ALTOONA, Iowa — Summer 2025 shines brighter at Adventureland Resort as the park adds an all-new water slide experience, Hyperlight to the Adventure Bay lineup of attractions. Hyperlight electrifies the park’s Typhoon water slide, adding vivid lights, dynamic sounds and new thrills.
Next summer, the Adventure Bay water slide will be recharged and ready to rock with iSlide technology. The all-new experience, Hyperlight will include out of this world color changing lights and lasers and dynamic surround sound that will transform the water slide into an all-new full sensory experience. Riders should prepare to hold onto their tubes and get ready to launch into a galaxy far away as they race through the tunnel to the bottom. With several different combinations of laser lights and sound to choose from, no two rides are the same on Hyperlight.
“Our park team is continuing our massive park-wide transformation project in 2025 with yet another new experience for our visitors to enjoy,” said Adventureland Resort General Manager, Mike Lusky. “Next summer, the thrills are going to shine brighter in Adventure Bay as we introduce the completely reimagined Hyperlight water slide, offering summer fun in a whole new light for every rider.”
The Home of Iowa’s Best Thrills continues its multi-year transformation project with the first upgrade coming to Adventure Bay since 2012. Since Palace Entertainment acquired the park in 2021, the organization has made several park-wide enhancements including introducing the re-imagining Underground, adding the all-new Flying Viking Roller Coaster and Draken Falls Log Flume, upgrading several food and beverage locations and more.
Adventureland is gearing up for what is sure to be one of the best seasons yet at the resort as the theme park prepares to reopen its gates in May. From a summer packed with new ways to beat the heat to including Hyperlight to the fall return of Iowa’s Largest Halloween Event, Phantom Fall Fest, there’s something for the entire family to enjoy throughout the season.
To celebrate the announcement of Hyperlight, Adventureland Resort is kicking off its Black Friday Sale early. Right now, park-goers can save $50 on Season Passes and glow with the flow all summer long onthe reimagined attraction. Select passes include free parking, free friend tickets, discounts on food and beverage and more.
For the first time ever, Season Passholders can add an All-Season Dining Pass onto their 2025 Season Pass. The new dining pass allows visitors to enjoy two meals throughout their day each time they visit Adventureland during the 2025 season. The passes are valid at select dining locations within the park and are currently on sale for just $99.99 during the park’s Black Friday Sale.
Zamperla’s first Family Thrill Launch coaster will soon become a reality at Parc Spirou in France.
In collaboration with Parc Spirou, Zamperla is thrilled to unveil the new Family Thrill Launch Coaster, set to open in 2026. This coaster is designed to appeal to both thrill-seekers and families.
Engineered to provide a mix of high-energy excitement with a unique profile smooth ride, this coaster is an ideal blend of thrill and family-friendly appeal, making it a distinctive addition to Parc Spirou’s lineup.
Parc Spirou sees this project as an opportunity to expand its family area, providing a thrilling attraction that is also suitable for younger visitors.
Hervé Lux, General Manager of Parc Spirou, stated, “We are thrilled to bring an exclusive attraction like the Family Thrill Launch Coaster to Parc Spirou, a unique coaster designed specifically for us. We chose Zamperla for the role as a major manufacturer with highly qualified engineers, their industry-leading safety record, and—since we wanted to work with IPs—the high quality of their creative team.
With this partnership, we’re confident we’re offering our visitors an exciting and safe experience, ideal for those needing that ‘first big coaster’ while also satisfying teens and young adults looking for a coaster with excitement.”
It’s not just a thrill to ride but also eye-catching in design. From detailed set pieces to thematic ride elements, Zamperla’s Creative Department has expertly crafted an immersive experience that will delight both Naruto fans and newcomers alike.
“I have a personal connection to this project because I’ve always been a fan of manga, and I can proudly affirm that our team has done an outstanding job” shared Enrico Patechi, Creative Design Manager. “Our goal was to create an experience that feels like an extension of Naruto’s world, and we believe fans will love the final product. It was challenging to translate the 2D manga into detailed 3D fiberglass elements.”
The rider experience is a pair of acts- two different coaster experiences combined for a 1,004 m (3,204 ft) ride. The first half of the ride features a 65
LOGAN, Utah — S&S Worldwide (S&S) is proud to unveil the vehicle for Twizzlers Twisted Gravity, set to debut in summer 2025 at Hersheypark, Pennsylvania’s largest amusement park. This thrilling new addition will be the tallest Screamin’ Swing ever built.
In collaboration with Hersheypark, S&S Worldwide has designed Twizzlers Twisted Gravity to reach record-breaking heights. In addition, this Screamin’ Swing will feature four branded zones across two gondolas, each inspired by Twizzlers’ classic flavors – Strawberry, Cherry, Hershey’s Chocolate, and Black Licorice. The attraction’s bold and colorful gondolas will become an iconic part of the Hersheypark skyline, celebrating the Twizzlers brand as part of the guest experience.
Trever Dyer, Executive Director of Sales and Marketing at S&S, called working with Hersheypark “an incredible experience.” He continued “They have been great partners with S&S for many years. Being part of this world record-setting experience with such a fantastic partner is amazing. Guests of Hersheypark will love riding Twisted Gravity again and again. There is no better airtime experience in the world.”
Twizzlers Twisted Gravity will be the 30th Screamin’ Swing and 5th of the 40-Seat variety installed worldwide. With installations in parks across the US, Japan, and Europe, these rides have been thrilling park guests around the world since 2004. Most of these rides have customizable thrill levels, so guests measuring 48 inches and up can all enjoy swinging higher than ever before.
The wait is over! Sacoa Cashless System invites all IAAPA Expo 2024 attendees to visit booth #606 where the company has officially unveiled five groundbreaking products and solutions designed to revolutionize the entertainment industry.
From today to November 22, Sacoa’s booth will showcase cutting-edge innovations designed to take FECs to new heights. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to experience these technologies first-hand, guided by Sacoa’s experts in cashless solutions. Learn about the new K5 Kiosk, Redemption Kiosk, KwikPay, Redemption 2, and Time Tracker.
Don’t miss your chance to see the future of entertainment technology in action and learn how Sacoa can help increase your profits! Visit Sacoa’s booth, #606, today!
HENRICO, Va. and ORLANDO, Fla. — Infinite Acquisitions Partners LLC (“Infinite”) today announced it has entered into a nonbinding letter of intent (“LOI”) with Oceaneering International, Inc. (“OII”) for Infinite to acquire Oceaneering Entertainment Systems (OES) from OII through an acquisition of assets. In addition, Infinite and Falcon’s Beyond Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: FBYD) (“Falcon’s Beyond”), a visionary leader in innovative and immersive storytelling through Falcon’s Creative Group, Falcon’s Beyond Destinations and Falcon’s Beyond Brands, today announced that they have entered into a nonbinding LOI for Falcon’s Beyond to operate OES. Infinite is a major stockholder of Falcon’s Beyond.
OES, the entertainment focused arm of OII, has been an industry leader in developing complex ride and show systems for over 25 years. OES is an award-winning pioneer of entertainment systems and show equipment and a trusted provider to the world’s top theme park developers and operators.
OES and Falcon’s Beyond have collaborated on themed entertainment projects globally for more than two decades. If the transactions proceed, Infinite, as the owner of OES, would tap Falcon’s Beyond’s expertise to operate OES, including its development and support of trackless ride vehicles, flying theaters and beyond. Falcon’s Beyond would seek to employ key OES staff in operating OES.
“We are excited about the opportunity to own and grow OES,” said Lucas Demerau, President of Infinite. “We believe that Falcon’s expertise in experiential themed entertainment and technology makes them a great fit and they’ll be able to operate and further amplify the OES brand.”
“We are thrilled to pursue the opportunity to operate OES and to build upon OES’ legacy of innovation powered by world-class employees,” said Cecil D. Magpuri, CEO of Falcon’s Beyond. “This strategic move would further bolster Falcon’s Beyond’s platform as a world-class entertainment provider.”
“Falcon’s innovative attraction development and storytelling prowess make it an ideal operator of OES,” said Dave Mauck, Vice President and General Manager of OII. “Existing OES customers would remain customers of OES, with Falcon’s Beyond servicing the contracts and providing the same high quality and level of service that has built OES’s stellar reputation.”
The transactions involving Infinite, OII, OES and Falcon’s Beyond are subject to ongoing discussions, due diligence and the execution of binding agreements, and there is no assurance that binding agreements for the transactions will be executed.
BOTTROP-KIRCHHELLEN — The final curtain has fallen for the Halloween Horror Festival, bringing the 2024 regular season at Movie Park Germany to a close. The more than 280 monster actors not only hunted down hundreds of thousands of guests, but also a new record: Germany’s largest film and amusement park achieved a significant 9 percent increase in guests this Halloween fall compared to the previous year and even surpassed the previous record year of 2022. This makes this year’s Halloween Horror Festival the most successful in the park’s history.
Movie Park Germany also achieved a solid result for the entire regular season from March to November 2024 with visitor numbers slightly above the previous year. Before Germany’s largest film and amusement park kicks off the second event year of “Movie Park’s Hollywood Christmas” on November 29, the team is reviewing the park’s business after 202 operating days:
“The Halloween period has long been one of the most important times of the year for us and attracts many guests time and time again,” says Managing Director Thorsten Backhaus. “Nevertheless, the Halloween Horror Festival has never been as successful as in 2024. Despite the previous successes, we have been able to improve once again and are very proud of this new record.”
Merlin Entertainments, a world leader in branded entertainment destinations, has announced “Adventures Made Real”: a new, global strategic partnership with Mojang Studios, the creator of Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time. The collaboration will bring Minecraft adventures to life in the real world through immersive and interactive entertainment attractions in fixed locations around the globe. It will create new and exciting ways to immerse yourself in the physical Minecraft world including digitally enabled real-life experiences, as well as the creation of touchpoints that will allow guests to unlock exclusive in-game content to continue their gaming journey.
Merlin will be investing in excess of £85 million ($110 million) in the first two attractions, which will be launching in the US and the UK between 2026 and 2027. This will include the development of first-of-its-kind concepts for Minecraft-themed guest accommodation, retail, and food & beverage, alongside exciting experiences – including a Minecraft-themed ride – at Merlin locations in these two countries. Longer-term, Merlin will expand these experiences to other destinations globally.
The creative collaboration and development of these cross-reality experiences between Merlin Magic Making and Mojang Studios teams will ensure authenticity in all features.
This collaboration aligns with Merlin’s strategy to engage and work with leading IP and brands across its estate, establishing successful partnerships to bring these to life in key locations across the world. This is Merlin’s first global partnership with a gaming brand.
Scott O’Neil, Chief Executive Officer of Merlin Entertainments, said: “This is a significant milestone for Merlin, which reinforces our commitment to reaching new audiences through bold and captivating concepts, and directly supports our ambitions for growth.
“Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, and this world-first will see fans experience its thrill and creativity in real life, at theme parks and city-centre attractions in leading tourist destinations. This initial investment is just the beginning, replicating Merlin’s tried-and-tested approach to globally launching new concepts and platforms, as we have with LEGO, Peppa Pig, Sony Pictures, CBeebies and others.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our Merlin Magic Making team, working collaboratively with Mojang Studios to bring cross-reality experiences, themed accommodation and other elements to life for the largest gaming community in the world.”
Kayleen Walters, Vice-President Franchise Development for Gaming at Microsoft, said: “Partnering with Merlin Entertainments is an incredibly exciting step for us at Mojang Studios. Merlin’s expertise in creating world-class attractions makes them the perfect partner to help us bring Minecraft to life in new and immersive ways in permanent locations around the globe.
“Our vast and diverse community is always looking for new opportunities to explore and engage with Minecraft, and we are thrilled to build touchpoints around the globe that will surprise and delight them. These new real-life Minecraft experiences will not only grow our community but also offer fans many more opportunities to immerse themselves in the world of Minecraft in ways they’ve never imagined.”
Scott and Kayleen will be speaking about the partnership – and the global rollout of these real-life experiences – at IAAPA Expo 2024 in Orlando at 4pm (EST) on Tuesday 19th November, during a Fireside Chat session: Inspiring Minds of the Attractions Industry, chaired by IAAPA’s President, Jakob Wahl. Visit IAAPA’s website for more information.
ORLANDO — Wicked: The Experience will thrillify guests at Universal Orlando Resort when it officially opens on Saturday, November 16. The all-new immersive experience invites guests to step into the breathtaking world of Wicked before the highly anticipated Universal Pictures film hits theaters on November 22.
Located inside Universal Studios Florida just steps away from the front gate, guests can follow the yellow brick road into the fantastical Land of Oz for the unique opportunity to visit iconic Wicked locations from Shiz University to the Emerald City. Along the way, they’ll find fanciful costume and prop replicas created by the designers from the film on display, immersive photo opportunities, spectacular scenic and theming that will recreate the most memorable moments of the film and an exciting variety of new merchandise including elevated apparel, home goods, accessories, toys and more.
OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada — ProSlide is honored to announce an extraordinary collaboration with Chimelong Water Park, the world’s most-visited water park. Opening Spring 2025 in Guangzhou, China, this expansion will feature ProSlide’s leading technology and newest innovations. This project highlights ProSlide and Chimelong’s commitment to advancing water park guest experience and will strengthen Chimelong’s position as a leading water park in China and around the world.
The first complex is the world’s first Launched HydroMAGNETIC LIM Mammoth Water Coaster. ProSlide’s HydroMAGNETIC technology is the most advanced raft propulsion system in the world and is featured at leading water parks like Holiday World, Universal’s Volcano Bay, and Everland Caribbean Bay.
The second complex anchors Chimelong’s reimagined entrance pavilion. The two water rides on this complex will dominate the landscape and create breathtaking views for guests as they enter the water park. The first raft ride is an enormous Double TORNADO 60, making Chimelong the first water park in the world with three TORNADO 60s. The second raft ride features brand new water ride technology that ProSlide will be unveiling at the upcoming IAAPA Expo in Orlando.
A History of Excellence Together
ProSlide and Chimelong have partnered on several world-leading projects including two IAAPA Impact Award Winners – the ProSlide TORNADO (2007) and the ProSlide BehemothBOWL (2008).
About Chimelong Water Park
Since its opening in 2007, Chimelong Water Park has captured the hearts of millions, attracting over
2.5 million guests annually and proudly holding the title of China’s largest water park. Connected to the renowned Chimelong Paradise amusement park, it has become a beacon of innovative water- based entertainment, setting an inspiring example across the industry.
This latest expansion represents more than just an addition of new rides; it symbolizes the shared dedication of ProSlide and Chimelong to pushing the envelope in the water park experience, setting new standards of innovation and excitement.
CALVERTON, N.Y. — From soak to spray there’s water every which way beginning next summer at Splish Splash Water Park, as the park debuts an all-new water playground. Set to open for visitors in summer 2025, the new kids’ zone will welcome the tiniest of tots as the water park celebrates its 35th summer season.
Opening in 2025 at New York’s Largest Water Park, the new kid-friendly zone will offer families more than 15 fun and silly ways to stay cool during their visit to Splish Splash. The all-new water playground will be decked out with three-pint sized water slides, six interactive spray features, five water play features, a dump bucket and fun for all to soak and spray.
“At Splish Splash, we want to make sure we are offering a variety of attractions fit for guests of all ages,” said General Manager Mike Bengtson. “This all-new water playground will offer our smallest guests pint-sized thrills during their visit with more than 15 exciting features. We can’t wait to welcome families back to the park for a splash-tastic summer.”
In addition to the new water playground, Splish Splash has a little something for everyone including more than 30 thrilling attractions like the new light and sound experience, Hyperlight, the iconic Ailen Invasion water slide and the beloved Bootlegger’s Run water coaster. Plus, next summer visitors can once again expect to enjoy a full lineup of events including Father’s Day Flop, Shark in the Park, Hero Appreciation week, Touch-a-Truck Day and more.
To celebrate the park’s 35th season and new water playground, Splish Splash is kicking off its Black Friday Sale early. Right now, visitors can save up to $50 on Season Passes and enjoy unique perks with select passes like free parking, discounts on food, retail, H2Go and more. Those interested can also take advantage of the park’s low payment plan with monthly payments as low as $14.
