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Send us your news and pictures. E-mail Marion Hixon at mhixon@IAAPA.org.
 Fun Forest in the Netherlands, which specializes in high-wire adventure rope courses, recently integrated Time Pursuit, an online and on-site booking system by Open Frontiers, which has processed 30,000 customers for the park already. Open Frontiers gave FUNWORLD these pointers for creating a smooth and trustworthy online  booking site.
- Label the site clearly. Offer detailed information on demand and give customers the comfort that the booking environment is secure and their personal details will not be compromised.
- Update regularly. Open Frontiers adds new features every two months. The web-based nature of the system means the company does all the developments back at their head - quarters.
www.funforest.nl; www.openfrontiers.co.uk
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 Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, will introduce “Tom and Huck’s RiverBlast” when it opens this spring. The water attraction allows riders to use water soakers in a raft-to-raft battle, while dodging streams from shore shooters, too. The park also kicks off its 50th anniversary this year during its WorldFest celebration, with fresh entertainment including the new “Fiery Fiddles” show, the return of the Zhejiang Balancing Monks of China, and dance troupes from Mexico and Trinidad.
www.silverdollarcity.com |
“A North Pole Adventure” at Vancouver Aquarium, Scuba Santa dives in the Strait of Georgia exhibit among halibut and herring.
www.visitvanaqua.org
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 Germany-based Clostermann Design put a sardonic twist on the popular “American Idol” and turned the judges into sharp-tongued animatronic aliens. “Alien Idol” (shown here at EAS 2009 in Amsterdam) is designed to fit both family entertainment centers and restaurants, and challenges guests to prove their talent!
www.clostermann-design.de
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 It was that time of year again! Rock City celebrated the 2009 holidays with the annual Enchanted Garden of Lights, which featured new LED lights, a star-lit “Lover ’s Leap” attraction, and holiday-themed scenes.
www.seerockcity.com |
What They’ve Learned: A One-year Update from Haystack Dryers
 Founded in 2000 in Europe and the Middle East, Haystack Dryers entered the United States market in 2007 and first exhibited their dryers at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2008. Wayne Jacks, who leads the North American office, tells Funworld how the company has grown.
What did you gain from your expansion?
We installed our first three U.S. dryers pre-Expo, and in the months following, Six Flags, Cedar Fair, Universal, and Busch Gardens followed. We also dipped our toes in the waterpark resort industry at Chula Vista, Great Wolf Lodge, and Schlitterbahn.
What have U.S. operations taught you?
I worked in parks for seven years before joining Haystack in the U.S., and park people are the same the world over. We all love and believe in what we do and want to do it forever!
What else is new?
We just launched www.Haystack-Dryers.com and integrated new technologies within our dryers, like cash/credit combination interfaces. www.haystack-dryers.com
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 In October, filmmaker Steven Spielberg was awarded the 2009 Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center by President William J. Clinton and Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of the center. Spielberg was honored for his artistic and personal commitment to the preservation of human rights through his award-winning films and dedication to gathering and archiving the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and witnesses. Past recipients include Mikhail Gorbachev, Bono, and Presidents George H.W. Bush and Clinton.
www.constitutioncenter.org
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  Get a digital clue! Game designer Greg Maletic has created Wishing Stars, a GPS-enabled iPhone game that allows Disneyland visitors to become immersed in a treasure-hunting mystery from inside the park! He also created a Walt Disney World version and may customize the game for other facilities.
www.wishing-stars.com |
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