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Glow with the Show Mouse Ears Hit WDW to Celebrate 15th Anniversary of Fantasmic at Studios Theme Park

Joe Kleiman
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Glow with the Show Mouse Ears Hit WDW to Celebrate 15th Anniversary of Fantasmic at Studios Theme Park

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Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA — Guests of the Walt Disney World Resort will light the night thanks to new Glow with the Show Ear hats that will  change colors in sync with fireworks, shows and each other at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

These interactive versions of the famous Mickey Ear hats will debut on Oct. 15 during the 15th anniversary of Fantasmic!, the nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

These Ear hats glow in myriad colors, commanded with the latest technology to complement the imagery and beat of the fireworks and spectaculars. When not activated by these experiences, more surprises are in store for participants as the ears glow with other ears and settings around the Vacation Kingdom.

“Technology allows the Ear hats to dance and play along with each musical and illuminated sequence.  They truly bring the show’s environment out of the lagoon and the sky, and into the audience in an amazing and dazzling new way, making our guests truly Glow With the Show,” said Dara Trujillo, manager of merchandise marketing, communication, synergy and integration, Walt Disney World Resort.

Beginning Oct. 19, guests will be able to experience the Wishes fireworks extravaganza at Magic Kingdom with the new Glow with the Show Ear hats. And during the holiday season guests can don their hats and “glow” with Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and at Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season fireworks display and Celebrate the Magic, the nighttime projection show at Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom.

Each set of Glow with the Show Ear hats is available for $25 at select locations throughout the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

For more than 55 years, the classic, black Mickey Mouse Ear hat has been a Disney Parks favorite and signature souvenir item. Across the decades, there have been more than 200 different ear hats including limited and novelty editions. The new Glow with the Show Ear hats made their debut at Disney California Adventure in 2012 at World of Color.  The ears are also in use at Disneyland Paris.

www.wdw.com

 

Carowinds Adding Two New Thrill Slides to Boomerang Bay for 2014 Season

Joe Kleiman
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Carowinds Adding Two New Thrill Slides to Boomerang Bay for 2014 Season

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Charlotte, NC, USA /PRNewswire/ — Carowinds, Thrill Capital of the Southeast, is excited to bring two new breathtaking water slides to Boomerang Bay for Summer 2014.   The mega-slides are the first phase of a multi-year, multi-million dollar capital investment plan at Carowinds.  The new slides will stand over 4 stories high and add 600+feet of sliding fun, bringing new thrills and splashes to the popular water park.  The slides will offer two distinctively different rides unique to Boomerang Bay.

Surfer’s Swell will travel a total of 263 feet; riders will plunge onto an angled wall that mimics the sensation of catching an ocean wave.  Guests then gracefully enter a final tunnel for a fun ‘splash landing’ into a pool at the bottom of this 45 foot tall experience.  Dorsal Fin Drop offers 351 feet of slide and takes riders on the whirl of a lifetime as they gain speed in a curved-tunnel that blasts them into a bowl.  Like a shark circling its prey, guests spin and swirl before sliding into the corkscrew exit.

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The slides are primed to make Boomerang Bay better than ever in 2014 as they add to its popular attractions, including two wave pools, 11 slides, and 2 kiddie splash pools with over 2 million gallons of water in total.   “Cedar Fair is committed to building more excitement and value for our Carowinds guests,” says Bart Kinzel, Carowinds Vice-President and General Manager, “The slides are just the first phase of a multi year park investment plan that will continue to deliver the best-day-of-summer that guests have come to expect.”

Set to open in May 2014, construction will begin this Fall and will be documented on the Park’s social media channels.

In addition to the 2 new slides, Carowinds will enhance the dining experience and food offerings at the park with a multi-million dollar investment.  The investment will provide guests with a broader variety of food service options; additional air-conditioned venues and expanded capacity to feed and entertain the thousands of daily visitors at the park.

www.carowinds.com

Cartoon Network Amazone Completes the High Speed Humungaslide

IPM News
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Cartoon Network Amazone Completes the High Speed Humungaslide

Humungaslide at Cartoon Network Amazone

Bang Saray, Thailand (September 9, 2013) – Cartoon Network Amazone reached a construction milestone today with the completion of Humungaslide, the high-speed water coaster based on the hugely popular Ben 10 alien, Humungousaur.

Humungaslide, manufactured by Polin, is part of The Omniverse, one of 10 themed zones at Cartoon Network Amazone, the world’s first Cartoon Network waterpark. Located in coastal Bang Saray, Thailand, and set to open in the first half of 2014, Cartoon Network Amazone will invite guests to “unleash their inner ‘toon and get animated like never before.”

The Omniverse zone features six high-speed water coasters, towering as high as 23 meters in the air. Guests will feel the intensity of one of Ben 10’s largest aliens on the Humungaslide, where two rafts race each other in circular slides, speeding through twists and turns before being dropped eight meters into the clutches of Humungousaur for a dramatic, heart-pounding finish.

Humungaslide at Cartoon Network Amazone

Liakat Dhanji, Chairman and CEO of Amazon Falls Co. Ltd, the developer of the water park, said, “Cartoon Network Amazone is the first internationally branded water park for Thailand, which means it will instantly put the country on the global theme park map. We’re proud to be bringing the vibrantly animated world of Cartoon Network to the people of Thailand and visitors from around the world. It’s the number one kids’ channel in Asia Pacific, and now fans are going to get to experience all its incredible series and characters in ways they never dreamed.”

Sunny Saha, Senior Vice President and Managing Director – South East Asia Pacific and General Manager – Kids Networks, Asia Pacific, for Turner International Asia Pacific, was on site to witness the final placement of Humungousaur’s head to complete the water coaster. “This is an ultimate day for the Cartoon Network brand,” he said. “It’s an incredible feeling to be here in Thailand and see the world’s first Cartoon Network water park taking shape. It’s going to be an awesome adventure for our fans everywhere.”

www.cartoonnetworkamazone.com

VIDEO: Transforming Hollywood’s Iconic Chinese Theatre into an IMAX

Joe Kleiman
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VIDEO: Transforming Hollywood’s Iconic Chinese Theatre into an IMAX

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Hollywood, CA, USA (September 8, 2013) — Reopening after extensive renovations this month, TCL Chinese Theatre is proud to present the first IMAX theatre in Hollywood, California.

Alwyn Kushner, President and COO of the TCL Chinese Theatre says, “We believe that IMAX‘s unparalleled entertainment technology coupled with its blockbuster portfolio of films will usher in a new era of movie-going at our famed theatre.”

Honored as a Los Angeles Historical Landmark in 1968, the TCL Chinese Theatres’ current management aims to preserve the integrity and timeless cultural heritage of the theatre, and bring the cherished venue back to the glory days, when showman-founder Sid Grauman first opened the theatre in 1927, and give the storied movie palace a new lease on life and allow theatre-goers a much improved, truly world-class cinematic experience.

With the blessing of both the Los Angeles Historical Theatre Foundation and Hollywood’s Historic Resources Group, the TCL Chinese Theatre has partnered with IMAX Corporation to introduce the single largest IMAX auditorium in the world.  The new theatre seats 932 people, and hosts the third largest commercial movie screen in North America, joining an exclusive class of theatres along with the Metreon IMAX  theatre in San Francisco and Lincoln Square IMAX theatre in New York City.

The TCL Chinese Theatre will be equipped with all of the elements of The IMAX Experience, including ground-breaking, crystal-clear digital projection, cutting-edge laser-aligned sound technology and a curved screen spanning from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, providing moviegoers visiting this historic site the world’s most immersive cinematic experience.

Peyton Hall, a senior executive with Hollywood’s Historic Resources Group commented: “Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is one of our city’s most important cultural properties, and one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Los Angeles from all over the world. Having worked on a substantial restoration of the building that was completed in 2001, we are gratified by the important new support for the site. The proposed improvements at the Chinese protect the history of the place as a building while updating Sid Grauman’s original purpose: promoting screening for everyone the best that the American movie industry has to offer.”

The new theatre expands the screen from an already massive 70′ x 30′ to 90′ x 47.2′, a dramatic increase allowing films shot using the most advanced digital and film technologies available to be enjoyed as the filmmakers’ intended; and luxurious, subtle masking will be available for showings of films designed to be enjoyed on traditionally sized cinema screens.

On September 20, 2013, the TCL Chinese Theatre will unveil its new screen to the public with showings of Wizard of Oz, an iconic American film which originally premiered at this historic theatre on August 15 1939, revitalized with the unparalleled technologies of The IMAX Experience.

The IMAX showing is the first time “The Wizard of Oz” will be played on this big screen format. IMAX Corporation oversaw the remastering of the film’s image and soundtrack.  Warner Bros. worked with Prime Focus on the 3D conversion, scanning the film’s original Technicolor camera negative in high-resolution 8K before transforming the 2D image frame-by-frame into 3D based on distances from the viewer’s vantage point.

“People have asked for years about ‘The Wizard of Oz’ 3D conversion,” said Ned Price, Warner Technical Operations’ VP of mastering. “My answer was always, ‘We’re not doing it until it’s perfect.’ And now it is,” “As a kid, I was so enthralled by this film. Watching it, you just want to enter the frame, enter the Land of Oz. This new version will allow you to do just that.”

www.tclchinesetheatres.com

www.imax.com

Holiday World Makes 2014 a Year of Thanksgiving with Addition of the Mayflower

Joe Kleiman
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Holiday World Makes 2014 a Year of Thanksgiving with Addition of the Mayflower

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Santa Claus, IN, USA (September 6, 2013) — Holiday World has announced that it’s turning its attention back to Thanksgiving.

“Since 2006, when we expanded Holiday World to include a Thanksgiving-themed section, we’ve received hundreds of suggestions to add a classic swinging ship ride and name it the Mayflower,” says park president Matt Eckert. “We chose the anniversary date of the Pilgrims setting sail for America to announce that our new ride for 2014 is our own Mayflower.”

Eckert says the new family ride will carry up to 60 riders at a time, swinging in an arc 54-feet-high over a pool of water.

“We’re not finished with Thanksgiving,” says Eckert. “Just as it’s our American tradition to serve a bounteous Thanksgiving meal, there are more ‘servings’ planned for the coming years.”

Additional projects for 2014 include:

  • Friday Night Fireworks (Friday evenings from June 13 through August 1)
  • Extended Splashin’ Safari hours
  • Summer Fun Card program, for multi-day summer visits
  • New restaurant and shop in Splashin’ Safari
  • Covered-bridge entry to Thanksgiving section
  • More cabanas
  • Additional benches and shade structures
  • Parking lot improvements

Eckert says the cost of next year’s improvements will total $8 million. Ticket prices for Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari will not increase in 2014.

HolidayWorld.com

Busch Gardens Themed Play Area Latest Highlight of Tampa’s International Plaza

Joe Kleiman
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Busch Gardens Themed Play Area Latest Highlight of Tampa’s International Plaza

01_PlayArea090613_WEB_11440440_8colTampa, FL, USA — Busch Gardens® Tampa has teamed up with International Plaza to create a one-of-a-kind children’s play area, offering many of the iconic structures of this Florida thrill leader.

“This is a great partnership, and as the Tampa Bay area’s No. 1 family theme park, we’re excited to bring a little bit of adventure into the community for all families to experience each and every day,” said Busch Gardens Park President Jim Dean.  “This will be a fully immersive experience for kids, highlighting the exciting elements you’d find at the park.”

The new Busch Gardens children’s play area will be free to all guests at International Plaza and Bay Street and include several animal stars such as hippos, a baby elephant, baby lions and an alligator, as well as a train, safari truck and a 14-foot Cheetah Hunt® Tower.  The area will also include a 70-inch TV showcasing all of the exciting adventures that await guests at Busch Gardens.

“When Busch Gardens stepped forward as our local sponsor, we knew this custom designed, multi-sensory experience for young children would capture the passions of the Tampa Bay community, being its beloved Busch Gardens Theme Park,” says Nina Mahoney, International Plaza marketing and sponsorship director.  “I know it’ll be a hit with young families living in the area, as well as those visiting from out-of-town.”

The new play area will be under construction from Sept. 14-19, and end with a grand opening event for the community on Sept. 20.

www.buschgardens.com

www.shopinternationalplaza.com

ProSlide Introduces Two Person PIPELineWAVE With TORNADO Technology

Joe Kleiman
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Ottawa, ON, Canada — ProSlide introduces the PIPElineWAVE, their latest application of the revolutionary TORNADO technology, the patented reducing radius and upwardly-closing funnel shape.

Riders start in single or double tubes through an enclosed, narrow PIPEline in-run before they are dropped into the WAVE. This 2-person, wall-style ride was developed from the award-winning TORNADO and has the same thrilling, zero-gravity sensations that are unique to ProSlide funnel attractions.

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Award-winning heritage. The world’s only curved-wall rides are based on the ProSlide TORNADO, winner of IAAPA’s Industry Impact Award & many Best New Ride Awards. They are an innovation breakthrough over the wide, flat walls of older rides which are more expensive to produce; have a slower, straight up-and-back-down ride path; and can’t deliver a safely consistent exit.

Predictable ride path. On ProSlide wave-walls, riders feel the longest hang times and zero g-forces as they sweep up and across the wall, virtually defying gravity before sweeping back down and exiting into a narrow out-run. The thrill is maximized with in-runs and out-runs that include banked curves, dips and turns.

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Smaller footprint. A predictable ride path means there’s no need for the wide walls of previous wall-style rides.  Not only will the PIPElineWAVE fit into tighter spaces, it also uses less fiberglass & steel than flat-wall rides.  It’s the perfect attraction for a custom complex, where several rides are centralized on one tower to increase capacity even more as well as save money & space.

www.proslide.com

Morgan’s Wonderland to Host Symposium on Ultra-Accessible Parks

Joe Kleiman
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Morgan’s Wonderland to Host Symposium on Ultra-Accessible Parks

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San Antonio, TX, USA — Representatives from cities across the nation and around the world interested in building ultra-accessible theme parks like Morgan’s Wonderland will attend a day-and-a-half, how-to symposium at the San Antonio park Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13 and 14.

“Since the opening of our unique and colorful park in 2010, we’ve received hundreds of inquiries from cities near and far,” said philanthropist Gordon Hartman, CEO of The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation who came up with the idea for Morgan’s Wonderland.  “So we’re going to share in great detail what’s required to create a multi-million-dollar, completely wheelchair-accessible theme park.  We’re expecting attendees from Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Arkansas, plus representatives from cities in Colombia, Mexico and Honduras.”

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Symposium speakers will be Hartman; Steve Richards, COO of Sports Outdoor and Recreation (SOAR), the organization created to raise funds for non-profit Morgan’s Wonderland and oversee its operation; General Manager Ron Morander; principal architect Robert Luna; designer Tracie Ochoa; and SOAR Communications Director Bob McCullough.  Sessions will be held at the Morgan’s Wonderland Event Center.

Discussions will cover a broad range of topics including site selection, land acquisition, fund-raising, design, construction, operations and maintenance.  Participants will tour Morgan’s Wonderland in depth and also visit other facilities near Morgan’s Wonderland dedicated to benefitting the special-needs community.

Individuals, groups and foundations interested in attending the symposium or developing their own Wonderland park can call toll-free (855) 206-2112 or e-mail [email protected].

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“Morgan’s Wonderland is a classic case of ‘thinking outside the box,’” Hartman said.  “We’ll do our best to encourage our guests to do just that as they plan their projects.  Let’s hope that as a result of our information-sharing we’ll see more parks that emphasize inclusion and bring those with and without special needs together for fun and understanding.”

Situated on 25 acres in what once was a limestone quarry, Morgan’s Wonderland features more than 25 elements and attractions including rides, playgrounds, gardens, an eight-acre catch-and-release fishing lake, 18,000-square-foot special-event center, 575-seat amphitheater, picnic area and rest areas throughout the park.   The park is the hub of a new destination for family fun that’s becoming known as “Wonderland, Texas.”

The nearby STAR (South Texas Area Regional) Soccer Complex offers 13 lighted soccer fields for tournaments, league play and special events.  Net profits from STAR Soccer go to support the operation and maintenance of Morgan’s Wonderland.

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Similarly, net profits from the San Antonio Scorpions FC pro soccer team and the team’s new home – 8,000-seat, multi-purpose Toyota Field – are earmarked for the expansion of programs and services for the special-needs community at Morgan’s Wonderland.

Monarch Academy at Morgan’s Wonderland is also located next to the theme park and accommodates students from 6th grade through high school.  The school focuses on getting each student ready for independence and employment through reading and math instruction, plus social and life skills and vocational training.

www.MorgansWonderland.com

Kirsten Komoroske Named New Executive Director of San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum

Joe Kleiman
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Kirsten Komoroske Named New Executive Director of San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum

Kirsten KomoroskeSan Francisco, CA, USA (September 4, 2013) — The Walt Disney Family Museum announced today that Kirsten Komoroske has been named the new Executive Director. A San Francisco Bay Area native, Ms. Komoroske has been serving as interim director since May 2013.

As a practicing lawyer, Ms. Komoroske has specialized in advising nonprofit organizations and corporations on a wide range of strategic, business, and human resources issues throughout her career. Ms. Komoroske has held a number of executive and board positions, including General Counsel and Vice President of Human Resources for Tyco Electronics Corporation, Interim Vice President of Human Resources at Groupon, Inc., and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. She has a background in and lifelong passion for the arts, having grown up studying violin and modern dance. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Italian from UC Berkeley.

“We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Kirsten as the new Executive Director at the museum,” said the Museum’s President and Walt Disney’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller. “We are supportive of and excited by her passion for the museum and my father’s legacy. This, together with her diverse experience across both for-profit and non-profit institutions, helps ensure our future success. We are enthusiastic to have Kirsten as a partner working with our dedicated team.”

“I am thrilled to be working with the Board and staff in driving the museum’s mission,” said Ms. Komoroske. “Just as Walt was a creative and inspiring storyteller, the museum amplifies his ideals with the hope that it will inspire creativity and innovation in our visitors.”

www.waltdisney.org

David Misch, Chuck Hoberman among headline speakers at TEA’s SATE ’13 conference

Judith Rubin
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David Misch, Chuck Hoberman among headline speakers at TEA’s SATE ’13 conference
Chuck Hoberman
Chuck Hoberman

Chuck Hoberman and David Misch have been added to the speaker lineup for TEA’s SATE ’13 design conference, taking place at the Savannah College of Art & Design Oct 3-4.

Chuck Hoberman

It’s said that nowhere do the disciplines of art, architecture, and engineering fuse as seamlessly as in the work of inventor Chuck Hoberman, internationally known for his “transformable structures.” Through his products, patents, and structures, Hoberman demonstrates how objects can be foldable, retractable, or shape-shifting.

Hoberman will speak about how the role and practice of architecture are transforming, at the SATE ’13 conference Oct 3-4 hosted by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) in Savannah, Georgia.

As chair of the Architecture segment of the SATE conference, Al Cross of PGAV Destinations recruited Hoberman to participate. “As we rethink what we can do with buildings – and what we no longer need to do because of technology, what is the architect’s role?,” says Cross. “It may be time to rebrand the architect along with the architecture.”

David Misch

David Misch
David Misch

“We’re super excited to have David Misch joining us for SATE!” says SATE ’13 Storytelling segment chair Adam Bezark (The Bezark Company). “David’s insights into the heart of comedy are helpful for any storyteller, and he backs his principles up with fun examples from old movies, TV shows and comedy routines. It’s a fast-paced look at the science of laughter.”

From beginnings as a political satirist in Boston, Misch moved to California to write for Mork and Mindy. He also co-wrote “Leave It To Dave”, the pilot for David Letterman’s first talk-show. He’s since written, created and/or produced programs for all the major networks and many of the major (and minor) cable outlets. In features, he was Special Consultant on THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (TriStar) and has written screenplays for Touchstone, MGM and Warner Bros.

His book “Funny: The Book / Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Comedy” (Applause/Hal Leonard) has been called “the best book on comedy ever written by David Misch” and been featured on dozens of TV and radio shows and podcasts.

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