 | PARKS | | |
The roller coaster at the Staffordshire, England, theme park will reach top speeds of 85 km/h (53 mph) and feature a high drop of 30 meters (98 feet). Park officials said the ride is slated to be the park’s next “iconic attraction” and will be built at a cost of £18 million (US$29 million). Some details of the ride, including its name and a world’s first element, will be revealed in the coming weeks. The ride is scheduled to open in March 2013.
| | |
The Mexican theme park developer will open centers in Brazil, England, Turkey, Russia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, Singapore, and the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. A KidZania franchise is also planned for Chicago, Illinois, in 2015, and will be built with a $35 to $40 million investment. A company spokesperson said there are no current plans to build additional centers in Mexico.
| |
The Orlando, Florida, theme park previewed elements of the Magic Kingdom expansion on Oct. 12, weeks ahead of its announced soft opening. The surprise dress rehearsal included “Enchanted Tales with Belle,” “Journey of the Little Mermaid,” and “Gaston’s Tavern.” Guests gave high marks to the attractions’ interactive queues and blend of animation and animatronics. The official preview of the $425 million expansion project is scheduled to begin Nov. 19, with the grand opening scheduled for Dec. 6.
Related News: Photo Gallery from Fantasyland Soft Opening | | |
The owner of the park in Brussels, Belgium, must move the attraction in order to make space for the new "NEO" project and is looking at the possibility to move to Kortrijk or Eigenbrakel. The park currently draws about a quarter of all tourists to Brussels each year. The owner sees possibilities to draw more tourists when the park moves. It would cost approximately €18 million (US$23 million) to rebuild the park, which could reopen in its new location in March 2014.
| | WATER PARKS | | |
The new attraction at amusement park’s SoakZone water park in Ligonier will be 15 feet (5 meters) wide and 603 feet (184 meters) long. The river will be designed for families with small children and feature both kid- and adult-sized tubes. A spokesperson for the park said the lazy river has been the most requested attraction for the water park and is expected to open in 2013.
| | 
Advertisement | | RESORTS | | |
The Kerala, India-based amusement park operator is diversifying its business by opening four luxury resorts by 2015. The total construction cost is Rs 460 crore (US$8 billion). Two of the new hotels will be placed near the company’s amusement parks in Bangalore and Kochi, with additional resorts to be built in Hyderabad and Chennai, where new parks are also being planned. Each hotel will feature business centers, banquet halls, and themed restaurants.
| | SCIENCE CENTERS AND MUSEUMS | | |
Thieves stole several paintings from the Kunsthal Museum in Rotterdam that was displaying works by Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Henri Matisse. “The Reading Girl” by Matisse is one of the paintings that was stolen late Oct. 15 or early Oct. 16. A spokesperson for the gallery did not list all of the stolen paintings, but called their value “considerable.” Police have launched an investigation into the theft.
| | | ADDITIONAL SCIENCE CENTER AND MUSEUM NEWS | | ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS | | |
"Mali," a 38-year-old Asian elephant, has lived at the Manila Zoo for the past 35 years as the facility’s star attraction. In the past year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other activists have launched an international campaign to move Mali from her 11,000-square-foot (1,022-square-meter) enclosure to an open sanctuary. Officials for the zoo oppose the transfer, citing the animal’s advanced age and the stress such a trip might cause her. A veterinarian for the zoo said the facility was focused on improving Mali’s enclosure and care at the home she has known for most of her life.
| | | ADDITIONAL ZOO AND AQUARIUM NEWS | | OTHER NEWS | |