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Send us your news and pictures. E-mail Keith Miller at kmiller@IAAPA.org.
 DISNEY DREAM’S GRAND ENTRANCE: Disney Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the Disney Dream, arrived at its home port of Port Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 4, 2011, after a 6,500-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Bremerhaven, Germany. Three weeks later, the 4,000-passenger cruise ship made her maiden voyage with guests on board. The ship features “AquaDuck,” a first-ofits- kind shipboard water coaster, and magical portholes that allow guests with inside staterooms to get real-time views outside the ship. Live video is fed to the Magical Portholes from high-definition cameras placed on the vessel’s exterior.
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com
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 A Gift for That Person Who Has Everything
Craig Hanna’s idea for a $20 million amusement park as a gift when cost is no issue was featured in the Robb Report’s “21 Ultimate Gifts” list. It includes a full-size steel coaster, a child’s wooden coaster, a carousel, and other attractions. Hanna is the Thinkwell Group’s chief creative officer.
www.thinkwellgroup.com
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 Landing Europe’s First ‘Ben 10’ Coaster
Drayton Manor theme park in Staffordshire, England, announced it will open Europe’s first “Ben 10” roller coaster (Vekoma) for Easter 2011 following an exclusive deal between the park and the brand’s licensor, Turner CN Enterprises. “Ben 10” is a popular animated show on the Cartoon Network. www. draytonmanor.co.uk
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New York Aquarium’s $150M Facelift
The New York Aquarium in Coney Island will undergo a $150 million makeover that will not only renovate the attraction, but change the look of the aquarium. The project will include a 50,000-square-foot space to be named “Ocean Wonders: Sharks” that will house a 500,000-gallon tank filled with 40 sharks and numerous sea turtles, rays, and fish. Work should start next year and be completed in 2015. The revamp is part of a push to revitalize Coney Island, which saw the opening of Luna Park last year.
Barbara Russo, communications manager of the New York Aquarium and Queens Zoo, responded to FUNWORLD’s questions about the expansion.
What prompted the plans for a new roof deck with an ocean view? We have a [New York City] council member who felt it was important for the aquarium to have an ocean view and really pushed for that, so it was adopted into the plan.
When was the aquarium last expanded? Not in a long time! We launched a program last year called “A Sea Change,” and this renovation is a part of that. www.nyaquarium.com
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Orlando’s Fun Spot Tripling in Size
Fun Spot Action Park in Orlando, Florida, purchased an adjacent tract of land that will triple the size of the fiveacre FEC. Eager to grow following two successful years, the facility’s marketing manager, Mark Brisson, says the facility will waste no time utilizing the property: “We’ll have something inexpensive and easy set up by our busy summer season—batting cages and maybe paintball— and then proceed with our two- to three-year plan to build out the park.” www.funspot.tutengraphics.com
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Alive and Whale
Biologists on a recent research trip photographed Springer, a killer whale that was discovered eight years ago off the Seattle waterfront, orphaned and starving. The whale was captured, rehabilitated, transported to British Columbia, and released. Much of the research that made it possible was funded by the B.C. Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program at the Vancouver Aquarium. Springer appeared to be in excellent health and was swimming with members of her pod.
www.vanaqua.org
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