CAVU DESIGNWERKS LAUNCHES BLUESKY SERVICES

BY GABRIELLE

CAVU Designwerks, provider of immersive experiences, has launched Bluesky Services, offering a novel way for clients to engage with CAVU’s engineering team. Using the new Bluesky Services, customers can brainstorm technically on an existing or new project or product.

Customers can benefit from a traditional engineering think-tank type service, which enables CAVU’s engineers to engage with teams and deliver a design service, engineering consultation, as well as technical guidance for every stage of a project, including the pre-design concept level. These services are complementary and are provided remotely through a new interactive tool.

Bluesky Services also features a secondary creative charette service, which comprises of technical brainstorming sessions. Users can brainstorm elements of the development and engineering of a new product or attraction. The sessions can be booked in half, full or multi-day slots and are delivered through an interactive online platform. The brainstorming sessions are designed to nurture creativity from clients and the CAVU technical team to conceptualise pioneering attractions and experiences from the ground up.

Mark Stepanian, vice president Innovation & Engineering, commented on CAVU’s new services: “One of our favourite things is getting the opportunity to connect and engage with designers, architects, planners and any number of creative folks throughout the industry and beyond to design and engineer what is new and next within ride system design and also to discuss what’s possible, feasible and what the costs are for different experiences.

“Give the new normal, and even post COVID-19 we wanted to make sure we remain connected and available to provide the support, expertise, guidance, and knowledge about what the future looks like in themed entertainment,” Stepanian added.

ALTON TOWERS REVEALS ITS REOPENING RESTRICTIONS

BY GABRIELLE

Alton Towers has published details of how it is preparing for reopening its doors to visitors. The popular Staffordshire-based theme park has released the steps it will take to help ensure a safe environment for staff and guests when it reopens.

The steps include limiting the initial number of visitors entering the park daily, as well as restricting the numbers on individual attractions and facilities. An online booking system will be in place, where guests can book their visit in advance to guarantee entry to the park.

Temperature checks will be carried out on all employees and guests arriving at the park. Individuals with a high temperature will not be allowed to enter the site. Visitors and employees will be asked to monitor their own health and avoid visiting Alton Towers if they feel unwell or have a cough.

Jonathan Ellis, the Health and Safety director at Alton Towers Resort, commented on the health and safety restrictions being put in place: “Like many other businesses, we chose to support the Government efforts to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 by closing the Resort ahead of the lockdown.

“We have now been closed for more than 10 weeks except for a very small team who have continued to perform essential work and care for the animals we have on site.

“As the situation improves and Government advice changes, we hope to be able to confirm our reopening date soon, and there is much we are already doing to prepare for that day.

“For a few weeks now, the management team at Alton Towers has been reviewing our entire operation and planning the changes we need to make so that when we do reopen we can do so in a way that keeps our guests and our employees safe, and ensures that we can deliver a great day out,” Ellis continued.

An official reopening date for Alton Towers has yet to be confirmed.

GUANGZHOU CHIMELONG WATERPARK REOPENS

 BY GABRIELLE

Chimelong Waterpark is reopening to the public on May 29. The family friendly waterpark will be home to a new parent-child play area, a new climbing area, and several new high quality water attractions. The water music party, which is popular among young people visiting the site, is also ready to be launched when the water park reopens.

The opening hours of the park are temporarily scheduled from 10: 00 – 18: 00 daily. In accordance with the relevant regulations stipulated by the Chinese government, the park will strictly control the capacity of guests so that numbers do not exceed 30% of the approved maximum capacity. There will also be strict sanitation guarantees in place in all park facilities.

Several management measures will also be implemented, including online appointments, health registration, real-name admission, and body temperature screening. Visitors to the site must also make bookings in advance.

Chimelong Wildlife World and Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, both of which fall under the Chimelong Group, partially opened on April 30 and officially reopened their indoor attractions on May 15th.

SUZHOU AMUSEMENT LAND FOREST WORLD OPENS FOR TRIAL

 BY GABRIELLE

In late May, Suzhou Amusement Land Forest World opened for a trial period. The Forest World covers an area of approximately 397,900 sq. mt. The site’s building area is approximately 621,000 square metres.

The theme park is based on three forest elements – trees, animals, and habitat. There are six major zones in the theme park, each with different feature planting and rides and attractions. As well as a theme park, the amusement site is home to a themed hotel and a themed commercial area.

The project takes full advantages of the topographical conditions of the vicinity. Suzhou Amusement Land Forest World is expected to form a new landmark in ecological tourism industry in China and become one of the leading theme parks in the Yangtze River Delta region.

HEBEI ZHANGJIAKOU GUYUAN KULUN SWAN LAKE TO UNDERGO AN UPGRADE

 BY GABRIELLE

An extensive upgrade is to be made on Zhangjiakou Guyuan Kulun Swan Lake. With an investment of 220 million yuan (approx. US$30.72 million), the upgrade will involve the addition of two new ski cableways, a ski hall covering 3,000 sq. mt., a Marco Polo Castle, cableways, ziplines, rollercoasters and other attractions.

It is estimated that the year-round destination will achieve annual revenue of 80 million yuan (approx. US$11.17) and provide more than 900 jobs in the local community. The site is also expected to play a key role in driving enthusiasm towards the Winter Olympics 2022, take place in the Hebei Province, China in 2022.

GUILIN SUNAC CULTURAL AND TOURISM CITY TO OPEN IN JUNE 2021

BY GABRIELLE

It has been confirmed that the Guilin Sunac Cultural and Tourism City is to open in June 2021. The new Cultural and Tourism city is a key project of Guangxi’s wellness and cultural tourism industry.

Much of the city has already been built and the remaining facilities are being accelerated in time for an opening date of June 26, 2021.

As one of the key projects in Guangxi’s wellness and cultural tourism industry, the main body of the hotel group in Guilin Sunac Cultural Tourism City has been finished, and all other supporting facilities are being accelerated and will be opened on June 26, 2021.

The vast new cultural and tourism city has an investment of 16 billion yuan (approx. US$2.24 billion). The site features hotels, an outdoor theme park, indoor marine park, waterpark, tourism town, and much more. The city will be the most ambitious and expensive cultural tourism project in Guangxi.

Once opened, the site is expected to attract around 10 million visitors each year.

LEGOLAND FLORIDA TO REOPEN ON JUNE 1

BY GABRIELLE

Legoland Florida Resort is to officially reopen on June 1. The resort is implementing a raft of enhanced health and safety measures, including reduced capacity, cashless payments, social distancing practices and enhanced cleaning regimes.

The health and safety measures comply with government advice and the requirements of health authorities, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Rex Jackson, general manager at Legoland Florida Resort, commented on the site’s imminent reopening:  “As part of Merlin Entertainments, our leaders across the globe have been sharing best practices daily, and we’ve been able to apply what we’ve learned from other successful Merlin attraction reopenings to be confident with our Resort’s reopening plan. In addition, we have also sought guidance from our partners at AdventHealth.

“We’re ready to play, and we look forward to reopening Legoland Florida Resort as a safe and memorable place for families to play again,” Jackson continued.

Prior to visiting Legoland Florida, guests are encouraged to download the Legoland mobile app, and review the website to become acquainted with the parks’ new arrival and attractions procedures. Cash is no longer accepted at the resort and guests should be prepared to make payments by debit or credit card.

PAULTONS PARK EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH ATTRACTIONS.IO TO PROVIDE IN-APP SOCIAL DISTANCING SOLUTION

 BY GABRIELLE

Paultons Park has broadened its partnership with mobile app platform Attractions.io to bring a new social distancing functionality to the park’s guest-facing app. The update will help the popular family theme park in Hampshire reopen safely as soon as government guidance allows the industry to begin opening.

The new functionality on the app comprises of virtual queuing and extended mobile food ordering capabilities designed to eliminate the need for guests to have to queue for rides and refreshments. Visitors can already import tickets into the app, which prevents the need to queue at the entrance of the park, helping Paultons Park overcome the social distancing challenges of the post-COVID world.

Rob Griffiths, head of marketing at Paultons Park, described how the app will be a crucial part of the safe reopening of the site. “The app already helps visitors make the most of their day out and delivers ongoing improvements to guest satisfaction. This made it the obvious solution to build upon, equipping our visitors with a tool that not only helps keep them safe but also improves their experience,” said Griffiths.

The updated app is expected to go live in the next few weeks.

EFTELING THEME PARK REOPENS ON MAY 20

 BY GABRIELLE

Efteling, the fairytale theme park in the south of Holland, officially reopened on Wednesday May 20, 2020. The theme park’s step-by-step approach to reopening has been planned closely with official regional authorities.

A series of test days have taken place, which involved the volume of visitors gradually increased to help staff at the park get used to new ways of working. These new working methods are constantly being evaluated and improved to help keep both guests and employees safe.

The safety initiatives introduced at the park are based on a protocol drawn up by the attractions industry association, Club van Elf and the Dutch Association of Zoos. Once international travel restrictions have been lifted and continuing to comply with the safety measures, Efteling hopes to welcome guests from abroad.

CEO Fons Jurgens commented on the reopening of the Dutch theme park: “In the World of Efteling, we have always made sure that our guests can enjoy the park safely. That is no different now. What is different is exactly what that safety entails. We know better than anyone how guests move in our park and how we can spread groups and we are using this knowledge to ensure guests can always keep a safe distance.

“Fortunately, we have plenty of space because our park is approximately the size of 140 football fields. We also allow a limited number of guests to pre-book their visit. This way we can guarantee that everyone has the space for their day out,” Jurgens added.

MOONRAKER VFX TEAMS UP WITH ANIMMERSION TO CREATE PIONEERING, 3D CONTENT

BY GABRIELLE

Moonraker VFX, the award-winning visual effects and CGI content creators for visitor attractions, has teamed up with hologram providers Animmersion, to create cutting-edge, 3D content to innovate the exhibit experience.

The technology can be layered over the physical world in real-time, bringing scientific data to life, enabling guests to witness and interact with human biology right in front of them.

Moonraker has delivered high-quality VFX work for the likes of Netflix and the BBC. The company has been working on visual experimenting with real scientific data for a while and recognised the opportunity the technology could bring to the attractions industry and exhibition space.

Animmersion’s work with the pioneering DeepFrame screen offers the perfect format for developing the concept, assisting with the visualisation of human biology in a more immersive manner.

The technology works by using a series of microscopic images (HREM slices) to develop 3D visualisation that has a similar look to CT and MRI scans. The result is high-quality, 3D hologram that rotates in mid-air.

Using Animmersion’s DeepFrame screen technology, which comprises of a special optical lens, the display can be either floor-mounted or suspended in the air to create a truly captivating experience. The final visual appears as a virtual layer on top of the real world, which can appear up to a mile away.

Jon Grafton, managing director at Moonraker commented: “We believe this is a game-changing opportunity to attract visitors. This technology helps bring content to life and captures audiences on a whole new level – at a competitive price.”