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Send us your news and pictures. E-mail Marion Hixon at mhixon@IAAPA.org.
All Aboard the Retail Train
 EnterTRAINment Junction in Cincinnati, Ohio, has opened Junction Hobbies, a 5,00 0-square-foot retail area with the largest selection of Thomas the Train Engine and Playmobile merchandise in the area. Don Oeters, owner of EnterTRAINment Junction, says the store tried to be unique in offering hard-to-find products. Here he offers the following advice to facilities preparing to open retail areas:
1. Research the product you want to sell.
2. Learn what the competition is doing.
3. When in doubt … ask the experts. “We had the manufacturers tell us what would sell well. All our vendors are very candid because it is in their best interest to see us succeed,” Oeters says. www.entertrainmentjunction.com
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Tivoli Gardens Cuddles Up to Petzi
 Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, welcomes Petzi, a popular Danish cartoon bear, as its new friendly mascot for Petzi’s World, a 13,000-square-foot children’s area with giant cartoon decorations and more than 40 activities from crawling pipes to rope ladders on the “good ship Mary.” The area will be free of charge to Tivoli visitors. “In 2010 the focus will be on children with a play world, the size and quality of which has never been seen before in Denmark,” says Stine Lolk, deputy managing director of Tivoli.
www.tivoli.dk
The Danish cartoon bear Petzi, which was created and illustrated by Carla and Vilhelm Hansen in 1952, will now serve as the mascot for Tivoli Gardens’ latest addition, Petzi’s World.
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Kitty Hawk Builds Beachside
 Kitty Hawk Kites in Rodanthe, North Carolina, doesn’t just sell kites—the business has expanded to a full-blown kiteboarding resort, consisting of a kiteboarding school, kiteboarding shop, and nine fully furnished waterfront condominiums. Wes Gutekunst, marketing director for Kitty Hawk Kites, tells FUNWORLD what sets the resort apart.
What will a first timer learn at the resort?
Beginners will learn how to safely launch and land their kite, control the kite in the air, water start, and ride downwind. In more advanced classes, riders learn how to make transitions, begin to ride upwind, and even start making jumps.
What unique events will happen at the resort this year?
Our annual Kiteboarding Competition includes a “biggest air” contest and course races, and each year Kitty Hawk Kites Demo Days gives the public the opportunity to try out the newest gear and hang out with the pros.
www.kittyhawk.com
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‘Runaway’ to the Smokies
Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, Tennessee, recently opened the $1 million “Runa way Canyon” inside the facility’s Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark. The enclosed slide carries four-person rafts up five stories, along 450 feet of slide, and down an almost 60-foot drop.
The name “Runaway Canyon” was chosen by fifth graders at nearby Catlettsburg Elementary School; as a reward, the deciding students were the first to experience the ride when it opened. The resort also features Salamander Springs outdoor waterpark.
www.wildernessatthesmokies.com
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Work It Out!
The Roller Skating Association's "Skate a Million Miles" promotion starts this spring and encourages its 800 skating facilities to get 50 kids to skate five times, averaging five miles each visit. This will result in a million miles skated, and a great way to keep kids in shape!
www.rollerskating.org
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