Copy
International Theme Park Services, Inc. ("ITPS") delivers the news you want regarding the amusement and leisure industry! 
View this email in your browser
Monday October 28th, 2019
Thank you for reading ITPS Leisure News

Errol Mckoy, Wilma Ashcraft, Dennis Speigel, and Melinda Ashcraft reunite to celebrate the wonderful life of Spurgeon Richardson, Atlanta Georgia 10/24/19

1.  How can SeaWorld make money from a dining annual pass that costs visitors less than $1 a day?

SeaWorld San Diego is rolling out a new dining plan that will let annual passholders dine at the marine park’s restaurants for lunch and dinner every day of the year for less than $1 a day.  The new 2020 All-Season Dining Pass at SeaWorld theme parks in the United States costs $120 per year. To sweeten the pot, SeaWorld will throw in free meals for the rest of 2019 for annual passholders who buy the dining season pass now.

2.  Disney World's Top Rival Will Fight Back in 2023

When it comes to the theme-park hotbed of Central Florida, this is Disney's (NYSE:DIS) time to shine. Disney World is adding several new rides and attractions ahead of the resort's 50th anniversary in the fall of 2021. Rival Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), meanwhile, has been largely firing blanks at Universal Orlando. People have widely panned two of its last three major additions, and the third, a fan-fave Harry Potter-themed family-friendly coaster, has been marred by unacceptable downtime in its first four and a half months of operation. 
 

3.  I spent the day at N.J.'s new Nickelodeon theme park. Here’s what you need to know.

The country’s largest indoor theme park opened Friday at the American Dream in the Meadowlands.  We went and we were impressed, overall, with just how many thrills the park’s developers were able to fit into the 8.5 acre Nickelodeon Universe.

Related:  5 things we learned about American Dream on opening day, from highlights to parking confusion

4.  Universal gives new details on its Beijing park, but what does that mean for Orlando?

Universal was sparse with the details about its new Epic Universe park, when it finally announced it in August. Now, another new Universal park holds clues as to what we can expect.

5.  Disney Skyliner quickly reaches 1 millionth guest milestone

1 million guests have already been transported since September 27, which is even more impressive given that the Skyliner was closed for nearly a week during that period.

6.  Santa Clara Police Deny Report Of Shooting At California’s Great America Theme Park

SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) – Police were at the scene of California’s Great America theme park, after there was a report of a shooting, but later tweeted that “no shots were fired.”

7.  2019 Cedar Point Town Hall Museum Auction

In preparation for Cedar Point’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2020, the park is remodeling their Town Hall Museum to help display the history of the park. For anyone that had been in the museum prior to the the clearing out of the building this fall, they would know it was an eclectic collection of odds and ends, many having very little ties to Cedar Point’s history, other than being interesting items to see from our country’s past.

8.  Phuket FantaSea to open B5bn ‘Carnival Magic’ theme park

Phuket FantaSea celebrates its 20th anniversary with the grand opening of the world’s first Thai Carnival Theme Park in Thailand. Built with a budget of over B5 billion (US$160 million) and spanning over 40 acres (100 rai), Carnival Magic aspires to become an exciting new landmark tourist destination in Asia and is expected to attract over 1 million tourists per year with annual revenue of no less than B1.5 billion.

9.  How crowded did Cedar Point get last weekend?

SANDUSKY — The scariest thing visitors to Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends have faced this year is getting into the park.  HalloWeekends has been a popular event at Cedar Point since it started in 1997, but it reached a new level last weekend when the park turned people away as it neared capacity.

10.  Beach Street boutiques, cafes and leisure plan submitted for Felixstowe seafront

UK - Plans for the seaside development on the frontage of Manning's Amusement Park have been submitted - and the attraction hopes to get work under way as soon as possible with the first phase opening next summer.
 

11.  Completed a year ago, Kangra theme park awaits inauguration

Resentment prevails among residents of Kangra over the delay in the inauguration of a Rs 4-crore amusement park which was completed in the town nearly a year back.

12.  Kings Island coaster closes after 33 years

KINGS ISLAND, Ohio (WCMH) — The Vortex, a steel coaster in operation for the last 33 seasons, offered its last ride Sunday at Kings Island.

13.  SeaWorld San Diego And Intel Collaborate To Produce Christmas Drone Show

SeaWorld San Diego continues to lead the regional theme park industry with the introduction of a new drone show that will take place over the Christmas season.

14.  Dollywood to host premiere, sneak peeks of Dolly Parton anthology series

The park is hosting a “film festival” that day with screenings of all of the episodes from “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings,” an anthology series debuting on Netflix on Nov. 22.

15.  Hilarious reviews of Thorpe Park and Legoland left by Americans on Yelp and TripAdvisor

The theme parks host visitors from across the world, including a significant number from the United States, but what do our friends from across the Atlantic think of the county's theme parks compared to their own offerings? SurreyLive trawled through TripAdvisor and Yelp to find out.

16.  Reaction from the Journey to Hell Freak Night Blackpool Pleasure Beach

From post-apocalyptic sewer mazes, abandoned mine shafts to isolated barns coming face to face with horrifying sights and the deadliest of characters - hoping to survive the night of Halloween by testing the nerves to their limits is the choice of a growing number of thrill-seekers.

17.  Caretaker of Land of Oz theme park prepares for another round of Halloween trespassers

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. — Somewhere over the rainbow, high in the North Carolina mountains, lies the “Land of Oz.”  As Halloween approaches, the caretaker who protects the “yellow brick road” here, and all that remains from the 1970’s theme park, is at the ready for another round of trespassers.

18.  NBA player Robin Lopez unknowingly bought stolen Disney World items, records show

NBA player Robin Lopez, a longtime Disney fan, unwittingly bought rare items stolen from Disney World in a high-profile criminal case, newly released records reveal.

1.  Hasbro and Selladoor Worldwide announce live-action Monopoly experience

Hasbro and Selladoor Worldwide have announced plans to adapt Monopoly into an immersive live-action experience. The attraction will use Hasbro’s IP, and will open in London in 2020.

2.  Olympic Museum has a special mission: a beacon to the disabled

Beginning next spring, Chris Liedel and Peter Maiurro hope you’ll bring them to the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs. “If we do this right,” said CEO Liedel, “it could be a very powerful experience for a select group of people.” It might even be life-changing.

3.  St. Louis Wheel now open at historic Union Station

On Sept. 30, 2019, a new attraction opened in downtown St. Louis, Mo. – the St. Louis Wheel, a 200-foot tall observation wheel located at the historic Union Station.  Sitting on the southwest corner of the former train station complex, the Wheel is the biggest attraction in downtown St. Louis since the Gateway Arch. The Wheel offers a new perspective on St. Louis, offering riders a view spanning 20 miles in every direction.

4.  Gaylord Palms: Ice exhibit builds steam with ‘Polar Express,’ adds new features

Gaylord Palms is chugging along with preparations for its holiday extravaganza called Ice, and it has announced new entertainment options for the season at the giant Kissimmee resort. Work is underway on sculpting that turns tons of ice into “The Polar Express” theme, including the trademark big, black locomotive.

5.  It-Attractions launches with award-winning Dig It! IP

It-Attractions, a new leisure concept delivering award-winning edutainment and visitor attractions, has now launched under the leadership of Tim North and Mark Pyrah.  Dig It! is an award-winning product that opened in two locations last year, where it has already been delighting audiences with its innovative design. One is in Dubai under Emaar Entertainment and the other is in Rostov in Russia under a local operator.

6.  Mexicali’s Replay Arcade Installs Intercard Management Technology

 Intercard reports that Replay Arcades (Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico) recently installed Intercard cashless management technology in its facility at the Plaza San Pedro mall in this lively border city.  Replay Arcades is a family entertainment center offering more than 80 games, ranging from classics to the latest crane and redemption models. Amenities include a redemption store and a bar for snacks and drinks.

7.  Zip line shuts down as investigators probe tourist’s shocking death

A zip line attraction in Far North Queensland has been shut down for the “foreseeable future” as authorities investigate how an Adelaide tourist plunged to his death in an accident last week.  Dean Sanderson, 50, died on Tuesday when the zip line run by Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours in the Daintree National Park in Far North Queensland broke, causing him to fall 16 metres.

8.  A Minnesota museum is holding a creepy doll competition and it's the stuff of nightmares

A Minnesota museum is getting visitors into the Halloween spirit in what's probably the spookiest way possible — a creepy doll competition.  The History Center of Olmsted County, located in Rochester, Minnesota, launched the competition on October 16 to showcase parts of their collection that don't normally get attention.
The premise is simple. 

9.  F.B.I. Recovers Nazi-Looted Painting From New York Museum

Soon after Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, his Nazi propaganda machine singled out the Berliner Tageblatt, a liberal-leaning newspaper known for its criticism of the far-right party, as a symbol of the so-called “Jewish press.” That same year, the paper’s publisher, Hans Lachmann-Mosse, fled to Switzerland with his wife Felicia. The Nazis, in turn, quickly seized the family’s art collection—a trove including, among others, a painting titled Winter by American artist Gari Melchers.

10.  St. Louis art museum kicks off $12M capital campaign

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is kicking off a $12 million fundraising campaign and says it already has raised more than two-thirds of the amount.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the goal of the campaign is to increase the museum's endowment, provide educational programming and make improvements to its 15-year-old building.
Waterpark / Aquatics News

1.  Europa Park unveils park map for new water world Rulantica: 17 slides in nine theme areas

Europa-Park will open its new Rulantica Water World in about a month , which covers a total of 25 water attractions in nine thematic areas over a huge area of ​​around 32,600 square meters . So that bathers can get an accurate overview of the offer later, the parking plan for Rulantica has now been revealed.

2.  The mixed reviews of Coventry's new water park since it opened a week ago

It's been a whole week since The Wave water park opened its doors in Coventry.  The £36.7 million venture offers six large slides alongside a wave pool, lazy river and other features.  It also boasts a swimming pool, gym and spa.

3.  mov(e)motions releases two new attractions videos

mov(e)motions, the first full-service media agency specialising in the amusement park industry, has produced new videos for WhiteWater and Polin Waterparks.

4.  Despite cooler summer, Ridge Waters a hit again in season two

Revenue from admissions and concessions at Butte’s water park were down a little during its second season but a cooler, wetter summer was likely the main reason, county officials say.  Ridge Waters still took in $230,950 for the season, including $19,270 from season passes that weren’t available during the park’s inaugural summer in 2018. Overall revenue in 2018 was $256,837, which far exceeded initial projections.

5.  Great Wolf Lodge to undergo $8 million renovation at Mason, Ohio location

An $8 million makeover began at Mason's Great Wolf Lodge in October and should be ready by December this year, according to a press release from the resort.  The family-friendly indoor waterpark resort opened in Mason in 2006 with a "classic, rustic log cabin look" in its guest rooms, the release states. A more "modern Northwoods lodge" feel is coming after the resort's top-to-bottom transformation of all 401 guest suites, public areas, corridors and stairwells.
Aquarium / Zoo News

1.  Beijing Zoo to introduce mixed reality experience

A project has been launched at the Beijing Zoo to provide Mixed Reality (MR) experience since June 1 next year, the China Tourism News reported Monday.  MR is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce experiences where digital and physical objects co-exist and interact in real-time.

2.  ZSL London Zoo pledges 100,000 subsidised tickets to ensure access for all

ZSL London Zoo is pledging 100,000 subsidised tickets to ensure the Zoo is accessible to all – helping people who currently face barriers to visiting, the opportunity to connect with wildlife.  Along with the subsidised tickets, the Zoo will be looking at other ways to improve accessibility, making sure a day out at ZSL London Zoo is accessible to people with all needs and abilities.

3.  Henry Doorly Zoo contributes strongly to Omaha's tourism economy

The ambitious riverfront revitalization projects underway in Omaha should give an important boost to the city’s already robust tourism activity. The direct link to the riverfront, establishment of new greenspaces and creation of retail and restaurant opportunities should all work together to raise the city’s tourism potential to new heights.

4.  Flexibility the name of the education game at Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new Bechtel Center

In the new Bechtel Education Center at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, nothing is nailed to the ground.  The state of the art learning spaces in the Center feature folding walls, rolling tables, and high tech educational tools like custom apps for tablets. And almost every wall is a whiteboard.

5.  Taronga Western Plains Zoo welcomes ring-tailed lemur babies

Dubbo's Taronga Western Plains Zoo has continued its breeding success for ring-tailed lemurs with three babies born to three different mothers.  The ring-tailed lemur babies - born to Rakitra, Cleo and Noa - were all girls born in August and September.

6.  Macaws take to the sky on longer fly path over Zoo Tampa

The macaws at Zoo Tampa are taking to the sky on a new route that's giving visitors a better chance to see their grace and beauty.  Twice a day, the colorful birds soar across the park to their trainers who are waiting for them at perches around the zoo. Over the past few months, trainers have taught the macaws to take a longer route during the "Macaw Flyover." This will give guests even more time to view the birds.

7.  Kumbuka, famous London Zoo gorilla who once escaped enclosure, dies aged 21

A silverback gorilla at London Zoo who once escaped his enclosure has died at the age of 21.  Kumbuka was found to have severe infection by vets at the zoo and the decision was made to put him to sleep.  The primate made headlines when he spent an hour on the loose after one of the entrances to his enclosure was left open by a keeper.

8.  Could Privatization Be In The Louisville Zoo’s Future?

Things are looking up at the Louisville Zoo these days. Its new baby elephant, Fitz, is the current hot attraction. Officials say the zoo is the most popular nonprofit attraction in the area. But rising costs associated with operations and higher pension bills have the city interested in privatizing the Zoo’s management — a move that would be in line with national trends.

9.  National Zoo announces birth of 1 kudu, death of another

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has announced the birth of one lesser kudu and the death of another.  The Washington Post reports the male calf was born Oct. 14, just weeks after its grandmother died. Citing a news release, news outlets report the zoo says the healthy calf may make his public debut this fall.

10.  Toss the Tusk event at Point Defiance Zoo helps protect endangered species

Many people visited the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Saturday and some surrendered ivory and other items.  Washington State Fish and Wildlife officials teamed up with the zoo so people could give up the items that are illegal to sell under the state's wildlife trafficking law, which went into effect in 2015. The law includes items from 10 of the world's most illegally traded endangered species such as elephants, tigers and sharks.
Tourism / Other News

1.  From a field of beans to one of the swankiest destinations on earth: Fascinating vintage images tell the story of The Beverly Hills Hotel

The story of The Beverly Hills Hotel is almost like a fairy-tale, for where this hotel of legend now stands, there used to be a field of beans.  And a vintage photograph taken in 1900 captured the farmland that would eventually give way to one of the world’s most glamorous hotels. Lodgings that would cater to the whims of planet earth’s most famous stars of the silver screen.

2.  Royal Caribbean unveils Odyssey of the Seas features

A new teppanyaki restaurant, a two-level pool deck, a Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and a virtual reality bungee trampoline will be some of the features on Odyssey of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship arriving in November 2020.

3.  Circus Circus' next act

When MGM Resorts International announced the long-rumored sale of Circus Circus on Oct. 15, those who have visited the 50-year-old casino-resort had to wonder: How will the new owner change it? Will it continue to exist with bold new branding? Or will it be imploded like so many other buildings on the Las Vegas Strip?
Not a Subscriber? Subscribe to ITPS Leisure News Here!
News Releases can be submitted to Shawn at
shawnhaas@interthemepark.com 

 
Copyright © 2019 International Theme Park Services, Inc., All rights reserved.


unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
Garfield © Paws, Inc. All Rights Reserved.