when Dollywood was aweach of its five wholly-deserved Golden Tand she bantered easily with presenters, wand AT  Publisher Gary Slade.

    Another pinnacle of the ceremonMs. Parton’s appearance at a lavish postreception where, with a park photographestudio lighting, she tirelessly accommodateand every attendee by posing with thempersonal photo.

      Like Dollywood itself, Ms. Partogenuine, 100 percent first class act. She’s thdeal. I count myself fortunate to have, for ainstant, basked in her glittering starlight.

    Hello Dolly!

    CARTOON: Bubba Flint 

    EDITORIAL: Scott Rutherford, [email protected]

    OPINIONS CARTOON LETTERS AT CONTACTS

    As most already know, the State Fair of

    Texas icon, Big Tex, burned on the last Fri-day of this year’s fair. Fire investigators havenow ruled the fire was started by an electri-cal short in one of Big Tex’s boots, whichcaused the fire trail to shoot up the electri-cal wiring that goes to his animated mouth.  State Fair officials have already announced

    that a new version of Big Tex will be ready for next year’sfair, and he will be bigger and better than ever before!

    •  Kudos go out to Six Flags Over Texas for takingadvantage of the beautiful fall weather and hiring BaynumPainting to repaint both the legendary Shock Waveroller coaster and the La Vibora bobsled ride. The colorsare stunning and we’re sure the guests will take notice!

    Thanks to Jim Reid-Anderson for making this happen —keep the paint rollers rolling!

    •  It was sad to see two great tower rides come downrecently by controlled explosions in an effort to makeroom for new attractions. Cedar Point removed their Von Roll observation tower, laying it down perfectly in atrench built in the adjacent beach. Same goes for the SixFlags Over Texas parachute drop which came crashingdown on the site of the recently removed Boomerangcoaster, landing 11.5 inches from the planned centermark. This was the second ride demolition I’ve witnessedfirst hand, and I’m still not used to the sound of that big“bang,” nor are all the car alarms!

      Congratulations to John Arie for breaking groundon his park expansion at his I-Drive location in Orlando.In a tourist market where high-tech and very expensivethemed rides rule, it will be a breath of fresh air to beable to go ride our amusement industry classics like theTilt-A-Whirl (Larson’s first to build since the purchase ofSellner) or a GCII wooden coaster. We wish John and histeam all the best on their new adventure.

      —Gary Slade 

    Tidbits

    EDITORIAL: Gary Slade, [email protected]

    Slade

    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: Dean Lamanna, Ron Gustafson, Steve Laycock, Andrew Mellor, B. Derek Shaw, Richard Munch, Janice Witherow, WHR Inc.

    Subscription rates are: 1 year (14 issues) $75 in the USA; $100 elsewhere; 2 years (28 issues) $13 years (42 issues) $200/$250. Send check or money order (U.S. funds only, drawn on a U.S. bAmusement Today, P.O. Box 5427, Arlington, Texas 76005-5427. Your cancelled check is youPlease allow up to six weeks for your subscription request to be processed and the first issue m

    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 thi s newspaper and its related Web sites are copyrighted and tradby Amusement Today 2012, with all rights reserved.

    POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Amusement Today, P.O. Box 5427, Arlingto76005-5427.

    Member of:IAAPA, AIMS International, P

    NEAAPA, NJAA, OABA, WWANAARSO and IISF

    Deliveries2012 E. Randol Mill Rd, Suite 203

    Arlington, Texas 76011

    Gary Slade is the founder and publisher of AmusementToday. His love for amusement parks began at age six whenhe first visited Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park and SixFlags Over Texas. His long newspaper career helped lead tothe launch of AT in 1997.

    Rutherford

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    November 2012 AMUSEMENT TOD

    NEWSTALK EDITORIAL: Tim Baldwin, [email protected]

    MAILBAG

    Line jumping IS permittedS o m e -

    thing struckme as trulyironic in oneof my parkvisits this

    year. Whilevisiting apark that I

    thought looked great andwas running well, the hap-penstance of two signs being

     juxtaposed right next to eachother brought forth a laugh.One had an admonishingtone saying that “Line jump-ing is not allowed,” while thenext sign was for the park’snew Fast Lane program thatshowed you how to do justthat. Comical.

    In late 1999, Disney intro-

    duced the Fast Pass. So inno-vative and guest friendly wasthis concept, it was no sur-prise the amusement indus-try took notice. As with justabout any creative idea, thosethat attempted to follow theride reservation system con-cept analyzed, minimalizedand distorted the originalidea. And what was that? Toallow guests to spend moretime enjoying the park andless time in line.

    Today, a variety of sys-tems are in place — wrist-bands, handstamps, robots,

    tickets…you name it. Whatwent wrong (and that’s a mat-ter of my opinion and notthe parks) is that we’ve nowevolved the idea into break-ing the park guests into acaste system. Those that aremore affluent get to cut inline over those that earn amore modest, traditional fam-ily income. Years ago whenone park trying to introducesuch a program and was be-ing berated by the public, thepark spokesman tried to puta PR spin on it saying “this is a

    service our guests have beenasking for.” Well, not exactly.Many guests had travelled toDisney parks and enjoyed theconvenience of the Fast Passsystem in place there. It is un-fathomable that any custom-ers would ask a park to comeup with a convenience thatthey would have to pay morefor. A lot more, as a matter offact.

    I have no problem withparks looking to find profits.If there are people willing tospend, there are various ways

    to get it from them. Witnessthe success of cabana rentals.There’s also the (indirectly in-sulting) preferred parking aswell. Neither of these impactmy visit if I choose not to in-

    vest in these particular perks.And I should clearly say

    I’ve enjoyed this perk on anoccasion or two. Sadly, I triednot to make eye contact withthose I was cutting by likethey were some kind of streetpanhandler not worthy of mygaze, and subsequently hat-ed myself for it.

    I spoke with a friend inthe industry who said his parkpeople at the time were inves-tigating new revenue streams.When this “pay to jump thelines” idea was presented, it

    was decided that as long asit had minimal impact on theregular guests, then it wasagreeable. After leaving thisfriend, I queued up for oneof the park’s roller coastersonly to find every other trainwas reserved for this “elite”brand of guests. Not only wasthis not a minimal impact, itwas a huge impact instantlydoubling my wait time. AsI’ve travelled more and more,I find all these systems flawedin one way or another. Usuallycapacity is affected, efficiencyis diminished and logic might

     just be thrown out the win-dow. In most cases, rides justdon’t run as well. Loading isslowed, seats go out emptyand moods are frustrated.If any park thinks this is justa minor — and acceptable— inconvenience, just lookat the faces in the long linesqueued up as they watch theprivileged waltz past them. Itnow seems to appear to theguest that efficiency has tak-en a back seat to profits andthat the parks have adoptedthe attitude that “if you don’t

    want to wait in long lines thenshell out more money.”There is one theme

    park chain where the sys-tem works. Visit a Disneypark. The reason is Fast Passwasn’t introduced as a rev-enue stream, but as a guestservice. It can’t be both. Myhat’s off to the Disney Com-pany for resisting the urgeto divide their guests intoclasses. When they say “Havea magical day!” it includes ev-erybody.

    Baldwin

    On the 2012 GTA’s...Dear Gary,

    I wanted to commenton the recent Golden TicketAwards. Dollywood did sucha wonderful job of hosting allof us that they certainly de-serve a huge thank you fromeveryone who attended. Theycertainly met the mark of ev-ery park who has hosted theGTA since I started attend-ing all of whom have done anabsolutely outstanding job ofhosting and catering to ourevery need. All with smilesand impressive congeniality.

    But I’d like to especiallythank Dollywood and thewonderful Miss Dolly Partonwho made this year’s eventan unprecedented success.She was as lovely inside as outand so gracious to join us on-stage for your special GoldenHeart Award, not to men-tion to stand for all of thosepictures with the attendees.That was really above andbeyond the call of duty anda terrific surprise for all ofus. Her friendliness, grace,smiles and humor spoke vol-umes about her personalitywhich is most likely unparal-leled in the music and actingindustry.

    A big thank you to you,your staff, Amusement Today  and to Dollywood and Dolly,

    herself, for an unforgettableexperience at the GoldenTicket Awards 2012!With best regards,Patty A. SullivanPresident/CEOEli Bridge Company

    Sir Gary,Congratulations on an-

    other amazing Golden Tick-ets event. I have heard glow-ing reports on all that yourteam did to continue yourlegacy of a reputable and re-

    spected awards process andceremony. Well done!!!Sincerely,Brad ThomasGeneral ManagerSilver Dollar City

    Hi Gary,What a great weekend!

     Your team and Dollywooddid a wonderful job of wel-coming everyone here forthe Golden Tickets. I enjoyedexperiencing Dollywood for

    the first time. It is a wonderfulpark with great storytelling.

    Once again, thank you somuch for your recognition ofDisney California Adventure.We are truly honored. Thanksfor the extra Golden Tickets.We are sharing the duplicateswith each of the partnergroups that worked on theDCA transformation to haveone for their teams.

    Thanks again!Mary M. NivenVice President, Disney’sCalifornia Adventure &Guest Services

    Gary,Congratulations on an-

    other great Golden Ticketevent. Every year it seemsto get better-attended andeven more publicity, whichis great for the publication.We appreciate you bringingpeople together each fall, Iam really glad this has turnedinto a new September tradi-tion.

     Adam SandyRide Entertainment Groupof Companies

    Gary,  I wanted to say thank

    you. It was my first Golden

    Ticket event, so I wasn’t surewhat was expected — thanksfor your help. Also thank youfor the awards — especiallythe “Turnstile Award!” Whatan honor it was for me to ac-cept for SeaWorld San Diego.After working at the park for27 years, it sure meant a lotto be a part of a winning mo-ment!

    I look forward to workingwith you in the future and Ihope to see you soon.

    Safe travels!Rick Schuiteman

    VP, EntertainmentSeaWorld San Diego

    Hi Gary,Congratulations for a

    great event. Thank you forthe award — it really means alot to us! I’ve been telling ev-eryone at Walt Disney Imagi-neering about it!Kathy A. MangumVP, Executive ProducerCreative Development

     Walt Disney Imagineering

    Gary,I wanted to reach ou

    say that I thought the en Tickets was a wondevent.

      I appreciate everyyou all did. It was greating to meet you. Don’tstronger at Dollywood!Michelle DillonExecutive AssistantOfce of the President& VP/GMDollywood

    Hi Gary,Thank you so muc

    organizing such a wondevent! It was just perfeBrian and Jan KingRecreation Engineering,

    Gary,Thanks again fo

    outstanding Golden Tevent. I thought you wlike to see this thank yothat we run in several Satonio area newspapers.

    Have a great day, Jeffrey A. SiebertSchlitterbahn

     Waterpark Resorts

    On the NRCMA Exhibi

    Hi Gary,  It’s amazing what r

    tions the power of a pcan elicit. When I sawMatterhorn Bobsled caryou’re receiving from Dland for your roller comuseum, I immediatecalled the years I spentride operator on that ation. I recalled the dutensuring guests were erly seated, running thetrol panel and even “ruthe track” before and park operation. It was m

    amusement park experiand it was there that I leathe importance of teamcooperation and loyaltygratulations on this grequisition and the fututhe museum!”Sydne (Huwaidi) PurvisCommunications ManaSix Flags Fiesta Texas

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    4 AMUSEMENT TODAY   November 2012

    Erick Elliott loves his job.And it shows. Anyone

    who has met Erick has felthis passion and pride forwhat he does, while hiscool-as-a-cucumber de-meanor and broad smileare obvious giveawaysthat he is one of the goodguys. Erick began hisBusch Gardens Williams-burg career in the gen-eral services department,where he worked for 17years before joining thepark’s operations department. He now servesas director of operations for this beautiful Virginia amusement park, and in his role, Erickis responsible for overseeing the zoological,

    landscape and grounds operations.

    TitleDirector, Operations.

    Number of years in theindustry20 at Busch Gardens Wil-liamsburg and Water CountryUSA.

    Best thing about the indus-tryEngaging with a variety of people (guests andemployees).

    Favorite amusement rideApollo’s Chariot at Busch Gardens Williams-

    burg.

    If I wasn’t working in the amusement indus-try, I would be …College or professional football coach.

    Biggest challenge facing our industryEconomic volatility.

    The thing I like most about amusement/wa-ter park season is …Being outdoors.

    All-time favorite mealMy mom’s baked macaroni and cheese.

    The first thing I do in the morning is …

    Check the weather.

    The coolest view I have ever seen from anairplane would have to be …Glacier Park Mountains in Montana.

    If you could have only three movies in yourcollection, what would they be?“Saving Private Ryan,” “Gladiator” and“Glory.”

    What do you notice first when meetingsomeone?Eyes (facial expression).

    I always need help with …Getting good gifts for my wife.

    If you could invite one famous person todinner, who would it be?

    Jesus ... who better to ask about the mysteies of life!?

    The best new television show this fall seeto be …Last Resort … previews look promising.

     You are at the mall. Where do we find yoI would be with my wife and daughter if Iwere at the mall … so the answer is EVERYWHERE.

    If you could have a conversation with anyanimal, which one would it be?All of our animals at Busch Gardens … Iwould like to know if they are truly happy.

    My favorite time of day is …Mornings … each day brings something neand exciting in our industry!

    The last thing I lost was …I am constantly losing my hair! Fortunatelyit’s genetics and not park stress!

    On a Saturday evening, you can usually fime …Spending time with the family … if not woring.

    If I didn’t live in Virginia, I would live …Good question … I’m still thinking.

    What season best describes your personity?Fall … cool and consistent.

    The household chore I really don’t minddoing is …Laundry … my wife doesn’t do well ironingOf course, that could be on purpose.

    Are you more of planner or a spontaneoukind of guy?Planner. I actually added completing thisinterview on my outlook calendar.

    We are well into football season. Whatteam do you root for the most?America’s Team … the Dallas Cowboys!

    Erick Elliott, Busch Gardens WilliamsburgCOMPILED: Janice Withe

    MINUTE

    DRILL2

    Elliott

    Erick has been with Busch Gardens Williamsburg for 20 yea

    THIS MONTH IN HISTORY Amusement Today   takes abreak from our usual “ThisMonth in History column” totake  a look instead at someof the significant acquisitionsmade by the NRCMA over thepast year.

    •The NRCMA has continued todigitize historic photos, videos, postcards and other images.Highlights include photos of  Arrow Development’s early his-tory from the Ron Toomer collection; conversion of early Ar-row promotional films to digital format; photos of rides fromthe Sellner collection including the very first Tilt-A-Whirl; andhistoric photographs and postcards of Frontier City courtesyof Steven Ball. To date, NRCMA has scanned over 8,000 items.

    •Three rare, German-built mouse cars from one of the earliestall-steel Mack Wild Mouse coasters that operated for almost30 years at Playland at the PNE in Vancouver, Canada.

    •Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster  cars from Morey’sPiers — one of the earliest rides of that type.

    •Above, a Giovanola-built train from Hersheypark’s Super-dooperlooper custom Anton Schwarzkopf  coaster.

    •A Von Roll aerial ropeway car from Six Flags Great Adven-ture.

    •Four Schwarzkopf Wildcat  cars and sections of track fromCedar Point’s Wildcat coaster.

    • An entire 1954 Schiff  kiddie coaster from Fun Spot USA.

    •Two sleds and a section of trough from Cedar Point’s Ava-lanche Run/Disaster Transport, an Intamin bobsled-type ride.These were the only 10-passenger bobsled vehicles and thelargest trough track ever constructed by Intamin.

    •From  Wonderland Park  in Texas: an original O.D. Hopkinslog flume boat from the firstlog flume constructed by O.D.Hopkins. Also, two restoredvehicles — a Carl Miler Mouse car and Pinfari Zyklon car.

    •A two-car train from Disney-land’s Matterhorn, the firstcoaster to utilize tubular steeltracks, which revolutionizedsteel coasters and the amuse-ment industry.

    —Compiled for NRCMA by Jeffrey Seifert

    Presented by 

    www.RollerCoasterMuseum.org

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    November 2012 AMUSEMENT TOD

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    6 AMUSEMENT TODAY   November 2012

    six in AT’s 2012 Golden TicketAwards — even smoother,faster and more thrilling thanever before.  Additionally, modifi-cations are planned for thepark’s 100-foot Giant GondolaWheel, which was supplied

     by Chance Rides. The iconicattraction will be dismantledand shipped back to Wichita,Kan. where Chance will refur- bish the wheel’s outer rim,rebuild the center hub andpaint the wheel to providenext year’s riders with safeand relaxing views of LakeErie and nearby Presque IsleState Park.

    Future expansion  Waldameer’s owner, PaulNelson, 78, who started work-ing at the park at age 11, iswell aware that his park must

    continually add new attrac-tions and expand if it’s goingto remain relevant and profit-able. With the 2013 improve-ments well underway, Nelsonis steering Waldameer towardan even brighter future withthe announcement of an ambi-tious $20 million expansionplan.  Kicking this off was

     WALDAMEER Continued from page 1

    Park owner Paul Nelson explains that the next part ofWaldameer’s expansion, beginning in 2014, will concentrateon the waterpark with the addition of an enormous wavepool with a center divider island; a large zero-depth entrychildren’s play area; a new tower complex that will featurea four-person head-first mat ride and a four-person innertube/bowl slide; and numerous upgrades such as new lockerareas, showers and changing stations. AT FILE

    Waldameer’s purchase earlierthis fall of more than seven-acres of land and structuresthat included the 58-room

    Inn at Presque Isle as well assurrounding acreage that cur-rently houses a mobile homepark near the motel and agroup of rental homes knownas the Cottages at PresqueIsle. The plan also includesa large wave pool slated toopen at Water World in 2014and the eventual developmentof a five-acre wooded area at

    the base of a slope overlook-ing Lake Erie owned by theNelson family.  Here, Nelson shares with

    AT  readers his vision of what’sin store for Waldameer Park inthe coming years. “This yearwe have obtained new zoningfrom our township. The newzoning covers all the land weown and we are now zoned‘Commercial Recreation.’ Thispermits Waldameer Park todo all the major expansionneeded in a good amusement

    park. We have purchased fivepieces of property in the lastfew years totaling ten acres.  “The rezoning anda special Waldameer billthat was passed by thePennsylvania Senate, House ofRepresentatives and signed bythe state governor will allowus to use our five plus acreswe have on Lake Erie givingus a total of 52 acres.  “For the 2013 season,we will be spending aboutsix million dollars with pur-chase of land and an expan-sion of a new ride section atWaldameer. Then it will be onto the next part of our expan-sion, which has a budget ofabout 20 million dollars. Thewave pool will be very largewith a divider island in themiddle so that on weekdayswe will be able to open uponly one side but on busydays and weekends both sideswill be open. We saw this

    while visiting Holiday Worldin Indiana and really liked it.  “Next up is a large zeroentry children’s play areaprobably to be purchased fromProSlide the following year.Our older three children’spools will be eliminated andin this section a new tower will be built. Off of this tower atone level will be a four-person

    head-first mat ride. Anlevel will have a four-pinner tube slide that willinto a bowl and then sdown. Besides this ther be many upgrades sunew locker areas, shochanging stations, etc.  “Then we will be viour waterfront propertywill ride down a trollethat descends 70 feet frotop to the lower level olake. To return to the topwill be another trolley toyou up. At the bottom yofind a boat ride that will use of the 70 foot slopewill be ramped up to thand come racing down large pool at the bottomating a wave and most soaking everyone. At thtom we are also plannfamily ride for both kidparents to ride togetherone other new thrill ridto be chosen. There will

    eating area overlookingErie where guests can seat and enjoy the beasunsets on the lake. Lasnot least, a restroom wfound in the area.  “With all the aexpansions, Waldameerwill turn into a two-daywith plenty to do,” concNelson.

    A key component of LakeWinnepesaukah’s newwaterpark is the lengthyAdventure River, fromAquatic DevelopmentGroup.COURTESYLAKE WINNEPESAUKAH /AQUATIC DEV. GROUP

     WINNIE Continued from page 1

    development experience. Construction will be

    overseen by Aquatic Builders, Ltd. Chattanooga- based CapitalMark Bank & Trust will finance theexpansion.  “The waterpark addition to Lake Winnierepresents a continued commitment to the guestexperience that only a select few amusementparks have undertaken. We are pleased to assistthem in their efforts to provide first-rate attrac-tions,” said Jim Dunn, vice president of AquaticDevelopment Group.  Kenneth Dyer, CapitalMark’s SoutheastTennessee president states, “We are proud to be involved in this exciting addition to LakeWinnepesaukah, which has forever been the markof family fun for Chattanooga and surroundingareas. We are impressed with Lake Winnie’s pru-

    dent management spanning multiple generations.CapitalMark excels as a partner to help our clientsgrow their businesses; thus, it gives us great satis-faction to see Lake Winnie embark on this signifi-cant and perfectly complimentary expansion.”

    Lake Winnepesaukah attracts hundreds ofthousands of visitors each year and is one of thelargest employers in Catoosa County, Georgia.The park expansion is expected to create morethan 100 temporary construction jobs and approx-imately 50-60 seasonal park jobs upon comple-tion.  Waterpark admission will be included in LakeWinnepesaukah’s admission price, and the water-park will be accessible through the main parkentrance.

    Park/Expansion

    Lake Winnepesaukah, Chattanooga, Tenn./ New multi-million dolla5-acre waterpark to open summer 2013 on the west side of the par

    property near the Cannon Ball roller coaster; entry to waterpark is cluded with amusement park admission

    FeaturesAdventure River; beach lagoon; flume body slides; enclosed tube slidsplash park for toddlers; covered and uncovered lounge seating; ret

    and concessions and changing area with lockers

    Projected number of additional employees50-60 seasonal/100 temporary construction jobs

    InvestmentFinanced by CapitalMark Bank & Trust

     ArchitectChristopher M. Jones Architects + Planners • Christopher Jones has bthe principal and owner of his own Architectural Design and Consult

    Firm since 1998. His projects include the Rapids Waterpark in West PBeach, Fla.; Cool Runnings Waterpark in Negril, Jamaica; Okeeheel

    Park and Recreational Complex and numerous other projects.

    Master Planning, Design And EngineeringAquatic Development Group (ADG)

    •With more than 50 years of industry experience,ADG has designed, engineered and built

    more than 100 waterparks in North America.

    BuilderAquatic Builders, Ltd. with local contractors

    FAST FACTS

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    PARKS ATTRACTIONS RESORTS SUPPLIERS

    INTERNATIONAL

    Attendance records broken at largest EAS event eve

    STORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

    BERLIN, Germany — The2012 Euro Attractions Show(EAS) took place in Berlin,

    Germany, from October 9 –11, with the event recordingthe largest number of exhibi-tors in its history in additionto welcoming more visitorsthan at any previous suchevent.

    Held in the Messe Berlin,the leading trade show for thetheme park and attractionsindustry in Europe broughttogether almost all the ma- jor ride manufacturers fromaround Europe in addition tomany others from across theworld, while a wide range ofother equipment and services

    was on oer from an equallyimpressive selection of manu-facturers and suppliers. Morethan 100 product and servicecategories were represented by companies from over 100dierent countries, providingeverything from roller coast-ers and water rides, through4D cinemas and ticketing sys-tems to plush toys and slushice.

    Indeed, such was the de-mand for space on the showoor that IAAPA organizersadded a fth hall to EAS in

    the weeks leading up to theevent, with the total num- ber of exhibiting companies

    eventually topping out at 367.This compares to 336 in 2011and 260 in 2010, showing acontinued — and impressive— growth rate for what has become a key event in the in-dustry calendar, despite itsproximity to the annual IAA-PA Expo held in the U.S.

    The total preliminarynumber of attendees regis-tered for the show was also

    signicantly up on last year’sevent, with 8,131 registrants in2012 compared to 7,053 in 2011

    (as before, this gure includesall exhibiting sta, show visi-tors and special guests). Thetotal number of qualied buy-ers rose to 5,770 (from 4,779 in2012).

    And the continued growthand success of the show wasreected on the show oor.

    “We’ve been pleasantlysurprised,” said Scott Snyderof Zebec Water Sports in Ohio.

    “We’ve had a lot of activityand seen some serious buyers.4See EAS, page 8

    IAAP

    BOOT

    2749

    Above, Roland Mack andErnst Burgbacher mark theofficial opening of the Euro

    Attractions Show 2012 inBerlin, accompanied by the

    IAAPA board of directors.From left are Chip Cleary,

    Will Morey, Paul Noland(who takes over from ChipCleary as IAAPA President

    and CEO on January 1,2013), Rob Norris, Ernst

    Burgbacher, Roland Mack,Mario Mamon and Gerardo

    Arteaga Cerda. At right,IAAPA Chairman Roland

    Mack welcomes attendees toEAS 2012. Far right, Moser’s

    Rides from Italy providedone of the fully operational

    rides at the show. Bottom

    right, EAS 2012 was spreadthroughout a total of five

    halls within the Messe Berlin.AT/ANDREW MELLOR

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    8 AMUSEMENT TODAY   November 2012

    C heck  out  our  r oller  coast er s!

    N  e  w  :  P  e  g  a  s u  s  1  6   s e  a  t  ,  m  o  r  e    p  o  r  t  a  b  l  e   a  n  d   a  f  f  o  r  d  a  b  l  e  

    Technical ParkVia dell’Artigianato, 47 45037 Melara (RO) ItalyTel. +39 (0425) 89276 Fax +39 (0425) 803091e-mail: [email protected]

    North America sales: ITAL INTERNATIONAL LLC4117 Hillsboro Pike, Ste. 103-358Nashville, TN 37215 - USATelephone: (615) 383 3986 Fax: (615) 383 9244Carlo Guglielmi: [email protected]

    Spectacular Rides - Park and Trailer ModelsSee us at IAAPA

    booth# 2847

      G  i a n  t   w  h e e  l s   2

      0   t o   8  0  m e  t e r s

    P endulum and loop r ides,12  models

    EAS Continued from page 7

    We’ve seen some existing cus-tomers and some new ones,with visitors from Poland,the U.K., Germany, Sweden,Austria, France, Saudi Arabia,Ghana and elsewhere. The

    show here in Berlin is much better than London.”

    At Garmendale Engineer-ing in the U.K., David Shelmer-dine commented: “We’ve beenrun o our feet. On the rstday we didn’t stop all day andhave been really pleased withthe response we’ve had.”

    And it was a similar storyfor U.S. company S&S, whereKevin Rohwer noted: “We’veseen some quality visitorson the booth, such as a ma- jor global group, an Englishgroup and others. I really en- joy the shows in Europe.”

    As always, running along-

    side the trade show was a sig-nicant conference programin addition to a host of spe-cial events. A two and a halfday Institute for AttractionsManagers provided a “crashcourse” in attractions manage-ment while some of the other,regular sessions covered top-ics such as social media, pric-ing and yield management,emerging markets, managingguest complaints, Halloweenholiday events and trends inF&B management.

    EAS also witnessed theholding of the fth annualIAAPA Europe safety forum,along with an indoor play/FEC conference day, whiletours of local attractions, in-cluding the Tropical Islandsindoor waterpark and theFilmpark Babelsberg addedfurther to the educational op-portunities on oer.

    Special events were alsoa key part of the overall pro-gram at this year’s EAS, andfor the rst time at the show,

    a much more elaborate ocialopening ceremony being held.Previously taking the form ofa short speech by the IAAPAChairman followed by a rib- bon cutting ceremony, thisyear saw the occasion take ona more theatrical note, withentertainment on stage andspeeches from IAAPA Chair-man Roland Mack and specialguest Ernst Burgbacher, Par-liamentary State Secretary tothe German Federal Ministerof Economics and Technol-

    ogy and Federal GovernCommissioner for SMETourism. The ribbon cfollowed, with Mack Burgbacher being joineother IAAPA ocials fotask.

    The rst day closedan opening reception, akthat held at the IAAPA in the U.S., which was highlighted by live entement and concluded wi

    impressive reworks diA young professionals rtion was also held on theevening.

    The second day of EAgan with a leadership bfast at which the leadetwo of Europe’s largest tparks discussed the past,ent and future of their otions, along with their “gstrategies. IAAPA ChaRoland Mack, managingner of Germany’s EuPark, and Francesco Aldmanaging director of Aventura in Spain, pro

    attendees with fascinatinsights into each of these attractions.

    Completing activitithe 2012 event was a threpost EAS tour which proattendees with the opportto visit some of northernmany’s most popular ations. These included HPark Resort, Hansa-ParkHagenbecks Tierpark.

    The 2013 EAS will bein Paris, France, from Se ber 18 – 20.

    Exhibiting their collectionof tubes and rafts from U.S.company Zebec were Scottand Noy Snyder.AT/ANDREW MELLOR(all photos)

    John Wood and Fitz Otis at the booth of Sally Corporationshowcase one of the company’s popular animated dark ridefigures.

    Pictured on the Dynamic Attractions booth are (fromManfred Meier of Kraftwerk and Dynamic Attractionsold Hudson and Peter Schnabel.

    Always in the mood to show off for the camera, Jeff Pike ofGreat Coasters International shows off his Big Fun compactcoaster model.

    The S&S Worldwide team at EAS included (from left) ESchulz, Gerald Ryan, Kevin Rohwer and Cristiano Marc

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    New themed ride at BPB promises A Grand Day OSTORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

    UNITED KINGDOM —Blackpool Pleasure Beach(BPB) in the U.K. will becomehome to two British icons in2013 when a new Wallace andGromit family ride opens inplace of one of the park’s mostwell-known attractions.

    The popular pair will bethe central characters in thenew Thrill-O-Matic ride whichis currently under construc-tion and will replace the GoldMine dark ride which closedat the end of the 2011 season.The new attraction, which rep-resents an investment of £5.25million, is set to open nextyear and will feature all the best loved characters from theWallace and Gromit lms.

    The park’s design and en-gineering teams are workingwith creators Aardman on theride which, utilizing severalof the daring pair’s adventurestories, will take visitors ona trip through A Grand DayOut, a visit to the Wrong Trou-sers, on A Close Shave and AMatter of Loaf or Death. Theexperience will be almost fourminutes in duration and willtake in dozens of well-lovedscenes from the Wallace andGromit lms.

    The riveting ride will pro-vide a fun packed experiencefor all the family, while an ac-companying shop will enableguests to take home suitablythemed merchandise.

    Commenting on the newattraction, Blackpool PleasureBeach Managing Director

    Amanda Thompson said: “Weare delighted to be welcoming

    Wallace and Gromit to Plea-sure Beach. Thrill-O-Matic

    represents a signicant inment in the park and we the characters will be ahit with the families whoand visit Pleasure Beach

    The Gold Mine rid been one of BPB’s most plar family rides for 40 yBuilt by Arrow Dynamopened in 1972 and feaa host of scenes based oOld West and prospectingold, such as a mine shaminers carrying out a vof tasks. The coaster-likeon which the mine traihicles ran intermingledother attractions includinRiver Caves and the Mlia Café and the four mlong adventure was anfamily dark ride which wmissed by many BPB pat

    The new Wallace and Gromit themed ride will take ridersinto the heart of some of the duo’s adventures.COURTESY BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH

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    10 AMUSEMENT TODAY   November 2012

    Legoland opens in MalaysiaSTORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

    MALAYSIA — The rstLegoland park in Asia, andthe sixth in the world, madeits debut on September 15when Legoland Malaysia

    was ocially opened in theheart of the Iskandar region.The family theme park

    is owned by Themed At-tractions and Resorts SdnBhd (RAR), Iskandar Invest-ment Berhad (IIB) and Mer-lin Entertainments Groupand is operated by Mer-lin. Designed, as are all theLegoland parks, for familieswith children aged two to 12years old, it covers an areaof 76-acres (31-hectares) andfeatures more than 40 inter-active rides, shows and at-tractions.

    The park’s strategic lo-cation at the centre of Ma-laysia’s rapidly developingIskandar region not onlymakes it accessible but alsoan attractive proposition to both local and international

    visitors. An excellent infra-structure network will en-able visitors from Singapore

    to arrive within 15 minutesfrom the Tuas Second Link by road and 45 minutesfrom Changi Airport. Simi-larly, the north-south high-way provides easy accessfor local visitors.

    As is the case at its sisterparks, Legoland Malaysiais divided into a number ofthemed areas. On arrival,guests rst enter The Be-ginning, the entrance area,after which they can choosefrom Lego City, the re-nowned Miniland featuringminiature reproductions ofMalaysia’s landmarks andother Asian icons, Land ofAdventure, Imagination,Lego Kingdom and LegoTechnic.

    Familiar rides and at-tractions, similar to those in

    other Legoland parks, are to be found at this latest incar-nation. Among these are theBig Shop, Driving School,Boating School, Lego CityRescue Academy, Dino Is-land water ride, Kid PowerTowers, Duplo Express,Observation Tower, TheDragon and the Dragon’sApprentice coasters, theRoyal Joust, the AquazoneWave Racers and the ProjectX coaster, to name but a few.

    Siegfried Boerst, gen-eral manager of LegolandMalaysia, said: “LegolandMalaysia has been designedto include the most popularrides and attractions fromLegoland parks around theworld. It is a truly worldclass experience. But it is also

    tailored to the local environ-ment. Everything from foodto landscaping caters to thelocal tastes and climate. Sep-tember 15 is a landmark dayfor everyone who’s workedto make Legoland possiblehere in Malaysia.”

    Above, Legoland Malaysia is the sixth Legoland park opened around the world. Below, Siegfried Boerst, gemanager of Legoland Malaysia, is shown here with the land Express.COURTESY LEGOLAND MALAYSIA

     L i v e a t  IAA PA  2 01 2 

    Or lando:

     N E W!  Wor ld  F irs

     trac k l ess  v e h ic l e  w i

     t 

    mo t ion p la t form (  2 -d

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    Mack coaster a major partof Etnaland transformatio

    ITALY — As work continues on the instal-lation of a host of new rides and attractionsat Etnaland in Sicily, as the venue transforms

    itself into a major theme park venue, one ofthe rst to be completed is a new coaster fromMack Rides.

    Due to open to the public in 2013, The Stormis one of the company’s Compact Mega Coast-ers and is the rst gravity coaster in Mack’smid-size range to utilize its newest train de-signs. With a track length of 757 meters (2,484feet), the coaster features two trains consistingof four passenger vehicles, each with two rowsof two seats. Individual lap bars are tted to thevehicles, as opposed to shoulder restraints, anda minimum height for riders of 1.3 meters (4.2feet) will be in place.

    On leaving the station, riders are taken upa 45-degree lift hill at 3.5 meters (11.4 feet) persecond to a height of 30 meters (98 feet), fromwhere they will be able to view the surround-ing scenery, including Mount Etna. They willthen descend the rst drop at a speed of morethan 80 kmh (49.7 mph) and go into a seriesof exciting elements including hump backs, adouble helix, banked curves and turns, end-ing with a heartline roll before returning to theloading/unloading station. Magnetic brakes

    are employed to slow the trains, while hcapacity on the two minute ride is 850 rid

    The Mack coaster is just one of many rides that will be part of the new “dry” tpark element at Etnaland. These will ina Mine Train coaster and Shot ‘n’ Drop from S&S Worldwide, an interactive darfrom Gosetto and a Mega Disk ‘O from perla. The Dragon River ume ride fromfema was added for 2012.

    STORY: Andrew Mellor [email protected]

    The new Mack coaster at Etnaland is jusof the many new rides added to the venew theme park area which opens fu2013. COURTESY MACK RIDES

    Mondial introducesnew Turbine ride 

    A completely new ride conceptnamed Turbine is now avail-

    able from Mondial. The ride issomewhat comparable to the

    earlier Capriolo 10, but will havetwo arms instead of one. Like aBooster-type of ride, each arm

    will have a gondola that seats 10passengers. The arms will rotate,

    and the gondola can swing freely.In addition to those moves, bothgondola’s will also rotate aroundthe arm. Three travelling models

    made their debut thissummer season.

    COURTESY MONDIAL

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    14 AMUSEMENT TODAY   November 2012

    Romanian indoor roller coaster is an IE Park firs

    Two One-Trailer Bertazzon Rides NE W !

      M a  t  t e r  h o r n   1  6  c

     a r s

    S  w  i  n  g   C  a  r  o  u  s e  l   6  4   s e  a  t  s 

    Easy Up and Down 

    Bertazzon 3B srl Via Trevigiana 178Sernaglia, TV 31020- Italytel : +39 0438 966 291e-mail: [email protected]

    North America sales:Bertazzon America LLC- Carlo Guglielmicell: (615 ) 347 5295e-mail: [email protected]

    See us at IAAPAbooth# 2647

    S w ing Car ousel 48 seat s

    Adult Bumper  C ars

    K iddie Bumper  C ars

      ROMANIA — Italian ridemanufacturer IE Park srl hascompleted one of its mostchallenging roller coaster proj-ects to date, which is also thefirst of its kind in the Balkanarea.  The ride has been designedand built for Bucharest-basedBritta, a leading operatorof indoor FECs in Romaniawith two such venues, one atAFI Cotroceni Mall in down-town Bucharest and anotherat Baneasa Mallo close to theOtopeni Airport. And it is theformer location that is home tothe new coaster.  Following an excellentstart to the operation of theFEC at AFI Cotroceni Mall,company director LuciaPrajisteanu took the decisionto expand the ride mix withinthe venue’s Zorky’s Planet

    FEC, despite being limited bythe physical size of the areaavailable within the mall. Thechallenge facing both IE Parkand Britta, therefore, was howto incorporate a family rollercoaster into Zorky’s Planetwhich has a ceiling height of just 16.4 feet. The end resultis what can be considered thefirst indoor, custom-built roll-er coaster to be installed in theBalkans.  The only practical solutionthat allowed for a coaster of aparticular track length to beincorporated into the mall wasto build it off the mezzanine

    floor on which Zorky’s Planetis situated. Having takenthis decision, the route of thecoaster and the positions of itssupport columns necessitatedthe repositioning of five exist-ing amusement rides/attrac-tions — bumper cars, tram-polines, a convoy, mini jets

    and tea cup — along with aselection of video games and

    skill games.  A detailed engineeringdesign concept was created by the IE Park technical teamin conjunction with structuralanalysts and civil engineersfrom the AFI Cotroceni Malland Britta, resulting in thedesign of a family roller coast-

    er for the designated area.With a special track design

    and carefully designed 39-footcolumns, the coaster track issuspended from branch-likesupport sections that comeoff the main vertical supportcolumns. The total weight ofthe structure is 71,980 poundsand all elements have beendesigned to meet the EuropeanStandard EN13814.  The overall footprint of thecoaster is 82 feet by 55 feet andit features a track length of 410feet. With such unique steelstructures, the ride train alsohad to be carefully designed,and again careful collabora-tion took place to achieve this

     between IE Park’s desisculptors and painters anclient’s Romanian desThe result is a custom-mspace themed train — ZoSpace Train, paintworkLED lighting effects.16-seater train also has mposition lap bars for eachof passengers.  Commenting on installation, Britta’s Prajisteanu said: “Our pany is just four years owe have worked with IEsince day one. The roller er at Zorky’s was a verficult project for a numbreasons, but we are deliwith the end result. IE Ptechnicians and produdepartment did an exc job for us, while we hav been extremely happy the sales and after sales seprovided. The mix of prthey can offer and the qis second to none and aplan further expansioncertainly intend to conworking with IE Park.”  “This was a particdifficult project for us to

    on,” said IE Park sales tor Andrea Munari, “am delighted to say thadesigners, in conjunctionthose of our client, haveceeded in creating an lent ride despite the verylenging nature of the buand venue we had to woWe pride ourselves on able to provide solutionour clients needs and thgreat example of what wable to achieve.”

    IE Park srl has completed one of its most challenging ects to date with the installation of a new steel family coaster at the AFI Cotroceni Mall in downtown BucharCOURTESY IE PARK 

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    [email protected]@zierer.com. .

    +49 991 91060

    www.zierer.com

     +49 991 91060

    New Installations  2012 La u nc h  Coas te r  w i t h  Ve r t ica l  D ro p i n  B usc h  Ga rde ns 

     W i l l ia ms b u rg,  U SA

     O ne o f  fo u r

     ne w  Z ie re r

     r ides  i n

     L E G O LA N D

     Ma la ys ia

     D j u rs  So m me r la nd

     De n ma r k

    See us at:

    IAAPA Orland

    November 13-

    Booth 2206

     

    Shown at right, SundownAdventureland general

    manager Paul Tomlinson(left) is pictured with Chris

    Jones, managing director ofLappset (U.K). At far right, is

    the new Angry Birdsthemed area.

    COURTESY LAPPSET

    Angry Birdsland at U.K.,Finnish parks

    UNITED KINGDOM —The rst Angry Birds themed ar-eas based on the popular digitalgame opened at theme parks inthe U.K. and Finland during the2012 season.

    The most recent openingtook place at Sundown Adven-tureland in Nottinghamshire,England, a venue for childrenunder the age of 10 and their

    families, where an Angry BirdsActivity Park based on the pop-ular mobile game from Finnishcompany Rovio, has been de-signed and manufactured byLappset U.K. Featuring a hostof outdoor play activities, thevarious elements include sev-eral large play units, slides, amixture of themed swings androundabouts and a giant dum-my catapult to replicate the An-gry Birds world.

    According to Lappset, An-gry Birds Activity Parks aredesigned to create active meet-ing places for the whole family,

    including activity areas for chil-dren and adults. In the parks,visitors are encouraged to par-ticipate in an active way whileexperiencing the exciting AngryBirds world.

    Earlier in the year, in June,the Finnish park SärkänniemiAdventure Park in Tampereopened Angry Birds Land, of-fering activities and play for thewhole family, in particular theyounger members. The area hasseveral children´s rides, includ-ing new attractions in the shapeof the Angry Birds Ride andthe Majakka (Lighthouse), bothfrom Zamperla, along with thenew game Pig Popper, the An-gry Birds shop and food points.The Angry Birds AdventureCourse and other equipmentwas designed by Lappset GroupOy from Rovaniemi in Finland.

    Angry Birds Activity Parks,which bring together the digi-tal and the physical world, caninclude animal spring riders,swings, sandpits and a range ofclimbing towers with slides, aswell as an Angry Birds arcadegame that can be played out-doors in the park.

    —Andrew Mellor 

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    RIDES ENTERTAINMENT REVENUE SUPPLIERS

    PARKS & ATTRACTIONS

     Reporter’s  Notebook 

    Chance, Vekoma decideto discontinue North

     America cooperation

    Since 2006 Chance Rides(Wichita, Kan.) and VekomaRides Mfg. (Vlodrop, Nether-lands) have worked togetherin North America and success-fully delivered three new Ve-

    koma family coasters, and oneexpanded family coaster underlicense in the U.S. market. An-other Suspended Family Coast-er is currently under construc-tion for Fun Spot Action Parkin Orlando, Fla. that will openspring 2013.

    All of these joint U.S. proj-ects were successfully deliveredfor the clients.

    Despite the good coopera-tion during the past years, ef-fective October 2012, Chanceand Vekoma have decided toseparately approach the U.S.-market. A statement said the

    two companies have valuedtheir relationship and will worktogether to ensure a smoothtransition on the existing proj-ects.

    Chance Rides will continueto provide spare parts and tech-nical service for all the rides builtunder the license agreement.

    Both companies are verypositive about the future andlook forward to meeting cus-tomers at the upcoming IAAPAAttractions Expo in Orlando,Fla.

     www.chancerides.com

     www.vekoma.com

    Steel Pier leads restoration o

    seaside resort’s family appeaNew rides, games,improvementsprecede expansionSTORY: Dean LamannaSpecial to Amusement Today 

    ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — As LasVegas has shown, the amusement andgaming industries can make odd, ifsometimes incompatible, bedfellows.But the dierence between Sin City andAtlantic City is that in the latter, amuse-ments are not an afterthought but afounding institution — characterizingthe Jersey Shore for nearly a century before the rst casino opened here in1978.

    The historic Steel Pier is leading arecession-sparked push to bring fami-ly-style fun back to the fore in AtlanticCity. And it has drawn the attention ofthe public and VIPs alike with a freshlook and numerous added attractions.

    Among the raft of new rides intro-duced this past summer, most of whichhave been renamed by the seaside park,are Air Show, Freedom Flyer (DanceParty 360), Seamour the Friendly Oc-

    topus (Airborne Shot) and Sugar Sugar(Tea Cups), all from SBF Visa and LenSoled, Rides 4U; Beach Buggies (JumpAround) and Silly Steamer (Mini Rock-ing Tug), both from Zamperla; and TheMix (Booster) from Fabbri.

    New games include Balloon Bust,Bazooka Blast, Roll A Derby (renamedRasta Roll), Stinky Feet and Whac AMole, all from Bob’s Space Racers.

    Although two of the new rideswere delayed due to manufacturer andstate regulatory issues, Steel Pier’s im-proved infrastructure, landscaping,retail and food-and-beverage oeringshelped the operation achieve an aver-age 30 percent increase in day-to-dayride revenues, according to AnthonyCatanoso, president of Steel Pier Asso-

    4See STEEL PIER, page 18

    The storied Steel Pierkeeps spinning forward

    with the latest thrillcontraptions. Among the

    new rides at the parkare a patriotic-themed

    Dance Party 360 by SBFand a Booster by Fabbri

    (above), and an AirborneShot by SBF (right).

    Average day-to-day ride

    revenues increased 30percent last summer.COURTESY STEEL PIER

    DECEMBER ISSUE:Post hurricanereports onSteel Pier and parksacross Northeast

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    STEEL PIER Continued from page 17ciates.

    A few of the pier’s long-ago star performers, plus acouple members of the FirstFamily, even stopped by tocheck out the action.

    “Celebrities have been us-ing our helipad like crazy,”said Catanoso, noting that thechopper landing area at theend of the pier handles privatecharters as well as the pier’sown helicopter tours. C a t -anoso personally greeted and

    escorted singers Diana Rossand Marie Osmond, both SteelPier headliners in decadespast, to their host casinos. “Wetook the opportunity to showthem what we’re doing andinvited them back,” he said.“They loved it.”

    On Memorial Day week-end, President Obama’sdaughters, Malia and Sasha,were among 75,000 visitors— a record for the operation.“The girls had a great time,from what I understand,” saidCatanoso, adding that about 20Secret Service agents accompa-

    nied them.Also driving trac to the

    pier this year were two newattractions: a free circus-styleshow and the Diving Bell Bier-garten, an adult beverage oa-sis. But it’s all just a warm-upto Steel Pier’s three-year, $102million expansion, the rstphase of which is scheduledfor completion next summer(AT  , April 2012).

    This winter, Steel Pier will be moving aggressively to

    4See STEEL PIER, page 19

    Joining this past season’s warm-up to Steel Pier’s three$102 million expansion, the first phase of which is schefor completion next summer, are two new kiddie ridesZamperla: a Jump Around (above) and a Mini Rocking(below). Permitting is now underway for a 150-foot esion of the 1,000-foot pier to accommodate two majorides, including a roller coaster, and all usable space ithe pier’s gateway pavilion and sky bridge linking it tTrump Taj Mahal Casino Resort will be renovated.COURTESY STEEL PIER

    A colorful selection of family rides balances the new amuse-ments offered by Steel Pier. Guests can now enjoy beingwhirled on a Tea Cups ride (above) and rocked hither andyon by an Air Show mini swinging ship (below). Both modelswere supplied by SBF Visa and Len Soled, Rides 4U, and arepart of the pier’s overall 2012 improvement program.COURTESY STEEL PIER

    Venice Beach firm bringsvision to Atlantic City 

    ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Expanding Atlantic City’s ap-peal beyond the barrier island’s dozen casino hotels meansreemphasizing its essential elements: the beach, boardwalkand seaside environment.

    While Steel Pier is doing its part, a new 3D digital sound-and-light spectacular called “Duality” (projected onto thefaçade of the city’s historic Boardwalk Hall), plus a Jazz onthe Beach concert series and plans for an $8 million expan-sion of the Atlantic City Aquarium, are helping to revive thecity’s reputation as a major regional playground for all ages.

    But a more visionary assist is coming from Atlantic City’sWest Coast counterpart: Venice, Calif. — specifically, theOcean Front Walk offices of The Jerde Partnership (www.

     jerde.com), the award-winning international architectureand urban planning firm behind successful entertainment-focused projects such as Universal CityWalk in Los Angelesand The Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas.

    Working together with New York City-based consultantJones Lang LaSalle and several New Jersey entities, Jerdehas supplied dynamic outdoor concepts encompassing ven-ues, plazas and public art installations for the 1,700 acresthat comprise the Atlantic City Tourism District (see conceptillustrated at right, courtesy Jerde). The overall plan calls for

    “creating a clean, green, safe city that pays homage to itsstoried history and takes advantage of its unique setting…”

    Safe bet or not, it’s a non-gaming gamble the city isready to take.

    —Dean Lamanna  

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    STEEL PIERContinued from page

    renovate all the usable inside its ornate gatewavilion and the large, encsky bridge that connects ithe Trump Taj Mahal CResort across the boardwnightclub and café are eed to occupy the structur

    In addition, permittnow underway for a 15extension of the 1,000-foothat will accommodatemajor new rides, includroller coaster.

    While acknowledginpier expansion nancing  being nalized, Catanosocited about the future —the support the project ancity has received from  Jersey Gov. Chris ChristAtlantic City Alliance, thsino Reinvestment Devment Authority and the Atic City Convention and VAuthority.

    “We’re all concenton making Atlantic City tination again,” he said.results of our eorts aready evident at Steel Piecan see it, feel it, taste iride it. And that’s reward

    Firestone Financial assistsSteel Pier in renovation

    ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Steel Pier has been the heart offamily entertainment in the seaside resort since 1898. Theamusement park is in the midst of a $102 million expansion,completing many upgrades during the 2012 operating seasonin preparation for the project’s first phase. Firestone Financial(www.firestonefinancial.com), a leader in equipment financingfor the outdoor amusement industry based in Newton, Mass.,provided a seasonal installment loan of $1.29 million for sev-

    eral of the park’s new rides — including the popular FreedomFlyer (SBF Dance Party 360 by SBF Visa, see page 17).

    “Firestone Financial helped us to bring one of the hot-test rides in the country to the pier,” said Anthony Catanoso,president of Steel Pier Associates. “This is the beginning ofthe Atlantic City renaissance.”

    Firestone Financial placed the components critical to real-izing Catanoso’s vision of Steel Pier as a spectacular family funspot within reach. “We’ve worked with the company for years,so they were a natural choice for us in lining up financing onthis project,” Catanoso said. “Firestone joined early on, whichhelped us tremendously in making our ride selection, layingout the park and getting to the next level.”

    “We are so proud to be able to able to contribute to therevitalization efforts of Steel Pier,” said David Cohen, presi-dent and CEO of Firestone Financial. “It is so rewarding to bepart of such an amazing project.”

    Added Tony Costanza, assistant vice president: “All of ushere at Firestone are thrilled to help our friends at Steel Pierbring new attractions to the park. We started financing variousprojects here years ago and the transformation of the pier inthat time is incredible.”

    Beyond next season, when the first phase is set for com-pletion, the second phase of the expansion encompasses a200-foot Ferris wheel equipped for year-round use for 2014.

    Steel Pier proprietors Anthony and Billy Catanoso greetedsinger Diana Ross (above) during an Atlantic City visit inJune. Bob’s Space Racers supplied several of the park’s newgames, including Stinky Feet (below).COURTESY STEEL PIER

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    Flying Scooters  TM

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    22 AMUSEMENT TODAY   November 2012

    AMUSEMENTMARKET PLACE

    Keep our amusement park industry strong!

    Buy products and services from these suppliers.

     New Construction Renovations

     Daily Maintenance RelocationsTrack Replacement 

     Demolition Inspections Emergency Work

     380 Bad Man Hill Rd. • Paxinos, Pa 17860

    (570) 590-3255 or (570) 590-9880 [email protected]

     Structural Technologies Inc

      Contoocook, N.H. 03229

    Phone: (603) 746-4446 Fax: (603) 746-4447

    Aerial Tramway Design & Manufacture

    •Specializing in sales & refurbishment of used aerial tramways

    •Replacement parts for aerial tramways and amusement rides

    •New ride control systems and modifications

    •Rebuilt used chairlifts - one year guarantee

    SkyTrans Mfg.,L.L.C.

    (603) 746-4446

    Jerry Pendleton or Dan PendletonParts and Service

    106 Burnham Intervale Road

    New shows, fireworks, extended houhighlight Dollywood’s 2013 season

    PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. —Fresh o a fourth consecutiveGolden Ticket Award for BestShows, Dollywood recentlyannounced new shows, fes-tival headliners, a reworksnale and summer-long cel-

    ebration that spans the 2013season.

    “Of course I’m reallyproud of our four Golden Tick-

    et Awards for Best Shows,”Dolly Parton said. “Whowouldn’t be? But I truly wantto celebrate and share thisgreat honor with our guestsall season long in 2013 withall kinds of new entertainment

    and incredible shows from thestage all the way into the sky!”

    New for 2013: 

    Festival of NationsFrom the coast of C

    Dollywood welcomes forst time Cirque Shanthe festival’s headliner. CShanghai boasts a caworld-class acrobats wh

    light audiences with dratumbling, juggling, balaacts, hoop diving alonga variety of amazing Cirque Shanghai celethe ancient traditions oFar East amid the monthFestival of Nations (M23-April 22) in which 20 tries are represented.

    The Great AmericanCountry Show

    Country music takespotlight as Dollywood ents an all-new Great Acan Country Show in DPlebrity Theatre May 10-OGACTV and Dollywoodforces to present today’spopular country music listage. Each 40-minute performed by six singer backed by a six-piece also features a special apance by one of country mlegendary performers.

     The Great American

    SummerBeginning June 22,

    lywood celebrates The American Summer wit

    weeks of extended park ating hours from 10 a.m.p.m. Each day begins wlive performance of the nal anthem sung during raising ceremony. At nidaily reworks extravza entitled Dolly’s NighMany Colors paints thening sky with an explcolorful display synchroto music. The Great AmSummer continues thAug. 4.

     Smoky Mountain Chris

    Dollywood’s S

    Mountain Christmas feopens Nov. 9 with theheadliner show DollywChristmas Carol. BaseCharles Dickens’ A Cmas Carol, the three sof Christmas visit stodgenezer Scrooge in this iing story of redemptionthrough song and storyoriginal musical adapentertains audiences w15-member cast, fully otrated musical tracks, Vicscenery and period costu

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    Gull Wing IndustriesWorking with the Carnival

    Industry since 1989 

    Contact us at: www.gull-wing.com

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      DOSWELL, Va. — KingsDominion has announced

    plans for a multi-million dol-lar addition to its children’sarea, Planet Snoopy. Thisseven-acre expansion willtransform Planet Snoopy intowhat the park is promoting as“the world’s largest Peanutsthemed children’s area” whenit debuts in the spring of 2013.

      Planet Snoopy will fea-ture at least 12 new and re-

    themed attractions basedon one of the most belovedcomic strip characters. Theattractions were each selectedso that families could experi-ence them together.  Kings Dominion’s par-ent company, Cedar Fair, haslong enjoyed a good working

    relationship with Zamperla.So it’s no surprise that the

    majority of Planet Snoopy’sattractions will be supplied by the prolific Italian ridemanufacturer. From his homein Italy, Zamperla’s ValerioFerrari confirmed to AT   thathis company is providingeight rides to Planet Snoopy.These include a Kite Flyer,

    Rockin’ Tug, Midi Tea Cups,Aerial Tramway, Kiddie Train,

    Samba Balloon Tower, JumpAround and a Loli Swing.  In addition to the newfamily rides, Planet Snoopywill also feature:  •A new iconic entrancefountain.  •Two live shows featur-ing family-friendly entertain-

    ment.  •Additional daily

    and-greet opportunitiesthe Peanuts characters ining Charlie Brown, LLucy and Snoopy.  •A newly expa1,100-square-foot familyfacility equipped with cing stations, feeding r

    4See SNOOPY, pag

    Kings Dominion plans multi-million dollar expansion of Planet Snoopy in 20

    Kings Dominion has announced a multi-million dollar expansion for 2013 to its children’s area, Planet Snoopy. COURTESY KINGS DOMINION

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    SNOOPY  Continued from page 24

    and nap areas.  •An open air marketplacefeaturing fresh fruit and food.  When the expansion iscomplete, Planet Snoopy willencompass nearly 14-acres.  “Snoopy and the Peanutsgang are instantly recogniz-

    able and nostalgic charactersthat both parents and childrencan experience together,”said Kings Dominion’s vicepresident and general man-ager Pat Jones. “This sizeableexpansion to Planet Snoopyis unparalleled in scope toanything in this region andre-affirms our commitment todelivering world-class familythrills and entertainment.”  Construction began afterthe park’s popular HalloweenHaunt event. The newlyexpanded Planet Snoopyis expected to open to thepublic in the spring of 2013.Those who cannot wait untilnext year can access exclusiveupdates, features, virtual ren-derings and more, includinga webcam of the construction,at kingsdominion.com.

    Encompassing nearly 14-acres when complete in 2013,Kings Dominion’s Planet Snoopy will feature a dozen attrac-tions that families can experience together. These willinclude eight rides supplied by Italian ride manufacturerZamperla including Kite Flyer (top) and Rockin’ Tug (above).COURTESY KINGS DOMINION

    2013 AIMS Safety Seminarmany reasons to attend 

    The next AIMS SafetySeminar is coming soon! Ifyou have not already regis-tered for the 2013 seminar,do it right away. The semi-nar will take place on Janu-

    ary 13-18, 2013 at the beau-tiful DoubleTree by HiltonOrlando at Sea World.

    As our industry contin-ues to grow and evolve, itis important that we main-tain a consistent, highlevel of safety within ourfacilities. The annual AIMSSafety Seminar providesthe amusement industry anopportunity to refocus onsafety. When complacencyis such an easy way out, theAIMS seminar can providethat renewed energy to seethat we are all being as safe

    as possible.The seminar also gives

    individuals in the industrythe opportunity to meet

    with vendors and leabout anything new cing down the pipeline. Rbing shoulders with indupeers is another bengiving seminar attendthat chance to see how oers are operating or deawith a given situation.

    Check out the Awebsite, www.aimsintl

    for seminar and hotel istration information. hope to see you there.

    —Tony Claas

    amusement today c

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    The National Roller Coaster Museum obtains the ‘holy grail’ of artifacDisneyland donatesMatterhorn Bobsled cars to museum

    ARLINGTON, Texas— More than 53 years af-ter opening the world’s rst

    tubular steel roller coaster,Disneyland has donatedtwo vehicles from the iconicMatterhorn Bobsled rideat Disneyland Park (Ana-heim, Calif.) to the NationalRoller Coaster Museum andArchives. Opened in 1959,the 1/100th replica of thereal Matterhorn in Zermatt,Switzerland, was a dreamof Disneyland founder WaltDisney.

    “This is the ‘holy grail’of artifacts for the NationalRoller Coaster Museum and

    Archive (NRCMA),” NRCMAChairman Gary Slade said.“The Matterhorn started themodern era of roller coasterdesign and launched thethemed ride industry.”

    Tame by today’s stan-dards, the Arrow Develop-

    ment / Disney Imagineer-ing designed Matterhornremains a thrilling ride foryoung riders and a memo-ry-maker for families. De-scribed as a roller coaster rideto an icy encounter with theAbominable Snowman, theMatterhorn speeds two-carsleds 18 miles-per-hour alongits nearly 2,100 foot track.

    “We’re delighted to pro-vide these pieces of Disney-land Resort history to theNational Roller Coaster Mu-seum and Archives, an orga-

    nization that celebrates ourindustry,” said Jill Bolton,director of community re-lations at the DisneylandResort. “The MatterhornBobsled and California Screa-min’ sign represent two of

    our most beloved attractions,from the rst tubular steel-tracked roller coaster in theworld to one of the longestand most thrilling.”

    The Matterhorn Bobsledswas a marvel of engineeringwhen it opened at Disney-

    land. The 14-story “moun-tain” was built like a sky-scraper with multiple oorsand cooling units.

    In addition to the bob-sled cars, Disney graciouslydonated signage from theCalifornia Screamin’ rollercoaster from Disney Califor-nia Adventure. CaliforniaScreamin’, built by DisneyImagineering and Intamin, isthe second longest steel rollercoaster in North America. Itfeatures a musical soundtrackand the only outdoor inver-

    sions at any Disney park inthe U.S.

    The ocial presentationof the donation was made atthe Golden Ticket Awards atDollywood in Pigeon Forge,Tenn. on Sept. 8, 2012.

    Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. has donated a vehicle setits historic Matterhorn Bobsled ride (above) to the NRas shown below. COURTESY DISNEYLAND RESORT AND NR

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    World’s tallest observation wheel proposed for NY  NEW YORK CITY — In response to the New York CityEconomic Development Corp.’s request for bids for projectsthat would increase economic growth and boost tourism,New York Wheel LLC has proposed a project of mammothproportions: the world’s tallest observation wheel.  To be designed and manufactured by Starneth, B.V.(builders of the London Eye), construction would begin inearly 2014 with a target opening date of New Years Eve,

    Dec. 31, 2015.According to promoters, “The New York Wheel prom-

    ises to become one of the City’s — and the world’s — greatlandmark attractions, alongside the Statue of Liberty andthe Empire State Building. Located on the northeasternside of Staten Island (St. George), the 630-foot, or roughly60-story, attraction will be the tallest observation wheel inthe world and the only one in New York City.”  The wheel will feature 36 gondolas, each carrying up to40 passengers and will rotate 10 inches per second to offerincomparable views of Lower and Midtown Manhattan,the Statue of Liberty, and New York Harbor, all the way up

     beyond the George Washington Bridge, for the duration ofthe 38-minute ride.  The New York Wheel will accommodate up to 1,440

    people per ride, welcoming as many as 30,000 visitors perday and an anticipated 4.5 million visitors per year. It will be open seven days a week, 365 days per year (except onsevere weather days and required maintenance days) from10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the fall, winter and spring, and stayingopen as late as 2 a.m. or even all night in the summer andon special occasions.

    —Scott Rutherford 

    New York Wheel LLC hasissued a proposal to cre-ate the world’s tallest obser-vation wheel. If approvedthe 630-foot-tall New YorkWheel would be designed

    and manufactured byStarneth, B.V. (builders ofthe London Eye) and locatedon the northeastern side ofStaten Island with a targetopening date of New YearsEve 2015.COURTESYNEW YORK WHEEL LLC

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    “The #1 Leading Slide Manufacturer in America” 

    “World’s Largest 5 Lane, One Trailer Slide - 108 Ft.” FREDERIKSEN

    INDUSTRIES, INC.5212 St. Paul St.

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    • Financing and Leasing Available• Trades Considered• Order Slide Bags or “New Rain” Bags• 6 New Slides In Stock• Have 20 Used Rides

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    Six Flags’ Texas Chute-Out comes down with a bang!

    Shown at right: on October 10, 2012 a controlled explosion toppled Texas ChuteOut in less than 25 seconds. The first modern-day parachute drop stood as a SixFlags Over Texas landmark for 37 seasons. The ride was closed permanently on Sep-tember 3, 2012, after giving 28,943,258 rides during its time at the park. The 200-foot tower was built in Belgium and brokered by Intamin A.G. of Switzerland. Whenthe ride opened in 1976 it featured 12 chutes that dropped riders at a speed of 8mph during their 28-second ride. Demolition of the ride was conducted by DallasDemolition using a little less than 12 pounds of explosives. The tower landed within

    12 inches of its designated spot. The explosive charge could be heard throughoutthe area setting off numerous car alarms. AT/GARY SLADE

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    Knott’s 40th Halloween Haunt Museum raises nostalgic howSTORY: Dean LamannaSpecial to Amusement Today 

    BUENA PARK, Calif. — As staers at Knott’s Berry Farmconvened earlier this year to plot the giddy terrors of its 40thannual Halloween Haunt, one oered a boo!-tiful suggestion:How about a museum dedicated to the history of the mother ofall Halloween theme park events?

    And so, with a burst of creative wails and a dusty, scavengerhunt-like search for relics of “Scary Farm” events past, the Hal-loween Haunt Museum was born.

    “Our designers got a little backlogged with all the newthings we were doing with the Haunt, so I was given the task ofmaking it happen,” said Je Shadic, manager of park décor andvisual display, who credits design team member Kathryn Whitewith the idea. “I just took it and ran with it.”

    Housed in the former Sticks and Stones storefront in thepark’s Ghost Town section, the attraction showcases more than150 fearsomely fun artifacts — encompassing photographs,masks, costumes, prosthetics, hand-carved marionettes andsmall maquettes of past haunted maze creatures. The largestitem is the couch Gothic television temptress Elvira used in her bawdy and popular Haunt shows.

    “It’s a well-rounded collection,” said Shadic, adding that the

    museum includes a wall-length timeline of the Haunt, whichhas spooked more than eight million guests since 1973. “Withthe event’s 40-year history, it was a little tough trying to choosewhat would be most interesting to our guests.”

    For Shadic, who has worked on the Haunt since 1980, the best original prop is one of the ghosts that appeared inside thepark’s iconic Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ridein the early 1970s. He had seen the ghosts in a photo and hadno hope of nding one until another employee led him to a se-cret alcove inside the log ride — where one of the fabric-drapedStyrofoam-and-wire-mesh phantasms was stored high up on ahook, neglected for decades.

    “I was so excited, I was jumping around like a little kid,”Shadic said.

    Former Knott’s employee John Waite, who worked in rideoperations from 1969 to 1986 under legendary designer-builderWendell “Bud” Hurlbut, had a similar reaction to the new mu-

    seum. Recalled Waite of the event’s ying-by-the-seat-of-their-scared-o-pants debut in 1973: “Three hours into the Haunt thatnight, Bud called a meeting of all the operational managers…[and said], ‘We denitely need to have more live people. That’swhat’s really doing it.’”

    Today, Halloween Haunt has 1,000 actors roaming the parkand its 13 mazes.

    “Knott’s Berry Farm has really cornered the market on Hal-loween events,” said Je Shadic — adding that the park’s deci-sion to make the Haunt Museum a year-round attraction hasgiven him a frightful new challenge: “I’ve got to gure out howto add some Christmas decorations to it!”

    Top, The Halloween Haunt Museum at Knott’sBerry Farm houses more than 150 Halloween

    Haunt artifacts dating to 1973. Above, FormerKnott’s Halloween Haunt specialist John Waite

    tends to a ghoul friend in 1977. Above right,one of the original ghosts that greeted guests

    aboard the Haunted Mine Ride. Right, JeffShadic, Knott’s manager of park décor and

    visual display, created the museum.COURTESY KNOTTS

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    Chance Rides is celebratingthe Trabant’s 50th anniver-sary with the introductionof a new spinning ride, theFreestyle. Ray CammackShows will take delivery ofthe first Freestyle in 2013.COURTESY CHANCE RIDES

    Chance Ridescelebrates Trabant’s50th anniversary,introduces new ride

      WICHITA, Kan. — Thefirst trailer mounted ride built by Harold Chance, theTrabant, was introduced in1962 at the Florida State Fairin Tampa. Since then ChanceRides has produced more than254 Trabant style rides.

    To commemorate the 50thanniversary of the Trabant,Chance Rides is introduc-ing its newest attraction, the

    Freestyle, which will be avail-able in 2013.  The Freestyle is a spinningride that features 24 outwardfacing seats and was designedto appeal to thrill seekers ofall ages. The Freestyle is fullycontained on one 48-foot trail-er for easy transport and setup. The new ride is availablewith a colorful backdrop andspectacular programmed LEDlight package.  Ray Cammack Shows haspurchased the first Freestylefrom Chance Rides and willaccept delivery in early 2013.

    As a preview, Chance Ridesdisplayed the Freestyle seatsalong with a video at theIAAPA Attractions Expo inOrlando, Fla.

    •chancerides.com

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    INDOOR FACILITIES AQUATIC CENTERS RECREATION SUPPLIERS

     WATERPARKS & RESORTS

     Reporter’s  Notebook 

    Disney’s Grand Floridianopens water playgound

    LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.— The Grand Floridian Resort& Spa at Walt Disney Worldhas opened an Alice in Won-derland-themed water play-ground. The area includes ashallow pool, two slides and aplay area with a tipping Mad

    Hatters’ hat and a teapot andteacups that spill water on theguests within the sprayground.

    Malaysia waterparknearing completion

    MALAYSIA — Construc-tion of the new WaterWorld  inShah Alam, Malaysia is nearingcompletion with the 10-acre parkon track to open in November.Attractions at the park includea wave pool with a stage andan LCD screen for concerts andspecial events, a river adventurethrough a rocky cave illuminated

    by LED lights and a ProSlide

     Tor-nado — a first for South-East Asia.

    Ireland leisure centeropens water features

    IRELAND — On September24, the Greenvale Leisure Centreopened in Magherafelt, Irelandfeaturing Northern Ireland’s first50m swimming pool. Other at-tractions include a waterslide,play pool and dedicated learnerpool. The swimming area is partof a larger recreation complexthat includes a 100-station fit-ness suite, sauna, steam room,

    squash court, four sport courtsand a circuit gym.

     Village Roadshow expanding Wet ‘n’ Wild braSTORY: Jeffrey L. Seifert  [email protected]

    Village Roadshow, an Australian- based multi-media conglomerate, isexpanding its Wet ‘n’ Wild brand withthree new waterparks. The companyis an international cinema and themepark operator, major movie producer,and music and DVD distributor. Thecompany currently operates Sea World,Australian Outback Spectacular, Vil-lage Roadshow Studios and WarnerBros. Movie World in Australia, as wellas Wet ‘n’ Wild waterparks in Hawaii,Phoenix and Oxenford, Australia, onthe Gold Coast.

    Currently under construction inProspect, New South Wales, Austra-

    lia, is Wet ‘n’ Wild Sydney. The A$115(U.S. $119.3) million 62-acre waterparkis on track for a December 2013 open-ing. Included in the expected 42 ridesand slides are two wave pools, twolazy rivers, an AquaPlay area and avariety of attractions from WhiteWaterincluding a Boomerango, Master Blast-er, Bowl Slide, Abyss, racing slides andmultiple tube slides.

    On October 4, Village Roadshowannounced the return of Wet ‘n Wild toLas Vegas. Scheduled to open in May2013, the $50 million, 41-acre water-park will occupy land leased from theHoward Hughes Corporation at 7055

    S. Fort Apache Rd. Village Roadshowwill hold a 51-percent stake in the com-pany; other investors include tennisstars Ste Graf and Las Vegas nativeAndre Agassi, the Thomas and MackDevelopment Group, and SPB Capi-tal Partners. Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas isexpected to have more than 25 slidesand attractions including a number ofhigh-prole slides from WhiteWater.Among the proposed slides are NorthAmerica’s rst Rattler, a Constrictor,Bowl Slide, Boomerango, and speedslides with an AquaLaunch trapdoorrelease. Other attractions expected area wave pool, lazy river and AquaPlaystructure.

    On October 17, Village Roadshowsigned an agreement with Hong Kong-

     based Guangzhou R&F Properties ofChina to create a 3.5 billion yuan (U.S.$568 million) resort on the tourist is-land of Hainan, China. The resort willencompass Hainan R&F Ocean Para-dise, a marine-life park, and a HainanWet ‘n’ Wild waterpark. The initialterms have Village Roadshow design-ing, developing and constructing bothparks. The company will not have any

    ownership in the park but the ament gives it exclusive rights terate the parks for a minimum years collecting management fewell as performance-based incefees. Both parks are scheduled toin 2015. Details of the attractionsuppliers for the Hainan project yet to be released.

    Above, this overview of Wet ‘n’ Wild Lagas shows the layout of what the newwill look like when it opens next Maylow, the interactive play structure willvide added wet thrills. The slides antractions for the park are being supplieWhiteWater West.COURTESY VILLAGE ROADSHOW

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