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James Heaney Leaves Disney Cruise Line To Become CFO SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

Joe Kleiman
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Orlando, FL, USA (January 20, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment today announced James M. Heaney, former Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance and Travel Operations for Disney Cruise Line, will join the company as Chief Financial Officer.

Heaney brings nearly 25 years of finance, analysis and operations experience to his new role. The bulk of his career has been spent in the travel industry, initially with Royal Caribbean Cruises and later with the Walt Disney Company. Before leaving Disney in 2011, Heaney had risen to CFO with additional responsibility in Revenue Management, Travel Operations, and Risk Management for the company’s cruise division. In that role he managed the cruise line’s call center, air/sea department, terminal operations and ground transportation system.

“Jim will be a great addition to the senior leadership group at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment,” said Jim Atchison, President and Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to the significant roles he has played in managing a large and complex organization, he also brings experience in other types of travel businesses and has proven skills in leading functions outside the traditional scope of finance.”

Heaney played a key leadership role in the launch of Disney’s cruise business and made significant contributions in finance and operations as Disney Cruise Line evolved into one of the segment’s most prominent operators.

Prior to joining Disney in 1994, Heaney worked as a finance manager for Royal Caribbean Cruises, where he provided analysis, projections and strategic planning services for the company’s operations segment. Heaney began his career with Gould Electronics as a financial systems analyst and moved to Pueblo Xtra International, a grocery store chain based in South Florida, in 1989.

At SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Heaney will lead the company’s Finance, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Internal Audit, and Planning and Development groups.

Heaney earned a bachelor’s degree in Operations Management from Texas Tech University and an MBA with an academic emphasis in finance from the University of Florida. He lives in Celebration, Fla. with his wife and two children.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment inspires people to celebrate, connect and care for the natural world through the power of entertainment. The company owns and operates 10 parks across the United States. The parks play host to more than 23 million guests each year and provide lasting memories through up-close animal encounters, world-class shows and rides, and themed attractions. Locations include SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment also is a global leader in animal care and conservation, helping animals in need around the world. The company has rescued more than 20,000 orphaned, injured or ill animals over the past four decades and contributed $50 million to conservation, wildlife rescue and environmental stewardship programs worldwide. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a non-profit, 501(c)3 charitable foundation, supports wildlife research, habitat protection, animal rescue and conservation education in the U.S. and around the world.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment employs 20,000 people and is a portfolio company of Blackstone.

Registration Open for CIAE 2012 Gaming and Attractions Expo in Guangzhou, China

Joe Kleiman
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China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Comlex, courtesy China Foreign Trade Centre

Guangzhou, China — Following the success of last year’s event, the 8th China Guangzhou International Game & Amusement Exhibition (CIAE) is scheduled to take place March 9-11, 2012 at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex.  The event promises to be one of the largest game and amusement expositions in Asia.

A number of exhibitors are already confirmed, including SEGA, NAMCO, TAITO, KNT, COSMIC, ZONE LASER GROUP, IGS, Astro Corp, Wahlap, Sealytec, Shiyu, Dragon World, Mecpower, Game Plus, Macrown, Huatong, KN&U, Wecom, Huahai, G-LOOK, and Belrare.

CIAE 2012 presents a unique opportunity to explore China’s gaming and amusement industries.  Guangzhou is within a two hour drive of more than 2,000 companies involved in the gaming and amusement industries and a short drive to Macau and Hong Kong.  Gaming machines manufactured in Ponyu Province accounted for over $20 billion in international sales last year.

For more information or to register, visit www.chinaamusement.com

Malaysian Food Street Now Open at Resorts World Sentosa

Joe Kleiman
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Sentosa Island, Singapore — Reminiscing about that plate of KL hokkien mee during your last trip to Malaysia? Travelling hundreds of miles to Malaysia to taste authentic hawker fare will soon be a thing of the past. Resorts World Sentosa has gathered the best of Malaysia’s bona fide hawkers under one roof in its very own Malaysian Food Street. 

Opened on 12 January, foodies now get to taste and try legendary Malaysian favourites such as the Famous Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee, Kuala Lumpur’s Huen Kee Claypot Chicken Rice, Malacca’s Chicken Rice Ball and the original purveyor of lor mee in Penang—Penang’s Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee.

With Malaysia known to be a food haven offering many unique specialties from every state, handpicking the hawkers to bring to RWS’ Malaysian Food Street turned out to be a time-consuming, but eye-opening task. The stringent selection process was based on recommendations, reputations and taste-tests.

Mr Teo Sian Keong, Director of Operations for RWS’s Malaysian Food Street says, “Last year, I was roped in to be part of a scouting committee whose mission was to track down the best hawker food across Malaysia. We ate at more than 200 hawker stalls over a span of eight months on numerous trips. From Malacca to Kuala Lumpur and from Ipoh to Penang, there were days when we ate the same dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But the results are well worth the calories.”

“Not many places cook claypot chicken rice in claypots anymore and less so on charcoal stoves. One of Huen Kee’s winning factors is its unique two-way heating technique which not only uses a burning charcoal stove to cook but coals are placed on top of the claypot to lock in the moisture and flavours of the rice and well-marinated chicken,” expresses Chef de Cuisine Adolf Tan, who oversees Malaysian Food Street’s culinary operations.

Mr Ray Teoh, co-owner of Huen Kee Claypot Chicken Rice in Kula Lumpur says, “Teo and his team from RWS were very persistent with their offer of inviting us to set up shop at the Malaysian Food Street. We had several reservations, as my mother-in-law Mdm Huen May Lan started this stall in 1986, and during these twenty-five years, a lot of effort had gone in to ensure that the standard of our claypot chicken rice was consistent. At the third attempt, we were convinced that coming to Resorts World Sentosa was the right fit and that we will work closely with the RWS team to uphold our cooking standards and stay true to our traditions.”

Among the 17 food stalls, guests will be delighted to find the internationally renowned Fung Wong Confectionery from Kuala Lumpur, which will be selling its famous egg tarts, kaya puffs and baked siew baos, freshly baked daily. The food street also has two halal-certified stalls showcasing Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and Nasi Briyani. 

Standing at 22,000 square feet, the Malaysian Food Street seats up to 516 guests comfortably. Fully-air-conditioned, it is designed to evoke the look and feel of the streets in Malaysia, with facades of old shophouses, true-to-detail street stalls, and replicas of 1950s-style coffeeshop furniture and street fixtures to set the mood. 

ABOUT RESORTS WORLDS SENTOSA
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Singapore’s first integrated resort is located on the resort island of Sentosa. Spanning 49 hectares, the resort has welcomed over 15 million visitors since it opened in January 2010. RWS is home to the region’s first-and-only Universal Studios theme park, a casino, luxurious accommodation in four unique hotels, the Resorts World Convention Center, celebrity chef restaurants as well as specialty retail outlets. The resort also offers entertainment ranging from its resident theatrical circus spectacular Voyage de la Vie, to public attractions such as the Crane Dance and the Lake of Dreams. RWS most recently unveiled the first attraction under the second phase of the Resort – its Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium. Still to come are the world’s largest oceanarium called Marine Life Park, a destination spa and two additional hotels. Resorts World Sentosa is wholly owned by Genting Singapore, a company of the Genting Group. For more information, please visit www.rwsentosa.com.

St. Louis to Celebrate Titanic Centennial With Black Tie Recreation of Ship’s Final Dinner

Joe Kleiman
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St. Louis, MO, USA (January 20, 2012) /PRWEB/ — One hundred years ago this April, a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch scored one of the biggest stories of the 20th century – the sinking of the H.M.S. Titanic.

St. Louis journalist Carlos Hurd was aboard the Carpathia, the vessel that scooped up Titanic’s lifeboat-clinging survivors. Hurd and his wife Katherine were the first to interview the eyewitnesses to the downing of the “unsinkable” ocean liner. He wrote the world-wide headline story on rolls of toilet paper during the voyage that brought those rescued into New York harbor. Today, the legendary ship continues to make headlines in St. Louis where a weekend of special commemorative events will take place to remember this ever-fascinating piece of history.

On Friday, April 13, the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park serves up an Edwardian Champagne Reception prior to a screening of the classic 1958 Titanic film, “A Night to Remember.” Guests also will view Titanic-related artifacts from the Museum’s collection.

The highlight of the weekend takes place at the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Saturday, April 14. The Fox’s executive chef Stephen Proctor along with the culinary teaching staff at L’Ecole Culiniare will recreate the original First Class menu served to Titanic guests on the actual 100th anniversary of the last dinner on the ship. The historic menu was meticulously researched to authentically recreate the sumptuous eleven-course meal and accompanying wines. The Titanic-sized menu includes oysters a la Russe, poached salmon, filet mignon, chicken Lyonnaise, roasted squab and Waldorf pudding.

Diners will have the opportunity to experience A Taste of History: Last Dinner on the Titanic while seated on the stage at St. Louis’ Fabulous Fox Theatre. The evening is black tie. Dinner guests are encouraged to wear vintage attire (white tie for men). Upon arrival, guests will receive a boarding pass and envelope containing the name and biography of an actual first-class passenger from the Titanic. 

Prior to dinner, a period-style cocktail reception featuring live music popular during 1912 will fill the Fox Theatre’s elaborate Grand Lobby. Between courses, guests will be entertained with incredible stories about the Titanic told by actors portraying passengers and crew who had been aboard the fateful ship including Missouri’s-own “Unsinkable” Molly Brown. Proceeds from the evening benefit the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, a not-for-profit which fosters and promotes the performing arts in the St. Louis area.

Those who survive the Saturday evening soiree can partake in a special champagne brunch at the Piper Palm House, the oldest standing greenhouse west of the Mississippi River. Located in St. Louis’ Victorian-designed Tower Grove Park, the Palm House’s distinctive architecture, soaring ceiling, stately windows and exotic plants, resemble the Titanic’s Verandah Café. The brunch will be recreated from a Titanic first class breakfast menu. The buffet service meal features, along with other delicacies, smoked salmon, lamb chops, sirloin steak, prepared-to-order omelets, fruits and baked goods.

The three events range in price from $10 to $500, so everyone can “step back in time” and experience the history, fashion, food and music of the elegant Edwardian Era. A special St. Louis Titanic Weekend Travel Package is available at the newly restored Cheshire, a landmark hotel property that embodies the charm and authenticity of a traditional British inn with all the modern conveniences of today. The $389 hotel package includes deluxe accommodation for two nights (Friday and Saturday/double occupancy), an English continental breakfast on Saturday, complimentary high tea on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m., and round-trip transportation to the events at the Missouri History Museum, The Fox Theatre and the Piper Palm House.
 
For more information, visit http://www.titanic2012stl.com

TEA international board meeting

Martin Palicki
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TEA’s international board is meeting in Chicago this week to plan the future of the association as it celebrates it’s twentieth anniversary. Special events included a trip to the Adler Planetarium and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Historic Powerhouse Begins New Life as Greater Cleveland Aquarium

Joe Kleiman
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Cleveland, OH, USA (January 19, 2012) — The grand-opening ceremony for the Greater Cleveland Aquarium took place today in the FirstEnergy Powerhouse at the Nautica Entertainment Complex to officially open the new world-class aquarium. The festivities included Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Council President Martin Sweeney, Councilman Joe Cimperman, and private partners of the project joining together to release dozens of balloons from a 200-gallon container, creating a water-like cascade above the entranceway to symbolize the “Just Add Water” theme of the aquarium.

Partners in the Greater Cleveland Aquarium include Jacobs Entertainment, Inc., owner/developer of the Nautica Entertainment Complex, and Marinescape NZ Limited, the world’s leading developer of walk-through aquariums. The aquarium is also supported by FirstEnergy Corp. and AMPCO, the parking lot operator for the Nautica Entertainment Complex, both contributing funding to the project.

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is offering preview days for annual pass holders on January 19th and 20th, and will open to the public beginning January 21st. Features include 10 aquarium exhibition areas with 35 tanks integrated into the historic FirstEnergy Powerhouse that create an exciting underwater environment with special emphasis on the building’s unique architectural elements. Visitors will experience Marinescape’s SeaTube®, a world-class attraction that allows people to walk through a 500,000 gallon tank offering panoramic views of marine life, including 15 sharks of various species, some up to 7 feet long.

Exhibition areas are identified by themes, including Everglades, Florida Keys, and Ohio Lakes and Rivers. A “Touch Tank” exhibit actually allows visitors to lean in and touch marine life including rays, baby sharks and starfish.

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium utilizes Windows on the River’s banquet facilities and Jacobs Pavilion for aquarium-related special events. Annually, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is expected to attract 400-500,000 visitors to downtown Cleveland, generate $9.6 to $27.2 million of local economic impact and create 50 full and part-time jobs with a payroll of $1.6 million.

“The Greater Cleveland Aquarium adds a new dimension to tourism in Cleveland and continues the wave of new development on both sides of the river,” said Jeffrey P. Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Investments, Inc.

“The aquarium is one of the many new attractions that will help reinforce downtown Cleveland as a destination for residents, international visitors and businesses,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “Cleveland has tremendous assets to build off of such as our waterfront, and projects such as this help to transform our city into an international destination,” added Mayor Jackson.

“We’re proud to play a role in this exciting project, which will continue to preserve the value of Cleveland’s historic Powerhouse while fostering economic development in the region,” said Charles E. Jones, President of FirstEnergy Utilities. The FirstEnergy Powerhouse originally served to generate electricity for Cleveland’s streetcar system back in the late 19th century.

Marinescape has developed 23 major walk-through aquariums throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Russia over the past 26 years. The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is Marinescape’s first aquarium development in the United States and builds on its successes with new, cutting-edge technologies. Marinescape created a winning formula that helped transform aquariums into dynamic visitor attractions with the SeaTube® and its “Three E’s” philosophy. Marinescape aquariums have successfully used this “Environmental Education through Entertainment” formula to provide environmental education to over 150 million aquarium visitors worldwide.

“The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is our first aquarium in North America and we have made it a special one,” said Ian Mellsop, Managing Director of Marinescape. “Our designers worked overtime to develop some very creative ideas in this extraordinary building,” he added.

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium has classrooms and a teaching staff that will offer lessons developed in conjunction with local boards of education. The staff is expected to collaborate with local schools and universities on research projects and develop local community-based ecological and educational outreach programs.
 
For further information, visit www.GreaterClevelandAquarium.com.
 

ABOUT MARINESCAPE NZ LIMITED  
Marinescape, based in Auckland, New Zealand, is the world’s leading developer of walk-through aquariums. The company has more than 26 years of experience in developing 23 major aquariums, recently completing walk-through aquariums in Istanbul, Turkey and Northern China. Marinescape’s team of marine biologists, aquarists, architects, engineers and designers bring hundreds of years of combined experience to the aquariums they develop and manage.

ABOUT JACOBS ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 

Jacobs Entertainment, Inc. is the owner/developer of the Nautica Entertainment Complex which includes the FirstEnergy Powerhouse, the home of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. The Nautica Entertainment Complex attracts more than 500,000 visitors annually to its many entertainment venues, including the Nautica Charity Poker Festivals, which generate more than $2 million annually on behalf of Northeast Ohio charities. Jacobs Entertainment is a gaming and entertainment development company. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jacobs Investments, Inc., the investment vehicle of the Jeffrey P. Jacobs family.

VIDEO: President Obama’s Remarks at Walt Disney World

Joe Kleiman
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Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA (January 19, 2012) — Video of President Barack Obama’s speech on tourism and travel made earlier today at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Courtesy The White House.

Legoland Calfornia and Sea Life Aquarium Carlsbad Unveil New 2012 Experiences

Joe Kleiman
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by Joe Kleiman, IPM Online News Editor

Pirate Reef, courtesy Legoland California

Carlsbad, CA, USA (January 19, 2012) — At a press event today, Legoland California General Manager Peter Ranchetti introduced the new attractions that will be added to the park in 2012.  They include five new displays in Star Wars Miniland, new life-size LEGO figures in the Star Wars Gallery, a new family flume ride called Pirate Reef, and Claws: Creatures of the Deep, an interactive crab exhibit at Sea Life Carlsbad Aquarium, located at the park’s entrance.  Both the park and the aquarium are properties of Merlin Entertainments.  Hopkins Rides will manufacture the flume attraction.  

Following are clips from Ranchetti’s presentation, a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Pirate Reef, and a sneak peek at Claws, all courtesy Legoland California. 

Big Splash at Kiwi Springs

Joe Kleiman
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Courtesy Fairy Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park

Fairy Springs, Rotorua, New Zealand (January 20, 2012) — In keeping with the park’s conservation theme, the Big Splash is a nine-minute long journey through time that features an informative narrative, state-of-the-art animation bringing to life dinosaurs, moa and the haast eagle, and an adrenalin boosting plunge at the end.

The $10+ million dollar project – which also includes a new 384-seat, free-flight bird show auditorium – is the largest single investment made in the park since it opened in 1932.

Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park General Manager Michelle Caldwell says, “The ride is designed to inform park visitors, as well as entertain, and is a highly interactive experience. It will make people sit up and take a reflective look about how precious our environment is and the wildlife that inhabits it, conservation is a key message.”

Big Splash is a fitting addition to Rainbow Springs wildlife park, which has a strong conservation role as a tuatara breeder and New Zealand’s largest hatcher of brown kiwi chicks. The ride is expected to be a major draw-card for Rotorua, giving international and local visitors an exciting and unique insight into New Zealand history and culture.

The free-flight bird show auditorium will feature a flock of exotic birds who are currently being trained, their first public show is due to take flight within the next two months.

ABOUT RAINBOW SPRINGS
Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park is an icon of New Zealand tourism and has been open since 1932. Spread over 22 acres of Rotorua parkland, Rainbow Springs is a conservation and breeding haven for endangered New Zealand species such as Kiwi and tuatara. The park offers a unique wildlife experience for visitors, who can see animals in their natural environment, both during the day and night. Features of the award winning tourist attraction include New Zealand’s first ‘open to view’ Kiwi hatchery, and a range of wildlife including trout, tuatara and native birds.  rainbowsprings.co.nz

CEO Matt Ouimet Outlines Cedar Fair’s "FUNforward" Strategy

Joe Kleiman
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Logo courtesy Cedar Fair

Sandusky, OH, USA (January 19, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a leader in regional amusement parks, water parks and active entertainment, hosted an investor meeting in New York City today at which its president and newly named chief executive officer, Matt Ouimet, outlined his long-term growth strategy – known as “FUNforward” – and the corresponding financial goals for the Company.

“This is truly an exciting time for Cedar Fair,” said Ouimet. “Given our favorable industry dynamics – including significant barriers to entry and a loyal, high-repeat customer base – as well as the significant momentum we have created for the Company over the past two record-setting years, we see several attractive strategic growth opportunities in both the near and long term. We believe there are many compelling reasons for investors to choose Cedar Fair, and we are committed to rewarding them for their confidence in us with meaningful and sustainable value creation through a balanced approach of distributions, growth investments, debt reduction and unit repurchases.”

Ouimet cited Cedar Fair’s high-quality, well-maintained parks, its recognized stature within the industry as an innovation leader and its strong brand positioning as the core drivers of the Company’s financial and operational momentum.

“We are very proud of our properties and the men and women who ensure families and thrill-seekers alike have the ‘best-day-of-the-year’ experience they expect when they visit one of our parks,” Ouimet said. “It’s not an accident that we enjoyed our second straight year of record attendance – 23.4 million guests – at our 17 locations across North America in 2011.”

Cedar Fair’s award-winning parks – including Cedar Point, which was named the number-one amusement park in the world for the 14th consecutive year, and Kings Island, which was voted “Best Kids’ Area in the World” for the 11th straight year – are home to four of the top 11 steel coasters in the world and top-rated Halloween events.

“We believe we offer our guests compelling value by providing wholesome, exciting, quality experiences with the greatest thrill rides and family attractions, which is an especially strong entertainment proposition in today’s discerning consumer market,” Ouimet added. “Likewise, our goal is to continue to be a total return investment for our unitholders. Our recession-resistant business continues to generate strong free cash flow, which has allowed us to further strengthen our financial flexibility and make meaningful distributions to our unitholders while at the same time experiencing appreciation in our unit price.”

Components of the FUNforward strategy include:

  • Enhanced guest experience – Maintaining an unwavering focus on delivering compelling value for the price paid, at every park on every day. In the near term, the Company will continue to add new rides and attractions while at the same time expanding evening event activities to provide enhanced value and extend the length of each visit.
  • Improved consumer messaging and relationship management – Modernizing the marketing and sales strategy and execution to ensure the Company is most effectively segmenting its customer base and speaking to each audience with messages that “break through the noise” and create the proper emotional connection that drives action within the operating season.
  • Dynamic pricing and advance purchase commitments – Incorporating a new e-commerce platform common to other industry players. The new platform will provide real-time data and dynamic pricing modification, while supporting incremental programs such as season pass installment sales and up-sell of benefits and value.
  • Premium product offerings – Expansion of premium experience offerings for benefit-oriented guests. Examples of this will include premium parking and dining experiences, “fast lanes” at various high-demand attractions and “Fright Lanes” during Halloween events, among other things.
  • Strategic alliance fees and promotional leverage – Industry benchmarking indicates an opportunity for the Company to expand its strategic alliances while still protecting the integrity of the guest experience.
  • Capital and expense productivity – Prioritizing capital to the highest return-on-invested-capital opportunities across the Company’s portfolio, encouraging manufacturers to innovate at lower costs and remaining disciplined in the management of costs. The Company will also look to utilize its undeveloped land to drive additional park admissions through activities and investments that leverage its installed asset base.

“It’s important to have a balanced mix between thrill rides and family attractions,” said Ouimet. “We are investing approximately $90 million across all of our properties and have a very strong rides and attractions menu for the 2012 operating season.”
 

About Cedar Fair   

Cedar Fair is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio, and one of the largest regional amusement-resort operators in the world.  The Company owns and operates 11 amusement parks, six outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels.  Its parks are located in Ohio, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, and Toronto, Ontario.  Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in California under a management contract.  Cedar Fair’s flagship park, Cedar Point, has been consistently voted the “Best Amusement Park in the World” in a prestigious annual poll conducted by Amusement Today newspaper.  www.cedarfair.com

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