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ITPS Amusement INdustry News
January 2, 2008
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Amusement/Theme Park News
No sign of tough economic times at Orlando-area theme parks Most large hotels in the core tourist area had no trouble filling their rooms, either. The nation's economic jitters that contributed to lackluster holiday retail sales in December seemingly failed to make a serious dent in year-end travel to Central Florida as theme parks filled and hotels had few vacancies.
Disneyland hits capacity and stops sales The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day traditionally is the busiest of the year for Disneyland. And this week is no different. At least three times this week, Disneyland had to stop letting new visitors in because too many people were crowding the park.
Disney-style $1.3bn Park set for approval Vietnam’s first Disneyland-style theme park in the coastal town of Vung Tau is on the verge of getting an official investment certificate. Phan Huu Thang, director general of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said the $1.3 billion project was being scrutinised by Vietnamese authorities.
Disney removes old 'MGM studio' signs, logo The transformation of Walt Disney World's third theme park into "Disney's Hollywood Studios" is already apparent, though the park does not officially drop its old name, Disney-MGM Studios, until next Monday, with the full transition still months from completion. Some signs with the old name have already been removed or painted over, including the one featuring the MGM lion trademark that had adorned the archway between the park's central courtyard and the Animation Courtyard.
Theme parks get serious in battle INVESTORS might not like to hear this, but the chairman of Macquarie Leisure Trust, Neil Balnaves, is a roller-coaster junkie. Balnaves has been in the entertainment business for over 40 years. He started Australia's Wonderland, the country's biggest theme park, in western Sydney in the 1980s. After becoming unprofitable it was closed in 2004.
Geauga Lake update: No sale over the Christmas holidays AURORA, Ohio -- No one bought the former Geauga Lake's The Big Dipper roller coaster to put under their Christmas tree. Now Cedar Fair LLC, the park's owner, has hired the Intermark Ride Group to sell the historic coaster, along with three other coasters. "I would call this the 'After Christmas Everything Must Go' sale," Richard Munch said Friday. Munch is the historian for the American Coaster Enthusiasts.
Universal Studios attraction weds technology with old magician's trick Universal Studios' new Disaster!, which replaces Earthquake!, has drawn early rave reviews. A 150-year-old magician's trick has gone high-tech to help make Christopher Walken the star of Universal Studios' newest attraction.
Bible Park developer to press for approval MURFREESBORO — Bible Park USA, one of Rutherford County's most talked about and controversial stories in 2007, appears likely to stay in the public eye in 2008. A spokeswoman for developers of the proposed Bible-story theme park in the Blackman community said efforts to make the project a reality will continue, beginning with renewed public outreach.
Cold Weather Leads to Low Turnout at Theme Parks in EP DAMMAM, 31 December 2007 — With the Eastern Province experiencing an extra cold winter this year, outdoor amusement parks have seen a marked decline in visitors during the recent Eid Al-Adha vacation, the Al-Watan newspaper reported recently. Tourism experts say the low number of visitors has little to do with the various accidents that have occurred at theme parks this year and more to do with the extremely cold weather, with families opting to visit indoor amusement parks, especially the ones in shopping malls.
Breathing Life Into Jerudong Park Brunei An estimated 10,000 people comprising families and friends made their way to the Jerudong Park Playground over the weekend. Reminiscent of its opening almost 10 years ago, the scene was that of lines of cars and scores of people heading to the theme park, proving that the park-is here to stay and will continue to provide wholesome entertainment to its visitors.
Hong Kong Disneyland kicks off recruitment drive with dancer auditions HONG KONG Oct 31 - Hong Kong Disneyland has launched its recruitment drive, with more than 1,000 people vying for 500 performer positions at the theme park, newspapers reported on Sunday.
Twists, turns in road ahead Are we in for a wild ride? The $6 million roller coaster at Waldameer Park & Water World will be the most expensive addition in the park's 112-year history, park owner Paul Nelson said. The investment might be paying off already.
Chinese rollercoaster gets stuck on loop A rollercoaster has stalled at the top of a loop at China's biggest amusement park, leaving passengers stranded upside down with their legs pointed towards the sky. Eighteen passengers were left hanging for half an hour, several metres above the park on New Year's Eve on Monday (local time) in the eastern province of Anhui, the China Daily said.
Officials circulate petition supporting theme park GRAYLING - A Crawford County group is hoping to drum up some community support for construction of a huge new theme park in Grayling Township. The Crawford County Economic Development Partnership is circulating petitions seeking signatures of people who favor the sale of 1,800 acres of state-owned land for the proposed project, called Main Street America.
John Watson: Changes to water theme park exciting The first time I visited Aquarena Springs was in summer 1962, when it was the oldest theme park west of the Mississippi River. An early settler, Arthur B. Rogers, built the Spring Lake Hotel — later called the Aquarena Inn — in 1928. Roger’s son Paul initiated the beginning of Aquarena Center in 1946 by launching the first glass bottom boat.
Guest Opinion : Finance plan for music park hits sour note Maybe it's a good idea. A music-themed amusement park in Eloy just might work. True, the park would be in the desert between Tucson and Phoenix with a limited available work force and limited infrastructure for large numbers of visitors. Still, there have been surprises before. Who could have predicted Branson, Missouri?
A Playland from the past Seattle Tucked snugly in bed, the window of his upstairs bedroom open on a warm summer night, Hal Schlegel would fall asleep to a cacophony of fun from across the way — carousel music playing, midget cars racing around a track, girls screaming while braving scary amusement-park rides. These were the sounds of his youth. This was Playland.
Waterpark News
Council to take look at Kalahari ohio park Four Fredericksburg City Council members and 10 city staff members will head to Sandusky, Ohio, this week to get a closer look at Kalahari Resorts' property there. Mayor Tom Tomzak, Vice Mayor Kerry Devine and council members Debby Girvan and George Solley all say they think seeing the resort for themselves is important as the city prepares to vote on an incentives package to help lure the resort to the Silver Cos.' Celebrate Virginia tourism development.
Water park accident leads to bill requiring insurance JOPLIN, Mo. --A state lawmaker is proposing legislation that would impose new regulations on for-profit private water parks, including the need for at least $1 million in liability insurance. The move comes after a Joplin boy drowned this summer at a local water park not covered by state regulations.
Fitchburg Water Park Plans Finalized Massachusetts The transformation of Fitchburg's Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel into a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and CoCo Key indoor water park is moving forward. A full hotel renovation will start in the spring, and the water park will break ground in 2008, according to information from the hotel.
Aquarium/Zoo News
Revelers take to parties to welcome new year Perhaps the most elegant local party was a semi-formal function that filled Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. According to aquarium General Manager Steve File, between 800 and 900 people crowded into the facility to celebrate the new year with the fishes.
Tiger Attack a Draw As S.F. Zoo Reopens? Officials preparing to reopen the San Francisco Zoo after a deadly tiger escape are worried visitors won't feel secure, though if past zoo attacks are any indication, curiosity might actually draw people in. With the criminal investigation into the fatal mauling of a 17-year-old boy on Christmas all but over, the zoo is to reopen Thursday after nine days of news reports on the horrifying attack.
Underwater aquarium coming up at Muttukadu India CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation will set up a state-of-the-art underwater world aquarium, on 15 acres, at Muttukadu in Kancheepuram district. The tourist attraction will be set up on a public-private partnership and modelled on the Sentosa Island underwater world in Singapore.
Aquarium plans 'ribbit exhibit' The Tennessee Aquarium plans to raise awareness about the extinction crisis affecting the world's amphibians by opening a "ribbit exhibit" near the end of February. The frog exhibit will feature four tropical species native to South America and Central America, aquarium herpetologist Bill Hughes said.
FEC/LBE/Museum News
The GameStar park to target retail mall locations In order to meet the demand for self-contained amusement centres within shopping malls in the Middle East, Extreme Group has developed The GameStar, a revolutionary theme park based on video gaming.
New state law requires background check on carnival ride workers CHICAGO — A new Illinois law requires background checks on workers who operate amusement park and carnival rides. Governor Rod Blagojevich says the law is designed to protect children by preventing registered sex offenders and other convicted felons from operating rides.
Seaport Looks To Shore Up Museum Attendance Officials 'cautiously optimistic' about long-term strategy Mystic — Since 1976, when 750,000 people flocked to Mystic Seaport, the museum's attendance has steadily plummeted, reaching a low of 275,000 in the fiscal year that ended in April 2007. That decline coincided with the museum losing money in each of the past seven years, including a $1.4 million deficit in 2005.
Third year lucky for the Imax? UK FRUSTRATED members of Bournemouth's tourism trade are hoping 2008 might be the year something finally happens on the site of the town's defunct IMAX. The giant-screen cinema in the Waterfront building was supposed to be a big wet-weather attraction for the resort but has been in darkness since early 2005.
Tilden Park carousel closes for repairs Renovations to take six months BERKELEY — Beginning Tuesday, the merry-go-round in Tilden Park will be closed for six months for repairs and renovations. Featuring hand-painted, carved animals and organ music, the 1911 Herschell-Spillman carousel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been in Tilden, an East Bay Regional Park, for 60 years.
Man Stabbed In New Year's Fight At Dave & Buster's Victim Hospitalized With Minor Injuries CHICAGO (STNG) ― A fight at a large Gold Coast arcade and eatery sent one to the hospital with a stab wound just before the new year began. An ambulance was sent to Dave and Buster's, the entertainment complex at 1030 N. Clark St., about 11:50 p.m. Monday night after reports of a fight and stabbing, according to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Joseph Roccasalva.
Other News
Lotte files constitutional petition over skyscraper South Korean retail giant Lotte Group said Tuesday that it has lodged a constitutional petition against the government's disapproval of the construction of a proposed 112-story building in Seoul. Lotte Group is pushing to build a 555-meter-high skyscraper next to Lotte World amusement park in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, but the central government has disapproved of the group's plan, citing safety and security reasons.
Mansfield company keeping the carousels going round and round MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) -- The carousel industry has found a niche in Mansfield, where craftsmen carve merry-go-round horses and touch up worn-out mounts. There's Carousel Magic and cross-town rival Carousel Works and even a place to see the real thing in action, Richland Carrousel Park.
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Contact:
Shawn M. Haas
Vice President of Retail, Operations and Information Technology
International Theme Park Services, Inc
2195 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45206
513-381-6131 Phone
513-381-2756 Fax
http://www.interthemepark.com
shawnhaas@interthemepark.com
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ITPS Services
ITPS provides a full spectrum of services to all types of attractions no matter the size, small to large.
Below are some of the services that ITPS' experienced team of experts can provide:
Acquisitions
Feasibility Analysis
Due Diligence Assessments
Property Valuation
Facility Audits
Concept/Design
Masterplanning
Planning/Development
Construction
Financial Development
Maintenance Programs
Executive Search
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Loss Prevention
Safety/Security Programs
Manual Development
Entertainment Programs
Long-Range Planning
Project Administration
Operational Planning
Sponsorship Acquisition
Attractions Development
Ride Bid/Negotiation
Ride Procurement
General Management
Call 513-381-6131 for more information on how ITPS can assist your facility!
25 Years...
Through the good, the bad and the ugly, International Theme Park Services, Inc. (“ITPS”) continues to provide the industry with its skilled services internationally.
ITPS celebrates its 25th year in 2008 and has served over 450 projects in over 40 countries! Considered a leader in the industry by the many companies who have used ITPS’ services, ITPS is still growing and offering its knowledge and experience to every continent. Dennis Speigel, President of ITPS, is a past president of the IAAPA and remains active on their Board of Directors. He is called upon by people throughout the industry to advise and recommend on projects. A leader today and for the future, ITPS is there when you need assistance.
Feasibility, design, pre-opening planning, business audits, on-site training and management…ITPS is still leading the industry into the future.
Leisure Capital Resources
International Theme Park Services provides merger, acquisition, financial, and strategic advisory services to public and private entertainment companies that wish to acquire or sell a business, raise equity capital, raise or restructure debt, or sell real estate.
Contact: Dennis Speigel at 513-381-6131 or Howard Kahn at affiliated Leisure Capital Resources in New York at 516-621-5183.