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Twist 'n' Mack
In the shape of SpongeBob’s Splash Bash, the Pleasure Beach in Blackpool has a world first. The new ride at Nickelodeon Land is the first Twist & Splash from Mack Rides, adding a new spin to the classic tea cups ride: water.
Branded attractions = big bucks? Think again!
For Richard Cadell, co-owner of Fun City at Brean Leisure Park in south west England, creating a branded attraction was easy –and he didn’t even need to buy a licence. Here he offers advice to other operators looking to integrate intellectual property (IP).
SATE Europe
Park World is pleased to support the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) as it stages its first ever European SATE (Storytelling/Architecture/Technology/Experience) conference next week in Amsterdam.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach - More Than Just An Amusement Park
This lavish new history of the famous UK park is published in large paperback format, totalling 144 pages.
Santa's Village Gone Wild!
Let this be a lesson to anyone closing their park for good. A titillating exposé like this could be written about your facility!
Theme Park Design: Behind The Scenes With An Engineer
This new book published over the winter is packed full of detail, though lacking in pictures.
Gain in the rain!
In the outdoor amusement industry, you live or die according to the weather. Or do you? A Swiss company is offering to insure parks and attractions against the rain. Rosanne Vandeweerdt explains.
Making money with midway games
Tim North of CG Midlands, formerly Chili Games, shares some of his wisdom from the sometimes overlooked – but potentially lucrative – part of a park’s mix: midway games.
ScareCON unites attraction operators
Europe’s only conference and trade show for the scare attractions industry returned this May at a new venue in the UK. Owen Ralph reports.
SpongePaul SquarePants
Soon after the Mall of America opened in 1992, I visited to report on the enclosed indoor amusement park, Knott's Camp Snoopy. It changed over the years and in March 2008 was re-themed as Nickelodeon Universe.
How do you expect the high cost of fuel will impact your attendance this season?
Stephen Lorton, Paultons Park, UK (pictured): I don’t know, you can look at it two ways. In some ways rising fuel costs might not be great but then again with rising air fares maybe people won’t want to go away and they’ll stay in the UK.
Hansa Park opens new coaster
A sixth rollercoaster has opened at Hansa Park in the north of Germany.
Madagascar comes to Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore was due to celebrate its grand opening on May 28, more than a year after the park entered its soft opening period.
Despicable Me at Universal Orlando
A 3D experience based around the animated film Despicable Me will open in 2012 at Universal Orland Resort, together with a high definition upgrade of Islands of Adventure’s renowned The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man dark ride.
Gary Goddard – back in the park!
Now that the $1.9 billion (€1.3bn) Galaxy Macau resort casino has opened (it debuted on May 15), Gary Goddard – pictured here on site – can get back to working on theme park projects.
WhiteWater at the zoo!
Several zoos throughout the United States have added carousels and rides in recent years, but until now few have integrated waterpark attractions.
Merlin enters Rome
Merlin Entertainments is to open a third Sea Life aquarium in Italy – the first of what could be several attractions in Rome.
New rides in Neusiedlersee
Familypark Neusiedlersee, formerly Märchenpark Neusiedlersee, has opened two new rides for 2011.
SkyCycle
From Eco-Adventure Technologies, SkyCycle will give Florida’s EcoSafaris Park a brand new way to look at nature.
KMG Mission Space
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Actually it’s the latest big thrill ride from Dutch manufacturer KMG and it debuted recently Fair in Rotterdam.
Wooden Warrior – thrill machine in disguise
Designed by The Gravity Group, Wooden Warrior at Quassy Amusement Park is a tidy 1,250-feet-long (381-metres) with a maximukm height of 35ft (10.5-metres). Paul Ruben reports.
Rainbow MagicLand opens in Rome
Europe’s newest theme park was officially unveiled during a grand opening ceremony just outside Rome on May 25.
Scream Zone Coney Island
Following the debut last season of Luna Park at Coney Island, Central Amusement International (CAI) has added a second selection of rides to this famous New York City (NYC) destination.
Nickelodeon Land opens in Blackpool
The UK’s first Nickelodeon themed area has opened at Pleasure Beach in Blackpool. The £10.3 million ($16.8m/E11.8m) Nickelodeon Land is packed with 12 rides and attractions from one of the world’s leading children’s entertainment brands.
TiLE returns to Italy
Following a record turnout for the sixth TiLEzone conference in London back in March, organiser Andrich International is planning a two-day TiLEforum conference this October in Florence.
Screamie Awards – winners revealed
The winners of the latest Screamie Awards have been revealed, recognising achievements during 2010 among haunted attractions in the UK and beyond.
Reverchon back on track
Two-and-a-half years after the demise of Reverchon International Design, a new Reverchon-designed bumper car has emerged from the French company DPR.
