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Kiddieland auctions off rides; carousel sells for $355K
Kiddieland, the Melrose Park amusement park, opened one last time this morning for an auction of its rides.
Carnival enthusiasts and long-time regulars packed the parking lot for a final goodbye, with the park turning on the lights on its rides one last time. Scheduled today for auction were 430 separate pieces of park history — from carousel horses to popcorn carts to bumper cars.
A private collector from Atlanta bought the first major ride of the day, with a winning bid of $17,000 for the bumper cars. The carousel later went for $355,000 to a Westmont business owner who plans to refurbish it. The Little Dipper roller coaster sold for $33,000 to Six Flags in Gurnee; it will be put in the park’s kiddie section, hopefully by 2010.
Deep Pockets Required For Kiddieland Auction
What may be a cherished part of your childhood memories is going on the auction block.
A large turnout showed up for the historic bidding process, although it appeared most of the crowd was composed of spectators, rather than actual bidders.
A booklet from the Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Mich., listed the items going up for grabs, including everything from fences to ice makers, and even batteries.
ProSlide wins best new product award
ProSlide, the Canadian manufacturer of fibreglass water attractions, was awarded the Best New Water Ride Product for its high-speed TantrumTWIST tube ride at IAAPA last week.
With installations at both Splish Splash Waterpark in Riverhead, New York and Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro, North Carolina, the TantrumTWIST is the latest addition to the burgeoning water slide-thrill ride sector.
Groups of two to four riders plunge into a 10ft-diameter dark tunnel and quickly accelerate through the 450-degree vortex tunnel before being launched into the Tantrum’s large enclosed funnel.
Defunct Santa’s Village sued over rough ride on roller coaster
Santa’s Village closed four years ago, but an Oswego woman says she continues to suffer from a ride on the former East Dundee theme park’s Typhoon roller coaster.
Tamara Riggio and her husband Dominic filed a negligence lawsuit in Kane County this week claiming the thrill ride’s "pushing, pulling, twisting, jerking and severe gravitational forces" left her with a severe brain injury.
According to the complaint, Santa’s Village, its parent company and the Typhoon’s manufacturer collectively built, operated and maintained a ride that was "defective and unreasonably dangerous."
Lo-Q introduces latest version of Q-txt at IAAPA 2009
Lo-Q plc, the leading supplier of electronic virtual queuing systems to theme parks, has launched its latest version of the Q-txt reservation system. Q-txt allows cell phones users to reserve a time to ride on their chosen rides from anywhere in a theme park. Visitors purchase credits which are used to reserve a place in a virtual electronic line. Ride times are advised using the SMS service so Q-txt users get out of line and have more time to enjoy all areas of the park, while they wait.
Continuing developments at Lo-Q have improved the Q-txt system to allow a multi-lingual capability in the latest version. This means, for example that Q-txt guests in Isla Magica can reserve a time to ride in either Spanish or English.
Leonard Sim, Founding Director at Lo-Q explained, “Q-txt is a versatile solution that is ideal for theme parks which want to offer ride reservations on just a small number of rides and to a limited number of guests. Visitors reserve their time to ride by sending a simple text message. The Q-txt computer allocates a time to ride and the user then receives a message back to their phone with details of their reservation time and a unique code which is used to gain entry or verify their booking. The latest version of Q-txt recently installed in Isla Magica in Spain has had services added to allow multiple languages for both the guests and the park staff”
Franklin OKs amusement park tax ordinance
In an effort to lure an entertainment business to the area, the Franklin City Commission on Monday passed an ordinance that will place a 10 percent tax on the sale of tickets at amusement parks.
Officials are working to bring that type of business to Franklin. While they continue to decline to reveal details, officials have said the business would create about 200 jobs and invest $150 million into the area.
Officials tried to pass a similar ordinance last month, but it failed after public opposition convinced commissioners the ordinance was unclear. Officials wanted to use the tax as an incentive for the entertainment business – business owners could take money generated from taxes on their own sales and pump it back into the business.
Xtreme World Fun Center comes to Tampa
Xtreme World Fun Center plans to open a family entertainment center in an east Tampa warehouse.
The Orlando company subleased 16,160 square feet at 622-624 Ware Blvd., said Chuck Bohac, vice president of the Industrial and Land Services Group at Grubb & Ellis/Commercial Florida.
Xtreme World plans to open the center in the first quarter of next year.
Golfland Sunsplash to offer paintball
Paintball will prevail in west Mesa despite the troubled economy.
Ballers Arena, an indoor paintball facility that opened in December 2007 near the intersection of Country Club Drive and Main Street, closed in August when the bank foreclosed on the property. An aging bowling alley had been transformed into the $2.5 million complex, which was a success until the economy tanked.
Now, Golfland Sunsplash, a water park and entertainment center at 155 W. Hampton Ave., has purchased much of the Ballers Arena paintball equipment and plans to transform the water park into a sprawling, outdoor paintball field. The park will function as a full-time paintball field during the offseason, and then will offer after-hours paintball during the summer.
CoCo Key is offering access to their waterpark for free when you book a room during the weekday from now through Christmas Eve.
According to the email:
“Simply book your overnight stay any Monday through Thursday, now through December 24. Packages start at just $109 and include FREE water resort passes for a family of 4."
Holy Land USA, a Bedford County theme park that offers tours of replicated biblical sites to tell the story of Jesus, is up for auction — the victim of high upkeep costs and low attendance.
The park closed earlier this month, possibly forever.
Holy Land USA Inc., the nonprofit that runs the park — which features replicas of Jesus’ tomb and the Upper Room where he supped with his disciples — plans to sell the site of nearly 200 acres to the highest bidder on Dec. 16, less than two years after buying it and reopening it. The park, which first opened in 1972, had been closed from 2005 to March 2008.
Group pleads with Obama not to send pardoned turkeys to Disneyland
A group that rescues farm animals is pleading with President Obama to spare them from a fate they believe is almost as as cruel as having their heads chopped off – sending them to live at a Disney theme park.
Since 2005 – and this is news to EcoSpeak – pardoned turkeys have been sent to live at either Disneyland or Disneyworld. And there, according to the group Farm Sanctuary, most usually die within the first year.
“After decades of genetic manipulation, commercially-bred turkey are prone to serious health issues that require experienced care and attention,” states Farm Sanctuary’s petition. “The Walt Disney Company….has shown that it lacks the ability to provide such care.”
Blu Bambu Waterpark opening delayed until May 2011
The target opening date for Blu Bambu Waterpark, a $16 million project planned at the southwest corner of Pecan Street and Toll 130 in Pflugerville, has been pushed back from May 2010 to May 2011. Entrepreneurs Jim Brisco and Shea Hanvey announced the delay Nov. 24.
The developers initially planned to begin construction on the 50-acre tract in November but decided to take more time to develop the site plan before moving forward. They expect the park to attract more than 300,000 visitors annually from across Central Texas.
A final site plan for the project was completed in October, and construction is now expected to begin in spring 2010. The waterpark will initially span 26 acres, including a 14-acre park and a 12-acre parking lot.
Golden Gate Bridge officials want Hollywood experience at span
Golden Gate Bridge officials announced Tuesday they are seeking a firm to develop interactive programs that would allow visitors to get a "behind the scenes" look at the span.
A museum and visitor center would also be part of the project, aimed at raising as much as $9 million a year to help the bridge district erase a deficit.
Some of the ideas kicked around: taking visitors on tours beneath the span using catwalks, and possibly even a cable climb. The Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia has similar programs allowing visitors to walk on different areas of the span normally off limits for as much as $275.
CityWalk, Downtown Disney, and now "Downtown INDY"
That’s right, why not bring a little fun and amusement park excitement placed just outside of a major gathering venue in America’s mid-west?
Developments like Universal’s CityWalk, ABC CapCities’ Downtown Disney, Hollywood’s Kodak and Chinese Theater, and even New York’s Times Square retailing amusement center complexes have a real winning combination being located next to a natural entertainment draw like Broadway, an amusement park or … a one-of-a-kind motorsports racing track!
Ghoulish golf in Crafton brings in cash for school
The "haunted" miniature golf course in Crafton was a big hit with customers during the Halloween season and a fundraising success for Carlynton High School student government representatives.
Revenues from Grim’s Ghostly Golf totaled nearly $3,000. After expenses, students cleared about $2,300, which will be used to erect a bronze plaque and do landscaping around the school’s new cougar mascot statue, which also was a student government project.
The former Crafton Putt Putt miniature golf course on West Steuben Street is on property owned by the borough. The golf course had not been used for more than a decade and was overrun by weeds and overgrown hedges.
Motorsports Hall of Fame moving into Detroit Science Center
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is moving into the Detroit Science Center — at least temporarily.
The hall of fame had operated under a complimentary lease at the former Novi Expo Center since about 1994, said President Ron Watson.
Even after the expo center closed about three years ago, the nonprofit museum continued to operate from the building, he said, at the invitation of subsequent owners/controllers of the building.
Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum Secures $10 Million in Funding
After two decades in development, and the Hip Hop Hall of Fame Awards TV show broadcast in syndication and on BET Cable Network in the 90s; the Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum & Entertainment Complex gets halfway to realizing its grand opening in the heart of New York City in late 2010 by securing $10 million in funding.
The HHHOF is poised to become the Hip-Hop institution of record for the 21st century, as reported in Billboard Magazine. It has two arms, the non-profit HHHOF Museum Foundation, which will oversee the museum, exhibits, and community outreach with "pioneers" of rap, and the for-profit HHHOF Global Media Group which will operate the restaurant, retail gift shop, concert lounge, TV studios, co-branded entertainment divisions, merchandising, special events, and corporate partnerships.
New Species Discovered Thanks to Vomiting Snake
Dr. Andrew Marshal did not venture into the lowland forests of Tanzania looking for a new species. He does not study reptiles or amphibians. In fact, the new species of chameleon he discovered, now named Kinyongia magomberae or the Magombera chameleon, was delivered to him, in a way, by a startled snake.
It all started with a long slow walk in the jungle. Dr. Marshal, a conservation scientist, was in Tanzania conducting research in the Magombera Forest for the University of York and the Flamingo Land Amusement Park and Zoo. The highly threatened forest serves as the home for people and animals in the area, including the endangered red colobus monkey. Dr. Marshal had started trekking to perform a monkey survey.
Train museum near OMSI nearer reality, after City loan commitment
On Wednesday, October 28th, the Portland City Council approved three agreements that will enable the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) to move forward with its plans for a “train museum” just east of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, which will include a new facility for the restoration and management of three historic steam locomotives owned by the City of Portland.
The agreements include approval of a loan of up to $1 million to assist ORHF in the purchase of land in the OMSI district of Inner Southeast Portland for the new facility, as well as a management agreement with ORHF to operate and manage the city locomotives, and a formal memorandum of understanding which ensures the public benefit of the locomotives. The closing on the property to be purchased from Union Pacific was expected by Thanksgiving.
AROUND THE GLOBE
Largest theme park opens for Eid
Gondolania Entertainment City, the largest entertainment theme park in Doha to date, is all set to bring cheer to people of all ages with family and thrill rides as it opens its doors on the first day of Eid Al Adha.
“We have decided to launch phase 1 of Gondolania in time for Eid Al Adha celebrations and holidays as we felt that the whole community should join us in the opening of this wonderful fun filled entertainment zone, a first for Qatar,” said Michel Koborsi, CEO of the Fun Fair Company that manages the Gondolania Entertainment City.
Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, Koborsi revealed a grand opening would be organised in about a month’s time when Phase 2 is ready.
Sea Change funding sparks Margate Dreamland redevelopment
A multi-million pound redevelopment of Margate’s Dreamland leisure park – which organisers say will have festivals and live performances at its heart – is to proceed after receiving a major financial boost from the government.
The project, which will see Dreamland reopened as an amusement park featuring historic rides, is being led by the Dreamland Trust. It has received £3.7 million from the government’s Sea Change programme, which is designed to invigorate seaside towns through investment in culture and heritage.
Dreamland Trust chairman Nick Laister said the Sea Change money had been vital in ensuring the plans were realised.
Pupils will play at Disneyland Paris
Young musicians from Hanley Castle High School will enjoy the experience of a lifetime when they travel to France to perform at Disneyland Paris.
The school’s Swing Band has been invited to perform at the world-famous theme park in July 2010 after successfully passing a demanding audition process.
The band will be heading to Paris in July, where it will perform on one of several stages dotted across the park.
Disney seeks to consolidate reputation in China
The entertainment giant will use a new theme park to build on an already strong brand.
Not content with just the one Disneyland in Greater China, The Walt Disney Company has finally reached an agreement with the Chinese Government to develop a new theme park attraction in the Pudong district of Shanghai. Disneyland Shanghai will cost US$3.7 billion to build and is scheduled to open in 2014.
The news signals a remarkable comeback by Disney, whose characters first appeared in China in the 1930s but, for obvious reasons, struggled to make any headway for much of the latter half of the 20th century. In the 1980s the brand was expelled from China altogether.
French Futuroscope theme park to be built in Wuhan
The government of Wuhan, Hubei Province has signed a contract with the French firm that owns Futuroscope, a multimedia-themed amusement park in Vienne, France, for the construction of a similar park in Wuhan that will cost around EUR 180 million, sources reported.
According to a letter of intent signed on Nov. 21, the planned park will cover an area between 100 and 180 hectares in size. It will include 3D cinemas, restaurants, shops, French-style hotels and 26 large scenic spots.
The French firm chose Wuhan as the location for the next Futuroscope park after considering a series of Chinese cities that included Beijing, Shenzhen and Wuxi. In 2006, the French firm inked a contract with the Shenzhen government to build a Futuroscope theme park there, but the deal did not go through.
Alton Towers is the largest theme park in the UK and boasts a hair-raising range of roller-coasters, designed to get hearts jumping and the adrenaline pumping. Nemesis and Oblivion are white knuckle rides on a global level, rivalling anything US theme parks have to offer.
However, the UK attraction also has a range of tamer rides and shows, ensuring that the park caters for a range of tastes and tolerances.
Alton Towers is built in a number of zones, inculding Tower Street, Mutiny Bay, Katanga Canyon, Gloomy Wood, X-Sector, Forbidden Valley, Ug Land, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Adventure Land and Storybook Land.
Schoolie’s face smashed in waterslide
An 18-year-old Victorian schoolie suffered facial injuries and had to undergo surgery before flying home early after plunging into a metal barrier across a waterslide in a Gold Coast resort.
The accident happened at 10.10am on Friday at Mantra Sun City resort in Surfers Paradise.
The pool attendant at the resort allegedly opened the waterslide by removing the metal barrier at the top of the slide and, with the water running, then went to remove the bottom barrier.
Coors for delight as museum deal is done
A deal has been sealed to transform the Coors Visitor Centre into a national brewing museum, the Mail can reveal.
Planning Solutions Limited, a British firm which runs leisure companies, including Conkers, in Moira, hopes to re-open the re-modelled attraction towards the end of March next year after reaching an agreement with Molson Coors, the Horninglow Road site’s owner.
John Lowther, chief executive of Planning Solutions, said: “We are delighted to be opening The National Brewing Centre here in Burton and celebrating the vital contribution the town has made to our brewing industry and heritage.
Ancol aims to boost investment next year
Jakarta province owned developer and recreation operator PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol will spend Rp 520 billion (US$55 million) in investment next year, to be partly financed by a planned bond issue, president director Budi Karya Sumadi said Tuesday.
Among the revenue-boosting programs he will be putting in place will be additional games to be installed in its amusement park in North Jakarta, and several amusement shows to be performed overseas in Vietnam, China and Thailand.
"The overseas show is part of our plan to boost revenue next year. We also have several other programs in the city amusement park," Budi Karya said.
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