TOKYO DISNEY RESORT BOASTS IMPRESSIVE ATTENDANCE FIGURES

BY GABRIELLE

Tokyo Disney Resort enjoyed a record number of visitors during the first six months of the fiscal year 2019.

Figures released by the Oriental Land Company (OLC) show that Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea welcomed a combined total of 15,735,000 visitors in the first half of 2019.

This represented a 1.4% increase in attendance figures from the same period in 2018, putting visitor numbers at the highest for a first half of a year ever recorded at Tokyo Disney Resort.

The reason behind the rising visitor numbers is being pinned on a new attraction installed at Tokyo DisneySea. The flight motion-simulator ride, the Soaring: Fantastic Flight opened at the resort in July.

Both theme parks have featured special and seasonal events this year, which have helped pull in the crowds.

Tokyo Disney Resort have also announced a new programme for the park known as ‘Very Very Minnie!, which features Minnie Mouse.

The programme with run at Tokyo Disneyland from January 10 to March 19, 2020, offering special entertainment, merchandise and F&B.

INTERLINK TO LAUNCH NEW RIDES

BY GABRIELLE

The attractions manufacturer Interlink, is to launch new rides alongside a branding overhaul with a new logo and new website.

In the pipeline is the Balloon Tower, a circular gondola viewing platform, which features a decorative balloon above the platform.

Lighting effects will light up the balloon from the inside to simulate flickering flames, as the platform moves slowly up and down the tower. The attraction is intended as a standalone ride at theme parks or as an observation tower.

The Balloon Tower can be supplied in several different heights, including 50 and 70 metres, depending on its purpose.

Other new rides that are due to open soon by Interlink include the first immersive super flume in the world, which is to open at Trans Studio in Cibuber, Indonesia.

The Immersive Super Flume has been developed in partnership with Simworx. It features a 12-metre vertical lift and drop with motion screens, which project media content and special effects to take riders of a dinosaur adventure.

Interlink’s Spin Boat and Rapid River rides have opened at Saloka Park in Indonesia.

The ride manufacturer has also launched a new look website and logo, which it showed for the first time at IAAPA Expo Europe 2019 in Paris.

WINTERLAND MARGATE IS COMING TO DREAMLAND

BY GABRIELLE

A festive extravaganza will be taking place at Dreamland this December with the arrival of the Winterland event.

This festival show invites guests to enjoy special Christmas rides, attractions and other activities, including a new grotto experience, designed entertain guests of all ages during the Christmas season.

Visitors can enjoy meandering round a winter market serving seasonal food and drinks, experiencing fairy light walks, festive film screenings, yuletide crafts, wreath making, Christmas trees and more.

A series of festive rides will also be installed at Dreamland, including Gallopers, Double Decker, Speedway, Austin Cars and Chair-O-Plane.

Another highlight of Winterland will be a giant Snow Globe, which visitors can climb inside and explore.

Dogs are also welcome at the Margate amusement park this December with a special Santa Paws events put on for dogs.

A Roller Disco will provide further entertainment, where guests can put on their rollerblades and skate to Xmas classics on the dancefloor.

A number of activities will be on offer in the 1-hour Santa’s Grotto experience, including making all-natural reindeer food to take home for Christmas Eve, visiting Santa’s Elves in their workshop and helping them make snow, meeting Father Christmas, and numerous fun and festive photo opportunities.

Eddie Kemsley, Dreamland’s CEO, commented: “We are rounding off our best year ever at Dreamland with our best ever Christmas experience. 2019 has been an incredible year for us already, and we want to give people an amazing festive experience that the whole family can enjoy again and again.

“We delighted to offer Kent residents even more choice of festive fun in December, see you at the Grotto!” Kemsley added.

Winterland Margate will be open on December 7, 8, 14 and 15 and then daily from December 21 to 31, excluding Christmas Day.

TSUNAMI WATERSLIDE IS HEADING TO AUSTRALIA’S ADVENTURE PARK GEELONG

BY GABRIELLE

The first monster-sized triple funnel waterslide in Victoria, and only one of two in Australia, is to be installed in the popular family waterpark, Adventure Park Geelong.

Known as The Tsunami, the $4millon slide will stand at a lofty 7.5 storeys high and will take thrill-seekers down a 172-metre length. Up to four guests can occupy each raft, which race down three funnels of thrilling water rapids.

The Tsunami is the creation of Proslide, a world leading designer and manufacturer of water rides and waterpark resorts.

The installation of The Tsunami is part of the second stage of Adventure Park Geelong’s $8 million expansion.

Leanne Salmon, Adventure Park Geelong’s managing director, said The Tsunami will confirm the park as the ultimate go-to waterpark destination for families in Victoria this summer. “The new Tsunami ride provides visitors from near and afar the opportunity to experience a world class adrenaline-charged, monster-sized water ride that is the first of its kind in Victoria,” said Salmon.

“What’s better than one funnel? Three high energy funnels in one lightning fast ride. It’s been custom-designed for us by Proslide, the world’s leading waterslide designers and is a very exciting addition to our existing portfolio of waterslides, action rides and all-day family attractions that keep guests coming back for more,” Salmon added.

The family thrill slide is set to open in November 2019 when the when park reopens for the summer.

OAKWOOD TO HOST NEW ATTRACTIONS AND LIVE EVENTS FOR 2019 SPOOKTACULAR

BY GABRIELLE

Oakwood’s annual Halloween celebration, Spooktacular, is to host a number of new rides and attractions.

The popular Spooktacular event will run at the Pembrokeshire theme park on the weekend of October 19 and every day during the autumn half term, from October 26 to November 2.

As well as being able to experience a range of spooky attractions and scare mazes, visitors to Oakwood Theme Park can see live action events, with zombies and other scary creatures poised to frighten and entertain guests.

The theme park will be home to two new themed scare mazes this Spooktacular, one known as Clowning Around and the other as Y Pentref (the Village).

Clowns will invite guests into the Clowning Around maze for some circus fun, while the bravest of visitors will enter the Village through an abandoned mine shaft.

The popular Hide. Run. attraction is returning to this year’s Spooktacular party, with a revamped layout and challenge that involves participants battling to escape the maze and its blood-eating zombies.

Visitors will also be able to take part in Witch Hunt, a horror industry nomination for the 2019 Scare Awards. The Witch Hunt scare maze combines specially created audio, lighting and other effects, alongside live actors to enthral guests.

Visitors will be able to watch the Witch Hunt action unfold on live on screens in Oakwood’s pizza outlet, The Haunt.

Late night ‘Spooktacular Bites Back’ events will be taking place at the park on October 26 to October 31, when the park will remain open until 8:30pm, so guests can enjoy the spooky fun after dark.

THE SIX SWANS OPENS AT EFTELING

BY GABRIELLE

A new attraction has opened at Efteling theme park in the Netherlands. Known as the Six Swans, the attraction is the 30th fairy tale themed ride at the fantasy themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel.

The Six Swans is located between the Cinderella and Snow White attractions in the park’s Fairytale Forest, the Sprookjesboom.

The new attraction is based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about a princess rescuing her brothers who had been turned into six swans by their jealous stepmother.

Visitors to Efteling can experience the magical story either onboard a swan-themed boat or by foot. The boats travel along a circular on a two-minute journey.

Guests are greeted by the Princess Elisa. In order to break the swan spell, Elisa is forbidden to make a sound for six years and must knit six shirts out of aster flowers.

Inside the castle, 606 shimmering flowers surround Elisa, which light up when the swans pass her. The castle’s exterior is surrounded by thousands of aster flowers.

Fons Jurgens, Efteling’s CEO, commented: “Fairytales have been the origin of Efteling since 1952. That is why we continue to enrich the Fairytale Forest with new stories. This beautiful and interactive addition underlines our role as guardian of the fairytale.”

THE WAVE IN COVENTRY TO OPEN ON OCTOBER 21

BY GABRIELLE

The Wave waterpark in Coventry has announced the official opening date on the second phase of the attraction site.

The waterpark will open to the public on October 21, 2019. The first phase of the site, the fitness centre and spa suites, opened this July.

Visitors to the soon-to-be-opened waterpark can experience six water slides, including The Cascade, The Torrent, The Cyclone, The Riptide, The Crestar and The Rapids.

The Coventry waterpark is also home to the largest wave pool in Britain, generating 20 million litres of water daily. Visitors can also bathe in a lazy river and enjoy refreshments in a beach café.

Councillor Kamran Caan, who is a cabinet member for public health and sport, refereed to the facilities at the waterpark as “incredible.” “I’m delighted that we have an opening date for the waterpark at The Wave,” said Caan.

“Between the six thrilling slides, the lower bowl with its splash pads and toddler friendly slides, wave pool and the lazy river, there is something for all the family.

“No other city has this kind of facility in the heart of the city centre and it’s the perfect legacy to our year as the European City of Sport. Keeping active is a great way of keeping fit in mind and body.

“More importantly, thanks to the design and the input of local school children waterpark is accessible for everyone,” Cann added.

AQUARIUM OF NIAGARA TO EXPAND WITH NEW EXHIBIT

BY GABRIELLE

The Aquarium of Niagara, a non-profit aquarium focused on the education and conservation of marine life in Niagara Falls, US, has announced a major expansion.

The expansion will comprise of a $1.85m shark and ray exhibit that will provide visitors with interactive experiences.

Known as M&T Bank Shark & Ray Bay, the exhibit will be home to stingrays, sharks, fish, and marine invertebrates, including crabs, sea stars and anemones.

The main entrance to the aquarium will feature a 4,000-gallon tank. Visitors can also take park in animal feeding and experience an interactive touch pool.

The new exhibition will replicate the tidal ecosystem in tropical lagoons and estuaries. The M&T Bank Shark & Ray Bay will be the second largest project to take place at the Aquarium of Niagara., the largest being the $3.5 million Humboldt penguin exhibit.

Talking about the expansion, Gary Siddall, the aquarium’s executive director, commented:

“M&T Shark & Ray Bay will be the third major exhibit instalment for the aquarium in the last three years.

“It will be a hands-on, interactive exhibit. We’ve made things so much better for the animals and our guests,” Siddall added.

The new exhibit is due to open in the summer of 2020.

EPCOT EXPERIENCE TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT EPCOT’S TRANSFORMATION

BY GABRIELLE

Walt Disney Imagineering has created an immersive experience designed to enable visitors to take a look at the transformation of the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

The Epcot Experience showcases the changes planned for the park, revealing a comprehensive look at Epcot’s plans.

A number of unique rides and attractions are to be installed at the theme park, including a Mary Poppins-inspired attraction, the Moana-themed Journey of Water and the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Unwind.

Guests can take part in the Epcot Experience inside the Odyssey Events Pavilion. The attraction uses pioneering technology to showcase the history of Epcot and what the park is going to look like on a 12-minute recording projected on a floor-to-ceiling, 360-degree screen.

Also being presented in the large circular room will be archival footage prior to Epcot’s opening in 1982, as well as the site’s new Disney-based attractions.

The park’s night-time firework show ‘HarmonioUS’ will also be previewed during the Epcot Experience.

Projection-mapping technology will be used to highlight different regions of the theme park, alongside displays of artefacts and memorabilia of Epcot, including a park map from its opening day in 1982.

DISNEY’S US THEME PARKS TO OFFER VEGAN DISHES TO GUESTS

 BY GABRIELLE

In a bid to cater for the culinary requirements of all guests, Disney’s theme parks in the United States are going vegan, as the company introduces more than 400 vegan dishes to its menu in two resorts in the US.

Beginning in Florida Walt Disney World from early October, the plant-based meals are available in both table-service and quick-service restaurants.

The vegan menu will be rolled out in Disneyland in California in spring 2020.

When combined, Florida Walt Disney World and Disneyland California have 602 places where visitors can eat.

Disney is referring to the new menu as ‘plant-based’ rather than vegan, in a move to remove any ambiguity around what ingredients are in a vegan meal.

In April 2019, Disneyland introduced a system on its menus of putting a green leaf icon next to its dishes that are free of animal products.