Funworld JULY 2007

INDUSTRYNOTES

Snow Skiing in the Heart of Texas?

Fort Worth, Texas, with an annual average temperature of 65 degrees, may be one of the last places anyone would expect to find a first-class ski resort, but that’s exactly what some folks there are planning.

The Bearfire Resort, a $700 million project, will be built on a 527-acre site adjacent to the Fort Worth Alliance Airport, 15 miles west of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Its centerpiece will be a man-made mountain boast ing a total skiing surface area of 650,000 square feet, larger than 13 American football fields.

The mountain will be constructed using 70,000 tons of steel but will look anything but artificial. “This is going to be a beautiful, themed icon—a mountain with snow and rocks and trees that you can see from miles around, and even from a plane when you come in to land,” said Charlie Aaron, president of Bearfire Resort. “The mountain’s footprint is 34 acres, and it’s 250 feet high, or 25 stories, making it one of the largest ‘buildings’ in the world.”

The first phase of the project, which encompasses 100 to 150 acres, will also include a spectacular 600-room hotel, a convention center, and a spa. But the main attraction will be the outdoor ski and snowboard mountain, with ski runs, chairlifts, snow tubing, competition half-pipes, toboggan runs, and ski caves. Family attractions will include ice rinks, rides, a winter-wonderland park for children, an outdoor concert venue, and a rock-climbing area. Retail shops and restaurants will round out the resort.

The outdoor skiing and snowboarding mountain is made possible by a ski surface technology called Snowflex created by Briton Engineering in the United Kingdom. It’s a multilayered surface consisting of a polymer composite that sits atop a shock-absorbing membrane. Snowflex is used in more than 30 locations in Europe and looks like real snow from a distance. The Bearfire Resort surface will be more than six times larger than any current Snowflex facility.

The project team includes former United States Congressman Dick Armey, who will serve as an adviser and assist in identifying investors; Baker Leisure Group, which conducted the feasibility study and business plan and will provide operational consulting and management; and McGillivray Consulting Group, which will serve as project manager.

As to what inspired the idea of Bearfire, Aaron told FUNWORLD : “The largest demographic of skiers in Colorado is Texans. We have 7 million people living within 90 miles and 7 million [tourists], and it’s an entertainment-starved area, with only Six Flags [Over Texas], Hurricane Harbor, and a few museums, zoos, and ballparks. So this is something unique for which there is no competition.”

Bearfire Resort hopes to open in late 2009.

Mt. Olympus Expands Through Acquisitions

Mt. Olympus Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, recently purchased five neighboring properties that will be renamed, rethemed, and incorporated into the theme park.

Included in the deal were the Treasure Island Resort, the Captain’s Quarters deluxe suites, the Pleasant View Motel, the Bay of Dreams Indoor Waterpark, and the Family Land Outdoor Waterpark. The acquisition adds more than 356 guest rooms, 30 vacation units, and 60 acres to Mt. Olympus, making it the largest entertainment resort in the Dells.

Nick and Eve Laskaris, owners of Mt. Olympus, purchased the properties from the Mattei family, with whom they became partners three years ago when Mt. Olympus was born out of the old Big Chief Carts and Coasters. As to why he chose to do a buyout, Nick Laskaris joked, “I just want it all! Nah, it’s just much easier to get things done this way. But through the purchase, [the Matteis] will still be leasing the food avenue, and that made it an easier deal.”

A new $27 million museum that supports the Biblical story of the creation of the Earth, animals, and the human race opened on Memorial Day in Boone, Kentucky, near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dubbed the Creation Museum, the facility was created by a nonprofit Christian group called Answers in Genesis and is based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. It includes an impressive array of attractions, including more than 80 dinosaurs, some of which are animatronic, a special-effects theater, and a reproduction of part of the Grand Canyon. There are more than 50 videos at various exhibits, including a visual presentation on world history based on the “7 Cs of History: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation.” The museum also houses valuable collections of minerals and fossils.

Mark Looy, co-founder and spokesperson for the museum, said there’s a lot to do at the facility, and a “reasonable visit” would be four to five hours: “We also have one and a half miles of nature trails on 49 acres and a 78-seat planetarium with a 20-minute program.”

The museum is expecting 250,000 visitors its first year. Admission is $19.95 for adults, $14.95 for senior citizens, and $9.95 for children. Visit www.creationmuseum.org for more information.

Rockin’ New Rides Announced for Hard Rock Park

Guests who like the song “Whole Lotta Love,” by Led Zeppelin are going to love the signature coaster at the new Hard Rock Park in Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina.

The park has announced details of “Led Zeppelin: The Ride,” which will be built by thrill ride manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. The looping coaster will rise more than 150 feet and will feature a variety of elements, including a straight drop into a vertical loop, a cobra roll, a zero-G roll, and a corkscrew. The latter portion of the ride will include three helixes.

Riders will be treated to a high-fidelity audio system playing “Whole Lotta Love” as they fly around the circuit. The rock band itself selected the ride’s theme song and was also involved in the selection of the coaster’s name, the logo, and the appearance of the vehicles.

No matter what type of music guests fancy, there’s going to be a ride for them to sing and scream on at the 140-acre park when it opens next spring. “We’ll also have ‘Maximum RPM,’ in which you’re in a London cab, you roll out, and a Ferris wheel picks you up and dumps you off on the track,” said Kerry Graves, the park’s vice president of marketing. “‘Midnight Rider’ is in the park’s Cool Country section and goes through a haunted lumber mill, and ‘Slippery When Wet’ is a suspended coaster where riders can drop water on people below them, and [those guests] can fire back with water cannons. ‘Shake, Rattle, and Roller Coaster’ is one for the kids.”

Charles Dickens Gets a Theme Park

A theme park with a very atypical motif opened its doors to the public on May 25 in Kent, England. Dickens World, a $123 million park built around the life and writings of one of Britain’s most famous authors, will take guests on a journey through the world of Charles Dickens, re-creating the urban streets, sounds, and smells of early 19th-century England.

Among the park’s attractions will be the “Great Expectations” boat ride, taking passengers on a journey from the sewers beneath London, through streets, courtyards, and markets, and finally to a rooftop flight across the city. At 689 feet, the combination dry/water ride is one of the longest boat rides in Europe.

The park also features Ebenezer Scrooge’s haunted house, a high-definition 4D show, and a state-of-the-art animatronic show. Those who just wish to wander on foot can experience attractions such as “The School Room—The Dreaded Disciplines of Victorian Education,” “Crime and Punishment,” and “The Old Curiosity Shoppe.”

Regarding the story behind Dickens World, Managing Director Kevin Christie told FUNWORLD: “Gerry O’Sullivan-Beare, who died last year, was a designer of themed attractions and had this idea going back to the 1970s. He was a detail artist and he worked this up into a scheme that was to be built in King’s Cross. Everything was ready to go in 1990, but the investor pulled the plug. He then tried to do it in Canada. Finally, he came to me in 2000, and we looked at it as a package and set about putting it together.”

DAFE Names the Best Places to Be in the Dark

For the past six years, Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE) has surveyed its members on their favorite “dark” attractions—haunted houses and funhouses—and recently released the results of its Sixth Annual Members Survey. For the sixth year in a row, Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, was voted DAFE’s Favorite Dark Attraction Park.

Heading the list of the “Top Ten Favorite Walkthrough Attractions” was Kennywood’s “Noah’s Ark,” a funhouse, and the top favorite dark ride was the “ Haunted Mansion” at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania.

Approximately 90 full-time and summer seasonal attractions were nominated for the survey; Halloween seasonal attractions were not included in the poll. All of the results can be found at www.dafe.org/misc/ awards.htm.

New World of Coca-Cola Bubbles Up in Atlanta

On May 24, the new 92,000-square-foot World of Coca-Cola opened at Pemberton Place in downtown Atlanta next to the Georgia Aquarium. The attraction showcases the different ways in which Coca-Cola has connected with its customers for more than 120 years. The museum expects more than 1 million visitors in its first year of operation.

On hand at the grand opening was Coca-Cola Company Chairman and CEO Neville Isdell, President and COO Muhtar Kent, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.

“We expect the new World of Coca-Cola will provide a new and different platform for people to immerse themselves in our brands in a way that is magical and fun,” said Mark Greatrex, Coca-Cola’s senior vice president of marketing communications and insights. “We have redesigned the attraction to feature more ways for guests to play an active role in their experiences. Expect a surprise around every corner.”

The new World of Coca-Cola features three theaters (one in 4-D), a real bottling line, a pop culture exhibit showcasing artwork by Andy Warhol, and a contemporary tasting lounge where guests can sample 70 Coca-Cola products from around the world. Visitors can play games, send digital postcards to friends, and contribute their Coca-Cola memories to a living exhibit.

Admission prices are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, and $9 for children ages 5-12. Children under 5 are free. The attraction is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June through August.

New California Academy of Science to Showcase Advanced Aquarium

Next year, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco will open a state-of-the-art planetarium at its new campus in Golden Gate Park. Sporting the same name as its predecessor at the academy’s current location, the Morrison Planetarium will employ the latest technologies in its 90-foot-diameter dome.

Its 75-foot-diameter screen will match Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory as having the largest planetarium screen in North America. According to the planetarium operators, new digital projector and software technologies, a result in part of advances in the video games industry, will create an accurate and interactive digital universe and give guests the chance to choose from a variety of space adventures. The 300-seat dome will also broadcast live feeds from NASA associated with current space missions.

Different from most planetarium domes, the new Morrison dome is tilted at a 30-degree angle, simulating the tilt of planet Earth and making visitors feel they are sitting amidst the stars rather than just looking up at them.

Marvel’s Superheroes to Hang Out in Dubai

Marvel Entertainment Inc. has announced it has joined up with the Al Ahli Group to develop a $1 billion theme park in Dubai, UAE, that will be based on the Marvel Comics superheroes, including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and the Fantastic Four.

Marvel Entertainment, based in New York City, said the theme park will be the first global destination theme park in the Middle East when it opens in 2011. In the summer of 2008, Marvel will release its first independently produced motion pictures, “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

Marvel was in discussions about the park with the Al Ahli Group for more than two years. Al Ahli has been involved in numerous projects in the Middle East over its 39-year history and is currently developing the $1 billion Dubai Outlet City.

‘Whoa, Man!’ Here Come the Simpsons

Funny, mouthy Bart Simpson is coming to two Universal Studios theme parks in 2008.

Animated hit “The Simpsons” is currently television’s longest running series with 400 episodes, and now Universal’s creative team is collaborating with the comedy’s creators to open the first mega ride based on the series. It will feature the show’s popular characters voiced by the original actors, and will include the show’s off-the-wall humor.

The sit-down ride will be located at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando in the buildings that previously housed the “Back to the Future” motion-simulator rides, but the company hasn’t released all of the attraction’s details. Tom Schroder, Universal Orlando’s public relations director, told FUNWORLD : “It will be a motion-based ride, and we’ll leave it at that for now.” Schroder did confirm, however, that Simpsons costumed characters would appear in the parks.