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![3D""=20](3D"http://www.iaapa.org/industry/funworld/2009/apr/departments/images=)
Alton Towers Monorail Gets Dazzling=20
Makeover
ALTON TOWERS RESORT IN STAFFORD, UNITED KINGDOM, commissioned =
Sarner=20
Ltd., of Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, to =
refurbish its=20
monorail trains, and the results are quite spectacular. The =
resort=E2=80=99s eight=20
trains ferry up to 100 passengers each between the theme =
park=E2=80=99s main=20
entrance and two hotels=E2=80=94 an eight-minute closed-circuit =
loop that is=20
popular with guests.
The makeover of the trains involved =
what the resort=20
called a =E2=80=9C360- degree redesign,=E2=80=9D with a different =
creative theme for each=20
train. It consisted of a complete =E2=80=9Cvisual wrap=E2=80=9D of =
the trains=E2=80=99 exteriors=20
with color-coordinated interior designs. The visual transformation =
has=20
been accompanied by themed audio playing throughout the ride on =
each=20
train.
=E2=80=9CSarner worked closely with the creative =
director for=20
Merlin [Entertainments Group, park owner], Candy Holland, and the =
Alton=20
Towers Resort marketing department to determine a list of possible =
design=20
themes for the trains that reflected their proposition of being =
=E2=80=98Britain=E2=80=99s=20
Most Fantastical Experience,=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D Matthew Ringland, =
Sarner=E2=80=99s art director,=20
told FUNWORLD. =E2=80=9COf more than 20 ideas tabled, eight were =
eventually chosen=20
to develop further. While some designs were inspired directly by =
themes=20
within the resort that guests would understand, it was felt the =
trains=20
should have a =E2=80=98sense of the extraordinary=E2=80=99 and be =
unlike any trains that=20
have been seen before=E2=80=94 something you=E2=80=99d only ever =
find somewhere like the=20
Alton Towers Resort. On a more practical level, the designs had to =
be=20
instantly =E2=80=98understandable=E2=80=99 from a distance as well =
as close up.=E2=80=9D Ringland=20
added that while the designs are bold, they are also quite =
detailed, so=20
when viewed close up, some =E2=80=9Cquirky surprises=E2=80=9D are =
revealed.
=E2=80=9CWe=20
initially looked at redesigning only a handful of the monorails, =
but once=20
we saw how amazing the first one looked we felt it was a necessity =
to=20
revamp the entire fleet,=E2=80=9D said Morwenna Angove, sales and =
marketing=20
director at the Alton Towers Resort, in a statement. =
=E2=80=9CSarner=E2=80=99s creative=20
talents have surpassed all of our expectations, and we will =
hopefully be=20
working with them again in the future.=E2=80=9D
Some of =
the themes of the=20
striking 131-foot-long trains were inspired by Alton Towers, and =
others by=20
nature. The themes are titled =E2=80=9CCaribbean,=E2=80=9D =
=E2=80=9CPirates,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CExplorer,=E2=80=9D=20
=E2=80=9CMoonorail,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CCelebration,=E2=80=9D =
=E2=80=9CDaisy,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CStrawberry Fields,=E2=80=9D and =
=E2=80=9CJelly=20
Bean.=E2=80=9D The redesign required 31 pieces of artwork for each =
train.=20
The =E2=80=9CJelly Bean=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9CStrawberry =
Fields=E2=80=9D trains are particularly=20
eye catching because of the explosions of color on their =
exteriors. The=20
=E2=80=9CExplorer=E2=80=9D train displays artifacts that reference =
some of the stories and=20
myths associated with the Alton Towers Resort.
The =
two-mile-long=20
monorail system was officially opened by famed =E2=80=9CStar =
Trek=E2=80=9D actor William=20
Shatner in 1987 and called =E2=80=9CThe Silver Ride,=E2=80=9D with =
each train being named=20
after a planet in the solar system.
Reversal of Fortune: Elephants Will Stay at Los =
Angeles=20
Zoo
INACLOSELYWATCHEDBATTLE that has pitted celebrities against the =
Los=20
Angeles Zoo and its supporters, the Los Angeles City Council voted =
11-4 to=20
allow the completion of the zoo=E2=80=99s $42 million new elephant =
habitat called=20
=E2=80=9CPachyderm Forest.=E2=80=9D
Opponents of the new exhibit included =
entertainers=20
Lily Tomlin, Cher, and Robert Culp, who said the habitat =
wouldn=E2=80=99t=20
adequately serve the needs of the animals. In December, the =
council voted=20
to halt the project. Zoo director John Lewis explained what turned =
things=20
around.
=E2=80=9CWell there were several things,=E2=80=9D =
he said. =E2=80=9COne was that=20
part of the funding for the project was a $1.2 million bond debt =
on the=20
capital bond funding. But our support organization stepped up and =
said=20
they=E2=80=99d take on that bond debt if the council would let =
[the project] go=20
forward. Also, there were animal care questions, and we were able =
to=20
answer those. Finally, the labor union stepped up and said they =
wanted the=20
job.=E2=80=9D
Lewis noted the habitat had a huge amount of =
public support,=20
and a poll of local voters found they wanted the project to move =
forward.=20
During the decisive council meeting, the zoo presented the council =
with=20
sacks containing 12,700 cards from local citizens who supported =
the new=20
habitat.
The controversy was being closely watched because =
many=20
zoos are facing pressure from activists to stop housing elephants, =
and=20
Lewis understood the significance of this decision. =
=E2=80=9CWe=E2=80=99ve been fighting=20
with these groups for over four years, the same groups that are =
fighting=20
zoos all over the country=E2=80=94we really did understand =
that,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CWe=20
came right out and said that not everyone should have elephants, =
but those=20
that do it right should, and we=E2=80=99re planning for the =
future.=E2=80=9D
Horror-Themed Roller Coaster Coming to Thorpe =
Park=20
IF RIDINGA ROLLER COASTER ISN=E2=80=99T SCARY ENOUGH for =
some park goers,=20
Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, England, has upped the =
fright=20
quotient on its new 13.5 million GBP (US$20 million) =
attraction.=20
=E2=80=9CSaw=E2=80=94The =
Ride=E2=80=9D is a 2,362-foot-long coaster=20
themed on the popular and horrifying =E2=80=98Saw=E2=80=99 =
motion picture series.=20
The Gerstlauer Amusement Rides creation opened on March 14, =
the day=20
the park began its daily operating schedule for the 2009 =
season.=20
=E2=80=9CWe did some research at the park to find =
out what movie=20
people would like as a theme for a coaster,=E2=80=9D said =
Sarah Morris, the=20
park=E2=80=99s public relations executive, =E2=80=9Cand the =
horror genre came out=20
quite high, and =E2=80=9CSaw=E2=80=9D is one of the =
genre=E2=80=99s most iconic movie=20
series. We worked really closely with Lion=E2=80=99s Gate, =
the [movie=20
series=E2=80=99] producers, on all the theming, and =
it=E2=80=99s very, very=20
accurate.=E2=80=9D
The coaster=E2=80=99s signature =
feature is a 100-degree=20
drop from a height of 100 feet, billed as the steepest =
free-fall=20
drop in the world. The park said riders, seated in cars with =
two=20
rows of four passengers, will endure =E2=80=9Cthree death =
defying=20
inversions=E2=80=9D on the one-minute-forty-second-long =
ride. =E2=80=9CSaw=E2=80=94The Ride=E2=80=9D=20
is Thorpe Park=E2=80=99s fourth major roller=20
coaster.
|
=E2=80=98Dr. Von Dark=E2=80=99s Tunnel of =
Terror=E2=80=99 Does Double Duty in=20
2009
PALACE ENTERTAINMENT OF NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA, is rolling =
out =E2=80=9CDr.=20
Von Dark=E2=80=99s Tunnel of Terror=E2=80=9D for the 2009 season =
at two of its waterparks.=20
Long Island=E2=80=99s Splish Splash Water Park and Wet =E2=80=99n =
Wild Emerald Pointe in=20
Greensboro, North Carolina, will both debut the new attraction on =
opening=20
day of the 2009 season, May 23.
The ride, provided by ProSlide =
Technology of Ottawa,=20
Ontario, Canada, has riders face-to-face on new =
=E2=80=9CWhirlyWheel=E2=80=9D tubes,=20
spinning freely while descending four stories in complete darkness =
and=20
speeding toward a giant funnel. Riders are then suddenly driven =
skyward=20
into the upper portion of the enclosed =E2=80=9CTornado =
Flume.=E2=80=9D Then there is a=20
series of 360- degree spins preceded by vertical banks. =
Brett=20
Petit, the senior vice president of marketing for Palace =
Entertainment,=20
said two things attracted Palace to the ride. =E2=80=9CWe wanted =
to be one of the=20
first to deliver ProSlide=E2=80=99s new attraction,=E2=80=9D he =
said, =E2=80=9Cand these two parks=20
are the only places in the country that will have it when they =
open. We=20
also didn=E2=80=99t have a dark attraction at either of these =
parks.=E2=80=9D=20
Petit says Palace has added a water curtain to each ride, =
on which=20
they will project all sorts of images. Palace also filmed =
storyline clips=20
that will be shown on video screens in the queue. Along with =
additional=20
theming, these extras will bring the ride=E2=80=99s cost to =
slightly under $1=20
million each.
Cozumel to Get Its First Waterpark and Theme =
Park=20
PLANS ARE UNDER WAY TO BUILD a major new waterpark and =
theme park=20
on the beautiful island of Cozumel, located off the tip of =
Mexico=E2=80=99s=20
Yucatan Peninsula. Elated Worldwide Group in San Diego, =
California,=20
is creating Mayan Adventures, a $310million project to be =
located on=20
60 acres in one of Mexico=E2=80=99s top tourist =
destinations.
=E2=80=9CWe=20
will act aggressively to ensure Mexico=E2=80=99s place in =
the world market=20
for tourism, while keeping with the tradition of the =
area,=E2=80=9D said=20
Thomas Ford, CEO of Elated Worldwide Group in a statement. =
=E2=80=9COur=20
focus will be on the future of operating competitively with =
other=20
world top tourist destinations and ensuring =
Cozumel=E2=80=99s rich history=20
is put in the forefront of every aspect of this =
project.=E2=80=9D
The=20
first phase of the development will be a waterpark, =
Cozumel=E2=80=99s first,=20
expected to open by the summer of 2010. It will contain nine =
attractions ranging from a children=E2=80=99s pirate play =
structure to a=20
relaxing beach area to waterslides and an aggressive =
whitewater=20
rapids inner tube ride. The second phase will be a theme =
park with=20
three high-speed roller coasters, one other thrill ride, one =
indoor=20
and one outdoor stage show venue, and educational =
attractions on the=20
Mayan culture. DIY Architects of Irvine, California, is =
working with=20
Elated to design the park.
Bill Fullwood, =
Elated=E2=80=99s executive=20
director of operations, told FUNWORLD the inspiration for =
the park=20
was born when the company=E2=80=99s CEO was on a vacation: =
=E2=80=9CThe whole thing=20
started with Thomas Ford taking a cruise with his wife six =
years=20
ago. They visited Cozumel and loved it, but if you =
don=E2=80=99t go diving,=20
there=E2=80=99s not a lot else to do. They saw the =
opportunity to have an=20
attraction that=E2=80=99s more than just the innate beauty =
of island.=E2=80=9D=20
Elated plans to break ground on the project this=20
spring. |
Profitable Porsche Opens $130 Million Museum
IN THE MIDST OF ONE OF THE POOREST CAR-BUYING MARKETS IN YEARS, =
Porsche=20
SE just opened a new 100 million euro (US$130 million) museum in=20
Stuttgart, Germany, near the company=E2=80=99s headquarters. =
=E2=80=9CThis is our new visiting =
card,=E2=80=9D said Wendelin=20
Wiedeking, CEO of Porsche, in a statement. =E2=80=9CWe will =
welcome our=20
international customers here, as well as many people from around =
the world=20
who don=E2=80=99t drive a Porsche themselves, but are fascinated =
by our sports=20
cars.=E2=80=9D
The museum, which opened Jan. 31, is a =
futuristic design by=20
Vienna architects Delugan Meissi and has 60,278 square feet of =
space for=20
80 vehicles, such as the 356 Spyder, the car in which actor James =
Dean=20
died in a 1955 crash, and the new generation of 911 Carrera. =
The=20
museum consists of 21,000 Cubic meters of concrete and 6,000 tons =
of=20
steel. Porsche spokesman Anton Hunger said some of the materials =
used in=20
building the museum had never before been used in modern =
construction. The=20
complex design and materials doubled the museum=E2=80=99s original =
cost and=20
delayed its completion by more than a year. But this =
didn=E2=80=99t deter Porsche,=20
which posted a record profit of 6.4 billion euros (US$8.2 billion) =
last=20
year.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission =
is 8=20
euros (US$10) for guests over age 13. Those 13 and younger get in =
free.=20
More information is available at www.porsche.com/germany/aboutporsche/porschemuseum.
Kim Possible Adventure Game Playing Out at Epcot
After almost three years in development, Walt Disney =
World near=20
Orlando has rolled out the new =E2=80=9CKim Possible World =
Showcase=20
Adventure=E2=80=9D at Epcot. The game is an electronic =
scavenger hunt that=20
takes place in seven of the park=E2=80=99s nation =
pavilions=E2=80=94Mexico, Norway,=20
China, Germany, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom. =
During the adventure game, =
participants are=20
issued mission instructions. Each country features specific=20
missions, music, and villains. If participants follow the=20
instructions, they can cause certain special effect =
surprises to=20
take place in each country, and it all happens without =
disrupting=20
the normal operational flow of the park. The missions in =
each=20
country are random and ever-changing, so if a guest does a =
mission=20
twice in a certain country, the objectives will be =
different.=20
Participants can play as individuals or as part of a group =
and do so=20
at their own pace, so they can pause for a meal or a ride on =
an=20
attraction. Playing the game carries no additional cost to =
park=20
guests.
The game was first tested for four weeks in=20
September 2006. Marilyn Waters, director of media relations =
for Walt=20
Disney Imagineering, explained the two-and-ahalf- year =
development=20
time. =E2=80=9COne of the unique aspects of bringing an =
experience to the=20
park is the amount of play-testing we do,=E2=80=9D she said. =
=E2=80=9CHere, the=20
guest is in control, so we learned a lot from that first =
test. Some=20
people want to play for 30minutes and some for four hours, =
so we had=20
to determine just the right play time. Also, we had to =
figure out=20
how to make it challenging enough for everyone, and then =
determine=20
how to make the technology that creates the experience and =
where to=20
install it. Then we have to test it again.We also expanded =
the=20
experience greatly from two to seven pavilions.=E2=80=9D =
As to=20
whether Disney plans more park adventure experiences like =
=E2=80=9CKim=20
Possible World Showcase Adventure, =E2=80=9DWaters said, =
=E2=80=9CWe will absolutely=20
continue down this path of interaction and =
experiences.=E2=80=9D
The=20
adventure is based on the internationally popular Emmy =
Award-winning=20
animated hit series, =E2=80=9CDisney=E2=80=99s Kim =
Possible,=E2=80=9D about a high school=20
cheerleader who works to save the world from=20
villains. |
Dramatic New Night Show Electrifies =
Jerusalem=E2=80=99s Tower of=20
David
THE TOWER OF DAVID MUSEUM IN JERUSALEM, Israel, which showcases =
the=20
history of the famous city, has unveiled a spectacular new night =
show that=20
highlights Jerusalem and its historical significance through a =
unique=20
multisensory experience.
Medialon, headquartered in =
Chatillon,=20
France, with an office in Miami, Florida, was selected to provide=20
multimedia control for the Tower of David night show, which =
contains=20
characters projected onto walls, bridges, archeological ruins, and =
hidden=20
pathways of the Tower of David. The show runs four times a week,=20
regardless of weather conditions. Medialon Manager, the =
company=E2=80=99s primary=20
show control system, manages the entire audio/visual system, =
including 20=20
high-definition projectors and Alesis hard-disk audio players used =
for the=20
multichannel sound track. Medialon Manager is also used to =
maintain the=20
system, including correction of projector errors, lamp life =
issues, etc.=20
=E2=80=9CI would say the technical challenge for setting =
up the show=20
control was that most of the story board and final creative design =
actually had to be done on the fly, during installation,=E2=80=9D =
said Benjamin=20
Saint Girons, sales manager for Medialon. =E2=80=9CThe project was =
tied up in=20
employment delays and needed fast reaction, and this caused us to =
have to=20
program very fast, which is just part of the live event =
business.=E2=80=9D=20
Sensitive electronic equipment had to be installed in open spaces =
under=20
severe and changing climate conditions, and the work was being =
done in a=20
historic archeological site.
Medialon has also done show =
control=20
work for theme parks in Europe, Asia, and North America. =
=E2=80=9CIn general,=20
deploying massive attractions to amaze public audiences is what =
theme=20
parks are looking for,=E2=80=9D said Girons. =E2=80=9CAs per =
usual, shows are getting more=20
and more complex and creative, and involving more technologies, =
and it all=20
needs to be controlled and synchronized, and it has to be =
accessible to=20
operators who are controlling [the] shows. Multimedia big =
projections are=20
now used to shape the environment of shows, so show control is no =
longer=20
an option, but a must-have.=E2=80=9D More information on Medialon =
Manager and the=20
Tower of David project can be found at http://www.medialon.com/.
Bunker Beach Water Park Set to =
Expand=20
ANOKA COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION IN ANOKA, MINNESOTA, =
has=20
announced a $3.5 million expansion of the Bunker Beach Water =
Park=20
and has retained Aquatic Design Solutions LLC of Lakeville,=20
Minnesota, to design and engineer the project. =
Several=20
attractions will comprise the new expansion, including an=20
880-footlong, 12-foot-wide lazy river, a new slide tower =
with two=20
tube slides that empty into a plunge pool attached to the =
lazy=20
river, and a small leisure splash pool in the center island =
of the=20
lazy river.
=E2=80=9CThe lazy river =
is the main part of=20
the expansion,=E2=80=9D said Jennifer Frink, marketing and =
visitors manager=20
of Anoka County Parks and Recreation. =E2=80=9CThere will =
also be a slide=20
tower with two tube slides=E2=80=94one enclosed and one =
open=E2=80=94 that will=20
empty into the splash pool. The two water slides will be=20
approximately 200 feet long.=E2=80=9D
The expansion =
of the 6.6-acre=20
park will be funded with revenue bonds. No tax dollars are =
being=20
used, and revenues from Bunker Beach will pay off the bonds. =
Construction will begin in May, and all work will be =
completed on=20
the expansion by spring 2010, with the lazy river scheduled =
to open=20
in June of that year. http://www.bunkerbeach.com/
=
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