LAS VEGAS — DREAMBOX360º, the immersive and intimate 5D projection experience located at The LINQ Promenade, announces the launch of “A Christmas Dream: A 360-Degree Animated Journey to the Heart of Christmas.” This one-of-a-kind immersive holiday projection experience promises to bring the magic of the holidays to life with 5DX experiences such as cutting-edge projection visuals and sound, special effects, heartfelt storytelling and an unforgettable dose of holiday cheer.
Now through Tuesday, Dec. 31, visitors of all ages are invited to follow the story of a young dreamer navigating an enchanting world of snowy landscapes, sparkling villages and celestial wonders, all in pursuit of the true meaning of Christmas. Audiences will be surrounded by vivid, panoramic animations and a festive soundtrack that fully immerse them in a dazzling holiday wonderland.
“DREAMBOX360º delivers a holiday experience unlike anything else offered in Las Vegas,” said Noel Bowman, partner, DREAMBOX360º. “By harnessing state-of-the-art 360-degree projection technology, guests are enveloped in an animated wonderland bursting with whimsical characters, breathtaking visuals and a soundtrack that sparks pure holiday joy.”
Showings of “A Christmas Dream” take place daily. Distinctive from other projection attractions, DREAMBOX360º caters to small audiences of up to 35 to create an uncommonly intimate and immersive atmosphere. General admission begins at $21 each; general admission with one cocktail is $28. Visitors 21 or older interested in the ultimate immersion bundle for $67 can enjoy entry to one DREAMBOX360º experience of choice with a cocktail as well as entry to Minus5º ICEBAR with a cocktail and a faux fur coat rental.
DREAMBOX360º is located at 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd. next to Minus5º ICEBAR at The LINQ Promenade on the Las Vegas Strip. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit dreambox360.com.
Holidays at LEGOLAND presented by Hallmark Channel is returning this year, bringing back the merry season we all love! Celebrate the wonder of the holidays with the inaugural lighting of LEGOLAND Florida Resort’s all-new LEGO Christmas tree! Standing 32 feet tall and constructed from nearly 365,000 LEGO and DUPLO bricks, this stunning centerpiece is a joyful marvel created by the Park’s talented Master Model Builders.
This marks the first-ever official tree lighting ceremony for this spectacular LEGO Christmas tree, making it an unforgettable moment in LEGOLAND Florida history!
Adding to the excitement, season two “LEGO Masters” champions Mark and Steven Erickson will join LEGOLAND Florida Resort to flip a special LEGO switch that brings the massive tree to life. These longtime LEGO fans and builders are celebrated for their creativity and passion for LEGO bricks, with unique projects ranging from nature scenes to intricate pop-culture builds inspired by LEGO.
This year, for the first time, the Resort is joining LEGOLAND Resorts worldwide in the LEGO Group’s Build To Give global initiative. Guests are invited to build a heart out of LEGO bricks at the Build To Give workshop in the Park and for every heart built and posted on Instagram, Facebook, or X using the hashtag #BuildToGive, the LEGO Group will donate a set to a child in need, helping to brighten the holidays for kids across the globe!
While visiting, don’t forget to check out the Park’s seasonal shows, cheerful LEGO characters, indulge in a delightful array of festive food and beverage offerings themed to the season and so much more! Activities are included with general Park admission and select Annual Passes.
CARLSBAD, Calif. — LEGOLAND California Resort is honored to announce Daniella Monet and Lyndsy Fonseca, stars of Hallmark Channel’s “Holiday Crashers,” and Move with Kindness Foundation’s founder, Allison Holker Boss, as this year’s special guests lighting the 35-foot-tall LEGO Christmas tree at the family theme park’s 22nd annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 6th, 2024.
Monet is best known for her role as Trina on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and her starring roles in “Baby Daddy,” and “Cousins for Life.” Fonseca is best known for portraying Colleen Carlton on the CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless” and Alexandra “Alex” on The CW show “Nikita.” Monet and Fonseca star as two best friends, Bri and Toni, in Hallmark Channel’s new original movie, “Holiday Crashers” as part of this year’s Countdown to Christmas lineup.
“So You Think You Can Dance” star Boss is also the founder of “Move With Kindness,” a charity dedicated to her late husband, Stephen tWitch Boss, former DJ and executive producer of the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Her goal is to promote love and mental health awareness. To support her cause, LEGOLAND California Resort, on behalf of Monet and Fonseca, will contribute $10,000 to the “Move With Kindness Foundation” at the upcoming ceremony.
Monet, Fonseca and Boss will help pull the switch that lights the family theme park’s 35-foot-tall LEGO Christmas tree. Built brick by brick from more than 364,481 LEGO® and DUPLO® bricks, it took a team of Master Model Builders nearly 3,000 hours to design and build. Following the special tree lighting, a stunning fireworks display will light up the sky, marking the start of the Resort’s festive fireworks shows. These will take place every Saturday in December and nightly from Dec. 21 to 30.
This year’s Holidays celebration at LEGOLAND® California Resort features tasty treats, new shows, and for the first time ever, an Elf Extravaganza! Guests can train to become an elf at the new Elf Training Academy, take “elfies” with the all-new LEGO® elf characters, Ivy and Frode, mail letters to LEGO Santa, or master their jolly good dance moves at the new Holly Hype Dance Party on select dates now through Jan.5. Guests can also give back this season by building a LEGO heart inside the new Build to Give Workshop! For every heart that is built and shared with #BuildToGive, LEGO® will donate a set to a child in need of play.
All holiday festivities, including the tree lighting ceremony, are included with general Park admission and select annual passes.
LAS VEGAS — AREA15, the immersive art, entertainment and events district known for connecting live music, experiential attractions and production technology, proudly announces HOLIDAZE: A Country Xmas Music Experience with genre-leader Universal Music Group Nashville. Located inside Museum Fiasco, HOLIDAZE presents a curated list of holiday hits inside an immersive audio and light experience that puts audiences in the pulse of music from artists including Alan Jackson, Brenda Lee, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, Toby Keith, Mickey Guyton, and more.
Country music fans can also enjoy a pop-up merch shop located just outside of Museum Fiasco. Ideal for holiday gifting or collectors, the shop will offer signed vinyl, CD box sets and special edition Christmas records from artists such as Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Parker McCollum, Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Terri Clark and more. Clothing, including long sleeve tops, t-shirts and Shania Twain’s iconic sequin leopard bomber jacket, will also be available.
The HOLIDAZE experience launches Thursday, Dec. 5, in conjunction with the kickoff of the National Finals Rodeo events taking over Las Vegas. The immersive light and sound experience, enhanced by the music of the world’s favorite country artists, will be FREE to enter for the entire month of December. The experience will run through Tuesday, Dec. 31 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — PB Amusement, LLC is proud to announce the addition of Dave Mugnaini as the Director of Guest Services and Business Development. With over 15 years of amusement industry hospitality leadership and 10 years of leadership experience at Universal Orlando in Park Operations management, Dave oversaw the short- and long-term development of department strategies for Guest Services and Attractions Operations. This included the development and facilitation of training for large-scale event planning, change management, and shaping and improving the overall guest hospitality experience.
After years in Operations, Dave is excited to utilize his passion and love for the industry on a new path; helping to partner parks, attractions, F.E.C’s, and more with manufacturers and suppliers to find the right fit for their organization. Pete Barto, President of PB Amusement, LLC said, “I have known Dave since he was an IAAPA Show Ambassador almost 20 years ago, and have followed his career. He brings a unique skill set, strong work ethic, impressive sales acumen, and the kind of passion for our industry that I have always admired.” In addition to offering sales support, Dave will allow PB Amusement, LLC to add guest services evaluation and operations training to its expanding consulting services that already include buying services for new and used attractions and safety inspections for rides and parks.
PB Amusement, LLC has been in business for nearly five years, and has established itself as a trustworthy, reliable and reputable source for problem solving in the amusement and attractions industry. In addition to its consultancy services, the company boasts a formal portfolio of more than 20 manufacturers and suppliers, along with additional connections with a near endless global network of partners and friends in the industry willing to help PB Amusement meet the needs of every aspect of a park’s project. Be it wet and dry rides, story-based attractions and simulators, maintenance and rehab projects (including padding and fiberglass replacement), fabrication, warehousing and storage, print services, food and beverage, and sustainable/renewable products, PB Amusement, LLC has built an impressive collection of unique and diverse solutions to help build attendance and guest satisfaction for every kind of facility in the amusement and attractions industry. For more information on PB Amusement, LLC, visit their website at www.PBAmusement.com.
VANCOUVER, Canada — With IAAPA Expo 2024 completed, WhiteWater reflects on the impact the company’s new products made at the show; receiving two Brass Ring Awards as runners up in the following categories: Best New Product: Class A (over $2M) for Walhalla and Class B (under $2M) for Mini Blaster. In addition to award wins, WhiteWater unveiled more new products this year than in any year prior.
Walhalla—Fastest 6-Person Raft Ride in the World
A fusion between two eye-catching attractions—first, Boomerango and then Manta—Walhalla is a unique 6-person ride that combines the highest climbs, the fastest speeds, and the biggest thrills in WhiteWater’s portfolio.
Showcased at Meryal Waterpark in Lusail, Qatar, the secret to Walhalla’s popularity is that it checks all the boxes:
- Fear-inducing plunge at 11.4 meters (37.4 feet)
- Ludicrous lateral high speed at 50 km/h (31 mph)
- Up to seven exhilarating oscillations
- Maximum Gs and weightless sensations
- An experience to be enjoyed face to face with friends and family
- A viral ride proven to garner over 286 million views from a single Instagram reel
Beyond the thrills, Walhalla is designed to operate with low energy and low water consumption, and therefore, low operating cost for an attraction of this size.
Mini Blaster—Pint-Sized Master Blaster Thrills for Kids
This shrunken down version of the iconic Master Blaster allows children 36 inches (91.4 cm) and taller to enjoy the exciting uphill blasts and stomach-tickling drops of a water coaster, just like the big kids.
Compared to the adult version, Mini Blaster’s accelerations are less abrupt, the speed is at an enjoyable 25 km/h (15.5 mph) versus 48 km/h (30 mph), and the ride duration is shorter, at just over 20 seconds. With the run-out lane intentionally placed at the entrance to the ride, kids can line up to ride again and again for high throughput. This layout and its slide path are also ideal for a park with a very limited available footprint.
The first Mini Blaster opened this past season in the new kids’ area at Schlitterbahn New Braunfels in Texas, who declared, “The ride is a winner to us.”
“The contrast between these award-worthy products couldn’t be greater, but they are both proven to thrill their target audiences,” said Doug Smith, Global Head of Sales. “Kudos to everyone involved for the careful thought and hard work that went into making these attractions a reality.”
Record Number of New Products and Innovations Unveiled
Last year at IAAPA Expo, WhiteWater launched Wall Runner, which will bring a sensational ride experience to Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Tennessee next year, with its first-of-its-kind lateral acceleration that extends the zero-G feeling.
This year, the company revealed the following new products:
Topspin – Embrace the Downward Spiral
The latest addition to WhiteWater’s compact footprint features, Topspin’s high-banking corkscrew descent makes a standout attraction on its own but can also be combined with other features to create a high-thrill slide sure to please guests. It is available either as an open or an enclosed model. Topspin will debut at Parrot Island Waterpark in Arkansas.
Nautilus – Flashiest 90° Turns
Over, under, around, through, Nautilus is a novel way to take 90-degree turns. It makes for an ideal fusion slide because of its adaptability to differing incoming slide paths and speeds. Nautilus is available in two models: one enclosed, and the other with a center opening for a flume-thru-flume slide or even a walkway or crawl-through. Nautilus will also debut at Parrot Island Waterpark in Arkansas.
Slingshot – Rapid Drop and Return
Slingshot gives riders a rapid change of direction for high-banking curves that can be as fun to watch as it is to ride. With an intimidating sawtooth finish, Slingshot’s curves not only heighten the physical presence of any slide but also work well in tight environments where space is a minimum while also helping to contain water effectively. Slingshot will debut at Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi.
Covered Boomerango – Outdoor Feature for Indoor Water Park
The iconic zero-G Boomerango wall can now be covered to extend outside the building of an indoor water park. This not only saves precious footprint inside, it also creates an optimal roadside billboard. Covered Boomerango will debut at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
Fiesta Slide – Large and In Charge
Simple and irresistible, Fiesta Slide allows up to six adults to slide down an undulated ramp side by side. It is available in varying heights and thrill levels, and its wide surface allows for creative theming or a park’s branding. Fiesta Slide debuted at Evermore Resort in Florida this year and has proven to be a laugh generator.
SmartPay – Flexible Tokenization
SmartPay by Vantage empowers a venue’s customers through shared payment access with their friends and family, e.g. for corporate events or for teenage children, and the ability to set personalized spending limits per person. A smarter way to pay, this feature is perfect for managing charging privileges across groups of guests while providing both security, autonomy, and the opportunity to increase purchases. The first implementation of SmartPay will be at San Antonio Zoo in Texas.
“These awards and new products demonstrate WhiteWater’s continued commitment to providing both unique attractions and clever solutions to serve diverse market needs,” said Onno Meeter, WhiteWater’s President, Water Parks. “As we head into 2025, we are excited to bring these new innovations to life.”
Lake Compounce is making spirts bright all week long as it continues its Holiday Lights tradition. Beginning today, Giving Tuesday, America’s First Amusement Park will donate one 2025 Single Day Ticket for every 2025 Season Pass sold on December 3 to the Alzheimer’s Association of CT.
The park is currently offering up to $70 off on 2025 Season Passes during its Cyber Week Sale. Select passes include FREE admission to Holiday Lights and bonus perks like free friend tickets, free soda, free parking and more.
The park’s week of giving continues with the most paw-tastic time of the year at Lake Compounce as the park hosts its annual Pawliday Lights this Sunday, December 8. Families and their furry family members are invited to the park to join in the joy of the season from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Those that bring pet food, toys, or treats to the park as a donation to the Meriden Humane Society will receive one free 2025 Single Day Ticket to enjoy the park any one day next summer. The Meriden Humane Society will also be at the park throughout the day with adoptable dogs for those looking to add to the family this holiday season.
Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce runs weekends now through December 29 with a bonus day on Thursday, December 26. The timeless holiday tradition features more than 500,000 lights, meet and greets with Santa, a variety of family friendly rides, CT’s Tallest Christmas Tree, festive foods and more.
The DECEMBER 2024 issue includes:
- IAFE expects one of its largest turnouts ever for 2024 Trade Show
- Christmas at the Caverns delivers a unique holiday celebration
- Annual Holiday Cooking Guide
- Looking to the future — Texas Winter Park makes plans for 2025
- Louisville’s Kentucky Kingdom opens for first Christmas celebration
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay enhances Christmas Town event
- Rain-free weather at State Fair of Texas delivers 24 days of fun
- More than 912,000 people visited this year’s Washington State Fair
- Rain dampened attendance but not spirits at State Fair of Louisiana
- Seeing demand for comfortable spaces, Rulantica adds luxury suites
- World Waterpark Association’s trade show returns to Las Vegas
- WWA celebrates 2024 Hall of Fame inductees at trade show event
- Silver Dollar City begins half billion dollar investment with new hotel
- Circus Circus Hotel & Casino home to world’s largest permanent circus
- Woman of Influence: ACE’s Elizabeth Ringas
- History in the making: a model for preserving the past at Iowa State Fair
- PACE Seminar trains more than 120 at Knoebels, in classrooms
- 12 great reasons to attend the 2025 AIMS International Safety Seminar … and so much more!
SANTA CLAUS, Ind. — Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari will be celebrating its 25th anniversary of Free Unlimited Soft Drinks throughout the 2025 season. The park is launching an art contest for youth aged 5 to 12 to commemorate this milestone. Five winners will be selected by the Holiday World team, who will each receive two Season Passes for the 2025 season and inspire the artwork for Holiday World’s 2025 souvenir cups.
“25 years ago, I thought introducing Free Unlimited Soft Drinks was crazy,” said park President & CEO Matt Eckert. “It turned out to be a genius, creative idea that showed how passionate we are about delivering an exceptional Guest experience. We’re excited to invite our young fans to use their creativity with us now.”
The winning art will be showcased on Holiday World’s official website and their social media accounts. Entrants must be between the ages of 5 and 12 at the time of submission and use the official template found on the Holiday World Website. Parental or legal guardian consent is mandatory, and participants must be residents of Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio, or Missouri. The final date to submit is January 6, 2025. More submission details and full contest rules can be found at HolidayWorld.com/cupdesign.
“Free Unlimited Soft Drinks put Holiday World on the map 25 years ago,” adds Leah Koch-Blumhardt, Fourth-Generation Owner and Director of Communications. “My dad, Will Koch, was a brilliant visionary who dreamed it up. Even after a quarter of a century, people still can’t believe we really offer every Guest free soda, water, lemonade, and more!”
Sacoa Cashless System is proud to announce its latest installation at Coool! by Kiddieland, the first of its kind in Germany. Located in the Mercaden Böblingen shopping mall, this brand-new entertainment venue is redefining the game room experience with cutting-edge technology and exceptional design.
At the heart of this transformation is Sacoa’s state-of-the-art technology, featuring the EZ Kiosk, the industry’s FIRST self-contained and self-installed cashless payment server system which helps reduce labor, storage, and general server costs.
With an area of 300 sq. meters Coool! Arena is a true, all-in-one entertainment destination, specifically designed to enhance the shopping mall experience, which had its grand opening last November. Kiddieland, together with Sacoa, has transformed the space from the ground up in record time, creating a vibrant environment that promises endless fun for visitors of all ages.
“We are very happy with the system. It works reliably, it’s less work with the logistic of the coins, etc. The people like it very much as well,” said Eline Hutten, owner of Kiddieland.
Discover a new era of family entertainment at Coool!, where Sacoa’s pioneering technology meets fun.
