ITPS Amusement INdustry News 2.14.11

[Shawn Haas]



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Click for more information regarding Ripley's Franchises.	Happyland Theme Park Groundbreaking Ceremony February 14, 2011: Happyland Theme Park Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam celebrated its groundbreaking ceremony with over 2,000 dignitaries coming from all around the world.  Madame Thao, the developer of Happyland is truly a visionary said Dennis Speigel, President of ITPS.  She has brought to Southeast Asia the largest theme park development in history.  Happyland is scheduled to open in 2014.  Attending and participating in the historical groundbreaking ceremony along with Madame Thao was Mr. Joseph Jackson father of Michael Jackson.  Mr. Jackson pledged to spread the word around the world about Happyland and its magnificent characteristics.  Other individuals participating in the groundbreaking ceremony were Paul Steelman of Steelman Partners (architect / designers), Dennis Speigel of ITPS (operations management), representatives from Hill International, members of the local government, and Madame Thao. The groundbreaking ceremony lasted 2.5 hours which included music, songs, bands, traditional ceremonial Vietnamese dances and a marvelous luncheon.  Madame Thao stated that she is proud to bring Happyland Theme Park to Vietnam and wishes to invite people from all over the world to visit.  Please see photos below.
	Monday February 14, 2011
	Happyland project started in Long An Vietnam Date 14 / 2, in Thanh Duc, Ben Luc District, Long An province, JSC construction and infrastructure development of the An Phu Joint Stock Company Information Group Khang, held a groundbreaking ceremony project Happyland Vietnam . Click for Article (In Vietnamese) UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RELEASES FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR 2010 ORLANDO, FLORIDA (February 14, 2011) – Universal Orlando released financial results for 2010 today, confirming continued strong interest in its destination. For the three months ending December 31, 2010, Universal City Development Partners Ltd. (d/b/a Universal Orlando), which owns and operates Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk, reported a 46 percent increase in attendance over the same period from 2009, to 3.3 million from 2.3 million. Revenue increased 81 percent to $359 million from $199 million. EBITDA for the quarter increased to $151 million from $62 million. Operating income increased to $115 million from $30 million. Click for Article Ocean Park finds bigger is better Hong Kong - Huge crowds flocked to Ocean Park to see its newly inaugurated facilities just before the Lunar New Year holidays, forcing the ticket office to close early on a couple of days. Click for Article New bill passed to ensure better safety standards of amusement rides SINGAPORE : Parliament has passed a bill to ensure better safety standards of amusement park rides. The new regulatory framework will also require operators to be more accountable for the routine maintenance of the ride. Those found operating a ride illegally may also be fined up to S$200,000 and jailed up to two years. Click for Article Picture it: First weekend of SeaWorld Orlando’s Bands, Brew & BBQ Orlando, FL - We’re going to share a few sights from Saturday, the opening night of SeaWorld Orlando’s Bands, Brew & BBQ. But the first impression from the four-weekend festival is from another sense: You get a great whiff of the food from the theme-park parking lot. Click for Article Ark park defends attendance forecast PETERSBURG, KY – The 1.6 million first-year attendance figure for the Ark Encounter has been called unrealistic by some industry insiders. To address that sentiment, Ark Encounter LLC officials have provided details from a feasibility study used to estimate attendance figures for the proposed Grant County creationism-themed amusement park. Click for Article Storybook Glen boss ‘furious’ after sign theft A sign directing tourists to one of the north-east’s most popular family attractions has been stolen. The 9ft Storybook Glen board, which was fixed into the ground with a concrete ball, went missing between 5pm on Friday and 10am on Saturday. Click for Article Disney's Magical Express bus crash sends five to hospital Rescue crews transported five people, including the bus driver, this morning after a Disney's Magical Express bus and semi-tractor trailer crash shut down northbound Boggy Creek Road, just south of State Road 417. Click for Article Talking With ... Michael Colglazier: Animals vs. animatronics Michael Colglazier, 44, is the Walt Disney World vice president in charge of Disney's Animal Kingdom, which last month unveiled "Wild Africa Trek," a limited-admission, hard-ticket wildlife-tour experience. He spoke with Sentinel staff writer Jason Garcia. Click for Article Column: The county and Palace engage in a Silver Springs staredown In the blink of an eye last week, the discussions about Palace Entertainment turning over control of Silver Springs attraction to Marion County turned quite tense. Palace, which wants to unload Silver Springs and Wild Waters on the county and leave town, said it needs an answer by Tuesday or the deal is off. Or, in corporate speak, Palace will "explore other options." Click for Article Legoland Florida set to hire 1,000 to start in June for October opening WINTER HAVEN, Florida — Legoland is expected to hire 1,000 people for its Central Florida theme park opening in October. Park officials said Friday the hiring will ramp up for positions with park operations now that a senior leadership staff has been picked. Click for Article
	Scandia Family Fun Center in Fairfield files for Chapter 11 CA - Scandia Family Fun Center in Fairfield, a longtime popular destination for Napa-area families looking to enjoy a game of miniature golf or go-karts, is trying to work its way out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Scandia, which is owned by a Napa family, was hurt by a tough economy, failed expansion plans, increased competition from other entertainment venues and a troubled bank loan, said Finn Jensen, son of Scandia founder Gert Jensen. Click for Article Funtasia getting a facelift as Family Fun Center takes charge WA -  While my kids were growing up, Edmonds’ Funtasia Family Fun Park was a mainstay of our entertainment routine. The indoor portion of the building — located on 220th Street Southwest just east of the Highway 99 intersection — houses a wide range of video games, pinball machines, bumper cars and laser tag, offering an escape for a wet weekend afternoon. The facility has always been a favorite for local birthday parties, with a “Fun Fortress” climbing area where younger children to burn off excess energy, and several of the attractions, both inside and out, that are suitable for all ages, including batting cages, a go-kart track, an 18-hole miniature golf course and a pool filled with bumper boats. Click for Article
	Water park deal on agenda KS - Wichita Falls hopes to enter into a contract with Amusement Aquatic Management Group to run Castaway Cove for another year. The agreement would have no changes except a reduction in the management fee. On Tuesday, City Council members will consider a resolution that would authorize the one-year agreement; its terms would be retro active to Feb. 4. Click for Article Pool accessibility rules make waves; HOAs, hotels looking at new expenses Myrtle Beach, SC - New American Disabilities Act pool regulations will mean more accessible public pools but could also mean thousands of dollars in additions for homeowners associations and hotels. The changes to the American Disabilities Act were approved in the fall and require an accessible way to enter and exit public pools either by way of lift, sloped entry or a transfer system. Click for Article
	Pier Aquarium Announces its Board Officers for 2011 St. Petersburg, FL - The Pier Aquarium has announced its board officers for 2011. Elected to one-year terms are: Board Chairman Mark Luther, Ph.D., University of South (USF) Florida College of Marine Science professor; Vice Board Chairman Susan Wallace, community volunteer; Secretary Lou Kavouras, deputy executive director, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Treasurer Sheila M. McDevitt, P.L, attorney, Ackerman Senterfitt. Click for Article Zoo task force meets to begin expansion discourse NEW BEDFORD — Should the Buttonwood Park Zoo expand? A task force assembled by Mayor Scott W. Lang began examining that question Saturday. A proposed plan calls for a 4-acre expansion to the north, an initiative that has met with resistance from some quarters, including the Friends of Buttonwood Park. The zoo is located within Buttonwood. Click for Article Henry Vilas Zoo's 'Arctic Passage' exhibit to open next year The much-anticipated "Arctic Passage" exhibit, nine years in the making, is now slated to open at Dane County's Henry Vilas Zoo in 2012, officials said Friday. Click for Article
Shawn M. Haas Vice President of Retail, Operations and Information Technology International Theme Park Services, Inc 2195 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, OH 45206 513-381-6131 Phone 513-381-2756 Fax Email Shawn	For over 11 years, ITPS has been providing news updates to the industry. We continually strive to improve our offering and have made some changes to the news, beginning this week. We hope you find the changes beneficial and make it easier for you the reader to quickly find the news you want to read. Please email us for your feedback and suggestions. Thanks for reading! To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, Change Email Address, delivery issues or to send attraction, facility press releases or job openings to the daily mailing, please email Shawn. ITPS Amusement INdustry News now has advertising space available. ITPS News is the longest continuous email newsletter for the Leisure Industry. ITPS Amusement INdustry News is read by the Industry's leaders, decision makers, owners and senior management. Contact Shawn for advertising details and reasonable rates. Visit news.interthemepark.com for past editions of the news are available on our website. Click here for previous daily news updates. To search the archives of ITPS Amusement News, click here.