NEW WATER COASTER TO OPEN AND HOLIDAY WORLD AND SPLASHIN’ SAFARI, INDIANA

BY GABRIELLE

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari the waterpark and theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana, is getting ready for the launch of its new water coaster this spring.

In the pipeline for the waterpark is Cheetah Chase, a dueling water coaster featuring two rafts travelling simultaneously. The launched water coaster uses hydro blast technology over a 1,700ft. track. Crews at Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari are building a 68,000-gallon balancing tank designed to recirculate the water that is used for the attraction.

Talking about the preparation of the highly awaited new water coaster, Matt Eckert, Holiday World’s president and CEO, said: “A lot of people think that once our gates close at the end of the year we flip a switch off, and flip it right back on in May and we’re ready to go. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes.”

Cheetah Chase will officially open at the park on May 7, 2020.

PLEASURE BEACH GREAT YARMOUTH GEARS FOR ARRIVAL OF WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE

BY GABRIELLE

The seaside Pleasure Beach theme park in Great Yarmouth is preparing for the arrival of a new £500,000 white-knuckle ride.

The ride is known as ‘Lighting 360’ and is being custom-built in Italy for the Pleasure Beach. The attraction is sat on a tower. Eight arms support a two-seater plane, which can turn 360 degrees and is controlled by the user.

The ride’s name derives from a fighter plane from the Second World War named Lightning 360. It will replace a caterpillar-themed ride at the theme park, which closed in 2019.

Lighting 360 is currently being built in a factory outside Venice, northern Italy. Inspectors are to examine the ride’s safety systems before it is shipped to Great Yarmouth.

Arthur Jones, managing director at the Pleasure Beach, commented on the ride: “It’s going to be a unique experience.

“We have to make sure everything is as it should be. We are racing against time, but the plan is to get the ride in time for Easter. At the moment it’s on schedule,” Jones added.

The Pleasure Beach at Great Yarmouth opens for the 2020 season on March 28.

NEW WATERSLIDE AT AQUATICA SAN ANTONIO

BY GABRIELLE

SeaWorld’s Aquatica waterpark in San Antonio is launching a brand new water slide experience to join the many other thrills and spills on offer.

The Tonga Twister will be 415 feet long and over 50 feet high and will be the first water ride in Texas to feature two exciting body slides designed with their own distinct twists and turns.

An interesting feature of the new water slide will be the special AquaLucent tubes. They project lighting effects and patterns all around to create an electrifying light show that accompanies each guest as they enjoy this extraordinary water-sliding experience. High-energy music will also be piped into the tubes to elevate the excitement levels even further as the guests navigate the unique twists and turns.

The new water slide joins Aquatica’s many other attractions such as Wahalla Wave and Stingray Falls. The former was the first of its kind in America, and the latter the first of its kind in the world featuring a family raft ride taking guests on a winding adventure through an underground grotto where they can see tropical fish and the titular stingrays.

With SeaWorld launching their new season this month and announcing lots of exciting new rides and events throughout the year, their Aquatica water park was expected to feature something special too, and this new water slide certainly fits that description.

The Tonga Twister will be open for guests to enjoy from March 7.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS: OFF THE LEASH! TO FEATURE 64 ANIMATRONICS

BY GABRIELLE

Universal Studios Hollywood has disclosed that its upcoming attraction The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! is to feature 64 animatronics.

The 64 animated figures will be converted into living beings through real-life movements, such as the tilting and nodding of the head, blinking of the eyes, smiling and other mouth movement, as well as walking and twists of the torso.

The high-tech attraction will also feature state-of-the-art optical enhanced gesture-tracking technology, which will identify visitors as one of 15 stray puppies.

A Virtual Line will enable guests to reserve a time to go on the ride to avoid the need for queuing. The Virtual Line feature can be accessed via the Universal Studio app, or by the Virtual Line Kiosk in the New York City subway station next to the ride.

The ride is themed on Illumination’s ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ franchise and will feature the well-known voices of the actors from the iconic films, including Kevin Hart as Snowball, Patton Oswalt as Max and Eric Stonestreet as Duke.

The highly-awaited attraction will open at Universal Studios Hollywood on March 27, 2020.

CEDAR FAIR ANNOUNCES RECORD ATTENDANCE AND REVENUE IN 2019

BY GABRIELLE

Cedar Fair, a leader in regional waterparks, amusement parks and immersive entertainment, has announced 2019 was an extremely successful year for company, reporting record attendance and revenue results.

Net revenues in 2019 reached $1.47 billion, a 9% increase on 2018. The rise in revenue has been attributed to a 5% increase in attendance, equating to a record 27.9 million guests.

Significant gains in attendance can also be credited to a record performance at Cedar Fair from July until October, as well as a highly successful season pass program.

Richard Zimmerman, president and CEO of Cedar Fair, commented on the company’s successful year.

“We are extremely pleased with our 2019 season, which was the most successful year in Cedar Fair’s history.

“The initiatives within our long-range strategic plan, which focused on broadening the guest experience through more immersive attractions and entertainment, are clearly resonating in our markets.

“The successful execution of these initiatives by our talented park teams, and the early contributions from the newly acquired Schlitterbahn waterparks, combined to produce our record results in 2019,” Zimmerman continued.

SEAWORLD SAN ANTONIO OPENS 2020 SEASON

 BY GABRIELLE

SeaWorld San Antonio opens their 2020 season on Saturday, February 22, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited. There will be groundbreaking new rides and attractions for the whole family, as well as festivals, parades and other fun events throughout the year.

On top of the established four unique coaster experiences at SeaWorld, thrill-seekers will now be able to enjoy the tallest, longest and fastest wooden rollercoaster in Texas. The record-breaking Texas Stingray reaches a top speed of 55mph and includes a breathtaking hundred-foot drop.

Special events over the 2020 season include two Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends in March, where children can enjoy hands-on activities and photo opportunities with the famous furry characters. There will also be several Sesame Street-themed party parades during the summer.

The Seven Seas Food Festival occurs during weekends from April 3 to May 25 and will feature a new German realm for guests to enjoy among all the other cuisine, culture and music.

Other exciting attractions include an impressive ski stunt show and a global beer festival, plus special Halloween and Christmas celebrations. There is also the behind-the-scenes Inside Look in November, where guests can meet animal experts while visiting the animal care facilities that are not open to the public.

It is shaping up to be a big year for SeaWorld San Antonio!

OCEAN PARK HONG KONG LAUNCHES REDD’S NATURE PLAY PARTY CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE

BY GABRIELLE

Ocean Park Hong Kong has launched an educational channel on YouTube called Redd’s Nature Play Party. The channel publishes fun animal-themed content designed to help children learn about animal welfare and conservation when at home.

The self-learning YouTube channel comes at a time when schools have been suspended in China due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The platform features regular video footage by Redd, a member of Whiskers & Friends. The videos are focused on informing youngsters about environmental conservation and the ecosystem.

Josephine Woo, executive director, education and special projects coordinator at Ocean Park, commented: “Ocean Park is always closely connected to the local school community.

“We understand that ever since class suspension is put in place, parents and schools have been making huge efforts to ensure the learning progress as well as physical and mental wellbeing of children will not be affected,” added Woo.

Redd’s Nature Play Party comprises of three different educational series – ‘Play with Nature’, ‘Move and Dance’ and ‘Art and Crafts Workshops.’

According to Woo, the series are designed so “children can play, exercise and learn without locations constraints.”

ALTON TOWERS COMMENCES 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS WITH OPENING OF GANGSTA GRANNY: THE RIDE

BY GABRIELLE

2020 is the 40th birthday of Alton Towers and to celebrate, the much-loved theme park has announced a series of special events. The 40th anniversary party commences with the opening of Gangsta Granny: The Ride.

The innovative 4D ride experience is centred on David Walliams’ children’s book ‘Gangsta Granny.’ The attraction features 3D projection mapping, state-of-the-art special effects, and animation inspired by the work of British children’s books illustrator, Tony Ross.

Gangsta Granny: The Ride is part of The World of David Walliams, a new zone at Alton Towers, featuring a number of rides and attractions, including Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp, Raj’s Shop and the Royal Carousel.

Gangsta Granny: The Ride is scheduled to open at The World of David Walliams on March 21, 2020.

The May half-term will see a Gangsta Granny-themed ‘Half Term Heist’ take place at the theme park, where visitors can take part in different challenges, activities and competitions.

ANNUAL EGGSTRAVAGANZA TO CAUSE A SPLASH AT INDOOR WATERPARK NEAR CHICAGO

BY GABRIELLE

Schaumburg Park District’s indoor waterpark is preparing for its annual Underwater EGGstravaganza event for little ones.

The fun-filled Easter event involves thousands of plastic eggs bobbing up and down in the water. The event is for children aged 1 – 11. Scheduled egg hunts take place in the play pool for the duration of the event.

Kathleen Benson, Bock Neighbourhood Centre manager, said: “After splashing around in the water collecting eggs, children will return the eggs and receive an awesome goody bag to take home. Children will also get to play games and meet the Bunny!”

EGGstravaganza is taking place at Schuamburg’s popular indoor waterpark on April 9, 2020 from 6 – 8pm.

UNIVERSAL BEIJING RESORT SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN MAY 2021

BY GABRIELLE

Universal Beijing Resort is scheduled to open in May 2021, the Beijing municipal government has announced, despite the coronavirus outbreak.

The theme park is on target to have completed construction by the end of 2020. According to Universal Beijing, the main structure of the site has been completed and the ride and attractions are now being installed. The building of the NHU Resort Hotel, Universal Studios Grand Hotel and Universal CityWalk Beijing are also underway.

Tom Mehrmann, president of Universal Beijing, commented: “2019 was full of excitement, success and rapid development, we hope to bring even more exciting news for everyone in 2020.”

In 2019 it was revealed that the immersive lands at Universal Studios Beijing will comprise of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Minion Land, Transformers: Metrobase, Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness, Jurassic World Isla Nublar, Hollywood and WaterWorld.