ITPS Amusement INdustry News 2.18.11

[Shawn Haas]



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	Friday February 18, 2011
	Disney says guests will be able to reserve ride times from home Future visitors to Walt Disney World will be able to reserve ride times from their home computers and bypass hotel check-in desks once they arrive at the resort, the head of the Walt Disney Co.'s global theme-park division said during an investors conference Thursday. Click for Article Busch Gardens' Cheetah Hunt coaster in sprint to May 27 completion TAMPA — With the green track of Cheetah Hunt finally emerging above the barricades, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Thursday announced plans to open its next big thrill ride/animal habitat on May 27. Click for Article Six Flags Over Texas, the World's First Regional Theme Park, Opens for 50th Anniversary Season ARLINGTON, Texas, Feb. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 5, 1961 Texas oilman Angus G. Wynne, Jr. saw a dream realized. A $10 Million investment and the sweat and labor of 400 construction workers created a 105-acre theme park, strategically nestled between Dallas and Fort Worth, with themed areas representing the flags that have flown over the great state of Texas. Fifty years later, Six Flags Over Texas is the number one paid tourist attraction in the Southwest United States. Click for Article Exhibit looks at first 25 years of Six Flags Over Texas ARLINGTON -- When Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961, the park was meant to pay for infrastructure needed for the Great Southwest Industrial District. Fifty years later, the brainchild of then-Mayor Tom Vandergriff and Great Southwest President Angus G. Wynne Jr. anchors the entertainment district it spawned, one that has come to include some pretty noteworthy neighbors. Click for Article SeaWorld set to make major capital investments in San Antonio park San Antonio, TX - As a result of its parent company changing hands multiple times and other factors, SeaWorld San Antonio has received limited capital investment in recent years, but that could change dramatically in the near future. Click for Article Requires subscription Six Flags America Offers Thrilling Employment Opportunities Applications now accepted for 2011 season; Job Fair scheduled for March 5 Six Flags America, Maryland’s premier destination for family thrills, seeks enthusiastic, outgoing, and responsible team players to fill more than 2,000 local seasonal jobs during the 2011 operating season. Click for Article Marvin Sapp to headline Six Flags America’s “Praise in the Park: A Gospel Explosion” Six Flags America, the Mid-Atlantic’s premier destination for affordable family entertainment and Maryland’s only theme park invites guests to GO CLOSE to see BET Award-winning Gospel Artist Marvin Sapp as he headlines the 2011 “Praise in the Park: A Gospel Explosion” on Saturday, June 25, 2011. Click for Article Carowinds spruces up for spring opening With an April 2 opening, spring cleaning comes early to Carowinds theme park that straddles the N.C./ S.C. state line. Crews are painting rides and adding improvements for the park's 39th season. Getting a new color this year is the Vortex roller coaster, which goes from red to white. Click for Article 'Harry Potter' Watch: 5 Theme Parks That Should Join 'The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter' The Wizarding World of Harry Potter celebrates its eight month anniversary tomorrow, but it's never too soon to ask the lingering question: "What comes next?" For "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, she hopes it's the opening of a sister park in the United Kingdom. Digital Spy is reporting that she has said she would support a British version of Wizarding World: "If they could do it as well as they have in Florida I would love that." Click for Article Disney guests trade Gowalla coins for real ones Anaheim, CA - Disney California Adventure visitors can trade in virtual Gowalla tokens for real coins and a free drink on weekends through February. Click for Article Six Flags to hire 3,200 seasonal workers Gurnee, IL - Six Flags Great America in Gurnee said it is planning to hire 3,200 seasonal workers this year for positions that can last up to six months. Click for Article Vacant land at Coney may offer biz hope Coney Island businesses facing the boot have set their sights on vacant city property a block down the Boardwalk. The eight businesses are close to a deal with amusement giant Zamperla that would let seven of them return to their current spots for one more summer, but they'd have to clear out after that. Click for Article The opening of Dreamland heritage amusement park has been delayed UK - THE full reopening of the Dreamland heritage amusement park has slipped from next year to 2013, as complications continue over ownership of the land. The Dreamland Trust has promised rides and attractions will run during 2012 on the former Margate funpark, and has announced ways for people to get involved in the renovations to the Scenic Railway. Click for Article
	Grand Strand under construction: Attractions coming soon MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – Millions of tourists flock to the Grand Strand each year, and as the summer season inches closer, WMBF News is taking a closer look at some of the biggest attractions soon to open. The first stop on the tour of newest attractions is the Skywheel. It doesn't look like much just yet, but all the drilling and digging will soon be more than just dreaming to David Busker. Click for Article The Exploritorium in Skokie: The Perfect Playroom Chicago, IL - For a place that was named the “best rainy day activity site” by Chicago magazine, the Exploritorium in Skokie still has a hidden treasure feel to it. My three-year-old twins and I arrived Tuesday at noon and didn’t leave until 3:15 pm. The staff probably thought we were moving in. Which isn’t a bad idea — the girls ran around laughing their heads off for hours. Click for Article The Lightstone Group Acquires 750,000-Square-Foot Festival Bay Mall at International Drive in Orlando, Fla. ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lightstone Group, one of the largest private real estate owners in the country, in conjunction with Paragon Outlet Partners, announced today the acquisition of Festival Bay Mall in Orlando, Fla., a 750,000-square-foot shopping center that sits on 139 acres, for approximately $25 million. Click for Article Discovery Place Kids gets new leader HUNTERSVILLE – Barrett Long has been tapped as the interim director of Discovery Place Kids after current leader Debbie Curry recently announced her resignation. Click for Article
	Knott's Soak City Is Holding A Job Fair Knott's Soak City Palm Springs will be holding a job fair to fill dozens of positions to support spring and summer operations. Click for Article Cherry Valley Lodge is auctioned for $4.9M OH - Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark has been sold in an online auction for $4.9million. Bidding on the property, on Auction.com, started at $2.9million Tuesday and concluded yesterday afternoon. Click for Article Birthday party blows of bill in Troy, takes cake TROY, Mich. — Troy police say a group of 15 people who gathered at a popular pizza restaurant for a 1-year-old child's birthday party took the cake but left the bill. Click for Article
	Hotel could be a boon at the zoo OH - A safari-themed hotel at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium not only would be a big attraction for visitors, but also could bring more than $20million annually to the region. Click for Article Halls sees big change as chance to shine KS - In just over a year from now, this sea of men’s suits, ties, belts and sportswear at the Halls department store in Crown Center will be replaced by a huge tropical ocean tank. And that’s great news to Halls. Click for Article Zoo curator takes director post in N.Y. The Hattiesburg Zoo has lost one of its longtime employees. The zoo's former curator John Wright has been appointed as the new director of the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park in Watertown, N.Y. Click for Article Developer: Kansas City can support two aquariums KS - The developer of a planned three-story aquarium at the former Mission Center Mall said news of an aquarium at Crown Center will not leave his $180 million redevelopment plan high and dry. Read more: Developer: Kansas City can support two aquariums | Kansas City Business Journal Click for Article - Requires subscription
	Gatlinburg Screenfest to return for third year TN - "One thing that's really exciting about this year is we have Ripley's Entertainment as a presenting sponsor of the event," said White, who feels that increasing sponsorship of the festival is a positive indication of local support of independent film-making. Click for Article Empire Resorts seeks $400 million expansion of raceway, looks to add hotel, restaurant MONTICELLO, NY - Empire Resorts is shopping a plan in Albany for a three-phased, $400 million project that includes three hotels and a water park at the Monticello Casino & Raceway. The company is proposing first to build a $100-million, 200-room hotel and follow that with two themed 200 room hotels, modeled after “Canyon Ranch” and “Great Wolf Lodge,” according to a document obtained by the Times Herald-Record. Click for Article Skeleton must be experienced I should have worn tighter clothes. Those aren't words that you would typically hear coming out of my mouth, but I repeated them over and over last Thursday as I lay down on my skeleton sled and was lowered onto the ice at the Maple Leaf start. Click for Article Distribution change: Simon & Schuster signs with Ripley Entertainment Believe it or not, Simon & Schuster will be handling all sales, distribution, and fulfillment for Ripley Entertainment in the U.S. and Canada, effective April 1. 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. 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.