 ‘AtmosFear’
Liseberg | Intamin
Liseberg’s latest offering is “AtmosFear”: the transformation of its 20-year-old observation tower into Europe’s tallest free-fall ride. Standing 116 meters (380.6 feet) high, “AtmosFear” reaches speeds of 110 kph (68 mph). Built by Intamin, it treats 36 passengers at a time to panoramic views over Gothenburg before plunging them underground. An estimated 600 riders an hour will enjoy the experience, which lasts around two minutes.
“Since its April launch we have had very good feedback from media and guests,” says Andreas Andersen, president/CEO of the Liseberg Group. “As this is a large investment for us (€6 million/$8.5 million), we hope—and expect—the ride to bring in extra visitors, especially in the high season.”
http://liseberg.se/sv/hem
‘Atlantis Submarine Voyage’
Legoland Windsor | Mack Rides
 “‘Atlantis Submarine Voyage’ is Legoland Windsor’s biggest attraction investment ever by Merlin Entertainments Group and offers families something they’ve never seen before,” says Sue Kemp, divisional director of Legoland Windsor. The £8 million ($13 million) attraction, which fuses the Legoland and Sea Life brands, surfaced at the UK theme park in April.
Guests board one of eight yellow submarines—each holding up to 14 people—before setting off on an underwater adventure. The submarines travel around a million-liter (264,172-gallon) ocean tank filled with more than 2,500 tropical fish, sharks, and rays. Nearly 100 Lego models, including Lego divers and a Lego Neptune, complete the experience. Legoland Windsor’s team worked with Mack Rides to develop the attraction. www.legoland.co.uk
‘Madagascar: A Crate Adventure’
Universal Studios Singapore
 This is the first themed family riverboat ride based on DreamWorks Animation’s hit film franchise. “I believe we have succeeded in translating the worldwide appeal of the Madagascar movies into this attraction,” says Tan Hee Teck, CEO of Resorts World Sentosa.
Guests seated on crate-like boats are transported into Madagascar to meet favorite characters like King Julien and the penguins. Dream- Works created special animated sequences for the attraction, which features 89 animatronic characters, digital projection, props, sound, and show effects. The nine-minute flume ride features 12 scenes and opened in May, a year after the park’s launch. www.rwsentosa.com/Attractions/UniversalStudiosSingapore
Peppa Pig World
Paultons Park
Metallbau Emmeln | Zierer
Children’s television cartoon character Peppa Pig is the star of a new three-acre themed land at Paultons Park, UK. The multicolored Peppa Pig World brings to life the famous pig’s family, friends, and favorite games.
Attractions include indoor and outdoor playgrounds and a “Muddy Puddles” water play area where young visitors can splash about like Peppa. There are seven rides: five supplied by Metallbau Emmeln, and two produced by Zierer. RMA Themed Attractions assisted with the design, build, and theming. A grass-roofed building contains visitor facilities and the world’s largest dedicated Peppa Pig shop. The park invested around £6 million (US$9.5 million) in the project, which opened April 9.
Paultons’ team aims “to continue building Peppa Pig World and to attract first-time guests to Paultons Park, so they realize what a fantastic full day’s family entertainment it provides,” says marketing manager Rob Griffiths.
https://paultonspark.co.uk
‘Safari’
Kolmården
 Riders glide above the animals on Kolmården’s new gondola ride experience, “Safari.” The aerial attraction, which opened April 30, takes guests as close as possible to a variety of species, including lions, zebras, giraffes, and bears.
Costing Skr132 million (US $21 million), “Safari” is the Swedish park’s biggest investment to date. Prior to the ride’s debut, guests traveled through the wildlife park by car. The new gondolas provide a fresh perspective on the animals, as well as serving as an environmentally friendly form of transport.
The ride lasts approximately 26 minutes and rises anywhere from 2.5-20 meters (8.2-65.6 feet) above the ground. By providing capacity for 1,200 people/hour (eight passengers/ gondola), the system helps the park “manage more capacity” says spokesperson Iréne Lidén. The “Safari” tour is included in the entrance fee. An audio guide to accompany the attraction is available in English, Swedish, and Finnish.
http://kolmarden.com
iFly Singapore
Sentosa | SkyVenture USA
 Visitors to Sentosa can become high fliers at iFly Singapore. At 56.5 feet (17 meters) high and 16.5 feet (5 meters) in diameter, the attraction is said to be the world’s largest indoor skydiving wind tunnel. It allows everyone from novice flyers to professional skydivers to fly in an accessible, realistic, and safe setting. Up to 20 people can fly at the same time, and iFly Singapore’s transparent flight chamber offers views over Siloso beach.
Lawrence Koh, iFly Singapore’s founder and managing director, worked with SkyVenture USA to bring the product to Sentosa. Built at a cost of S$25 million (US$20 million), iFly Singapore also includes 10,000 square feet of food and beverage space, an iFly retail outlet, function rooms, and a rooftop terrace. Flight packages start from S$89 (US$72) for adults and S$79 (US$64) for children.
www.iflysingapore.com
‘The 8th Continent’
Futuroscope | Alterface | Joravision
French park Futuroscope is investing in content and expanding its capacity this year with the unveiling of “The 8th Continent,” an interactive attraction with an eco theme.
Visitors take their places in front of a theater screen on single-seat pods that move in time with the movie action. Participants use laser guns to blast the trash that is taking control of the Earth’s oceans; “The 8th Continent” is the name scientists gave the gigantic “soup” of waste materials stuck together by marine micro-organisms discovered floating in the Pacific Ocean.
In Futuroscope’s version, sea creatures have swallowed garbage and turned into monsters. A preshow presentation featuring a ship’s log, models, and videos educates guests about the threats posed by plastic waste. www.futuroscope.com
Nickelodeon Land
Pleasure Beach Blackpool
 ”SpongeBob’s SplashBash” is among the attractions at Pleasure Beach Blackpool’s new Nickelodeon Land. The twisting Mack water ride allows passengers to turn 54 water jets on their friends.
Attractions at the new six-acre area— the first Nickelodeonthemed land in the UK—are based on top characters and television shows such as “Dora the Explorer,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “Rugrats.” One highlight is the “Avatar Airbender” (Zamperla’s Mega Disk’O). In all, there are 12 rides: seven new and five extensively rethemed. Guests can also grab a bite to eat at the Big Pizza Kitchen and buy souvenirs at the UK’s first Nick shop.
“Our £10.3 million [US$16.9 million] investment in Nickelodeon Land combines Pleasure Beach’s reputation for amazing rides and attractions with Nickelodeon’s favorite fun characters to produce a wonderful attraction which is sure to wow visitors to the park,” says Amanda Thompson, managing director of Pleasure Beach Blackpool.
www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com
‘SkyWheel’
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Chance Morgan
 “SkyWheel” is a way to see Myrtle Beach like never before (short of a plane). The giant observation wheel, which opened in May, stands 200 feet tall (61 meters) and serves as the anchor attraction for the area’s new Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade.
According to Julie Foshage, “Sky- Wheel’s” director of marketing, the attraction is already “bringing visitors back to that core of the city” and the team is “overwhelmed by the positive welcome from other merchants, attractions and the public.”
”SkyWheel” offers 42 climate-controlled enclosed gondolas, seating up to six passengers for a 12-minute ride. It entertains visitors after sunset with light shows that feature more than a million LED lights. Chance Morgan supplied the R60 Giant Wheel, designed by Ronald Bussink Professional Rides. Koch Development and Pacific Development supplied joint backing for the new attraction. www.skywheelusa.com
Bali Waterpark
Fushun, China
WhiteWater West
Bali Waterpark in Fushun, China, will be the country’s biggest indoor/outdoor waterpark when it opens its gates this summer. Themed as a tropical paradise, it features world firsts such as WhiteWater’s Flume-in-Flume Viper. This mega-sized waterslide allows one tube to race literally inside another tube—with guests in both.
WhiteWater designed the park with the first Abyss and Family Boomerango complex, as well as China’s first hydraulic Surf Wave pool and dueling AquaLoops. “With such a unique product mix and industry firsts, we anticipate that Bali Waterpark will see record-breaking attendance numbers, drawing from a local area population of 8 million people,” says Geoff Chutter, president and CEO of WhiteWater.
The Grand Reef
Discovery Cove
Snorkel among canyons filled with exotic fish, paddle in the shallows, or just drip dry in a hammock at Discovery Cove’s new Grand Reef. Visitors can take paths and bridges to the reef’s islands, beaches, and grottos in this multi-layered attraction, which opened in June at SeaWorld Orlando’s sister park. People can don dive helmets to explore the depths in the underwater walking tour “SeaVenture” for a $59 fee. Along the way they will find themselves face to face with sharks, safely enclosed behind a 21-foot- (6.5-meter-) long window. The Grand Reef covers 2.5 acres, contains close to a million gallons of water, and is home to some 10,000 animals. www.discoverycove.com
 Aqualibi
Walibi Belgium
Walibi Belgium’s second gate, the Aqualibi waterpark, revealed the results of its €11 million (US$16 million) revamp this spring. Fernando Medroa, general manager of Walibi Belgium, expects the renewed waterpark to attract 500,000 visitors annually. The contemporary design provides a new zone for children ages 3 to 6 years, and a bigger restaurant. There are improved changing rooms and added safety measures that include underwater cameras, closed-circuit television, and ride control systems. Developed with sustainability in mind, Aqualibi incorporates heat recovery systems, energy-efficient lighting, and solar panels as just some of its green features. www.walibi.com/aqualibi
Juliana Gilling is a specialist attractions journalist. E-mail: julianagilling@gmail.com.
 OTHER ATTRACTIONS of Note
Star Wars Miniland, Legoland California, re-creates scenes from the iconic movies using 2,000 Lego models. http://california.legoland.com
 ”Vengeance,” London Dungeon, lets guests take potshots at the ghosts of Berkeley Square in a dark ride that blends 3-D film with onboard scare effects and laser guns. www.thedungeons.com
“Doctor Who Experience,” London, is a temporary exhibition based on the exploits of the Timelord immortalized in the BBC television series. www.doctorwhoexperience.com
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