INSIDE: Amusement industry remembers Mike Chance SEE PAGES 46-47

Transcription

1 TM & 2016 Amusement Tody, Inc. INSIDE: Amusement industry remembers Mike Chnce SEE PAGES June 2016 Vol. 20 Issue 3 Six Flgs Fiest Texs revmps bordwlk with Zmperl, Lrson rides Six Flgs Fiest Texs recently opened its new Fiest By Bordwlk with Meg Disk'O (Hurricne Force 5) from Zmperl (left) nd two rides from Lrson Interntionl including Tilt-A-Whirl (right) nmed Spinsnity. The revmped section of the prk opened My 14. COURTESY SIX FLAGS FIESTA TEXAS 4SEE STORY, PAGE 32 Kentucky Kingdom, Rocky Mountin Construction debut prk's newest coster: Storm Chser 4SEE STORY: PAGE 5 & 6 Lke Compounce goes big with lrgest prk investment, lunching Premier Rides coster 4SEE STORY: PAGE 8 NEWSPAPER POSTMASTER: Dted mteril. PLEASE RUSH! Miled Thursdy, My 26, 2016 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID FT. WORTH TX PERMIT # 2069

2 2 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 NEWSTALK EDITORIAL: Gry Slde, The speed of news Mny Americns hve fond memories of the very moment when either the morning newspper would be delivered, or in some cses tht rre fternoon pper would be tossed right up to the bse of the front porch step. Tking the rubber bnd off the pper Slde nd sitting bck in chir to red the newspper ws the current method of getting cught up on ll the news, both locl nd worldwide. Certinly rdio sttions, then mostly on the AM dil, fought for their news mrket shre s well ginst the newsppers reporters then simply know s "The Press." Neither could hve imgined the rpid growth nd success the upstrt television networks nd locl mrket sttions would hve once they figured out how to produce TV news brodcst. The memories of the Huntley-Brinkley Report (NBC, ), or Wlter Cronkite (CBS, ) giving moment by moment detils on the Apollo spce missions nd the Moon lnding is forever etched into brodcsting history. With Amusement Tody's printed edition s the compny's first priority, nd AT's electronic medi outlets second, it's esy to forget how quickly news cn connect people vi the internet, smrt phone, tblets or other devices. This ws seen first hnd when AT received the sd nd shocking news tht Chnce Rides President Michel Chnce hd lost his bttle with depression t the young ge of 42. (See story, pges 46-47) AT rllied round the news nd got the informtion sent out over ll of its electronic sources to help get the word out to the musement industry, should close friends wnt to consider mking lst-minute trvel plns for the memoril service in Wichit, Kn. One of the first to respond to AT ws Jim Sey of Premier Rides, ll the wy from Dubi. Sey, sitting t tble with other industry collegues ttending the 2016 DEAL Show, ws in shock just s the industry here in the U.S. ws. Newsppers delivering the news re not going wy nytime soon, but thnks to their electronic outlets, they too, now hve chnce to deliver the news in speedy mnner. One might sy tht the speed of news tody is s fst s tht of speeding bullet or ws tht Supermn: The Ride? FLINT S VIEW: Bubb Flint INDUSTRY OPINION: Den Lmnn, dlmnn@musementtody.com Public, industry evolve on lrge wild nimls s performers Two nnouncements mde in Mrch 2015 hve, in just over yer, led to fundmentl chnges in century-old live entertinment trdition nd mjor theme prk chin. Their industry impct is historic. The first cme from Plmetto, Fl.-bsed Feld Entertinment, owner of the trveling Ringling Bros. nd Brnum & Biley Circus. Feld executives, citing somewht of mood shift mong our consumers nd n incresing number of restrictive locl ordinnces, sid it would retire the circus s lst 13 performing Asin elephnts to its 200-cre Florid conservtion center by The second ws Orlndo-bsed SeWorld Entertinment s hiring of Joel Mnby, then hed of Herschend Fmily Entertinment nd highly respected industry executive, s its new CEO. The move cme mid flling SeWorld prk ttendnce fter television irings of Blckfish, 2013 documentry criticl of SeWorld s cptivity nd trining of killer whles. This pst Mrch, SeWorld cesed its orc breeding progrm nd nnounced three-yer phse-out of killer whle shows. And Feld bumped up its elephnt retirement schedule mking My 1, 2016, the finl circus ring dte for its iconic pchyderms. SeWorld s struggle to djust its successful, 50-yer-old business model under pressure from niml rights ctivists nd lwmkers hs been prticulrly tough. But the compny ppers to hve found new philosophicl footing under Mnby turning its focus from shows to conservtion, eduction nd non-niml-bsed ttrctions. The CEO, while nnouncing new prtnership with The Humne Society of the United Sttes nd five-yer, $50 million commitment to mrine niml rescue erlier this yer, described Se- World s shift s bold nd impctful this is bout doing the best thing for our orcs, our guests, our [employees] nd our compny. Emboldened by these industry decisions, ctivists, of course, won t be stopping with orcs nd elephnts, or with these two compnies. But whether the public s ttitude hs been influenced by ctivism or reflects genertionl evolution tied to our growing understnding of lrge, intelligent nimls (thnks prtly to the conservtion efforts of Feld nd SeWorld), opertors must keep their guests hppy. Chnge is business survivl. It is, in this cse, lso compssionte, forwrdlooking nd morl. Lmnn Cll (817) for dvertising, circultion or editoril inquiries Amusement Tody is n independent, privtelyowned trde newspper published 14 times per yer by Amusement Tody Inc., P.O. Box 5427, Arlington, Texs Print issues re $50 per yer nd re miled Presort Stndrd Postge (permit No. 2069) Pre-Pid Fort Worth, Texs. The entire contents of this newspper, nd its relted websites, re Copyrighted nd Trdemrked 2016 by Amusement Tody Inc., ll rights reserved. Address: P.O. Box 5427, Arlington, Texs , USA Deliveries: 2012 E. Rndol Mill Rod #203, Arlington, Texs 76011, USA Phone: (817) Fx: (817) 265-NEWS (6397) Web Sites: Founder, Publisher nd Editor Gry Slde (817) x3 gslde@musementtody.com Accounting & Clssified Smmy Piccol (817) x1 spiccol@musementtody.com Advertising Sue Nichols (615) snichols@musementtody.com Specil Projects & Editoril Jeffrey Seifert (817) x2 jseifert@musementtody.com Socil Medi & Editoril Den Lmnn dlmnn@musementtody.com Editoril Tim Bldwin tbldwin@musementtody.com B. Derek Shw (717) bdshw@musementtody.com Pm Sherborne (615) psherborne@musementtody.com Monthly Contributors Dn Feicht, Bubb Flint, Andrew Mellor, Richrd Munch, Jnice Witherow Print Issue & Extr Extr Desktop Edition Production John Robinson (513) AT@whrobinsoninc.com Website Mintennce Stcey Childress stcey@bkersfielddigitl.com Assocition Memberships AIMS Interntionl, IAAPA, IISF, IRT/iROC, NAARSO, NEAAPA, NJAA, OABA, PAPA, PACE, TTIA, WWA Industry Affilited Chrities Give Kids the World Villge, Morgn's Wonderlnd, Ntionl Roller Coster Museum & Archives

3 2 AT: MINUTE DRILL Working t Oks Amusement Prk is nturl fit for Emily McKy, who becme member of the Oks Prk Skting Club t the ge of eight. A competitive roller skter, Emily begn working t this historic Portlnd, Ore., musement prk when she ws just 14 yers old to help py for lessons nd competition fees nd continued s n employee in high school nd college to fund her eduction. Tody she is right t home overseeing the prk s dvertising nd specil events nd promoting the midwy gmes, rides nd food; plus miniture golf nd the renowned roller skting rink. Emily hs n undenible cn-do spirit nd energy nd pssion for life tht she loves shring with her two dughters. Title: Promotions nd Events Mnger. Number of yers in the industry: 21, which people never believe becuse I m 35, but relly, this is my 21st seson working for Oks Prk; 12th s the promotions nd events mnger. I ws hired on my 14th birthdy. Tht ws McKy the best birthdy present I ever got! Best thing bout the industry... The fun! I cn t imgine working somewhere I couldn t her kids yelling whoo hoo! out my window ll dy people re FUN. Fvorite musement ride... The Tilt--Whirl, cn t bet clssic, nd I dre you not to lugh while you re on it. Impossible! If I wsn t working in the industry, I would be A roller skting coch. I m ntionl chmpion figure roller skter, nd my kids, sister, nephews nd mother lso skte, so I m in the rink ny time I m not t the office. And our rink is here t Oks Prk so this truly is home. Biggest chllenge fcing our industry... The blncing ct between keeping costs resonble for the verge fmily while still being ble to present new nd dynmic ttrctions. The thing I like most bout musement/wter prk seson is The smell of cotton cndy in the ir, the sunny skies (which we don t see the other eight months of the yer in Portlnd), the thrill of knowing you just went on ride you lwys thought you d be too chicken to try. And most of ll just seeing fmilies relx nd enjoy hving more time with the kids. Fvorite expression: Seriously!? My kids sy tht I sy tht bout everything guess I m skeptic. Hve you ever missed out on something you relly wnted to do wht ws it? Doing semester brod in Belgium my junior yer in college. I ws set to go, but then met my future husbnd, so decided not to go. Four yers lter I ws divorced nd single prent to two girls. Of course I wouldn t trde the kids for nything but tht is missed opportunity tht still mkes me sd. Jnice Witherow Emily McKy, Oks Amusement Prk Emily McKy, Oks Amusement Prk If you could hve converstion with ny celebrity, who would it be? I m so not into pop culture. Does Perry Como count s celebrity nowdys? The best plce I hve ever vctioned is Ornge County, Clif. The wether. The beches. The prks. Absolute perfection. This lwys cheers me up My dughters Annie nd Susie. They wlk into the room nd it is like the sun comes out from behind cloud. They re 13 nd 11, nd brillint, beutiful, nd the best girls mm could sk for. Wht did you do lst yer tht you would never do this yer? Only committing hlfwy with my trining for my skting competition. I didn t put in the full effort or time tht I usully do, nd ws not stisfied with myself t ll. Tking this yer off, nd next yer, wtch out I m going to work for it! Fvorite flvor of ice crem: Pistchio. It s June! My go-to summer drink is I m Diet Pepsi girl. When I sy politics, you sy Our founding fthers wrned us bout the two- prty system. The subject I lest like tlking bout is Relity TV. I just don t get the ppel. The lst time I wore high heels ws I wer them ll the time. I m lmost 6 feet tll, so why not? If I could do nything when I come home from work, it would be Go roller skting with my dughters, which I get to do lucky me! In one word, my grge is Immculte. I don t do disorgnized. If you could hve home with the most beutiful view in the world, where would it be? At the summit of the Oregon Cost rnge ocen to the west, lpine peks nd old growth forests to the est sign me up! The song I m most tired of hering is Stressed Out. Enough lredy. Pick one: skiing in the mountins or relxing by the ocen? Relxing by the ocen. Fvorite junk food... I m n musement prk person so corn dogs, cotton cndy nd elephnt ers, of course! The movie I m most looking forwrd to seeing this summer is Fntstic Bests nd Where to Find Them. June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 3 THIS MONTH IN HISTORY Presented by the Ntionl Roller Coster Museum AT: Richrd Munch JUNE 1906: Hppylnd, the plnned musement prk in South Bech, Stten Islnd, New York, opened for the first time on June 30. The owners promoted the prk by stting the new enterprise ws bringing Coney Islnd to South Bech. With 50,000 electric lights strung round n rtificil lke, the 15-cre prk on Lower New York By contined ttrctions designed for both young nd old. The ride list included revolving electric tower, n L.A. Thompson Scenic Rilwy, Merry Go Round nd the Crnivl of Venice, with both vudeville nd thetricl shows. The ppel of the prk would lst until fire in September 1917, destroying portion of the Scenic Rilwy. In My 1919 nother fire wiped out the centrl portion of the property, lthough the reminder of the prk long the bordwlk my hve limped long until : The Sundy, June 11 Atlnt Constitution covered story of the possibility tht significnt new musement prk ws in the plnning stges t loction outside Mimi, Florid. In n rticle titled Ntion s Gretest Prk is Plnned, it ws reveled tht severl Mimi cpitlists were plnning to build plyground tht would be superior to nything found in Americ. Plns for building the complex ner the growing popultion of Mimi included building on trct of 2,170 cres djoining the fmous By View esttes, owned by G. F. Willis, n Atlnt businessmn. While the proposl clled for the new prk to be the gretest combined winter nd summer musement prk in the world, the project never mterilized. 1935: The collpse of rustic dnce pvilion took plce on typicl Sturdy fternoon t Croops Glen Prk, in Nnticoke, Pennsylvni, on June 30. Tking into considertion the mount of people involved, it is considered the lrgest trgedy ever recorded in n musement prk. With lrge group of specttors jmmed into the Croops Glen dnce hll for bby pgent, the uxiliry dnce floor broke in hlf under the weight of the crowd. The resulting mss of specttors, mostly womn nd children, fell or slid 30 feet into Hunlock Creek, the shllow strem tht rn next to the dnce pvilion. About 400 were cught in the collpse, injuring bout 250 persons. At lest four were hurt seriously, with 24 dmitted to the Nnticoke Hospitl for observtion. Ironiclly it ws the screms of those riding the prk s roller coster who hd cler view of the chotic mss of humnity on the strem bed, tht sent hundreds rushing to the scene of the ccident. Mirculously, the roof structure remined stnding, so nothing fell on top of the injured. 1953: Chrles L. Cooper of Los Angeles ws wrded ptent for roller-coster power system on June 16 tht ws designed to eliminte the snp in the pssenger's neck tht is experienced s the trin ttches to the incline chin, s it begins its climb up the first hill. With the new design, the drive equipment would tke firm hold of the trin while in the sttion nd would ccelerte the crs smoothly to norml speed from stnding strt. It would lso eliminte the need to run the chin constntly, getting more life out of the motor. It is not known if the Cooper Drive System ws ever used on ny coster lrger thn kiddie size ride, but similr propulsion systems hve been designed on steel costers, providing smooth trnsition t the strt of the chin lift. 1966: The populr indoor bot ride It s Smll World opened t Disneylnd in Anheim, Cliforni on My 28, 1966, nd enjoyed its first full month of opertion during June of tht yer. It begn s n ttrction to slute UNICEF nd the World's Children t the Pepsi Col Pvilion during the New York World s Fir, in Flushing Medows Prk, Queens, New York. Feturing severl hundred udio-nimtronic dolls in trditionl costumes representing vrious globl cultures, It s Smll World would become s much prt of modern culture s nything else Disney hs ever creted. Hving undergone number of renovtions over the decdes, the ride ws originlly creted by WED Enterprises t Wlt Disney Studios in Burbnk, Cliforni, with Arrow Development designing nd mnufcturing the bot nd ride system. Tody versions of the bot-bsed drk ride (nd its indelible theme song) now operte in Disney prks in Orlndo, Hong Kong, Pris nd Tokyo. Possibly more importntly, the month of June 1966 would be one of the best ttended months in prk history.

4 4 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016

5 LOUISVILLE, Ky. Ed Hrt, president nd CEO, Kentucky Kingdom, gve brief sttement to invited medi nd guests April 28, nnouncing the completion of three-yer prk renovtion project s well s officilly opening the fcility's fifth coster, Storm Chser. The Storm Chser coster, built by Rocky Mountin Construction (RMC), is the second coster built t Kentucky Kingdom in the lst three yers since the fcility reopened under the new opertionl entity of which Hrt is t the helm. Hrt is former Kentucky Kingdom owner from 1988 to The prk ws originlly opened in 1987 by Dllsbsed compny tht went bnkrupt fter one yer. "I think everyone would gree tht we hve delivered on our promise," Hrt told ttendees eger to bord the newest coster, looming 100- feet tll behind him during the April press conference. "I m hppy nd grtified, Kentucky Kingdom is bck." The investment group led by Hrt ws wrded the lese in 2013 by the Kentucky Stte Fir Bord to operte the prk locted on the firgrounds. The prk ws shuttered in 2009 by Six Flgs Corportion mid bnkruptcy proceedings. The greement between the investment group nd the fir bord stted Hrt nd his group would commit $43.5 million over three yers. "In fct," Hrt sid, "we hve spent totl of $53 million, exceeding our commitment by $10 million." The new 2016 highlight, Storm Chser, incorportes RMC's unique nd ptented IBox trck technology, supported by steel superstructure. Prk officils tout the coster s hving ride "s smooth s glss, yet lso very June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 5 Kentucky Kingdom dds Storm Chser, Angry Birds: The Ride Prk's Horticulture Deprtment dds QR codes to 100 species of plnts for dded guest informtion; third-yer phse in of outer mrket mrketing, dvertising now reches Indinpolis nd Nshville AT: Pm Sherborne psherborne@musementtody.com fst nd intense." "Our IBox trck technology is unique," sid Fred Grubb, RMC founder. "We strt with flt sheets of steel, the pieces re cut nd then the trck is welded into 3-D shpe. It is not bent like pipe trck. This unique mnufcturing process is wht mkes our costers so smooth." The IBox trck lso llows for the ddition of thrill elements not often found on other costers. One of those thrill elements incorported in Storm Chser is the 10-story brrel roll drop from the first lift. Storm Chser lso punches 12 irtime moments, three inversions nd two overbnks. "The complete brrel roll off of the 100-foot drop is unique to North Americ," Hrt sid. "It is my understnding tht it is the first one in North Americ." Grubb dded: "It ws Storm Chser's thrills begin immeditely fter leving the chin lift's 100-foot-high turn when the trin dives into compete brrel roll to begin the trek cross the 2,744-footlong course. Storm Chser ws supplied by Rocky Mountin Construction. Irvine Ondrey Engineering provided the sfety control system. AT/GARY SLADE 4See STORM CHASER, pge 6

6 6 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 STORM CHASER Continued from pge 5 plesure working with Kentucky Kingdom's tem on this exciting one-of--kind project." Irvine Ondrey Engineering (IOE) provided the control systems. Anne Irvine, IOE's CEO, sid the project debuts the compny's ltest technology nd is the first experience IOE hs hd with the coster's builder. IOE ws proud to bring the ltest in control sfety technology to Storm Chser tht will ensure sfe nd efficient performnce for yers to come," Irvine sid. "The ride ws our first project prtnering with RMC, nd while there cn be lerning curve with new client of mtching their specs to our equipment nd system designs, the crew t Rocky Mountin mde the process esy nd enjoyble. "Fred Grubb leds hrdworking, honest, nd downto-erth tem of people, committed to creting qulity rides, which deliver some of the most exciting coster experiences seen yet," she sid. "Storm Chser is n ddictive nd unique coster tht will leve you lredy crving nother ride before you ve even come to stop bck in the sttion." Irvine sid it is relentless design, " true irtime best, tht gives you no time to think before you're lredy flying into nother intense element. Even before Kentucky Kingdom opened for the seson on April 30, Julie Johnson, the prk's director of sles nd mrketing, sid USA Tody hd nmed Storm Chser one FAST FACTS Storm Chser Kentucky Kingdom, Louisville, Kentucky Height/100 feet Length/2,744 feet Speed/52 mph Ride time/ 1 minute, 40 seconds Fetures/ 13 irtime moments, 2 inversions, 2 overbnks Cpcity/960 pph Supplier Rocky Mountin Const. Sfety System Irvine Ondrey Engineering Riders enjoy the inversion nd irtime thills on Storm Chser. Fr right, Angry Birds: The Ride film is showing in the 5-D Cinem this seson. COURTESY KENTUCKY KINGDOM of the top 10 most nticipted costers of the yer nd the Los Angeles Times included it on its list of top new rides for "And, for the second yer in row, Fodor's Trvel listed Kentucky Kingdom s one of the top 10 best musement prks to visit," Hrt sid. More 2016 ttrctions; expnded outer mrkets Hrt nd his tem, however, know "not everyone is rider." So, they hve included other new elements this yer. "For exmple, in dditionl to Storm Chser, we're introducing n exciting, fmily-friendly film, Angry Birds: The Ride, t our 5-D Cinem," Johnson sid, in lte April. Also new this yer is n inititive undertken by the prk's Horticulture Mnger Json Anderson. His deprtment hs lbeled more thn 100 species of perennils nd ornmentl grsses, more thn 20 cultivrs nd nnuls, nd mny specimen of coniferous nd deciduous trees. Ech lbel includes QR code tht cn be scnned with smrt phones, linking them to Kentucky Kingdom Grdens where they cn find photos nd detiled informtion bout their selections. Also dded this yer were new gmes, food nd beverge loctions, nd retils shops. "And, we've instlled 25 percent more seting throughout the prk," Johnson sid. "This is in ddition to the 700 sets vilble in our Aqu Theter, home of the populr Se Lion Splsh show nd the 5,000 sets vilble in our specil events ren." The completion of this three-yer commitment doesn't necessrily men the completion of expnsion, dditions nd further improvements to Kentucky Kingdom. There re still 20 cres tht cn be used for expnsion. "Sixty-three cres hve been developed now," Johnson sid. "We still hve 20 cres not including prking. We hve 19,000 prking spces." But, with the completion of the initil commitment, Kentucky Kingdom hs This seson Kentucky Kingdom hs introduced QR code lbeling on more thn 100 species of perennils nd ornmentl grsses nd more thn 20 nnuls nd trees. Guests my scn the codes on their smrt phone to be tken to the Kentucky Kingdom Grdens website where they find full detils of the plnt or flower they re looking t. AT/GARY SLADE lunched itself into surrounding mrkets in big wy. According to Johnson, lst yer's ttendnce ws bout 600,000 with 50,000 coming from outside mrkets in nd round Indinpolis nd Nshville. They hope these numbers will increse. Beginning the first of My, Hrt sid Kentucky Kingdom's dvertising ws to show up on 60 billbords in Nshville nd 80 in Indinpolis. A lrge push into rdio nd television lso ws initited. Since 2014: rides reopened; wter prk size doubled In the first yer under Hrt's ledership, Lightning Run, Hyper GT-X coster by Chnce Rides opened. In ddition, Kentucky Kingdom doubled the size of its wter prk Hurricne By. Three new wter slide complexes were dded s were 12,000-squre-foot wve lgoon nd n dventure river, lzy river-type ride but is much fster. Also in 2014, prk officils re-opened the wooden coster Thunder Run, the Mile High Flls gint spill ride nd the 150-foot Gint Wheel, s well s the remining rides nd ttrctions. Prk to support NRCMA Showing his support for preserving musement history, Kentucky Kingdom President nd CEO Ed Hrt hs nnounced tht this summer the prk will donte $1.00 to the Ntionl Roller Coster Museum & Archives from every shirt sold in The Little Shop of Screms. The shop, gered to enthusists nd prk fns, lso fetures "Notble Moments in History" wll disply presented by Americn Coster Enthusists. AT/GARY SLADE

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8 8 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Phobi Pher lunches into Lke Compounce Fifth Sky Rocket II lunch ride for Premier Rides AT: B. Derek Shw BRISTOL, Conn. Kicking off the 170th seson for the New Englnd themer is Phobi Pher, Premier Rides Sky Rocket II model feturing n LSM (Liner Synchronous Motor) mgnetic lunch. At 11:00.m., My 7, dozen specificlly selected riders were the first to experience the ltest in-line twisting, FAST FACTS Nme/Prk Phobi Pher Lke Compounce & Crocodile Cove Bristol, Conn. Type Sky Rocket II LSM lunch with in-line twist nd non-inverting loop Height/Speed/Length/ Totl ride cycle length 150 feet/63 mph/ 850 feet/950 feet of trck is trveled upon Cycle time/pph 45 seconds/ pph (optimum) 380 pph currently Specil fetures Three lunch elements High-speed sttion experience; 150-foot, high-speed inversion Ride vehicle One, two cr, 12 pssenger trin Footprint 215 feet by 62 feet Color Scheme Purple support structure; ornge trck with lime green trin Height Restriction 52 inches Ride Supplier Premier Rides, Inc., Bltimore Md. Ride Erectors Mrtin & Vleminckx Rides, LLC, Hines City, Fl. Public Opening My 7, 2016 Lke Compounce Generl Mnger Jerry Brick stnds in front of his new multidimensionl Phobi Pher Coster sign. The sign, like mny t the prk, re from J3 Design in Elb, N.Y. AT/GARY SLADE hertline loop roller coster. The ride is the lrgest single ride investment ever dded to the historic prk. Amusement Tody spoke with Jerry Brick, generl mnger of Lke Compounce & Crocodile Cove, bout the fifth roller coster t the prk. Brick ws sked bout the plnning process tht took plce for the ride. About yer nd hlf go we strted coster tlk with mnufcturers nd picked Premier Rides to do the ride. On July 1 we led teser cmpign to introduce the ride nd nnounced it on July 10, Soon fterwrds the Huss Enterprise cme out. We surveyed nd strted foundtions in September nd just fter Jnury 1, Mrtin & Vleminckx strted to erect the ride. Testing begn in April. Commenting on why this type of roller coster ws selected, Brick sid, We were looking for high impct coster tht would fit in tight spot. We were lso looking to be the first triple lunch in New Englnd. The prk chose Premier Rides, s they re known for lunch costers tht offer smooth nd fst ride experience. Phobi Pher fetures triple lunch with bck-ndforth ction on the trck until it finlly lunches upwrd t 63 mph. The 850-foot-long ride fetures twisting hertline inversion t the pex of the 15-story (150-foot-tll) structure long with noninverting loop. The rest of the quick ride fetures steep drop with tight turns, grvitydefying rolls nd 90-degree swoop turn to the sttion. Phobi Pher concludes with the trin going through the Lke Compounce's new Phobi Pher Coster, from Premier Rides, tkes riders 150 feet up in the ir during threelunch thrill ride t 63 mph. Right, the prk uses LED ground lighting to enhnce the purple support structure nd ornge trck t night. Below, AT Publisher Gry Slde nd Premier Rides' Jim Sey enjoyed "Phobi" moment. COURTESY LAKE COMPOUNCE sttion, then it is lunched bckwrd before coming to finl stop. The ride does ll this in under minute. The coster's tight footprint is locted on the bluff behind the first turn of the Wildct roller coster nd in front of the Gint Wheel. Phobi Pher cn be seen from nywhere in the prk nd round the neighboring town s well. The entire re hs trnsformed to blend the modern with the history nd trdition Lke Compounce hs worked hrd to keep, sid Brick. The first ride on opening dy ws exclusively for people chosen vi n online contest bsed on their own fers (fer of costers, heights, clowns, chinsws, butterflies nd more). They were lso wrded Seson Pss for tckling (or ttempting to tckle) their fer. The ride nme is n interesting story s well. Brick explined, My wife, Mry Beth, (she lso nmed Boulder Dsh ) cme up with the nme, nd when she told me, I responded the fer of wht nd she sid exctly. So we plyed it on the fer of: speed, heights, inversions, nd of course, roller costers. Phobi Pher is the fifth Premier Rides Sky Rocket II model in the world. Six Flgs Discovery Kingdom, Vllejo, C. debuted Supermn Ultimte Flight in 2012, followed by Sky Screm t Holidy Prk, Hssloch, Germny; Tempesto t Busch Grdens Willimsburg, V. nd Zombie Ride t Bosque Mágico, Gudlupe, Mexico. Lke Compounce hs been in opertion since 1846, mking it the oldest continuously-operting musement prk in North Americ. Bkken (Klmpenborg, Denmrk) is the oldest operting prk in the world, hving opened in Wildct gets off-seson sttion work BRISTOL, Conn. The 1927 Herb Schmeck designed, Phildelphi Toboggn Compny-built, Wildct roller coster tht ws rebuilt in 1986 by Chrlie Dinn nd Curtis Summers received some ongoing offseson work. As Prk Mnger Jerry Brick explins, Gret Costers Interntionl, Inc. hd done some work the pst few yers on Wildct nd this pst yer we built new trnsfer trck, in-house. Other work ws done on the sttion nd brkes. There is only one more turn to re-trck. However, ny dditionl work on the coster in the next offseson hs not yet been determined. Mgnetic brkes were dded to 2,746-footlong, 85-foot-tll Wildct for the 2007 seson. Derek Shw

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10 10 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 INTERNATIONAL Pultons Prk debuts Lost Kingdom re Pge 12 / Wrner Bros. Abu Dhbi underwy Pge 14 Tivoli Copenhgen debuts unique Condor 2GH from Huss AT: Andrew Mellor mellor@musementtody.com COPENHAGEN, Denmrk The world fmous Tivoli musement prk in the center of Copenhgen opened for its 174th summer seson in erly April. Denmrk s most visited ttrction welcomed 4.7 million visitors in 2015, 75 percent of whom were Dnes, who cme to smple the numerous rides nd ttrctions on offer s well s the city s lrgest collection of resturnts nd wide rnge of concerts, theter performnces nd events, ll set mong unique grdens nd historicl surroundings. For 2016, Tivoli hs introduced new ride from Germn mnufcturer Huss Prk Attrctions in the shpe of Ftmorgn, Huss Condor 2GH. Stnding t totl height of 45 meters/148 feet (gondols re t 30 meters/98 feet) providing wht the prk describes s threein-one experience, it is the first such ride to open nywhere in the world nd offers guests the choice of two different ride experiences in different types of pssenger gondols, providing gret view of the city or hirrising merry go round ride. The third element is t the bse of Ftmorgn where children s mini bumper crs hve been dded nd the investment in the new re is DKK50 million ($7.8 million). Music is lso huge prt of the entertinment offering t Tivoli throughout the seson, with free dily music nd entertinment on stges round the prk. Every dy during the summer too, visitors cn enjoy music nd culture performed live t venues including the Open Air stge, the Pvilion Stge nd the Tivoli Concert Hll. And every genre is represented, from hip hop to musicls nd clssicl msterpieces. The Tivoli concert hll will ensure clssicl music cn be herd in Copenhgen right through the summer. Str soprno Srh Coburn, Wgner div Irene Theorin, Grmmy winner Emnuel Ax nd one of the best ensembles in the world, the Budpest Festivl Orchestr, re just few of the highlights. Tivoli Summer Clssic festivl strted on My 15 nd continues until September 19 nd is series of 65 concerts, 22 of which re ticketed, seven re free to Tivoli visitors nd 36 cost DKK 50 ($7.80), pyble t the entrnce to the Tivoli Concert Hll. Those tking prt include the Tivoli Copenhgen Phil, full symphony orchestr consisting of 70 musicins (in winter the orchestr is known s the Copenhgen Phil). On weekends, the young musicins of the Tivoli Youth Gurd ply music s they prde through the Grdens while on every night of the week visitors cn see the Tivoli Illumintions show on the Lke. On Sturdy nights, firework disply lights up the sky ner the Concert Hll. At the Pntomime Thetre specil kinds of pntomime tht were once plyed ll over Europe cn be found, where bllet nd comedy go hnd in hnd, while the thetre lso shows true bllets Above, the new Ftmorgn ttrction t Tivoli Copehhgen fetures two gondols with trditionl Condor-like setings nd two gondols with new outwrd fcing sets (right) for more thrilling ride experience. The $7.8 million ttrction tkes riders up to height of 30 meters (98 feet. Bottom right, wide rnge of musicl entertinment is provided throughout the seson t Tivoli Copenhgen. In 2015 the prk welcomed 4.7 million visitors, of which 75 percent were considered locls. COURTESY TIVOLI creted specificlly for Tivoli s own bllet compny. On June 25, the curtin will rise on the first performnce of Cinderell, choreogrphed by Yuri Possokhov to music by Oh Lnd. The scenery nd costumes re by Denmrk s Queen Mrgrethe.

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12 12 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Pultons Prk debuts stunning Lost Kingdom re AT: Andrew Mellor ROMSEY, Englnd Pultons Prk in Hmpshire, in the south of Englnd, hs opened stunning new dinosur themed re for the 2016 seson clled Lost Kingdom. Well-known for hving introduced the hugely successful Pepp Pig World in 2011 which sw visitor numbers increse drmticlly, lthough not bsed on specific IP, Lost Kingdom is set to dd mssively once gin to visit to Pultons. Crefully designed within four cre re to crete truly immersive experience, it is imed t wide cross section of ges from three to 12 nd their fmilies nd brings nother superb new re to the prk. Msterpln nd conceptul theming designs were crried out by RMA Themed Attrctions, with ll the themed rock work being supplied by Rockrt. Feturing six rides in totl, the hedline-grbbers will inevitbly be the two Vekombuilt roller costers, the Flight of the Pterosur nd Velocirptor. The former, U.K. first, is hevily themed, suspended fmily coster which winds its wy in nd out of prehistoric rock work s it tkes riders on journey long its 395 meter (1,295 foot) trck. Its tllest point is 20 meters (65 feet) nd it reches top speed of 34 mph (55 kmh). The ltter is custom designed Vekom fmily Boomerng feturing world first trck design. The ride is 200 meters (656 feet) in length nd reches speeds of up to 37 mph (60 kmh). A third coster, suitble for the youngest of visitors, lso fetures in the new re, this being n existing Zierer Tivoli coster which hs been given mkeover to crete the Dino Chse. Other rides include the Dinosur Tour Co. trck ride from Metllbu Emmeln feturing dinosurs, wterflls, exotic plnts nd host of other themed elements; the Boulder Dsh, Demolition Derby from Zmperl; nd the Temple Heights, Zmperl Mgic Crpet tht gin ws lredy in opertion t the prk nd hs undergone suitble trnsformtion to crete its new guise. But it s not just bout the rides. Also included is the Little Explorers dventure ply prk, Pultons Prk's new Lost Kingdom re offers vriery of new excitement rnging from two new Vekom costers (bove nd right), to this Zmperl-built Boulder Dsh demolition derby ride (bottom right) nd the Alive Dinosur Encounter llows visitors to get up close with the prk s roming dinosur (bottom). COURTESY PAULTONS PARK the Discovery Tril sensory bordwlk, the Alive Dinosur Encounter where guests get to meet Pultons own roming dinosur nd totl of 27 nimtronic dinosurs throughout the re. Two F&B outlets nd retil store complete the list. Richrd Mncey, mnging director of Pultons Prk, sid: Lost Kingdom is going to be very specil. It is truly unique experience where fmilies cn be thrown bck millions of yers to see, her nd feel prehistoric world. Children nd dults of ll ges re fscinted by dinosurs nd I think the mzing world we ve creted here t Pultons Prk nd the rides within it will thrill both children nd dults like. Asin Attrctions Expo shtters exhibit spce record ALEXANDRIA, V. Asin Attrctions Expo (AAE) 2016's trde show floor continues to grow t record-breking rte with 11,500-net-squre-meters of exhibit spce reserved by more thn 350 compnies. The strong interest by interntionl mnufcturer nd supplier compnies to showcse their new products nd services is reflective of the growth of the ttrctions industry in the Asi-Pcific region nd Chin specificlly. AAE 2016 tkes plce June t the Shnghi New Interntionl Exhibition Centre in Chin with the show floor open June The event is the region's premier globl conference nd trde show for the ttrctions industry nd is owned nd produced by the Interntionl Assocition of Amusement Prks nd Attrctions (IAAPA). Evidence of the ttrctions industry's incresed populrity in the region is shown by the growth of AAE since the event lst took plce in Shnghi in At the time, the exhibit floor spnned 2,528 net squre meters with 128 exhibiting compnies. According to the IAAPA Globl Theme nd Amusement Prk Outlook Report for , mjor prk openings nd rising investment will continue to drive the mrket over the next five yers nd nnul ttendnce is expected to rech 540 million in In 2014, Asi Pcific pssed North Americ to become the lrgest region in terms of ttendnce entertining 390 million guests. Chin specificlly still hs one of the fstest-growing economies compred with other countries. In 2014, per cpit theme prk spending reched $12.9 billion. Previously, Asin Attrctions Expo 2015 in Hong Kong SAR bosted the lrgest show floor in the event's history with 9,432 net squre meters of exhibition spce.

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14 14 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Construction underwy on $1 billion Wrner Bros. World Abu Dhbi Opening set for 2018, world s first Wrner Bros. brnded hotel to follow ABU DHABI, United Arb Emirtes Mirl nd Wrner Bros. recently nnounced tht Wrner Bros. themed destintion is set to open in Abu Dhbi. Situted on Ys Islnd, one of the world s leding business, leisure nd entertinment destintions, the development will include the only Wrner Bros. brnded hotel longside the immersive theme prk. The first phse of the project, Wrner Bros. World Abu Dhbi, is set to open in Construction is underwy nd rides re in production. Wrner Bros. World Abu Dhbi will bring together stories nd chrcters from the studio's unprlleled portfolio of DC Comics Super Heroes universe including Btmn, Supermn nd Wonder Womn s well s Wrner Bros. crtoons such s Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo nd Tom nd Jerry. Guests of ll ges will be ble to step inside Gothm City nd Metropolis, nd experience the crtoon worlds of Construction is underwy on the new $1 billion Wrner Bros. World on Ys Islnd in Abu Dhbi, U.A.E. When completed, the project will lso include the world's first Wrner Bros. brnded hotel. The project is prtnership between Mirl nd Wrner Bros. COURTESY WARNER BROS. WORLD Looney Tunes, Hnn-Brber nd more, ll under one roof. Locted longside the world s first Ferrri brnded theme prk, Ferrri World Abu Dhbi, nd the iconic Emirti themed meg wter prk, Ys Wterworld, Wrner Bros. World Abu Dhbi will help Ys Islnd tke its nnul visitor tlly from 25 million in 2015, to 30 million in 2018, reinforcing Ys Islnd s leding position s home to ultimte leisure nd entertinment experiences. His Excellency Mohmed Khlif Al Mubrk, Chirmn, Mirl, sid: It is incredibly exciting to nnounce tht we re bringing the iconic Wrner Bros. brnd to Ys Islnd. Mirl s investment in the Wrner Bros. World Abu Dhbi theme prk is estimted t 1 billion dollrs nd is milestone in the emirte s journey to put Abu Dhbi on the globl mp nd become one of the world s leding tourist destintions. Kevin Tsujihr, chirmn nd CEO, Wrner Bros. Entertinment commented, Wrner Bros. hs been entertining udiences for more thn 90 yers with the world s most-loved chrcters nd frnchises. Working with our prtners t Mirl, we ll bring this expertise to Ys Islnd, one of the world s leding entertinment destintions, to crete fullyinterctive, innovtive nd unique experience tht will llow fns of ll ges to experience the most exciting spects of Wrner Bros. in completely immersive environment. Mohmed Abdullh Al Zbi, CEO of Mirl, sid: Ys Islnd will continue looking to expnd on its offerings for its visitors through strtegic prtnerships with world leding orgniztions. The Wrner Bros. themed destintion will be mjor step in mintining Ys Islnd s momentum nd is expected to crete more thn 1000 jobs for the Emirte. We t Mirl re very excited to see Wrner Bros. World Abu Dhbi tke shpe over the coming months. Mirl is developing Wrner Bros. World Abu Dhbi under license from Wrner Bros. Consumer Products.

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16 16 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 WATER PARKS & RESORTS JW Mrriott Hill Country debuts wter prk Pge 18 / ProSlide expnds Europen office Pge 20 Thilnd s Rmyn Wter Prk opens; WhiteWter key supplier AT: Jeffrey Seifert jseifert@musementtody.com PATTAYA, Thilnd Rmyn Wter Prk, in Thilnd s Silver Lke re, opened to the public on My 5, With multiple slides nd ttrctions from WhiteWter West nd spnning 184,000 squre meters, Rmyn is climing to be the lrgest wter prk in Thilnd. The new prk is within the Silver Lke re just est of Ptty. Locted on the est cost of Thilnd on the Gulf of Thilnd, Ptty hs become populr tourist destintion with its mssive by re providing two principl bech fronts. Ptty drws more thn 10 million visitors nnully. The Silver Lke re fetures nturl lkes, hills, vineyrds, wineries, shrines, beutiful scenery nd brek from the hustle nd bustle of nerby Ptty. We re plesed to offer new nd totlly unique ttrction to visitors to Ptty nd to locl residents in Bngkok nd Southest Thilnd. RmYn is more thn just Thilnd s biggest wter prk, it is n experience of 21 wterslides, some of them totlly unique, which spn from high thrills to gentle swings. Aprt from the mzing nture round us, there re so mny other things to experience so tht one dy will probbly not be enough to explore ll ttrctions, commented Johnnes Pttermnn, mrketing nd sles director, RmYn Wter Prk. Rmyn broke ground bck in November In trditionl Thi fshion, Buddhist monks were on hnd t the ceremony to give the new venture their blessing. Themed to long-forgotten Asin city, the wter prk ws designed by Hssell Architects, n interntionl design firm with studios in Austrli, Chin, Singpore nd the United Kingdom. WhiteWter West provided n exciting lineup of ttrctions including Dueling Mster Blster tht hs thrill seekers rcing ginst ech other. Other slides ppeling to drenline junkies include WhiteWter s AquLoop nd Speed Slide, both with AquDrop cpsules. Occupying the sme tower s the AquLoop is four-lne Whizzrd mt rcer. A second slide complex fetures the bckwrd nd forwrd Boomerngo long with four rft slides in different configurtions. A flume-throughflume ttrction hs bright red nd purple open Fmily Rft Ride pssing through the belly of tel nd green double Python wter slide. The intertwining slides not only mke for compct footprint, but up the nte on the coolness fctor from the ground nd most certinly for riders of both slides. Guests redy to tke brek from sliding cn pick up bord nd test their skills on Double FlowRider. Those looking for less intense experience will enjoy the dul wve pool with more thn 120 meters of bechfront seting nd the relxing motion of simulted wves. In the middle of the wve pool stnds n islnd stge for live entertinment or specil events. The performnce stge includes n overhed cnopy nd mssive LCD screen. A lzy river is nother wy to relx, s guests flot through wterflls, cves, geysers, fountins nd two smller wve pools. Those two wve res lso provide more lounge chir seting. Behind the min wve pool is relxtion pool with swim-up br nd specillydesigned teen ctivity pool. Cbns for rent will dot the property nd n islnd in the middle of nturl lke is home to severl VIP cbns. Tht indigenous lke with smll river provides nturl seprtion for the kid s re, which is equipped with Aqu- Ply RinFortress, splsh pd, nd kids slides including Kiddie Rttler. The prk uses only crystl cler drinking wter from its own wells nd stte of the rt filtrtion system will keep the wter clen nd pure. Rmyn combines mny surprising design elements of n ncient Asin city, including nturl islnd with n iconic sculpture, rel elephnts, which consumers cn feed, nd even typicl Asin floting mrket locted in the center of the prk. Privte cbns for relxtion, qulity food nd beverge offerings s well s exciting entertinment events will mke visit to Rmyn perfect setting for creting long lsting fmily memories. The Rmyn Wter Prk prk sits within the beutiful hills nd nturl lkes of the Silverlke re. The AquLoop nd tube slides re seen bove on the right side of the prk. Below, dul wve pool with center stge will help the prk ccommodte its expected 2 million guests per yer. Bottom, n AquPly Rinfortress is fun for the entire fmily. The prk opened on My 5. COURTESY WHITEWATER

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18 18 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 WATER PARKS MARKET PLACE WHAT DO YOU SELL FOR FUN? GET A FREE SAMPLE t or cll Big Squirt! Inc Torrnce Blvd., Ste. D Torrnce, CA Keep our wter prk industry strong! Buy products nd services from these suppliers. The six new privte cbns include lounge chirs t the edge of the pool on ledge, in six inches of wter, providing privte relxtion. Food nd beverge service is lso included long with picnic pckge, nd snck service. The crfted wooden structures offer shde nd privcy. COURTESY JW MARRIOTT JW Mrriott Hill Country Resort debuts wter prk dditions AT: Jeffrey Seifert jseifert@musementtody.com SAN ANTONIO, Texs JW Mrriott Sn Antonio Hill Country Resort & Sp opened, in Mrch, $16 million expnsion to its existing River Bluff Wter Experience. The ddition increses the wter prk from six cres to nine with severl new ttrctions. The expnsion, designed by EDSA nd Blur Workshop, ws built to increse ctivity options nd enhnce the River Bluff Wter Experience. WhiteWter West supplied the two new wter slides. Cnyon Ok Twister, WhiteWter Flt Line Loop with AquDrop cpsule, hs guests swirling through trnslucent blue tube just like twister. Hill Country Plunge, s the nme implies, is n open-ir body slide, with 47- foot stright drop. A bech-entry swimming pool offers plenty of shllow re to splsh round in, or guests cn venture further into the 130-foot long pool by wlking grdul slope to the deeper end. Adjcent to the pool is new sndy bech re where guests cn lounge on the sndy shores, or try their hnd t building snd cstle. The finl wter menity ddition is stte of the rt whirlpool sp tht cn set up to 20 people in the relxing, bubbling, wrm wter. Other dditions include the River Bend Pvilion tht The new body slides up the thrill fctor for both teens nd dults. Guests cn choose stright shot, ner free fll or twister-like experience from the 47-foot tower. COURTESY JW MARRIOTT cn be used to host corporte gtherings, receptions, celebrtions even weddings. The pvilion cn host 200 guests seted t round tbles, or 400 in theter-style setting. Gtherings cn lso be held on the new 16,000 squrefoot event lwn covered with rtificil turf. The lwn spce expnds to n outdoor stge nd grill re dding 2,000 more squre feet of spce. A 22-foot by 32-foot outdoor stge cn be used s venue on its own, or s stge for entertinment for the lwn nd/or pvilion. Together the lwn, pvilion nd stge cn ccommodte up to 1,200 ttendees. The new expnsion lso offers n increse in menities lredy populr t the existing prk n dditionl 230 pool side lounge chirs, six more privte cbns nd second fire pit for nightly s more mking. The River Bluff Experience is for exclusive use by guests of the JW Mrriott Sn Antonio Hill Country resort & Sp. The resort is locted northest of down town Sn Antonio, just 12 miles from Sn Antonio Interntionl Airport. The 1,000-room resort is surrounded by 600 cres of picturesque, rolling, ok-covered hills. The resort s ctivity pools re heted during the cold wether sesons nd remin open ll yer long. The River Bluff Wter Prk ttrctions re closed when the temperture dips below 50 degrees. At the JW Mrriott Sn Antonio Hill Country Resort & Sp we believe in welcoming guests with wrm hert nd treting them to the best in clss service, experience nd menities tht they deserve, sid Arthur Coulombe, generl mnger, JW Mrriott Sn Antonio. The completion of the River Bluff Wter Experience expnsion nd dditionl event nd meeting spce provides our guests with enhnced recretion experiences nd menities to enjoy during their sty with us. We look forwrd to offering our trvelers the ultimte in Texs hospitlity nd unique experiences when visiting the resort.

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20 20 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Hwiin Flls no longer in White Settlement, Texs AT: Jeffrey Seifert WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texs Just two yers fter opening, the city of White Settlement sent notice to Hrvest Fmily Entertinment Texs LP (HFE) tht it ws terminting the lnd lese it hd to operte Hwiin Flls wter prk on city property. Hwiin Flls White Settlement, opened in 2014, s the first North Texs wterprk / dventure prk combo, dding ropes course, zip lines, rppelling wlls, 20,000 squre-foot indoor rcde, nd n event center to the typicl wter prk offerings. As with mny Hwiin Flls projects, the prks re public-privte prtnership, with cities contributing funds or other incentives to hve wter prk built on city-owned lnd. The White Settlement Prk cost $17 million to build. Typiclly, Hwiin Flls borrows tht money from the city then pys it bck through its long-term lese greement. The City of White Settlement terminted the greement on April 21, fter just two sesons. According to the city, Hwiin Flls hd been in rrers on its lese pyments. The city determined tht it ws unlikely tht delinquent lese pyments would be mde ny time in the ner future, nd tht future lese pyments were unlikely to be pid s scheduled. Hwiin Flls hd lredy sold seson psses to the prk nd hd hired nd strted trining employees for the upcoming seson. The compny hs indicted tht seson psses re good t ll Hwiin Flls prks, nd it will try to relocte current employees into its existing loctions. The City of White Settlement hs ssumed control of the fcility nd is fst t work removing signge nd prepring the prk for the upcoming seson. Plns cll for the estblishment of new nme nd to hve the prk open s soon s possible. The city is currently directing questions regrding seson psses, tickets, nd event bookings to Hwiin Flls, instructing customers tht Hwiin Flls still exists but Hwiin Flls White Settlement does not. The City of White Settlement website sttes: "The city is dmnt to see the prk fcility grow, provide sesonl employment for our youth nd other professionls, s well s ensure excellent customer service during nd fter the chngeover." Hrvest Fmily Entertinment opertes six fmily-friendly wter prks in ccordnce with Christin principles under the Hwiin Flls brnd. The compny ws founded by Dvid Busch, Horizon Fmily Holdings LLC, who hd experience building multiple wter prks in severl sttes. He cme to Texs to strt more community-bsed entertinment compny. The first Hwiin Flls Wter Prk open in Grlnd, Texs, in HFE hs hd finncil difficulties in the pst resulting in the sle of the first two prks in Grlnd nd The Colony to CNL Properties. CNL Properties leses the prks bck to HFE to operte s Hwiin Flls prks. ProSlide Technologies nnounces Europen office expnsion OTTAWA, Ontrio, Cnd ProSlide hs nnounced new ddition to the ProSlide Europe tem. Bsed out of Amsterdm, Geert vn Heugten will step into the role of business development/ccount mnger for Europe. Given the strong growth tht we re seeing in Estern Europe, we believe tht now is perfect time to expnd our sles tem, sid Lrs Lenders, vice president of business development. We expect this growth to ccelerte in the coming yers, nd wnt to ensure the best service for our clients. Geert hs recent experience in the Europen theme prk industry, hving held roles with Merlin Entertinments nd Holidy Prk Kownty. Geert grduted from the Bred University of Applied Sciences with Bchelor s of Business Administrtion specilizing in Attrctions & Theme Prk Mngement. Bred is one of just three leisure expertise centers in the world nd is ffilited with IAAPA, TEA nd severl big-nme leisure entertinment compnies such s Efteling nd Disney. NEWSSPLASH COMPILED: Jeffrey L. Seifert jseifert@musementtody.com Currituck County, North Crolin, is hoping to build wter prk to sng tourist dollrs s they pss through the county. U.S. 158/Crtoke Highwy is common route for tourists heding to the populr Outer Bnks beches. The county's plnning commission bord hs given its pprovl for the proposed OBX wter prk design by Aqutic Development Group for n 80-cre site on U.S. 158 just north of the city of Hrbinger. Residents will still hve n opportunity to voice their views t n upcoming commissioners meeting. Most residents recognize the benefit of wter prk, lthough some hve expressed concerns over incresed trffic. Before pproving the wter prk, the Plnning Bord pproved some rezoning chnges to llow the business to operte in tht loction nd lso wived height restriction llowing the prk to build 110-foot wterslide structure. In ddition to wterslides, plns show lzy river, FlowRider or other surfing simultor, wve pool, resturnt, shops, chnging fcilities nd dorm for sesonl employees. The City of Crlsbd, Cliforni, opened new community wter prk on Memoril Dy Weekend. The new prk fetures multiple slides, pool, lzy river, splsh pd nd bthhouse. The modertely sized prk is built to ccommodte mximum of people. No food stnds or concessions were dded, but there re picnic res for people who bring their own food. Although designed for residents with generl dmission of $5 per person, the prk will be open to everyone. Mt. Olympus Wter & Theme Prk in Wisconsin Dells is dding mssive swimming pool to the resort. The Gret Pool of Delphi is $4-million, 27,000-squre-foot pool tht holds 500,000 gllons of wter nd cn ccommodte up to 2,000 swimmers. The pool will include four islnds with tnning decks, 100-foot geyser, children's splsh pd, 50-foot wterfll nd two zero-depth bech-style entrnces. Cbns will surround the rim of the pool nd the entire re cn ccommodte up to 4,000 people. In contrst to the high energy of the nerby wterslides nd wve pool, this new re is designed to give guests the opportunity to slow down, relx, nd enjoy time together with friends nd fmily members. In n effort to give bck to the community, owners Ev nd Nick Lskris will offer free dmission to The Gret Pool, s well s the rest of the wter prk, to ll Lke Delton nd Wisconsin Dells residents. The Mexicn Government Ministry of Infrstructure will invest 160 million Pesos (US $9.1 million) to build wter prk in Sn Slvdor Atenco. Plns show the new prk will include wve pool, wter ply structure, lzy river, multiple slides long with chnging fcilities nd eteries. The new prk ppers to be designed for the residents s Sn Slvdor Atenco is quiet, rurl town, northest of Mexico City, nd is not known for tourism. Residents of the city defeted pln to build new irport for Mexico City which would hve displced hundreds from their fmilyowned frms. Crnberry Township, Pennsylvni, hs upgrded its community pool with wter prk-like elements. An existing wterslide will now feture timer to let thrill seekers know how fst they trversed the slide. "Seeing who cn go down the slide the fstest will become new gme for children nd fortuntely it won't encourge them to do nything unsfe," sid Dve Hutner, recretion progrm mnger. "The quickest wy to get down the slide is lso the sfest wy: lying on your bck with your rms t your side," he sid. The community wter prk hs lso dded new wding pool with zero-depth entry on one side, nd tipping bucket on the other. The deep end of the wding pool will now feture rock climbing wll. Upgrdes lso included new wter filtrtion system tht now seprtes the wter from the splsh pd, wding pool nd min pool. If n ccident contmintes one of the pools the others cn remin open until clenup is complete. The new system will lso use ultrviolet light to disinfect the wter. Two cities within Est Montgomery County, Texs, will both receive new splsh pd/spry prks in the coming months. The Est Montgomery County Improvement District (EMCID) ws looking to fund projects to enhnce community recretionl opportunities. A fesibility study determined tht two splsh prks within the cities of Splendor nd Romn Forest were the best options. Both cities hve greed to contribute $30,000 of the expected $300,000 cost of ech spry prk. Construction, which could be strted s erly s July, will be hndled by Krftsmn Commercil Plygrounds nd Wter Prks. Krftsmn hs been building qutic centers in Texs, Louisin nd Oklhom for more thn 30 yers. On Sturdy, April 16, 2016, residents of Moore, Oklhom, celebrted the opening of The Sttion t Centrl Prk Recretion Center, $26 million recretion nd qutic fcility. Construction of the center ws strted two yers go while the city ws rebuilding fter devstting torndo struck the city in My The fcility covers 100,000 squre feet nd incudes recretion center with bsketbll courts nd fitness res. The qutic center includes three wterslides, lzy river, diving well, lp pool, kid's pool, splsh pd with spry fetures, lounge res with shde structures nd n outdoor concession stnd. This serves s testment to the world tht Moore is still here nd growing nd will continue to grow nd prosper, Moore Myor Glenn Lewis sid before cutting the ribbon.

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22 22 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 New pck leder fcilittes compny expnsion Fmily fun fortifies Gret Wolf Resorts CEO Rubén Rodríguez AT: Den Lmnn CHICAGO, Ill. Being constntly on the go, the mn heding up the world s lrgest indoor wter prk resort chin understndbly likes to enjoy little on-site R&R. My everydy life is pretty intense, sid Rubén Rodríguez, CEO of Mdison, Wis.-bsed Gret Wolf Resorts, Inc., speking from Windy City stellite office tht will be one of his bses for expnding the nerly 20-yer-old fmily leisure compny. If I m conducting business t one of our properties nd I tke brek, my fvorite thing to do is hng out in n inner tube on the Lzy River. Not tht he would be content to remin drift. Rodríguez, 53, hs the bckground nd drive to tke Gret Wolf wherever Centerbridge Prtners, L.P. the New York City privte equity firm tht brought him in lst September fter completing its $1.35 billion purchse of the brnd in My 2015 wnts it to go. Prior to his current job, Rodríguez served in senior roles for severl hospitlity nd consumer-focused compnies. Most recently he ws executive vice president of ship opertions for Crnivl Cruise Lines, which he initilly joined s executive vice president of mrketing nd guest experience in Rodríguez lso served s prtner nd mnging director t The Boston Consulting Group, globl strtegy nd mngement consulting firm. Seprtely, he served s senior vice president of corporte strtegy for The Chrles Schwb Corportion nd s vice president nd generl mnger of etoys Interntionl, lunching the ltter compny s interntionl business unit. The executive holds degrees in mechnicl engineering from Princeton University nd civil engineering from the University of Cliforni, Berkeley, s well s n MBA from Stnford. As Gret Wolf s self-described pck leder, Rodríguez oversees nerly 6,000 employees nd 13 Gret Wolf Lodges in North Americ ( 14th, in Colordo Springs, Colo., is scheduled to open this fll). He rrived t the compny just months before the opening of Gret Wolf s ltest nd lrgest lodge ner the Disneylnd Resort in Grden Grove, Clif. prtnership with Colordobsed rel estte development compny McWhinney. The mrried fther of two college-ge children, who ws born nd rised in Puerto Rico nd considers Mimi, Fl., his primry home, sid the time ws right for new creer clling or in this cse, howling. My wife nd I recently becme empty nesters, sid Rodríguez, nd frnkly, tht fcilitted my decision to move to the Midwest nd join the pck. He then fielded some questions from Amusement Tody. Entering the Southern Cliforni mrket is big move for ny musement or hospitlity compny. Wht does this rrivl men for Gret Wolf? It s n exciting milestone. Being in this mrket relly positions us s costto-cost fmily brnd. It s destintion for fmilies not just from Cliforni nd the West Cost, but from round the world. Most of our guests re within driving distnce of our lodges; they sty two to three nights nd enjoy ll the fetures we offer. But in some situtions, s with our lodges in Sndusky [Ohio] nd now Cliforni, we re prt of broder vction destintion. And we re off to gret strt in Grden Grove. Wht specil ttributes does Gret Wolf bring to this mjor mrket? The brnd s very cornerstones n importnt one being tht we re wetherproof. Although Gret Wolf strted in the Midwest s yer-round ttrction, we hve found tht in wrmer mrkets, such s Dlls or North Crolin, wetherproof destintion is very ttrctive. Guests don t hve to worry bout plnning kid s birthdy round wether forecst or slthering on lot of sunblock. Of course, we ll know tht life is complicted, nd our guests certinly fmilies with young children hve complicted lives. Vctions cn become stressful when you re running from one plce to nother with kids. Wht they like bout Gret Wolf Lodge is tht it hs lot of fun things to do under one roof. It s lso n exclusive nd very sfe environment. How else does Gret Wolf give prents helping hnd, prticulrly with ccommodting children with specil needs nd food llergies? We go out of our wy to ccommodte ll specil needs. Our chefs will even meet with the fmilies in order to prepre specil mels. It is the right thing to do, nd it s good business. Guests become grteful nd loyl when you go out of your wy to tke cre of them whether it s relted to diet or disbility. The ttrctions mtter, of course, nd guests pprecite tht. But wht mkes lodge relly successful is the people. We re lucky to hve pck members tht re very engged, very motivted to serve, nd tht mkes it more likely our guests will return nd recommend us. How does being prent yourself influence how you see nd evlute your opertions? It hs tremendous influence. My previous role ws lso with leisure brnd tht ws very fmily oriented. I hve pretty ctive fmily; we love to spend time together, trvel nd hve fun. And I love to listen not just to my kids but their friends bout wht they like nd don t like. Much of the judgment Rubén Rodríguez, CEO, Gret Wolf Resorts, Inc. COURTESY GREAT WOLF RESORTS exercised by the Gret Wolf pck reltes to personl fmily experience nd observtion. We re trying to become fmily trdition, nd it s lot esier to mke those decisions if you ve lived through tht yourself. Gret Wolf hs seen chnges in ownership nd ledership in the pst yer or so. Wht does this signl for the compny s direction? The whole investment thesis for Centerbridge Prtners, nd the Gret Wolf pck, is round growth. This includes building new lodges nd dding more fetures nd menities within existing lodges. We re lucky to be in business where consumers vlue wht we offer. Fortuntely, we hve the legcy of mngement tem t ll our lodges nd in Mdison tht do gret job delivering on those expecttions, so we just wnt to do more of it, bsiclly. Hve you considered expnding the brnd s product rech? Actully, within our own four wlls, my predecessor [former Gret Wolf CEO] Kim Schefer nd her tem relly did good job of tht. Our Gret Wolf Kids Store, which hs the Cretion Sttion where we crete ll these wonderful plush versions of our costumed chrcters, like Wiley the Wolf nd Smmy the Squirrel, hs been successful. Scooops, our mommy-nd-me sp experience, hs been, too. We re thinking bout how we cn ctivte the chrcters more. This includes how to mke them stronger prt of the experience nd stronger prt of the plnning before the lodge visit. And how we cn keep kids, prticulrly, engged with the chrcters using technology beyond the visit. We re going to strt exploring some new ttrctions nd experiences with the opening of our Colordo lodge. After Colordo, where is Gret Wolf heded next? We re in dvnced plnning for lodge in Georgi, our first in the stte, within driving distnce of Atlnt. We ve lso cquired lnd in Orlndo. Entitlements nd pprovls tke longer in Florid, so it s premture to sy more. We ve begun exploring opportunities in Arizon nd Northern Cliforni, too. This yer, we re lso working with consultnt to prioritize interntionl mrkets. Will Gret Wolf be seeking more project prtners such s it hs in Southern Cliforni? It relly depends on the mrket, the opportunity nd the site. McWhinney relly understnds nd supports our brnd. We hve nother gret prtner with our Nigr Flls lodge, The Jim Pttison Group. Most of our lodges, however, we own s well s operte. In fct, we recently cquired bck our lodges in Sndusky nd Wisconsin Dells, which t one point the compny hd sold. We hve ccess to cpitl becuse we re pretty profitble nd bcked by privte equity firm with significnt resources. So when we believe we cn do project without prtner, we do it on our own. Wht energizes you most bout leding Gret Wolf? The business of mking people hppy is very humn endevor, nd we try to provide wonderful experiences to the fmilies tht entrust their time nd vction money with us. It s been the culture nd trdition of the compny since the strt. I m very proud to be prt of it. gretwolf.com

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26 26 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 PARKS, FAIRS & ATTRACTIONS Mssive B&M Dive coster, Vlrvn dives into Cedr Point Pge 34 / Firs Pges Spin Zone Bumper Crs open t three Cliforni Boomers prks ALISO VIEJO, Clif. Apex Prks Group recently nnounced the opening of three new Spin Zone Bumper Crs ttrctions t Boomers prks in Modesto, Fresno, nd Uplnd, Clif. All three loctions opened the bumper crs s n indoor experience. Spin Zone Bumper Crs re locted inside the rcde building, llowing for ll-wether opertion. Spin Zone is considered the next genertion of bumper crs in the musement industry. The crs re round nd will spin nd twirl when bumped, creting wild ride nd unique experience for guests. The Spin Zone ren will ccommodte pproximtely 7-8 riders during ech 5-minute ride session. The bumper cr rides were supplied by Ride Development Compny. In ddition to the Spin Zone Bumper Crs, the three Boomers prks re finishing up upgrdes, refurbishments nd remodels. Work on ech of the prks upgrdes hve been progressing since Jnury nd re prt of greter commitment mde by Apex Prks Group to improve guest experience t ll of their prk properties. Boomers Modesto hs the lrgest overhul of the three prks, with the ddition of sports br, complete cfé remodel nd new prize redemption counter configurtion. Generl Mnger Misty Romero commented, The Cp n Crow s Bumper Bots, Zero G new this seson t Indin Bech MONTICELLO, Ind. Indin Bech Bordwlk Resort hs nnounced the ddition of Cp n Crow s Bumper Bots from J&J Amusements nd Zero G, Lrson Interntionl Ring of Fire for the prk's 90th nniversry seson. The bumper bot ttrction will replce the former Splsh Bttle ride on the Bordwlk Funwy. The Ring of Fire is being relocted from Speed Zone in Dlls, Texs. The colorful nd fun Cp n Crow s Bumper Bots will llow guests to be the cptin of their own bot s they cruise the wters serching for others to bump. Ech bot is outfitted with wter spryer tht cn sok n opponent from 10 feet wy. Up to 12 bumper bots t time will bttle ech other for thrilling guest experience. Indin Bech is thrilled to dd Cp n Crows Bumper Bots s nother fun nd exciting ride for our guests to enjoy, sid John Collins, Indin Bech Bordwlk Resorts generl mnger. With ll the prk improvements nd upgrdes being completed in preprtion for Indin Bech s 90th nniversry seson, dding ride s thrilling s Zero G is icing on the cke. Cp n Crow s Bumper Bots will be locted on the south islnd on Indin Bech s nd utilize n existing wter ride pond re formerly occupied by Splsh Bttle. indinbech.com Apex Prks Group hs opened Spin Zone Bumper Crs t three Cliforni Boomers properties. Here, the ride is seen in opertion t the Modesto loction. COURTESY APEX PARKS GROUP overll experience for our guests will be enhnced gretly with new indoor ttrction, the ddition of beer nd wine, nd the fcility improvements. We hve been with Apex Prks Group for little over yer now, nd the investment tht the compny hs mde in the prks is impressive. Boomers Uplnd Generl Mnger, Steve Fullerton sid, We re thrilled to bring fresh tke on fmily-oriented fun tht our fcility hs been providing the City of Uplnd since We look forwrd to seeing the community rection to our fcility s they experience the chnges. Amber Collier, generl mnger of Boomers Fresno greed. It s n exciting time for us, she sid. We look forwrd to being ble to provide more options for fmily entertinment, celebrtions, nd dining opportunities to the Fresno community. SBF/VISA Reverse Time big hit t Qussy Reverse Time, the new thrill ride t Qussy Amusement & Wterprk, Middlebury, Conn., is huge hit with fns in its first few dys of opertion. Mking its North Americn debut t Qussy, the ride is shown during spring opertion t the fmily-owned prk. Built during the winter by SBF/VISA Group of Itly, Reverse Time rrived t Qussy in erly Mrch nd ws ssembled within week. SBF/VISA Group is represented in the United Sttes by Rides 4U, Somerville, N.J. COURTESY QUASSY

27 Triotech delivers 4D ride Legolnd Cliforni welcomes Ninjgo World AT: Den Lmnn CARLSBAD, Clif. Legolnd Cliforni Resort officilly premiered Lego Ninjgo World, its new one-cre lnd, to the public on My 5. The theme prk s expnsion is bsed on the hit Lego Ninjgo line of construction toys nd the Crtoon Network television series Lego Ninjgo: Msters of Spinjitzu. The section includes competitive drk ride nd interctive elements feturing the key chrcters from the Ninjgo universe. Lego Ninjgo tells the story of four young Ninj heroes Ki, Jy, Cole nd Zne who trin under the wtchful eye of Sensei Wu to mster the ncient mrtil rt of Spinjitzu. The chrcters tle is told dynmiclly through Lego Ninjgo The Ride, Ninjgo World s primry drw. Combining 3D computergenerted nimtion with fourth-dimension specil effects, the three-nd--hlfminute experience llows guests with just wve of their hnds to throw lightning bolts, direct shockwves, send ice soring nd emit fireblls in order to defet the villins. Knowing how populr Ninjgo is mong our young guests, I m excited to see them interct nd engge s they trin to be ninjs, sid Peter Ronchetti, generl mnger of Legolnd Cliforni Resort. Lego Ninjgo The Ride is the ltest multimedi ttrction creted by Montrel, Cnd-bsed Triotech, which is introducing its new cutting-edge hnd gesture technology, clled Mestro, on this ride nd on versions opening t Legolnd Billund in Denmrk nd Legolnd Mylsi. The system enbles guests to control the outcome of their dventure through the power of hnd gestures, without hndheld device. Mestro fetures the ultimte ergonomics: ech guest uses his or her own hnds, or hnd, sid Ernest Yle, president nd CEO of Triotech. They cn use left or right, one or two hnds. Just like n orchestr conductor, guests crete n mzing experience by wving their hnds. It is Lego Ninjgo The Ride (bove), the centerpiece of Legolnd's new Lego Ninjgo World section, is first-of-its-kind 4D interctive experience during which riders im t trgets with mrtil rts-style hnd gestures insted of wepons. The re's Ninj Kitchen etery offers Bánh mì Vietnmese sndwich (right) with severl met choices. COURTESY LEGOLAND very intuitive nd dptive to the guest s plying style. Yle further explined tht the technology works by first detecting ech guest s hnd motion, then sophisticted softwre determines where the guest is iming. Tht is then trnslted to n imge showing the projectile's progress on screen. Ech guest is ssigned color so he or she will know exctly where they re iming nd receive instnt feedbck by seeing their projectiles nd impcts. Through 3D imgery, high-tech sensors nd the forementioned hnd movements, riders collect points for their trining nd bttle efforts throughout the ride; scores re displyed when their quest is completed. Severl 4D effects, such s het, smoke nd wind, enliven the fun. Every detil is designed to enhnce the guest experience nd immerse them in the dventure, sid Chris Brzezicki, project mnger for Legolnd Cliforni Resort. The intent is to blur the line between the rel physicl theming nd the virtul nimted projection. The ride ccommodtes up to four ninj wrriors per vehicle. Before guests bord Lego Ninjgo The Ride, they will hve the opportunity to trin like ninj in four other ttrctions throughout Ninjgo World: Zne s Temple Build, Ki s Spinners, Cole s Rock Climb nd Jy s Lightning Drill. All re designed to test guests' blnce, gility nd speed. Also witing visitors re new retil outlet, Wu s Wrehouse, nd dining option, Ninj Kitchen feturing zesty Asin menu highlighted by Bánh mì Vietnmese sndwiches on stemed buns. Four Lego Mster Model Builders spent 550 hours creting the decortive Lego figures for Ninjgo World. Of the 22 new models instlled throughout the re, the lrgest depicting Ny (ninj of wter) hurling wter t Zne (ninj of ice) required 73,600 Lego pieces. We re excited to be working with Triotech to bring this globl project to three of our prks cross three countries, sid Hns Aksel Pedersen, mnging director of Legolnd Prks. Lego Ninjgo The Ride represents new clss of Legolnd ttrction in terms of technology, immersion nd interctivity. This is world first nd completely unique theme prk experience. legolnd.com AMUSEMENT MARKET PLACE Aeril Trmwy Design & Mnufcture SkyTrns Mfg.,L.L.C. 106 Burnhm Intervle Rod Contoocook, N.H Phone: (603) Fx: (603) Specilizing in sles & refurbishment of used eril trmwys Replcement prts for eril trmwys nd musement rides New ride control systems nd modifictions Rebuilt used chirlifts - one yer gurntee Prts nd Service June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 27 Zmperl issues sttement regrding ride mishp in Indi ALTAVILLA, Vicentin, Itly Zmperl is sddened to lern of the ftl ccident t Kishkint Prk ner Chenni, Indi, which occurred on My 11, 2016, involving ride clled the Disco Dncer. It is importnt for the public to know tht the ride involved in this ccident ws not Zmperl product. Zmperl, leding mnufcturer of musement rides worldwide, devotes considerble resources to developing its unique musement rides, providing the sfest possible experience for the public. The ride involved in this ccident ws n unuthorized, poorly executed forgery of the Zmperl design. Although outwrdly ppering like Zmperl ride, copies do not receive the level of engineering nd mnufcturing expertise Zmperl invests in ech of its designs. Zmperl urges customers to only purchse genuine Zmperl rides nd replcement prts in order to ensure the sfety of their customers. Plese direct ny further inquiries to: Zmperl@zmperl.it. (603) Jerry Pendleton or Dn Pendleton Keep our musement prk industry strong! Buy products nd services from these suppliers.

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30 30 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Cnd s Wonderlnd tkes to the ir with two new rides AT: Tim Bldwin tbldwin@musementtody.com VAUGHAN, Ontrio, Cnd Cnd s Wonderlnd celebrtes 35th nniversry in 2016 with two new dditions. A SkyRoller, built by Gerstluer, hs been dubbed Skyhwk. The second instlltion is Flying Egles, Lrson Flying Scooters. The interctive element, long with the vition experience, plus they ccommodte the mjority of ge groups those combined fctors re wht drove the selection of the two rides, sid Norm Pirtovshek, vice president nd generl mnger of Cnd s Wonderlnd. Not to mention the uniform mrketing messge for both: flying! At its tllest point, Skyhwk stnds 135 feet tll nd sets 24 pssengers during the flight. Riders cn nvigte their experience by utilizing controls t their hnds to mneuver wings on the vehicle, cusing the crrige to rock or flip. We were thrilled with this project, sid Adm Sndy of Ride Entertinment Group, who represents Gerstluer nd lso interfced with Cnd s Wonderlnd throughout the project. The Cedr Fir tem hd interest in the ride s fr bck s IAAPA 2014 nd we signed contrct lst spring. Skyhwk is the first of its kind in North Americ, giving Cnd s Wonderlnd even more brgging rights in its eclectic ssortment of gint flt rides. Skyhwk provided by Gerstluer ws customized t our request to improve the guest experience nd the instlltion, sid Pirtovshek. The bse frme ws instlled in pit which clened up the look of the ride t ground level where few chnges were mde. Sndy dded, We hve hd lot of clients tht wnt interctivity s prt of the guest experience. It is not lwys possible, but I think on n experience like the Sky Roller, it sets the ttrction prt from other flt ride options. Not only is the ride the first of its kind in North Americ, but Skyhwk lso hs been tken to more engging level. The prk took the experience to the next step by requesting counter system for Skyhwk, so fter ech ride cycle, the video monitors show which rider flipped the most, sid Sndy. This competition is something tht I m sure the prk will roll out to socil medi nd is unique wy to keep younger genertion of prkgoers engged nd wnting to come bck. Positioned ner Windseeker, the Mondil swing ride, which stnds more thn 300 feet in the ir, Skyhwk s height of 135 feet my seem overshdowed. Amusement Tody sked Pirtovshek bout the close juxtposition. Skyhwk is locted in our themed re known s Action Zone. We set it on the hill cross from Windseeker, which offset some of the height difference, he sid. Combining height with the dynmics tht Skyhwk delivers differentites the two rides, but they fit nicely with the mny thrilling nd unique rides we hve in Action Zone. Even more fmily friendly is Flying Egles. Once gin, the ddition is prticulrly interctive s guests hve the opportunity to control their dventure. Flying Scooters is time-honored clssic tht hs seen huge resurgence in the pst 4See CANADA'S WONDERLAND, pge 31 CHARLOTTE, N.C. To utilize resources lredy in hnd is not only smrt business, but lso not uncommon in the musement industry. Crowinds, which is one of five prks within the Cedr Fir chin once owned by Prmount/Vicom nd brnded s Prmount Prks, introduced motion simultor theter in Bsed on the film Dys of Thunder, the ttrction rn in ech prk for few sesons. Eventully, films were chnged out nd the nme of the venue ws simply chnged to Action Theter. In ddition to the prk s mjor wter prk expnsion for 2016 (which ws wrpping up finl detils s this issue went to press), Crowinds lunched new ttrction s the seson opened in erly spring: Plnts vs. Zombies Grden Wrfre 3Z Aren. It is the first ttrction to prtner with the entertinment brnd from PopCp Gmes nd Electronic Arts (EA) studio. Those not fmilir with the populr video gme originlly lunched in 2014 cn get quick crsh course in the queue For 2016, Cnd's Wonderlnd hs dded two flying rides. Above, the Gerstluer's SkyRoller is nmed Skyhwk nd keeps trck of ech rider's number of flips they perform during their ride. Below, the populr Lrson Flying Scooters is dubbed the Flying Egles. COURTESY CANADA'S WONDERLAND Crowinds opens ttrction bsed on Plnts vs. Zombies Grden Wrfre Above, guests tke im t the ttcking zombies or plnts, depending on which side of the theter they occupy. Below, Plnts vs. Zombies Grden Wrfre uses pre-existing theter re-themed to the new IP. Theming outside the theter helps set the preshow story. AT/TIM BALDWIN AT: Tim Bldwin tbldwin@musementtody.com re. Evil Dr. Zomboss, leder of the zombies, secretly overhers horticulturlist Crzy Dve mention something bout golden gnomes. This evesdropping convinces Dr. Zomboss to chllenge Dve to seize the power of the mysterious gnomes for himself. Humor nd over-the-top chrcteriztion mkes this fun outing for the whole fmily. Generl Mnger Brd Mrcy thinks the experience will relly resonte with the younger udience. With digitl ttrctions becoming n incresingly populr prt of the modern musement prk, prtnering with renowned electronic gmes compny like EA mkes gret sense, sid Mrcy. The height requirement is 48 inches, but it relly is both feet hve to touch the foot pedestls, so if the child is 46 inches, but both feet touch, then they re oky. A test set is plced in front of the ttrction. The Action Theter hs been themticlly revmped, now with the theter divided into two hlves, one dedicted to the zombie side nd one to the outrgeous plnt side. This nturlly sets the stge for gret bttle of hilrious sights, sound nd interction. The experience is enhnced with 3D glsses nd motion-bsed sets mounted motorcycle style. During Amusement Tody s visit, it ws impressive to observe how much more quickly this newer seting llowed the disptch of the ttrction s strt time compred to tht of the older motion simultor. Ech side of the theter hs 32 motion-bsed sets, mking for combined totl of 64. However, ech side lso hs two ADA ccessible lser pistols to llow for 68 guests ech cycle. Creted by AlterFce (Wvre, Belgium), the 3D interction comes from plyers shooting t the mruding opponents 4See CAROWINDS, pge 31

31 CANADA'S WONDERLAND Continued from pge 30 decde. With 2016 dditions, Cedr Fir hs purchsed nine such rides from Lrson Interntionl. The Cedr Fir tem is gret to work with, sys Jeff Novotny, president of Lrson Interntionl. The Flying Scooters is clssic ride tht offers the interctive element to keep guests ctively prticipting while on the ride. When it comes to return on investment, Novotny feels the ride is winner. The price point of the Flying Scooters is comprble to most children s rides, he sid. However, I think it offers the higher speeds nd flying chrcteristics tht ppel to most every ge group. The instlltion expense is resonble s the ride only tkes one dy to instll, single concrete column for foundtion nd the ssocited loding surfce. Soull Lindo, public reltions mnger, hs tried out both of the new dditions. When sked bout her fvorite, she told AT: I ve ridden both, Skyhwk is definitely thrill ride. Once you get the hng of doing your 360-degree inversions, it s n incredible feeling. Flying Egles is fmily ride, but lot of prents (who my not like some of the bigger thrill rides) like it s much s the kids! Cnd s Wonderlnd opened [Wonder Mountin] Gurdin, which is tech-bsed interctivity, in 2014 nd two yers lter is opening Skyhwk, n interctive thrill ride, sid Sndy. The Flying Egles is n interctive fmily ride. It sys lot to me when one of the most-visited prks in North Americ is intent on including interctive ttrctions in their ride lineup. In ddition to new rides, Cnd s Wonderlnd lso hs countless new offerings for visitors. New for 2016 specil events include: Fridy Night Movies ll summer, Brew & BBQ Festivl in June, Bcon Festivl nd Tste of Greece in July, nd Tste of Itly in August. This is in ddition to mny other populr events returning throughout the seson. Among its diverse show pckge, new productions this yer include: The WoofJocks Cnine All Strs (spring), Strs of the Peking Acrobts (summer), Crz-E-Crew Xtreme Wheels (erly summer), KidZFest (erly July), Dy Tripper Betles Experience (lte July), Ultimte Thrills Circus (lte summer), nd Acrodunk (lte summer). I cn t wit for the Brew & BBQ Festivl nd the Bcon Festivl, sid Lindo. I love food. I men, who doesn t love bcon!? She dded, The shows hve me relly excited, too. The entertinment lineup is ction-pcked this yer. CAROWINDS Continued from pge 30 on screen. As the guest fires t the ttcking plnts or zombies, the number of his or her corresponding wepon ppers on the blst on screen. Throughout the five minute experience, tem scores re displyed keeping the rivlry between the two prts of the theter engged. It hs been relly interesting to work with EA nd the designers of the gme. We tlk weekly to see wht we cn dd nd do even more enhncements, Mrcy sid. Ech hlf of the theter hs 14.5-foot by 26-foot screen with independent surround sound. Themtic dividers keep plyers from becoming distrcted to the opposing grphics on the opposite side of the theter. The ttrction ccommodtes between guests per hour. Of note, when June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 31 the theters were originlly built in 1994, there were two sides. Currently Crowinds is only using one side for the renovtion. The prk, or its sister fcilities, could esily expnd the ttrction by redeveloping the second side s well if the demnd ever dictted further investment. Initil discussions strted lst My or June, nd they finlly mde decision lter in the summer, Mrcy told AT. We nnounced it in the fll fter the wter prk expnsion hd lredy been nnounced. With new offerings, both in the wter prk nd min prk, combined with the sesonl festivls, such s the springtime Tste of the Crolins, Crowinds seems very positioned to follow up the Best New Ride for 2015 Golden Ticket winner Fury 325 to hve gret seson nd continue to grow their mrket.

32 32 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Six Flgs Fiest Texs brings new life to Fiest By Bordwlk Three new rides, upgrdes nd colorful lighting re prt of the pckge AT: Tim Bldwin SAN ANTONIO, Texs In 1994, the young Fiest Texs ws opening for its third seson. Fiest By Bordwlk ws the prk s first expnsion. It offered vriety of ttrctions tht included rides, py-extr ctivities nd bordwlk style tmosphere. Over the pst two decdes, the re hs seen chnges in the lineup of ttrctions on the Bordwlk, nd in recent yers, simply the closure of few rides. The re ws lcking nd in need of some energy. Tht chnged in Opening officilly to the public on My 14, the revmped Fiest By Bordwlk now bems with color, light nd shiny new ttrctions. Six Flgs recognized the need to ddress the shortcomings of the Bordwlk nd hs successfully brought new life to the re. Lrson Interntionl nd Zmperl supplied the new ride cpitl. Following the removl of one ride retired lst fll nd some previously closed nonoperting rides, the tllest mong the new ttrctions is Firebll, looping thrill ride (Super Loop) from Lrson stnding 72 feet tll. Decked out with LED lights round the ring nd fire décor long Multi-color LED lights on Firebll nd strung over the bordwlk enhnce the nighttime tmosphere. The more thn 2,000 lights hve been dded nd the colors cn be customized to the seson. Like the Firebll, Spinsnity, new-style Tilt-A-Whirl with custom touches, ws built in Texs by Lrson Interntionl. AT/TIM BALDWIN; COURTESY SIX FLAGS FIESTA TEXAS the top, the cretive tem t Six Flgs hs ccented the loop instlltions for 2016 with custom hot rod detiling t the ends of the trin of sets. Two of our rides re ctully built right here in the gret stte of Texs, sid Nel Thurmn, prk president of Six Flgs Fiest Texs. Tht pride comes from Lrson being locted in Plinview, Texs. The second ride is Spinsnity, the clssic Tilt- A-Whirl with the prk s own touches thrown in. Firebll, Hurricne Force 5 nd Spinsnity re perfect fit for the new Fiest By Bordwlk. Fiest Texs implemented some enhncements to the midwy fvorite when instlling Spinsnity. Wht will be most welcome in the Texs het is the ddition of shde structure over the Tilt-A-Whirl. In ddition, the modern dpttion of this fmily fvorite llows for more unobstructed views thn the old clmshell crs, plus one of the new vehicles fetures specil door tht helps ccommodte visitors in wheelchirs or those with specil needs. Like Firebll, Spinsnity is lso dorned with LED lights. Hurricne Force 5 is the first Meg Disk O from Zmperl to pper in the stte. The rotting pltform sets 24 pssengers motorcycle style fcing outwrd. The bcknd-forth rocking motion up the curved trck rottes riders up to five stories high. As we designed spectculr new look to the Bordwlk, we wnted to bring our guests some fvorite seside thrills nd compliment the current prk lineup of rides, Thurmn told AT. We wnted our Triple Thret of Left to right: A custom front end on Firebll is reminiscent of erly model rce crs. Prk President Nel Thurmn, Mrketing Director Jeffrey Siebert nd Director of Opertions Tim Lseter, tke spin on Spinsnity. Colorful Adirondck chirs provide opportunities for riders nd non-riders to relx. Ten new fns turn on utomticlly when tempertures rech the progrmmed setting. COURTESY SF FIESTA TEXAS; AT/TIM BALDWIN Thrills to fit into the feel of your fvorite seside bordwlk. To get sense of the extent of renovtion to the re, guests need only look down t their feet. New lumber plnking replced the entire previous bordwlk decking. If lid end to end, the lumber would stretch 90 miles. From Sn Antonio to Austin, lughed Sydne Purvis, communictions mnger. The revmp lso included four new shde structures, 10 new fns nd 25 red Adirondck-style rocking chirs. Queuing for ll new rides is shded nd high power fns deliver cooling breezes. Of note, temperture sensors utomticlly turn the fns on when the het rises to n pproprite wrmth. Fiest By Bordwlk hs such gret seside mbience during the dytime, but t night, the new enhnced lighting mkes the tmosphere totlly trnsformed, sid Purvis. It s fbulous. More thn 2,000 LED lights hve been dded. Zig-zg lighting is strung overhed in multiple loctions. Six Flgs mngement reported tht more thn 60 different light ptterns tke plce overhed. Through August, the prk hs extended the hours until 10:00 p.m. on Sturdys for the first time. When sked bout the impct to the fll nd winter events, Thurmn told AT, The Bordwlk will be trnsformed into terrifying scre zone during Fright Fest. In ddition, the look nd feel of the Fiest By Bordwlk will compliment Holidy in the Prk. The LED lights cn be customized to reflect the corresponding festivls with pproprite colors nd ptterns. Other enhncements include new signture Jelly Belly store, Firebll Sncks etery, nd freshly pinted fcdes on Bordwlk offerings s well s the existing rides. The renovtion of the Bordwlk lso helped fctor into the timing in some upgrdes to the prk s drk ride t the end of the Bordwlk: Scooby-Doo Ghostblsters. A recent sttion mkeover now llows the ride vehicles to never stop, but hve continully moving loding system. We doubled our cpcity the very first weekend we re-opened it, sid Jeffrey Siebert, mrketing director. Lines commonly went out the door to where we hd to build outside queuing. We re continully looking for opportunities to deliver more ride experiences, nd the new loding sttion llows us to welcome more riders thn ever before on this fun fmily ttrction, sid Thurmn. The prk lso hs nonstop loding on its Pndemonium roller coster nd Bugs Whitewter Rpids, the prk s flume. Coming lter this month, the prk will debut the VR experience on the Supermn Krypton Coster, Bolliger & Mbillrd floorless coster. It will be one of three Six Flgs prks utilizing Supermn theme with the VR system. It officilly debuts June 11.

33 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 33

34 34 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Vlrvn diversifies Cedr Point s lineup of record-setting costers The prk turns to B&M for fourth time AT: Tim Bldwin tbldwin@musementtody.com SANDUSKY, Ohio Setting records is nothing new for Cedr Point. In fct, it is reputtion for which the prk hs become quite fmous. With lineup of world-clss roller costers climbing into the upper double digits, the prk hs set records more thn 10 times with its costers. For 2016, B&M hs delivered one of its mssive gints to Cedr Point. This mkes fourth time the legendry Sndusky prk hs prtnered with B&M. Following in true fshion of its predecessors, Vlrvn tkes on the nmeske of creture. This follows Rptor, Rougrou (formerly Mntis) nd GteKeeper, ech with its imposing edge. Wht differentites the new Vlrvn from the other breeds is its signture moment of puse for four seconds t the precipice of 214-foot drop. Wht took riders by complete surprise during previews ws the spectculr view of not only the prk, but the expnse of Lke Erie beyond the shore. Cedr Point is given high prise for the perfect positioning of the ride. Wht is prticulrly impressive bout Vlrvn is not just its record-setting sttistics, but the qulity of the instlltion. Notble detils re vst, including brnd new midwy tht not only elimintes the ded end towrd the prk s venerble Blue Strek, but provides new seting, shde, ornmenttion, n expnded resturnt ptio nd specttor res. The rtistry of pvers, bench wlls nd shpe design of the midwy re pprecited even more so from Vlrvn s drmtic view. Vlrvn nd the whole re hs gret look nd the sttion is very sleek, sid Json McClure, vice president nd generl mnger of Cedr Point. The plnning nd design tem did fntstic job with creting the fetures of the Vlrvn bird with the fethered siding on the building nd sleek ngles of the building it s very shrp. Rob Decker, senior vice president of plnning nd design, sid, I like our prks to be prk first. This midwy didn t exist before. More importntly, I like to hve people in the middle of the ride. There is tht visul ppel nd physicl energy. Why not give the guest plce to relx in shded The skyline t Cedr Point hs new ddition with the 223-foot-tll Vlrvn coster. Pssengers experience spectculr 214-foot-long verticl drop t 75 mph to begin their exciting ride. AT/TIM BALDWIN comfort of the midwy? He lughed, Beyond tht we probbly bought ll the pvers in the stte of Ohio s we begn to dress it up. Compred to other prks, big difference [t Cedr Point] is the length of sty. It s dy long destintion, sid McClure. We wnt it to be comfortble nd s esy for people s possible. Plenty of set wll, plces to sit nd grb something to drink, more shde nd we hve free wi-fi in the prk this yer ll those elements mke the dy little esier on your feet. For Vlrvn, I sw it s drk figure. We like to bring in cretures tht give the ride certin chrcter, sid Cedr Point's fourth roller coster from B&M is Vlrvn, record-setting Dive Coster, shown t left. Above, the ride fetures three rows of eight pssengers ech. Riders will experience three inversions (Immelmnn, dive loop nd 270-degree roll) during the 3,415-foot-long ride. AT/DAN FEICHT Decker. The prk uses such terms s regl blue, mjestic bronze nd illustrious gold when it comes to the color scheme. The colors mke it distinctive, compred to the other colors round the prk, dded McClure. This is no understtement, s with the lrge number of roller costers nd huge number of rides 71 ll totled it s no smll fet to come up with new looks with much of the color plette lredy in ply. Interestingly, it is the silver bcking pinted on the boxed spine of the trck tht ccentutes the twists nd inversions nd prticulrly shines reflectively with the uplighting once the sun sets. We lwys try to think of wht ride will look like t night, sid Mc- Clure. Decker estimtes tht 10 to 15 percent of the project budget goes towrd the esthetic nd comfort spects of the guests. Wht s new for us is this regl throne, Decker sid. People wnt to tke their picture with the sign, nd we often put fence up to seprte them, so we mde this big throne for people to do just tht. I think little legue bll tem cn fit here. Vlrvn s position in the prk lso mde it n opportune time to renovte Cedr Point s Mrin Gte, which now looks modern nd strikingly beutiful. I think sense of rrivl to prk is big prt of it, sid Decker. You should celebrte tht. People hve been witing for months to bring the kids nd sving for this. You wnt to vlidte tht, give them tht sense of rrivl, give them tht moment. The dive coster s sttistics re the prk s mrketing focus: 223 feet tll, 3,415 feet long, 75 mph nd three inversions ll of which re records for dive coster. Guests, however, will find the instlltion goes beyond the coster itself. Cedr Point hs delivered the complete pckge. My fvorite moment is seeing guests exit new coster for the first time nd guge their feelings by the look of joy or terror! on their fces, sid Tony Clrk, director of communictions. Hopefully, we ve done our job to provide ride tht s different enough to stnd out. I m confident Vlrvn will be tht ride. The experience isn t like nything in our lineup. Vlrvn s plcement, long with it being the fifth roller coster in the prk to exceed 200 feet, mkes it drmtic impct for specttors. When you see how mssive Vlrvn is s it literlly encroches the midwy, you hve no choice but to look up nd enjoy the ride vicriously through the guests who re screming, commented Clrk. I think this is importnt to our business, s we know tht not every guest is going to wnt to ride. Vlrvn officilly opened to the public on My 7, the opening weekend of the 2016 seson. The coster fetures three trins tht set 24 pssengers in three rows of eight. In ddition to the three inversions, the dive coster includes two 90-degree drops. Hourly cpcity is expected to pproch 1,200 riders. B&M is so gret to work with. This is their 100th coster, so tht s exciting for us, sid McClure. Things went relly smooth. Anytime you do something of this size nd scle you think tht not everything will go the wy you wnt to with winter wether, but we hd reltively mild winter, which certinly helped. To hve Vlrvn redy for opening weekend s promised is testment to B&M.

35 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 35 New ttrctions opening cross resort s four prks Wlt Disney World debuts rides, night spectculrs for summer AT: Den Lmnn dlmnn@musementtody.com LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fl. The Wlt Disney World Resort is qudrupling down on its nnul high-seson ttrction roll-out introducing mjor new show nd ride experiences t ll four of its theme prks. The ttrctions encompss high-tech light nd fireworks shows s well s two new rides. And Disney s Animl Kingdom, for the first time in its 18-yer history, will hve nighttime hours. One ttrction tht hs not been unveiled s originlly nnounced is Rivers of Light, nighttime show to be locted in Animl Kingdom s Discovery River lgoon. The techniclly mbitious progrm combining lighting effects, mist screens, nimtion nd live performers missed its April premiere dte nd rescheduled debut hd not been nnounced before Amusement Tody went to press. Here s prk-by-prk rundown of some of the highlights: Disney s Animl Kingdom The prk begins its new evening schedule on Memoril Dy weekend, enbling guests to enjoy old fvorites such s Expedition Everest nd Kli River Rpids in different wy. The iconic Tree of Life now wkens ech night mid lively Discovery Islnd music nd dnce. Through projection mpping nd other specil effects, niml spirits pper nd fireflies weve stories s the tree morphs to showcse the mgic of nture. Discovery River serves s the stge for music nd pgentry in The Jungle Book: Alive with Mgic, limitedenggement show inspired by Disney s hit live-ction film The Jungle Book. Discovery Islnd now is home to Tiffin s, trvelthemed resturnt serving lunch nd dinner feturing Africn, Asin nd South Americn flvors. Disney s Hollywood Studios This month, in the recordsetting box office wke of Str Wrs: The Force Awkens, new Str-Wrs-themed experiences begin rriving t light speed. The next genertion of Str Wrs-themed fireworks shows, Str Wrs: A Glctic Spectculr, fetures lsers, specil effects nd projection mpping of iconic chrcters nd scenes from the complete sg ll set to the clssic score of the film series. First Order Stormtroopers led by Cptin Phsm mrch in from Str Wrs Lunch By to the prk s Center Stge, dding mence to the entertinment. The Wlt Disney World Resort's theme prks re offering fresh forms of fun, including (clockwise from top left) light show strring the Tree of Life t Disney's Animl Kingdom; chrcter-pcked Mickey's Royl Friendship Fire t the Mgic Kingdom; digitlly upgrded, ll-new Sorin' Around the World ride film t Epcot; nd the techniclly dvnced Str Wrs: A Glctic Spectculr fireworks show t Disney's Hollywood Studios. COURTESY WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT Epcot Disney chrcters re mong the new elements bringing dded excitement to the 34-yer-old prk this month. Ann, Els nd their Frozen friends will welcome guests bord the new Frozen Ever After bot ride, which sets sil t the Norwy Pvilion. Pssengers on their wy to Arendelle s Winter in Summer Celebrtion for Queen Els visit the ice plce nd her film tunes plus new lyrics by Oscrwinning Let It Go songwriters Bobby Lopez nd Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Also t the Norwy Pvilion, Ann nd Els will greet guests in the new Royl Sommerhus, modeled fter trditionl Norwegin cbin. In Future World, June 17 will mrk the U.S. debut of Sorin Around the World t The Lnd Pvilion. Now with third Epcot theter, plus new digitl screens nd projection systems, the expnded ttrction tkes guests on n exhilrting flight bove spectculr globl lndscpes nd mnmde wonders. (The revmped motion simultor experience premieres t Disney Cliforni Adventure in Anheim, Clif., on the sme dte.) Mgic Kingdom Also in June, Mgic Kingdom guests cn see clssic Disney chrcters together with contemporry nimted film strs in new extrvgnz on the Cinderell Cstle stge. Tin of The Princess nd the Frog nd Rpunzel of Tngled co-str with Ann nd Els of Frozen joining host of fvorite Disney chrcters in the new Mickey s Royl Friendship Fire show. The presenttion combines dnce, fireworks nd stunts with music. Next door to the legendry Jungle Cruise, guests cn enjoy boldly flvored jungle cuisine served by the wisecrcking crew of the new Jungle Nvigtion Co. Ltd. Skipper Cnteen. Visit the resort s website for updtes nd dditionl summer seson news. disneyworld.com

36 36 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Amusement prk sprouts cross from wter prk Proprietor cultivtes success t Cultus Lke Adventure Prk AT: Den Lmnn dlmnn@musementtody.com CULTUS LAKE, B.C., Cnd Growing up in British Columbi, Chris Steunenberg never pictured himself hving future in the musement industry. Sure, he enjoyed the rides nd ttrctions t Vncouver s Pcific Ntionl Exhibition (PNE) nd heding out to the wter prk t Cultus Lke, less thn n hour est of the city. But then, these were common youthful distrctions nothing tht would lter his route to lucrtive creer in construction, hevy steel fbriction nd rel estte investment. Then, in 1996, Steunenberg sw n opportunity to buy Cultus Lke Wter Prk, n 11-yer-old buildout by WhiteWter West Industries, Ltd., of Richmond, B.C. nd took it. And in 2014, cross the street fter ssembling two cres of lnd centered on former bumper bot nd mini-golf opertion nd instlling severl dditionl rides he opened Cultus Lke Adventure Prk. I lwys liked going to the PNE nd riding the wooden roller coster, Steunenberg told Amusement Tody. Hving my own roller coster now is wesome. It s quite mzing, relly. Fun springs eternl It ws his success with Cultus Lke Wterprk tht convinced Steunenberg to Although it is operted seprtely from neighboring Cultus Lke Adventure Prk, the 15-cre Cultus Lke Wterprk is owned by the sme fmily nd hs been Vncouver, B.C.- re leisure mgnet since its build-out by WhiteWter West in the mid-1980s. Its success gve rise to the ride prk. COURTESY CULTUS LAKE WATERPARK tke gmble on the purchse nd expnsion of neighboring Giggle Ridge Adventure Golf, built in The wter prk, which originlly ws 4.5 cres nd hd six slides, hd tripled in size nd number of ttrctions under his ownership nd opertion. And its sesonl ttendnce of 40-50,000 hd peked t more thn 200,000. Working with the minigolf s builder, Imgintion Corportion, n wrd-winning theme prk design nd environmentl construction compny bsed in nerby Chilliwck, Steunenberg mde optiml use of the prk s nturl, mture evergreen-filled wooded setting by dding Western nd whimsicl firy tle themes. He ws ble to get hlf of his new musement prk open in 2014; its current incrntion ws completed by lst seson. Cultus Lke Adventure prk now hs nine rides nd two ttrctions, including 28-foot-dimeter crousel by Chnce nd six rides by Zmperl. The ltter re Midi Fmily Swinger, Smb Tower, Sky Tower, Disk O 24, Junior Coster nd Discovery 360. The coster, which we cll the Runwy Mine Trin, is our hottest ride, sid Steunenberg, who personlly test-rode ll of the rides before purchsing them. Of his first, nd only, bording of the Discovery 360 (re-themed Round-up 360), he reclled with lugh: It swings in 360-degree loop, you re upside down it s bsolutely horrifying. I m telling y, I ws screming like little kid. Rounding out the miniprk s offerings re two rides supplied by SBF-VISA Group: compct spinning coster clled Blstin Brrels nd unique, 60-foot-tll, chuck wgon-themed Ferris Wheel clled the Wgon Wheel. The wheel is bsolutely beutiful nd our guests love it, Steunenberg sid. Cultus Lke Adventure Prk's lush evergreen setting fetures severl rides supplied by Zmperl, including the Wve Swinger (Midi Fmily Swinger, bove), which whirls high over Bucky's Bumper Bots; Runwy Mine Trin (Junior Coster, below); Windmill Drop (Smb Tower, bottom left); nd Round-up 360 (Discovery 360, bottom right). COURTESY CULTUS LAKE ADVENTURE PARK Border sensibilities Trying to predict wht food offerings his guests will love is nother mtter. Although his two prks re mere 20 minutes north of Cnd s border with Wshington Stte, nd they drw mny ptrons from the U.S., Steunenberg hs found tht populr trets in the Sttes don t lwys go over in Cnd. I go to musement prks wherever I trvel; I m lwys eting nd smpling their food, he sid. We tried crmel pple slices here nd couldn t sell them. Corndogs don t sell here, either. So we cutiously pproch new menu items. At Cultus Lke Wterprk, opening for the summer June 4, the biggest nonbeverge sellers re burgers with fries, fish nd chips, nd pizz. When Cultus Lke Adventure Prk strts its seson June 17, trendy pulled pork sndwiches will join hot dogs nd ncho chips on the non-dessert menu. Steunenberg is looking to ttrct 100,000 customers to the ride prk this yer. At the wter prk, where new slide from WhiteWter clled The Rttler will be debuting, he expects nother strong seson if the wether holds. We tend to get lot of rin, even in the summer, he sid. The lst two sesons hve been drier, so tht s good for us. Us includes the Cultus Lke properties 220 employees members of Steunenberg s fmily mong them. Oldest son Russell, 22, business school grdute, is generl mnger of the ride prk. Youngest son Dilln, 19, is on the construction tem nd hndles ride technicl duties including morning checks nd winter mintennce. Steunenberg s wife, Liz, contributes, too. I depend on her for ll kinds of support, rnging from picking colors to the lyout of the prks. She brings n importnt perspective to the decision-mking. Steunenberg himself, on the premises every dy, dmits tht he wouldn t wnt to be nywhere else. Wht I love most is the fmily tmosphere, he sid. We offer good, clen, wholesome fun. Our customers sy thnk you, nd leve hppy, on the wy out. cultus.com

37 Strtes Shows will be crnivl provider t the Erie County Fir until 2026 AT: Pm Sherborne psherborne@musementtody.com June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 37 HAMBURG, New York Wht ws described by outdoor musement industry professionls s historicl milestone in modern musement history, Strtes Shows' crnivl president E. Jmes Strtes signed new 10-yer contrct with the Erie County Fir held this yer August The exclusive reltionship between the Erie County Fir nd Strtes Shows, now in its 92nd yer t the fir, is the longest continuous run of ny crnivl midwy t fir in the United Sttes, ccording to Bob Johnson, president, Outdoor Amusement Business Assocition. "Together, we hve been through decdes of chnge nd tremendous growth tht brings us to the upcoming 2016 fir," Strtes sid, during the officil signing. This wonderful, fmilyoriented event continues to promote nd showcse the community's griculturl trditions, tlents, diversity nd heritge," he sid. "We look forwrd to seeing everyone t the fir. Firgoers to the Erie County Fir will hve the opportunity to help celebrte the extended reltionship by enjoying 90 minutes of free midwy rides from 11.m.-12:30.m., Thursdy, August 18. Strtes sid when his fther, Jmes E. Strtes, signed the first contrct with the Erie County Fir in 1924, no one could hve guessed tht, over nine decdes lter, they would still hve crnivl contrct. Beyond just contrctul reltionship, we truly regrd the Strtes s prt of the Erie County Fir fmily," sid Denis R. Lng, fir CEO nd mnger. "The 10-yer contrct mens tht the Strtes Shows will be prt of the Erie County Fir beyond their 100th nniversry with us. We look forwrd to centennil celebrtion with Strtes in Strtes Shows still rrives t the fir by the Erie Rilrod Depot in the Villge of Hmburg, 2.35 miles nd 10-minute drive wy. Chnges to the rilwy system over the yers hve creted chnges for the show, however. They took off Top, Strtes Shows will be t the Erie County Fir, Hmburg, N.Y., for nother 10 yers fter the crnivl nd fir signed 10-yer extension greement lst month. Above, three genertions of Strtes fmily members were on hnd during the signing. From left, Strtes Shows President E. Jmes Strtes; his son, John Strtes; nd his grndson, Nick Strtes. COURTESY TOM WOLF IMAGING the Pullmn crs in In ddition, employees re no longer housed on the trin, but the crnivl's trilers nd equipment still rrive by trin. The crnivl provides the fir's midwy with pproximtely 70 rides nd 100 gmes. Strtes sid he is expecting good 2016 seson if the success of the show's erly winter firs re indictors. "We do bout five of them yer," he sid "They hve been pretty good this yer enough to keep people working." A second wheel ws dded to Strtes' ride rsenl for this seson. Strtes sid the new Technicl Prk Drem Wheel is beutiful. The show's winter qurters re in Kissimmee, Fl. Strtes sid they sty busy during the off-seson by refurbishing some of their rides. "We do lot of tht," he sid. "We hve rides sitting in the bck lot. We like to lternte some of our rides like tht. We cn hve up to 75 rides t our bigger events. We hve everything we need." Strtes Shows is now in its third genertion of fmily opertions "And, we re still going strong," he sid. "I'll be going out on the rod this yer, just like the yers before. It is gret business to be in." The #1 Leding Slide Mnufcturer in Americ World s Lrgest 5 Lne, One Triler Slide Ft. Finncing nd Lesing Avilble Trdes Considered Order Slide Bgs or New Rin Bgs 6 New Slides In Stock Hve 20 Used Rides 90 Ft. Fiberglss Slide 65 Ft. Fiberglss Slide The Iow Stte Fir, Des Moines, hs decided to go from n exclusive midwy provider to n independent midwy for the 2017 fir. Belle City Amusements hs provided the midwy t the event since 2009 nd will be bck for the 2016 event. Here is shot of the midwy from the 2015 Iow Stte Fir. COURTESY IOWA STATE FAIR Iow Stte Fir goes independent midwy in 2017 DES MOINES, Iow Iow Stte Fir officils hve decided to go with n independent midwy for the 2017 fir. "Our fir is built on trdition nd fmily fun," sid Mindy Willimson, fir mrketing director. "The midwy is n importnt prt of the fir experience nd by mnging ech prt of the midwy, we hope to crete n environment tht mtches the other ttrctions, food, nd contests on our firgrounds. "We wnt to crete unique experience tht fmilies come bck to see ech yer," she sid. Belle City Amusements hs been the midwy provider here since 2009 nd will be bck for the 2016 fir, set for August The crnivl provides bout 40 rides for the midwy. Willimson sid they hven't set ride number for the 2017 event. "We just strted the request for proposl process nd it will depend on the size nd depth of the rides proposed nd selected," she sid. Willimson sid they will be working on rebrnding the 2017 midwy to better lign with the fir theme nd logo. "Other renovtions nd improvements re still being discussed t this time," she sid. Pm Sherborne FREDERIKSEN INDUSTRIES, INC St. Pul St. Tmp, Florid (813) FAX (813)

38 38 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Oklhom Stte Fir, blncing ct between the old nd the new AT: Pm Sherborne OKLAHOMA CITY, Okl. It's fine blnce, much like wlking tight rope, stying true to fir trditions while exposing firgoers to the new nd the ltest, creting tht "wow" fctor. FAIR SPOTLIGHT Officils t the Oklhom Stte Fir, while being ble to trce the fir's roots to territoril dys 111 yers go, feel mintining tht blnce is their priority. "In generl, we ride the line between trdition nd something new," sid Scott Munz, vice president, mrketing nd public reltions. Gin Burchfiel, vice president, Stte Fir Division, sid people lwys wnt to know wht is new. "But, when we bring something new, we lso hve to sy goodbye to something tht perhps hs been here for severl yers," Burchfiel sid. "We try to mke sure we do our due diligence." Even with urbniztion sprwling round the perimeter of the 433-cre Fir Prk, between 900,000 nd one million visitors nnully re ble to enter brns nd see n rry of frm nimls. One of those brn contins structurl elements from the only building moved from the fir's originl FAST FACTS Oklhom Stte Fir Oklhom City September 15-25, 2016 Key stff President, CEO Timothy J. O'Toole; VP Mrketing, PR, Scott Munz; VP Stte Fir Division, Gin Burchfiel 2015 ttendnce Approximtely 900,000 Midwy supplier Wde Shows loction on the est side of Oklhom City to the current loction on the west side in "The brn hs hd mny improvements, but the bones re there," Burchfiel sid. Sometimes bringing in new is more of trde out. Equine events re very populr t the fir nd hve been for most of the fir's history. And, firgoers expect the shows. So fir officils continue to offer equine events; some re the sme while some re brnd new. This sme type of progrmming is used with Disney on Ice, which hs become n nnul trdition in the Jim Norick Stte Fir Aren during fir-time. Lst yer, the fir hosted "Frozen" while this yer will be different. The ren, built in 1965, is in itself n importnt historicl lndmrk. At the time of the opening, builders touted it s the "lrgest coliseum-type structure in the Southwest, constructed with the longest ctenry roof spn in the world." The roof forms bowl top the ren. It consists of steel cbles in grid pttern to support concrete roof pnels. Becuse of the chllenges in mintining it, this type of roof is no longer being built. Another iconic firgrounds lndmrk is the 330-foot-tll Arrows to Atoms Spce Tower, n observtion tower built in It ws built by Willy Bühler with Von Roll cbin. The Spce Tower hs been inoperble, however, since June 2010 flsh flood in the underground control room cused extensive electricl dmge. "Fixing the dmged underground control room, clled 'the vult,' would cost mid-to-high six figures," Munz sid. "With the control room out of commission, we hve no wy of ssessing the condition of the wheelhouse t the top of the ride." Other trditionl fir ttrctions include the City of AGtropolis, n griculturl nd eductionl exhibit, nd the Oklhom Frontier Experience, which explores the fir's "wild west" side. The midwy opertor, From the Oklhom Stte Fir photo rchives is this view of the grounds s seen in 1957 (left) nd this undted photo of The Whip. COURTESY OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR Shown here is Wde Shows Gint Wheel, mnufctured by Chnce, on the midwy of the Oklhom Stte Fir, Oklhom City. In 2017, Oklhom Stte Fir officils re looking forwrd to hving the RL45 by Lmberink on the midwy. Wde Shows nd independent ride opertor Michel Wood hve purchsed the lrge wheel nd pln to tke it to the Oklhom Stte Fir next yer s well s other loctions. Below is the A.R.M. Vertigo ride, populr fvorite by firgoers. COURTESY OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR Wde Shows, hs been the exclusive midwy provider t the fir since the erly 1990s. Yet, Oklhom Stte Fir's ssocition with Wde Shows' owner Frnk Zitshik goes bck to the 1960s when Zitshik worked for Link Crnivl, which provided the midwy then. Wde Shows continues to bring the newest to the midwy with its lrge ride rsenl. Some of those rides high on the list of Oklhom Stte Fir ptrons include: Pinfri's RC-48 coster nd the Super Cyclone coster; Zmperl's Mighty Mouse coster; Wisdom's Drgstrip Meg Slide; KMG's Fire Bll; nd Fbbri's Meg Drop. Burchfiel sid they re looking forwrd to the new wheel co-owned by Wde Shows nd independent ride opertor Michel Wood for the 2017 fir. The Lmberink RL 45 is mnufctured by Lmberink BV, Netherlnds. It is 45 meters (147.6 feet) tll, hs 36 gondols nd five loding sttions. Also in 2017, the new 279,000-squre-foot Expo Center will open giving fir mngement 201,000 of contiguous open floor exhibit spce, 12,000-squre-foot lobby, concessions res, commercil kitchen, ticket spce nd prking for 2,174 crs. Since 2009, mssive renovtion project tht includes updting existing buildings nd structures on the grounds hve been tking plce. Burchfiel sid the cost tg for tht project so fr is close to $1 million. Fir Prk is owned by the City of Oklhom City but is mnged by seprte entity with the following t the helm: Timothy J. O'Toole, president, CEO; Scott Munz, vice president, mrketing nd public reltions; nd Gin Burchfiel, vice president, Stte Fir Division.

39 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 39

40 40 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 MIDWAY MARKET PLACE CARNIVALlights COMPILED: Pm Sherborne P.O. Box 238 Merino, CO Fx: Keep our musement prk industry strong! Buy products nd services from these suppliers. The 145-yer-old Ringling Bros. nd Brnum & Biley Circus held its lst show feturing elephnts lst month, in move tht's being ppluded by niml rights ctivists. Ringling nnounced its pln in the erly spring, sying it is sending ll its Asin elephnts to live on the compny's Florid nture reserve. The originl pln clled for phsing out elephnts' role in the circus by But in Jnury, Ringling's prent compny, Feld Entertinment, sid it ws moving up the timetble. At the time, Feld Entertinment's vice president of communictions, Steve Pyne, told NPR's Jckie Northm tht the fmily tht controls the compny "decided tht removing the elephnts from the circus units nd bringing them to the Center for Elephnt Conservtion ws in the best interest of the compny nd, most importntly, the elephnts." The decision cme fter yers of growing public concern for the elephnts' well-being, with ctivists criticizing Ringling for forcing intelligent nimls tht, in the wild, sustin complex socil reltionships, to live in cptivity nd isoltion. A totl of 11 elephnts took prt in the lst shows in circuses t Wilkes Brre, P., nd Providence, R.I. The elephnts will join bout 30 others t the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephnt Conservtion, 200-cre fcility tht now hosts "the lrgest Asin elephnt herd in the Western Hemisphere." In ddition to Ringling, Feld Entertinment opertes rnge of high-profile trveling shows, from Monster Jm nd Supercross to Mrvel Universe Live nd Disney on Ice. See editoril commentry on pge 2. The Sn Diego County Fir, Del Mr, Clif., kicks of June 3 nd will run through July 4. This yer's theme is "Md About the Fir." And, with tht theme, comes new ttrctions including Sundy te prties bsed on Lewis Crroll's clssic Alice's Adventures in Wonderlnd. Ech Sundy there will be two, 90-minute te prties, ech ccommodting 48 people giving ll ttendees n up close nd personl experience. Another new ttrction is Str Wrs Stempunk Universe Dy set for June 12. The independent midwy fir is feturing n rry of midwy promotions this yer including online pckges nd py-one-price ride dels every Wednesdy nd Thursdy of the fir. A new smoke-free policy ws dopted by the Alsk Stte Firgrounds, Anchorge. It will be in effect for the stte fir this yer, set for Aug. 25- Sept. 5. The policy covers not only tobcco products, but electronic cigrettes s well. The new policy is the ltest step towrd joining other businesses nd orgniztions ntionwide in going smoke-free, ccording to fir officils. In 2015, smoking ws prohibited on firgrounds for n entire dy for Wellness Dy. It s not bout the right to smoke, but bout the right to not hve to brethe secondhnd smoke, sid Generl Mnger Jerome Hertel. Smoking is n ctive choice. Brething second-hnd smoke is not. The new policy sttes smoking is prohibited nywhere within the fenced common res of the firgrounds property nd t lest 40 feet wy from the min gte entrnces to the firgrounds. Bnned products include tobcco cigrettes nd cigrs, plnt mteril, nd ny e-cigrette, which cretes vpor, in ny mnner or in ny form, or the use of ny orl smoking device. Complince with the smoke-free fir policy is mndtory for ll employees, exhibitors, vendors, volunteers, performers nd ptrons visiting the fir. South Crolin's lrgest public event mde its television debut lst month. The South Crolin Stte Fir, Columbi, ws fetured on the sixth seson of Crnivl Ets. The seson premier ws Thursdy, My 5, t 9 p.m., on The Cooking Chnnel. Crnivl Ets host Noh Cppe nd crew visited the fir lst yer. According to press relese, it ws South Crolin's resilience tht drew the ntionlly televised progrm to Columbi, fter Cppe lerned tht the fir ws slted to go on s norml fter the devstting October floods. The fir will run October this yer. The crnivl ride tht ejected 16-yer-old high school student in El Pso, Texs, killing her ws operting properly nd ws not defective, n ttorney representing the crnivl opertor sid My 4, just dys fter the incident. We didn t hve ny doubt tht it ws not defective, Robert Skipworth, n ttorney for Ls Cruces-bsed Plytime Amusements, opertor of the ride, sid in locl news story. Smnth Aguilr ws killed Fridy, April 29, when the Sizzler ride, mnufctured by Wisdom Industries, ejected her nd friend. Aguilr ws tken to Del Sol hospitl nd died from her injuries, police sid. Her 17-yer-old friend suffered minor injuries. Aguilr ws ttending the Dí de Los Niños fir t St. Thoms Aquins Ctholic Church in El Pso. An insurnce inspector exmined the ride fter the ccident nd determined is ws not defective, Skipworth sid. Ben Gonzlez, of the Texs Deprtment of Insurnce, ws quoted s sying Mondy the ride ws in complince with stte mndtes for crnivl rides. All musement ride opertors re required to hve n nnul inspection nd $1 million libility insurnce," Gonzlez sid. Skipworth sid the ride ws on lon to Plytime Amusements from Moores Greter Shows, which is bsed in Lyfort, Texs. Adult generl-dmission to the 2016 Illinois Stte Fir, Springfield, will cost $3 more this yer thn lst yer on ll but the opening nd closing dys of the fir. The 2016 Fir is set to run August The new $10 dmission for ges 13 to 59 is in line with surrounding sttes nd reflects the relity of Illinois finnces, sid sttement relesed with the chnge by the Illinois Deprtment of Agriculture. "In n effort to be fisclly responsible, this yer, the Illinois Stte Fir is implementing price restructuring for gte dmission nd prking," the deprtment stted. "Prices hve not been evluted since 2012, nd these djustments will gretly help the Illinois Stte Fir better serve firgoers."

41 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 41

42 42 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016

43 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 43 BUSINESS, SAFETY & CLASSIFIED PeopleWtch Pge 44 / MrketWtch Pge 45 / Sfety Pges / CLASSIFIED Pge 55 SeWorld Entertinment s Se Rescue wins Dytime Emmy ORLANDO, Fl. Se- World Entertinment s Se Rescue ws wrded with Dytime Cretive Arts Emmy Awrd ctegory t this yer s Annul Dytime Emmy Awrds in Los Angeles. Se Rescue ws wrded the prize for Outstnding Children s Series. This is the show s first win nd third nomintion. We cnnot overstte how thrilled we re with the ntionl cdemy s decision, sid Anthony Esprz, chief cretive officer of SeWorld Prks & Entertinment. Se Rescue emphsizes the criticl need for the conservtion nd preservtion of nimls, nd we believe tht s n incredibly importnt messge nd I think mny of our viewers gree. Se Rescue showcses the touching nd inspirtionl stories of mrine niml rescue, rehbilittion nd return to the wild by the SeWorld Rescue Tem nd prtner orgniztions. Fetured episodes this seson include the Cliforni se lion crisis, nd record-breking trnsfer of hundreds of cold stunned se turtles from New Englnd to rehbilittion centers round the country. The hertwrming episode Georgi on my Mind, shres the story of Georgi, rescued orphned bby mntee who grows up to become mom, grndmother, nd foster mntee mom. The show is prt of Litton s Weekend Adventure iring ntionwide on ABC ffilites. Stndrd Amusements, LLC, wrded Rye Plylnd contrct County on hook for $32 million in fcility repirs AT: Pm Sherborne psherborne@musementtody.com WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Westchester County lwmkers voted 13-4 lst month to pprove proposl to hve third prty tke over opertions t Rye Plylnd. Stndrd Amusements, LLC will tke over opertions of the prk. Westchester County mintins ownership of the historic musement prks nd grounds. Stndrd Amusements' Jck Flfs sid proposl for third prty opertor for Rye Plylnd hs been round for bout six yers. "We hve worked very hrd with the county to mke sure this is n outstnding project," Flfs told Amusement Tody, t the first of My. "But we re going step by step to ccomplish this." This mens, he sid, the 2016 seson will be one of observtions. "The county hs certin mount of work to do before we cn go in nd do our prt," Flfs sid. "The county's prt hs lot to do with the infrstructure." While the county is completing their prt of the del, which is spelled out in the contrct between the two prties, Flfs nd his tem will look t wht rides they might wnt to dd for next seson. He ws not redy to mke ny nnouncements in tht re. Current mngement will sty the sme for this seson. The pln pproved by the Stndrd Amusements, LLC will spend $30 million in opertions nd new rides to Rye Plylnd while the county (owners of the prk nd lnd) will be responsible for nother $32 million, mostly focused on ging fcility needs. Here, Stndrd Amusements shows concept for new Entry Gte, Fountin Plz (right). COURTESY STANDARD AMUSEMENTS county includes $32 million investment by the county nd nother $30 million from Stndrd Amusements. Supporters of the pln sid it will reinvigorte Plylnd. "We don't wnt to be the Legislture tht kills Plylnd," sid Michel Kplowitz, bord president, when mking the nnouncement lst month. "Insted we wnt to be the Legislture tht helps gurntee the future of Plylnd. And we're hoping s mny s million people yer soon come out to Plylnd." Opponents feel the proposl my not be in the best interest of the county, becuse the county's monetry prt of the project will be pid out right wy, while Stndrd hs months to begin pying out ny funds. Flfs sid the infrstructure improvements will need to be completed before he cn go in. "The county will be checking to mke sure everything is working properly, mong other things," he sid. "When you go in to rent n prtment, you expect the refrigertor to be working. Just things like tht." Plylnd opened for the seson the first weekend in My. EUROPEAN SPARE AND REPLACEMENT PARTS IMPORTER SINCE 1982 NORTH AMERICAN PARTS INC. 61C AERO DRIVE, BUFFALO, NEW YORK USA PHONE: (716) FAX: (716) prts@np-inc.com SERVING THE AMUSEMENT INDUSTRY WE VE KEPT YOUR RIDES IN MOTION SINCE 1982

44 44 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 PEOPLE WATCH Crolyn McLen joins Weber Group The Weber Group, Sellersburg, Ind., hs nnounced tht Crolyn McLen hs been hired s the new director of Communictions & Business Inititives. Crolyn, s well s the position itself, re both new to the Weber Group. Crolyn nd fmily relocted to metro Louisville from Chrlotte, North Crolin. She will be responsible for leding strtegic development, public reltions progrms nd McLen bolstering sles to chieve Weber s gols in the Culture, Leisure nd Entertinment industries. She will work closely with mrketing in plnning nd progrmming externl communictions, medi reltions, nd brnd development. Her nme my be fmilir s she is no strnger to the musement prk industry holding former roles s the VP of Corporte Communictions for Cedr Fir Entertinment nd Director of Communictions for Six Flgs Kentucky Kingdom. Scenes from Six Flgs Mngement Reunion Held t Six Flgs Over Texs, My 3-4, 2016 Tour group Reunion picnic George Delnoy, Joe Schillci Tom Hll, Melind Ashcrft, John Bement Dn Decker nmed new TTIA COO The Texs Trvel Industry Assocition hs nnouced tht Dn Decker will join the TTIA tem on August 1 s the ssocition new chief operting officer. Amusement industry members will remember Dn for his 12-yer role t SeWorld Sn Antonio, nd most recently s the prk president. With more thn 30 totl yers in the industry, Dn's bckgound hs included theme prk opertions, humn resources, culinry, mrketing nd prk president. In his role s TTIA's COO, Dn will be ctively involved with Decker ll TTIA progrms, including overseeing, developing, nd setting the orgniztion's growth strtegy through membership, development, public policy nd other inititives. TTIA's 31st Annul Trvel Summit will be held Oct in Houston. For more informtion visit: tti.org. Mike Glennn Ry Willims Lrry Cochrn Hrris nmed CEO of Spce Center Houston Betty Hudson, Lucy Murphy Bob Johnson, Jim Wintrode, Hrold Hudson PHOTOS COURTESY ANDY BARKLEY, HAROLD HUDSON, AT/GARY SLADE Redemption Plus celebrtes two decdes tion compny, Redemption Plus hs grown in mny wys since its inception. As the first to crete leding edge tgging system nd digitl pcking list for redemption progrms in Fmily Entertinment Centers (FECs), E: SID Redemption PlusINcontinues to r, e push the boundries of innovb e Al W x mke ds o Ape et inr 0-31 k tion by being endlessly s3 mr pgecommit.com dy See ntto eme ted to bettering guestw.experiencs u m w ng es. The orgniztionw fulfillsgthis stro in k o lo gol through insight, dt, denz g v 11 p u e sign, coching, trining nd su u r d Iss Ext igne l. 19 nd Vo ve s perior redemption merchndise. 16 h 0 2 ow ry tors Jim ics' ry ron u Elect id-jn dn't m ny's h Den id in ny Gib s mp r the co ts en fo they All men his ew lns muse Mg- tht finl p but kn newer, g e, er A r. Ed's wn ll d in Inc. w tl it y, o u m to B sh r sm hib Tod to to M e Gib ent wn be ex s thei usem one nother s, t th. Am - to ould y such o lights in six 2016 w Zm nd idw cts & TM M rio, y hs produ ish turb them Allen s icl. o," n e d R v p ill ED ntrolw un sho mon is com r nd w - ro "We h nine L co R id h sy ye Gibson nd ve new." is, s u to h e D i, perl very b e t th plns e LE. "We ith themusiness elm li g b w d id l b th is o s n Gu hd ld to mper iest, s, to g ent d sid in roup, nd T F g te rs Z G dy o u. le o G s. be w on Allen ven new sho Bllo tht deb mpterl ouse Ride setto se -U n W h 4 e st to nd fiv rk he y fun Go e co ride sy. e l ibit ides lng rm on g. exh ot-tll xpo. Th n displ n bu "In th dded plte," of R hs Inte sentin show sing s- turi. e om cu hou ur oled event him. It 36-fo APA E hve o versio ve rp re.c o S th p fo e T y h t re be rn ttod ie n will be " Len IISF d for order t IA rbo we ucts to will kidd e, nd ow y will nd fu ness, e She usemen. Teo will d lso, d d e Sh "We rides l busi cus- sid th een go chnce ows. pro m Pm ny ir Rce ce ri Trd., Tues Fe, Fl e pro. fo sh y b F iv st AT: borne@ R N rk n e o S id s re l o g.m II er n A e Sky g. 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S.m. - 4 lso d n get it b. in Css ng il c id he z r ro ot k l F) putt enden (IIS vgn o- ily rty inte ors to ut of p se- ey wil oled s t is n lst will bri me, tr gme nfigu- re 11 e wee of edu u ep it ce S id Th rry ightly Ind dtion Extr m e P Exhib the gm ile m od th f July," urse, th led s ssful rce g ter r p co l be n n nd n d eu o d b fo il sh w u o re co S n e n n o n o w s. fi li d f st F n dis o se d O clu ry ly of show rur the m, from s to w ns e c rt of de m r n pny's ere ls e on io e th rs ie bre Jnu uling Sho ss th se to Th s fo g thei pn com ed nd wys s so some ri ld gm s on ts..ss unveils Crowind n Crowind ed w cou t durin e sched book g uct t oper com ride unveils ole onfury B&M. B&M Fury bee even ctivitie includ 325 p- yer ook 325 H use s, rti n A men ssion iler, ing e booth s hs sst com e men ked th session s duri bec overb ry d T es Fish tr uring I lik th er nce n l nu rs th ped twe tion ct nd id. 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Redemption Plus recently nnounced it celebrted two decdes of business on April 1, Estblished in 1996 s n incentive distribu- PRSRT STD USPRSRT POSTAGE STD USPAID POSTAGE FT. WORTH PAID TX FT. WORTH PERMIT TX # 2069 PERMIT # 2069 A new CEO with extensive fundrising, strtegy nd communictions experience hs tken the helm t the nonprofit Spce Center Houston in the midst of period of significnt growth. Willim T. Hrris hs more thn 30 yers in nonprofit ledership including senior positions t renowned science center nd unihrris versities, where he led multi-million-dollr cpitl nd fundrising cmpigns, principl nd mjor gifts, mrketing cmpigns, communictions, government reltions nd strtegy inititives. Hrris previously ws t the Cliforni Science Center Foundtion s senior vice president of development nd mrketing. He oversw ll externl ffirs including cpitl cmpigns, bord reltions, nnul nd membership progrms, public funding, mrketing nd communictions. Hrris ws leder on the tem to bring the spce shuttle Endevour to the Cliforni Science Center, including its funding, promotion, trnsport, communictions, mrketing nd exhibit opening nd looks forwrd to his new role. See EUROPA,pge 4 pge 4 See SeeStory Story pge 26 pge 26 Subscribe TODAY t

45 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 45 MARKETWATCH COMPANY SYMBOL MARKET PRICE 05/12/16 HIGH 52-Week LOW 52-Week The Blckstone Group BX NYSE Merlin Entertinments Group/ Legolnd MERL LSE Cedr Fir, L.P. FUN NYSE Comcst Corp./ NBCUniversl Medi CMCSA NASDAQ The Wlt Disney Compny DIS NYSE Fuji Kyoko Co., Ltd TYO Hichng Holdings Ltd. 2255HK SEHK Leofoo Development Co. TW:2705 TSEC MGM Resorts Interntionl MGM NYSE SeWorld Entertinment, Inc. SEAS NYSE Shenzhen Overses Chinese Town Co., Ltd. (OCT) SZSE Six Flgs Entertinment Co. SIX NYSE Skyocen Interntionl 00593HK SEHK Tivoli A/S DK:TIV CSE Villge Rodshow VRL ASX STOCK PRICES ABOVE ARE GENERALLY QUOTED IN THE FOREIGN CURRENCY IN WHICH THE COMPANY IS LOCATED Worldwide Mrkets: ASX, Austrlin Securities Exchnge; CSE, Copenhgen Stock Exchnge; LSE, London Stock Exchnge; NYSE, New York Stock Exchnge; NASDAQ, Ntionl Assocition of Securities Delers Automted Quottions; SEHK, Hong Kong Stock Exchnge; SZSE, Shenzhen Stock Exchnge; TSEC, Tiwn Stock Excnge, Corp.; TYO/TSE, Tokyo Stock Exchnge SOURCES: Bloomberg.com; Wll Street Journl DIESEL PRICES Region As of Chnge from (U.S.) 05/09/16 1 yer go Est Cost $ $0.688 Midwest $ $0.507 Gulf Cost $ $0.640 Mountin $ $0.495 West Cost $ $0.634 Cliforni $ $0.656 CURRENCY On 05/13/16 $1 USD = EURO GBP (British Pound) JPY (Jpnese Yen) CHF (Swiss Frnc) AUD (Austrlin Dollr) CAD (Cndin Dollr) BUSINESS WATCH Wlt Disney Co. releses 2nd qurter results BURBANK, Clif. The Wlt Disney Compny (NYSE: DIS) on My 10 reported qurterly ernings of $2.1 billion for its second fiscl qurter ended April 2, 2016, n increse of $35 million over the prioryer qurter. Prks nd Resorts revenues for the qurter incresed 4 percent to $3.9 billion nd segment operting income incresed 10 percent to $624 million. Operting income growth for the qurter ws due to n increse t our domestic opertions, prtilly offset by decrese t interntionl opertions. Lower operting income t the interntionl opertions ws due to higher pre-opening expenses t Shnghi Disney Resort, incresed operting costs t Disneylnd Pris nd lower volume t Hong Kong Disneylnd Resort, prtilly offset by higher guest spending t Disneylnd Pris. SeWorld Entertinment reports first qurter ORLANDO, Fl. SeWorld Entertinment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) reported on My 5, 2016 finncil results for the first qurter of Results overview included: ttendnce of 3.30 million, compred to 3.21 million in the first qurter of 2015; totl revenue of $220.2 million, compred to $214.6 million in the first qurter of 2015; djusted EBITDA loss of $5.9 million, compred to n djusted EBITDA loss of $3.8 million in the first qurter of 2015; net loss of $84.0 million compred to net loss of $43.6 million in the first qurter of 2015 nd djusted net loss of $46.9 million compred to n djusted net loss of $43.5 million in the first qurter of Cedr Fir reports record strt to 2016 SANDUSKY, Ohio Cedr Fir Entertinment Compny (NYSE: FUN), nnounced on My 4, 2016 positive results for the first qurter ended Mrch 27, For the first qurter ended Mrch 27, 2016, Cedr Fir's net revenues were $58 million, n increse of $12 million, or 25 percent, compred with the first qurter ended Mrch 29, In the qurter, the compny generted record ttendnce, long with increses in ll revenue ctegories, including dmissions, food nd beverge, merchndise, gmes nd ccommodtions. Operting costs nd expenses for the first qurter of 2016 were $116 million, n increse of $7 million, or 6 percent, from the first qurter of The net loss for the qurter totled $48 million, or $0.87 per diluted LP unit, versus net loss of $84 million, or $1.50 per diluted LP unit, for the first qurter yer go. Six Flgs reports record first qurter GRAND PRAIRIE, Texs Six Flgs Entertinment Corportion (NYSE: SIX), nnounced on April 27, 2016 revenue in the first qurter of 2016 grew 36 percent to $115 million nd Adjusted EBITDA improved 39 percent or $15 million. Since most of the prks were not open during the first qurter, djusted EBITDA ws loss of $23 million, which ws the compny s best first-qurter performnce in its history. Modified EBITDA for the 12 months ending Mrch 31, 2016 ws $534 million, n increse of $51 million or 11 percent compred to the 12 months ending Mrch 31, Totl guest spending per cpit for the first qurter 2016 ws $44.84, which ws n increse of $1.02 or 2 percent over the first qurter of Sponsorship nd interntionl licensing revenue ws up $3 million, or 26 percent, in the first qurter, driven primrily by higher fees ssocited with development of interntionl Six Flgs-brnded theme prks. In brief... ORLANDO, Fl. Visit Orlndo nnounced new ll-time record visittion for the destintion city. In 2015, 66.1 million people visited Orlndo, growing 5.5 percent from ARLINGTON, Texs The City of Arlington, Texs nnounced tht more thn 10 million tourists visit the city ech yer. Arlington is the seventh lrgest city in Texs.

46 46 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Michel Den Chnce, 42, loses bttle with depression WICHITA, Kn. Michel (Mike) Den Chnce, president, Chnce Rides, pssed wy April 19. He ws 42. Chnce, who ws dedicted to the musement industry, joined the fmily business in 1998 nd ws nmed president in 2000 being t the compny's helm, like his fther, Richrd (Dick) Chnce, nd his grndfther, Hrold Chnce, before him. He led Chnce Rides through both chllenging nd prosperous times. He ws instrumentl in expnding the compny into roller coster design nd mnufcturing when he purchsed the ssets of D.H. Morgn Mnufcturing, Inc., roller coster design nd mnufcturing firm, forming Chnce Morgn, Inc. in Chnce Rides Mnufcturing, Inc., the third genertion of mnufcturing compnies to be owned by the Chnce fmily, ws formed lter tht yer to produce the rides sold by Chnce Morgn. He loved tking the first officil ride on newly instlled ttrctions, longside his fther. Dune Wiechmn, who ws recently honored for his 50 yers with Chnce Rides, sid: I m going to miss Mike very much. Mike ws so energetic, intelligent nd OBITUARY Amusement industry, friends remember Mike Chnce Pge 47 hrd worker. He enjoyed working for his dd in the fmily business, but I think he ws hppiest seeing ll the completed projects roll out the door for shipping to the prk customers. Tht lwys brought smile to his fce." Dn Morgn, who sold his compny to Mike Chnce sid: "I will lwys remember Mike for his wrm friendliness nd sincere cring for those he knew. He ws mn of gret integrity nd well respected in this industry. Mike hd unique bility to get long well with everyone involved in project nd ws lwys problem solver. Mike ws instrumentl in the process of estblishing Chnce s coster mnufcturer. But most of ll I remember Mike for his infectious smile." Michel Chnce ws born My 26, 1973, in Wichit to Richrd (Dick) Chnce nd Penny (Pruter) Chnce. He ttended Wichit Northwest High School nd Knss Stte University. He mrried Mindi Gibbs on June 26, 2000, in Mui, Hwii. Their son, Crter Michel, ws the light of his life. Chnce ws n ctive member of the Knss chpter of Young Presidents Orgniztion (YPO). He loved wtching K-Stte footbll nd WSU bsketbll gmes, trveling with his fmily nd competing in trithlons ( hlf Ironmn nd Escpe from Alctrz were mong his most grtifying fets). In ddition to his wife nd son, Chnce is survived by his fther Dick nd step-mother Crol Chnce, grndmother Mrjorie Chnce, sister Amie (Aln) Green, brother John (Ritish) Chnce, stepfther Jim (Nncy) Stnelle, Mike Chnce, three nieces, two nephews nd mny other close unts, uncles nd cousins. Mike ws preceded in deth by mother Penny Stnelle, grndfther Hrold Chnce nd stepbrother TJ Hernndez. A celebrtion of his life ws held Wednesdy, April 27, t Chpel Hill United Methodist Church, Wichit, Kn. Memoril contributions my be mde to the following orgniztions: KidzCope, 9415 E. Hrry, Suite 501, Wichit, Knss 67207; nd Mentl Helth Assocition of South Centrl Knss, 555 N. Woodlwn, Suite 3105, Wichit, Knss Mike Chnce Scholrship Fund strted by SLA CHICAGO, Ill. The Showmen's Legue of Americ (SLA) nnounced lst month the cretion of the Mike Chnce Scholrship Fund, designed to help fund college eductions for deserving students. In mking the nnouncement bout the scholrship, Cindy Henning, SLA executive secretry, sid: "As mny of you know, Chnce Rides President Mike Chnce pssed wy on April 19. Mike's fther, Richrd (Dick) Chnce, served s our president in yer 2000." "Dick nd Mike re gret leders nd contributors," Henning sid. "To honor the Chnce fmily, we re creting Mike Chnce Memoril Scholrship." The strting gol is $4,000 fund. "Thnks to Jeff Blomsness, North Americn Midwy Entertinment who committed $1,000 to kick off the effort," sid Henning, on My 2. Plese cll Henning t (312) to mke contribution.

47 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 47 Amusement industry, friends remember Mike Chnce "It is with very hevy hert to sy good-bye to true gentlemn nd friend! Mike ws very good to us here t Circus Circus Ls Vegs nd ws lwys very professionl nd respectful of our wnts nd needs. He ws very quick to come to the tble with gret visionry ides to enhnce the overll guest experience in our prk. He, like his fther, lwys stood by their word nd went bove nd beyond to deliver wht ws greed upon. He will truly be missed by us nd the industry!" Tom J. Noln, Adventuredome "Simply hert breking. So young nd so much to live for." Tom Iven, Six Flgs Entertinment "This trgedy ws shock to ll of us. We pprecite Mike's dediction to his crft nd we truly enjoyed every opportunity we hd to work with him. This is gret loss for our community." Ktie Grover, Fidelity Bnk Wichit "I m t the 2016 DEAL Show in Dubi with mny of our industry friends. It mens lot tht I her this from AT so fst, but I hve ters here of this sd news. So mny memories I cn't begin to strt listing. I m speechless nd so sd." Jim Sey, Premier Rides "Such sd disese tht relly plys hvoc on people's lives without ny direct signs nd symptoms! A constnt struggle nd bttle for mny! Mny pryers to his immedite fmily, Chnce Rides fmily nd our industry friends." Kimberle Rolle Smrelli, NJAA "This terrible news relly hit me. All my memories with Mike hve come flooding bck. Every time I spoke with him he seemed so centered nd relxed I never would hve guessed he suffered from depression. Hving fought deep depression myself some yers go, I know firsthnd how devstting it cn be. My hert goes out to Mike's fmily nd friends." Rick Knoebel, Knoebel's Amusement Resort "Extremely shocking. I believed tht Mike nd the Chnce fmily re the grets in the industry. And I know nd believe tht with ll my being. God bless the whole fmily nd orgniztion." Jck Flfs, United Prks "I considered Mike rel friend, nd we conversed frequently not only bout the industry, but Knss Stte nd OU (Oklhom) sports. To me he ws mrketer nd tried to mke "it" work. My hert is sddened nd will feel the loss for his fmily with vcncy in my hert. Pul Borchrdt, Wonderlnd Prk "I keep reding the news in complete shock. There re no words to describe our sdness... we cn only hope tht the Chnce fmily knows how much support they hve from ll of us. We will keep them in our thoughts nd pryers during this extremely difficult time. We pplud Mike s vlint fight nd send our hertfelt sympthy nd condolences. He will be gretly missed within our industry." Len Soled, Rides 4-U "Like most everyone, I m surprised by this news. Mike lwys seemed so cring nd cre free. It just shows how much of rel problem depression is in our society... nd how little people understnd it. He will be sorely missed." Stephen Bll, Frontier City Dick nd Mike Chnce (right) give thumbs up fter their first ride on the Lighting Run t Kentucky Kingdom. The Hyper GT-X coster from Chnce Rides opened on My 24, AT FILE "Mike's deth is trgedy nd ll of us t Kentucky Kingdom, who knew nd worked with him, re so sd. Words re hrd to find t times like this, which cuse us ll to question the very nture of things, but we wnt the Chnce fmily to know we re thinking bout you, the entire Chnce tem, nd remembering Mike s we knew him gret guy nd credit not only to his fmily, but to the Chnce orgniztion nd the entire musement industry." Ed Hrt, Kentucky Kingdom "I m sitting here in shock nd disbelief. Quite frnkly on the verge of ters. Our fmilies hve been friends for genertions. This is difficult to process. Our thoughts nd pryers go out to the Chnce fmily, Chnce Rides fmily, the industry nd ll the people ffected by this horrible, sd disese. Tom Cnfield, Snt Cruz Bech Bordwlk "This news ctches me off gurd. The rticle ws certinly well written nd tstefully hndled the subject of depression. Mentl illness is not understood by the generl popultion nd even most medicl doctors do not know much bout it. My thoughts re with the fmily." Mrk Moore, Uremet Corp. "Our thoughts nd pryers re with the Chnce fmily nd their employees during this difficult time." Justin Hys, Cliff's Amusement Prk "We hve known the Chnce fmily for yers hving number of iconic Chnce rides here nd the news of Mike s deth certinly cme s shock to us nd countless others within the industry. Our thoughts nd pryers re with the fmily, the mny ssocites t Chnce Rides nd others closest to Mike. He will be missed!" Eric Anderson, Qussy Amusement & Wterprk "Like mny others in our industry, I ws surprised, shocked nd stunned with Mike Chnce s deth. Not only ws I surprised t his pssing, but lso with the fct of his struggle with depression. I hd no clue of such, becuse, outwrdly, no one could tell of his struggles. I considered Mike more thn business reltionship, I considered him friend nd confidnt. I thnk him for ll he did for me nd my fmily. I pry for Mindi, their child nd their fmily in this time of loss nd despir. My God comfort them nd hel the wounds left by Mike s pssing." John Arie, Sr., Fun Spot Americ "The entire OABA bord ws devstted nd shocked to her of Mike Chnce s deth t such young ge. Our herts nd pryers go out to Dick, Mike s wife, Mindi nd their son. We pprecited knowing how wful nd debilitting this disese ws for Mike to del with in the nnouncement from his fther. Mny OABA members knew him well nd we vlue ll the contributions the Chnce fmily mke to the musment industry." Robert "Bob" W. Johnson, OABA "The Lndry s fmily is devstted t the pssing of Mike Chnce. Our thoughts nd pryers go to Dick, Mike s fmily nd the entire Chnce orgniztion. We hve hd 20-plus yer reltionship with Mike nd mourn the loss of fine person, fmily mn nd business ssocite." Keith W. Beitler, Lndry's Inc., Specilty Resturnt nd Theme Prk Division "The musement industry nd the world t lrge lost gret person. The dy I met Michel, it quickly becme obvious tht he ws kind-herted, friendly, nd sincere. Whether you were working t job site with him or just discussing life while t ese, his sense of humor nd clm were the sme; true professionl, someone you were lwys hppy to see. Working with Chnce Rides on Lightning Run t Kentucky Kingdom is one of my most beloved industry experiences nd Michel ws one of the biggest resons tht I hold tht experience close to my hert. It s close to impossible to put into words how much Michel will be missed. I will cherish my memories of him nd remember him lwys." Anne Irvine, Irvine Ondrey Engineering "With gret stonishment nd sdness we herd bout the devstting news of Mike s pssing wy t such young ge. He will be gretly missed by his fmily, collegues nd the entire industry. We would like to express our sincere condolences nd wish the Chnce fmily lot of strength to ber this terrible loss." Mngement nd Stff, Vekom Rides Mfg. "Mike ws one of those bright young people chosen to led our industry. The loss of ny bright young person in our industry is hrd to ccept. However the loss of Mike is extremely hrd s he lerned our business from his fther nd grndfther nd with his dded tlent ws guiding Chnce Rides Mnufcturing into the future with bigger nd brighter ides. All of us tht hve ny knowledge of the musement industry re going to miss Mike!" Bill Robinson, Willim H. Robinson, Inc. "I m speechless to her bout Mike's deth. I m deeply sddened to her tht such young mn with so mny things yet to ccomplish hs been tken t the ge of 42. I hd no ide he ws sick nd fighting depression. He is sme ge s my brother, Cly, ws when he died. I know his entire fmily will suffer to get through this nd the pin never goes wy." Chrlotte Gonzlez, Beech Bend Prk "My thoughts nd pryers go out to Mike's entire fmily. I hve known Mike nd his fther Dick for mny yers nd ws shocked when I herd the news. I hve hd the misfortune of hving depression in my own fmily nd know firsthnd wht horrible disese it is nd the effects it cn hve on the entire fmily. Hopefully there will be cure sometime nd tht our sons nd dughters will not hve to fight this terrible bttle. My Mike rest in pece nd my pece be with his fmily. Jerry Pendelton, Skytrns Mfg.

48 PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILADELPHIA TOBAGGON CO. 48 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Dorney Prk's Thunderhwk updted, pinted for 2016 Tenth oldest roller coster in the world gets new set of trins AT: B. Derek Shw ALLENTOWN, P. Dorney Prk opened for its 133rd seson April 30 with severl new dditions to enhnce the guest experience. New Executive Chef Mlo Jones hs developed innovtive nd unique dining experiences, which include new menu items tht cn be found in the Smokehouse Brbecue. Four new specil events Bttle of the Bnds; KidsFest; Bnds, Brews & BBQ nd Food Truck Festivl hve been dded to the line-up for the 2016 seson. The biggest chnge to the prk this yer is the refurbishment of Thunderhwk, Dorney Prk s iconic wooden roller coster, now in its 92nd seson. This 1924 Phildelphi Toboggn - built, Herb Schmeck-designed ride, hs two new sets of trins only the fourth time in the history Yer Modified 1930 Length 2,767 ft Height 80 ft. Drop 65 ft. Speed 45 mph Durtion 1:18 SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE of the ride, replcing rolling stock tht hs been in plce since the erly 1980 s. Other spects of the updte include fresh new pint for the superstructure nd LED trcer lights the entire length of the ride. Mike Fehnel, vice president nd generl mnger of Dorney Prk, shred the enhncements timeline: Plnning strted in the spring of 2015 by Brd Mrcy (former generl mnger) nd Brd Neslnd (vice president of Mintennce). Orders were plced in the fll in order to ensure delivery in time for the strt of As the oldest remining coster from Phildelphi Toboggn Costers, Inc. (PTCI), Thunderhwk truly is gem; however, it ws time to receive refresh. The two new four-cr, three-set trins mnufctured by PTCI replce the ride s older rolling stock of the sme configurtion. A new color In 1930 the Coster ws reconfigured s figure eight, nd it remins in this lyout to this dy. It ws converted from the out nd bck style design tht it opened s. The Coster sttion ws lso redesigned nd fetured Art Deco style rchitecture. Rounding out the renovtion of the Thunderhwk ws the ddition of four historicl signs round the ride, providing detils of its rich 92-yer history. COURTESY DORNEY PARK scheme of mroon nd gold is used throughout the ride vehicles, which now feture individul lp brs nd 3-D Thunderhwk logos. Fehnel explined why PTCI ws selected, This being one of the 10 oldest continuously operting roller costers in the world, it ws key to sty true to its origins. We wnted to mintin clssic roller coster trin, but with ll the modern sfety systems. The front of the trin ws elected to be the open ir design. This gives unique look nd feel to the trins. The entire ride hs been repinted bnn crem, color similr to wht ws selected the lst time it ws pinted. Rounding out the enhncements re ride profile lights. The new light pckge consists of LED trcer lights. They virtully cover the entire ride with thousnds of individul cler bulbs. The bright, white lights tht outline the clssic wooden roller coster re sure to bring bck bit of nostlgi to Dorney Prk, sid Fehnel. Aside from the new rolling stock, most of the rest of Thunderhwk enhncements were done in-house. The new ride vehicles re designed with led crs with Clockwise from top left: Wter dummies were used to test the new trins from PTCI; The PTCI crew posed for crew photo before shipping the new trins out to Dorney Prk; the ride ws completely repinted in bnn crem color nd outfitted with stunning LED light progrm, something not possible in this historic 1930 view. COURTESY DORNEY PARK open front pnels. This is n dpttion of ride trin designs during the wooden roller coster s first Golden Age in the erly 20th century. Tom Rebbie, president of PTCI, Htfield, P., ws up for the job. It s n eye-opening experience when you hve to djust 2016 technology on 92-yerold ride. He continued, Dorney ws gret to work with. They were very resonble. Whtever they sked for we complied. Everything went very smoothly. We thoroughly enjoyed working with them. Rebbie went on to mention tht his crew enjoyed hndson experience with their ride vehicles on the Thunderhwk trck, mere 28 miles north of the PTCI mnufcturing fcility. Guys who normlly do not get out of the shop got first-hnd experience with the prk, on-sight, sid Rebbie. Completing the updte re series of historicl mrkers round Thunderhwk feturing highlights from the ride s 92-yer history. We were discussing the legcy of Thunderhwk, nd its pst turned out to be quite unique. We lso discovered tht PTCI hd some incredible documents nd photos in their rchive, thus wht better wy to celebrte the 90-plus yer history thn to show how the ride chnged through the decdes, sid Fehnel. He continued, The first sign shows the originl design of the ride s n out nd bck coster. We were even ble to include n originl contrct for the construction which detiled Mr. Schmeck s services during the construction of the ride t rte of $17.00 per dy. The second sign detils the reconfigurtions for the 1930 seson. Next is the yellow coster er followed by one for the modern dy Thunderhwk. While prk stff ws conducting historicl reserch for the mrkers, they found tht Thunderhwk ws originlly clled Joy Ride when it first opened. Most people remember The Coster designtion tht ws used through the 1988 seson. Thunderhwk remins clssic, oldfshioned Americn wooden roller coster with thrilling out-of-set irtime pops. It is the eighth oldest roller coster in the United Sttes, the tenth oldest roller coster in the world nd it remins fvorite mong Dorney Prk guests, sid Fehnel.

49 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 49 Lke Compounce trins 500-plus tem members Shr Sm's prtners for sfety eduction WEST BERLIN, N.J. The New Jersey-bsed Smbulnce progrm, 501(c)3 non-profit with mission to foster sfety eduction within the specil needs community, is prtnering with Shr Sm s Osis Indoor nd Outdoor Wter Prk for summer gl. The event, Set Sil with Smbulnce, is scheduled for June 4 from 7:00.m. to 11:00 p.m. t the wter prk. SAFETY Tickets to the Set Sil with Smbulnce event re vilble to the public nd include n evening of live music, sefood buffet, n uction nd ccess to the indoor nd outdoor wter prk t Shr Sm s. All proceeds from the nuticl-themed event will go to the Smbulnce. This event is both exciting nd extremely importnt for our progrm, sid Annie Peters, executive director of the Smbulnce. As the progrm grows geogrphiclly, nd we rech more nd more children with specil needs, our expenses go up. This event is prmount in llowing us to continue offering free progrmming to students tht relly need it. In 2015 the Smbulnce reched 22,895 students with specil needs throughout New Jersey nd Pennsylvni. The progrm offers free sfety trining to help fmilirize students with emergency vehicles, procedures nd first id. In ddition to trveling to schools nd orgniztions with full-sized mbulnce, Peters lso coordintes nd orgnizes exclusive events t Shr Sm s Osis 4See SAMBULANCE, pge 51 Lke Compounce, Bristol, Conn. prepred for its 170th seson by hiring nd trining more thn 500 tem members in vriety of deprtments, including ride opertions, shown t left. At right, totl of 175 lifegurds will be trined for the five cre wter prk tht fetures 13 ttrctions. Trining is certified by Ellis & Assocites. COURTESY LAKE COMPOUNCE; AT/GARY SLADE

50 50 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Lser tg sfety keeps up with innovtion t Amusement Expo AT: Den Lmnn dlmnn@musementtody.com LAS VEGAS, Nev. Even s lser tg technology hs become more vried nd sophisticted, designers nd mnufcturers hve sought to minimize the risk of ccidentl injuries. At Amusement Expo Interntionl 2016, held Mrch t the Ls Vegs Convention Center, Amusement Tody sked severl of them how they ddress plyer sfety. Shne Zimmermn, vice president of sles, Americs, for Delt Strike of Indinpolis, Ind., ws on hnd to pitch the compny s recently introduced Mobile Commnd Sttion portble, Wi-Fi-controlled lser tg gme for up to 20 plyers or more tht cn be trnsported esily for use in ny indoor or outdoor loction. The unit s phsers incorporte sfety system to help prevent wht Zimmermn described s the most common injury in lser tg: chipped tooth from the muzzle. Sensors keep the phser from firing unless both hnds re gripping it. The two-hnded firing sys- SAFETY Lser tg compnies hwked the ltest stte-of-the-rt gme equipment t Amusement Expo Interntionl in Ls Vegs. Among those showing off new phsers nd sfety fetures were Delt Strike's Jenn Rossio nd Shne Zimmermn (bove left) nd Lserforce's Nncy Rockhill nd Chnce Dn. AT/DEAN LAMANNA tem lso helps prevent wild swinging of the phser. When you re wielding the phser with one hnd, everyone wnts to go gngster, Zimmermn sid. Accelerometers built into the phsers mde by Delt Strike nd Lserforce of Lovelnd, Colo., provide n dditionl sfegurd by stopping the equipment when there is excessive fliling. The ltter compny, n industry pioneer for 28 yers, keeps such movement in check with phser ttched to the gme vest. You hve to use both hnds to ply it, sid Nncy Rockhill, Lserforce s sles mnger for North, Centrl nd South Americ. (The phsers re dptble to single-hnded use, however, for hndicpped plyers.) Lserforce s dynmic, LED light-illuminted Gen7 Bttlesuit vests hve spekers built into the shoulders tht offer scoring updtes nd lerts bout missed trgets, s well s wrnings bout plyer misbehvior. The spekers lso preclude the need for distrcting screen built into the phser keeping the plyer focused on the gme. Greenfield, Wis.-bsed Lser Tg Pro, which includes mong its clients Knott s Berry Frm nd Yogi Ber s Jellystone Prk Cmp-Resorts, hd some of the coolest tlking nd wepon-style phsers t the show. As with other compnies, its phser is pretty tightly tethered to the tcticl hrness to prevent wild swinging nd the phser muzzle hs rubber cp to soften ccidentl collisions. Sfety lso must be built into the gme environment. Offering custom-designed lser spces built on-site nd ptent-pending immersive, interctive video system, Arc Lser Tg Arens of Lehigh Acres, Fl., hs instlled lser tg in more thn 350 loctions worldwide. The six-yer-old compny s Lthn Greiss pointed out tht mintining sfety through creful site plnning nd monthly mintennce (gurding ginst such things s protruding nil heds) is mtter of both good business sense nd, incresingly, code enforcement. Properly inclined rmps should replce stirs in multi-level lser tg fcilities. And enunciting fire lrm systems hve become the norm. When the lrm goes off, the white clening lights in the re should turn on utomticlly nd the gme s sound system should shut off, Greiss sid. Opertors need to hve these things pre-plnned in the design. It shows the fire mrshl nd the code inspector tht we re being proctive with sfety.

51 RICHMOND, B.C., Cnd Looking fter fcility's wter prk ttrctions is key ctivity during the off-seson. A prk s clenliness nd curb ppel influences guest s perception, but more importnt is tht regulr mintennce contributes to guest sfety nd it extends the life of the ride. Cnd's WhiteWter West Industries hs invested in their After Sles & Service tem to support the thousnds of globl WhiteWter instlltions to keep them operting sfely nd properly for wter prk guests. WhiteWter s After Sles & Services President Scott Heke sys, Mintennce cn be n fterthought nd is often just seen s cost becuse mny wter prks undervlue the importnce of mintennce on their bottom line. WhiteWter hs expnded the tem locted in the Cndin hed office by 50 percent while dding dedicted service person to the Shnghi office to help prk opertors keep mintennce on their mind. SAMBULANCE Continued from pge 50 nd Diggerlnd USA for the specil needs community. Prtnering with Annie nd Smbulnce to host this event is exciting for us, sid Ily Girly, CEO of Shr Sm s. We ve been hosting exclusive specil needs nights t our prk since 2010 so offering our fcility for this gl is nturl fit. Smbulnce lso prtners with Diggerlnd USA to host specil needs events nd hs n ongoing prtnership with Nemours DuPont Peditrics in Voorhees, who is providing support for the June 4 fundriser. Additionlly, number of locl nd ntionl compnies hve donted over $5,000 in rffle items for the Anchor s Up Auction. smbulnce.org The importnce of locl knowledge With WhiteWter s interntionl instlltion presence comes n interntionl mintennce pproch. Every loction hs different fctors tht cn ffect wter prk equipment s lifecycle including UV rys, wter qulity nd distnce from the ocens edge. Locl knowledge helps White- Wter recommended the right schedules nd products to ensure opertions run smoothly. More interntionl loctions, more personnel, more services WhiteWter is now offering complete mintennce pckges tht provide wter prk with wht it needs to hed into the 2016 summer seson nd beyond fully prepred. Their mintennce tem offers comprehensive solutions to refresh dull wterslide or bring tired ply structure bck to life. The compny's recoting services cn chnge the color of wterslide nd stock theming options cn turn simple ply structure into pirte ship or lush tropicl forest where kid s imgintions cn run for hours. Keep time on your side, by loving your slide Kicking off erlier this yer, WhiteWter lunched cmpign to remind wter June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 51 WhiteWter s Mintennce Services experiences rpid interntionl growth New service loction opened in Shnghi MAINTENANCE prk opertors to show their ttrctions the mintennce love they deserve. WhiteWter s mintennce experts hve creted comprehensive guide to help opertors keep time on their side by plnning hed nd setting side budget for ny pre-seson repirs nd regulr mintennce during the operting seson. The complete guide is vilble t loveyourwterslide.com.

52 52 AMUSEMENT TODAY June Amusement Industry Mnufcturers nd Suppliers Interntionl, Ltd. P.O. Box Nshville, Tenn Phone: (714) Fx: (714) Kren Oertley Holly Coston, (714) , Wht re the most importnt sfety issues fcing prks nd ttrctions tody? ORLANDO, Fl. AIMS Interntionl s bord of directors is responsible for guiding the orgniztion in its mission to promote sfety through eduction nd trining. Mny bord members cme to AIMS through their ffilition with ASTM nd lso s students nd instructors t the AIMS Sfety Seminr. With sfety s top priority for the musement industry, AIMS News & Notes sked severl bord members to shre their thoughts on industry sfety with n nswer to the question, Wht re the most importnt sfety issues fcing prks nd ttrctions tody? PART 1 OF A SERIES Guest behvior nd rider requirements In my opinion, the most importnt sfety issues fcing prks, crnivls nd ttrctions re: 1. Getting our ptrons to behve ccording to the rules of the ride. 2. Anticipting wht ptrons might do on/to ride, which could cuse n ccident before they do it. 3. Finding positive wys to del with the non-trditionl rider who does not fit into the existing restrints on ride. 4. Defining the rider bilities required (criteri) working with the mnufcturer, if vilble, so we do not exclude ptrons who could ride sfely who hve perceived disbility nd how to properly exclude those who do not hve the bilities required. Ptty Sullivn, Eli Bridge Co. For me the most importnt, nd probbly most generl, is (ever chnging) guest behvior requiring more sophisticted sfety systems nd ensuring sfety wreness of ttrction opertors nd mnufcturers. Timo Klus, KumbK The Amusement Engineers Technology Technology used on ttrctions hs drsticlly chnged in the lst 20 yers, with chnge occurring more rpidly every yer. The skills required to mintin the current genertion of sfety systems re very different nd more in depth thn the skills tht were needed five yers go. Lind Freemn, Rockwell Automtion One of the chllenges in our industry tody is the technology behind ll the musement rides. Some my hve very little technologicl integrtion nd others my hve substntilly more. Our industry is mturing very rpidly (especilly over the lst 5-10 yers), we need to tke dvntge of this technology nd understnd how it interfces with wht we do on dy to dy bsis, we lso need to mintin level of common sense to keep things simple, logicl, esy to work with nd ccessible to everyone. One of the other key items tht we will be fcing in our industry in the next 10 yers is the inclusion of broder bse of ptrons nd the sfety considertions tht it entils to ensure good experience for the ptron, while mintining their sfety nd not impeding the cretivity of those compnies developing these new rides for our industry. Andres Tnzer, ProSlide Technology, Inc. Employee sfety One of the chllenges nd n re of focus in the industry is to ensure the continued sfety of our employees. They work round mchines nd equipment tht is high energy nd very unforgiving. As our rides nd equipment become more complex, we need trining progrms tht cn ensure our opertors nd mintennce personnel re current. Our trck record on employee injuries is not s stellr s it is for our guests. AIMS will continue to plys n importnt role in improving employee sfety by developing nd delivering trining nd certifiction progrms tht re stte of the rt. Mike Withers, retired, Wlt Disney Imgineering Culturl trends Sfety issues re constntly evolving concern. A hot topic one yer my not be fctor the next yer. Who knew five yers go tht we would be deling with drones nd selfie sticks? I think tht the prks nd mobile shows of tody need to be lert to new nd trending issues. Tony Clssen, Silver Dollr City The AIMS Sfety Seminr will be held Jnury 8-13, 2017 t the Doubletree by SeWorld in Orlndo, Florid. For informtion nd registrtion, plese visit org or cll (714) Kren Oertley

53 June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 53

54 54 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016 Three Yers in Wonderlnd detils Disneylnd's beginnings REVIEW: Tim Bldwin Author Todd Jmes Pierce hs tken fns of musement prk history to plces never been seen before. The extended title of the book: Three Yers in Wonderlnd: The Disney Brothers, C.V. Wood, nd the Mking of the Gret Americn Theme Prk tells of the origins of the Anheim theme prk s others hve briefly touched upon, but never before detiled with such reserch, perspective nd grit. Upon completion of the book, the reder sits bck to lmost tke breth nd relizes tht Disneylnd should not only probbly never hve been built, but ws stonishing it ever opened nd lsted for more thn few months. There re some unusul chrcteristics to the book compred to other Disney homges. There re no pictures. The subjects re both revered, yet highly criticized. Chpter One is titled: How the Story Ends. Those tht pick up the book will quickly understnd this isn t something they ve seen before. The history quickly pulls one in, nd the reder, who fully knows tht Disneylnd hs now been n enormous success for six decdes, still experiences tht nguish of suspense. BOOK REVIEW The first chpter sets the stge like well-crfted mystery. C.V. Wood is nowhere to be found in Disneylnd history, yet he ws the first generl mnger, nd his involvement in Disneylnd s origins ws clerly vitl. Following his deprture, C.V. Wood s contributions re described by the uthor thusly: Woody believed tht Americns were drwn to spectcle. But his work is mostly forgotten. Chpter Two trces Wood s bckground hoolign s youth, rmbunctious in his college yers, nd one who lerned the bility to chrm n udience nd the people he met. To rech lofty spirtions, Wood lerned to twist fcts or even downright fbricte them. Wht could hve been few-pge summry insted vividly lets the reder enter the mindset of Wood nd his determintion blnced by his unscrupulous tendencies. The next chpter focuses on Wlt Disney nd how his inspirtion nd focus trnsferred from nimtion to the drem of n musement prk. Few believed in it, including his brother Roy. Disneyphiles will prticulrly enjoy peeking into Wlt s erly visions of Mickey Mouse Prk, which eventully evolved into Disneylnd. As plns progressed, the eventul meeting of Wlt Disney nd C.V. Wood is recounted. The working rrngement between the two ws never friendly one deep down, but one where the two knew the other s importnce to the project. The following chpters vividly detil the frustrtion nd ordel of cquiring the lnd for Disneylnd, s well s the finncing. Interestingly, Wood helped to successfully overcome these obstcles, but not lwys by demonstrting the highest integrity. While the reder obviously knows the eventul outcome, one cn t help but be drwn into the uncertinty these key figures were experiencing during this pivotl period of musement history. Author Todd Jmes Pierce hs msterfully tken the reder into ech bord room nd construction site. Another chpter pints story of the obstcles nd woes during the construction of the prk. At the time, they seemed virtully insurmountble. Internl fighting nd hostile unions becme problemtic. The uphill bttle prepring Disneylnd for opening dy including lck of money nd rides tht didn t work properly took its toll on everyone, strting with Wlt. The fct tht the prk ever opened cn only be summed up s mircle. It is here tht one gets true sense of Wlt Disney s humn being with norml fers nd disppointments insted of legendry icon plced upon pedestl. The next to lst chpter tells of opening dy nd the disster it ws. Streets were still being poured tht very morning nd crowd control becme problem with no solution. Press surrounding the event ws hrsh. In the dys nd weeks tht followed, things slowly fell into plce. Regrdless of the initil bd press, the public still seemed intrigued with this ide of theme prk. The tle concludes with Wood s eventul deprture. The division between Wlt s idels nd Wood s questionble methods could no longer be bridged. Although not detiled in this book, Wood would go on to led other such projects tking wht he lerned from his three yers t Disneylnd. Amusement Tody wholehertedly recommends this book to those who even slightly consider themselves to be Disney fns, theme prk buffs or nyone interested in the complete picture of the musement industry. It s hrd to imgine time when the public didn t understnd wht theme prk ws, but Pierce nd Three Yers in Wonderlnd tke ech of us there. It s shme there re no pictures to mke detils of the nine yers of extensive interviews nd rchivl reserch jump off the pge visully. Three Yers in Wonderlnd is printed by University Press of Missouri. The hrdbck retils for $30, but discounts re vilble vi purchsing online through Amzon or Brnes & Noble. E-book formt is lso vilble.

55 s it June 2016 AMUSEMENT TODAY 55 BREAKING NEWS CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE AUCTION FOR SALE Mrtin s Fntsy Islnd becomes newest ddition to Apex Prks Group FOR SALE - Clypso $18,000 FAMILY ROLLER COASTER ALISO VIEJO, Clif. Cliforni-bsed Apex Prks Group nnounced on My 13, FOR SALE - Prtrooper $18, the cquisition of Mrtin s Fntsy Islnd theme prk. This is Apex Prks Group s 2 trins w/ eight 2-pssenger crs first cquisition for totl of 16 people ech trin Cpcity of 800 pph Mrtin s Fntsy Islnd is locted in Grnd Islnd, New Chin lift system with mgnetic induction brkes nd pneumtic York, less thn 10 miles southoperted relese system. est of Nigr Flls in western FOR SALE - Wterslide $10,000 New York. The prk hs more For pricing, plese cll thn 25 rides nd seven wter Len Soled t Rides 4 U ttrctions; including the Silver (908) Comet wooden roller coster. The prk s ttrctions nd live shows re gered towrd fmily-oriented nd thrilling entertinment for ny ge. Mrtin s Fntsy Islnd is n idel ddifor SALE - Locomotive $3,500 tion to Apex s fmily of theme rlph@vestil.com Indin Loction prks, wter prks, nd fmily entertinment centers. FOR SALE FOR SALE Apex Prks Group CEO, Al Weber, Jr. commented: We re excited to work with the Mrtin s tem to continue the successful opertion of Mrtin s Fntsy Islnd. The ddition of this beutiful fmily-niche prk is nother step towrd Apex s gol of My 2010 AMUSEMENT TODAY 39 AMUSEMENT growing to become the leding September 2009 TODAY compny in the frgmented out-of-home entertinment business. ARM Fmily Himly T/M... $79,000 Former prk owner, Mrtin DiPietro dds, I bought Zmperl Te Cups T/M... $49,000 this prk 22 yers go nd it s New SBF Groovy Bus on used been lbor of love. I decided Frederiksen Triler... $69,000 Apex Prks Group ws the Check out the ltest Hurricne T/M...$139,000 best choice to ensure tht MrTo plce n d cll (817) To plce n d cll premium new (817) nd tin s Fntsy Islnd continues Spinout T/M...$249,000 to be the best fmily fun prk usedfor ridessle t: Moser Top Spin T/M....$299,000 FoR Sle FoR Sle FoR Sle FOR SALE in the re. Their trck record employment FoR Sle FoR Sle SeRVIceS Zierer Wve Swinger T/M... in the fmily-oriented musecnned Spiel Repeters Smokey Mountin Est Cost Bech Loction ment business is unmtched, fcebook.com/intern...$399,000 LOOPING COASTER Gret for gme booths nd ride queue Amusements Inc. nd I hve every confidence lines. Complete with 24-wtt mp tionlridesmngement 12 Rides SBF/Vis Truck T/M... $29,000Up to four needs Ride Help - In All Deprtments ndsuper wether-tight speker. Lunch Loop Shuttle Coster tht their success will crry 13 Gmes 2-minute custom syings or one selfride Superintendent - For Green Unit Fbbri Kmikze T/M...$239,000 Arrow Dynmics ll steel with Profitble, owner looking to diversify repeting custom cnned spiel.over to Mrtin s Fntsy IsElectricin - For Green Unit G-Force 4, 56 high x 635 long or with existing opertions. lnd. Contct: $350 - Go to for Mrtin s Fntsy Islnd Built in 1977, excellent condition in Brin (Bever) Bitner cll (609) more informtion or cll Anthony t If interested, plese contct: Indin. $15,000 opened the 2016 seson on (919) Cll Len(865) or John Len Soled to receive current list. For photos nd detils: MAY 14 nd will continue Billy Clrk - (863) My (908) Rides-4-U, Inc. rlph@vestil.com Winter Qurters Now Open! FAX: (908) plnned opertions during the (908) (843) TFN trnsition. Spin out T/M (Huss)...$299,000 Mnufcturer: Zierer Height: 55 feet Ground Spce: 215'x170' Trck Length: 1,279 feet Storge Trck: 39 feet CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS Cn nd help grow your business? LOOPING COASTER equipment WnTed Lunch Loop Shuttle Coster SeRVIceS Eclipse T/M=...$399,000 Twister/-Fbbri Mverick (Moser)...$599,000 Sky T/M...$179,000 DropMster Tower-ARM T/M (ARM)...$299,000 Drop Tower -ARM T/M...$399, TM Chnce Gondol Wheel J&D Crnivl Services offering services to you for low, low price. 39

56 56 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2016