Roaring Timbers debuts at

Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park

AT: Tim Baldwin

tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com

PHÚ QUÕC, Vietnam — Opened February 1, Vietnam’s first and only wooden roller coaster is a twisted marvel. Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park has some unique attributes as well — the biggest is that it is on an island in the Gulf of Thailand in which visitors can only reach it by cable car or boat. The world-record cable car system is nearly five miles long. Once visitors arrive at Hon Thom Island, they experience a tropical paradise.

Attractions are not plentiful, as compared with actual theme parks spread throughout the globe, but Roaring Timbers is unquestionably the star attraction.

“With Hon Thom Nature Park, being surrounded by natural beauty and lush jungle, we thought that a wooden coaster would fit extremely well into this environment and both blend in and stand out within its environment,” said Daan Duijm, director of operations and set up, Sun World Group.

Because of the island terrain, Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII) had interesting topography in which to craft something very special. Hills and sloped embankments add to the character and flavor of Roaring Timbers.

“The terrain was a bit challenging when it came to the overgrowth of the trees, grass and shrubbery,” said GCII President Clair Hain, Jr. “However, the view is absolutely beautiful. Adding the wooden coaster to the area just made it more enjoyable.”

With more than 75 steel coasters in Vietnam, citizens and tourists are likely familiar with a roller coaster experience. A handful are installations from the amusement industry’s power players in terms of steel coasters. Most, however, are of the family variety. A woodie is a whole new animal for the people of Vietnam.

“All our visitors loved the experience; its unique in Vietnam and an experience which many visitors have only seen on TV in Europe and in the U.S.A.,” said Duijm. “It’s been great to see the look of amazement on the guests’ faces when they first see the twisted tracks made from wood, and then to see that excitement increase when their journey starts.”

The design was created and engineered by Skyline Attractions for GCII.

"Roaring Timbers was the second centerline done using some of the newer software techniques that we've developed,” said Dustin Sloane, director of creative processes, Skyline Attractions. “This allowed us to get a little more aggressive with some of the shapes and transitions in a way that we wouldn't have been able to before."

“Roaring Timbers features 14 hills and 14 exciting crossovers that pass over or under another section of track, making this one of the most twisted wooden pieces of art in the world,” said Sun World Group Chief Operating Officer Brad Loxley.

The ride stands at 106 feet tall. From the top of the lift, a glimpse of green hills and the cable car transportation system off in the distance is brief before riders entering a curving and heavily banked initial plunge. With speeds of 50 mph, passengers roar through almost 3,000 feet of track. Those who have their senses intact can see palms and beautiful views of the blue waters of the gulf just beyond the coaster. The first drop is a 106-foot curving dive.

“My favorite moment is the first big drop after the lift hill, which banks almost 90 degrees and drives you toward the ground and through the wood structure of the coaster,” said Duijm.

For Sloane, he told Amusement Today, "My favorite part of Roaring Timbers is its use of the terrain, and I like that it has a mix of classic GCII elements as well as a bit of a new-age, modern twist to it."

“Each GCII project has a unique trait since we design to the topography and utilize the area we are given,” Hain said. “Building on an island is a first for us — which we hope for many more. Once you get to the top of the lift hill and see the view: Wow!”

Enthusiasts familiar with GCII’s work will find the company’s trademark features of airtime pops, directional changes and swooping curves. Taking full advantage of the topography, several moments hug close to the ground, while other maneuvers use graceful turnarounds rising skyward. GCII’s signature Millennium Flyer trains serve as the rolling stock on Roaring Timbers. A palette of browns and earth tones accent both trains, complementing the colors of the station and surroundings. Each train dispatched can seat 24 riders.

Hon Thom Island features white sand beaches and coconut groves. The nature of the island is kept unspoiled as possible. Aquatopia, a water park on the island, opened in 2019.

Sun World, the entertainment brand of Sun Group, is a series of amusement parks and entertainment complexes in Vietnam. Under this umbrella is Sun World Ba Na Hills, Asia Park, Sun World Fansipan Legend, Sun World Halong Complex, Sun World BaDen Mountain and Sun World CatBa Cable Car.

Peppa Pig Theme Park rides inclusive, accessible

AT: David Fake

Special to Amusement Today

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Every corner of the new Peppa Pig Theme Park, which officially opened on February 24, has been crafted with preschool children in mind. From their first roller coaster rides with their parents, to free fair games for the whole family, to an all-terrain course where they can pedal tricycles through a sensory-rich trail, Peppa Pig Theme Park is full of big, “oinktastic” experiences and adventures for small children and the big adults in their family alike. There is even a colorful splash pad that celebrates jumping fun in Peppa’s favorite, “muddy puddles!”

Through every experience within Peppa Pig Theme Park, children (here referred to lovingly as “little piggies”) and their families will snort, giggle, and, for many, create their family’s first theme park memories together with the help of Peppa and her friends.

But Peppa needed a little help from more than just her friends on the Peppa Pig Show to ensure that her new park would be enjoyable, inclusive and accessible for all children.

Back in November 2021, the still-under-construction park shared its commitment to open as a Certified Autism Center to media at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando. The park, along with Merlin Entertainments, its parent company, also announced it had been working closely with Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. and Technical Park to modify the attractions coming to the park to be inclusive and accessible for all children. Merlin and Technical Park revealed its newly designed ride vehicle for Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, which allows for increased accessibility for children with wheelchairs.

The official press release from that day said, “Little piggies and their families will be able to ride to the sky to enjoy brilliant views from Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride. They will enjoy this ride from whimsical baskets crafted to look like a hot air balloon with baskets specially designed to allow children who use wheelchairs to roll into them without needing to transfer from their wheelchairs. Merlin Entertainments’ creative and project delivery team, Merlin Magic Making, along with the ride manufacturers, worked closely to develop this adaptation to a fan-favorite ride to ensure more children could experience it safely along with a grownup companion.”

In addition to Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, the park’s marquee water play attraction, Muddy Puddles Splash Pad, has also been developed with kid-friendly accessibility in mind. The ground is specially graded for wheelchair use and several heights of water play elements have been choreographed for the enjoyment of all guests and all abilities. This includes a tunnel of water hoops that can be navigated in a wheelchair and additional interactive splash surprises at varying height levels.

Back on dry land, explorers will discover additional fun adventures, sized with the same guiding principles and accessibility in mind. Children in wheelchairs can maneuver and explore the sensory-rich trail of Peppa’s Pedal Bike Tour without leaving their own wheelchairs. The enchanting, greenery-covered maze walls of George’s Fort have also been mapped out to all ADA guidelines and standards.

Even the counters for the free-to-play games in the Fun Fair section of the park have been constructed at accessible heights to be easily enjoyed by everyone.

Over at Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster, the park wanted more than a traditional oval-style children’s coaster and Zamperla’s roller coaster engineering team answered the call. They updated and expanded their classic Family Coaster by adding a kid-sized launch to the middle of the experience, making the end result a unique attraction.

Zamperla refers to this as a Family Coaster Lift & Launch 155 model coaster with one, 22-passenger train. It is 14.5 feet high, has a length of 508 feet and reaches a top speed of 16 mph. Despite its short length, there are quite a few Zamperla features and elements packed into the coaster. These include a booster tire lift, a vortex spiral, wave curves, a launch, a downward helix and magnetic brakes.

The coaster also features a transfer bench that easily attaches to the vehicle, allowing riders that require wheelchair access the ability to slide over the bench and into their seat.

“Our roller coaster division is constantly working to ensure that the largest number of guests possible can enjoy our attractions,” said Alberto Ferri, Zamperla’s roller coaster division director.

Adam Sandy, Zamperla’s roller coaster sales and marketing director, said, “This coaster saw us go back to the drawing board in a lot of ways. We not only added the launch, but there were several additional technical improvements. Our Family Coaster system now features individual lap bars, magnetic brakes, and booster tires for the lift and launch. Most importantly, the chassis saw significant improvements that reduce the cost of ownership and time required for annual non-destructive testing.”

“This project was a lot of fun,” said Ferri. “We really enjoy projects like this. This is the largest pig we have designed for one of our coasters, but our team has experience with detailed theming and it was a unique challenge. Plus, we have enjoyed updating our classic Family Coaster so it remains state-of-the-art.”

The park didn’t end its quest for inclusivity with simply providing little people and wheelchair accessibility. Peppa Pig Theme Park partnered also with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) to open as a Certified Autism Center.

To earn this accreditation, the park has conducted staff-wide autism sensitivity and awareness training and co-developed a sensory guide that features a review of every attraction, providing insight on how a child with sensory processing issues may be affected by each of the five senses.

Because all the attractions and playscapes across the park have been built with accessibility in mind, the park has also developed an accessibility guide, available for use as planning tools to help all families be aware of the many services and access options available so they can plan the ultimate day of adventure for their preschoolers. The sensory and accessibility guides are available for families at Guest Services as well as online.

What else can be experienced within Peppa Pig Theme Park?

In addition to Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, Muddy Puddles Splash Pad, Peppa’s Pedal Bike Tour and George's Tricycle Trail, George’s Fort and Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster, there are two play areas, Rebecca Rabbit’s Playground and Grandma Pig’s Greenhouse.

There are also three more ride installations, such as: Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure, Mr. Bull’s High Striker and Grandad Dog's Pirate Boat Ride.

The best part of all the attractions in Peppa Pig Theme Park is that grown-ups can enjoy each of these rides with their little ones — no child swap is ever necessary!

All ages and sizes are also welcome at Mr. Potato’s Showtime Arena for live entertainment and The Cinema, where little and big alike can catch some of their favorite episodes of Peppa Pig (or catch some Zs!).

The park’s restaurant, Miss Rabbit’s Diner, is a sit-down, quick service location that offers a menu for hungry “little piggies” and their families consisting of kid-friendly foods and adult fare. The selection of American bites offered range from classic family favorites, handheld sandwiches and snacks to an assortment of fresh healthy choices and delicious desserts.

Miss Rabbit’s Diner has plush, comfy booths as well as traditional seating inside a large, air-conditioned space decorated with all the favorite characters and scenes from the Peppa Pig show. Outdoor seating is also available with great views of the playful park including the Pirate Island Sand Play area and Peppa’s Pedal Bike Tour.

Single-day admission tickets to Peppa Pig Theme Park are $34.99 if purchased on the date of arrival and can be bundled with admission to Legoland Florida Theme Park as a Two-Park, Two-Day Ticket, starting at $134.99 when purchased in advance online. The full walk-up gate price, if purchased the day of visit is $149.99.

In addition to Peppa Pig Theme Park, Legoland Florida Resort consists of Legoland Florida theme park with more than 50 rides, live shows and themed attractions inspired by popular LEGO brands and characters, a year-round, seasonably heated water park with more than a dozen family water slides, and three uniquely themed on-site hotel accommodations. The resort is located a short 45-minute drive from Orlando and Tampa.

Starting next quarter century

AT NOTEBOOK: John W.C. Robinson, jrobinson@amusementtoday.com

So much can happen in 25 years. Think back to where you were a quarter century ago.

I was nursing my first (legal) alcoholic drinks. The box office was being dominated by James Cameron's Titanic. The world was mourning the sudden loss of Princess Diana. Harry Potter had just debuted on bookshelves.

And, Amusement Today was just starting to share amusement industry news on the desktops of industry decision-makers across the globe.

From humble beginnings as a trade newspaper to now a leading source for amusement and attractions news in print, online and via email, Amusement Today has evolved alongside the industry it serves and kept it informed.

AT shared news across the globe of the devestation of Hurricane Sandy as it washed away the boardwalks along the Jersey Shore. It worked to raise funds to help the staff of Blue Bayou Waterpark & Dixie Landin' after the devastating floods of 2016 hit Baton Rouge, Louisianna. When COVID-19 shutdown the industry, the staff at Amusement Today wasted no time in working at no cost to produce a free special edition which helped the industry share thoughts on dealing with the shutdown and getting critical information spread to park owners, manufacturers and other suppliers.

Through it all, the family at Amusement Today has grown and changed, but it remains continually dedicated to serving the amusement industry as a whole. That has not changed in our first quarter century, and it will not change in the next.

As recently as the past couple of years, our industry has proven resiliant, adaptable and a leader worldwide. Amusement Today has been proud to serve the industry along the way, and our family is eager to continue bringing the people within that industry together with information, knowledge and opportunities for comradery.

Thank you for our first 25 years!

Call to action for Ukraine

INDUSTRY VOICE: Dennis Speigel, International Theme Park Services

During the last two years, our industry has been turned upside down. We have met many challenges and we have created many opportunities, both of which continue to transpire. Just recently, the world experienced another unexpected occurrence — the atrocity that Russia has inflicted upon Ukraine and the Western world. Russia, under Vladimir Putin, has waged this barbaric, non-provoked war. The NATO members have stood strong thus far, imposing sanctions which are meant to impact Russia’s financial stability. As of today, it would appear that more sanctions are going to be levied on Russia by Western world powers, in order to further weaken their ability to destroy Ukraine.

ITPS has been contracted for work in both Russia and Ukraine. We have always explored any business opportunity that comes our way. I know from discussions and collaborations with other consultants, designers, suppliers, and vendors that the same opportunities have come their way.

In view of this recent heinous act by Russia, I call upon fellow industry colleagues to boycott any current and further work that might be underway in Russia and not undertake any new assignments until Russia stops its invasion and removes its troops from Ukraine.

40 years ago, when starting ITPS, I immediately realized that a global common denominator existed among people everywhere in the world, and that is “everybody wants to have fun,” no matter what religion, culture, geographical region or governmental restrictions might exist. People want to have fun.

Until the incredible barbarity unnecessarily put upon Ukraine by Vladimir Putin stops, our industry too should stop any and all supply of services to Russia. We are in the business of supplying fun and should keep that in mind during this tumultuous time in Ukraine.

Making concrete plans for 2022

MIDDLEBURY, Conn. — With spring weather finally settling in, Quassy Amusement & Waterpark was making headway recently on its new state-of-the-art Rocket Rapids water coaster. Construction crews were busy pouring concrete footings for the ride and associated pump house to make way for erection of the huge fiberglass elements which have been assembled adjacent to the site. Quassy opens for its 114th season on April 23 with the new ProSlide attraction, the first of its type in Connecticut, slated to open May 28 along with the rest of the waterpark and Quassy Beach. COURTESY QUASSY AMUSEMENT PARK

SeaWorld San Diego dives into 2022 season with B&M's Emperor

AT: Pam Sherborne

psherborne@amusementtoday.com

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — SeaWorld San Diego’s all-new Emperor coaster is now open to the public. Officials there say guests who have ridden the new attraction "love the ride and think it is a great addition to the park offerings."

The 153-foot-tall coaster, manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, was named by USA Today as one of the most anticipated coasters of 2022.

And it seems anticipation was high and continues to be so as positive responses continue to pour in after the initial opening.

“Emperor brings all-new thrills to the park, being the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in California and our first ever dive coaster at SeaWorld San Diego," said Jim Lake, park president, prior to the opening of the ride. "We’re so grateful to our guests for their patience and we can’t wait to have them come take the dive and experience Emperor firsthand.”

The coaster was set to open in 2020 but was pushed back by park officials due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SeaWorld announced last fall that the attraction would open in March 2022.

Annual pass members had a chance to ride Emperor ahead of the grand opening. Lake said it was great to hear all the positive feedback and enthusiasm surrounding the new coaster.

The coaster opened to the public on March 12.

The Emperor coaster was named after the emperor penguin, the largest of the 18 species of penguins found today. They are great divers, with the deepest recorded dive of over 1,850 feet. The longest dive recorded is nearly 28 minutes.

Seaworld San Diego's penguin population includes the emperor penguin.

It is befitting that the coaster uses this name as it mimics the penguin species’ underwater diving ability. Climbing to 153 feet with feet dangling in the air, riders are suspended on a 45-degree angle at the crown of the ride before plunging down a 14-story, facedown vertical drop, accelerating to more than 60 mph.

Riders also experience a barrel roll, an Immelmann loop, a hammerhead turn and a flat spin as they race along the nearly 2,500 feet of track.

Each of the floorless ride vehicles hold 18 riders in three, six-person rows. SeaWorld San Diego park officials say this is the first seating configuration of its kind in North America.

According to Tracy Spahr, SeaWorld San Diego public relations, there were really no surprise challenges during the construction of the coaster.

"There is so much planning that goes into projects of this size; there are not a lot of surprises once construction starts," she said.

The coaster site covers over 2.5 acres. The considerable planning time in this project also included time spent in this site selection.

"Multiple locations are looked at," Spahr said. "There is a large underground foundation that supports the ride, and what we have under the ground as far as utilities affect where things go almost more than where the buildings are."

Spahr said it took about five months to get the site ready.

The opening of the coaster was commemorated with a special ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Puck the Penguin, live performances by The Waddlers and the Funky Feathers leading the way for guests to take their first dive on Emperor.

Also on hand were representatives of the nonprofit conservation group, Penguins International. Seaworld San Diego has partnered with this research and conservation organization and will donate a portion of the merchandise sales to support their efforts.

SeaWorld also will donate to Penguins International a portion of the sales of the limited release of the new Hazy IPA from Mike Hess Brewing.

The new IPA was brewed for the Emperor opening season.

"We expect the release through the summertime with an option to extend beyond," Spahr said. "But as of now, the feedback has been positive and people are enjoying the beverage option at the park."

David Schutt, executive director of Penguins International, said the organization was excited about the new partnership and complimented SeaWorld on its long-time endeavors in providing important research opportunities for scientists at their facilities and generating awareness among the public for all penguins.

SeaWorld officials are urging all guests to take in the penguin exhibit while at the park.

Officials also suggest the best way to experience the Emperor coaster is with a Fun Card or annual pass.

Emperor joins SeaWorld San Diego's other coasters including: Electric Eel, a Premier Rides multi-launch coaster with twists, loops and inversions; Tidal Twister, a dueling ride featuring high-speed turns and upside-down twists from Skyline Attractions; and Manta, a Mack Rides coaster with two launches that send riders soaring and diving.

SeaWorld San Diego offers an abundance of rides and attractions along with special events such as Seven Seas Food and Wine Festival, Electric Ocean, Craft Beer Festival, Spooktacular and Christmas Celebration.

•seaworld.com/san-diego

Immersive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser delights first guests

AT: David Fake

Special to Amusement Today

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The immersive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser launched with its first paying “passengers” for a “galaxy far, far away” on March 1, 2022. The first- (and only) of-its-kind two-night hotel/immersive theater adventure vacation experience allows Walt Disney World Resort guests to live their own Star Wars stories and create memories in an entirely new and exciting way.

When the motion picture Star Wars: A New Hope (then just Star Wars) blasted into theaters 45 years ago, the movie created a monumental cultural event. The movie had its 1977 viewers asking questions such as, “what is it like to travel to a galaxy far, far away?” and “what is it like to fly on a starship?,” “to make friends with an alien?,” “to wield a lightsaber?,” and yes, even “to engage in space battle?!”

Yet, that was just the beginning. Even with fanfare around the original movie, it is safe to say that at the time no one could have guessed that Star Wars would have the power to set the imaginations of untold numbers of generations to come ablaze with these same questions. But thanks to the franchise’s beloved engaging tales of heroism, villainy, adventure, mysticism and romance, that is exactly what came to be.

Now, Disney and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser allow guests to be a part of the Star Wars universe. And finally, even if only for a couple days and nights, they get to see, feel, hear, and even taste Star Wars for the first time ever through a vacation experience far beyond anything the company has ever created before.

So, what is really like to see, feel and live Star Wars? In February, AT was given a peek into the Galactic Starcruiser experience just prior to it blasting off with those first paying “passengers.”

Simply calling it “immersive” is not sufficient. The experience truly is an adventure for which uber Star Wars fans (along with curious others with deep pockets) will be willing to shell out the cash to experience.

From start to finish, the Starcruiser experience engulfs its guests in other-worldly and believably realistic, even if contrived, interactions, not only with well-known names of the Star Wars franchise, but also new characters who are also “guests” on the ship. These guests from other planets befriend paying guests and contribute to the direction of their individual stories.

No detail was overlooked down to the fact that each viewport or “window” in the Halcyon starcruiser, including those in each cabin, has a view of the galaxy beyond, featuring ever-changing vistas and are synced to the ship’s progress from destination to destination.

Additionally, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser passengers have an excursion from the ship to Batu, the planet created as part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These two Star Wars experiences were developed at the same time and were designed to integrate with each other from the outset.

As a whole, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience is truly like stepping into a choose-your-own-adventure book, in which you get to sleep, eat and interact with an intergalactic cast of both Resistance and First Order-sympathetic characters. Almost every interaction and “task” guests experience over the 48-hour adventure in some way contributes to the over-the-top, exciting and, for some, emotional grand finale of guests’ space cruise.

Disney describes the experience this way: “Guests become the heroes of their own Star Wars stories during this two-night adventure aboard the Halcyon starcruiser, a vessel known for its impeccable service and exotic destinations. Passengers relax in well-appointed cabins, enjoy exquisite dining and out-of-this-world entertainment, experience Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in new ways, and explore the ship in search of hidden secrets and new opportunities.

Throughout the voyage, guests’ choices determine their individual stories as they interact with characters, crew and other passengers, becoming part of the action and the broader Star Wars saga. They may be asked to keep a secret, deliver a covert message, take part in a high-stakes heist, defend the ship or hide an ally — the possibilities are seemingly endless.

Decisions guests make affect how these tales unfold, intertwining with those of other passengers and well-known characters such as Chewbacca and Rey as momentum builds on an action-packed adventure that may determine the fate of the galaxy.

Star Wars is infused into every moment onboard the Halcyon starcruiser, where each detail of the experience is meticulously crafted to create a compelling, complete and all-consuming story.”

As one might imagine, this experience is a bit pricey, even by Disney standards. Cabin rates for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser begin at $4,809 for two adult guests. In comparison, cabin rates for a two-night Bahamas cruise on Disney Cruise Line currently start at just over $1,500 for two adults — more than a third less than Galactic Starcruiser.

But even though costly, there is an audience eager to fork over the high cost, and they will largely be thrilled with the return on their investment. The few that are disappointed will be the reluctant spouses or parents of uber enthusiasts.

This is not a passive experience. This is an all-in adventure. It is not intended for the not-fully-invested. Mainly because, while participation is not required, those on the sidelines will most likely find themselves lost in the storyline and/or bored, especially since here there is no pool to lounge beside or spa to visit while their “fully invested” cabin mates save the galaxy.

Yet, there is no exaggeration in stating that the experience is nothing like anything Disney has done before, that it is all-consuming, nor that it can be quite overwhelming and emotional for some.

While AT was experiencing the Galactic Starcruiser, a young family with pre-teen children were all in tears during and after the stage-worthy, if not film-worthy, finale to the experience. Afterward, when asked to what they attributed the emotional outpouring, the children expressed that they were worried about Rey when she was battling Kylo Ren. Afterall, the people they were watching were not actors to them, they believed they were now “friends,” because of their interactions throughout the experience. The adults, on the other hand, admittedly attributed their emotions to two things: First, that they were overwhelmed and taken with being a character in such an engaging and elaborate experience and story — a Star Wars story. And second, that they knew the experience and their time on the Galactic Starcruiser was rapidly coming to an end.

•starwarsgalacticstarcruiser.com

Fantasy Island adding Tilt-A-Whirl, kiddie swing and game for 2022

AT: Pam Sherborne

psherborne@amusementtoday.com

BEACH HAVEN, N.J. —
Brain Wainwright is going into his fifth season as owner of Fantasy Island, Beach Haven, New Jersey. Every year he has added a least one new ride.

This season will be a little different in as much as he isn't adding one new ride, he is adding two, a family ride and a kiddie ride. He also is adding a new game.

The family ride is a brand new, shark-themed Tilt-A-Whirl by Larson International.

"We did have a Tilt here but it just seemed like a good time to get a new one," Wainwright said. "The old one was removed and sold. The new one sits about 25 feet away where the old one was located."

Wainwright said the shark-themed ride is perfect for the park. He plans to get an additional car to place nearby for photo ops.

Hunter Novotny, Larson International, was pleased to have a shark on the East Coast. Larson had manufactured one other shark-themed Tilt, which is located on the West Coast.

Novotny said except for a few minor changes, the shark-themed ride is identical to the company's traditional Tilt.

"The shark-themed ride is a little heavier and tends to spin faster, so we had to slow the ride speed slightly," Novotny said.

New to the ride is the interior LED lighting. It is installed inside the perimeter of the fence.

"In addition, instead of the star on top of the fence, decorative fins were requested that really helped add to the theme," he said.

An additional graphic package around the ride skirting was put together by the park and Larson installed it.

Wainwright said for this season, he also replaced his older Zamperla kiddie swing ride with a brand new SBF/Visa kiddie swing.

"We took out our older water game and we have replaced it with a brand new, stand-alone water race game by Bob's Space Racers."

Aside from introducing new rides to the 35-year-old plus Fantasy Island, Wainwright has been busy with overseeing electrical work including replacing the back panels.

Wainwright is looking forward to this season after getting hit the pass couple of years with pandemic challenges.

"As did we all," he said.

Fantasy Island is a free admission park with several entrances and exits so attendance counts are difficult.

"But since we have added new attractions and special events and expanded our season, we have done well," he said.

He expects his 2022 season to start mid-May.

•fantasyislandlbi.com

Intamin supplies signature attraction to Dubai Hills Mall

AT: Tim Baldwin

tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com

DUBAI, UAE — Dubai has situated itself with numerous tourist attractions, touting theme parks, botanical parks, malls and more. With Dubai’s exceptionally warm climate, many attractions feature indoor environments. Its latest is no exception.

Dubai Hills Mall opened in 2022, and on February 17 debuted The Storm Coaster, an Intamin LSM launched coaster. This ride is a key spectator attraction within the mall. Erected beneath an enlarged dome, the ride begins with a 50-meter/164-foot vertical launch. Many coasters have launches and others have vertical lift hills. This combination of an exhilarating “straight up” launch is admittedly breathtaking.

“With a lift speed of approx. 30 mph, this vertical LSM launch coaster is the most powerful on the market with a fantastic and absolutely unmatched experience,” said Gerard Slender, vice president, Intamin Amusement Rides. “The 50 meters in height gives passengers the feeling of being rocketed right up in the sky. The building has been designed by Emaar and due to the rather tight space and their requirements for specific coaster elements, the vertical LSM launch was chosen by the client.”

Doing a vertical launch is a new feature for Intamin to add to its portfolio.

“The vertical LSM launch is technically more challenging than the common horizontal LSM launch in respect of engineering such as the accessibility of the stators, the safety rollback brakes, maintainability, etc.,” Slender told Amusement Today. “It’s amazing!”

Another unique attribute of this coaster is that it is integrated directly in the structure of the dome building, a world’s first according to Intamin. Wrapping around the interior of the building, The Storm Coaster captivates shoppers and visitors as thrill seekers soar past at 77 kmh/48 mph. Track length is 670 meters/2,200 feet — all action.

The ride sports three themed trains, each seating 12 passengers. Intamin has found great success with its ergonomically shaped seats and over the shoulder lap restraint. Fans have praised Intamin’s design for its comfort and openness, while still restraining passengers perfectly, even with the enjoyed range of freedom.

The snarled layout offers multiple elements: a steep drop, directional changes and airtime moments within numerous curves. A preshow experience sets the stage for a storm-chasing experience.

Inside, LED triangles are interspersed with the geodesic-like windows. The flashing colors of the triangles add a sleek, futuristic look to the spiraling layout within the cyclonic dome.

Dubai Hills Mall is owned by Emaar Properties. It is situated between downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina. The mall is designed with two levels and has a leasable area of 2,000,000 square feet, which includes retail, dining and entertainment. An adventure park and an aquarium are other entertainment options within the mall, as is a Roxy Cinemas.

Currently, the mall sells ride tickets in single rides, double rides or three-ride options.

Efteling opens ‘Alice in Wonderland’ inspired fairytale for anniversary

Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands — For 70 years, Efteling, the fantastical theme park located in the south of Holland, has been a place where visitors are immersed in fairytales, stories and legends. For 2022 only, as part of its jubilee anniversary celebrations, Efteling is adding a temporary fairytale to its list of story-themed attractions, which is inspired by the British children’s novel Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll in 1866.

The interactive pop-up opened on March 28 and runs through October 3, 2022. Visitors are invited to play an active role in the mad birthday tea party, hosted by the Mad Hatter and March Hare. This exclusive party takes place all day long on the Speelweide playing field in the heart of the theme park.

"Efteling is celebrating its 70h anniversary in turbulent times, so the importance of being together and escaping reality once in a while is more important than ever," explained Fons Jurgens, Efteling’s CEO. "We have consciously chosen to create a temporary, but innovative, fairytale that is about celebration. Here our visitors will be the guests of honor and play an active part in the story with the help of the Mad Hatter and March Hare."

In the attraction, visitors will go down a rabbit hole into the March Hare’s vegetable garden, where there are activities throughout the day and cheerful music is always playing. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare invite their guests of honor to the mad tea party table, laid with teacups, cakes and party hats.

Those who pay attention will see that seven chairs are reserved for Efteling’s residents. The hosts and their guests have a jolly good time while rhyming, singing and dancing. Around the party table and in a number of wondrous scenes reminiscent of the famous British children’s book, guests can take funny pictures, as well as join and leave at any time. There will be a souvenir stand and a welcoming area with snacks and drinks in the vegetable garden.

What began in 1952 as fairytale forest with ten fairytales and a playground, has grown over 70 years into a world-class theme park. Throughout the years, millions of visitors have wandered the paths of the Fairytale Forest, tested their courage on thrilling roller coasters, had their photos taken with the magic Jester Pardoes, been transported to different worlds on family attractions or stayed the night in Efteling's holiday parks and hotels.

Access to the Efteling Wonderland is included as part of the Efteling entrance ticket.

•efteling.com

Knott's Boysenberry Festival returns with flavorful offerings, entertainment

BUENA PARK, Calif. — The Knott's Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival is the park's annual food-inspired event which celebrates the Knott's Berry Farm's historic roots by highlighting the little berry that started it all, the boysenberry. Having begun March 18, the Knott's Boysenberry Festival runs a full extra week this year, operating daily through April 24, 2022.

Guests have the opportunity to indulge in a tantalizing lineup of dishes ranging from savory foods with a boysenberry twist to one-of-a-kind specialty desserts and drinks that one can only find at Knott's Berry Farm during this time of the year.

In addition to the numerous food and drink offerings, the Knott's Boysenberry Festival offers a wide selection of local crafters, live music, musical stage shows and fun activities for guests of all ages to enjoy.

This year's event will introduce entirely new food offerings featuring a selection of more than two dozen food and drink items including: crab sushi roll with a boysenberry aioli, boysenberry horchata, boysenberry rocky road brownie and boysenberry sweet tea with vodka.

Knott's Boysenberry Festival offers entertainment throughout the park. From musical performances to fun interactive games, there is something for guests of all ages to find and enjoy. Among the entertainment offerings, Knott's pays tribute to its past at the legendary Bird Cage Theatre with a special presentation of the brand-new comedy melodrama, Riverboat Revenge. In addtion, a classic returns as guests are invited to travel back to the 1980s and dance the night away to the decade's best songs at "Knott's Totally Tubular 80's Dance Party." For families, and kids, the entire Peanuts Gang take to the Calico Mine Stage to perform "Snoopy's Boysenberry Jamboree."

The Boysenberry Festival is included with admission to Knott's Berry Farm or with a special Knott's Hotel Boysenberry Package that includes overnight accommodations steps from the park, a tasting card and parking.

Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld San Antonio delights

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — SeaWorld San Antonio kicked off 2022 with a food festival packed with more flavor than ever before. This year foodies and families alike can enjoy over 100 chef- and mixologist-curated tastes inspired by cultures from across the Seven Seas. Guests can embark on an international flavor journey with all-new markets inspired by the tastes and aromas of Ireland and Sicily, joining the ever-popular Caribbean, Italy, Brazil, Asia and beyond. The event, which happens every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, began March 25 and runs through May 30, 2022.

With more than 50 fresh global cuisine tastings and 20 new menu items from around the globe, there is something to tempt every guest. In addition to the food, this year’s festival includes SeaWorld’s delicious and expansive beverage menu with nearly 50 specially curated cocktails, wines and craft beers.

New offerings in 2022 include the French delicacy of chocolate cherries and cream crepe as well as hazelnut, banana and strawberry varieties. Guests can also sip on the flavors of the Caribbean with the new Caribbean Rum Runner and Honeybee Hurricane cocktails.

•seaworld.com/san-antonio

S&S 4D FreeSpin Coaster, reimagined area freshen Kings Dominion

AT: Tim Baldwin

tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com

DOSWELL, Va. — Despite a wintery — and brief — opening on March 12, Kings Dominion is now in full swing for the spring season. The biggest change that fans and returning guests will see is the new Jungle X-Pedition area. Formerly known as Safari Village, the area contains attractions that have received a thematic makeover. Towering above them all is the all-new, 112-foot Tumbili, the latest 4D FreeSpin coaster from S&S-Sansei.

“Guests who ride Tumbili will love that it provides a unique ride experience every single time they ride,” said Chad Showalter, spokesperson for Kings Dominion. “Its maximum speed is 34 mph, but don’t let that fool you. With head-over-heels flips and drops, it’s the most interesting 34 mph you’ve ever traveled!” 

Tumbili is located where a Top Spin ride known as The Crypt operated through 2019. It becomes the park’s 13th roller coaster.

S&S introduced the 4D FreeSpin coaster, which flips riders while suspended on the outside of the rails, in 2015. Various installations have gone in around the country — as well as the globe — but this is the first acquisition by Cedar Fair. This genre of coaster uses short trains of eight riders facing each other. Throughout the journey, magnetic plates initiate flips for riders as they descend undulating track stacked on a vertical plane.

“Most of our 4D Free Spin coasters are heavily themed with well-known intellectual property,” said Josh Hays, executive director of sales and marketing, S&S. “We have been fortunate to have our rides associated with such popular IP. Envisioning a great theme without IP can be a real challenge. But Kings Dominion’s new Jungle X-Pedition area is incredible! To have Tumbili as the marquee ride of the new area is quite an honor! The coaster structure is painted to look like bamboo. It is by far the most unique paint job we have seen on any of our coasters. We absolutely love what they have done with it.”

“I’m just as excited for Jungle X-Pedition, the new area that surrounds Tumbili,” said Bridgett Bywater, general manager. “With its jungle overlays, interesting landscaping, unique culinary offerings and summer entertainment options, it’s sure to be an immersive and memorable experience for our guests.”

Two dining areas have a fresh look. What was once Outer Hanks is now the Outpost Café, with new tie-ins to the reworked land. Hungry Hippo is now the Jungle Market Eatery.

“Like all projects over the last couple of years, COVID had a significant impact on the schedule,” Hays told Amusement Today. “Fortunately for us, we were able to procure all of the materials before supply chain became an issue. Our vendors were terrific and helped us to be ready to deliver when Kings Dominion was ready for the ride. And we can’t say enough about Kings Dominion and how great they were to work with on this project. COVID forced a totally new schedule on both of us. But they were amazing to work with.”

The bobsled ride, supplied by Mack Rides in 1988, has been rebranded Reptilian and features an entirely new look (see Amusement Today MARCH 2022).

Sony Pictures, Merlin Entertainments

ink deal to bring Jumanji brand to life

POOLE, U.K. — Merlin Entertainments announced that it has entered into a formal multi-territory exclusivity agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop and operate attractions, rides, lands, retail outlets and themed hotel rooms based on the studio’s box office hit Jumanji film franchise across Merlin’s Resort Theme Parks and Waterparks in Europe and North America.

The first Jumanji experience to be launched as part of the agreement will be the world’s first Jumanji ride, which will open in April this year at Merlin’s Gardaland Resort in Italy, with a second activation already in development at a different theme park for a 2023 launch.

Merlin is teaming up with Oceaneering and Framestore for the development of the Jumanji ride at Gardaland. The attraction will be called Jumanji – the Adventure and will transport guests to the fantastic world of Jumanji, where an exhilarating adventure awaits them: a journey full of pitfalls, surprises and dangers through the wild jungle. The new Jumanji – the Adventure attraction will be a dark ride for adventure lovers of all ages, designed to appeal to a wide audience of families, teenagers and young adults. Jumanji – the Adventure will will be complemented by the simultaneous launch of fully themed Jumanji hotel bedrooms.

“We are excited to be taking our relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment to the next level with this strategic partnership,” said Mark Fisher, chief development officer for Merlin Entertainments. “Our Merlin team are already hard at work developing brilliant creative concepts, which will bring to life the blockbuster-famous Jumanji film across our theme parks and water parks. We can’t wait to deliver thrilling rides and experiences for guests and film fans alike. The game is certainly on!”

•merlinentertainments.biz

Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure adding new animals

AT: Tim Baldwin

tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com

JACKSON, N.J. — What’s old is gnu again. Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure returned on March 19 with upgrades for the 2022 season. Located next to Six Flags Great Adventure, the attraction is one of the largest drive-through safaris outside of Africa. Visitors drive at their pace through the 350-acre wildlife preserve.

“This season, we’re focused on improving the guest experience through technology, innovation and renovation,” said Park President John Winkler. “2022 will bring our largest array of enhancements in nearly 50 years.”

New animals will now engage motorists. Sawyer, a southern white rhinoceros, joins three adult female rhinos. Three giraffe calves were born over the winter. Two sable antelope calves, recognizable by their horse-like mane and tails, as well as ringed horns, will be visible, along with two red lechwe calves, identifiable by their reddish fur, white-ringed eyes andtall horns reaching three feet.

“All of our animals live at the Wild Safari year round and have heated winter housing. At the end of each season, the animals are divided by species and remain with that species until the park reopens in the spring,” said Kristin Fitzgerald, marketing manager.

“Visitors to the Wild Safari will find a smoother admission process, a fresh five-mile roadway wide enough to accommodate school buses, upgraded audio tour and amenities, and of course, an adorable collection of spring babies,” said Winkler.  

The newly paved roadway expansion will better accommodate guests who wish to tour at their own pace, as well as school buses. Educational programs have been developed by a New Jersey state certified teacher for appropriate age groups. Families visiting the attraction will enjoy a new audio tour in which carloads of onlookers can enjoy fascinating facts narrated directly to mobile devices. Eleven habitats that feature more than 70 different species of animals can be found on the audio tour using QR codes.

“The Six Flags Wild Safari operated as a self-guided drive through from 1974 to 2012. From 2013 to 2019, we featured the Safari Off Road Adventure as a guided tour from the theme park,” Fitzgerald told Amusement Today. “In 2020, the pandemic offered us the opportunity to pivot back to our original self-guided, drive-through format — a separately-gated attraction. As a naturally contact-free and socially distant experience, it has been extremely popular. It provides a nostalgic experience for many parents who enjoyed the drive-through as kids, and now they’re introducing a new generation of fans — their own children.”

Guests within Great Adventure can still purchase an opportunity to feed giraffes in a behind-the-scenes program.

In 2019, Six Flags introduced the “Save an Icon” pin. With 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Wildlife Conservation Network, the park has raised more than $50,000 prior to the beginning of this season through the pin program.

Intamin supplies Happy Valley's triple-launch coaster Light of Revenge

AT: Tim Baldwin

tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com

QIXIA, Nanjing, China — Eight Happy Valley parks have opened in China (and a ninth is under construction for an estimated 2023 opening). Operated by the OCT Group, the Nanjing property opened near the end of 2020. Despite those turbulent times, the park made its debut with four roller coasters that included two family installations from Vekoma Rides and a towering wing coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard as the park’s signature piece. Intamin Amusement Rides has recently supplied a crowd-pleaser of a roller coaster to be the park’s newest signature attraction. Just a little over a year from the park’s grand opening, Intamin’s triple-launch coaster adds another must-do to the coaster lineup.

Called Light of Revenge, the LSM coaster is intertwined with an abundance of theming and dazzling props that add to the coaster experience.

Once out of the station, a small launch sends riders out on the course. Dropping onto a long straightaway, a second launch boosts thrill seekers up to the top of a figure eight tower that offers great views for riders and captivating moments for spectators from far across the park. Throughout the ride, Light of Revenge features directional changes, more drops, tunnels, airtime hills, a single inversion and an additional rolling launch to keep adrenaline pumping. From an onlooker’s point of view, the China installation ingeniously places its zero-G roll over a pedestrian walkway adding to the visual spectacle.

Coaster connoisseurs can easily see inspiration from Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, right down to the iconic windcatcher tower. However, this new distant cousin across the globe boasts distinctive attributes to create its own signature masterpiece. Since Cheetah Hunt was built in Florida in 2011, the operators of Happy Valley not only had been able to experience it, they knew it would also be a perfect merge with the plot of land and theme they had in mind.

Track length is approximately 4,265 feet with a height of approximately 130 feet. While inspired by Cheetah Hunt, Light of Revenge boasts some added and more exhilarating moments in its customized layout.

“The client obviously had experienced Cheetah Hunt, liked it very much — as so many people do — and wanted something similar for their park, which happens with many of the more popular rides we have supplied over the years,” said Sascha Czibulka, executive vice president, Intamin Amusement Rides. “But they also had their site in mind and the intended special theming. This is how they approached us, and we then engineered a new layout that we were convinced would work well and meet all the client’s demands.”

Light of Revenge sports Intamin’s latest train design that has garnered rave reviews from both coaster fans and the general public alike. With overhead lap bars, the amount of freedom and comfort is a notable upgrade over the Florida original. Couple that with the elaborate appearance of the ride, and Light of Revenge takes this installation to a new level.

The cosmic theming for the ride was provided by Beijing Xinyilian Engineering & Consulting Co. Ltd.

“Besides the pure coaster itself is the extensive theming, which further adds to the ride experience and makes it a one-of-a-kind attraction,” Czibulka told Amusement Today. “And the theming is indeed very cool. The areas around the coaster are heavily themed with large structures to create the feeling of a real space odyssey, where the riders experience several near-miss moments.”

Another achievement of this installation is that on top of the intricate theming, the journey takes on a new quality at night. Lighting on the train streaks across the sky in the darkness..

“Light, respectively illumination, be it on the trains, be it along the track or be it off-ride is becoming a more important feature, even on highly themed signature roller coasters,” said Czibulka. “Countless light sources are placed along the track of Light of Revenge, illuminating the attraction in a variety of different colors. The four 16-passenger trains are fully themed and also have LED lights built into the chassis for an impressive spectacle when operating at night. Lights give the train a special character, and at night they are true eyecatchers for the spectators.”

The OCT Group operates 17 theme parks in China. In addition to the Happy Valley brand, OCT also has Visionland, Window of the World, Knight Valley and Fantasy Valley parks. The Happy Valley parks have a stronger emphasis on roller coasters.

Area15 coming to Orlando

ORLANDO — Area15, the award-winning immersive and experiential art, entertainment, dining and retail district, announced the debut of its second location in Orlando, Florida, in 2024.

Located off Interstate 4 in the heart of the Orlando tourism corridor, Area15 Orlando will occupy an approximately 300,000-square-foot structure situated on 17 acres, with more than 150,000 square feet of leasable retail space available.

“Area15 was built for today’s social dynamics,” explained Winston Fisher, chief executive officer, Area15. “Orlando is the ideal city for our second location, providing an ecosystem where innovative design, best-in-class attractions, integrated storytelling, monumental art installations, extraordinary technology and distinctive retail thrive together.”

Area15’s first location — which opened in Las Vegas in 2020 — has welcomed nearly 2 million visitors.

•area15.com/orlando

Five Star Parks and Attractions acquires entertainment centers in seven states

BRANSON, Mo. — Five Star Parks & Attractions, backed by Fruition Partners, has completed the acquisition of two separate companies that operate family entertainment centers in a move that significantly expands its offerings throughout the Midwest and southern United States.

The transactions combine a portfolio of five locations from Dubby’s Attractions, an admired operator in both Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and all five locations of Celebration Station. Five Star acquired The Track Family Fun Parks, a trio of FEC’s in Branson, last summer, so it now operates 13 locations in seven states.

Five Star recently acquired the five Dubby’s attractions in two of the country’s leading vacation destinations, including Xtreme Racing Center Branson and Branson Zipline in Branson, Missouri, and Xtreme Racing Center Pigeon Forge, Speed Zone Fun Park and LazerPort Fun Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The group has also acquired Celebration Station’s five FEC’s in the prime suburban locations of Clearwater, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Greensboro, North Carolina; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Mesquite, Texas.

John Dunlap, who most recently served as president of SeaWorld and Aquatica in San Diego, is leading the efforts at Five Star Parks & Attractions as the group’s newly appointed CEO.

“Delivering quality experiences so that families can make lasting memories together is at the very heart of what Five Star is all about,” offered Dunlap. “I’m delighted that we’ve added these additional assets to our portfolio.”

•fivestarparks.com

Sesame Workshop launches themed educational center

SEOUL, South Korea — Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit media and education organization, is launching its first in a series of Sesame Street-themed Educational Play Centers (EPC), interactive location-based experiences for young children that foster playful learning. Partnering with AVECS Creative Group, a Seoul-based agency, the first EPC opened in the new Lotte Department Store Dongtan in the Gyeonggi Province of South Korea on March 18.  

Dubbed Sesame Street Learn & Play, it the first of five EPCs that Sesame Workshop and AVECS Creative Group will launch across Korea over the next five years. Classes include Cooking, Science, Art, Music & Dance, and Messy Sensory Play. All activities are designed with child learning objectives which infuses hands-on learning throughout the play experiences. Décor features Sesame Street’s beloved, colorful characters and iconic scenery, making for a welcoming and immersive experience.

“We are thrilled to be launching Sesame Workshop’s first Educational Play Center in South Korea, where Sesame Street has been a beloved and recognized brand for many years,” said Will DePippo, senior director of Asia Pacific, Sesame Workshop. “We know that playful learning boosts academic skills, as well as physical and social-emotional development. We are expanding our efforts to help South Korean children become creative and engaged learners for life.” 

As location-based entertainment and demand for in-person experiences continue to grow globally, Sesame Workshop is creating a variety of in-person engagement opportunities for kids and their families. The Sesame Street EPC offers a learn-through-play model with activities such as skills classes, interactive play experiences, and Sesame Street character interactions, in addition to food and beverage, and merchandising possibilities.

“Sesame Street Learn & Play Center is a unique multi-educational play facility for children of all ages, offering fun-filled activities, recreation and play in an environment based on the philosophy of the household education brand that all Koreans love and trust — Sesame Street,” stated Park Hong-bin, CEO of AVECS Creative Group.

“Our goal at Sesame Street Learn & Play is for kids to have a positive, playful learning experience, inspiring them to become lifelong learners and helping them thrive in all aspects of their growth,” added Choi Soung-ah, executive vice president, AVECS Creative Group. “We want all kids to leave the center feeling like they were successful.”

South Korea is the first location for what the companies plan to be a multi-market approach for Sesame Street EPCs,. The companies plan to work with regional partners to customize proprietary curriculum to adapt to local cultural needs and provide interactive, playful and learning experiences which encourage children to connect and engage.

First state fair of the year has great weather and sizeable crowds

AT: B. Derek Shaw

bdshaw@amusementtoday.com

TAMPA, Fla. — “Given we are the first state fair of the new year, all eyes are on us,” said Cheryl L. Flood, CEO, Florida State Fair. Many of those eyes, 428,200 pairs of them, came out during the February 10-21 run, resulting in a 46% increase over the 2021 fair held in April. “Find Your Fun in the Sun” was the theme this year.

“We had perfect weather for our 12-day run. We had one day that was partly cloudy with small rain showers until 2 p.m., which happened to fall on the same day as the Super Bowl, which naturally has a negative effect on attendance. We have a lot of visitors who come for the Gibtown Showmen’s Trade Show and the NICA conference,” said Flood.

Frank Zaitshik, owner of Wade Shows was also pleased with the end result. “The last four days were beyond extraordinary in revenue and attendance. We had very little downtime. While we were able to man all of our rides, I wish we would have had even more staff. The successes were far, far greater than any challenges we had.” Wade brought in 79 rides, of which Powers Great American Midways had five, Wood Entertainment Company two, Gambill Amusements two, Cumberland Valley two, Sue Shorb two and Schmidt Amusements one. “We had a pretty good mix of spectacular and thrill rides. There are very few rides made in the USA that we haven’t had at the Florida State Fair,” said Zaitshik.

The most popular rides included the Sky Glider and the Electric Slide (SBF-VISA Group performance slide) and 155-foot Midway Sky Eye (Lamberink). The fair owns the first two mentioned and are managed by Wade Shows, while Michael Wood and Wade operate the wheel, which spends a great deal of time until mid-summer at Trimpers Rides, Ocean City, Maryland. The midway offered three roller coasters including Mighty Mouse spinning coaster (Zamperla), Super Cyclone (Interpark) and RC 48 (Pinfari).

“I think we did a wonderful job on of our midway presentation and our customer service, but at the same time, we have to be able to process crowds. We were challenged with the size of the crowds and the experience that they had,” said Zaitshik. “In fact, right now I’m doing a thing where I am analyzing different data from different fairs to see riding capacities and revenues and things like that and how I can improve my operation without adding to my expenses. Right now, most of our industry has said, ‘See, we proved that we could gross more money with less equipment.’ We need to improve our bottom line and the number one way we can do that is by cutting expenses. One of those expenses is don’t work more hours than you need to do efficiently, and the second is don’t put up more equipment than you need to process the money.”

Wade Shows, who first started as an independent ride operator in 1992, now serves as the midway manager, a role it has played since 2015. “Coincidentally, the fair and carnival has grown exponentially the past 31 years,” said Zaitshik.

All told, the ride midway revenue generated $5,144,225. This was the first time the fair had three days in a row of midway revenue exceeding $900,000. It also experienced the highest gate admission revenue and second-highest midway revenue in its 118-year history.

When asked about working with Wade Shows, Flood said, “Frank Zaitshik and his team always do a superior job.”

The Livonia, Michigan, operation was pleased with the fair as well. “I never met more passion for excellence than Cheryl and her crew,” said Zaitshik.

“One thing that sets us apart is we obviously are a ‘ride’ state fair, and you pay one price and all of our entertainment is free with the price of admission,” said Flood. “Tampa is a tough market with tons of activities for families to enjoy from beautiful beaches, theme parks, museums and tons of other activities for families to choose from. Kids are in school during the week, so we have to ensure the weekends count.”

The fair continued with numerous time-honored promotions such as Hero’s Day on opening day. Law enforcement, first responders, active and retired military, veterans, doctors, nurses, hospital and clinic staff got in free February 10. There were seven selected days where seniors paid $10. Two for $10 on Valentine’s Day and Two-Dollar Tuesday the next day on admission, selected rides, games and food after 2 pm. Also, there was Find Your Thrill Thursday with $15 wristbands after 3 pm, free admission for kids with a Hillsborough County Public School issued ticket on February 18 and Coca-Cola Kid’s Day on closing day for all other county students under 18 who received free admission with a valid student ID.

“Having dealt with COVID-19 for over three years, we simply messaged to our guests to take ‘personal responsibility’ when coming to the fair,” said Flood. “Patrons naturally did what they felt was most comfortable to protect themselves. We posted COVID signage, provided additional hand sanitizers and handwashing stations to support everyone’s efforts to remain safe.”

The fair used the following media mix: television – 39.8%, digital ads – 23.8%, radio 7.2%, out-of-home – 14%, print – 7% and social – 8.2%. “We continued our partnership with the advertising agency, PPK Media,” said Flood. “After managing our buy for the 2021 state fair, they recommended this mix that held a higher buy for TV and digital ads compared to prior years. As a result of their efforts, our online sales doubled from previous years.”

Each year the Florida State Fair does a fair food tour of all the new and unusual foods where fairgoers can pick up an information sheet and map of the locations at guest services booths. This year the fair had 12 new food items. The winners included: Fan Favorite – Buffalo chicken funnel cake taco from The Best Around – Mama Jane, Best Sweet – cookie dough explosion by Funky Flamingo and Best Savory – The donut dog by DeAnna’s Diner. Guests were able to vote on what is the best of the best for the new and unusual foods.

Entertainment available to fairgoers remained important. “We have one of the largest offerings of free entertainment of any state fair,” said Flood. “Some of our acts included Brant the Fire Guy, Wet and Wild Thrill Show, Cirque Ma‘Ceo equestrian show, a high dive thrill show and many strolling acts including Marc Dobson’s one-man band, Wall of Death, Mango & Dango and a strolling piano. Additionally, we had three music stages and a magic stage with acts including Jay Mattioli and Sylvia Fletcher.”

“It’s great to see the enthusiasm again from the public about enjoying outdoor events. After a year like we’ve all experienced, it warmed all of our hearts to see the smiles on people’s faces making great memories with their families. We were thankful to be a small part of that experience,” said Flood.

The 2023 edition takes place February 9-20.

•floridastatefair.com

As seen in Gibtown and beyond during Florida Week

The Florida State Fair was in full swing during Florida Week. Taking a break from the midway action are, seated, Dick Knoebel; standing Brian Knoebel; Gary Slade, Amusement Today founder and publisher; and Chris Walden, operations manager for the Florida State Fair. Behind the group is the 155-foot Lamberink Midway Sky Eye. The Knoebels are third- and fourth-generation owners of Knoebels Amusement Resort. AT/SUE NICHOLS

Amusement operator Richard Tinsley holds a picture of the CP Huntington train from Play Day Farm, during its inaugural season. The High Hill, Missouri, farm is a fall family fun center with a variety of attractions including a four and a half acre corn maze, eight family amusement rides, barnyard animals, food concessions and, of course, pumpkins. The farm has been a life-long dream of Tinsley’s. AT/GARY SLADE

A check was presented during a Wednesday afternoon reception for OABA hall of fame and pioneer recipients held at the International Independent Showmen’s Museum. From l: Doc Rivera, curator and executive director of the museum and Greg Chiecko, OABA CEO.

AT/DEREK SHAW

This chair is mine! Cynthia LaGrou Wright points to her name on an IISF high chair that she sponsored before she got married. Wright, who owns Sugar Shakers, is a food concessionaire who also helps other companies at trade shows in the off-season including Soda Parts Express and Amusement Today. AT/DEREK SHAW

Representatives of the York State Fair stopped by the Amusement Today booth on the show floor. From l: Bryan Blair, CEO and Mike Flory, concessions manager. The Pennsylvania fair runs July 22-31. AT/DEREK SHAW

At the beginning of the week, the NICA Business Expo and Fair Food food show were held for two evenings. From l: Art Rogers, Audrey Poole, Rob Berk, and Ron Porter. There were 850 people in attendance. COURTESY NICA

The 2022 group of award winners were honored at the OABA member meeting and chair reception. From l: Glenn Bergethon, Industry Pioneer Award, Mike Williams and Paul Atkins, both Hall of Fame recipients. COURTESY OABA

At the unveiling of the Showmen League of America’s new mobile trailer, President Patrick Jamieson (World's Finest Shows) made remarks at the ribbon cutting.

AT/B. DEREK SHAW

There were 10,601 people and one baby kangaroo at the IISF annual Super Trade Show & Extravaganza. Dawn Norton, with McNair Amusements, stopped by the Amusement Today booth with Skippy. The 2023 show takes place February 14-17.

AT/GARY SLADE

Riptide Race ushers in 2022 season at Aquatica San Antonio

AT: Tim Baldwin

tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Without the luxury of the more year-round climate of Florida or California, Aquatica San Antonio was one of the first water parks to open for 2022 on March 5. Early spring in Texas can have erratic weather, but Aquatica wasn’t shy about getting its feet wet (so to speak) by debuting one of the first new waterslides of 2022.

Riptide Race is the park’s newest attraction. Supplied by ProSlide, the attraction stands close to SeaWorld San Antonio’s spectacular entrance to further beckon visitors into the water park. The slide’s trio of colors of magenta, yellow and teal pop just above the central fountain between SeaWorld and Aquatica. Towering 51 feet in the sky, the dueling waterslide sets the stage for friendly competition.

“The thing I noticed is that kids are looking to race somebody,” said Byron Surrett, park president of SeaWorld San Antonio and Aquatica. “It’s all about competition but fun at the same time. We have one other double-tube ride. This is a family opportunity. It allows mom and son/dad and daughter to ride together. I've seen that; we’ve gotten a lot of positive comments. We have some high thrill rides, so this is a little more scaled down, but the family opportunity is what excites us. You have to have that mix.”

The side-by-side racing element is new for the park, as well as the city of San Antonio. Participants only have to meet the 42-inch height requirement. Single or double riders can compete. Double riders must have a combined weight of less than 450 pounds.

At three points during each race, low walls in side-by-side flumes allow competitors to look over and see the position of their challengers. The combined length of the flumes is 565 feet. The ride culminates in an 18-inch-deep splash pool.

“Our plan is to have a new attraction in both SeaWorld and Aquatica every year,” Surrett told Amusement Today. “The water park is very important to the growth of the company. It’s a very profitable operation as there is less overhead than that of the big theme parks. We want to keep it fresh and exciting.”

Riptide Race is the third new high-speed water attraction at the park in as many years. Aquatica opened in 2012 when SeaWorld transformed the existing Lost Lagoon water park built in the 1990s into a completely rethemed separate gate. Within the transformation, animals were brought in, such as a stingray encounter, expanding on the experience guests could have in a water park setting.

The San Antonio facility followed in the footsteps of Aquatica Orlando, where Riptide Race opened last year and was a finalist in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards for Best New Ride in a Water Park.

Riptide Race is the seventh slide tower erected at the park, in addition to the wave pool and other family attractions, rivers and pools.

“The area it is in was an aviary. We never got a kick from it that we had hoped,” said Surrett. “The only thing up in that part of the park was the drop tower. Another attraction up there helps disperse attendance. It also gave us more seating, as well as four more cabanas. We now have 53 cabanas. You can see it from the parking lot and as you come in the front gate. It hangs over the SeaWorld park, and it creates excitement for those people in SeaWorld and creates an upsell to buy an annual pass so that you can enjoy both parks.”

In addition to the all-new Riptide Race, Aquatica premiered a new bar, Turi’s Beach Bar, adjacent to the Big Surf Shores wave pool. This full-service bar features a variety of beers, mixed drinks, cocktails and frozen drinks for park visitors to enjoy at the bar, poolside or in one of the many private cabanas available to rent.

“Turi is the frog in Aquatica,” said Chuck Curreau, director of marketing. “It’s a full-service bar that will have four bartenders working at peak. All of the bartenders are mixologists, so we have a set bar, but they can make anything the customer wants. There are craft beers as well. Before Turi’s Bar, it was just a small beer and wine area. We saw an opportunity. Once we opened Lone Star Bar next to Steel Eel in SeaWorld, we saw how well it did, and we had passholders asking why we didn’t do it in the water park, so we decided to do just that. The opening weekend per cap was shocking to us, so we know the summer is going to be big.”

“We added the bar as well as another food line to Waterstone Grill,” said Surrett. “Lots of small improvements.”

Aquatica San Antonio has an operational calendar through mid-October.

Big Rivers Waterpark and Adventures to debut ‘The Fairgrounds’

AT: Jeffrey Seifert

jseifert@amusementtoday.com

NEW CANEY, Texas — Big Rivers Waterpark and Adventures is scheduled to reopen for the season on April 2. That date also marked the grand opening of a new ride section called The Fairgrounds. Big Rivers added 11 dry rides to the water park over the last several months with some opening as they were installed. Among the attractions is Rolling Thunder an SBF/Visa spinning coaster from Rides 4 U with the hamster wheel option that was operating as the display coaster at IAAPA Expo 2021 in Orlando. Although a few rides were open in time for Christmas 2021, the full area with all 11 rides officially opened to the public in April. Season pass holders were given a preview the night before.

The addition of The Fairgrounds helps to make the park more of a year-round destination, allowing it to remain open when the weather isn’t quite warm enough for the water park.

Carl Foy, marketing director for Big Rivers, told AT that more rides in the Houston area were wanted and needed, stating, “As a mom-and-pop operation, this gives everyone an opportunity to ‘stick our toes in the water’ and warm up to the full-fledged theme park in Grand Texas. Running a successful waterpark and a successful theme park are two very different things. Fairgrounds isn’t in any way supposed to be instead of Grand Texas, it is a platform to help us realize that ultimate goal.”

In addition to the traditional water park, Big Rivers also features a floating Aquaglide obstacle course on its spring-fed lake. The Wild Isle obstacle course is included with the water park daily admission or with a season pass. Guests must be over 48 inches tall to participate, and everyone is limited to one hour on the course per visit.

A ticket to the water park also gains admission to Gator Bayou Adventure Park which includes a number of dry attractions: Cougar Climb climbing wall, Big Al's Farm petting zoo, Big Al's Fishing Hole, Mystic Forest Maze, Gator Gulch alligator exhibit, axe throwing and archery ranges. Other attractions such as mining for rocks and gems, tortoise feeding, and gator encounters are available for an additional fee.

The aerial adventures section of Gator Bayou features a ropes course, zip lines and vertical freefall — all priced separately.

Big Rivers Waterpark and Adventures is an 80-acre water, adventure and amusement park that is part of the Grand Texas Sports and Entertainment District. The plan is to eventually include a theme park, sportsplex, factory outlet mall, restaurants and hotels. The Grand Texas RV Resort, Speedsports Racing Park and a Valero convenience store are already open.

Six Flags Darien Lake renames water park, adds attraction

AT: Pam Sherborne

psherborne@amusementtoday.com

CORFU, N.Y.— The water park at Six Flags Darien Lake will enter the 2022 season with a different name and a new six-story Proslide Technology attraction.

Instead of Splashtown at Darien Lake, the water park is being renamed Hurricane Harbor at Darien Lake for a more consistent Six Flags brand. The water park is part of the total Darien Lake facility and admission to the water park is included when purchasing a Darien Lake ticket.

The new attraction is being called Wahoo Wave. It is a Proslide Tornadowave ride. It is designed for four-rider tubes and includes a 30-foot vertical drop, a whirlpool bowl and a water wave wall.

“Six Flags is committed to making the park bigger, better and now wetter than ever with the addition of this world-class waterpark attraction, Wahoo Wave,” said Park President Chris Thorpe. “With non-stop, soaking thrills for the entire family, Hurricane Harbor will be the perfect summertime escape.”

Construction on Wahoo Wave should be completed by the time the theme park opens for the upcoming 2022 season. And, according to the Six Flags Darien Lake website, opening has been set for Memorial Day weekend.

Once the slide opens, riders will climb to the top of the six-story-high slide tower. In four-person tubes, they will twist through a hairpin turn, followed by a corkscrew and, then, without warning, plunge down an unforgettable, three-story drop. The attraction will have riders experiencing hang time and zero G-forces.

As Six Flags officials work on the rebranding of the water park, there will be other additions and/or changes. Officials plan to expand the seating area, improve the shade areas and provide a selfie spot with a 20-foot-tall shark. There also will be a new wave pool mural.

Darien Lake opens May 27 for weekends and select weekdays until June 24. The park will be open daily, except for Tuesdays, through Labor Day.

Darien Lake park officials made an announcement in August 2019, about the park rebranding but the coronavirus pandemic caused a delay.

Wahoo Wave is being added to Darien Lake's approximately 45 rides in both the water park and the theme park. Darien Lake also offers live shows, concerts, restaurants and shopping.

•sixflags.com

Las Vegas lights play host to largest Amusement Expo in history

AT: John W.C. Robinson

jrobinson@amusementtoday.com

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Amusement Expo International (AEI) announced the highly successful conclusion of its annual conference and trade show which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The event stretched three and a half days (March 14­–17) and was filled with product debuts unveiling innovations to enhance the amusement and entertainment industry and aid in solving the difficult challenges of route operators, distributors, manufacturers and commercial developers.

"From Embed's persepctive, it's been a fantastic show," stated Kash Ahmad of Embed, an industry provider of cashless solutions. "It is absolutely amazing to see all the customers back out at trader shows and hearing all the stories about how much better the industry is doing from the previous two years."

During the recent pandemic years, the AEI has proven to be one of the most resiliant and adaptable (and a little lucky) amusement industry expos. The 2020 AEI wrapped trade show and conference the evening before nationwide shutdowns started taking effect as a result of COVID-19.

In addition, the 2021 expo was intentionally delayed into June of that year to better be prepared for the rapidly fluctuating pandemic restrictions of the time. It wrapped its programs just before the COVID-19 Delta variant increased mask and gathering precautions.

With those two years of havoc behind, the amusement industry is poised to truly rebound and the 2022 expo has exemplified this.

"It's been a very good show for us with a lot of activity and a lot of people stopping by the booth," stated Firestone Financial's Mike Smith. "I think people are feeling more comfortable, which is great."

More than 160 exhibiting companies, including 32 companies new to the convention, presented the latest in games, technology and business services for such industries as hospitality, retail, family entertainment centers, bowling centers and commercial properties. This marked an almost 20% increase over 2021 figures.

"This show's been fantastic," said Ryan Cravens, general manager of Stern Pinball, Inc. "It's great to see more companies joining as well as more and more operators showing up."

Overall attendance remained strong this year bringing approximately 3,280 industry leaders to educational sessions, trade show exhibits and numerous entertainment events.

“The industry is expected to reach over $53 billion by 2028, and it’s evident this may be the case based on initial feedback we’ve received from our event,” stated Tim Zahn, AEI 2022 conference chair. “Our carefully curated educational sessions were designed to help reshape the industry and provide solutions for challenging industry issues from employment, customer engagement, industry trends, virtual reality and beyond. All were very well attended.”

"The amount of information that's shared with operators has been invaluable," offered Semnox's Brian Duke. "There's been so many people that I've brought to the show as a guest that have said, 'This was the best show to be at' and that even includes [IAAPA Expo]. IAAPA is great, but this was a phenomenal show for a lot of people from the operations side of it."

"We've had lots of new leads here, we've met people [throughout the expo] that didn't know about our product," said Tom Appleton of Bazookaball. "We're really excited about what's going to happen after the show."

With facilities still stuggling maintaining a full staff, Bazookaball modified its existing tag style game — which originally operated in an area similar to a laser tag arena — and have begun offering it in a standalone, shooting gallery-style model. "A lot of people have liked it. We have a couple people interested, and we even have a couple of distributors actually walking the floor who saw the game and now want to distribute it."

Also capitalizing on the recent staffing shortages was Mini Golf.io. The game's developer, Marcus Perez, was on the AEI showfloor.

"It's transforming mini golf," commented Perez. "It's more than 100 courses in one unit, with a tiny footprint," explained Perez. The product occupies only a few feet of gamespace on an FEC floor, but can tranform throughout gameplay to create an entire 9- or 18-hole minigolf course that requires no attendant and no operator.

"We launched the product at the Amusement Expo in 2021 [in June], but this expo has been a lot more traffic and a lot more people. The showing's been good, people are much more lively this year."

A highlight of the expo was the popular Beers & Cheers event recognizing award winners in several categories sponsored by show hosts American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) and the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA).

Exhibit sales for 2023's Amusement Expo International have already begun, with AEI returning to Las Vegas March 27-30, 2023. Further plans for 2023 will be made available in the weeks to come.

•amusementexpo.org

27th NJAA Variety Show,

featuring NAARSO online training

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The East Coast Gift and Variety Show took place at the Golden Nugget Resort and Casino. Run by the New Jersey Attractions Association (NJAA), it occurred in conjunction with the East Coast/Mid-Atlantic regionalized NAARSO (National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials) outreach safety school. There were 106 participants via a virtual training.

“It was a wonderful show and to see everyone bustling and socializing since the pandemic started — it was nice to get back to a sense of normalcy,” said Kim Samarelli, NJAA executive director. The annual scholarship cocktail hour raised money for the college scholarship fund. Dates for the 2023 edition have not been set. “The NJAA fosters, promotes and advances the amusement industry in the state of New Jersey.

PAPA spring meeting once again held at 'sweetest place on Earth'

AT: B. Derek Shaw

bdshaw@amusementtoday.com

HERSHEY, Pa. — More than 100 members and guests of the Pennsylvania Amusement Parks & Attractions Association (PAPA) met February 21 and 22 for their annual spring meeting at Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Participation was comprised of member parks and attractions, suppliers and manufacturers, and individual members. The organization strives to foster an environment where industry peers can gather and learn openly from one another.

The first day started with a board of directors meeting in the afternoon, followed by a reception and banquet that evening. Both the board meeting and evening proceedings were led by Mike Fehnel, general manager of Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, serving as the 2020-22 PAPA president.

“It was great that we were able to come together this year. It was great to see some faces we haven’t seen in quite some time. [There was] definitely a lot of vibrant conversation happening,” said Fehnel.

The 2021 meeting was virtual.

“There was a lot of discussion about human resources and government relations and all the challenges the industry is facing,” said Fehnel. “The whole reason it [PAPA] is here, is so we can all get together, share best practices and hope to find solutions to the challenges we have. Now we’re working on the next crisis, which seems to be staffing.”

Rick Knoebel, who sits on the PAPA government relations committee, added, “We are collaborating with our officials on legislation, regulation and other items that may affect our industry.”

Four organizations recently joined PAPA. They include B & N Consulting, CG Amusement Consulting, Mitchell Yarvin Sales and Sally Rides.

Inducted into the PAPA Hall of Fame was Paul Nelson, owner of Waldameer Park & Water World, Erie, Pennsylvania. Nelson began working at the park in 1945 at the age of 11. He took over the operation in 1965 and full ownership in 1978, working tirelessly to continually improve the property. “Under his leadership, the park brought major attractions such as Water World and the Ravine Flyer II to its guests,” said Fehnel. “Paul Nelson was also the President of PAPA in 1964. Through his passion for Waldameer and his guests, Paul demonstrates what it takes to be a PAPA Hall of Fame member.”

Nelson is the 14th individual to be inducted into the Hall of Fame behind others such as John Allen, Milton Hershey, Harold Chance and Bob Cassata.

The organization again held a 50/50 raffle for the Barbara J. Knoebel Scholarship Fund. As a result, $820 was raised. The winner, Buddy Knoebel, donated his portion back to the fund. Each year, seven $1,000 scholarships are awarded to students who work at any of the participating member parks or attractions. It was mentioned that the committee is having a hard time narrowing the selection down to seven as the essays are getting better. Upon conclusion of dinner, many attendees retired to Bears’ Den and/or the lobby lounge to continue networking and imbibing.

The second day started with the annual breakfast membership meeting. Association business included reports in various aspects of the industry: legislative updates, Amusement Ride Safety Advisory Board, a recap of the fall PACE (Parks and Carnivals Education) ride safety seminar, water park issues, PAPA website and human resource matters. PAPA Treasurer Dick Knoebel again gave his report with just four words, “Yes, we are solvent!”

With the retirement of Andy Quinn, the membership voted and approved Mark Pauls from Kennywood to be the newest board member.

Typically, upon the conclusion of the meeting, some of the attendees participate in the always-popular roundtable discussions, however, it was thought to offer it via a Zoom call a few weeks later, due to space limitations and ongoing COVID-19 protocols.

This was the 87th spring meeting of the Pennsylvania Amusement Parks & Attractions association. The organization was formed in 1935 with R.L. Plarr from Dorney Park serving as the first president. In 1946, famed roller coaster designer Herbert P. Schmeck from Philadelphia Toboggan Company was president. The annual spring meeting is traditionally held at The “Sweetest Place on Earth.” The 2022 summer fun meeting will be held at DelGrosso’s Park & Laguna Splash, Tipton, Pennsylvania, July 19 and 20. The next PACE ride safety seminar takes place October 24-27 in the Allentown area.

•paamusementparks.com

John Worrell, 77, of

Chance Rides passes

EL DORADO, Kan. — John Leslie Worrell was born on October 19, 1944 in El Dorado, Kansas; the son of George Albert Sr. and Virginia Rose (Boley) Worrell. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wichita State University and began his master’s degree in Engineering. John worked for 42 years at Chance Manufacturing starting as a design engineer and retiring as a production manager.

“John was hired by my dad in 1967 as a design engineer,” offered Dick Chance of Chance Rides. “He worked his way up in the Chance organization over the years as a very dedicated and loyal employee who would always do what ever it takes to get the job done to service our customers. He served as VP of Engineeing and was active in ASTM and AIMS and later became VP of Production until his retirement in 2010. He is one of the last of the original team that started with Harold to build the company and we will always remember his contributions to the company to become a leader in the amusement ride industry.”

“I got to know John through the work I did with Chance, AIMS and ASTM,” stated Tom Sheehan of The Sheehan Firm. “He had a great dry sense of humor and certainly knew how to stand his ground.”

John and Sandra Lynn Lucas were united in marriage on May 4, 1980, at the LCC. After his long work days, John could be found tending to his cows, serving on the Butler REC board. He loved attending activities for his children and grandchildren. He was a lifetime member of the Leon Masonic Lodge. and a faithful member of the Leon Christian Church.

His greatest joy in life was his family.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach has welcomed a new member of staff to the park’s senior management team. Paul Robinson has been appointed as director of health, safety and environment.

Robinson brings more than 20 years’ experience. During his career, he has held several senior management roles and has led health, safety and environmental management across large global operations and multi-billion dollar projects, which required him to work in Dubai, Qatar, Paris and Norway.

Having completed his studies in health, safety and environmental management at Nottingham Trent University, Robinson went on to complete a law degree at Liverpool John Moores University. In 2016, he was appointed a Fellow of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), and soon after appointed to the role of vice chairman of the Midlands Branch of IIRSM.

On joining Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Robinson commented: “I am delighted to join a global icon.  I will work with the Board to deliver continuous improvements in health, safety and environmental management across the business for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced that Sandeep Reddy, executive vice president and chief financial officer, has notified the company that he has accepted a position at another company and will resign from Six Flags effective March 27, 2022. Stephen Purtell will assume the role of interim chief financial officer effective upon Reddy’s departure.

Purtell currently serves as the company’s senior vice president, corporate communications, investor relations and treasurer. He previously served as senior vice president, investor relations, treasury and strategy since December 2020.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Six Flags team, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Sandeep for his dedicated leadership and tireless service to Six Flags,” said Selim Bassoul, president and CEO. “He has played a major role to help position the company for accelerated growth coming out of the pandemic. We wish him the very best as he embarks on his next career opportunity.”

“It has been a privilege to have served alongside the talented Six Flags team, especially during such an unprecedented time in the company’s history,” said Reddy.

Jeffery Davis joined the Lake Compounce Amusement Park team on February 14 as general manager. 

Davis brings more than 25 years of amusement industry experience and expertise to Lake Compounce. Most recently, Davis served as the director of operations at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Davis began his career within the amusement industry at Sesame Place, working on the park’s operations team for more than 20 years, climbing the ladder to become Sesame Place’s vice president of operations.     

“I am thrilled to join the team at America’s Oldest Amusement Park,” said Jeffery Davis. “Lake Compounce has so much to offer its guests including a rich history, brand new park transformation, Connecticut’s largest water park and more! The team and I are looking forward to welcoming guests back for the 2022 season.”  

Jeffrey previously served as President and a board member of the Pennsylvania Amusement Parks and Attractions Association (PAPA).  He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Operations Management from Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s in Business Administration from Holy Family University and an International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Certificate of Educational Achievement from the IAAPA Institute of Executive Education.

JRA Chief Operating Officer, Dan Schultz

retiring after more than 40 years in industry

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Dan Schultz, chief operating officer of JRA — Part of RWS Entertainment Group, announced his retirement after 29 years in the company and more than 40 years in the attractions industry. His retirement is effective April 1.

Schultz’s four decades of diversified operations and management experience in the attractions industry, sense of vision and ability to lead clients through the ideation process have been integral to the success of JRA. He has served as JRA’s executive liaison with such clients as: Six Flags, Calaway Park, Crayola, Santa’s Village, Paramount Parks, Cedar Fair, Gilroy Gardens and the Arab American National Museum.

In addition to his project consulting work, Schultz has provided management and support for JRA’s overall creative efforts, personnel needs and marketing strategies.

Before joining JRA in 1993, Schultz held myriad positions for Kings Entertainment (now Cedar Fair). Those roles included director of entertainment at Hanna-Barbera’s Marineland, manager of entertainment and attractions at Kings Island, director of operations at Hanna-Barbera Land, director of operations at Kings Productions, and manager, entertainment attractions & guest services at Kings Island.

“I’ve known Dan Schultz for close to 50 years,” said Keith James, JRA president. “Not only has he been an outstanding colleague and mentor to our staff, but he will always be a close and trusted friend. All of us at JRA congratulate him on his retirement and wish him the best in this next chapter.”

Schultz offered the following comment on his retirement: “While I have worked on some truly fantastic projects and have seen some amazing places after four decades in the industry, what I will miss most about this business is the people — our clients, our colleagues around the world and the great team at JRA that I’ve had the pleasure of working with every day for the last 29 years. That being said, as I embark on this new adventure, I look forward to traveling with my wife Patty and spending more time with my three sons and their families.”

Lisa Rau

Director PR/Publicity

Silver Dollar City Attractions

Branson, Missouri

A view from the top…

Silver Dollar City, the 1880s-style theme park nestled in the Ozark Mountains near Branson, was founded atop the massive national landmark, the great Marvel Cave. The park offers 40 rides and attractions, a demonstrating crafts colony 100 artisans strong and hosts 10 world-class festivals and special events.

It officially was founded by the Herschend family that still owns and operates the park today.

Lisa Rau has led the publicity and communications team at the park since 1990, only the second person to have been in that position.

Career is a vacation everyday

BRANSON, Mo. — As Lisa Rau moves from location to location across the expanse of Silver Dollar City, her thoughts, most likely, stay in the present. She is making sure a show is running smoothly. She passes by a concession, checking in with the employee asking about their families and chatting with guests. She is making appointments and phone calls on her cell. She is speaking and laughing with guests.

She also is coordinating product launches, writing press releases and reaching out to other Herschend properties as they all come together to support each other.

Her job runs the gamut daily.

And, still, after 32 years, she says: "I am super excited every single day I am here. It feels good every day."

However, a self described historian and a curious person as well, there are times, when it is quiet, her thoughts will wonder back to the beginnings of Silver Dollar City and the historical significance of it all, which still excites her.

Her thoughts return to the 1950s when the Herschend family took over operations of Marvel Cave tours from the Lynch family. Back when Hugo Herschend and his wife, Mary Herschend, signed a lease to the property. Because he spent much of his time working in Chicago, she and her sons, Jack and Pete, were the mainstays of the operations.

In the first year the Herschends took over operations, the cave tours drew 8,000 people.

"Just think about that," she said, still in wonder how one woman and her two sons, primarily, created such a feat as they began expanding attractions above ground.

She doesn't try to separate the two, the park and its history. She continues trying to bring it together.

She always seems to find a way.

Rau grew up surrounded by creativity. Born and raised right outside Detroit, Michigan, one of her favorite things to do was to spy on her dad, who was the creative director for Chevrolet.

His friends and coworkers would gather at her home to brainstorm, share innovative ideas and create visionary ways to tell the story of Chevrolet.

Rau and her sister would sit and listen. She said she learned so much about creativity during those years. Just to watch him and his friends be so creative, it seemed full of adventure.

Rau always believed that she would end up with a career in communications in television and radio. Even in high school she was the anchor of her school's closed circuit TV station.

When she graduated from high school, she attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and received a communications degree. She worked at an NBC affiliate station in Columbia upon graduation, then ended up in Chicago at WGN.

From there she moved back to Missouri, to another NBC affiliate in Springfield where she stayed for just under seven years. She started there in weather, then moved into reporting, then became an anchor. She concentrated on environmental stories and ended up receiving five Associated Press awards for investigative journalism.

One day while on the job at the station, she received a phone call.

"It was Peter Herschend, owner of Silver Dollar City," Rau said. "He wanted me to know that the gentleman [Don Richardson] who named Silver Dollar City, based on a promotional idea to give back real silver dollars as change, creating 'word-of-mouth' advertising, was retiring.

"Pete just thought I might want to know that he believed the person who opted to fill the job of publicist (the only one the park ever had) will probably stay for a long time, given it’s such a fun way to spend one’s career.

"I thought about it and almost didn’t do it."

That was over three decades ago.

Her enthusiasm exudes as she talks about her job, the culture working there and how everyone cares for each other. She loves providing fun, family entertainment.

She is most proud of helping preserve, protect and promote the history of SDC. She has done that by helping to preserve visual files, artifacts and anecdotes.

"One of my favorite things to do is tour someone throughout the park and tell them 'did you knows' and take them behind the scenes, the nooks and crannies that captivate the imagination, leading people to wonder how it all came together over the last seven decades, starting with a hole in the ground and a Chicago family who thought they could deliver entertainment."

SDC has continued to stoke Rau's desire of curiousity.

When an employee reaches the 25-year marker of employment at SDC, they get a sign somewhere in the park.

Rau's pretty much tells her story. It reads: “Extraordinary! Sensational! Added Attraction! See Mistress of Oratory Arts Lisa Rau demonstrating 89 astonishing feats of linguistic calibration. Appearing one day only at the Ladies Auxiliary: She’s amazing, she’s entertaining, she’s Lisa.”

—Pam Sherborne

NWSC Safety Seminar has more than 100 attend four-day event

AT: Pam Sherborne

psherborne@amusementtoday.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — "We're on our way back from COVID," said Tracy Munoz, with Northwestern Showmen's Club (NWSC), at the conclusion of the club's 41st Safety Seminar.

This year's seminar was held entirely at the Funtastic Shows campus Feb. 21-25. A little more than 110 students attended.

"Our loyal instructors were on board from the moment we announced we were going to have the seminar again," Munoz said. "This year we had 22 industry specialist instructors and 35 different classes offered."

Munoz said the seminar has been drawing 180 to 250 students during normal times. But these haven't been normal times.

"But this year we know our numbers will be low due to the new COVID-19 strain racing around the United States," Munoz had reported back in January.

Classes are specific to ride inspections and safety. Munoz said the NWSC Safety Seminar is unique in many ways.

"Our seminar classes are geared around the everyday employee and upper management,." she said. "We offer hands-on classes, wielding, forklift, etc., and we provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for all participants, with a banquet dinner and raffle prizes on the last night for only $200 dollars for the four-day course."

Also offered during the seminar are NAARSO and AIMS testing, CPR classes and certifications and for Continuing Education Program college credits for additional fees. All are done onsite on the last day of the seminar.

The NWSC Safety Seminar is aligned with Portland Community College for accreditation in the college credits.

Class topics offered during the week include: active shooter, human cost of accidents, emergency evacuations, inspecting tools, a truck shop and game shop, ride signs, belts, pulleys and motors, fire extinguisher safety, accident lawsuits, specific ride inspections, daily inspections, creating manuals, natural and operating disasters, rigging, forklift, welding, fasteners, oil and hydraulics, inflatable inspection and maintenance and coaster wheels and safety inspection.

And if anyone wonders how NWSC has been able to hold this seminar with all its perks, Munoz has an answer.

"Well, we are a non-profit and all of our teachers volunteer their time and experience," she said. "And we have companies that fund the supplies and food. These are the industry's safety power players that believe that education is our first defense in amusement industry safety."

Some of the highlights included a class on teaching the basic learning types, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic and reading and writing. This aids in seminar participants being able to better train new hires and connect with employees.

Munoz said attendees seemed very excited about the 2022 season.

"They can't wait to get it started, but, like everyone, they are worried about help," she said.

That is getting enough help to keep things running smoothly.

New classes this year include a course on hazards on the midway addressed by Drew Tewksburg, McGowan Allied Insurance.

Participants to the 2022 seminar were happy to be back together in-person. Last year, with all the restrictions related to the cornavirus pandemic, NWSC seminar organizers decided to offer the safety seminar to its instructors only.

"We decided to do it this way last year so our instructors could stay current," Munoz said. "They said it was excellent. They had a lot of time to talk about things and not just teach."

The Northwestern Showmen's Club Safety Seminar was established over 40 years ago to promote continuing education by amusement industry professionals. The interactive classes and hands-on settings deliver the ideal venues for raising the level of safety awareness within the carnival industry.

Dates for the 2023 seminar have been set for Feb. 20-24, in Portland.

•nwshowmensclub.com

StarGuard Elite holds successful Aquatic Management conference on cruise ship

ORLANDO — In February, StarGuard Elite (SGE) wrapped up its seventh annual Conference for Aquatic Management Professionals (CAMP) which took place over the span of six days from January 30 to February 4, 2022. The conference was held aboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas cruise ship. SGE CAMP Florida 2022 featured more than a dozen workshops in the latest trends and cutting-edge technologies in aquatic safety — including hands-on training sessions — 16 speakers, four keynote addresses, and attendees from 40-plus aquatics organizations around the globe. It is the first and only lifeguard training program that holds the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) certification. The CMAHC certification means the program is trained in the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) standards needed to help reduce the risk for disease outbreaks, drownings and chemical injuries at public aquatic facilities.

“We are extremely proud of SGE CAMP Florida 2022’s outcome,” said Wess Long, president of StarGuard Elite. “We were able to deliver the highest level of safety training possible, while providing dynamic networking opportunities for aquatic professionals committed to growth and development.”

Conference keynote speakers included Mark Rucker, former Walt Disney World and Great Wolf Resorts senior executive and author of the book Over Coffee With the Mouse; Jeff Chatterton, CEO of Checkmate Public Affairs and crisis communications expert and co-author of the book Leaders Under Fire; Jill White, founder of Starfish Aquatics Institute — a leading provider of aquatic safety and training solutions — and SGE; and Dr. Justin Sempsrott, executive director of Lifeguards Without Borders and senior medical director, SGE.

Attendees were able to experience on-the-site operations and hands-on training at CocoCay and Baha Bay water parks. Perfect Day at CocoCay is Royal Caribbean’s exclusive island water park resort, accessible only by cruise ship. Baha Bay at Baha Mar Resort is a new $200 million upscale luxury water park in Nassau, Bahamas, that opened July of last year (see AT July 2021). Both parks feature some of the latest technology used in water park attractions, with state-of-the-art slides from both WhiteWater and ProSlide.

As an added bonus, attendees got to witness a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral with the rocket carrying an observation satellite flying directly over the ship.

While at sea, workshop topics included leading trends in aquatic safety, operations best practices, cutting edge practices in drowning science and treatment, maintaining aquatics safety in the era of COVID, how to handle real-world crisis communications, updates on SGE’s trademark StarGuard training curriculum, a specialized medico-legal series, lessons in leadership development, Making First Aid Training Fun in 2022, and a breakout session for millennial and gen-Z leaders on initiating positive and enduring changes within a team or organization.

SGE serves more than 300 private and public organizations globally, including pools, water parks, hotels and resorts, park districts, cruise lines, private islands, training centers, swim schools and lakefronts, among others. SGE programs prepare lifeguards and other aquatic staff to operate safely, focus on risk prevention, and be crisis ready.

—Jeffrey Seifert

Pennsylvania Ride Safety Advisory Board meets again after its two-year hiatus

AT: B. Derek Shaw

bdshaw@amusementtoday.com

HARRISBURG, Pa. — It has been more than two years since the last in-person Pennsylvania Ride Safety Advisory Board meeting, due to the ongoing pandemic. In mid-March, the 12-member group met at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture headquarters to discuss potential ride approvals.

“We’ve communicated by e-mail and individual phone calls, but it’s good to get back in person. We had 14 different ride approvals for them to review, said Walt Remmert, director, bureau of ride and measurement standards. “Some were tentative approvals that were [previously] done, but we reminded them what we do and the width and breadth of what we do. They were engaged; they were involved. We got a lot of work done.”

Deputy Secretary Fred Strathmeyer opened the meeting by saying, “We’ve had a tough couple of years. This industry certainly has maintained and continues to step up when it comes to public safety and health. The bureau and the department are extremely proud of this industry and what they do and how they approach public safety. It’s a serious business, and at the same time, they are here to entertain us. The combination has boded well for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

A dozen individuals from the amusement industry (parks, carnivals and manufacturers) and community volunteers (special advisor or public member) and one certified engineer selected at large, discuss and either accept, conditionally accept, table or reject new ride approvals that are submitted. This input is used to help the bureau determine its course of action on a particular ride approval process.

The presentations are typically made by professional engineers who are representing a certain operation or ride manufacturer. The spring meeting submissions focused on numerous zip lines, play structures, climbing walls, go-karts, a Chance double-decker carousel, a portable A.R.M. Sky Hawk, a Zamperla ChronoZ and modifications to Knoebels Flying Turns (done in-house by John Fetterman).

Although no presentation was made by Kennywood, Rob Henninger, assistant general manager/director of maintenance and construction, shared during the public comments portion what the park is doing to prepare for the season. He stated, “We’re looking to make some modifications to the Kangaroo (Aero-Affiliates), Thunderbolt (National Amusement Device/Vettel), Raging Rapids (Intamin) and Steel Curtain (S&S - Sansei Technologies).” When asked specifically about the wooden coaster alterations, Henninger responded, “We’re changing them [the brakes] from friction to magnetic. That’s going to be a great improvement.”

One addition being added to oversight by the bureau are hayride attractions used primarily for entertainment, recreation and/or agritourism purposes. The ASTM International Hayride Standard Committee has authorized a variance that allows an owner to register a hayride attraction without providing written verification from a registered professional engineer. During this year, all hayride operators in Pennsylvania will be educated and made aware of the registration requirement with enforcement taking effect in 2023.

“If you own a piece of farm equipment, a tow vehicle (tractor, hay wagon, or trailer) and you use it where it falls within the scope of ASTM 3168, then in Pennsylvania you’re going to have to do these things [compliance regulations] in order for you to operate it legally and safely,” said Remmert.

The bureau oversees more than 12,000 registered amusement devices in Pennsylvania which include mechanical amusement rides, water rides, go-karts, zip lines, trampoline equipment, ropes courses and more.

With the recent retirements of a pair of quality assurance inspectors, there are two openings the bureau is trying to fill. The job postings will soon be available at employment.pa.gov

•agriculture.pa.gov

Cedar Fair taking all of its parks cashless for the 2022 season

AT: Pam Sherborne

psherborne@amusementtoday.com

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Officials at Cedar Fair L.P. took several of their amusement park properties cashless last year. For the 2022 season, all will be that way.

"There are plenty of benefits to going cashless, both for guests and our parks," said Gary Rhodes, Cedar Fair spokesperson. "Cashless transactions are faster, safer and more secure. Guests can spend less time in the check-out waiting on change and more time hitting up their favorite rides or other attractions."

In 2021, Cedar Fair, which owns and operates 11 amusement parks and four separately-gated water parks, began cashless operations at Kings Island, Mason, Ohio; Worlds of Fun Oceans of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri; Valleyfair, Shakopee, Minnesota, and Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Overall, our park guests have responded very favorably to going cashless," Rhodes said. "It’s been pretty much a non-event for most."

The success of last year helped Cedar Fair officials make the decision to extend the cashless payment system to all of its parks. The parks are accepting credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

For those guests who may not have credit or debit cards, they can convert cash to prepaid debit cards at the cash-to-card kiosks stationed around the parks.

The cashless system benefits the parks by no longer needing to pay for armored cars to haul currency back and forth from the venues. In addition, no more time will be needed to count cash. This will help reduce labor costs.

"Those resources can be redirected toward guest-facing services or operations," Rhodes said. "And from a practical standpoint, it’s getting harder and harder to find coins."

Cedar Fair used an outside vendor for the cashless initiative. The company partnered with Ready Credit Corporation. This cashless payment solution is being deployed at all of Cedar Fair parks.

Along with Cedar Fair's amusement and water parks, the company owns and operates resort accommodations totaling more than 2,300 rooms and more than 600 luxury RV sites.

More than 300 attend semiannual Pennsylvania Ride Safety Seminar

AT: B. Derek Shaw

bdshaw@amusementtoday.com

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Held twice each year, the Pennsylvania Ride Safety Seminar trains and tests hundreds of amusement ride operators in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and beyond. During March 1–3, 335 people from various amusement operations received ride safety training and testing conducted by third-party operator Slaggert Risk Management for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Ride and Measurements Standards. Classroom participants came primarily from Pennsylvania and neighboring states; however, there were attendees from 18 states.

This spring, a total of 137 different course options were available (49 on Tuesday and 44 on both Wednesday and Thursday). Seminar participants selected the specialty courses they felt were beneficial for their career path, job description, abilities and employer benefit. Some of the course areas included: inflatables; amusement, FEC and carnival rides; extreme sports; regulations, inspections and compliance; water attractions; maintenance; go karts; haunted attractions and trampoline courts. Weather’s impact on outdoor events was Tuesday morning’s opening session. The active shooter course presented by the Pennsylvania State Police, has been so popular during previous seminars, it was offered twice on Wednesday to accommodate the demand.

“We’re in this together and together is the way this program is successful,” said Walt Remmert, Director, Bureau of Ride & Measurement Standards in his opening session remarks.

Some of the participating parks included Waldameer Park and Water World, Kennywood, Sandcastle, Hersheypark, Idlewild, Splash Lagoon, Conneaut Lake Park, Sesame Place and Dutch Wonderland. Carnivals that sent attendees included Majestic Midways, NAME, Penn Valley Shows, Russ Amusements and Snyders Amusements. Other related participating operations included The Carousel at Pottstown, Kalahari Resorts, Skytop Lodge, Camelback Mountain Resort, RW Comerford & Sons and the Strasburg Railroad.

The 65 instructors and staff are all volunteers with a wide spectrum of specialties that impact the amusement industry, from all across the country. Testing was provided for Class 1 and 2 ride inspectors, general qualified inspectors and specialized inspectors. The Pennsylvania certification is recognized in many states across the country, including RCMT (Recognized Certified Maintenance Technician), the program in place in New Jersey.

Phil Slaggert, Pennsylvania Ride Safety Seminar coordinator was asked about the outcome of the spring curriculum. “The program went very well. We went back to our original three-day format, with multiple classes that students get to choose, as COVID restrictions were being relaxed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” He went on to talk about how new courses are chosen. “One of my criteria in selecting new programs, is it something that I would get something out of, sitting and listening to that particular topic? Is it something that the majority of our attendees would be interested in hearing? A major incident investigation class was offered, which had not been offered before.

Remmert had high praise for the program Slaggert Risk Management put on as well as others offered in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. “Phil Slaggert and the dozens and dozens of cadre [instructors] he manages to convince to come out to provide this superior training opportunity, always flabbergasts me. The same goes for PACE and NAARSO and Dorney Park (who puts on their own). The caliber of people in this industry continues to humble me. I’m very proud of the program and all the people who participate,” he said.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has inspected and registered amusement rides under the Amusement Ride Safety Act since 1984 and regularly participates in education and outreach seminars that include classes and hands-on demonstrations. The next Pennsylvania Ride Safety Seminar is scheduled for November 8 - 10 at the Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center, Harrisburg, just off I-283 on Lindle Road.

The Pennsylvania Ride Safety Seminars are not to be confused with the annual PACE (Parks and Carnival Education) seminar, jointly sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Showmen’s Association (PSSA) and the Pennsylvania Amusement Park & Attractions association (PAPA). That seminar, presented by National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials (NAARSO), is scheduled for October 24 – 27, in the Allentown, Pennsylvania area, (classroom portion) with potential hands-on training at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom. PACE offers inspector training for Pennsylvania certified inspectors and/or NAARSO levels.

•paceseminar.com

IISF Museum donation provides canopies to protect equipment

AT: B. Derek Shaw

bdshaw@amusementtoday.com

RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Throughout the front grounds of the International Independent Showmen’s Museum are numerous circus wagons that are used to transport equipment, entire shows, animals, costumes and more, which were hauled by rail from city to city. While some of the wagons are locked in storage, many others were left exposed to the Florida temperatures year-round. That has now changed, owing to a generous donation.

These days, metal canopies protect valuable historic wagons and other equipment thanks to a $70,000 gift from Sherry Bolin’s estate.

“She was so generous that she left us money to build 10 canopies and all the concrete slabs. Now we have a place to house these wagons and get them out of the weather a little bit because this Florida weather decimates anything,” said David “Doc” Rivera, curator and executive director of the museum. “It’s no good restoring a wagon and then just putting it out in the Florida weather and in five or 10 years it has to be done again.”

Rivera went on to describe one of the most interesting ones. “We have a couple of very interesting wagons in a little back-out building from the Bill Hames Show, [circa] 1919, 1920. They’re all wooden wagons, so you can’t put them out. The termites would get them; the weather would get them. One of them houses the oldest generator I’ve ever seen. It’s really something nice. We’d like to get those out in the public eye, where everybody can enjoy them. It doesn’t do any good if they are locked up in a dark building.”

In the future, they hope to construct an additional metal building behind the existing 52,000-square-foot museum — which will be hurricane resistant — to house all 40 circus wagons in the collection.

“We’ve got a lot of plans, if I live long enough, for a lot of these things to be brought to the public,” said Rivera. “We want to get it out there. We want everybody to enjoy it. It’s your museum. I just curate it and take care of it. It belongs to all us showpeople. We want to leave something behind, so the next generation can understand what the hell made this business so fascinating to so many of us for so long. This is the depository where it will happen.”

The museum contains all types of carnival, circus, wild west shows and other artifacts. It is open every Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. and at other times by appointment.

•showmensmuseum.org

Mobaro finalizes competency module, grant staff certification-based access

LONDON, U.K. — With the completion of a new feature pack, yet another milestone has been reached by the team at Mobaro. Five months ago, the software company launched its competency module, Competency Management. However, with the new addition of the training and certification features, there is refreshed reason for visitor attractions to pay close attention.

It can take considerable effort to keep track of the multiple certifications required for undertaking often hazardous procedures in and around an attraction. In addtion, it's one thing to make sure an employee has the needed training but entirely another to follow up on renewed certifications.

That’s why Mobaro has zoomed in on developing a strong hub for the training and certifications of attraction staff. Certifications such as First Aid, Ride Maintenance, Ride Operations, Lifeguard Training, Forklift Certification etc. can be quickly verified with the new module.

With the latest features in place, operators can now create and publish training content in the form of surveys that are sent to the employees through the Mobaro mobile app. With this in place, managers and staff can easily take care of certifications and all data and results will get picked up by Mobaro and can be used to add permissions for inspections and other tasks.

"We have been focused largely on enabling users to do their job more efficiently and with a higher quality," said Christoffer Borup, COO & co-founder of Mobaro. "However, we have not touched upon handling their qualifications. Until now that is. Having all certifications in one place gives a unique overview and assurance that your staff are fully equipped. And with the ability to demand certain competencies for certain procedures, you know that your staff will only be permitted to perform jobs in Mobaro that they are trained for. "

Like all other features of Mobaro, the new release comes with strong ties to the existing functionality of the system. This means that Competency Management is tightly integrated with core CMMS features like checklists, schedules, compliance, and the new ride operations module, RideOps.

" Now, as a Maintenance Engineer you will not be able to open the checklist for inspecting e.g., a drop tower unless you hold a valid Working at Height certification in the system. The same goes for a ride operator about to open a ride. No training. No operating," explained Borup.

Currently serving more than 150 visitor attractions worldwide, Mobaro is working on another major release. The plans for a module to manage assets like spare parts and inventory will be presented later this year.

"Our mission is to provide a CMMS environment for our clients where allthe essential tools are integrated with each other," summarized Borup. "We know the industry very well. Therefore, we always remind attractions that they have two options when picking their software partner: Leave your operations at the command of a generic software company that builds solutions for many industries? Or team up with an industry provider who uses decades of competency to mold a bespoke solution that keeps adjusting to your needs."

•mobaro.com