Amusements Worldwide

Legoland takes shape.

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - The Legoland Malaysia theme park project came closer to realisation with the selection yesterday of the first batch of model builders. Upon the completion of their 10-week training in California, the United States, next month, the pioneer group of six apprentices will design models at the theme park's model shop which will be ready in November. IDR Resorts Sdn Bhd director Zainal Ashikin Muhammad Rejab said the selection of the model builders was another step towards realising the project, which is scheduled to be completed in early 2012. "We are optimistic about meeting the deadline. The project's master plan has been completed and the groundwork for the theme park will start in November," said Zainal at the Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB) headquarters here. "As for the model builders, this is an exciting opportunity to experience the magic of Legoland California and pass on the enthusiasm and knowledge to their teammates." The second round of model builders recruitment will be in November. IDR Resorts is the project's development vehicle. It was set up by IIB and US-based Merlin Entertainments, which is the owner of the Legoland theme park brand. The 26ha Legoland Malaysia, to be located at the Nusa Cemerlang Industrial Park near here, will be the fifth of its kind in the world and the first in Asia. It is an interactive theme park for families with children aged between 2 and 12, and will be one of three major theme parks to be built in Iskandar Malaysia. IIB managing director Arlida Ariff expected the theme park to be a hit among local visitors and foreign tourists with its unique attractions. "Most other theme parks, such as those in Singapore, cater to young adults. Legoland Malaysia targets young families and, therefore, has its own niche market."

Water problem forces Frontier City theme park to close early, about 1,200 forced to leave

A problem with water forced officials to close Frontier City amusement park in Oklahoma City early.

Frontier City spokeswoman Amber Pennock told television station KOCO that the park lost water service Thursday night and the grounds were evacuated.

Officials say about 1,200 people were inside the park at the time. Employees were sent home and visitors were given a rain check for a future visit to the park.

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Splash to possibly re-open by weekend

Amarillo's Splash Water park is getting ready to re-open after a fire forced hundreds of people to evacuate and caused 50,000 worth of damage Tuesday.

Park officials hope to reopen Friday.The biggest issue is getting the electricity turned on.

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Man pleads no contest in Ohio park bomb scare

A Pennsylvania man accused in a bomb scare at an Ohio amusement park has pleaded no contest to inducing panic.

Police at Cedar Point in Sandusky accused 27-year-old Kelly Albrecht of Cranberry Township, Pa., of leaving a fake bomb under his car at the park on July 17. A bomb squad destroyed the device, which turned out to be harmless. Albrecht was arrested when he returned to his vehicle.

If convicted of the misdemeanor charge, he faces up to six months in jail.

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InBev sticks with theme

A year ago, the rumors swirled as InBev of Belgium prepared to bring its cost-cutting ways to St. Louis. It planned to rid Anheuser-Busch, its newest acquisition, of "non-core" businesses to raise money and tamp down debt. Many assumed those included Busch Entertainment, the chain of theme parks that include SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.

Maybe Shamu's new owner would be Disney? Or Universal Studios? Or a conglomerate from Dubai? The speculation was hot. And apparently ill-informed.

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Settlement hearing cancelled in Raging Rivers' negligence suit

A hearing over a proposed settlement between one of the defendants in a water park negligence suit and the family of the allegedly injured child was canceled Thursday morning.

Madison County Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder was scheduled to hear attorneys' arguments asking for approval of the settlement at 9 a.m. As yet, the hearing has not been rescheduled.

Plaintiff's attorney Thomas Maag had filed the motion asking Crowder to approve a settlement between his clients, Wendy and Gage Kerr, and defendant Vaughan Pools Inc. July 27.

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Amusement park set to open this weekend

will regain a bit of its past this weekend when the Ocean Drive Pavilion and Amusement Park opens on the oceanfront next to the Main Street Horseshoe on Saturday afternoon.

The park will offer fun for families and kids of all ages. A variety of rides, games, food and cotton candy will put smiles on the faces of locals and tourists alike.

And even better, a Ferris wheel will once again preside over the Ocean Drive waterfront just as one did in the 1950s and 60s.

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Disney CFO: Parks reservations up 'slightly'

Reservations at Walt Disney Co.'s theme parks and resorts are "up slightly" compared to last year at this time, Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs told analysts during a conference call Thursday. The quarter includes an extra week in 2009 on Disney's fiscal calendar; excluding that week, bookings are running about 7% lower than the same period in 2008, Staggs said.

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The good life in Legoland

Despite this year’s challenging economy, Legoland California continues to post excellent numbers for both Legoland and their new Sea Life Aquarium, one of several attractions the park has added over the past few years.

While Legoland won’t give out numbers specific to this park, their parent company, Merlin Entertainment Group, is reporting 28 percent annual growth in visitors for its 57 attractions. And Public Relations Specialist Julie Estrada does confirm that Legoland had its best spring ever.

“I think we really have an advantage,” said Estrada. “We’re geared to two to 12-year-olds and parents will spend money on their kids.”

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Iraqi teens visit Louisville

Teenagers from Iraq and Louisville sat around tables in the Muhammad Ali Center Monday, lunching on Mediterranean fare and casually discussing leadership, learning and life.

They toured the city, met local leaders, volunteered with area teens, sampled American cuisine and rode roller coasters at Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati.

“We have roller coasters in Iraq, but not this big, not this scary,” one student said. “It was very exciting.”

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Coney Island's odd bods not amused by revamp plan

Stephen Baker will happily lie on a bed of nails at Coney Island — it’s the approval of a new plan for the New York amusement park that scares him.

‘‘They’re going to destroy the magic,’’ says Baker, 42, resting between acts at a freak show that also features a sword swallower and ‘‘elephant woman’’.

Nearly everyone agrees that an increasingly decrepit Coney Island needs a makeover. But a plan passed by the city council on Wednesday to develop the seafront area in south Brooklyn is sparking controversy.

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See how merry-go-round horses are made, then ride one in Mansfield's Carrousel District

To a child, the only thrill greater than seeing an old-fashioned carousel is climbing aboard one of its shiny, majestic creatures. One of the best places for children of all ages to do just that in Ohio is in Mansfield, 45 minutes north of Columbus.

The city pays homage to the amusement-park ride in its Carrousel District, located in downtown Mansfield. The district features several blocks of unique shops and restaurants in beautifully restored Victorian buildings. At the heart of the area is the Richland Carrousel Park, where guests can ride an old-fashioned roundabout for 75 cents.

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Disney's D23 Expo Coming To Anaheim

Disney recently announced the launch of the D23 website, the first official community for Disney fans that will lead up to the D23 Expo in September. This innovative event will bring all things Disney to the Anaheim Convention Center and feature a collection of behind-the-scenes programs and special events at the inaugural http://www.disney.com/D23.

The Disney extravaganza will be held September 10-13, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The event is billed as "The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience," and will provide attendees with a unique Disney experience like no other in their history.

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Waterpark sector dampened by economic downturn

The US waterpark industry took a hit in the 2009 summer season, as unfavourable weather and consumer reticence brought about by the economic downturn filtered down to operators in the country.

The World Waterpark Association recently published the results of its mid-season attendance survey and found that 25 per cent of its members had experienced a rise in attendance compared to last year.

Despite this, however, 71 per cent of waterpark operators indicated that they were down year-on-year. Moreover, of those that were down, 77 per cent were down more than 10 per cent.

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Ribbon cut on new Wet 'n' Wild park

A new US$30m Wet 'n' Wild waterpark has opened in Phoenix, Arizona, US.

Located at the Adobe Dam Regional Park, the 35-acre family waterpark boasts more than 30 rides and attractions including a two-seater duelling Master Blaster uphill water coaster and North America's first six-person Family Boomerango.

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Dallas plans to give control of zoo to private society

The Dallas Zoo has long belonged to the city's taxpayers, but a plan being developed at City Hall would turn its management and animals over to the private Dallas Zoological Society before summer's end.

Under the proposal, the city of Dallas would turn over all zoo animals to the care of the Dallas Zoological Society this summer. The city would retain ownership of zoo exhibits. Mayor Tom Leppert said Wednesday that it's time to shift the zoo's operations into private hands to help the city overcome a critical budget shortfall.

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Strawberry Shortcake at Lake Winnie

There is family fun for everyone at the South’s favorite family amusement park as Lake Winnepesaukah welcomes the one-of-a-kind Strawberry Shortcake. The popular childhood icon will be appearing to meet and greet guests of all ages at Lake Winnepesaukah on Sunday, Aug. 9.

“Strawberry Shortcake is a timeless character whose adventures and stories have entertained generations,” stated Talley Green of Lake Winnepesaukah. “We are looking forward to welcoming her to Lake Winnepesaukah. Seeing her here will bring ‘berry-licious’ smiles to our guests.” Strawberry Shortcake will be appearing every hour on the hour beginning at 1 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Bring your camera! Visits and personal photos with Strawberry Shortcake are free with park admittance to Lake Winnepesaukah.

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Wilderness at the Smokies is Eco-Friendly Resort

It is only natural that a resort called Wilderness at the Smokies is doing everything it can to preserve the environment and be an environmentally responsible business. Although thousands of visitors travel from all over to experience the resort's indoor and outdoor waterparks every day, many of them don't realize all that Wilderness at the Smokies is doing to be a leader in environmental-friendliness.

The first thing many families notice when entering the indoor waterpark at Wilderness at the Smokies is that it feels like you're outside on a beautiful summer day - even in the middle of winter when it is 20 degrees outside. The see-through Texlon™ roof that covers the indoor waterpark allows sunlight and UV rays into the 60,000 square-foot indoor waterpark. The Texlon™ roof not only allows guests to tan year round, it allows real plants to thrive indoors and dramatically reduces the resort's energy consumption.

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Cincinnati zoo director helps with turnaround

It's an hour before gates open at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, and the giraffe yard looks like it's littered with oversized Milk Duds.

A trim, tanned worker wearing khaki shorts and rolled-up shirt sleeves dutifully rakes the droppings into piles, then scoops them into a wheelbarrow. By the time he tackles the elephant house -- whose residents eat 250 pounds a day and create much larger messes -- his shirt is soaked with sweat.

Visitors might not notice that the hard-working helper is executive director Thane Maynard, but his co-workers certainly do. For the past year, he's devoted Saturday mornings to lending a hand in different zoo departments.

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Fully Restored Historic Mangels and Illions Carousel Seeking a New Home

Though for the carousel, it began around 1910, it all really began for us in the late 1950s in Columbus, OH. My wife, Laura June, and I would take our son, Jeff, to a small amusement park on the east side of town. It was actually just a short distance, but back then it seemed like a day trip to get to the east side.

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SpongeBob SquarePants at Arizona Grand Resort Oasis Water Park

It is almost the end of July, which means summer is coming to a sweet and bitter end for Arizona school children. However, spontaneous summer escapades are not quite over and neither is the grueling summer heat.

Why not drag the kids out of the air conditioning, let them splash around and catch some vitamin D all while playing with the adored SpongeBob? Yes, the famous kitchen sponge is in the valley of the sun! Mr. SpongeBob SquarePants will be at the Arizona Grand Resort’s Oasis Water Park this weekend to celebrate his ten years of excellent sponge existence.

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City celebrates Kiwanis sprayground

“Awesome!’ is how 5-year-old resident Cameron Gunter summed up the city of Dunedin's new spray park.

He loved standing under the big, blue mushroom near the center of the water park because “it was like being in an umbrella with the rain coming down on you,” he said.

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Disney profit declines 26%; studio unit has loss

Walt Disney Co. said Thursday that its third fiscal quarter profit declined 26% on a decrease in advertising sales at Disney's television networks and stations, lower DVD sales and gains impacting the same quarter a year ago.

The Burbank, Calif.-based entertainment conglomerate said it earned $954 million, or 51 cents a share, compared with a profit of $1.29 billion, or 66 cents a share, in the prior year's third quarter.

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What Will Disney Earnings Say About The Economy?

Though heavy discounting drove traffic to the theme parks, the pullback in consumer spending is sure to hit theme park revenues and earnings.

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Calgary Zoo to build $24.5-million penguin exhibit by next spring

The Calgary Zoo plans to start building a $24.5-million penguin exhibit — featuring about 80 birds from four species — by next spring after the project spent months in limbo.

It’s the only piece of the ambitious Arctic Shores proposal that will be built in the near future.

Antarctic Landing will give visitors a chance to see King, rockhopper, Gentoo and Humboldt penguins at play, including a viewing area in the middle of a chilly indoor pool that allows the birds to be seen both above and underwater.

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Statesville waterpark making a big splash

Susan Hall basked in the sun and caught up on some reading Thursday while her 8-year-old son, Sam, enjoyed his favorite attractions in the waterpark at Statesville Fitness Activity Center.

She and Sam visit the park about three times a week, which is a healthier alternative to what he would be doing otherwise.

"He would be home playing video games," she said half jokingly.

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Spray park open late to beat the heat

With little relief from the heat after the sun went down last night, Jamie packed up the kids and headed to Ballard Commons to play in the water.

"We really appreciated the fountain being open late last night!” she emailed us. We spoke with Jose at the Parks Department. He tells us that the water park is generally open until 8 p.m. but “I would expect that they’ll extend that until 9 p.m.”

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AROUND THE GLOBE

Euro Disney sales slump

Theme park Euro Disney on Thursday reported a 6.9 per cent sales slide in its third quarter that it attributed a lower visitor spending and a drop in hotel bookings.

Sales in the April to June period came to 307.7 million euros (S$626 million) and for the first nine months of its 2008-2009 fiscal year, October to June, they were down 7.1 per cent to 866.5 million euros.

Sales in the theme park segment alone for the nine months fell 3.0 per cent to 482.1 million euros from the same period of 2008, reflecting a 4.0 per cent decline in spending per visitor.

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Mayor praises London's top accessible attractions

The Mayor of London has praised the London Eye and Tate Gallery after they were voted the capital's most accessible attractions in a recent survey commissioned in partnership with Direct Enquiries, The Nationwide Access Register.

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Licensed character shows performed at UK attraction

LEGOLAND® Live! My First Festival takes place annually at LEGOLAND Windsor and is the ultimate family festival.

Over the weekend of July 18th and 19th 2009 visitors were treated to live performances in the Events Arena from a host of acts including HIT and Chapman Entertainment’s TV stars Bob the Builder, Barney, Fifi Forget-me-Not, Fireman Sam and Angelina Ballerina.

Working with partners, UK costume character company Rainbow Productions delivered these 15-20 minute live shows to LEGOLAND Windsor’s family audience.

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Eco-friendly water park will open next week

Youngsters will be able to have a splashing good time alongside the Mayor of Peterborough at the grand opening of a new eco-friendly water park next week.

The £330,000 water wonder will finally be officially opened on Saturday, August 8, near the sports pavilion, in Bretton Park, Peterborough, after more than two years of planning.

It has been developed to replace the dated and often vandalised paddling pool, near Pyhill, in Bretton, as part of ambitious plans to regenerate the park.

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Marine world of fun

Take a holiday from winter: get on the plane, the train or just get in the car and spend a week or weekend in Durban.

A cold day in Durbs is a mild 19°C ; an average one a pleasant 23°C. In winter, which year after year is getting colder, this is the place to be. But apart from being warmer than anywhere else, the city has many charming and even unique activities and attractions.

But best of all, Durban has the biggest and best theme park in Africa, uShaka Marine World, which stretches from old Point Road (the infamous Red Light district) right onto the beach, with a huge extravaganza of crazy water slides and rides, aquarium pools of seals, sharks and fabulous tropical fish, all of which the children (or you) can slide, plummet down, ride or snorkel in.

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