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2013 Brass Ring Awards Presented at IAAPA Attractions Expo

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Orlando, FL, USA — IAAPA Attractions Expo (November 20, 2013) — With attendees from across the attractions industry present, IAAPA honored this year’s best and brightest initiatives today during the Brass Ring Awards, held in The IAAPA Theater Presented by The Wanda Group.

This prestigious awards program honors attractions from around the world for their achievements in marketing, live entertainment, food and beverage, human resources, retail, and family entertainment center operation. The winners are:

MARKETING EXCELLENCE

Television Commercial

Class 1: Spokane Riverfront Park, Spokane, Washington, USA

Class 2: St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis, ­Missouri, USA

Class 3: Six Flags Hurricane Harbor – Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA

Class 4: Silver Dollar City, Branson, ­Missouri, USA

Radio Commercial

Class 1: Santa’s Village Azoosment Park, East Dundee, Illinois, USA

Class 2: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Class 3: Wet ‘n Wild Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Class 4: Silver Dollar City, Branson, ­Missouri, USA

Public Relations Programming

Class 1: Scene75 Entertainment Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

Class 2: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Class 3: Luna Park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Class 4: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, USA

Social Media Campaign

Calgary Stampede, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Outdoor Advertising

Xel-Ha, Cancun, Mexico

Integrated Marketing Campaign

San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California, USA

Digital Marketing

Ocean Park Hong Kong, Aberdeen,
Hong Kong

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EXCELLENCE

The Heart Beat Award

The Passion, The Holy Land Experience, Orlando, Florida, USA

The Spirit Award

Lau Sui Kan, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Best Atmosphere/Street Show Performance Act

“Cocoa Rhythm Factory,” Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

Best Live “Edutainment Show”

“The Ed-ZOO-cation Team,” Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

Best Sports Show

“Pirate Hunters: A Stunt Show Journey,” Six Flags America, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA

Best Female Performer

Kristina Hanford, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Best Male Performer

Garyon Judon, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Best Overall Production: Budget of $25,000 or Less

“The Four Women Who Loved Jesus,” Holy Land Experience, Orlando, Florida, USA

Best Overall Production: Budget of $25,001 – $50,000

“Waterloo,” Europa-Park, Rust, Baden, Germany

Best Overall Production: Budget of $50,001 – $100,000

“Love at First Fright,” Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, USA

Best Overall Production: Budget of $100,001 – $200,000

“Supr’ice – Going on Vacation,” Europa-Park, Rust, Baden, Germany

Best Overall Production: Budget of $200,001 – $400,000

“Cirque Ambiente,” Canada’s Wonderland, Vaughn, Ontario, Canada

Best Overall Production: Budget of $400,001 – $700,000

“Aqua Bella,” Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Harderwijk, The Netherlands

Best Overall Production: Budget of $700,001- $1,000,000

“The Royal Theatre Presents Tangled,” Disneyland, Anaheim, California, USA

Best Overall Production: Budget of $1,000,001 or More

“Universal Rainbow Circus,” Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan

FOOD AND BEVERAGE EXCELLENCE

Best Innovation in Food and Beverage

Be Our Guest Restaurant, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

Best New Menu Item

Red Velvet Funnel Cake, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, USA

HUMAN RESOURCES EXCELLENCE

Best Innovation in a Training Program – More Than 1 Million Attendance

Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, USA

Best Innovation in a Training Program – Less Than 1 Million Attendance

Wild Wadi Water Park, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Best Employee Reward and Recognition Program – More Than 1 Million Attendance

Atlantis, the Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Best Employee Reward and Recognition Program – Less Than 1 Million Attendance

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

RETAIL EXCELLENCE

Soft Good – More Than 1 Million Attendance

Ngong Ping 360 Limited, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Soft Good – Less Than 1 Million Attendance

Luna Park Sydney, Sydney, Australia

Hard Good – More Than 1 Million Attendance

Disney Theme Park Merchandise, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

Hard Good – Less Than 1 Million Attendance

Shop Shop Park Store (at Beach Park), Aquiraz, Brazil

Visual Display – More Than 1 Million Attendance

Disney Theme Park Merchandise, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

Visual Display – Less Than 1 Million Attendance

Holy Land Experience, Orlando, Florida, USA

Judges Choice Award

“Princess Magic Mirror,” Disney Theme Park Merchandise, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

TOP FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS (FEC)

North America

Austin’s Park N Pizza, USA

International

Neverland Europa, Argentina

www.iaapa.org

Palace Entertainment Adds “Roar-O-Saurus” Wooden Coaster to New Hampshire’s Story Land

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Newport Beach, CA, USA (November 20, 2013) — Palace Entertainment has announced the addition of a one of a kind wooden roller coaster at Story Land, Glen, NH, USA during the 2014 IAPPA Attractions Expo.  Joining Story Land’s popular Polar Coaster, the new coaster, designed and built for Story Land’s unique natural setting by The Gravity Group, LLC in Ohio, will be the only wooden roller coaster of its kind in northern New England.  The coaster, named “Roar-O-Saurus” is the major component of Story Land’s new Dinosaur themed section of the park.

“This unique wooden coaster will provide children of all ages the experience and memory of riding their first ‘big’ coaster with Mom or Dad, or vice versa,” explains Story Land’s General Manager Eric Dziedzic.  “Our niche in the theme park industry has always been young families with children 2-12.  Our new coaster will expand that demographic slightly and add to the family memories created here in the Land Where Fantasy Lives.”

Roar-O-Saurus, with a colorful train of 12 passengers will be led by Story Land’s newest family member, “Rory” the little Dino with the big roar!  The coaster has a lift height of 40 feet (providing a spectacular view of the surrounding area), sends riders soaring down a first drop of 38.5 feet, features 1,242 feet of track length, and provides riders 12 unique airtime moments.  For the safety of all riders, children must be at least 42” tall to ride.

www.storylandnh.com

VIEW THE COASTER CAR UNVEILED AT THE IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO

Oceaneering Awarded Thea from TEA for Revolution Trackless Ride System

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Orlando, FL, USA (November 19, 2013) — The Themed Entertainment Association (T.E.A., teaconnect.org) awarded its prestigious Thea Award to Oceaneering Entertainment Systems (OES) for their Revolution™ Tru-Trackless™ ride system, recognizing the development and introduction of this new technological leap in theme park ride systems.

The announcement was made at the IAAPA EXPO in Orlando, the largest theme park attractions and amusement trade show in the world.

Using a blend of several cutting-edge technologies and multiple patent-pending innovations, Tru-Trackless™  ride vehicles are able to move through a show space in any direction, stop and turn at will, while providing  a full motion-base experience to the audience.  Vehicles are able to follow multiple independent ride paths, perform multiple motion profiles, and enter and leave from the load and unload stations in first-available order, not the traditional “follow-the-leader” style.

Helping Storytellers Move Your Audience is our mantra”, according to Bill Bunting, Manager of Business Development at OES. “We subscribe fervently to Arthur Clark’s third law: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. Too often in our industry, the technology overpowers the experience.  It bleeds into the show to the distraction of the story. We think the story should dominate, and the technology should be used only to support the storytelling. It should disappear into the magic created by the experience. We think there are only two prime goals on each project: 1) support the story through the guest experience, and 2) make it reliable and safe. It really all boils down to that.”

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Oceaneering Entertainment Systems (OES) contributes to the cutting-edge development of theme park technologies, including dark ride vehicles and show systems, and an array of other custom solutions. “Being a part of a large global organization with roots in deep-water, robotics, mechanical systems, space exploration, and naval technology development gives us access to talent, knowledge and expertise that others in our industry simply can’t match,” says Dave Mauck, VP of Oceaneering Entertainment Systems.  “We can leverage our vast resource pool around the world, tap into expertise and innovative engineering that sometimes amazes even us”.

With offices in 22 countries, and over 10,000 employees worldwide, Oceaneering has a reach into all corners of the world, and a rich legacy of technology and innovation dating back to its founding in 1964.

This Thea Award win marks the 12th for OES, and follows up its dual 2012 wins for the ride systems for both Transformers: The Ride-3D at Universal Studios Hollywood, and Transformers The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle at Universal Studios Singapore.

The Revolution™ ride vehicle can be seen in action on the IAAPA trade show floor at OES’ booth #1054 during this week’s IAAPA EXPO 2013 at the Orange County Convention Center.

oceaneering.com/oes

Sally Corp’s John Wood and The Huish Brothers Inducted into IAAPA Hall of Fame

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Orlando, FL, USA — IAAPA Attractions Expo — The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has inducted dark ride developer John Wood and the forefathers of the family entertainment center industry (FEC) Jim and John Huish into the IAAPA Hall of Fame. The IAAPA Hall of Fame honors legends and pioneers for their significant and lasting contributions to the worldwide attractions industry. The awards were presented on Nov. 19 in Orlando, Florida, during the Kickoff Event at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013, the premier annual conference and trade show for the global attractions industry.

“The 2013 IAAPA Hall of Fame inductees are an inspiration to the global attractions industry,” said Ron Gustafson, 2013, chairman of the IAAPA Hall of Fame and Archives Committee and director of marketing and public relations for Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Connecticut. “From reinvigorating family dark rides around the world by adding interactivity to expanding miniature golf courses with arcades and attractions, these three individuals revolutionized the attractions industry.”

Dark Ride Innovator: John Wood, Sally Corporation, Jacksonville, Fla., United States

As CEO of Sally Corporation, John Wood’s ideas and creativity revived dark ride attractions and filled a niche market around the world. During the 1980s when roller coasters were in high demand, Wood added the interactive element of a moving shooting gallery and modern technology to traditional dark rides. He also added music, sound effects, and modern scenic design. In 1986, when the first Sally Corporation ride opened at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England, there were a limited number dark ride attractions functioning in the world. Today, there are 57 entertaining guests in 14 countries.

Modern-Day Family Entertainment Center Founders: John and Jim Huish, Huish Family Entertainment, Tukwila, Wash., United States

Twin brothers John and Jim Huish are considered to be forefathers of modern-day family entertainment centers. As freshmen in college in 1957, the young entrepreneurs built and opened a small miniature golf course, using packed sawdust for the fairways and greens. John and Jim spent the next 20 years building and operating a series of miniature golf courses across Central and Southern California, which evolved into the influential chain of Huish Family Fun Centers. They added game rooms to the facilities in the mid-to-late 1960s and billiards tables shortly thereafter. By the mid 1970s the Huish brothers established J&J Amusements, a premier supplier of go-karts and bumper boats and they built a center that included miniature golf courses, batting cages, game rooms, and trampolines. In the early 1980s they added outdoor skate parks and go-kart tracks to the list of facilities they developed before Jim was killed in a construction accident in 1984. John forged ahead for the next 30 years, acquiring or building a nationwide chain of water parks and family entertainment centers as well as the Bullwinkle’s Restaurant Franchise.

Past inductees into the IAAPA Hall of Fame include: Walt Disney (Walt Disney Company); Milton Hershey (Hersheypark); Bob Rogers (BRC Imagination Arts); Will Koch (Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari); Bo Kinntorph (Liseberg); Franz Mack (Mack Rides/Europa-Park); George Millay (Wet ‘n Wild); Jay Stein (Universal Studios Florida); Geoffrey Thompson (Blackpool Pleasure Beach); and Antonio Zamperla (Zamperla). 

www.iaapa.org

Discounted Registration Available for TiLEzone London

WilkinsonatTiLEzone London

London, UK — 9th TiLEzone London seminar will be on Wednesday 26th March 2014 and, on the previous evening, there will be the 9th TiLEzone London & Experience UK Reception at the new London Dungeon (Riverside Building, County Hall). At this Reception, the new UKTI Experience UK Brochure and the new Experience UK Online Directory will be launched. The Reception is included in the price of the seminar.

The seminar programme is being worked on at present and will be posted on www.tileweb.org at the end of December. If you wish to discuss the speakers & presentations with the 9th TiLEzone London Chairman, David Camp (D & J International Consulting), or other members of the Committee at IAAPA or subsequently, please email [email protected].

Go to:

Register & pay for the seminar & reception – ensure you receive massive Early Bird  discounts for the seminar.
Operators” – to receive the special “Operator” fee, please request the “Operator Promotional Code“, saying briefly who you are, by emailing [email protected].
The current price, with the 30% Early Bird saving, is for Operators £98 (approximately €118or US$156) and all other delegates £140 (approximately €168 or US$224) – addition Group Discounts (20% for Groups of 4 or more and 10% for Groups of 2 or 3).

Promote your products or services through the 9th TiLEzone London & the TiLE website – there are opportunities to exhibit and/or sponsor a TiLEzone activity.

For more information, go to: www.tileweb.org

Polin signs agreement to provide slides for Nigerian waterpark

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Orlando, FL, USA — IAAPA Attractions Expo (November 20, 2013) — Today at the IAAPA Attractions Expo, Executives from Polin signed an agreement to provide ten slides for the Delta Leisure Resorts development in Nigeria.

Princess Abiodun Oyefusi, Managing Director for Delta Leisure Resorts, signs agreements with Polin representatives.
Princess Abiodun Oyefusi, Managing Director for Delta Leisure Resorts, signs agreements with Polin representatives.
  • The park has been in development since 2009, with land reclamation taking place since 2010.
  • The park is privately funded, with the Nigerian government supplying land and infrastructure for the project.
  • The waterpark is only one component of a large project that will include hotels, a wildlife park, nightlife, attractions and timeshare units.
  • WhiteWater Attractions is providing dry play elements.
  • JRA is developing the African Culture Museum.
  • Neumann Aquatics is designing canals and waterways for the attractions.
  • The park is anticipating 5,000,000 visitors per year. The population of Nigeria is 170 million.
  • The project will reveal its ten global  brand alignments for the park on December 20th, some of which will be the first entry for these brands into Africa.
  • The development is on track for an April 2015 opening.

www.polin.com.tr

 

New wooden coaster trains revealed at IAAPA

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Orlando, FL, USA  — IAAPA Attractions Expo — Rocky Mountain Coasters and The Gravity Group both unveiled cars for two new coasters currently being built for the 2014 season.

Hank Salemi (SFGA Park President) on left
Hank Salemi (SFGA Park President) on left

Six Flags Great America’s Goliath will feature trains from Rocky Mountain Coasters. When opened next spring, the attraction will feature a 180-foot, 85 degree first drop, reaching speeds up to 72 mph, and featuring two inversions.

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Palace Entertainment is adding a family friendlycoaster from The Gravity Group, called Roar-O-Saurus. The New Hampshire will open the coaster in 2014, which will feature a 40-foot lift hill and 1,242 feet of track. The coaster will tell the story of “Rory”, the little dino with the big roar.

Eric Dziedzic (GM of Storyland) on left.
Eric Dziedzic (GM of Story Land) on left.

www.rockymtnconstruction.com

http://thegravitygroup.com

Two Cedar Fair Parks Partner with Garner Holt to Update Treasured Attractions

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Doswell, VA and Buena Park, CA Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA is excited to announce that the iconic ‘Singing Mushrooms’ will make their grand return in the Spring of 2014 as part of the kick-off to the park’s 40th Celebration. This fan-favorite that families came to know and love, will feature the original four colorful mushrooms along with the infamous frog, all singing to their favorite barbershop songs.

“When Kings Dominion announced its 40th Celebration earlier this fall, the response was overwhelming that our guests wanted to see the popular Singing Mushrooms brought back,” said Kings Dominion’s Vice President and General Manager Pat Jones. “As an employee and fan of Kings Dominion since the 70’s, I am excited to see one of my personal favorites return to the park for a new generation of guests to enjoy.”

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In Buena Park, CA, Knott’s Berry Farm is proud to announce two major projects for 2014 that continue reinvestment in the park’s rich history and heritage. Camp Snoopy celebrates its 30th Anniversary with the revitalization of the entire land of High Sierra fun. The classic Calico Mine Ride, Knott’s first major attraction and theme park industry icon, will undergo an all-encompassing refurbishment complete with new state-of-the-art animatronic figures and enhanced scenery. Camp Snoopy’s area beautification and the revitalized Calico Mine Ride are slated to open early summer of 2014.

“Camp Snoopy and Calico Mine Ride have delighted guests for decades and are classics that families come back time and again to experience together” said Raffi Kaprelyan, Knott’s Berry Farm’s vice president and general manager. “The revitalization of these areas will once again demonstrate our commitment to Knott’s heritage and will preserve these experiences for a new generation of guests to enjoy.”

Camp Snoopy, home of the beloved PEANUTS Gang, has welcomed the young and the young at heart since its grand opening on July 1, 1983. In honor of the land’s 30th anniversary, the High Sierra mountains camp theming will be enhanced throughout. Thirty years ago the five-acre nature wonderland was created by the Knott family to be a carefree place where nature, adventure and imagination come to life, and in 2014 it will undergo a number of exciting updates including new rides and restoration of the entire area with the original inspiration in mind.

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Additionally in 2014, Knott’s beloved Calico Mine Ride will undergo complete refurbishment.

The Calico Mine Ride, Knott’s first major ride, opened in Ghost Town in November 1960 and was quickly recognized as one of the world’s most immersive “dark rides.” The beloved attraction designed by industry pioneer- Bud Hurlbut, carries riders aboard ore cars, on a realistic adventure through dimly lit tunnels of a working gold mine. The winding journey takes passengers to underground lakes, waterfalls, caverns filled with thousands of mysterious formations, chambers filled with steaming, bubbling pots and geysers. At several points in the trip, riders find themselves along the rim of a sixty five foot deep and ninety foot wide scene filled with dozens of animated miners trying to strike it rich.

The Calico Mine Train attraction stands 7 stories tall. Every year over 1 million guests take part in the eight minute journey. The mountain required over 275 tons of steel to complete and was the first attraction with a “hidden” themed queue that snakes upward to the loading station, out of sight of onlookers. The design preserves the impressive forced perspective of the mountain range, based on the sites in the authentic ghost town at Calico in California’s Mojave Desert.

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In January 2014 the attraction will close for a comprehensive restoration by Knott’s Berry Farm’s design and production team. The project will be another partnership with Garner Holt Productions, Inc., (GHP) the team that brought award winning new enhancements to the Timber Mountain Log Ride in 2013 with lifelike animatronics and stunning show scenes.

“It is our company’s top priority to preserve and enhance the original story of a working gold mine deep in the heart of the Old West” said Garner Holt, GHP’s founder and president. “The Calico Mine Ride will be filled with lifelike sounds and motion, while maintaining the uniquely authentic feel of the attraction as designed by Knott’s and industry legend Bud Hurlbut.” The renovation of the iconic attraction includes the addition of over 50 new state-of-the-art animatronic figures, all new audio and theme lighting system, and special effects that will capture the imagination of
would-be miners as they journey deep into the winding caverns of the attraction.

GHP was also chosen to assist in the refabrication of Kings Dominion’s Singing Mushrooms.  GHP and Kings Dominion are working together to maintain the rich history of the Singing Mushrooms, but also add 21st century animatronic technology to it. The new Singing Mushrooms will have more character to the figures with subtle additional functions not seen in the original animatronics. The Singing Mushrooms will be located in the newly re-themed Candy Apple Grove section of the park.

www.kingsdominion.com

www.knotts.com

RECENT GARNER HOLT NEWS: Garner Holt Named Recipient of the Harrison “Buzz” Price Award for Lifetime Achievement by the TEA

 

Diane Disney Miller, Daughter of Walt Disney and Co-Founder of the Walt Disney Family Museum, Passes Away at 79

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Photos courtesy the Walt Disney Family Foundation

San Francisco, CA, USA — (November 19, 2013) — Diane Disney Miller, oldest daughter of Walt and Lilly Disney, has died in Napa, California at the age of 79 from injuries sustained in a fall.

At the time of her death, she was president of the Board of Directors of the Walt Disney Family Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Walt Disney Family Museum located in the Presidio in San Francisco. The museum, which opened in 2009, was established to promote and inspire creativity and innovation and celebrate and study the life of Walt Disney.

While devoting her earlier life to raising her seven children, over the past two decades, Diane undertook an active advocacy to document the life and accomplishments of her father, who has been the subject of poorly researched biographies and inaccurate rumors. She was also concerned that his name had become more of a corporate identity than a reference to the man himself. In 2001, the Walt Disney Family Foundation released The Man Behind the Myth, a documentary film about Walt Disney’s life featuring interviews with his colleagues, peers, and family.

Diane with her parents Walt and Lillian Disney circa 1937
Diane with her parents Walt and Lillian Disney circa 1937

Diane also worked tirelessly to conceive and complete the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. She was an ardent supporter of architect Frank Gehry as its designer.

Diane, a lifelong pianist with a passion for classical music, has been a generous benefactor to the San Francisco Symphony, Napa’s Music in the Vineyards, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She was also a benefactor to many other causes, including the Pathway Home in Yountville, California and the Halo Trust.

When she was 20 years old, Diane was introduced to 21-year-old USC student Ron Miller, a member of the football team, on a blind date after a Cal/USC game. They married in a small church ceremony in Santa Barbara on May 9, 1954. Ron then served in the Army and played professional football before Walt convinced him to work the Walt Disney Studios, and he ascended from film directing and production to president and CEO of what is now The Walt Disney Company. But, with the children grown, Ron left the company and the entertainment industry in 1984, and he and Diane went on to develop the renowned Silverado Vineyards Winery in Napa, which became their home.

All who knew Diane would agree that her enthusiasm and energy was incredible. She dove into projects with passion and determination, and brought that same intensity into her personal life as well. Partners for almost 60 years, she and Ron always set aside time to be in nature, skiing in Colorado and swimming in the ocean in Hawaii throughout their lives. Autumns spent at their ranch in Colorado were something she always looked forward to. When home in Napa, they spent most weekends tending their rose, dogwood, and rhododendron gardens. They instilled the same respect for nature and family in their children and grandchildren.

Diane with Harrison "Buzz" Price in the Museum's Theater July 16, 2010
Diane with Harrison “Buzz” Price in the Museum’s Theater July 16, 2010

Above all, Diane’s greatest love was for her family. She is survived by her husband Ron, children Christopher Miller, Joanna Miller, Tamara Diane Miller, Jennifer Miller-Goff, Walter Elias Disney Miller, Ronald Miller, and Patrick Miller, and grandchildren Annabelle Rey, Nick Runeare, Ryan Scheer, Sam Goff, Danielle Durham, Sebastian Runeare, Charlotte Goff, Lily Goff, Haley Scheer, Reilly Miller, Madeline Goff, William Miller, and Elias Miller, and great granddaughter Stella Durham.

She went through life with a determination to inspire and entertain. She was her father’s daughter, a creative force with the perseverance to follow dreams and make a difference.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, donations may be made to the memorial fund that The Walt Disney Family Museum has created in honor of Diane Disney Miller. Donations will support the museum’s ongoing education efforts, exhibitions, and programs. Donations and cards can also be sent to the family through The Walt Disney Family Museum, attn: Director’s Office; 104 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94129.

Services will be private and the museum has not yet planned a public commemoration of Diane, but a possible program or event may be scheduled in the future.

accesso Press Conference – IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013

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Orlando, FL, USA (November 19, 2013) — InPark’s Martin Palicki reports for the accesso press conference at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, where CEO Tom Burnet has just spoken.

  • Since starting, 2.7 million of their ticketing apps have been downloaded.  77 million tickets have been sold
  • Burnet says, “New technology wave is so pervasive it touches everyone’s lives”
  • Why is there no more Lo-Q? Americans don’t use the term Queue, so the name doesn’t make sense and they didn’t like the word “lo” in the title. They are keeping the Lo-Q product barnds, but calling them Lo-Queue.\
  • CEO Tom Burnet makes the bold assertion that we will see a queueless theme park sooner than expected. The company ran an experiment on a popular ride at a European theme park this summer only allowing people to ride with a reservation they made using their own smart device, and it was a big success.
  • When will q-bots transfer to personal devices? Not until Apple integrates NFC (Near Field Communication) into its phones. Also, waterparks and phones don’t mix, so there’s still a market for devices there.
  • Burnet gives the quintessential British quote: “With technology, the guest experience is consistently brilliant.”

 www.accesso.com