NewsPlusNotes

Weekly Rewind 11.21.09

sabrina@newsplusnotes.com (Sabrina) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:31:00 +0000

This week brought good news for UK coaster fans. The Dreamland Trust has received a 3.7 million pound grant from the government as part of the 2009 Sea Change program, and they plan to use the money open a new amusement park on the site featuring vintage rides. The centerpiece of this unique park will be Dreamland's own historic Scenic Railway, which will finally be rebuilt after being heavily damaged in a fire set by an arsonist last year.

The L.A. Times Funland blog has gotten a hold of some concept artwork for the Big Grizzly Mountain and Mystic Manor rides slated to be built at Hong Kong Disneyland over the next few years. Brady's commentary reveals some great details about the ride experiences as well, including a scene-by-scene tour of Mystic Manor provided by none other than one of the Disney imagineers who worked on it.

Members of the Save Libertyland group were shocked and appalled to discover that the city of Memphis ripped out a chunk of the beloved SBNO Zippin Pippin this week as part of their ongoing efforts to clear the site of the shuttered park for future development. It appears there is still more than a little disagreement over who owns the classic 1923 woodie. The city claims they dug into the structure to determine whether the coaster is salvageable, but between you and me, that's a load of horse manure. Relocating a wooden coaster entails replacing the great majority of the wood anyway. What's to "salvage"? End soapbox.

The notion has been batted around for several years, but this week Jeju Free International City Development Center has stepped forward and stated that an MGM theme park will indeed open in South Korea in 2013. The park, which will be called MGM Hollywood Way, will be controlled by a consortium of as yet unnamed Korean companies, with MGM itself taking a lesser stake. It will be the first MGM park outside the U.S.

They're labeled November 2008, but that didn't fool us. ACE Western PA has posted some new photos of the construction taking place at Kennywood on the former site of the Turnpike. Looks like they're mainly just pushing dirt around right now, but they'll be pushing steel around before you know it!

An $800 million movie theme park is coming to Rome, Italy. The first section of Cinecitta World, named after the city's own Cinecitta Entertainment, is scheduled to open in 2011, with the rest of the park opening by 2014. The attractions will be themed to classic titles, including the works of Federico Fellini. While few details are being revealed at this point, it sounds like some of them could be rather...um...interesting.

In a move that could be interpreted as the beginning of the end of the Busch theme parks' dominance in the atmosphere department, the company has announced that it is cutting ties with the landscaping company it has used for more than 30 years, effective December 31. Starting in 2010, the Busch parks will maintain their own grounds. More than 250 jobs in Virginia and Florida are expected to be lost as a result, although a Busch spokesperson has stated that the company hopes to hire back many of those individuals.

The long discussed but as yet homeless National Roller Coaster Museum (NRCMA) has made up some ground this week. Amusement Today reports that the NRCMA Board has secured a building in Texas which will be used to house part of its distinguished collection of park memorabilia. Just for good measure, the organization has also secured parts of both the Texas Giant (Six Flags Over Texas) and the Big Bad Wolf (Busch Gardens Williamsburg) for the museum's archives.

The final sad chapter in Chicago's Kiddieland's history is in the process of being written. Two trains which ran at the park have been sold, and the rest of the rides are scheduled to hit the auction block this Tuesday. Let's hope they find good homes so they can live on elsewhere.

Scott And Carol Present - Friday At IAAPA

carol@newsplusnotes.com (Scott and Carol) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:17:00 +0000

Here are some more news items from the floor of IAAPA. Sally, (http://www.sallycorp.com/,) has introduced a new concept in Dark Rides. Traditionally, the riders do all the shooting at the targets but now you have to look out for the villains can strike back.

The story line is you are an energy miner bring solar crystals to Earth while being chased by a notorious band of pirates. When the pirates score a hit, sirens blast, lights flash, and even the cars can spin. With two different endings and the unpredictability of an interactive ride, it will take a while for riders to master this attraction.

The IRIS companies, (http://www.irsltd.com/,) can provide any type of lanyard, badge holder or badge reel an amusement park requires. With different options available, personal preferences can be accommodated with only one supplier. Chances are the lanyard accompanying you season pass came from that company.

Another interesting dark ride concept is from Gosetta SRL, (http://www.gosetto.com/.) Their portable dark ride features an overhead track and adds an interesting twist where the riders exit the “dark” and find themselves on the second level outside with out anything beneath them. Coming soon to a showman near you, this is a new twist on the portable dark ride.

At Maurer Soehne, (http://www.maurer-soehne.de/,) they have designed a non-inverting loop for their spinning coaster. They also announced at new train, but they are still perfecting it at it won’t be on any rides for another season or two. Couples can decide who gets the floorless or floored ride as they get on the train, which should eliminate the discussions outside the entrance to many attractions.

Not much news along with this picture. We have awarded Rides for U, (http://www.rides4u.com/,) the Scott & Carol Award for the coolest booth entrance. You almost need sunglasses, but it sure fit in with the Bright Lights theme for the show

If you walk down the strip, you can see some of Gary Goddard Entertainment’s, (http://www.garygoddard.com/,) work. They can theme even a candy store to a level that stands out in Las Vegas, no small feat.

The return of Mr. Fuzzy caused a stir on the floor. Many people stood and watched as he did his tricks, and many amusement parks and family entertainment centers appeared interested in adding him to their redemption prized options.

Premier Rides, (http://www.premier-rides.com/,) had their roller coaster chain options on display, which it amusing because none of their coasters use them, they are all LIM powered. Here is a shot of the different varieties. They also displayed their drifting car coaster, which allows the car to pivot in relation to the track.

AIMS, (http://www.aimsintl.org/,) held their recertification and other interest meetings in conjunction with IAAPA this year. They are responsible for ensuring guest safety, and by being coincidental with IAAPA, many people who never heard of the organization achieved that vital first contact.

A first time exhibitor was Alpine Products, (http://www.alpineprod.com/.) In addition to alpine slide, now they have developed a coaster product that is locked to the track, has on board sensor for an automatic collision avoidance system, and even brake lights to alert a chain of riders.

The two riders sit in tandem.

Something we are very excited about is the announcement that Six Flags has agreed to launch the first 5D-Attraction in the US as part of the Six Flags 50th Anniversary. More details will be announced later, but Scott can hardly wait. He wanted to fly over to Austria to experience the original.

So, that will do it for this IAPPA 2009, we along with the more than 23,000 attendees are breathing a sigh of relief that the marathon has been run!

Scott & Carol

Scott And Carol Present - Thursday At IAAPA

carol@newsplusnotes.com (Scott and Carol) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:24:00 +0000

What a big day at IAAPA! It started with an official Request for Proposals information session for prospective partners for the Coney Island Redevelopment Project. Many manufacturers, amusement park professionals, and former park operators were in attendance. Some very strict timelines have been established for this, with a temporary park requested for Memorial Day weekend 2010, and some more permanent attractions ready for the following year. If you want more information, it can be found here . The parcels include the former Astroland Park. The renovated Coney Island is expected to have the same unique energy as in the past, but in a 21st century format. The historic Coney Island Cyclone, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, and the iconic Parachute Jump will remain, although there are no plans to return the Parachute Jump to operational status at this time.

Something really different that will appear in a water park near you is supplied by Polin Water Parks, (www.polin.com.tr). They are introducing enclosed water slide with lighting effects. It uses natural sunlight with translucent places along the pipe that increase the sensation of speed as riders slide down the tube. No moving parts, no power requirements, and it looks nice from the outside also. Enjoy these photos supplied by Polin.

On a totally different subject, midway games, we have Catch a Fish,(www.amusementcorp.com) which uses a RFID chip that determines the winners when the fish is put into the fisherman’s basket, and performs all the bookkeeping functions besides. Everything is operated with a twenty-four volt power line to increase the safety factors, and it is attractively outfitted with LEDs that run off the same power buss. It’s fun, and kids can win a goofy hat to wear throughout the park and advertise the ride throughout the midway.

This unpainted carousel horse shows some of the intricacies that make up the just one animal on the ride. This work was done by Carousel And Carvings, Inc., (www.carouselsandcarvings.com) They make sure that all the tiny details required for an instant classic get done early in the process, taking no short cuts along the way. This finished seahorse shows just how impressive their final product is, and why they have been chosen to restore classic carousels all across the unite States. They can also supply the mechanical requirements for ride refurbishments.

The National Roller Coaster Museum had two more announcements at this years IAAPA show. Steve Martindale, Vice President and General Manager at Six Flags over Texas announced that the original signage, and some pieces replace during rehab have all been donated to the NRCM. These will be used for both preservation, and some of the duplicates will be used for fund raising. The second announcement was made by Mike Denninger, Corporate Director of Rides and Engineering from Worlds of Discovery announced a donation from Busch Gardens Williamsburg of a complete train, the front care from train two, a section of track, and both male and female uniforms from when the ride opened. Many wonderful things have been saved from the scrap yard thanks to these generous donors.

For all the technically oriented readers, here are some close up photos of the new Free Flyer, from s & S Worldwide. The open seating is designed to accentuate the feeling of flight as the coaster glides along the track. The cars have a unique air suspension system to create an especially smooth ride as the cars rotate around the center line of the track. This can be done in either direction. This ride has great capacity for family coaster and won the Best New Product Award for IAAPA 2009.

Tomorrow, more floor coverage as we close the IAAPA show.

Chessington World of Adventures 2010: Wild Asia

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:58:00 +0000

Chessington World of Adventures, Surrey, England, plans to open a new themed area in the park in 2010, named Wild Asia.

The new section will contain heavily themed landscapes and adventures, such as the Kobra, pictured here, which looked like a Wave Swinger flat ride.

A bird aviary and jungle bus tour will also entertain visitors when the area opens next year. For more details, see this article from Guardian.uk.

The park also has a teaser video up for the expansion on their official webpage, located here.

Scott And Carol Present - More From IAAPA In Vegas

carol@newsplusnotes.com (Scott and Carol) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:33:00 +0000

The slogan for IAAPA 2009 is Bright Lights, Big Show. The show has lived up to expectations, as attendance is stable and announcements are being made from the trade show floor. The kickoff event featured the All Elvis Choir and three pioneers were inducted to the IAAPA Hall of Fame.

Frederick Thompson and Elmer “Skip” Dundy were posthumously inducted, with Carol Albert from Coney Island Astroland and Charles Denson from the Coney Island History Project accepting the awards. Thompson and Dundy were the founders of Luna Park. With its foreign theming of a whimsical nature, it could make a challenge for setting the stage for our present theme parks.

The living member is Richard Castillo, who founded Xetulul amusement park and Xocomil waterpark, both located in Guatemala. He has created common bonding entertainment for all citizens of Guatemala.

A magician created IAAPA chairpersons out of thin air, and also turned scarves into birds.

The General Managers & Owners Breakfast included members of the Blue Man Group, who introduced their founder, Matt Goldman.

Goldman talked about how much in awe of amusement parks he has become since he has a 5 year old and is partnering with Universal. He says “We take maybe 6000 people and entertain them for ninety minutes. We don’t feed them, and they rarely go to the bathroom. You guys host twenty or thirty thousand every day, and you do it well enough that they want to come back. That is incredibly amazing.” His definition of good work is “High quality work adding to the social good.”

Outside the Convention Center, the weather had turned cold. A mound of snow had appeared overnight in the parking lot. School kids were taking over the Snowmagic display, some playing on the mound and braver souls even rode down the down the ramp on tubes. A few snow balls were thrown, and even flurries were in the sky.

You can go to www.snowmagic.com to see more about how this was accomplished.

Snowmaster had their machines making shapes that floated off in the breeze it was a different sight than most trade shows in Las Vegas. It has been 91 years since the show last appeared here.

Inside the hall there was lots of excitement for coaster enthusiasts.The long talked about roller museum has recently completed construction of a building.

Jeff Novotny of Larson International, www.larsonintl.com, recently donated land and labor to erect a twenty-four hundred square foot expandable repository, to house the donated materials. Chairman of the Board Gary Slade sent out a call to the amusement park industry. “We would like to see the museum make its next logical steps but we need help from the industry and parks to make it happen,” he said. “We continue to secure incredible treasures of our industry’s past while continuing our mission of bringing this history to the public. They hope to have some traveling displays and you can go the www.rollercoastermuseum.org to see when one might be coming to your area.

Our last item of today was a talk given by Peter Herschend. He talked about how the people of the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation have developed a culture of “Creating family memories worth repeating.” He cited several examples, whether it was an employee who discovers a terminally ill child in the park, and makes them a “Celebrated Person” for their visit. Or maybe a bunch of employees who find out one of their own doesn’t have running water so they all give up their day off to run the water line to the house. He says, “These are things you can’t put in a policy manual, and I consider myself blessed to be working with associates like these.” As a member of the IAAPA Hall of Fame, these are good words for other park professionals to emulate.

So the show has closed for the evening, but IAAPA has added is own form of Bright Lights to Las Vegas skyline this week. See you tomorrow.

TEA Announces Award Recipients

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:23:00 +0000

The Themed Entertainment Association has announced the winners of it's 16th annual TEA Awards during the busy 2009 IAAPA Expo in Las Vegas.

"The prestigious Thea Awards recognize and honor excellence in the creation of outstanding visitor experiences, attractions, exhibits and places. The Theas honor the vision and dedication of the project owner while bestowing and recording credits for the work of the designers, technicians, vendors and suppliers who realize the project."

Among the winners of an Award of Outstanding Achievement was Toy Story Mania at two Disney Parks, Disaster! at Universal Studios Orlando, and the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, PA.

A lifetime achievement award also went to Mark Fuller, co-founder of WET Design, the company behind some of the most amazing water fountains I've had the pleasure to see.

For a full detail of all the winners and background information on each, see this news release.

Watch Them Duel!

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:22:00 +0000

Resorts World Sentosa posted the above video on their YouTube account of the Red and Blue sides of the Battlestar Galactica coaster dueling. This is the first time I've seen the two sides of the coaster operate together. Looks pretty nice, I'm sure there's a lot more testing to do to get the timing perfect, but it looks like a great start.

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Canada's Wonderland 1981

sabrina@newsplusnotes.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:52:00 +0000

I've been blessed with uncanny good fortune in the brochure acquisition department lately. The one I'm about to share with you is such a gem, I can hardly believe that I own it! Without further ado, let's dive into this very special Canada's Wonderland brochure.

If it's glossy color photos you crave, you're out of luck. Towering roller coasters? Nada. An abundance of cheesily clad families doing their best Brady Bunch impression? Not in this brochure, my friends. For you see, it's impossible to acquire such images when the park hasn't even opened to the public yet! That's right, this is the inaugural brochure for what has become one of Canada's premier theme parks. It truly was a "dream" at the time this brochure was printed, but that dream became reality when the park opened its gates for the very first time on May 23, 1981.

As the brochure unfolds, so, too, does the dream that is Canada's Wonderland. This whimsical scene features three of the nine popular cartoon characters who were ready to greet their pint-size fans in the Happyland of Hanna-Barbera. (It also conjures up scenes from The Wizard of Oz, though I doubt that part was intentional.)

I'm not sure which area of the park this fine gentleman represents, but I'm going to hazard a guess that he hails from the Japanese Ginza Gardens found in The Grande World Exposition of 1890. In any event, he would like to inform you that Canada's Wonderland opened with value in mind. Namely, yours! A variety of ticket packages were offered, ranging from grounds admission only ($9.95 Canadian per adult) to a two-day pay-one-price package ($23.50 Canadian per adult) that included grounds admission and unlimited rides. The park planners also worked hard to anticipate all of their guests' needs, incorporating everything from a bank to a kennel into their master plan.

Waterfalls, costumed characters, rides of all shapes and sizes, a medieval castle, international shopping and dining, impressive entertainment venues, and one ginormous man-made mountain. Now that is what I call a "theme park". There were five themed areas, to be exact--the aforementioned Happyland of Hanna-Barbera and Grande World Exposition of 1890, as well as International Street, Medieval Faire, and International Festival. Of those areas, only Grande World Exposition of 1890 no longer has a place on the park map. And it's no wonder--My goodness is that a mouthful! The area is simply called "Action Zone" these days.

I'll tell you what is a wonder, though: the fact that you could actually climb that ginormous man-made mountain back then, which is aptly named "Wonder Mountain". It has since been taken over by coasters. (Boy, what a shame...) Canada's Wonderland boasted only four "white-knuckler" roller coasters when it opened in 1981, at least according to this brochure. But the identity of those advertised four is debatable, as both RCDB and other sources list the park as opening with five coasters. Perhaps they felt that Scooby's Gasping Ghoster Coaster didn't fall into the category of "white-knuckler"? Or maybe they discounted Blauer Enzian (now Thunder Run) due to its powered status? The world may never know...

As noted on the back panel, Canada's Wonderland was the product of a joint venture between Taft Broadcasting and Great-West Life. The road from vision to reality was not always easy, as Taft faced opposition from the local community on a number of different fronts. But the park's success over its nearly three decades of existence is indisputable, so I say all's well that ends well. Though many aspects of this park's fanciful theming have been lost to progress, at least we have this little paper treasure to remind us of what was.

Six Flags White Water 2010: Wiggles Water World

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Six Flags White Water, located in Marietta, GA, has announced the first Wiggles themed water park attraction for it's 2010 season.

The Wiggles Water World will cover 40,000 sq. feet and have five different interactive stations, all themed to the characters from the popular children's show. Included in the fun are:

• The S.S. Featherswoard, a 25 ft. tall interactive play structure
• Wags the Dog Kennel Slide Tower
• Dorothy the Dinosaur's Spray Garden
• Henry the Octopus's Pop Jets
• Big Red Car Slide

The park will also feature a Yummy Yummy Cafe where guests can fuel up by having a bite to eat.

Scott And Carol Present - IAAPA Special Report

carol@newsplusnotes.com (Scott and Carol) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:21:00 +0000

The Gravity Group brought a Timberliner car for display at IAAPA. It felt very comfortable, although the track length was very short on this ride.

Designed to ASTM standards, the Timberliner cars exert 50% less vertical forces and 56% reduction in the lateral forces acting on the wooden track. This should reduce maintenance costs.

The single row cars should be up to the task of tracking well on the sinuous designs that are the signature trademark of coasters designed by The Gravity Group.

Beautiful from any angle, these cars are the latest in technology, style and comfort. Let's hope we see a lot more of them in the very in future!

More Details on Beech Bend Expansion

sabrina@newsplusnotes.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:52:00 +0000

In the wake of last Friday's big 2010 announcement, Beech Bend Park has issued a press release detailing all the exciting things that are in the works for next year. The biggest news is obviously the Splash Lagoon expansion, which will include the addition of a wave pool, a lazy river, and a sizable interactive water play structure.

While the concept art hinted at this, the press release confirms that the wave pool and lazy river will work in tandem to provide guests with a truly unique experience. The wave pool, which is being designed by Family Fun Corporation and CDI, will be capable of generating eight different kinds of waves that run the gamut from tame to towering. These waves, which will be generated by technology developed by Murphy's Waves Ltd., will then flow right into the lazy river, creating a rippling motion which I imagine will be similar to that provided by Schlitterbahn's Torrent River. The accompanying tropically themed water play structure, brought to us by Fun Works Design Group, will rise four stories into the sky and feature seven slides, waterfalls, and various interactive elements.

The press release also provides more details about the brand new amphitheatre the park is building. This venue is sure to bring Beech Bend's shows to a whole new level. It will boast a 60-foot wide stage, three dressing rooms, private restrooms, and seating for 400 spectators. The park will celebrate the grand opening of the amphitheatre by adding a new musical production to its existing line-up of family favorites for 2010.

These two larger projects will be accompanied by miscellaneous upgrades throughout the park as well as the addition of two new rides--a family-size teacup ride and a children's ride sporting Quad Runner vehicles. WHEW. I think it's safe to say that the folks at Beech Bend have their work cut out for them during the off-season! Perhaps you can make their lives a little easier by helping to name Splash Lagoon's three new water rides. The press release confirms that a naming contest will be held through December 31. For more details, as well as a whole slew of photos from last week's groundbreaking ceremony, visit the park's web site.

Scott And Carol Present - Viva IAAPA in Vegas!

carol@newsplusnotes.com (Scott and Carol) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Greetings from IAAPA in Las Vegas! Arriving late last night one can see why Hoover Dam is so close to Vegas. Lights of all colors stretched for the entire horizon and just had to use most, if not all the electricity the dam provides! You can see the glow in the sky for miles, from street level it seems like it is too bright outside to sleep, so everything stays open all night. We will do some reports on Las Vegas activities outside of IAAPA, but this week will be only show coverage.

Most of the first day consists of professional seminars targeted towards specific groups. They have a Museum and Science Center group that represents edutainment, the fastest growing segment of the average family’s entertainment dollar. Many of these organizations are facing some trying times with today’s economic conditions. One of the seminars, “Metrics That Matter,” was presented by Steve Jacobson and Beech Clark, they started with an amazing fact, 35% of the top 5,000 global companies fail to make an insightful decision based on information they already have, but don’t use. They also explained the difference between a mission statement and a strategy, (a mission statement is stable and a strategy is dynamic.) They stressed that any benchmarks must be both current and accurate to be actionable.

Other interesting titles included “Not for Profit is a Tax Status, not a Business Plan,” which is oriented towards increasing revenues for organizations, “You’ve Got Mail, which advised attendees of better email marketing strategies for attractions businesses.” “Strategic Pricing With Consumer Insight,” which was a case study of Disney’s Magic Your Way Promotion and “Getting the most Bang from your investment,” which was a case study about rebranding a park with little capital investment.

A quick peek through the trade show doors showed an incredible amount of activity. Many truckloads of exhibit material have been delivered everybody was frantically putting their booths together. No place for the weak, you have to move fast and work smart to be on the floor right now. And, there were lots of activities in the outdoor exhibit area as well.

Tomorrow it will all be different. We’ll start off with our first impressions from the floor and go on from there. Sleep tight, the ride is about to leave the station!

A Giant Falls

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0000

The demolition work on Six Flags Over Texas' Texas Giant wooden roller coaster started today with a ceremony at the theme park. The Star-Telegram has a nice video of the first section of supports coming down, available here.

The ride will be closed for the 2010 season, and when it reopens in 2011 it will be "steeper, faster, and loaded with special effects" says park President Steve Martindale. Also revealed is that most of the ride's structure will remain in place, and they estimate about 15% of the ride's configuration will be changed.

Hershey Park 1989 Map Part 2

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:03:00 +0000

Here's the top half of that 1989 Hershey Park souvenir map we were looking at yesterday:

Since the park was smaller back then, it was easier to fit nicely into one big rectangle... that would be considerably more difficult now with the addition of Midway America and The Boardwalk. Other highlights...

• Superdooperlooper is still in it's brown color scheme, not the current dark blue hues.

• Where are all the coasters!? No Storm Runner, Great Bear, Fahrenheit, Sidewinder, Roller Soaker, Wildcat, Wild Mouse, or Lightning Racer.

• Canyon River Rapids is still shown, which was pretty much the end of the park in those days. Frontier Shoot Out wet/dry slides were also still standing, making that corner of the park the 'wet area' as it was.

• Tower Plaza was the name of the area that eventually became Minetown when it was greatly expanded in 1990.

Hershey Park 1989 Map Part 1

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:13:00 +0000

We're entering the slow news time of the year, which also doubles as a great time to feature some older relics I have around, like this Hershey Park souvenir map from 1989.

You can scour the map and check things out on your own, as I left it rather large if you click it. Here's some highlights though.

• Check out that Puppet Playhouse in Tudor Square before you even enter the park! I have no memory of that... though it does stir memories of Idlewild for some reason.

• The park's original Sky Ride is still leaving the station on its journey from Rhineland. It was removed from the park around 1992, but you can still see the station building when you visit.

• The Giant Wheel is also still in operation in the Carrousel Circle area, now known as Founder's Circle after Mr. Hershey himself. The Giant Wheel lasted at the park until 2004.

• The Rotor is still spinning guests round'n'round in the shadow of Comet's lift hill. The ride was eventually replaced by a Tilt-A-Whirl.

• Cyclops is still keeping it's one eye on guests at the park, which it did until 2002 when The Claw took over it's home.

• You can play a sort of "Where's Waldo" with the Hershey candy characters on this map, at a glance I see two of them in this section. There's also a fish jumping straight up out of the water midstream!

There's plenty more gems to be found in the map if you look close - I'll post the top half tomorrow!

Coney Island Gets Early Christmas Gift

sabrina@newsplusnotes.com (Sabrina) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:44:00 +0000

The Grinch who stole Coney Island has given part of it back! After gobbling up parcel after parcel of precious real estate over the past four years and failing to establish any semblance of a permanent business on any of them, Thor Equities CEO Joe Sitt has finally agreed to sell a portion of his holdings back to the City.

The stand-off between Sitt and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a long and frustrating one. Even after the City's hotly debated redevelopment plan was approved this past summer, it was unclear whether their ambitious plans would ever come to fruition due to the smattering of Thor properties that were located right in the heart of the amusement district. But after a year of failed negotiations between the two parties, it was announced on Thursday that Sitt has agreed to sell approximately seven acres of prime real estate to the City for a cool $95.6 million. The parcels changing hands include the former site of Astroland as well as a couple other half-block sites located between the boardwalk and Surf Avenue. Both sides are said to have described the deal as a "win-win" situation.

The City is wasting no time in putting their new holdings to use. Yesterday they put out a request for proposals seeking parties who would be interested in developing and operating an amusement park and/or other entertainment venues on the three sites. Proposals are due by December 18, with one of the requirements being that the developer must have amusements in place on the former Astroland site (if not all three sites) in time for the 2010 summer season. Former Astroland owner Carol Albert previously stated that she intended to throw her hat into the ring if such an RFP were to be issued, so the chance of the storied park rising from the ashes of its former lot is a very real (though by no means guaranteed) possibility. It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out.

While local residents are cautiously optimistic about the City's "new deal", don't expect to seem them asking either Joe Sitt or Michael Bloomberg to carve the roast beast just yet. The fact remains that Thor still owns 5.6 acres of Coney Island, and even the City's plan does not prevent high-rises from springing up right next to--and possibly choking--the famed amusement district. Nevertheless, nobody disputes the fact that this week's agreement is a step in the right direction. The Mayor has promised that Coney Island will "be back" in 2010. I hope he's right!

Weekly Rewind 11.14.09

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Lots of drama going on with Kings Island's Son of Beast wooden roller coaster, but I wanted to point out that the Dayton Daily News has some interesting photos up of the ride through the years. They range from construction, before loop era, after loop era, and more.

The quest to reopen Six Flags New Orleans continues to get more twisted. Nickelodeon ended their licensing agreement with Southern Star Amusements, and then SSA offered to outright buy the park on their own.

Paulton's Park attempts to gain permission to keep their Cobra roller coaster open after being told they didn't have permission to build that ride, along with another one named the Edge.

Getting closer to finishing their financial reorganization, Six Flags has agreed to a new plan put forth by Avenue Capital Management. It's more favorable to creditors than what was previously proposed, and hopefully it will help hasten the company's reemergence from chapter 11.

Despite excessively soggy conditions, Kings Dominion has continued to work on Intimidator 305 as best they can. The delicate process of building the ride's lift hill is now underway. New photos posted to the ride's official website.

Cedar Point has also continued work on their new water ride, Shoot the Rapids. Pieces of the steel track used for the rides lifts and drops have started to arrive on site as well.

The Disneyland Paris Resort had one of its best financial years ever in 2008, sadly 2009 is not shaping up to be quite as good. Even though the resort had a small increase in attendance, revenues were down significantly. The results are putting future expansions at the resort in jeopardy.

After being closed for a lengthy renovation, Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom is just about ready to reopen for guests. The Disney Parks Blog has photos and details of what passengers will encounter on their journey to space.

Sentosa Theme Park has some nice videos of rides and attractions at Universal Studios Singapore, including the red side of the Battlestar Galactica coaster testing. That launch up the lift looks great!

What was the mysterious second half of the Gravity Group's new add for IAAPA? Why timberliner images of course! Check it out on their website.

Beech Bend Announces Massive Water Park Expansion

sabrina@newsplusnotes.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:10:00 +0000

At a public press conference today, the owners of Beech Bend Park announced a multimillion dollar project that will see the size of Splash Lagoon water park grow by leaps and bounds. The planned expansion, which will be the largest in the park's history, includes the addition of a 275,000-gallon wave pool, a 1100-foot lazy river, and a four-story interactive water play structure. The entire project is expected to be completed in time for the 2010 season.

But that's not all! In addition to the water park expansion, Beech Bend will also be making some upgrades on the "dry" side of the park. They had previously announced the addition of a Quad Runner children's ride as well as a family-size Zamperla teacup ride for 2010, and today they revealed that a new amphitheater will also be constructed. Dressing rooms will be added as well.

These improvements will benefit not only Beech Bend guests, but the entire local economy. In addition to all the extra hands that will be required simply to make this expansion a reality, park owner Dallas Jones stated that he expects it to create approximately 50 new jobs at the park after it is complete.

According to an article in the Bowling Green Daily News, Beech Bend will be giving its loyal fans ample opportunity to participate in the fun by holding a naming contest for its three new water park attractions. The contest will run through December 31, 2009 and the winners will receive a family four-pack of tickets to the park! All you need to do is e-mail your suggestions to Beech Bend with a subject line of "contest".

It's reassuring to see that a smaller traditional park is capable of pursuing such an ambitious project in these tough economic times. I'm sure Beech Bend will release even more renderings of the water park expansion after they recover from their big day. In the meantime, you can check out the ones in the Bowling Green Daily News as well as this TwitPic link (a larger photo of the overall conceptual design) that was posted by a fan on the park's Facebook page.

A Blast From The Past - Our Magnum Finale'

carol@newsplusnotes.com (Scott and Carol) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:38:00 +0000

This week we conclude our look back over the first twenty years of Magnum XL200. We hope you have enjoyed it.

Anyone who stayed overnight that first weekend found snow on the ground when they arrived at the park the next morning. It didn’t last long according to Hward Gillooly, but it certainly was a different way to see Cedar Point. The reaction from riders was the same, and it turned out to be a great way to open the 1989 season for the park.

They set record attendance for the season. Almost everyone left smiling, except those grumbling that the park needed to be closer to their house so they could get more rides on Magnum XL-200.

The long climb up the 439 feet of track encompassing the lift hill allows plenty of time to take in the sights around the ride. The islands are easily visible and at night you can see the lights from Cleveland. With the steepest drop of its day, riding in the back launches you over the top of the lift hill.

Back in 1989, the drop seemed to last forever. Climbing up the parabola for the second hill, some have called it the world’s biggest speed bump. When it opened in 1989, the Magnum XL-200 had two of the four tallest hills on all the rest of the roller coasters in the country.

It was announced in June at CoasterMania that Magnum had given nearly forty million rides during its twenty years of operation. If you have been a Cedar Point regular, you might remember that CoasterMania first started off as Magnum Mania in 1989. By 1992, the name was changed to Coastermania, because true to Kinzel’s words (from 1989,) “Coasters are what the public wants and what brings them back. If it takes creating seven more of the next fifteen years, that’s certainly what we will do.” Continuing on to today, now with seventeen, Cedar Point has more roller coasters than any other park in the world.

Coastermania attendees in 1992 saw a terrifying site during the morning ERT on Magnum. Sections of red track were lying inside the restricted area. “Stop the train! You can’t change Magnum” became the topic of the day. Later that evening in the ballroom, Jim Colvin addressed that burning question. “We have experienced some wheel wear issues,” he said, “And we are replacing two sections of track. We didn’t want to start doing this before CoasterMania in case of any problems that would set us behind. We will start on it Monday morning.”

Ron Toomer also remembers that modification, “The engineers had put in a straight section of track, probably just to fill space. This modification allowed for a smoother transition.” After the night ERT on Mean Streak concluded, changing the Magnum-XL-200 was a non-issue.

Another issue concerning Magnum was that it was sinking. According to the park, after Sandcastle Suites opened in 1990, a paved path was built behind the beach between Breakers and the new hotel. Probably in 1998 Lake Erie experienced high levels over the winter and some winter storms tore up the path and it couldn't be used that season.

Since many of Magnum’s footer are directly behind that path, the rumor started that Magnum was sinking. Coaster message boards picked up on that and the rumor spread like a wildfire, and some times you still here it talked about today. The coaster was never in any danger, and the first hyper coaster is still 205 feet tall.

So there you have it, the history of the first roller coaster to break the 200 foot barrier. Credited with changing the skyline of parks worldwide, in some opinions the Magnum XL-200 is still one of the best steel coasters today. Now, most major parks have a coaster the size of Magnum, and some used to have one nearly that tall but with loops that have been replaced.

The Magnum XL-200 still stands tall in opinions, memories, and photographs. The descriptions and conversations condense down to one thing: you have either ridden it, or you haven’t. If you rode it many years ago, you remember how it almost took your breathe away the first time. If you haven’t, you still have a great classic coaster to look forward too when you get to the Point. Here’s to another twenty years for Magnum.

We would like to thank Bryan Edwards, Robin Innes, Dick Kinzel, and most of all, Ron Toomer for making this project possible.

Every Vote Counts

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:18:00 +0000

2008 Results

Voting has once again started in the "Best Roller Coaster Poll" for our favorite wooden ride. Dating back to 1994, Mitch Hawker's poll is widely known as the most accurate portrayal of the enthusiast community's top wooden coasters. His formula for tabulating the results takes into consideration many factors other polls ignore.

The more people that participate, the more accurate the poll is. Take the time to submit your ballot by clicking here!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Sesame Place 2006

sabrina@newsplusnotes.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:59:00 +0000

In case you missed all the fanfare on Google, Sesame Street celebrated its 40th anniversary yesterday. In honor of the occasion, I thought we'd check out the park version of this beloved classic. Commencing "sunny day" mindset...

Elmo may not have been around 40 years ago, but he is alive and well at Sesame Place today. In fact, he has become so popular with children that the park decided to add an all new Elmo-themed area in 2006.

Elmo's World was named after the popular Sesame Street segment of the same name, and represented the park's latest foray into the world of mechanized rides. Prior to the addition of Vapor Trail (a Vekoma junior coaster) back in 1998, Sesame Place featured only water rides and various types of interactive attractions. But the traditional ride selection has been growing steadily in recent years, and the arrival of Elmo's World was a sure sign that the park is interested in expanding its horizons.

Three rides call Elmo's World home: a pint-size tower ride called Blast Off, a Zamperla Rockin' Tug dubbed Peek-A-Bug, and a family favorite known as Flyin' Fish in which children can maneuver their fish-themed ride vehicles (all of which bear an eerily striking resemblance to the fuzzy red fellow himself) through an imaginary ocean. During our visit to Sesame Place this past summer, Mike and I indulged ourselves and took a delightful spin on the friendly Peek-A-Bug. We're not too proud to admit that we're just a couple of big kids on the inside!

1-2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9-10, 11 12! [*cue cheesy but endearingly familiar counting soundtrack*]

Oh, don't mind me--I'm just counting all the rides and attractions that Sesame Place has to offer! This page focuses on all the traditional rides the park has added over the past decade. And yes, fellow coaster junkies, that includes Super Grover's Vapor Trail coaster! Since it's a junior coaster as opposed to a kiddie coaster, park guests of all ages are welcome to ride. The only stipulation is that you have to wear a helmet and a cape, just like Super Grover... Kidding, kidding! [But it goes without saying that I personally would be more than willing to do so.]

Water slides began appearing at Sesame Place in 1983, and they continue to be a big hit. The park features everything from water play structures to a lazy river to traditional tube slides.

Don't forget the "star" attractions at this park--its characters! You can meet them, get your photo taken with them, and even dine with them. Or, if you're more of the "spectator" type, you can sit back and relax as they perform for you in one of Sesame Place's many shows.

I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that the Elmo cupcakes which occupy a prominent position on the lunch table in the lower right-hand corner look just like the Elmo cupcake I enjoyed at Busch Gardens Williamsburg this summer. Judging from the deliciousness of my experience, I feel confident in assuring you that the cupcakes served up by Sesame Place are just as good!

Check out the size of this park! It seems our little Sesame Place is all grown up, no? It also seems as though Super Grover has enlisted his superhero powers to morph Vapor Trail into a hypercoaster. Wouldn't that be nice! Then again, probably not at Sesame Place. I daresay the true-to-life version of this coaster is just the right size for the park's primary clientele.

Since it wasn't emphasized elsewhere in this brochure, I'd like to point out my most favoritest attraction in all of Sesame Place: Nets & Climbs! This play structure, along with the other non-mechanized activities which surround it, is among the last of this park's original attractions. It's still around for a reason, people: It's FUN!

Now that we've sufficiently "swept the clouds away", we can all return to our regularly scheduled lives feeling youthful and energized. But in case you need a double shot, you can always revisit our feature story from our visit to Sesame Place earlier this summer. The topiaries alone make it worth a gander!

What A Steal - Greezed Lightnin'

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:06:00 +0000

After Six Flags AstroWorld closed, Joyland Amusement Park, Lubbock, TX, purchased the Greezed Lightnin' coaster for the park. Sadly, they soon discovered that problems with the water table under the park would make building the ride cost far more than they were able to take on. The ride was delayed, and it was hoped a solution could be found for the ride to eventually open at the park.

Well, it looks like that quest is now over. The park has listed the coaster for sale for $399,000 - really a steal for such a classic ride. It's a Schwarzkopf flywheel launch shuttle coaster, one of only a handful still operating in the world.

While it couldn't work at Joyland I hope another park picks this one up - Joyland even went as far as totally refurbishing the trains already. It's not the biggest or most modern ride, but it could still make a huge impact for a smaller park.

The Demon Of The Dark Forest

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Alton Towers has released video and photos of the arrival of the secret "world's first" piece of their new coaster for next year. Naturally, they don't reveal much, but it's interesting nonetheless. Also, their Flickr account has some great photos of the ride taken from the air that give a good understanding of it's layout.

They've certainly got my attention!

Free Rides On Kingda Ka For A Good Cause!

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Six Flags Great Adventure will be hosting "Hope For The Holidays" on November 13, 2009 at the New Jersey theme park to benefit the Salvation Army and Toys For Tots. The event is scheduled to run from 5 to 7 p.m.

Guests may bring an item of winter clothing, blanket, shoes, unwrapped toy or non-perishable food item for free entrance to the park. Others can make a charitable donation of $5 to enter with no item.

Along with exclusive rides on Kingda Ka, the park will offer games, live radio station broadcasts, and free snacks and beverages. How amazing is it to be able to ride a coaster this late in the year in the Northeast!

November 13th will also be the day of the first Project 6, Six Flags' corporate initiative for its workers to commit a day of service to local organizations that better the community. On that day alone over 4,000 Six Flags employees will serve some 28,000 hours in their communities.

With the economy still slow and volunteerism down across the country, this is a wonderful time for Six Flags to launch this new program.

Granite Park Dead For Sure

NewsPlusNotes@yahoo.com (Mike) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:45:00 +0000

Since it's a story I've been following here on NPN since talks first started, I thought I should post the final chapter in the story of Granite Park. Slated to have 24 attractions on 10 acres of land located in Fresno, California, the theme park had a rough development history.

News of the planned park came out guns blazin' - and I was quite excited that they had purchased both the former Lightning Bolt coaster and Flume ride from the closed MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park in Vegas. I believe the developers also picked up a couple rides from the closure of Wild West World as well.

The main guy behind the plans was developer Milt Barbis, and he's now officially declared personal bankruptcy, effectively ending any hope of the park to ever see the light of day. The rides from MGM Grand Adventures are once again listed for sale in industry magazines.

Here's hoping they find a good home some day! There's a lot of good deals out there right now for used rides...