Istanbul, Turkey (June 23, 2015) –Polin Waterparks is proud to announce that its Super Combo Waterslide won a 2015 MVP Award from Aquatics International magazine. The magazine’s readers vote for the Most Valuable Products annually and narrow down the contenders to the 25 best new products of the year.
The acknowledgement of Aquatic International magazine’s readers of their innovative combination slide is a reflection of the rising trend of these types of aquatic attractions in the waterparks industry. “Our designers are perfectionists when it comes to developing state-of-the-art slides that pump up your adrenaline while also being incredibly safe. So being able to build on our pains taking investment in these products’ development and create completely new products for our customers and their guests is win-win-win for all of us. Our designers are elated to see their creations – which are already proven popular and successful – gain even greater use and longevity. Our clients are happy because their ongoing challenge is to find new ways to keep customers coming back, which is a real advantage of our hybrid/ comibination offerings. And, of course, guests are on cloud nine to discover new and even more thrilling rides.” Says Ali Cansun, R&D manager, Polin.
The development of hybrid attractions allows Polin to offer multiple and even more exciting slide paths, along with unexpected G-force changes. Specifically, in regards to the Super Combo, Polin has combined four rides into one, including Polin’s Sphere. The Sphere rockets riders into a dark, orbital-shaped slide that loops around several times before riders make a splash landing. Because of the Super Combo’s unique ride path, no ride is ever the same, making it exciting for guests to ride again and again. Super Combo is first installed at Aquafantasy Waterpark in Izmir, Turkey.
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Aquatic International isn’t the only entity to recognize the uniqueness of Polin’s Super Combo, however. Last fall, Kirmes & Park Revue magazine awarded the Super Combo with its “Best Waterslides in Europe” award during the Euro Attractions Show in Amsterdam. Polin’s focus on fusion waterslide design will result in the opening of nine combo installations by the end of the year. Guests will get to experience these creationsat the following parks:
London, UK (June 23, 2015) –accesso Technology Group, a premier technology solutions provider to the global attractions and leisure industry, has signed a five-year deal with Malaysia’s newest theme park, Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS), to install its patented smartphone-based queuing solution – Qsmart. During the first half of 2014, accesso signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for the installation at MAPS, an agreement that saw the group begin to forge deeper ties with attractions in the important Asian market.
Scheduled to open in Perak, Malaysia by mid 2016, MAPS will feature more than 40 rides, shows and attractions including the world’s first DreamWorks-dedicated zone, Malaysia’s tallest drop tower, and a thrilling live-action car stunt show.
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“Our park is purpose-built for mobile connectivity which made incorporating the industry’s most advanced queueless technology – Qsmart – a necessity for us to provide to our guests,” said MAPS Chief Executive Officer Darren McLean.
Used by more than 11 million guests since 2001, accesso LoQueueSM virtual queuing technology solutions allow users to queue without having to stand in line. Instead, they reserve their place in a queue line electronically and are notified when it is their turn to ride. For attraction operators, this means increased guest satisfaction and increased revenues by unlocking guests from queue lines, allowing them to enjoy the rest of the attraction instead and spend time in retail and food and beverage outlets.
“MAPS is one of the most unique and exciting projects underway in the leisure and tourism industry in Malaysia,” said Tom Burnet, accesso CEO. “We are thrilled with the role our technology will play in helping guests maximize their time in the park as well as drive incremental revenue for Movie Animation Theme Park Studios.”
London, UK (June 23, 2015) – When the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, from Dick Clark Productions, aired live on CBS, five 4x4pro media servers from d3 Technologies were on hand to drive all the screens for the show. Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan returned to host the ACM Awards from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It set a Guinness world record for live award show attendance with just under 80,000 people in the audience.
“It was a massive production,” notes media programmer Jason Rudolph. “There were 24 outputs, including LED and projection on and off stage. One large 5mm screen was the width of the end zone.”
He deployed five 4x4pros supplied by VER through Rudolph’s Mobius Productions. “We needed d3 systems for the number of outputs required,” he says. “In addition, we were able to set up some mapping that let me cover all the screens; I set up a single contiguous image. We could use that to punt. Then, if any last minute changes or programming came up, I could put up a clip that would cover the whole screen. d3’s parallel mapping feature is great for times like that .”
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He notes that all of the programming was done during the show. “d3 made it easy to program on the spot,” Rudolph says. “Once I got it set up it worked really smoothly.”
He also used SockPuppet, which enables users to tap all d3’s mapping, playback and projection features while using their preferred control surface, including most lighting consoles. “Everything was controlled using SockPuppet and timecode for the entire show,” he says. “That worked out really well.” Rudolph had previously used SockPuppet for the Super Bowl and a New Year’s show. “The team at d3 always provide fantastic support, and the platform has proven to be a reliable performer for me”
Joseph Denham served as Rudolph’s technician on the awards; Raj Kapoor was the creative producer and handled most of the content for the show. The Norm Levin Company provided screens.
Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) 2015 attracted an estimated 8,500 total participants; broke records for the size of the trade show floor and number of exhibitors; delivered information-packed education programs; and featured sold-out networking events at Hong Kong-area attractions. Asian Attractions Expo, which is organized by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 16-19 June.
Based on preliminary estimates, a total of 8,500 people participated in the show from 74 countries, including 6,100 buyers. A record 353 exhibiting companies from 40 nations filled 9,432 net square meters of space on the trade show floor.
At the event’s opening Ceremony, Ocean Park provided a spirited welcome performance and IAAPA VP of Asia June Ko introduced Mickey Mouse and a team of performers from Hong Kong Disneyland’s Paint the Night Parade.
Gregory Su, Hong Kong’s Economic Development and Tourism Minister revealed that the government is investing $80 million in increased tourism. They are also offering a drawing for visitors to enter with grand prizes of luxury return trips to Hong Kong. Their marketing is designed to encourage visitors to shop, eat and play in Hong Kong.
On the trade show floor, the mood was optimistic as people commented on the quality of buyers at the event.
FUNA staff in their booth
“Based on initial traffic to our booth, we are excited about the growth of the industry and of this show,” said FUNA’s Scott Arnold, a gold sponsor of the show. “It’s our fourth year exhibiting and it’s been good to see the progressive growth of the show.”
“It’s our first year having a booth at AAE,” said Brogent Technologies President Johnny Huang. “It’s a good show with a lot of people. We have seen a lot of serious people – serious buyers – coming to see what we offer.”
“We really like the quality and branding of the show and find it continually elevated from year to year,” said ProSlide’s Chelsea Ogilvie. “It’s refreshing to see how many big freestanding booths are on the floor this year.”
Artec3D
Artec3D brought their 3D scanning booth: Shapify. People can scan themselves and then receive a ready to print 3D file of themselves. The ultimate souvenir requires a bit of patience though, as it requires12 hours to print on a full color 3D printer. Customers can order the models from Shapify or use a local 3D printer. More info at shapify.me
Actcatcher
Actcatcher.com showcased a new freeze-frame type attraction. 50 DSLR cameras mounted in a 360-degree ring capture a single moment in time (usually somone jumping) and process it into a short video, showing the moment from all sides (think “The Matrix”) The Thailand-based company has used the setup at brand events, but they can also theme the structure to incorporate it into an attraction. The system is available for sale or on a revenue-share basis. The company is expecting the first park installation to be in Qatar soon.
FUNA
FUNA is preparing to open the Detroit Outdoors Museum, scheduled for launch on July 17th. The project has taken a vintage factory building and turned it into a multi-story interactive highly-themed experience touting all the great outdoors of the state of Michigan has to offer
Smart Monkeys
According to Stephan Villet, two years ago at the Asian Theme Parks and Attractions Summit, show control wasn’t very well understood. Now people know what it can bring to a project and want to incorporate the show control systems into the overall design.
Currently, Smart Monkeys is working on multiple projects in the Middle East and will be announcing some interesting projects in Asia soon.
Alterface Projects
Alterface was promoting their recent success on the two Justice League attractions at Six Flags over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis. The attraction features the world’s first interactive fog screen, allowing guests to shoot at targets on the fog screen moments before passing through it.
Alterface engineers came up with the idea on a project with Warner Brothers Movie World and set up some equipment to test it. It was successful so they included it as part of the US Justice League attractions.
The company has half a dozen IP-based projects in the pipeline to include video game brands and traditional media brands.
“The technology has not been explored to its full potential. We are still focusing on creating a compelling experience rather than just the technology of product,” says Alterface’s Benoit Coronet. “We are currently working on motion detection technology and integrating that into game play. We want to provide alternatives to the shooting paradigm and develop new ways for guests to interact with the attraction.”
TEA
During a luncheon held at AAE, Chris Yoshii from AECOM said, “This is the golden age of the theme park industry in Asia.” TEA President Steve Birket says it is also the golden age for TEA in Asia.
“The Asia Pacific division is a high growth area for TEA,” said Birket. “Also, the Next-Gen community in Asia is now recognizing TEA and themed entertainment as an industry and as potential career path.”
Brogent Technologies
Brogent is working on several I-Ride flying attractions, following up from their Fly Over Canada attraction in Vancouver. Minnesota’s Mall of America I-Ride opens in April 2016. Abu Dhabi opens in 2017 – which, for a change of pace will not have a specifically flying theme. At the end of summer 2016 expect “This is Holland” to open in Amsterdam which will provide a 45-60 minute experience including the preshow, flying attraction and post-show.
According to Brogent the technology is now to a point where it’s suitable for CGI experiences, opening up a whole range of new content possibilities.
George Wiktor, Prana Studios
IPM ran into George at the TEA booth where he proudly proclaimed “I’m back making movies!” George is working with Prana studios on two flying attractions for the Lotte Group, to be located in China. Both rides will be utilizing the Dynamic Attractions ride system.
“The best flying films rely mostly on the movement of the film and only use the ride base to accent the motions,” explained Wiktor.
WhiteWater
Julie Zakus of WhiteWater was busy promoting the company’s 100 completed projects in Asia. She observed that the trend in Asia is for larger parks. “Clients in Asia doesn’t just buy a slide,” said Zakus. “They are utilizing our design services and broad product mix, as waterparks have to be built large from day one to handle the capacity.”
Triotech
“We see the trend of interactive rides only accelerating and consider ourselves a leader in that industry,” said Triotech’s Christian Martin. “Just walking around the show floor there are a lot of interactivity-based companies. We also see a trend of storytelling in an attraction extending beyond the actual ride. It’s more of a whole experience than just a single ride.”
Of course, the non-interactive theaters will still exist. A large theater that needs to have a high throughput will not be able to have a level of interactivity that a smaller attraction can. It just depends on a company’s business model. China seems more interested in motion seats and 3D experiences, but in the US the market is seeking more interactivity.
Triotech is working on installing an interactive dark ride in the new Studio City Macau as well as one at Dubai World with details soon to come.
Polin brought models featuring the variety of slides and attractions they offer.
ABOVE: John Wood and Lauren Wood Weaver at Sally Corporation booth, AAE 2015. Photo by InPark’s Martin Palicki. Additional photos from the trade show can be found on InPark’s Facebook page.
Alexandria, VA, USA (22 June 2015) — Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) 2015 attracted an estimated 8,500 total participants; broke records for the size of the trade show floor and number of exhibitors; delivered information-packed education programs; and featured sold-out networking events at Hong Kong-area attractions. Asian Attractions Expo, which is organized by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 16-19 June.
Based on preliminary estimates, a total of 8,500 people participated in the show from 74 countries, including 6,100 buyers. This is the second highest number of participants in AAE history and represents 65 percent and 91 percent increases, respectively, when compared to the last time the Expo was in Hong Kong (2012). Owners, executives, managers, and leaders from the region’s theme parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, science centers, and resorts, as well as a number of developers and investors, participated in Asian Attractions Expo 2015.
A record 353 exhibiting companies filled 9,432 net square meters of space on the trade show floor.Exhibitors came from 40 nations and showcased the latest innovations for the attractions industry, including high-tech multiple-dimension motion simulators, roller coasters of all shapes and sizes, next-generation video game concepts, immersive themed design elements and services, interactive water slides, and much more.
The IAAPA Institute for Attractions Managers, hosted by Ocean Park Hong Kong, sold out, while the IAAPA Safety Institute was also well attended. The education conference at AAE featured industry leaders from around the world who addressed topics including: what’s new in Asia, implementing effective human resources strategies, creating risk management programs, developing a business recovery strategy, launching a corporate social responsibility program, leveraging brands, media-based attractions, and destination marketing.
IAAPA President and CEO Paul Noland was pleased with AAE 2015: “As we move Asian Attractions Expo to different cities around Asia, we appreciate the unique dynamics of each location. The successful show here in Hong Kong illustrates the strength of the industry throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region.”
“This is an amazing industry and it has been great to see operators and suppliers from around the world gather here in Hong Kong,” said IAAPA Vice President, Asia-Pacific Operations, June Ko. “I’ve been particularly impressed by the caliber of the education programs and the popularity of the special events. Clearly, there is a thirst for more industry knowledge and everyone enjoys connecting with their peers and colleagues from throughout the Asia-Pacific region and from around the globe.”
Asian Attractions Expo 2015 by the Numbers
–353 companies from 40 countries displayed new and innovative products across 9,432 net square meters of space, the most expansive exhibition floor in the Expo’s history.
–6,100 qualified buyers from 74 nations met with industry suppliers, attended education sessions, and participated in networking events to find new ideas and learn about important trends in the industry.
–Attendance for the education conference was approximately 1,500, including 60 registrants for the IAAPA Institute for Attractions Managers; more than 130 attendees at the IAAPA Safety Institute; and 70 participants in the Young Professionals Forum at Ocean Park.
–380 people attended the Leadership Breakfast featuring a keynote address by Jim Reid-Anderson, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
–90 people participated in a facility tour to Ocean Park Hong Kong.
–Approximately 650 people participated in the Opening Night Event at Hong Kong Disneyland.
–52 people registered for the Post-Expo Tour to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom on nearby Hengquin Island.
The Platinum Sponsors for Asian Attractions Expo 2015 were Chimelong Group and Wanda Group. FUNA a Wärtsilä company, Galasys, Golden Horse Technology Entertainment Corp. Ltd., JRA, Mack Rides, Pictureworks, Rhetroactive Design, The Producers Group, and WhiteWater Waterparks and Attractionswere Gold Sponsors, while Kraftwerk Living Technologies was a Silver Sponsor. InvestHK and MEHK were supporting organizations.
Asian Attractions Expo 2016 will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, 13-16 June, and advance exhibit sales are strong. Exhibitor information on the 2016 event is available on the IAAPA website, www.IAAPA.org. More detailed information on AAE 2016 will be available in late 2015.
IAAPA President and CEO Paul Noland sat with IPM’s Martin Palicki during the 2015 Asian Attractions Expo to talk about the show, recent IAAPA successes and the future of the association.
Why did IAAPA bring AAE to Hong Kong?
It’s where our buyers and exhibitors like to come. The industry has had great success here and it’s home to several great members. The [convention] facility here is top-notch, the destination is easy to get to, and we have several facilities nearby for members to experience. Hong Kong represents the whole package.
What has been your impression on the show floor this week?
Our exhibitors are having a great week. We had record setting numbers in Beijing last year, but the qualitative reports here have been extremely positive. The quantity of buyers is good, but the quality of buyers is even better.
Parks and park products seem to be highlighted at this show. Are you focusing on other segments in Asia? What about the Asian casino market?
That is not necessarily purposeful. We have cultural attractions come to us for many things and we provide education and other benefits to our non-park members. A lot of our education tracks are very broad and applicable to all our members.
We have casinos come to us seeking help with theming and other aspects of their business. It is the same type of value-add we provide to our museum, zoo and aquarium members.
How is the education program planned?
We have an education subcommittee in Asia. They survey members to see what they would like to see at the show. Once we determine the needs, we reverse engineer the program to meet those needs. Education is one of the top three reasons people come to this show.
How can the industry keep Asia a sustainable market for as long as possible?
I think there are three steps that are applicable here in Asia, as well as around the world. Park operators have to: 1) provide great service; 2) continue to maintain and invest in park upkeep and new products; 3) focus on safety.
What can people expect from future AAE events?
We want to dial up our education component. We did a good job but the feedback is that attendees would like more.
We are also looking to rotate to new cities. As we’ve grown we need more space, which limits where we can go, but we want to rotate more broadly than we have. We try to find cities where our members want to go that can handle our logistical requirements. In the past we’ve been fairly conservative, but we are trying to be more aggressive in finding places where members say “I’ve always wanted to go here, but not necessarily alone. I’d go if IAAPA is there.”
What are you working on improving this year?
Our strategic plan from a few years ago identified ways in which we can diversify the experiences IAAPA offers away from the trade shows. We want to offer other services such as education and certification programs. This year we are releasing the lion’s share of those initiatives.
Also, we want to be a resource for industry info and data. Our members want data for the whole industry and seek forecasts for the future. We’ve developed an industry outlook report we published in November 2014 and working now on this year’s report. It is a free service to members.
What are you most proud of accomplishing?
I am proud of the way we have grown the three IAAPA shows along with the level of professionalism. After a show while visiting a park I always hear that a member learned about some product or service they purchased at an IAAPA event.
Additionally, behind the scenes we have been working on retooling our governance structure. The global nature of IAAPA was sort of added on to our structure, so we pulled everything back and retooled it to have IAAPA be a global organization at its core. It hasn’t been easy, and there are not a lot of truly international organizations, but I’m proud of the team for how they implemented this.
What moment this week made you think “I love my job!”
At the leadership breakfast, Jim Reid-Anderson had a video of clips of people in their parks with captions for why they are there: celebrations, remembering loved ones, escaping challenges, etc. He shows that video to staff to remind them why they come to work every day, and it resonated with me as well. Sometimes it’s not just a day in the park – it’s a lot more than that.
The new job came about last year when founder Markus Beyr asked Kevin if he would consider joining Attraktion! and provide sales strategy and skills in the industry.
Kevin is excited about the move. In recent years he focused on museums and special venues but this move “takes me back to the world we know and love: the fun world!”
“One cannot deny the growth of the entertainment industry,” says Kevin. “Entertainment venues are funded by commerce, unlike many cultural institutions that rely on uneven government funding.”
Attraktion! is currently doing a lot of work in Asia. Kevin will help to grow that market but will also focus on European sales. His key focus? Bigger projects.
“This is a company based on creative technology products,” explains Kevin. “But my job is to help people understand that there is a creative expertise behind this that benefits projects on a larger scale.”
Attraktion! is not focused on master planning, but it is set up to pull in the right people for the right projects. Case in point: the company’s partnership with Intamin to develop the Dome Ride Theater currently in development for Xian, China (expected to open in 2017 or 2018). The second Dome Ride Theater is in the works for a location to be announced in Asia. That project will include an IP-based show. Kevin’s extensive contacts throughout the industry will only serve to help this collaborative model.
“We believe that technology is the medium for the story,” says Kevin.”This is the same mantra we had 25 years ago, but now it is coming true.”
Kevin refers to himself as “an old name (Kevin) in a new name (Attraktion!), but still fresh and with fresh ideas.” When asked if he really wanted to call himself an “old name” Kevin quickly responded: “There’s nothing wrong with being old, as long as you’re not stale.”
Kevin Murphy will be based in the UK but will be traveling and making use of the company’s offices in Berlin and Vienna as well.
Lutterworth, UK — Hot-Go will launch the latest Holovis ImmersiveTheatre experience at their theme park in China that will take audiences of 200 people on a multi-sensory all-immersive journey due to open end of 2015.
The experience is a complete turnkey solution from Holovis Attractions and will feature the very latest in 4D technology providing a fully immersive 180° setup to wrap the audience and ensure that from every seat position they are truly at the heart of the story. This ultra-large-scale screen approach will combine with a full 4D suite of effects including motion seat systems, spatial audio, SFX and a uniquely developed all-immersive 3D film from the Holovis Media team to deliver a ride that has just as much thrill as a coaster but can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Qiang Wei, Head of Procurement, Hot-Go comments: This attraction will be truly the next generation of 4D theatre in this market.
“Today theme parks have to compete with the high levels of technology and immersion that our guests have available to them in their homes and therefore we have to be able to offer something unique and on a different scale and sensory level, using the very latest technology. Guests want to be transported to virtual worlds where they can really believe in the story presented around them and make them feel they are part of the experience and within it, instead of passively watching from the outside in. This attraction that we are creating with Holovis, using their ImmersiveTheatre technology, will create our next flagship attraction to complement our existing park design.”
The Holovis team has created this attraction with sustainability and minimal maintenance in mind, with one striking difference from other solutions in that they are utilising five DLP laser projectors from Digital Projection to create the enormous 180 degree ultra-high-resolution image. These latest units have no lamps to be replaced, giving them a much longer lifespan and a more reliable light source, negating lamp costs and re-alignment issues.
The specialist 3D ultra-immersive content is also being created by Holovis Media and will also include a selection of different stories to keep the attraction fresh and increase ride repeatability.
Stuart Hetherington, CEO of Holovis explains: “From a technical and creative perspective this is the next generation of 4D Theatre where all-immersive storytelling is delivered with significant hardware cost savings, reliability and reduced maintenance. This approach ensures a unique multi-sensory attraction for our guests with everyone at the centre of the experience being completely immersed using stunning clear and consistent visuals, accurately synchronised motion and special effects.
“Holovis are experts in designing reliable, safe and affordable solutions and understand how the different elements must be carefully brought together to immerse the senses, creating a much more integrated experience and giving Hot-Go one point of contact and responsibility at all times.”
The build will get underway in July and is due for completion at the end of 2015.
Las Vegas, NV, USA —MGM Resorts International honors the memory of Kirk (Kerkor) Kerkorian, the company’s founder, who passed away June 8. On June 6, he had turned 98.
Mr. Kerkorian was a quiet but powerful force behind the transformation of the Las Vegas Strip into one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, through the development of the International, MGM and MGM Grand. He also owned various assets of the MGM studios and film libraries throughout the years.
Mr. Kerkorian’s contributions to the world of themed entertainment ranged from the current MGM Grand resort on the Las Vegas Strip, with its original centerpiece Wizard of Oz show, VFX special effects stage spectacular, and MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park to a licensing agreement with the Walt Disney Company for the MGM name, logo, and film properties to be used at a Hollywood themed park at the Walt Disney World resort. Many of the MGM licenses, including Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz can still be experienced on The Great Movie Ride and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
He was also a generous humanitarian who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charities worldwide.
“MGM Resorts and our family of 62,000 employees are honoring the memory of a great man, a great business leader, a great community leader, an innovator, and one of our country’s greatest generation,” said Jim Murren, Chairman & CEO of MGM Resorts International. “Mr. Kerkorian combined brilliant business insight with steadfast integrity to become one of the most reputable and influential financiers of our time,” Murren said.
“Personally, he was a friend and coach, who taught me the importance in looking forward, and to look back only to understand how things could be done better,” Murren concluded.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and his many business associates.”
Mr. Kerkorian owned Beverly Hills-based Tracinda Corporation, a private investment firm. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of MGM Resorts, and had served with distinction as Director Emeritus since 2011.
He is survived by two daughters, Tracy Kerkorian and Linda Ross Hilton Kemper, and three grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ahron and Lily Kerkorian.
Orlando, Fla. (June 19, 2015) –This Saturday kicks off the all-new “Celebrate America” Concert Series at SeaWorld Orlando, with new artists announced each week. Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer, guests enjoy performances from a variety of artists and genres and daily happy hours, plus, pass holders can enjoy a complimentary sample of a tasty brew. Concerts take place in the air-conditioned Nautilus Theater at 5:00 and 7:30 PM, and are included with park admission.
June 20-21 – Trick Pony: This contemporary country duo brings a unique style and blend of harmonies to country music, creating Trick Pony’s signature sound. Their albums produced eight charted singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four Top 20 hits: “Pour Me,” “On a Night Like This,” “Just Do What I Do,” and “On A Mission.”
NEW! June 27 – Crystal Gayle is a legendary, multiple-award-winning American country music singer with more than 20 number one country hits. She was the first female artist in country music history to achieve platinum album sales and has been awarded numerous times by the Grammy’s, the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, the American Music Awards, and the American Music Operators Association. In 2009 Crystal was honored to receive her own star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame.She is best known for her most popular song, the Grammy-winning “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.”
NEW! June 28 – Phil Vassar is an award-winning country music artist who has released eight albums, won two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year trophies, and been named Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year. As a singer/songwriter, Phil has hit the Top 5 seven times with songs like “Carlene,” “Last Day of My Life” and “American Child” and topped the charts with “In A Real Love” and the perennial favorite “Just Another Day in Paradise.” Known as one of Nashville’s top tunesmiths, his songs other artists have taken to number one include “My Next Thirty Years” by Tim McGraw, “She’s Right On The Money” by Alan Jackson, and Jo Dee Messina’s “Bye, Bye” and “I’m Alright.”
Reserved Seating Package
Guests can take advantage of SeaWorld’s Reserved Concert Seating Package for all artists throughout the summer series. Starting at $29, the package includes one reserved seat to the concert plus a meal voucher valid at most in park restaurant locations. Package inventory is limited. Reserved seating packages can be booked in advance online or at the park on the day of the concert.
Other special activities for nighttime guests this summer include:
Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High – Turn up the laughs with nighttime showings of this all-new sea lion comedy adventure. Full of fun and big personalities of sea lions, walruses and otters, the show takes place in an aquatic-themed high school where laughter and education go hand in hand (er, flipper).
Shamu’s Celebration: Light Up The Night – Experience this returning fan-favorite, a high-energy show featuring original music, amazing production elements and see SeaWorld’s majestic killer whales. Shamu Stadium will transform with stylistic lighting and colorful backdrops to create a social and celebratory atmosphere ending with a fireworks finale spectacle.
Late-Night Thrills –SeaWorld’s thrill rides are a whole different experience when the sun goes down. Guests can experience Kraken, a thrilling roller coaster, and Manta, a facedown, headfirst roller coaster where riders can skim, glide and fly like a manta ray, and many more.
AQUATICA, SeaWorld’s Waterpark
Beginning July 3, Aquatica heats things up with Island Nights presented by Coca-Cola – an all-new beach party taking place every Fridayand Saturday through August 8 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Guests can enjoy live DJs, dancing on the beach and an evening menu sizzlin’ with flavor at Waterstone Grill. All included with park admission to Aquatica.
The best way to experience Summer Nights and Island Nights is with an Annual Pass offering unlimited general admission and free parking to the parks all year long. Florida residents can purchase an annual pass with EZPay, a convenient payment option starting at $16 per month for both parks. Pass holders can enjoy a variety of other perks, including discounts on food and beverage and savings on admission to Discovery Cove.
