AMSTERDAM — This week, at the IAAPA Expo Europe 2024 in Amsterdam, Jora Vision unveiled the final project for Bommelwereld, a new indoor theme park of 9000 square meter in the Netherlands.

Bommelwereld is a new 9,000 square meter indoor theme park in the Netherlands. Zamperla collaborates to this remarkable project with three of its iconic rides.

In spaces where beauty and harmony between various elements take center stage, the artistic talent of Zamperla’s creative team truly shines.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of such a unique and inspiring project. We’re excited to see our rides come to life in Bommelwereld, and it’s a true honor to contribute to what will surely be an unforgettable experience for future visitors” stated Charles De Bruyne, Sales Manager EU.

At a theme park, the goal is always to give people the chance to experience something extraordinary—an opportunity to escape the everyday, forget their worries for a few hours, and simply focus on having fun and creating lasting memories of amusement.

That’s why every Zamperla rides found in this park are the result of an ongoing dialogue between the park and the design company Jora Vision.

Together, we take attractions from concept to reality, making sure each ride’s theme perfectly blends with its surroundings.

“We’re really pleased with this project, as it highlights not just Zamperla’s expertise in theming, but also our ability to work closely with the client and the design company to achieve a shared vision. Our focus has always been on creating an immersive, engaging space, and it’s rewarding to see how well everything has come together,” said Enrico Patechi, Zamperla’s Creative Design Manager.

This project is not just about Zamperla’s artistic capabilities. It’s about partnership and the Italian company’s ability to collaborate with clients and design firms to bring extraordinary destinations to life.

The Zamperla rides featured in the park are:

• Gogo Bounze 6.4, themed with pastel-colored fish scales
• Rockin’ Tug, classic boat theming
• Mini Jet 6, with dinosaur-egg-inspired cabins, complete with green- spotted shells

The OCTOBER 2024 issue includes:

• Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort opens record-breaking slide
• Vietnam’s Sun World Sam Son Water Park enjoys its first summer
• Intamin’s boundary-pushing Amazonia dazzles in Bellewaerde
• Phantasialand engages kids; new play areas encourage exploration
• Canada’s Wonderland, Premier Rides to unleash AlpenFury coaster
• Chicago’s Pinball Expo goes full tilt to celebrate its 40th year
• B&B Theaters Red Oak innovate theater experience, blend with FEC
• 150th Ventura County Fair again runs an independent midway
• Even hampered by weather, Warren County Fair still a success
• Power & Thomas enjoy first season at the Big Butler Fair
• Erie County Fair’s 2024 edition sees attendance slip due to weather
• American water parks holding their own for the 2024 season
• France’s O’Gliss Park debuts the first Polin Stingray Waterslide
• Jungle Island unveils Jungle Splash
• Wavegarden develops new bay waves system
• Noah’s Ark Waterpark opens reimagined water playground
• WWA attendees flooding into Vegas for 44th annual convention
• Morgan’s Hotel announced, initiatives will change hotel industry
• Focus on the Horizon: Aquatica Orlando’s John Smith
• When a death occurs in the water, is it necessarily a drowning?
• Europa-Park reimagines 1980s dark ride as Casttello dei Medici
• Skyline Attractions welcomes industry students to SKYnext 2024
• Safety flows at workshops, activities during WWA Trade Show
• Pa. Amusement Ride Safety Advisory Board holds summer meeting … and much more!

DALLAS, Texas — Altitude Trampoline Park, the leading family-friendly entertainment franchise, announced today its partnership with Intelliplay, Inc., a brand that is revolutionizing the indoor family entertainment industry with a patented smart wristband and gamification platform. This partnership will introduce Intellibands to Altitude Trampoline Park locations, offering cutting-edge technology designed to elevate the park experience for guests and improve overall park management for operators

The Intelliplay system, featuring the Intelliband, aims to increase satisfaction for both guests and franchisees. Intellibands are advanced rubber wristbands equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Key benefits of this technology include immediate identification of guests with expired jump time, gathering precise location and tracking data, increasing guest engagement through leaderboards and other gamified elements, and providing a convenient method to make purchases that grow overall revenue.

Replacing standard paper wristbands, Altitude staff will now perform check-ins through Intelliplay, scanning the Intelliband to link it to each guest’s ticket. This process ensures guests’ Intelliband lights up appropriately, allowing for seamless entry into the park. Staff can also monitor guest locations in real-time through a park map view.

Guests can look forward to several exciting features, including leaderboards. These allow kids to compete and earn points, making each visit to Altitude more engaging. Additionally, parents receive text notifications when their child’s time is about to expire, with a simple process to extend the time via phone. Intellibands also alert staff and parents if a child attempts to leave the facility, further ensuring safety and security in the park.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Intellibands to our parks. Altitude has been a trailblazer in the family entertainment industry, but this partnership with Intelliplay allows us to enhance our system by creating a new cornerstone for innovative technology, indoor activity, and fun that makes visits to our parks even more appealing and convenient,” said Mike Rotondo, CEO of Altitude Trampoline Park. “We are committed to continually improving the guest experience and look forward to seeing the positive impact Intellibands will have at our parks.”

The first Altitude Trampoline Park to officially roll-out this technology will be in Mason, Ohio, followed by Richardson, Texas. Prior to the official launch in Mason, Altitude tested this technology among customers and received great initial feedback. Customers found the wristband to be very secure and comfortable to wear, and overall felt the wristbands made for a better experience.

Altitude Trampoline Park is owned by Indoor Active Brands, a platform company that focuses on indoor entertainment concepts. This year, Indoor Active Brands launched its latest brand, The Pickle Pad, an indoor pickleball playground featuring a chef-inspired restaurant and bar – Crave Social Eatery, as well as yard and social games for all ages. Established by NRD Capital, Indoor Active Brands utilizes industry experience in the family entertainment and restaurant industries to support and assist its franchisees.

This weekend Kings Island is opening its gates to thousands of children fighting life-threatening illnesses as part of the non-profit organization, A Kid Again’s annual Rides and Slides Adventure.  Up to 10,000 kids, siblings and family from Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana have been invited to enjoy the weekend-long event.  The Southwest Ohio Chapter of A Kid Again serves 1,400 families in the community.

To learn more, visit www.akidagain.org. Kings Island is open this weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Halloween Haunt and the family-friendly fall festival, Tricks and Treats. More information is available at visitkingsisland.com.

ST. LOUIS — Intercard has installed its latest cashless technology at Tiki Adventure Zone in Port Orange, Florida. Formerly known as Go Kart City, the popular outdoor family fun park has undergone an extensive makeover under new owners Dean Park and Ethan Pepper. It is scheduled to re-open on October 1 with six different go-kart experiences, mini-golf, bumper boats and batting cages. Guests can also enjoy a refreshed arcade with 25 of the latest games, powered by an Intercard cashless system.

Intercard’s Saul Scribner did the installation on-site in June 2024.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – WhiteWater, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of aquatic attractions, kicked off IAAPA Expo Europe 2024 by showcasing its latest product innovations and award-winning projects at its booth Tuesday afternoon to a crowd of industry media and peers.

Cultivating Diversity in Leadership
The press conference started with an announcement of the continuation of WhiteWater’s IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) scholarship for 2024 in collaboration with the IAAPA Foundation. This scholarship, launched last year, aims to support individuals from underrepresented backgrounds by providing financial assistance and educational access, effectively bridging the opportunity gap. The scholarship funds attendance at the IAAPA Institute, a week-long program tailored for senior leaders in the global attractions industry. This initiative not only nurtures hidden talent but also empowers future leaders by reducing financial constraints and systemic barriers.

Making Waves in Cruise
WhiteWater remains at the forefront of cruise industry innovation, unveiling several new projects. These include an Adventure Trail for the 2025 MSC World America ship and its 24^th collaboration with Royal Caribbean Cruises, featuring a FlowRider® Double on the Star of the Seas, also launching in 2025.

Expanding into the Saudi Arabian cruise market, WhiteWater has partnered with AROYA Cruises to bring the first AquaForms 5 play structure to a cruise ship, along with a splash pad featuring Life Floor and AquaSplash spray toys on the Aroya Manara. This addition is designed to elevate the onboard experience, particularly for families and young guests.

Hotels and Resorts Thrive with Water
WhiteWater also highlighted its latest resort projects on the heels of its 2024 report with Hotel & Leisure Advisors that underscored the long-term financial benefits of aquatic amenities. In Croatia, Amadria Park expanded with new attractions, including the Whizzard and Constrictor + Rattler Fusion water slides, with additional indoor amenities set to open by year-end. Other significant developments include the Regnum Carya water park in Turkey, scheduled for a Spring 2025 opening, and the Grand Hyatt Dubai resort water park’s Q2 2025 opening featuring 15 new attractions across 20,000 square meters, aimed at boosting guest engagement and occupancy.

The Global Surf Movement Continues
With over 25 million surfers in the world and counting, the sport continues to grow and be integrated into various venue types. Within the resort space, Grand Hyatt Dubai is set to introduce the first FlowRider® Triple in the Middle East, featuring a 12-meter (40 feet) surface that accommodates up to three riders simultaneously, with a capacity of 360 to 720 rides per hour. In the standalone venue space, FlowRider Inc. announced an exclusive licensing agreement with SEVEN to bring the Flow House brand to Saudi Arabia, combining food, beverage, and surfing entertainment. Three Flow House venues are currently under construction across the Kingdom: in Riyadh, Al Khobar, and Jeddah.

In Germany, the first inland surf park, O2 SURFTOWN MUC, celebrated its grand opening in August of 2024 with over 14,000 guests in attendance. This groundbreaking venue is also the world’s first to feature Endless Surf technology, incorporating a 34-caisson lagoon, which delivers customizable waves using advanced pneumatic hardware and proprietary software.  

Paul Chutter, President of Endless Surf, highlighted the importance of this milestone, stating, “This moment is a testament to the dedication of the teams involved and a significant achievement for inland surf, providing operators unparalleled flexibility and control of wave types with our technology. After years of hard work and innovation, we’re thrilled to see world-class waves in Munich for all to enjoy.”

Building Record-Breaking Attractions

Europe
In 2024, WhiteWater made waves across Europe’s water park sector with notable additions to Fårup Sommerland in Denmark and Aquascope in France. At Fårup Sommerland, the company celebrated a milestone by installing Denmark’s tallest water slides, including a Tailspin + Boomerango Fusion and Parallel Pursuit. This marks the continuation of a successful 14-year partnership with the park. New for younger guests, the park introduced Mini Boomerango, alongside several other kid-friendly attractions to ensure a seamless experience for all ages. Over in France, Aquascope welcomed three new kids’ water slides and an engaging splash pad featuring AquaSplash and AquaSpray toys, adding to the park’s appeal for families and young visitors.

Middle East
WhiteWater also announced its collaboration with Aquarabia Qiddiya City, bringing to life 22 exhilarating rides and attractions, including five record-breaking rides. One of the flagship attractions at the water theme park is FusionFortress 18, known for its ground-level interactives where children with limited mobility can explore and engage with the toys while spraying their siblings with jets, turning wheels to set off various reactions on the structure, and most importantly, sharing the fun with their family and friends. The first play structure of this scale in the world, FusionFortress 18 boasts a staggering 181 interactive play features, 11 diverse water slides, two tipping buckets, and a water geyser spraying nearly 30 meters (100 feet) into the air. Located in Qiddiya City, Aquarabia will be one of the project’s many attractions where visitors can enjoy unforgettable entertainment offerings, based on the foundation of play.

The press conference also featured the latest edition of Falcon’s Play Creators video series. Building anticipation for the opening of Aquarabia, the video offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this unique water theme park, with interviews with Mike Rigby, GM & Regional Vice President of the Middle East & India, and Kenneth Campbell, Senior Installation Advisor & Team Development Specialist. Featuring construction footage of the development, the video highlighted the scale of this ambitious project and the team’s dedication to bringing extraordinary experiences to life.

Looking Ahead
WhiteWater’s forward momentum into 2025 was buoyed by the news of successfully defending its new product track record in the Canadian intellectual property suit brought by ProSlide Technology. The ruling by the Honourable Justice Michael Manson, one of Canada’s foremost intellectual property judges, proved there was no infringement by WhiteWater and that ProSlide’s patents were deemed invalid.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do,” said Rainer Maelzer, President of WhiteWater ERA GmbH. “As we continue to grow globally, we are committed to working closely with our clients to create unique, immersive experiences that drive guest satisfaction and operational success.”

Rainer and the WhiteWater team continue their focus collaborating closely with clients, ensuring that their vision is realized while meeting the evolving needs of their guests.  As WhiteWater’s latest brand campaign, launched at IAAPA Expo Europe, highlights “together the future of attractions is ours to create.”

CARLSBAD, Calif. — LEGOLAND California’s Driving School attractions will be temporarily closing on September 29^th with a victory lap, before reopening in a brand new location in 2025! Not only will kids earn their driver’s license after learning the rules of the road, but from Sept. 23 – 29, 25 lucky young drivers will receive prizes in honor of the theme park’s 25^th birthday. For 25 years, kids have burned rubber, stopped at red lights and earned their driver’s licenses at both Driving School and Junior Driving School and the time has come for the attractions to switch lanes to another location in the Park to be announced next year.

Young drivers have the opportunity to win LEGO sets, tickets and even annual passes to return next year and be one of the first to experience the new Driving Schools when they reopen in a new location. To win, kids must complete a final drive on either attraction to earn their official LEGOLAND Driver’s License. Twenty-five of the iconic ID cards will be transformed into golden tickets, each one stamped with a surprise prize! Children visiting during the Resort’s epic Brick-or-Treat Monster Party Halloween Event on September 28^th will be some of the last to ride the Park’s treasured attractions before it closes the following day. Stay tuned on the Resort’s social media pages to find out when and where the new Driving School attractions will open in 2025!

For more information about LEGOLAND California, visit our website or follow us on Facebook.  To book a not-too-scary Halloween Vacation Package at LEGOLAND Hotel, visit our Vacation Packages page. Guests can also purchase single-day tickets or annual passes with or without a hotel stay. 

GLEN, N.H. — It’s a can’t miss new Halloween experience in the picturesque White Mountains. Happy Hauntings – New Hampshire’s Best New Way to Halloween – takes center stage at Story Land Theme Park starting this Saturday, September 28. The event is the park’s first-ever Halloween experience and will bring 10 all-new family-friendly ways to enjoy spooky season. The addition of Happy Hauntings will mark the park’s longest season ever and culminate the park’s 70^th Celebration season in the biggest way possible.

Happy Hauntings will delight guests each Saturday and Sunday, September 28 through October 27, plus Monday, October 14 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to wear their best costume while they enjoy all-new boos including:

• Fairy Tale Trick-or-Treat Trail: everyone is invited to collect candy as they make their way through the park’s storybook area with delicious treats and the most fairytale characters in Story Land history, including Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood and more;
• PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger Shows: it’s a grr-ific day for shows with Daniel Tiger and his neighborhood friend Katerina Kittycat from the PBS KIDS show Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood every day in the Loopy Lab Theater;
•  Special Halloween Themed Shows: two spectacular shows, Unhappily Ever After and Cinderella’s Royal Celebration: Villains Takeover take center stage select times throughout the day;
• Cinderella’s Pumpkin Patch: visitors can pick their very own pumpkins and even have the opportunity to paint pumpkins and show them off to Cinderella herself when they visit her castle;
• Dress to Halloween Impress: it’s the perfect time to show-off the family’s matching costumes. All guests are encouraged to dress in their Halloween best, plus those still looking for the perfect addition to their spooky season wardrobe can stop by Miss Muffet’s Market or Let’s Pretend for unique costume offerings;
• Story Time and Meet and Greets with Spookley the Square Pumpkin: everyone’s favorite square pumpkin will be on-site every day during Happy Hauntings for a story time and meet and greets with the entire family;
• Halloween Hay Maze: a timeless fall tradition joins the Halloween lineup at Story Land as a hay maze pops up challenging guests to make their way through the interactive maze and onto their next fall-themed adventure; and
• Exclusive Halloween Activities: each weekend will bring select activities to the park including a Halloween scavenger hunt, Halloween Bubble Bash, scream contests, scary-oke and a kid’s costume contest.

“Our 70^th Celebration Season has been jam-packed with newness for our guests,” said General Manager Chris Kearsing. “We have been celebrating 70 years all summer long from our birthday bash to the opening of the new Moo Lagoon water play area to our all-new Happy Hauntings event, this season offered more family friendly activities than ever before.”

Families are also invited to enjoy select rides during their visit including Antique Cars, the Pumpkin Coach, Great Balloon Chase, Polar Coaster and more. Foodies are in for a treat as Story Land introduces an exclusive fall menu featuring delicious treats. Select food locations will offer hot and iced apple cider, apple pie fried dough, spookies ‘n cream flavored Dippin’ Dots, caramel and candy apples and more.

Those looking to visit Story Land this Happy Hauntings season can get tickets for just $29.99 when they buy four or more online. Families looking to visit throughout the event can purchase a 2025 Season Pass now for up to $40 off and get free, unlimited access to Happy Hauntings in 2024. Plus, exclusive perks like free preferred parking, in-park discounts, bring a friend free tickets and more.

VANCOUVER, Canada — WhiteWater is pleased to announce our definitive success in defending four of our new products in the patent infringement case brought on by ProSlide Technology.

Onno Meeter, President of WhiteWater’s water park business unit, stated, “The verdict underscores WhiteWater’s leadership in the area of innovation by confirming that AquaSphere, Orbiter, and Tailspin are unique WhiteWater products.”

On December 1, 2020, ProSlide Technology, Ltd. launched a suit in Canada against WhiteWater, alleging infringement of six patents covering the above water slide products and five industrial designs covering Parallel Pursuit. During the course of the case, allegations concerning the five industrial designs and one patent were dismissed, confirming the validity of WhiteWater’s portfolio. 

On August 30, 2024, the Honourable Justice Michael Manson, one of Canada’s foremost intellectual property judges, ruled that there was no infringement of any of the claims relating to the products. More strikingly, Justice Manson also ruled that every patent claim asserted by ProSlide and inventor Rick Hunter was deemed invalid. Additionally, ProSlide was ordered to pay WhiteWater’s litigation costs.

In a parallel case concerning eight patents in the United States, allegations concerning five patents were dismissed, one was ruled not to be infringing, and two remain before the court.

WhiteWater’s CEO Geoff Chutter commented, “Integrity is priceless, and after years of litigation, this judgment reaffirms that ours is intact. Our focus will continue to put our clients needs first as we develop new products”

AMSTERDAM — Zamperla is pleased to announce our participation in IAAPA Expo Europe 2024, which will be held in Amsterdam from 24 September to 26 September.

We will be located at booth 10132, where our sales team and ingeneers will be available to engage with attendees and provide insights into our latest offerings.

At this year’s expo, Zamperla will be highlighting our Integrated Rides concept. This approach represents a significant development in attraction design to deliver fun and immersive experiences. Integrated Rides combines multiple attractions within a compact footprint, allowing for a higher capacity of visitors and increasing the energy and vibrancy of the area.

In addition, our booth will feature a focus on two major coaster projects set to open in 2026 in Asia and in Europe. These projects reflect our commitment to advancing the field of roller coasters with cutting-edge technology and design.

We invite visitors to join us in Amsterdam to learn more about our latest developments and how they can enhance the future of entertainment.