CAAPA’S FORMER SECRETARY GENERAL FENG YUGUO DIES AGED 66

BY GABRIELLE

The CAAPA has issued an obituary to its former secretary general Feng Yuguo, who died on February 24, 2020 at the age of 66.

Feng Yuguo died of illness in Peking University Shougang Hospital. Many of his colleagues within the industry have expressed their sadness of Feng Yuguo’s passing.

Feng joined the CAAPA in 2000. Prior to becoming secretary general and director of the Advisory Committee, he had been an editor of the publicity department.

Feng Yuguo had always been passionate about the amusement industry and during his 20 years working in the sector, he witnessed first-hand the development of the amusement industry in China.

Feng’s passion and commitment contributed to the sustainability of the industry.

BOB CHAPEK REPLACES BOB IGER WHO STEPS DOWN AS DISNEY CEO

BY GABRIELLE

Bob Iger has stepped down as CEO of the Walt Disney Company (DIS). The position is being filled by Bob Chapek, who recently served as chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

Iger has assumed the role executive chairman, directing Disney’s creative activities, a position he will maintain until his contract ends on December 31, 2021.

In a statement about the announcement, Iger commented: “With the successful launch of Disney’s direct-to-consumer businesses and the integration of Twenty-First Century Fox well underway, I believe this is the optimal time to transition to a new CEO.”

Bob Iger added that he had the “upmost confidence” in Chapek and looks forward to “working closely with him over the next 22 months as he assumes this new role.”

Chapek said: “I am incredibly honoured and humbled to assume the role of CEO of what I truly believe is the greatest company in the world.

“Bob Iger has built Disney into the most admired and successful media and entertainment company, and I have been lucky to enjoy a front-row seat as a member of his leadership team,” Chapek added.

ob Iger is one of the most respected and credible CEOs in the United States. He took over from Michael Eisner as Walt Disney Company CEO in 2005. During his 15 years of leadership, Iger oversaw the acquisition of Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, procurements that lead to the production of box office record-breaking films. Iger’s tenure also involved 21st Century Fox coming into Disney’s fold, a move which resulted in the company acquiring a new roster of intellectual property.

Last year, Iger unveiled Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Though in what’s described as being one of the most important achievements of his tenue, was the launch of Disney+, a streaming service that broadcast exclusive programs, rivalling Netflix.

Iger said he’s stepping down as CEO so he can concentrate on the more creative side of the business.

“I’ve been with the company for 45 years, and was in the CEO job for 15 of those years. It’s been a fun run,” said Bob Iger.

LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA RESORT APPOINTS KURT STOCKS AS NEW GENERAL MANAGER

BY GABRIELLE

Legoland California Resort has named Kurt Stocks as the theme park’s new general manager. Stocks joins Legoland California form Legoland Malaysia Resort, where he also served as general manager.

Stocks succeeds Peter Ronchetti, who recently retired after 11 years at the family-friendly theme park. During his time at Legoland California Resort, Ronchetti led the openings of many innovative attractions and facilities, including Lego Chima Water Park, Legoland Castle Hotel and Legoland Hotel.

Ronchetti’s successor has more than 15 years’ experience in sales, operations and general management, including leading strategic development efforts at Legoland Malaysia such as the opening of Sea Life Malaysia in April 2019.

Kurt Stocks is a native Australian who started his career as a professional rugby player. Stocks has relocated to the San Diego region with his family, who are looking forward to experiencing the wealth of exciting outdoor activities San Diego has to offer.

NEW NICKELODEON ADVENTURE PLAY EXPERIENCE OPENS AT LAKESIDE

BY GABRIELLE

The leisure development centre intu Lakeside in Essex recently opened a new children’s indoor adventure experience featuring themed play zones and a 4D cinema.

The Nickelodeon Adventure Park is the first of its kind in the UK and covers an indoor area of over 50,000 square feet and has a capacity of 2,000.

There are four themed play zones in total, all featuring main characters from the Nickelodeon cartoon portfolio. These include characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, PAW Patrol and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There is also a Nick Central zone where kids can enjoy monster machine racing, colourful climbing tubes and a create-your-own-constellation experience starring Dora the Explorer.

As well as the themed zones and 4D cinema, the Nickelodeon Adventure Park features a café and gift store and several private party suites for hire, plus costumed characters roam the play park to enhance everybody’s experience throughout the day.

The new children’s adventure park has been funded by Spanish operator Parques Reunidos and is part of the £72 million investment that is renovating and expanding the entire popular shopping precinct.

The UK director at Parques Reunidos, James Eels, explained the vision of his company, saying: “We identified a gap in the market for a family-themed indoor leisure attraction in this region and were motivated by the challenge of bringing this unique idea to life.”

KINGS DOMINION’S COCONUT SHORES TO UNDERGO RENOVATION

BY GABRIELLE

The Coconut Shores water play area for children at the Kings Dominion Soak City Water Park in Virginia is to receive an exciting redesign. The renovation project is being undertaken by the Aquatic Development Group (ADG) and should be ready for visitors to enjoy by May 2020.

The new Coconut Shores will be bigger thanks to ADG’s innovative design methods, with the incorporation of an underused 35,000 square foot wave pool nearby that will allow them to build two new attractions.

The first new attraction will consist of a multi-level play structure with over 200 interactive water features and multiple kid-friendly slides. ADG will also install their trademarked Mini Harbour water ride attraction, essentially a miniature wave pool powered by ADG’s WaveTek technology featuring waves up to 12 inches high.

“We are very excited to watch the Kings Dominion Coconut Shores project come to life,” said ADG’s president, Jim Dunn.

Adult visitors can also enjoy a new dining experience with various cuisines and cocktails available, with parents able to supervise their kids from a selection of chaise lounges in the newly renovated spaces of Lighthouse Landing and Sand Dune Lagoon.

The vice president and general manager of Kings Dominion, Tony Johnson, added: “The investment in Soak City demonstrates our commitment to being Virginia’s premier water park.”

FERRARI WORLD ABU DHABI LAUNCHES YEAR-LONG EDUTAINMENT PROGRAMME

BY GABRIELLE

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has launched ‘Coaster Lab’, an edutainment programme for schools that will last all year.

The Coaster Lab initiative is designed to teach students about engineering, physics and technology through the lens of rollercoasters. The aim of the project is to encourage a love of science by engaging participants in the analysis of rollercoasters in a fun and memorable way.

The programme is tailored to students at primary and middle schools. Pupils will also have the opportunity to participate in constructing their own replicas of rides and learn about the science behind rollercoasters.

Attendees visiting Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will also be able to enjoy going on the theme park’s rides and attractions, including Formula Rossa, the fastest rollercoaster in the world, which travels at a staggering 149mph.

The Coaster Lab project is one of a number of innovative activities scheduled for the theme park as it approaches its tenth birthday in November.

PAINTING WITH LIGHT COMMENCES FIRST QATAR ESPORTS WEGA GLOBAL GAMES

BY GABRIELLE

Painting with Light, leading Belgian lighting and video design specialists, have helped kick off the opening ceremony of the first Qatar eSports WEGA Global Games, with a hi-energy lighting scheme.

The grand opening of the games took place in the Khalifa Stadium in Doha and was attended by around 14,000 virtual gaming enthusiasts.

The immersive spectacle showcased AR and VR technology, live arena performances, presentations by gaming influencers and e-athletics and plenty of entertainment.

The eSports WEGA Global Games features a series of gaming competitions, including Street Fighter V, CSGO, DOTA2 and eFootball PES.

The grand opening ceremony commenced the eSports Games in style, with the help of Painting with Light, which was commissioned by Doha-based event company The Planners LLC.

The light design was centred on seven 16-metre-high towers, three located upstage and four downstage, to provide a sense of depth and the structural framework around the performance space, which was 80 metres wide and oval shaped.

Holographic images were beamed onto huge special holo-scrims and the stage surface was mapped for projections. The holographic images were distributed on different levels of all seven towers.

The cast comprised on dancers and flying characters, who worked in harmony with VR, the holographic images and hi-energy visuals.

The eye-catching show narrated the story of how Qatar came to host the WEGA Global Games by recreating the unique universes from key tournament games such as Street Fighter and DOTA2.

PLANS FOR WATERPARK ON CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS RACETRACK ANNOUNCED

BY GABRIELLE

An indoor and outdoor waterpark and an 11-storey hotel are being proposed to be built at the Circuit of The Americas F1 racing track in Southeast Austin.

The vast hotel complex would be home to a 100,000 sq. ft. indoor waterpark, a 34,000 sq. ft. ballroom, meeting room space and 350 rooms.

In August 2018, executives at the Circuit of The Americas announced plans to rezone the 1,155-acre site to enable further development around the Formula One racetrack, soccer stadium and concert venue. The hotel and waterparks would be built to the west of the racetrack across the Circuit of the Americas Boulevard.

Rocky Williams, vice president of hotel developer Arm Epic Lodging Partners, commented: “The waterpark and hotel complement the family entertainment components that already exist at the circuit – the races, concerts, amusement rides, soccer games and conventions.”

In addition to the waterpark and hotel, plans are also in motion to construct a children’s amusement park at the site, which will complement the complex’s existing karting track, KOTA Karting.

Bobby Epstein, Circuit of The Americas chairman, spoke of the site’s long-term goals: “The long-term plan is to create a recreation, entertainment and amusement destination for Central Texas. Along with that comes sport fields, a hotel and waterpark… and amusement related things.”

DOLLYWOOD NAMES COVENANT HEALTH AS OFFICIAL HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNER

BY GABRIELLE

Award-winning musical theme park Dollywood has announced healthcare network Covenant Health as their official Health System Partner. The partnership will see immediate upgrades made to the park’s Baby Care Facilities and Nursing Centres.

The popular Calming Room will also receive new activities and equipment for the families using the room.

As part of the deal, Covenant Health will be presenting the new Flower and Food Festival and the Great Pumpkin LumiNights. They will also sponsor the theme park’s safety team, Centralized Measuring, the Ride Accessibility Centre and all first aid stations and rental strollers.

The President of The Dollywood Company, Craig Ross, said: “For both Dollywood and Covenant, taking care of people is the number one priority. But it’s not just caring for guests; it’s about making them part of the family and treating them exactly as we would want to be treated.”

Ross also revealed the new initiatives are just the beginning and both Dollywood and Covenant Health would be pursuing further opportunities together to improve the experiences and services available to guests.

The partnership also heralded good news for the local community, with Covenant’s President Jim VanderSteeg saying: “Covenant Health is the Knoxville area’s largest employer, and Dollywood, the largest employer in Sevier County, provides thousands of employment opportunities for people of all ages and talents. Both entities are trusted, significant economic drivers for our communities, committed to improving the overall quality of life in our region through our respective programs and services.”

Dollywood will be hosting the Covenant Health-sponsored Flower and Food Festival from May 8 to June 14 to celebrate the theme park’s 35th anniversary.

AROMAPRIME LAUNCH THEME PARK FAN COLLECTION

BY GABRIELLE

Theme park scent-creation specialists AromaPrime are launching a new collection of themed scents that customers can buy to recreate the special smells and pongs they associate with their favourite theme park experiences.

It is known that our smell receptors are connected to the part of our brains that process emotions, trigger memories and influence behaviours, with theme parks long employing special scents at their attractions to enhance the guest experience. Now theme park fans will be able to purchase a collection of these scents to reminisce and relive their fun in the comfort of their own homes.

The Theme Park Fan Collection will launch with scents used by the famous Thorpe Park Resort in Surrey, England. The initial collection includes the exact same smells the park employs to enhance the visitor experience within their Creek Freak Massacre scare maze, the Platform 15 scary train ride, the Containment escape room and the Fright Nights cinema.

Other scents from theme parks all around the world will be released in new collections soon. There will also be a mini-dispenser available for purchase alongside the scent collections.

As well as Thorpe Park, AromaPrime has previously been commissioned to create scents for the likes of Alton Towers, Sea Life aquariums, Bobbejaanland in Belgium, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Madame Tussauds and even the Natural History Museum in London.

They will also make available certain smells that used to enhance guest experiences in theme parks that have long since closed, so fans can relive memories of the fun and frolics they experienced twenty years ago!