 | PARKS | | |
Dolly Parton announced plans to add a nightly fireworks show at the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park for six weeks, beginning June 22. The park will also host Cirque Shanghai, comprised of a cast of world-class circus performers, and live country music acts. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival will premiere a new headlining show for the 2013 holiday season. Parton also said the park will extend its park hours to give guests more time to enjoy the new shows and their favorite rides.
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A spokesperson for the Chinese park said they have seen a boost in guests from India in the past year, believing an easy travel experience and hassle-free visa policies encourage the visitors. The 25-hectare (62-acre) park offers vegetarian meals at quick-service restaurants and works with a team of Indian chefs to craft and cater special meals for larger parties. The park has also hosted a number of promotions and special events of particular interest to Indian audiences such as appearances by Bollywood stars.
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The park in De Panne, Belgium, will spend €12 million (US$15.7 million) to build a new themed area, based upon the Vicky the Viking character. The two projects include a 1,300-seat theater and two new attractions. Construction on the project will begin in December 2012. In addition to the new area, park officials also said they plan to build a swimming pool and hotel.
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The Sandusky, Ohio, theme park company and Ontario, California, frozen drink company signed a multi-year partnership. ICEE has been named the exclusive frozen beverage provider at Cedar Fair parks around the United States and Canada.
| | FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS | | |
The new venue, slated to open in a renovated 25,000-square-foot (2,323-square-meter) warehouse, will feature an outdoor go-kart track, bumper cars, video arcade, and mini-bowling alley, among other attractions. The $1 million project will be funded by a local couple who won a $200.8 Powerball lottery prize in 2006. A project spokesperson said the facility will employ 10 to 15 people full-time and up to 45 part-time employees.
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Advertisement | | WATER PARKS | | |
City Parks Department officials have announced plans to replace the Franklin Memorial Swimming Pool’s current slide for the 2013 season. They are recycling the old slide at the local training facility for search and rescue teams. Facility officials at the Camp Atterbury training center will separate the slide and use it for various exercises, including fire rescue training and rubble search training in which the dogs will crawl through pieces of the tube. The parks superintendent said he was pleased to find a creative use for the old slide.
| | SCIENCE CENTERS AND MUSEUMS | | |
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Oct. 18 it has reached its initial goal of $100 million toward a $250 million capital campaign that will fund construction of the downtown Los Angeles museum. The museum is slated to open in a 300,000-square-foot (27,871-square-meter) space that was once used as a department store. The collection will feature memorabilia from the Academy’s 140,000-item archive, plus photographs, original film posters, costumes, and props. Architects Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali have been selected to design the museum.
| | | ADDITIONAL SCIENCE CENTER AND MUSEUM NEWS | | ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS | | |
Zookeepers use the technology to host virtual field trips with students sitting in a classroom more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the facility. The keepers used the platform for the first time to present the Creepy Crawlers, which is typically showcased live to second-grade students. The students’ teacher said she wanted to use Skype to expose her class to technology as many of the students do not have Internet access at home.
| | | ADDITIONAL ZOO AND AQUARIUM NEWS | | OTHER NEWS |  | Manufacturer and Supplier Notes | |
| IAAPA Attractions Expo 2012 Exhibitor Deadlines:
Oct. 24 – OCCC Forms: Electrical, Compressed Air, Water & Drain, Gas,Rigging/Hanging Signs, Lighting, Balloons
Oct. 25 – Freeman Forms: Carpet, Forklift, Booth Packages, Furnishings,Rental Exhibits, Cleaning, Graphics & Signs, Labor, Off-Target Move-in Request
For a complete list of upcoming deadlines and to review those you may have missed, check out the Deadlines/To Do Checklist. | | | Exhibitors should be aware of non-official show vendors mining the online exhibitor listing and offering lower priced options for internet, housing, booth building, and more during IAAPA Attractions Expo 2012. Some of these companies are not authorized in the building and some of them are fraudulent. Review the Official Show Contractor list or check with IAAPA before you commit. | |