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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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.”
Charlotte, NC, USA —Fitting for one of the world’s greatest artists whose masterpieces blazed an exciting new trail for modern art, Van Gogh Alive breaks through all preconceived ideas of a traditional museum visit. The new experience, which has traveled the world and is appearing in the eastern U.S. for the first time, will open at Discovery Place on April 25, 2014.
Heralded in major cities across the world, Van Gogh Alive will allow Discovery Place visitors of all ages to venture into an exciting multi-sensory experience of Vincent Van Gogh’s life and works. A vibrant symphony of light, color and sound, Van Gogh Alive will stimulate the senses and challenge conventional beliefs of what an exhibition can and should be.
Synchronized to a powerful classical score, more than 3,000 Van Gogh images at enormous scale create a display that fills giant screens, walls, columns, ceilings and even the floor. Visitors are immediately immersed in the vibrant colors and vivid details of Van Gogh’s brilliant style. Guests will walk away with an unforgettable experience of the powerful emotional expression Van Gogh intended to deliver through his art.
Huge crystal clear images will illuminate a vast array of surfaces that are specially tailored to Discovery Place’s exhibition space. So real that visitors will want to touch them, the images draw attention to key features of the art and allow people to study Van Gogh’s dramatic use of color and technique. Photographs and video are displayed side by side with Van Gogh’s works to demonstrate the sources of his inspiration.
“We’re thrilled to offer thisstunning exploration of Van Gogh’s life and how his genius worked to break through artistic constraints of his day and ultimately ushered in a new era for modern art that we still treasure today,” said John Mackay, president and CEO of Discovery Place. “This is just the kind of inspiring, imagination-expanding experience that Discovery Place is known for delivering to visitors. It’s a world-class creative experience not to be missed.
Van Gogh Alive will be on exhibition for a limited time only, from April 25 – June 1, 2014. Advance tickets are now on sale. Tickets to the exhibition will be for timed entries, so before making a purchase, visitors will be asked to select the date and time of their visit.
Guests can purchase general admission tickets in one of three ways:
1. Online at vangoghalive.discoveryplace.org. After purchasing tickets online, guests print out a confirmation page. This page must be brought to Will Call at Discovery Place prior to or on the day of the visit.
2. Via phone at 704.372.6261 x300. Callers can purchase tickets to the exhibition with a credit card and pick them up at Will Call prior to or on the day of their visit.
3. In person at Discovery Place. Visitors can purchase tickets at Admissions in the Museum during regular Museum hours.
Admission to Van Gogh Alive is $20 for adults (14-59); $18 for children (2-13) or seniors (60+); free for children younger than 2. All tickets include full day admission to Discovery Place. Discounts are available for Discovery Place Members and for groups of 15 or more. Children age 13 and younger must be accompanied by a responsible adult while in Discovery Place.
The last timed-entry tickets will be sold for entry 60 minutes prior to Museum closing. During the run of the exhibitions, the Museum is open from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (last exhibition ticket sold at 3:00 p.m.); 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Saturday (last exhibitionticket sold at 5:00 p.m.); and noon – 5:00 p.m. Sunday(last exhibitionticket sold at 4:00 p.m.).
Visitors can delve more deeply into Van Gogh’s mind and his world through a special presentation in The Charlotte Observer IMAX® Dome Theatre. Van Gogh: Brush with Genius opens April 25, 2014 giving museum-goers an opportunity to learn about Van Gogh’s life and follow his footsteps through the landscapes that inspired some of the most important works in art history. Tickets to Van Gogh: Brush with Genius are just $5 when purchased with a Van Gogh Alive admission.
Orlando, FL, USA (November 18, 2013) — Monster City Studios, a full service themed environment design and fabrication company based in Central California, and Amusement Electronics, which specializes in custom electronic shooting galleries, have teamed up to develop new interactive games and themed shooting galleries to be rolled out at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) expo at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida beginning Tuesday, November 19-22.
The shooting galleries are themed to original stories developed by Monster City Studios. One shooting gallery is branded to the stories of the Tree House Adventure Kids™. The premise of these stories is based on using ones imagination to explore exciting new worlds. The first story is called the “Temple of Mystery” and is designed to introduce the characters through a 3 minute “motion comic-style” animated video that will premiere at the expo.
The second shooting gallery is also based on the original story of Toonstone™, The Crookedest Town in the West. The stars in this story are a bunch of gophers that get into all types of trouble and constantly have to be “roped in” by the sheriff.
“We’re excited about this new relationship with Amusement Electronics and how we are able to integrate our original stories and themes into these new interactive games,” said Richard Deaver, president of Monster City Studios.
Over 26,000 professionals in the leisure and attractions industry will network with the more than 1,000 exhibitors at the expo over the course of the next several days.
Wichita, KS, USA — The New Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay announced at Midnight on Saturday November 17, 2013 that they will reopen the park this May with a new steel hyper coaster called the Lightning Run. Chance Rides is proud to announce that we are the manufacturer of this brand new rollercoaster, the Hyper GT-X.
Lightning Run’s action packed layout features a 100 ft, 80 degree first drop, nearly straight down. The coaster races through approximately 2500 ft of track across high banked turns and multiple air-time elements. The Hyper GT-X features a brand new coaster train design with state of the art rider restraints.
Lightning Run is scheduled to open at the newly renovated Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay in May of 2014. In Orlando, FL, attendees can see the new coaster train on display at the IAAPA Expo until Friday November 22, 2013. They will also have the opportunity to see a 3-D video rendering of Lightning Run in the Chance Rides booth #5125.
Orange, CA, USA — Mad Systems has asked us to share the following:
Last week, our friends at the Smithsonian Institution made history by launching an online, interactive and user-friendly database of 3D scans (models) of some of their artifacts on hand at their museums.
This means you can go online and get up close with some of the coolest items they have in stock. From the Wright Flyer to a Wooly Mammoth, the possibilities are endless. We think the neatest feature is that you can actually 3D print right from this site (assuming that you own a 3D printer).
Don’t own a 3D printer? Well you’re in luck!
For 12 more days, you can go on Mad Systems’ facebook, “like” us, “share” the 3D printing contest photo at the top and vote for your favorite institution or museum to win a 3D print straight from the Mad 3D Printer!
Get your friends, family and fans to vote for your museum or organization because on Black Friday, we’ll be tallying up the votes and whoever’s got the most will be receiving a 3D printed object of their choice just in time for the holidays.
There are some limits to what is possible to print within the 4″x4″x4″ envelope- but if you don’t have something you’ve designed that you’d like to have us print, it’s possible to choose from some pre-designed objects for your very own 3D print!
You only have until Black Friday to get your votes in so remember:
San Francisco, CA, USA — Celebrate the artistry of mixology, shaken with the science behind the craft, at the Exploratorium’s fourth annual Science of Cocktails,Friday, January 24, 2014. The fundraising event transforms the museum into a laboratory of libations, and gives curious cocktail fans the opportunity to get a brainy buzz all in the good name of supporting the Exploratorium’s education programs. Pre-sale tickets are available through December 2, 2013, at www.exploratorium.edu/scienceofcocktails.
Science of Cocktails brings together physicists, master distillers, chemists and acclaimed mixologists for a party that educates as well as entertains. Explore the science behind the age old debate of shaken vs. stirred martinis, learn about the anatomy of a cocktail, or hack swizzle sticks and cocktail umbrellas in our Tinkering Studio, all while conducting your own pseudo-scientific investigation of a roster of surprising cocktails created by master bartenders. Past featured cocktails have ranged from a Fresh Persimmon Pisco Sour to a concoction called the QFF Cocktail, an intriguing combination of quinoa vodka, fig and Fernet.
Tickets to Science of Cocktails include open bar, ample hors d’oeuvres, and special activities. VIP ticket holders also receive access to the Top-Shelf VIP Lounge with top-shelf spirits, special molecular mixology demonstrations, and a few surprises.
Pre-sale tickets are available through December 2, ($95 general; $160 VIP). After that, tickets will be available at the regular prices until the event sells out, which it does! ($120 general; $185 VIP). To purchase tickets, and check for updates on which celebrity bartenders and local spirit vendor-sponsors will be on hand, visit www.exploratorium.edu/scienceofcocktails.
Science of Cocktails is a project of The Exploratorium Lab. The Lab is the Exploratorium’s young professionals group dedicated to nurturing people’s curiosity about the world around them and bringing the excitement and wonder of the Exploratorium to a new audience. The Exploratorium Lab offers its members opportunities to interact with the institution from an adult perspective. Cameron Phleger is Chairman of The Exploratorium Lab Board of Directors.
First Republic Bank is Presenting Sponsor for Science of Cocktails. Additional support is provided by the following Media Partners: San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com, KFOG 104.5, and ABC-7.
Orange, CA, USA — Mad Systems has asked us to share the following: 
