Small News From The Theme Park Industry

[JoshC.]

Thorpe's Shark Cabins (the 'temporary hotel') only had permission up till this year. The park had hoped to get a permanent hotel open by now. The park have now put in an application to keep the Shark Cabins for a further 10 years, whilst they work on getting a permanent hotel out of developmental hell. The current issues for the park are the post-Covid recovery and current high costs for building materials, etc.:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1771272500216725648

 

[cookie]

The backwards facing seats on Tonnere 2 Zeus have been removed. The backwards facing final row has been replaced with 2 forward facing rows, increasing capacity from 26 to 28 passengers per train. Apparently this has always been the plan, a project manager said in 2022 the backwards experience would be removed in a few years. Shame really, would've loved to try this out

Parc Astérix past houten achtbaan aan: geen achterwaartse ritjes meer

Parc Astérix heeft de treinen van houten achtbaan Tonnere 2 Zeus aangepast. Sinds een renovatie in 2022 konden bezoekers ervoor kiezen om gebruik te...

www.looopings.nl

Two extra rows for regular visitors would help reduce the horrid queues it often has, at least. A longer train could mean more whip in the back too.

 

[cookie]

Merlin has acquired the 400ft observation wheel at Orlando’s Icon Park and renamed it ”The Orlando Eye”.

ICON Park on Instagram: "🌟 Big News Alert! 🌟Merlin Entertainments has chosen the ICON Park destination in Orlando as the location to expand their Central Florida family of attractions. Merlin has acquired the 400-ft. Wheel at ICON Park in Orlando an

861 likes, 31 comments - iconparkorlando on March 25, 2024: "🌟 Big News Alert! 🌟Merlin Entertainments has chosen the ICON Park destination in Orlando as the location to expand their Central Florida family of attractions. Merlin has acquired the 400-ft. Wheel at ICON Park in Orlando and renamed...

www.instagram.com

 

[cookie]

Not sure if this should have its own thread, but a 43 year-old maintenance worker has sadly lost his life in an accident while working on Taron at Phantasialand Monday afternoon. What and how it happened isn’t clear, and the park has yet to make any public statement, but local police have started an investigation into the matter.

Phantasialand öffnet nach tödlichem Arbeitsunfall

Nach einem tödlichen Arbeitsunfall im Phantasialand in Brühl öffnet der Freizeitpark am Gründonnerstag. Angehörige des verunglückten Technikers haben eine Spendenaktion für die Witwe gestartet.

www1.wdr.de

 

[cookie]

Not sure if this should have its own thread, but a 43 year-old maintenance worker has sadly lost his life in an accident while working on Taron at Phantasialand Monday afternoon. What and how it happened isn’t clear, and the park has yet to make any public statement, but local police have started an investigation into the matter.

Phantasialand öffnet nach tödlichem Arbeitsunfall

Nach einem tödlichen Arbeitsunfall im Phantasialand in Brühl öffnet der Freizeitpark am Gründonnerstag. Angehörige des verunglückten Technikers haben eine Spendenaktion für die Witwe gestartet.

www1.wdr.de

More details came in this afternoon: The worker was doing maintenance work on one of Taron’s trains when they were apparently struck in the head by a moving vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene before ambulance could arrive. The park also put out an official statement:

Phantasialand on Instagram: "Wir sind erschüttert. Fassungslos. In tiefer Trauer. Das tödliche Unglück eines geliebten Kollegen, das eine klaffende Lücke in die Phantasialand-Familie gerissen hat, lässt uns sprachlos zurück. Euer Mitgefühl und die

15K likes, 696 comments - phantasialand on March 26, 2024: "Wir sind erschüttert. Fassungslos. In tiefer Trauer. Das tödliche Unglück eines geliebten Kollegen, das eine klaffende Lücke in die Phantasialand-Familie gerissen hat, lässt uns sprachlos zurück. Euer Mitgefühl und die einfühlsamen...

www.instagram.com

Phantasialand is still set to open for the season on Thursday, but wether some form of tribute to the deceased worker will be held is unknown

 

[Niles]

A new mountain coaster is coming to Scotland, located at Midlothian Snowsports Centre in Edinburgh. Receiving other upgrades as part of the redevelopment plans. The project is called 'Destination Hillend', and will reportedly cost around £30 million. The coaster is said to be 600 meters long.



Source

Its great to see another one of these in the UK, below is a link to some drone footage.

see drone footage here

 

[cookie]

Attractiepark Drievliet in the Netherlands has been acquired by the Looping Group, owners of Drayton Manor, Avonturenpark Hellendoorn, and Bagetelle, among others. The park was family operated from its inception in 1938, but the family is now taking a step back and only one member will still be working at the park. The family was initially in talks with Plopsa to sell the park a few years back, but Looping came through with the better offer in the end. Looping’s plans for the park are currently unknown, but given their investments into Drayton and Hellendoorn lately, a revitalization of the stagnant Drievliet may not be far off.

Attractiepark Drievliet wordt overgenomen door bedrijf achter Avonturenpark Hellendoorn

Drievliet heeft een nieuwe eigenaar. Het Haagse familiepark hoort voortaan bij dezelfde firma als Avonturenpark Hellendoorn: de Franse recreatiegroep...

www.looopings.nl

 

[DelPiero]

Great news, was one of the worst parks I've visited in the last 10 years, hoping Looping can turn it around.

 

[davidm]

Well if anyone had been following the Disney/nasty-right-wing Florida politician news recently

Disney now filing lawsuits in retaliation....

Disney Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against Ron DeSantis Over Florida Theme Park Takeover

The Walt Disney Co. filed a First Amendment suit on Wednesday against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

variety.com

Disney sues Florida governor Ron DeSantis

In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Disney alleges it has been the target of "government retaliation".

www.bbc.co.uk

Not sure I follow the detail of the outcome of all that Florida vs Disney nonsense of the last few years to be honest, but the latest on the saga appears to be everyone agreeing to a score-draw?

Disney and DeSantis allies end legal dispute over control of theme park

The two sides have been fighting over who gets control of Disney's Florida theme park resort.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[cookie]

Liseberg's new addition for this year is... sponsored hotel rooms?

April fools

 

[Intamin Forever]

Liseberg's new addition for this year is... sponsored hotel rooms?

April fools

I love April Fools Day, some people are so creative!

 

[Peet]

Not a huge amount of "news" this morning but the usual suspects gave me a bit of a laugh:

Alton Towers said they're releasing a scratch and sniff map :

Alton Towers Resort (Official) on Instagram: "Scent-sational news! 🤩 Introducing the world's first scratch & sniff theme park map, in collaboration with scent specialists @aromaprime_scents. Which of your fave ride smells would you love to be featu

2,235 likes, 111 comments - altontowers on March 31, 2024: "Scent-sational news! 🤩 Introducing the world's first scratch & sniff theme park map, in collaboration with scent specialists @aromapr..."

www.instagram.com

Pleasure Beach once again pretending that Hyperia is only 1 foot taller than PMBO (when it is of course actually 30+ feet taller):

Pleasure Beach Resort on Instagram: "It's OFFICIAL! We're bringing back the UK's tallest title! Look out @thorpeparkofficial Sally Opforaid, Head of Height at Pleasure Beach Resort, said: “Reimagining such an iconic rollercoaster is no mean feat, b

3,223 likes, 80 comments - pleasure_beach on April 1, 2024: "It's OFFICIAL! We're bringing back the UK's tallest title! Look out @thorpeparkofficial Sally Opforaid, Head of Height at Pleasure Beac..."

www.instagram.com

 

[Changa]

Liseberg's new addition for this year is... sponsored hotel rooms?

April fools

That was surprisingly long and committed, fair play!

 

[cookie]

Here’s an April Fool’s joke that wasn’t: Karl’s Erlebnisdorf Elstal is opening a Gerstlauer Sky Fly themed to döner kebab in 2025, and despite being announced on April 1st, it isn’t a prank.

Toch geen 1 aprilgrap: Duits pretpark presenteert nieuwe attractie Flying Döner

Een attractie die volledig in het teken staat van döner kebab: vrijwel iedereen was ervan overtuigd dat het Duitse pretpark Karls Erlebnis-Dorf...

www.looopings.nl

 

[davidm]

Other Disney business news (not explicitly that Florida governance thing that I keep posting about in here)

Boardroom disruption foiled (I'd heard all this described as the "new DisneyWar" (which was the last (I think!) big boardroom thing going on at the Disney-behemoth))

Disney defeats critics after bruising battle

The investor boardroom battle raises difficult questions about whether the Hollywood giant lost its way.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Rob Coasters]

Not sure how "small news" this is.

Vekoma is allegedly suing B&M as they claim Pipeline the Surf Coaster and its 'wave-jumping' seat movement infringes on one of their patents (from around 2011).

Article:

SeaWorld Orlando's Pipeline 'Surf Coaster' Spurs Patent Suit

The company behind SeaWorld Orlando’s Pipeline ride faces a lawsuit alleging what’s touted as the “first ‘wave-jumping’” roller coaster infringes the patent of a Dutch manufacturer that’s provided theme-park attractions for industry giants.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Patent itself:

US7987793B2 - Amusement ride device - Google Patents

Amusement ride device, comprising a track and at least one carriage, which carriage is moveable along the track in a transport direction. The carriage comprises a transport part which engages on the track, at least one platform that allows to support the feet of at least one passenger, and at...

patents.google.com

Lawsuit link:

https://insight.rpxcorp.com/litigation_documents/15638230

 

[VonRolland]

Not sure how "small news" this is.

Vekoma is allegedly suing B&M as they claim Pipeline the Surf Coaster and its 'wave-jumping' seat movement infringes on one of their patents (from around 2011).

Article:

SeaWorld Orlando's Pipeline 'Surf Coaster' Spurs Patent Suit

The company behind SeaWorld Orlando’s Pipeline ride faces a lawsuit alleging what’s touted as the “first ‘wave-jumping’” roller coaster infringes the patent of a Dutch manufacturer that’s provided theme-park attractions for industry giants.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Patent itself:

US7987793B2 - Amusement ride device - Google Patents

Amusement ride device, comprising a track and at least one carriage, which carriage is moveable along the track in a transport direction. The carriage comprises a transport part which engages on the track, at least one platform that allows to support the feet of at least one passenger, and at...

patents.google.com

Can't tell you hard I laughed when I'd seen the patent, B&M not done the homework?

 

[will6789]

Can't tell you hard I laughed when I'd seen the patent, B&M not done the homework?

It looks like B&M did cite Vekoma's patent on their surf coaster patent so they must've been aware of it. Presumably B&M believed that their invention was sufficiently different to Vekoma's, but evidently Vekoma disagree.

 

[Rob Coasters]

Test Track at Epcot is closing on June 17th for a refurbishment. As there is new concept art, could this be yet another reimagining of the ride rather than some more routine maintenance?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776235686456115378

 

[ECG]

Test Track at Epcot is closing on June 17th for a refurbishment. As there is new concept art, could this be yet another reimagining of the ride rather than some more routine maintenance?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776235686456115378

Nice to see that they're keeping the single-rider queue, but additional concept art suggests that Test Track may be moving into the EV era.