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Racing Simulators at Attractions Going Pro
The days of a racing simulator consisting of a fixed, immobile, enclosed cubicle that a driver sits in to watch a single low-resolution video screen are over—if Cruden B.V. (www.cruden.com) of Amsterdam has its way. The company recently opened a new office in Melbourne, Australia, to serve the Asia- Pacific attractions market and build sales for its interactive, full-motion motor racing simulators used by professional racing teams.
 “Cruden found that simulation in the attractions market meant sitting down and having things done to you,” says Claire Dumbreck, spokesperson for the company. “You see a lot of fixed-base systems with just a steering wheel and pedal in a tub of a car body. But what Cruden offers is full motion with six degrees of freedom. It’s truly interactive and you’re in control of a vehicle, and if you want to drive like a maniac and get thrown into a wall, you can do that. If you want to drive slowly and smoothly, you can do that, too.”
Cruden provides simulators to international motorsport interests, car companies and automotive system suppliers, and universities and research institutes, as well as entertainment venues. The “six degrees of freedom” (6DOF) is the central feature Cruden touts in its Hexatech full-motion simulator. It has six electronic actuators that allow the driver to move in any direction at any rotational angle and also produces realistic gforces; seat belt tensioners and realistic steering feedback heighten the experience. The simulator’s state-of-the art graphics can be viewed on “wraparound” 42-inch screens or on 3-D projections.
Dumbreck says a Hexatech simulator starts at around $200,000. “This is professional equipment designed for flight simulators and that Formula One teams are using, and it’s as realistic as you can get,” she notes. “It’s also rather fun to watch.”
Indeed, the open cockpit design is another feature of the Hexatech that distinguishes it from traditional racing simulators, affording observers an unobstructed view of the action. “It really works well within an attraction when you want a crowd to gather because you can see it so readily,” says Dumbreck.
“Racing simulators make a great spectator sport,” says Kerry Michael, owner of Weston-Super-Mare Grand Pier in North Somerset, England, which recently installed two Hexatech simulators. “Not only are they fun to watch, but bystanders can observe the race via the large wraparound screens and really get involved. [They are] one of the Grand Pier’s major attractions, and we expect them to be popular among the ‘arrive and drive’ tourist market as well as frequent-visitor driving enthusiasts.”
As to why there’s interest now from the entertainment market in high-end simulators previously reserved for the specialized professional training and research market, Dumbreck remarks, “I think because interest in professional simulation and professional equipment is growing. I guess it’s driven by the car brands, and a simulator is a good way to do it. You can get people close to your brand by simulating the experience. In entertainment, it’s also becoming more of a family experience and less of a petrol head enthusiasts market experience.”
One reason Cruden chose to open a new office to focus on the Asia-Pacific market is the proliferation of motorsport venues in Asia, including the new Changi Motorsports Hub in Singapore, and recently opened Formula One race circuits in Singapore and Korea. The company says it intends to tap into the growing interest in top-level motorsport, karting, and race gaming in Asia.
Cruden’s open-air design makes the simulator fun for bystanders, too.
Schlitterbahn Sets Sights on South Florida
 By proposing to upgrade and creatively incorporate existing sports facilities and to use its experience in negotiating long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) property leases, Schlitterbahn Waterparks (www.schlitterbahn.com) of New Braunfels, Texas, has won approval from the city commissioners in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for its plan to build a $110 million waterpark in the city.
Plans call for the park to be located around Lockhart Stadium and Fort Lauderdale Stadium. It will feature Schlitterbahn’s signature Transportainment river system, which moves guests from one attraction to another through interconnecting waterways. Also planned is the Endless Water Slide, which places the exit of one slide directly next to the entrance of another, so instead of searching around for the queue line of the slide they want to ride, guests can exit one slide and be at the entrance to another.
The park will also include many of Schlitterbahn’s marquee rides and attractions, including the “Master Blaster” water coaster and “Tidal Wave River.” The company’s treehouse-style hotel rooms will also be a part of the project.
 But what is really striking about Schlitterbahn’s proposal is the way in which it plans to incorporate adjacent sports facilities into the project. The company’s proposal says it “will create a multisport, multiuse, state-of-the-art athletic facility, complete with environmentally friendly, high-quality products, with both player and fan-friendly amenities.”
Nearby Lockhart and Fort Lauderdale stadiums will become part of a sports village. Softball, baseball, and golf simulators will arrive, and the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame, with members that include tennis star Chris Evert and NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino, will be permanently located on the property.
“We just don’t go flatten a piece of land and throw up a waterpark,” asserts Jeff Siebert, director of communications for Schlitterbahn. “What’s neat with all of our projects is that none of them is cookie-cutter—we give each of them a really distinct character.”
Schlitterbahn’s proposal states the facility will even provide state-of-the-art sports training and team housing. Siebert says Schlitterbahn’s development team is working with local sporting groups and enthusiasts in creating the village. This includes plans to “renovate and enhance” both stadiums and add a sports retail center.
There is also the matter of the FAA, which is involved because in 1947 it donated to the city of Fort Lauderdale the land where both sports stadiums sit. The FAA wants the Fort Lauderdale Stadium site to be used for aviation purposes, or be leased at a fair-market rate, which the waterpark has indicated a willingness to do.
The company has experience dealing with FAA property leases, as Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, in Texas, is located on 36 acres of FAA property. The lease approval process involved evaluating existing airport leases to arrive at a fair-market value, and Schlitterbahn notes the project has been so successful that Galveston is now putting forward a $35 million bond issue to independently develop a sports complex on airport land next to the waterpark.
Fort Lauderdale city commissioners say they also selected Schlitterbahn’s plan over other proposals for the stadium property because it calls for no tax dollars to come from the city; it would create 400 to 500 jobs during construction and more than 1,000 when in operation; and it would have an economic impact of $400 million per year.
Fun Spot USA: FEC or Small Park? It All Depends on Perspective
 It’s no secret the Orlando attractions market suffered during the recent economic downturn. Attendance and revenue at its theme parks fell, airlines cancelled many flights to Orlando International Airport, and local hotels and motels deeply slashed their rates to try to bolster occupancy. But in the midst of this, a local family entertainment center (FEC) not only opened its doors, but also managed to grow and thrive to the point that it might be considered more of a small amusement park now.
Fun Spot USA (www.funspotusa.tutengraphics.com) debuted in 2007 near Kissimmee, Florida, just a few miles from Walt Disney World, with a handful of attractions. John Arie Sr., majority owner of Fun Spot USA, also owns Fun Spot Action Park near Orlando, which he opened in 1998. Upon building out his first FEC by the mid-2000s, he was looking for a larger site on which to expand. After overcoming a few roadblocks, he opened Fun Spot USA and put his son, John Arie Jr., in charge. The economy immediately began to slow, but that didn’t stop him from forging ahead with the facility’s aggressive growth plans, and now it boasts four go-kart tracks, the tallest skycoaster in the world at 300 feet, and some 20 rides, including a Ferris wheel and a kiddie-rides section.
If that wasn’t enough, the park just announced the addition of a 55-foottall roller coaster called “The Galaxy Spin” that will open this Christmas. The “wild mouse” coaster was purchased from Legoland Florida for $1.3 million. Last year, Legoland bought Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida, where the coaster was located.
Mark Brisson, marketing manager for both Fun Spot attractions, explains why USA went after a roller coaster: “It was born out of our relationship with Kent Buescher when he owned Cypress Gardens, and he was talking about the virtue of roller coasters. And then once Cypress Gardens fell on hard times, rides that were supposed to revive [the park] were being sold for 50 cents or less on the dollar, and the coaster is in very good shape.” Fun Spot USA isn’t done yet. Brisson says the park now plans to put rides underneath the skycoaster.
 So at what point does Fun Spot USA go from being an FEC to a small amusement park? “We think we already have,” he replies. “We’re not ashamed of our FEC roots at all, but in any other town, we’d be considered a small amusement park.”
Brisson says even in the struggling Orlando tourist market, Fun Spot USA’s attendance and revenues were both up in 2009; in 2010, they’re currently even or slightly ahead of last year. “The only reason we may only be even and not up so far in 2010 is we had an extremely cold January and February,” he notes.
“We do our best to understand our demographics, and we do it through great customer service,” Brisson says of his park’s success. “We’re successful not only in getting people into the park, but getting them to come back. We believe in customer service strongly. Bumper cars are bumper cars, but what makes you choose one place over another is customer service and how you’re treated.”
Grand Canyon Skywalk Succeeds Despite Challenges
If the idea of floating on a piece of glass some 4,000 feet above the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon floor sounds like an exhilarating experience, there’s only one place to do it: the Grand Canyon Skywalk (www.grandcanyonskywalk.com).
The remarkable Skywalk is located about 110 miles from Peach Springs, Arizona, the home of the Hualapai Nation of American Indians, which operates the Skywalk and owns the land where it’s located. The Skywalk is a glass-bottomed cantilever bridge bolted to the lip of the canyon, extending 70 feet out from the rim. Opened in 2007, it gained worldwide attention for the extraordinary engineering involved in its construction (the basis for an hour-long program on the National Geographic Channel, for instance) along with the inherent thrill of stepping out onto the glass arc.
But due to its remote location, the astonishing $31 million Skywalk has faced some significant challenges in becoming a successful attraction. It’s situated some two hours from the nearest town, and the drive to the Skywalk involves a trek over an isolated road not yet entirely paved. It has no access to services such as water and electricity; all power comes via diesel generators, and fuel is trucked in and supplemented with biodiesel produced on site using fryer oil from the Skywalk Cafe. All water is trucked in and all waste is trucked out. Phone and Internet service is accomplished by a satellite connection.
Skywalk General Manager Ted Quasula, a Hualapai Nation member, says even accessing employees is a challenge: “There’s minimal housing available, so employee transportation is critical. Employees drive two hours each way each day from Peach Springs, and two and a half hours from Las Vegas. But once the tribe completes the expansion of the Grand Canyon West Airport runway and the road is paved all the way, I think that will relieve the problems of getting here.”
Effectively marketing an attraction so isolated is crucial to its success, and the Skywalk accomplishes this by turning the tables and presenting its remoteness as an adventure, not a hassle. “We think we’re in such a unique serene location, people will really think it’s worth the effort to get here,” says Quasula. “We do extensive marketing abroad with tour companies and encourage them to bring their tourists to us. ‘If you’re going to Vegas, take some time out to come see us,’ we say. We tell them they can ride horses, or take a river raft on the Colorado River to a point below the Skywalk and then take a helicopter ride up to the Skywalk.”
Certainly, the Skywalk has quickly become a visual icon and a favorite subject of photographers, something that serves the marketing efforts well. Says Quasula, “Sometimes all we have to do is just show people a few photos of it.” To date, the Hualapai Nation says some 1 million people from more than 50 countries have visited the attraction.
The Skywalk will next be promoting its new visitors’ center, which the Hualapai Nation hopes will be completed next year. It will be 6,000 square feet on three levels and feature information about the Skywalk and the Hualapai Nation. There will also be fine dining on the second floor overlooking an incredible view of the canyon.
Of the Skywalk’s stature as an attraction, Quasula says, “If you go to Paris, you go to the Eiffel Tower; if you go to China, you to go the Great Wall; and if you go near the Grand Canyon, you go to the Skywalk.”
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