BUMPER CAR TRACKS INSTALLED BY C AND S IN LIBYA AND MONGOLIA

BY GABRIELLE

C and S, an Italy-based manufacturer of bumper cars for adults and juniors, have installed two indoor bumper car tracks in Libya and Mongolia.

The tracks feature medium-sized bumper cars. The installation of the two tracks took place in July this year, one in the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar and the other in Lybia’s capital city of Tripoli.

The project saw C and S collaborate with the Mongolian construction development company, Camber LLC, which is involved in a number of urban development projects in Mongolia. Also involved in the project was a local plant nursery company, which exports exotic trees and plants to Europe.

Both tracks feature medium sized cars. As well as being able to ride on the bumper cars, visitors to the new sites can experience other attractions that complement the tracks, including trampolines and a large playground.

ALTON TOWERS TO BRING DAVID WALLIAMS’ BOOKS TO LIFE WITH NEW ATTRACTION

BY GABRIELLE

Alton Towers is to launch a new attraction based on the much-loved children’s books by David Walliams.

Partnering with the best-selling author, Alton Tower’s is already working on The World of David Walliams attraction, which is located near the park’s Cloud Cuckoo Land.

The David Walliams’ zone is to comprise of a “ground-breaking” attraction centred on the author’s popular characters.

Speaking about the Alton Towers project, Walliams said: “It’s a huge thrill for some of my favourite characters to be getting their own attractions at Alton Towers.

“I can’t wait to experience them for myself, and from all the work that has gone in I think people are going to love it. All will be revealed next year,” Walliams added.

James Walker, marketing director, said the theme park is: “Delighted to be able to announce our partnership with David Walliams on what promises to be a hugely exciting addition to Alton Towers Resort in 2020.

“David’s books have really captured the imagination of Britain’s children and their families. So, it’s a huge honour to be working with David on this fabulous collaboration for 2020, the year in which we celebrate our 40th birthday as the nation’s favourite theme parks,” continued Walker.

The World of David Walliams is due to open in spring 2020.

BAHA MAR RESORT TO EXPAND WITH MAJOR WATERPARK

 BY GABRIELLE

Baha Mar, a luxury resort complex perched on the white sands of Nassau’s Cable Beach in the Bahamas, is to undergo a $300 million expansion, which will include the building of a major waterpark.

The waterpark will be built alongside an entertainment development known as Baha Mar Bay. Renovations will also be carried out on the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, an all-inclusive resort situated on a 1,000 ft. stretch of white sand.

Baha Mar Bay is to be built on a 15.3-acre site where the Wyndham Hotel once stood. According to Dr. Hubery Minnis, the prime minister of the Bahamas, the new resort will: “Include a family-friendly recreational area with water attractions for guests of all ages.”

The second phase of the development will involve the extending of the pier to house a restaurant and other facilities.

“The new pier restaurant will provide a greater variety of beachfront and pool dining options for the guests at the resort and Baha May Bay, and will complement the existing food and beverage offerings at the resort,” said Minnis.

The extended resort will cater for children, with two activity centres, including an arts and crafts theatre, as well as VR gaming.

LEGOLAND WATER PARK AT GARDALAND’S GATEWAY TO RESEMBLE A HUGE LEGO WAVE

 BY GABRIELLE

Details have been announced about what the gateway welcoming visitors into Legoland Water Park at Gardaland will look like and where it can be found.

The gateway will be located in the area that is currently home to the Pala Magic Theatre, opposite the Raptor rollercoaster.

The entrance gateway will be 6.5m high and 13m wide and will loom above the waterpark. The imposing entrance will comprise of 400 “giant” Lego bricks, placed together to form an arch. Being made from blue and white Lego bricks, the archway will resemble a huge wave.

The entrance gateway, alongside other areas and attractions in the waterpark, will be decorated with one-of-a-kind Lego model constructions built with Lego bricks that symbolise different themes.

Luca Marigo, sales and marketing director of Gardaland. said:

“Good progress has been made on building the Lego Models, that will make the Legoland Water Park in Gardaland truly one of a kind- 240 models have been built with 3 million Lego bricks.

“One of these will be a large and friendly purple octopus made of 258,126 Lego bricks placed right at the entrance to the Water Park, ready to amaze all visitors as they arrive,” continued Marigo.

Karen Hornby, model delivery manager of Merlin Entertainments, elaborated on the detail of the Lego models. “There will be a grand total of 488 LEGO Models, specially designed for Gardaland and built in different parts of the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Malaysia.

“The Gardaland LEGO Models, just like all models created for Legoland resorts worldwide, are very colourful, cheery and fun,” Hornby added.

Legoland Water Park in Gardaland is due to open in June 2020.

KUNMING SUNAC LAND PROJECT DETAILS ANNOUNCED

BY GABRIELLE

The launch meeting of the highly awaited Kunming Sunac Land Project was held in Kunming in the capital of China’s southern Yunnan province.

During the meeting, Gong Hongbin, general manager of Kunming Sunac Theme Entertainment Management Co., Ltd., announced details about the park.

Kunming Sunac Land will feature two world-class indoor parks, the Sunac Snow Park and Ocean Park.

The 40,000 sq. mt. Ocean Park will provide entertainment for visitors of all ages, all year round. The attraction site will feature 78 aquariums, which will be home to thousands of rare ocean animals.

The 30,000 sq. mt. Snow Park will comprise of an ice culture exhibition, ice entertainment activities, snowboarding and other attractions to keep guests entertained. The Snow Park will also feature several ski slopes for skiers of all abilities.

A pedestrian street that stretches for 1.6km, known as Sunac Dianchi Houhai, will connect the themed areas of the park, meaning visitors can enjoy meandering round music bars, restaurants, shops and entertainment facilities at their leisure.

A cultural theme square showcasing Bai, Yi, Dai ethnics’ culture and a landscape of Yunnan is another key highlight of the park.

The site will also be home to a cinema, with a capacity of seating up to 1,100 guests.

CONSTRUCTION STARTED FOR SHANGHAI FILM STUDIOS AMUSEMENT PARK PHASE II

BY GABRIELLE

Construction of the second phase of the Shanghai Film Studios Amusement Park has begun. The film-based attraction site is located in Chedun town, in the Songjiang district of Shanghai.

The park comprises of a high-tech studio and will play an important role in producing high-tech filming the old Shanghai, designed to inform and entertain visitors of the cultural heritage of the city.

Shanghai Film Studios Amusement Park features three main areas – the film and television IPs experience area, an old Shanghai themed high-tech studio and a one-stop film production area.

Being the birthplace of national film, Shanghai has developed into a hub for China’s film industry.

With the opening of the Shanghai Film Studios Amusement Park, Shanghai is one step closer to achieving its aim of becoming a ‘global film and television creation center’.

CHRISTMAS TOWN TO LIGHT UP BUSCH GARDENS WILLIAMSBURG

BY GABRIELLE

Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s popular Christmas Town celebration will return to the theme park for 38 festive days, commencing November 16.

In what is one of the largest Christmas light displays in North America, Christmas Town will see more than 10 million lights illuminate the 383-acre theme park.

As well as gazing at the festive light bonanza, guests will have the chance to ride the Christmas Town Express, the park’s Christmas-themed train.

Youngsters will be able to visit Santa’s workshop to deliver their Xmas wish lists. Guests can refresh themselves by dining on festive food and drink and enjoy a spot of festive shopping.

This year’s Christmas Town will feature a holiday music show, with musical performances from the much-loved Sesame Street characters. Photo opportunities will be there for the taking with everyone’s favourite reindeer, Rudolph.

New to the 2019 event will be a Christmas tree maze, where visitors can experience different festive cultures and traditions from around the world.

Jeff Thomas, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA’s interim park president, said: “Christmas Town is one of our favourite times of the year, when all of Busch Gardens transforms into a magical holiday landscape. With endless bright lights, magnificent shows and thrilling new rides, our park is the place to be this holiday season.”

Christmas Town will be running at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia from November 16, 2019 to January 5, 2020.

SKYCOASTER HOSTS ITS ANNUAL SAFETY SEMINAR AT CEDAR POINT

BY GABRIELLE

Skycoaster, extreme thrill ride specialists and sister company of Ride Entertainment, hosted its annual Skycoaster seminar at Cedar Point, Ohio, in late September.

The turnout for the event was high, with attendees receiving onsite training from industry experts. Training from Skycoaster’s partners including learning about mile high rigging and cable inspection, KCL engineering lighting systems, Joytech specialised video systems and high energy sports, including flight suit inspection.

Following the training, seminar guests attended a dinner. Attendees also had the opportunity to experience the rides and attractions on offer at Cedar Park, hailed as the “rollercoaster capital of the world.”

Adam Sandy, president of business development at Ride Entertainment, said: “We’ve seen interest continue as we moved the seminar our of classrooms and back to amusement parks so site controllers can learn in a hands-on environment.

“Through the past decade, Ride Entertainment has invested in Skycoaster. The debut of the Sky Sled capped off several years of research and with new products, like lighting and video systems, we work to ensure that Skycoaster increases the bottom line of each owner,” Sandy continued.

OMNICO PARTNERS WITH JOS TO EXTEND ASIAN MARKET

BY GABRIELLE

Omnico, international software platform provider of multi-channel commerce solutions to leading brands in the theme park, entertainment, leisure and hospitality industries, has announced an alliance with JOS, a solutions provider, systems integrator and technology consultancy.

JOS is the official reseller for Omnico’s software solutions and products, including business and artificial intelligence applications, in Malaysia, Singapore and China.

Being a trusted and long-established technology partner in Asia, JOS will use its six-decade history as a key player in the region’s technology sector, to develop the client-base for Omnico’s transaction platform and mobile and digital products.

Omnico’s unique products are designed to heighten understanding of consumer behaviour, to provide brands with improved accuracy in the targeting of loyalty programmes, promotions and offers

Mel Taylor, CEO of Omnico, commented on the partnership. “We’re very excited to be partnering with JOS in a market central to our growth strategy,” said Taylor.

“This is a region that has seen substantial growth in theme parks, hospitality and larger retail and leisure locations. Our partners at JOS will use their wealth of experience to bring new and existing customers our unique capabilities.

“We integrate retail, destination and hospitality systems on a single platform which gives our customers unbeatable advantages,” Taylor continued.

Nelson Chan, managing director of JOS China, said: “Our new partnership with Omnico is an exciting development for JOS China. As China being the world’s top retail market in 2019, multinational retailers grow their business by adopting omni-channel retail strategies.

“Using our expertise and 60 years of experience at the cutting edge of technology, we will power Omnico’s expansion right across the region.

“We look forward to providing our retail, destination, and hospitality customers full access to Omnico’s unique capabilities,” Chan added.

BLACKSTONE PURCHASES 65% CONTROLLING INTEREST IN GREAT WOLF RESORTS

BY GABRIELLE

Blackstone Group Inc. has agreed to purchase a 65% controlling interest in waterpark operators Great Wolf Resorts.

Blackstone is buying the controlling interest share from Canterbridge Partners, Great Wolf Resorts’ current private equity owner. The two companies will form a new joint venture to own the company.

Great Wolf operates 18 waterpark resorts in the United States and Canada and is the largest operator of indoor waterparks in North America.

Speaking about the new partnership, Murray Hennessy, CEO of Great Wolf Resorts, said: “We are pleased to welcome Blackstone as a new member of the Great Wolf pack and excited to begin the next chapter for our rapidly expanding company.”

Hennessy added that Great Wolf is wanting to: “Further expand the Great Wolf brand with the development of new resorts and enhancements to our renowned immersive family experiences.”

Tyler Henritze, head of US Acquisitions for Blackstone Real Estate, shared his enthusiasm for the merger, stating: “We have been very impressed by the evolution and growth of the company under Centerbridge’s ownership.

“With the leadership of its talented management team, Great Wolf has enriched the guest experience and opened seven new lodges since 2015.

“We look forward to investing in these properties to further deliver for guests and grow the company,” Henritze continued.