Curse of DarKastle Opens at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
WILLIAMSBURG, VA – When Donnie Mills, executive vice president and general manager for Busch Gardens Williamsburg, was asked what he wanted to hear people say as they exited the new Curse of DarKastle attraction, his response was quick. “The best thing people can say is ‘How did they do that?’” The new ride, which premiered in May, is heavy on the special effects and one of the most elaborately themed attractions outside of Florida or California.
Though the actual ride experience is similar in many respects to The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, it is thoroughly refreshing to enjoy an attraction with unique characters in an unfamiliar narrative, rather than function as a reason to sell more books, movies, or stuffed animals. Busch Gardens’ decision to further their parks theme, rather than latch on to a brand, should be commended. The decision, however, does require a little more careful observation on the part of the park guest. The nearly two-minute pre-show provides a great deal of story set-up in a short amount of time, and inattentive patrons might not fully understand the ride later on. That being said, watch for the glowing torches in the icy pre-show room to turn into frozen blue flames.
The actual three minute and twenty second ride is engaging and creative. As you make your way through King Ludwig’s castle, his ghost repeatedly threatens your mortal existence through a variety of 3-D projections created by Super 78 of Hollywood, CA. At one point, the ride vehicle plunges directly into a fireplace and the ride turns into an out of control tilt-a-whirl, adding a little extra thrill to this thrill-ride. A simulated fall off the top of the castle provides a final gasp before you emerge safely.
So how did they do that? The short answer is with the help of a lot of different companies! According to Larry Giles, Vice President of Design and Engineering, “We were really shooting for a family attraction. We knew we wanted to create a dark attraction, to allow us to create an immersive environment, and we wanted something a little edgy.” Cecil Magpuri, of Falcon’s Treehouse then developed the ride storyline and attraction concept. Orlando’s Oceaneering provided the ride components while neighbor The Nassal Company worked on the theming. Projection was handled by Electrosonic, also of Orlando. Together, the companies produced a seamless story that is both unique and enjoyable.
Did You Know? The ride is loosly based on the legendary King Ludwig of Bavaria, who was certified insane and found drowned in Lake Starnberg on June 13, 1886. It is not known if his death was accidental or an assassination.
Hurricane Harbor Chicago Opens
GURNEE, IL- Though still largely under construction, Six Flags Great America premiered its new Hurricane Harbor water park in late May. Hundreds of brave (and shivering) volunteers splashed in the wave pool and down a select few of the park’s 25 water slides on a brisk Chicago morning.
“A trip to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the perfect way to experience an exciting Caribbean vacation, close to home,” said Ron Severt, vice president and general manager of Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. “As guests enter this brand new park, it will feel as if they are in a completely different latitude.”
The entrance to the new water park, included with regular park admission, begins in the park’s Southwest Territory and winds its way between the Viper roller coaster and go-kart course.
The colorful ProSlide attractions include two family raft rides, two speed slides, and a handful of tube and mat slide racers. The much anticipated Skull Island, a KoalaPlay Group interactive creation that offers 100,000 square feet of splashing, soaking fun for kids and adults alike was not yet open for previews, but opened with the remainder of the park over the Memorial Day weekend.
A bright maze of twisting slides, shipwrecks, and thatch-roofed canopies welcomes guests onto Skull Island. Skull Tower, the tallest water structure on the island, features a 66-foot walk-up play tower from which two serpentine slides originate. Dubbed Skull Tower because of the six-foot skull atop the structure, it is topped with an eight-foot bucket that douses guests every 10 minutes with 1,160 gallons of water. The island also features eight unique water slides from ProSlide.
Did You Know? 1200 people can play on and around Skull Island at one time.
Triotech Amusement’s XD Theater Is Taking Flight Around The World
AUSTIN, TX – After successfully launching the XD Theater at the IAAPA Orlando 2004 Annual Convention and Tradeshow in November, orders of the state-of-the-art simulator have been pouring in.
A first installation was successfully completed in the newly-opened Mainevent Entertainment in Austin, Texas, a 60,000 square foot amusement center. As giggles and shouts of joy sounded in the background, people curiously lined up to experience the sensation of the XD Theater, a 3D motion simulated thrill ride that transcends time, space and imagination. Several other installations around the world are underway at John Codona Pleasure Fair in Scotland, Marina d’Or vacation resort in Spain, Ranet Center in Russia, and Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
With convenient installation, unparalleled acceleration, and featuring a wide range of applications, the XD Theater with Mad Wave Motion introduces three 3D films that will definitely add a rumble to any amusement park and entertainment center. Whether you are travelling on a rollercoaster through space, racing around a haunted mine or sliding through an arctic run, the XD Theater is guaranteed to provide fun at an unmatched speed of up to 2 Gs and boasts an innovative design that can include anywhere from eight to 24 seats or more.
For sales inquiries, please contact John Lotz at (818) 293-1270 or via email at [email protected]. Their website is www.trio-tech.com.
Did You Know? Triotech Amusement’s Mad Wave Motion Theater includes four adventures to choose from: Toy Coaster, Fantasy Rider, Haunted Mine and Road Fury.
Stern Presents NASCAR Licensed Pinball Machine
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Merging the speed of the race track with the speed of the silver ball, Stern Pinball, Inc., has introduced a new NASCAR licensed product – NASCAR Pinball. Designed by Pat Lawlor and his team at Pat Lawlor Design, NASCAR Pinball features the high energy of NASCAR racing along with the fascination of high-tech gaming.
“NASCAR Pinball is the kind of game and license combination that comes around only so often,” said Lawlor. “We believe we have created an exciting game for both the casual players and the more experienced players. NASCAR Pinball is a fast-paced, action-packed game that should do extremely well at all of its locations.”
A primary component of NASCAR Pinball is the racetrack that encompasses the entire playing surface. Energized by magnets, the loop sends pinballs racing around like cars racing around a track.
The NASCAR Pinball was brought to life by Pat Lawlor Design industry veterans Louis Koziarz and John Krutsch. Well-known pinball artist John Youssi did the art package for the game, while expert sound engineer Chris Granner produced the sound work.
To learn more about Stern Pinball, visit www.sternpinball.com.
Did You Know? The game also features a truck hauler that the player can launch a ball through, and a test toy car that the player can bang with the pinball.
Chance Morgan Revolution 20 Captivates Thrill Seekers at Belmont Park
WICHITA, KS – The first Chance Morgan Revolution 20 opened May 27th at Belmont Park in San Diego, California. Coined the “Beach Blaster” by Belmont Park, the ride swings passengers 60 feet in the air to 120 degrees in both directions. The inward-facing inverted seating, combined with the swinging arm and rotating gondola, creates an exhilarating experience that leaves everyone wanting another ride. Wendy Crain, General Manager, observed, “Our guests take a ride on the Revolution and get right back in line for more.”
The ride features an eye-catching programmable lighting package, and its small footprint makes the Revolution 20 an attractive option for parks with limited space.
The Revolution 20 was designed by KMG of Holland. For more information about Chance Morgan rides, visit www.chancemorgan.com.
Did You Know? Belmont Park offers Family Nights every Tuesday from 4pm-close and features many of their most popular rides, including Beach Blaster, for $1 per ride.
Correction
In the Spring 2005 issue, Black Sheep Designs owner Derick Foster’s name was misspelled. Their phone number was also printed incorrectly. The correct number is (303) 345-7632.
Italian Job Stunt Track Opens at Kings Island
KINGS MILLS, OH – Paramount’s Kings Island recently premiered its newest attraction, The Italian Job Stunt Track! Though the actual premiere event was besieged by fierce thunderstorms, this rider-turned-writer enjoyed prime access once the rain finally cleared.
Perhaps the most striking element is at first the cars themselves. The Mini Cooper trains are convincingly complete with actual doors that open and close, rear view mirrors, an on-board sound system and functioning headlights. The queue traverses over the final splashdown for the ride, allowing an ideal people-watching vantage point, in addition to a convenient distraction to what is sure to be a lengthy wait.
The cars leave the station slowly before beginning their relatively mild launch into the ride’s parking structure. Spiraling up and over the top of the garage, the cars weave in and out of police cars, over a few banked hills and finally down a subway stairwell before emerging on a raised platform surrounded by shipping containers and oil barrels. A helicopter emerges from the background and begins firing at the helpless cars, causing various fireballs and water geysers to erupt. The Mini Coopers launch forward (even more mildly this time) into a smoke-filled tunnel that provides several pitch-black dips and turns before breaking through the “Italian Job” billboard and splashing down beneath the ride queue.
The ride is one of the most thoroughly themed roller coaster rides seen in quite some time, and while the whole thing is over way too quickly, it is a great family coaster. A little bit of thrill, a dash of theming, and a car load of cuteness make Italian Job Stunt Track a great addition to the Kings Island lineup.
Did You Know? The 2003 movie version of The Italian Job runs for 1 hour and 51 minutes. The 2005 Italian Job Stunt Track runs for 2 minutes and 13 seconds.
Special report: Whalom Park Documentary “A Time To Reflect, The History of Whalom Park” Debuts
Aaron Cadieux was very young when Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, closed in 1987, but he still has memories of going there as a child. His family went to Rocky Point Park in Warwick, Rhode Island, until that park closed in 1995. This past May, Aaron graduated from Fitchburg State College with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Media, but not before making a documentary about another closed amusement park.
During his freshman year, Aaron was driving around seeing what was in the area when he stumbled across Whalom Park. The year was 2001 – one year after Whalom had closed its gates for good. He was curious about Whalom, even though he had never been to the park. He felt this could be a good subject for a new documentary, and during his senior year he was finally able to see this project come to life with “A Time To Reflect, The History of Whalom Park.” The documentary chronicles the life and death of Whalom Park. It begins in the 1890’s when the Leominster & Fitchburg Railway Car Company first acquired the property and turned it into a lush garden and amusement center for people to escape to during the weekends. It quickly grew and over the years added an impressive collection of traditional amusement rides. It discusses how the park survived fires that destroyed whole sections of the midway, as well as a tornado that destroyed part of the park’s roller coaster in 1938 and the hurricane that demolished the rest of it a few months later. Whalom’s ultimate demise came not from the competition outside the park, but from poor management and bad decisions made inside the park.
Whalom Park has sat silent since the fall of 2000. Most of the rides have been removed. The Flyer Comet Roller Coaster is one of the last rides left (although its lift motor and chain are now at Little A-Merrick-A Amusement Park in Wisconsin). It sits sentinel, watching over the remains of this once beautiful park. The Ballroom was a victim of arson in 2002. Footage of the park today shows the state of disrepair it is in. Aaron had the opportunity to premiere the documentary to the community this past spring. Over 300 people came to the first screening. After the screening, Aaron said everyone who came up to him had a story from the park: older couples who had met and fallen in love while dancing in the ballroom, parents who had gone there as children and lamented they would not be able to bring their kids there. Aaron was amazed at the connection the community had to this park. “It’s amazing a little amusement park like that could touch so many lives.” He’s glad his documentary has been able to help bring the community together and create something everyone can enjoy. Having grown up with traditional amusement parks, he stressed the importance of saving these places from becoming new condos or a strip mall and explains, “When you lose the small parks you lose a piece of Americana.”
before-seen view of The Flyer Comet roller coaster.
The documentary leaves you feeling like you know Whalom, even if you have never been there. Whalom Park may become condos any day now, but its legacy lives on. Thanks to this great documentary, its history and story can be heard even by those who never had the opportunity to visit this jewel of an amusement park.
Co-winner of the LaCoy Documentary Award, Fitchburg State College, 2005 “A Time To Reflect – The History Of Whalom Park” is available from Documentary Educational Resources (www.der.org).
Aaron Cadieux – Director
Kyle DeFrancesco – Assistant Director
Annie Kane – Assistant Director
Ryan Leigher – Narrator
Mark Marquis – Music
More information on the documentary can be found at Big Operations Productions’ website at www.geocities.com/boproductions2.
Perspective: Valuing Whalom Park
by Bill St. Yves
Value can be so much more than saving money. Value is the experience we have that stays with us for a lifetime. It’s the memories we make and things that we learn. It’s walking away from something better off than you were before you got there.
To me, Whalom Park was value personified. I grew up in Leominster, Massachusetts – not more than 10 minutes from Whalom Park. I have very fond memories of my parents taking my sister and I there when we were little kids. The Flyer Comet was the first roller coaster I ever rode and the Tumble Bug still remains one of my all-time favorite rides.
When I was in high school I decided to apply for a job at Whalom and on Easter Weekend in 1994 I started my first days working in the Entertainment Department as the Easter Bunny. Midway through the season I transferred to the Rides Department. The first ride I ever operated was the Flying Scooter. I was hooked. I returned for three more seasons, two of them as the park’s Rides Supervisor. While I was there I learned how to be a manager – how to schedule employees, how to discipline and praise my employees. I saw my department through many great times, like Fourth of July celebrations, or the Gillette/Boston Edison outing – weekends where the park would be so full of people you couldn’t move. I also experienced some not-so-good times, like days of severe weather, bomb scares, power failures and even a ride accident. Even through those bad times I loved being at the park. I felt like I learned something new every day there. Years later, as an entertainment supervisor at Six Flags Great America, I realized there was much a giant park could learn from a small park like Whalom. Small parks are a part of our history, and they inform our present. If it were not for Whalom Park, I would not be where I am today. Whalom Park was a place where I played as a kid, providing me, my family and friends many great memories.
It was my first job, teaching me responsibility and the “value” of making my own money. It showed me a career path that has been more amazing then I ever could have imagined. It gave me the foundation that lead me to bigger and better things.
I can’t put a price on the value of Whalom Park. Unfortunately, a developer can. Recently it was announced that the land Whalom Park is on has finally been sold after the park has sat abandoned since 2000. Condos will be built there, and there will be no more Whalom Park. I’ve watched so many smaller parks close – Miracle Strip most recently – and I can’t help but think, how can you put a price on these places? They are more than real estate. They are more than a bunch of rides and games and buildings. They are the history of this industry. Without the trolley parks and pleasure gardens of the 20’s & 30’s there would be no Disney, no Six Flags, no Universal Studios. I’m thankful for the traditional parks that have survived and thrived like Cedar Point and Kennywood. There are not that many traditional old parks left and many of them may be one high bid away from becoming another set of town homes.
Traditional old parks are of huge value to us as an industry. We can look to them for ideas and proven concepts that have worked longer than some other parks have been open. They are a training ground for tomorrow’s industry leaders. They bring us back to a time when you didn’t have to be the tallest and the fastest to still have a good time. But most importantly, they help us see where we have come from. The problem is the land these parks sit on is more valuable as real estate than as a safe place for families to go and spend some quality time together. If we don’t value (and visit) our old parks, someone else – someone with other intentions – will.
