SKY TRAIL AERIAL ATTRACTIONS DUE TO OPEN IN SOUTH KOREA IN APRIL 2020

BY GABRIELLE

Two Sky Trail aerial attractions are due to open in South Korea in April this year. Thanks to the efforts of RCI Adventure Products global partners, Climb Korea Co. Ltd. and Zipline Korea, Inc. the family-friendly attractions were recently installed in the Mt. Yonghwa Recreational Forest in the city of Chuncheon and at the Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang respectively.

The Complex Experience Centre in the Mt. Yonghwa Recreational Forest features a combination of climbing walls, a zip coaster and the soon-to-open Sky Trail with its own Sky Rail. The indoor attraction comprises of seven poles, two levels and 21 interactive elements, including the ‘Bumpy Rope Walk’ and ‘Swinging Steps.’

Daysik Woo, head of international business at Climb Korea, commented: “The Sky Trail is an attraction that exhibits precise safety and design which is new to Korea. Through the entire process, Dan Mooney, RCI director of international sales, has been very supportive and we look forward to collaborating on additional projects in the future.”

The Alpensia Resort provides visitors with access to golf courses, a cinema, hotels and sa spatial ski resort. As from April 2020, visitors will be able to enjoy the Sky Trail attraction which comprises of five poles, two levels and extends an area of 19ft. with a “Suspended Bridge” and an “Angled Vertical Rope Ladder.”

Jeff Jung, president and CEO of Zipline Korea, Inc., commented: “Alpensia Resort is very large with a wide range of attractions available. The Sky Trail will be a great addition for groups, especially the student groups who usually visit the area from spring to fall.

“Many people in South Korea are looking for indoor play areas and I think there will be a steady demand for RCI products in the future,” Jung added.

MAURER RIDES INTRODUCES NEW JET SKI CONCEPT

 BY GABRIELLE

Maurer Rides, a leading manufacturer and supplier of amusements rides, has introduced a new jet ski concept for waterparks and waterfront adventures.

At the core of the new development is the Spike-Drive, where drivers control their own speed and decide whether to glide across the water or jump over it at full speed. The feature turns passengers into real drivers and enables them to brake and accelerate along the track with 100% traction and 1.2g of acceleration.

The powerful Spike-Drive was developed and patented by Maurer Rides.

Asides featuring the extremely powerful Spike-Drive, this innovative jet ski vehicle is light in weight and is a relatively low investment, making it a feasible choice for waterparks and theme parks.

NEW MOUNTAIN COASTER TO OPEN AT LAKE PLACID OLYMPIC FACILITY

BY GABRIELLE

ADG Mountainsides, a division of Aquatic Development Group, has been selected by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), to design and build a new mountain coaster.

The downhill mountain coaster will be a new attraction at the Lake Placid Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. Known as the Mount Van Hoevenberg coaster, the attraction will be the longest coaster in the United States.

The installation of the 7600’ mountain coaster is already underway, and the ride is due to open in the autumn of 2020.

The track, which resembles the 1980 Olympic bobsled run, was designed by ORDA and ADG. A custom-made sled will match the existing bobsled carts. This family-friendly ride can reach speeds of up to 25mph.

Speakers equipped on the ride will mimic the atmosphere of the Olympic Games, blasting out music and narrative.

Mayor Craig Randall in an ORDA, commented: “Sports and tourism are the major industries for Lake Placid and the region. The investments that are being proposed for our recreational facilities are fully supported by the guests and spectators who come to the area. Additionally, we are confident that this activity will spur additional private investment in lodging properties.”

KOOL REPLAY TEAMS UP WITH CONNECT&GO

BY GABRIELLE

Kool Replay, providers of 100% automated turnkey video solutions and developers of a proprietary system that uses connected capture technology to allow guests to take and share branded photos and videos, has teamed up with Connect&Go, a global leader of RFID deployments in the entertainment industry.

The Kool Replay system has produced more than 750,000 digital memories for visitors at entertainment venues. Kool Replay will continue to develop its technology independently but will operate as a Connect&GO business unit. The companies with work together to grow the business, with the additional benefit of Connect&GO’s experience and expertise in the industry.

Combining their skills and knowledge, the two companies will launch a new and unique product – “the FunPass.” The product will feature a wristband dispenser, RFID scanners and Kool Replay’s signature photo/video capturing system, allowing visitors at entertainment sites to capture and share their memories with ease.

Mathieu Dupuis, vice president of technology at Connect&GO, commented on the new collaboration, saying: “The Kool Replay system is a unique and complementary addition to the existing Connect&GO platform for permanent installations.

“It’s the first technology we’ve found that makes it possible to easily share edited, branded video content, with multiple view-points using a cloud-based distribution platform, powered by patent-pending algorithms,” he added.

Sharing Dupuis’ enthusiasm of the partnership, Dominic Gagnon, co-founder of Connect&GO, said: “We are very proud to welcome Francois and Benoit into the Connect&GO family. They are two remarkable entrepreneurs that have made impressive strides in the entertainment market and have gained confidence of major amusement parks like Luna Park on Coney Island.”

POLIN WATERPARKS LAUNCHES THE TIME RIDER WATERSLIDE

BY GABRIELLE

Polin Waterparks, a world leader in developing innovative technology for waterparks, has announced the launch of the Time Rider waterslide.

The Time Rider features the largest bowl in the world, with capacity of four possible paths for riders, providing visitors with different experiences of the ride to encourage repeats goes on the attraction.

The Time Ride also features the ‘wormhole’, where guests walk down an observational walkway with special lighting effects, where they can watch the attraction in action as they wait their turn to go on the ride. Riders are kept cool by a spray system, which also heightens the atmosphere of the attraction.

The Time Rider is themed and is compatible with the company’s innovative transparent waterslide system known as Glassy technology. Riders can also experience the thrill of the ride’s unique VR applications.

The Time Rider features maximum acceleration and zero gravity with guests experiencing speeds of up to 9 metres per second and a side drop of 40 degrees during the 175-metre long slide.

The Time Rider was unveiled at IAAPA Expo 2019 in Orlando, where it picked up an IAAPA Brass Ring Award in the Best New Product Concept: Major Ride/Attraction category.

PLANS IN MOTION FOR A NEW AQUA PARK IN SUFFOLK

BY GABRIELLE

Plans have been unveiled for the construction of a major new aqua park near Orwell Bridge in Suffolk. If approved, the waterpark will be built on top of a newly-built 65m x 32m manmade lake.

The new aqua park development will be built opposite Suffolk Food Hall in Wherstead. The project is a joint venture between Curve Water Sports, which operates a similar park in St Osyth, and Suffolk Food Hall.

The attraction park will feature a number of obstacles and challenges to cater for guests of different ages and swimming abilities.

Most of the attractions will be around one and three metres above the water, other than the slide positioned at the edge of the course, which will stand around five metres above the water. The course will also feature a large trampoline and balance beams.

The water attraction site would be open from May to October for three or four days during early and late seasons and for seven days a week during the peak season in August. A maximum of 80 guests per hour will be able to attend the course.

Jake Moore, a co-owner of the proposed site, commented: “The aqua park will be great for families as something to do while helping people get confident in the water in a safe and secure environment.”

OBJECTIF MARS ROLLERCOASTER TO BE LAUNCHED AT FUTUROSCOPE IN MARCH

 BY GABRIELLE

March 2020 will see the launch of the first rollercoaster at the Futuroscope theme park in France. Known as ‘Objectif Mars’, the family-friendly attraction will immerse visitors in a space training centre ride as they test their skills as astronauts.

The state-of-the-art rollercoaster will include a series of unique special effects, including an indoor fire. Objectif Mars is due to launch on March 28, 2020. Costing 20m euros, the attraction is Futuroscope’s biggest ever investment.

Futuroscope also announced its performance and profit results for 2019, which saw 50,000 more visitors enter the park compared to 2018.

The French theme park’s net profit also makes impressive reading, reaching 6.6m euros, more than 1.7m euros more than in 2018.

The growth in visitor number and profits is being pinned on a more rigorous management of the park, increased visitor spending and the opening of the miniature ‘city of the future’ for children known as the Futuropolis.

The miniature park features a town centre setting, which encourages youngsters to pretend to be different characters, such as archaeologists, gardeners, drivers, firefighters, inventors, sportspeople and more.

Other new facilities at Futuroscope include a waterpark with floating trampolines, inflatable boats and other fun water attractions.

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD IS COMING TO UNIVERSAL’S EPIC UNIVERSE IN ORLANDO

BY GABRIELLE

It has been announced that Super Nintendo World is coming to Universal’s Epic Universe in Orlando in 2023.

The announcement was made during the 4th Quarter and Full-Year 2019 Results call held by Comcast on January 23, 2020. The call announced that: “The land will first open at Universal Studios Japan, and will then make its way to the US in the coming years.”

Following its opening at Universal Studios Japan, Super Nintendo World will then make its way to the US, being the fourth gate opening at Universal Orlando Resort in 2023.

CAST OF SECRET LIFE OF PETS TO REPRISE ROLES AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD

BY GABRIELLE

Cast members who have starred in the Secret Life of Pets are to reprise their roles at Universal Studios Hollywood’s new attraction – ‘The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!’

The attraction is to open in the spring of 2020 and will feature the cast that starred in Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets and The Secret Life of Pets 2.

Patton Oswalt is to play Max, Kevin Hart as Snowball, Eric Stonestreet as Duke, Jenny Slate will play Gidget, Tiffany Haddish as Daisy, Lake Bell as Chloe and Dana Carvey as Pops.

Other cast members include Steve Coogan playing Ozone, Chris Renaud as Norman, Hannibal Buress as Buddy, Bobby Moynihan as Mel, Jessica DiCicco will play Princess and Tara Strong as Pickles.

The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash is set in New York and takes guests on an immersive journey with live, dimensional and animated characters performing alongside projection mapping and hyper-realistic media.

Guests are encouraged to take on the role of stray puppies in the search for their forever homes during a pet adoption event. The state-of-the-art ride combines facial recognition with enhanced gesture tracking.

The new attraction will be situated on Pets Place, formerly known as Baker Street, next door to ‘Super Silly Fun Land’ and ‘Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.’

Karen Irwin, president of Universal Studios Hollywood, commented that the attraction will “capture the essence of the popular film and invite our guests to live vicariously through some of their favourite characters.”

BELLEWAERDE’S NEW FAMILY COASTER IS NAMED WAKALA

BY GABRIELLE

The name has finally been announced for the new family coaster that’s currently under construction at Bellewaerde in Belgium – Wakala. The new attraction is being built in the theme park’s Canadian zone.

The ride’s name is in reference to a legendary figure of the Kwakiutl tribe of Canadian Indians. The tribe lives in the forests on the water banks of western Canada and use canoes to travel around, which are a key element in the theming of the new attraction.

The family-friendly ride features two lift hills, some sharp but comfortable bends and a 21-metre-high antenna above the Bellewaerde pond, where the trains rotate forwards and backwards.

The total investment for the Wakala attraction is 7.5m euros.

Commenting on the new attraction, Stefaan Lemey, director of Bellewaerde, said: “Bellewaerde consciously invests in this coaster because it is a family attraction and is suitable for children as from 1-metre height.

“Wakala is a perfect addition to the existing offer in the park. Bellewaerde offers its visitors a new sensation with this attraction, which both young and old can experience together,” Lemey added.

Wakala will open to the public in the spring of 2020.