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Send us your news and pictures. E-mail Keith Miller at kmiller@IAAPA.org.
 ‘Lamb Tram’ Unveiled in Ireland
Travelers wanting to visit the Giant’s Causeway on the northeast coast of Ireland can now do so in style, thanks to a new tram built by Severn Lamb. The tram’s coaches feature wooden benches and other period-style features, and we redesigned to replicate the hydroelectric cars that operated on the Giant’s Causeway & Bushmills Railway line from 1883 to 1949. Seating up to 90 passengers, the tram travels back and forth on a 15-minute journey between the town of Bushmills and the Giant’s Causeway. www.severn-lamb.com
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 Even More Terrifying ‘Tower’ at Dreamworld
After shutting down one of its signature attractions, the “Tower of Terror,” in mid-August for four weeks, Australia’s Dreamworld relaunched it in mid-September as “Tower of Terror II.” The park says guests are “harnessed into the deepest depths of the tower’s lair, facing nothing but a dark void.” Then, suddenly, the ride car shoots backward out of a 675-foot tunnel. Hitting a speed of 100 miles per hour in seven seconds, riders soar up 328 feet, endure several seconds of weightlessness, then fall back toward earth and into the tunnel face-first. Melinda Lloyd, public relations executive for Dreamworld, says Intamin Transportation Limited worked with the park’s engineering team on the ride refit. www.dreamworld.com.au |
Panda Birthday Week
Three giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo all celebrated their birthdays in early August during Panda Birthday Week at the San Diego Zoo. The bears received personalized cakes made of ice and bamboo. www.sandiegozoo.org
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‘Mad Mouse’ Sign Benefits Give Kids The World
On Sept. 25, the “Mad Mouse” sign at the entrance to the classic Allan Herschell roller coaster at Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Connecticut, was auctioned off for $250, with the proceeds benefiting Give Kids The World (www.gktw.org). The old coaster is being dismantled to make room for a new wooden coaster. www.quassy.com
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Create Your Own Piece of Hershey Heaven
 Hershey’s Chocolate World, located next to Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, rolled out a new attraction called “Create Your Own Candy Bar” that’s sure to delight chocolate lovers. Guests don factory aprons and hairnets, then enter a production area and use interactive kiosks to design their own candy bars—everything from what ingredients are used to what the wrapper looks like. They then follow their confectionary creations through each stage of the production cycle, and at the end, receive the bars in sleek packages with customized wrappers. Todd Kohr, marketing manager for The Hershey Experience, talked to FUNWORLD about the program: Why did Hershey develop this attraction? Consumers continued to have an interest in getting a more authentic experience than [our] current tour ride offers. The challenge was to create something as up close and personal as possible while maintaining safety.
What are the different steps in the process? Preparation, Candy Bar Selection, Candy Bar Making, and Packaging Design Studio. www.hersheyschocololateworld.com |
Cop Crushes His Own Coaster Record
Police officer Eric Wang of Round Lake, Illinois (pictured below), broke his own record by riding the “Whizzer” roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, for 11 straight hours on Aug. 29. He rode the circa- 1976 coaster 160 consecutive times, breaking the record he set last year by 43 rides. Wang was participating in the park’s ride-a-thon to raise money for Special Olympics Illinois. The effort raised more than $5,000. www.sixflags.com/greatamerica
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World’s Largest Waterslide Delivering Thrills
Swimmers at the Hanwha Resort in Seoul, South Korea, enjoy the thrills of the new “Abyss,” the largest waterslide in the world, recently installed by WhiteWater International LLC. Standing almost 100 feet tall, the slide can accommodate four- and six-person rafts. www.whitewaterwest.com
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