ITPS Amusement INdustry News 2.2.11

[Shawn Haas]



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Click for more information regarding Ripley's Franchises.	International Theme Park Services, Inc. ("ITPS") delivers the news you want regarding the amusement and leisure industry on a daily basis. Nowhere else can you find a greater compilation of news covering the amusement and leisure industry! ITPS World Wide Projects include: Hopi Hari Theme Park - Sao Paulo Brazil Lotte World Theme Park - Seoul, South Korea Newport Aquarium - Newport, Kentucky Cincinnati Zoo - Cincinnati, Ohio Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx Zoo - Bronx, New York Playcenter - Brazil Bank of America - Aquarium Valuations Blue Bunny Visitor Center / Wells Dairy- LeMars, Iowa Storybook Land - Aberdeen, South Dakota Six Flags / Time Warner La Feria Chapultepec Magico - Mexico City Mexico Enchanted Kingdom - Manila, Philippines Union Station - Kansas City, Missouri Emancipation Park - Kingston, Jamaica and many more projects.  Click here for a more information. Our experience is extremely varied, and we utilize professionals with relevant expertise when necessary, but we always deliver value. We look forward to speaking with you about your individual needs and appreciate your referrals. Call 513-381-6131 for details.
	Wednesday February 2, 2011
	Battlestar Galactica ride to reopen on Feb 21 AFTER almost a year of being shut, the Battlestar Galactica roller coaster at Universal Studios Singapore will be up and running again from Feb 21. Click for Article Coney Island 8 Vow Not to Give Up Against "Goliath" NY - The "Coney Island 8" -- including local favorites like Paul's Daughter, Ruby's, and paintball attraction Shoot the Freak, which was illegally bulldozed by CAI in December -- accuse CAI, et al, of deceitful and underhanded tactics, citing assurances that they would be able to renew their leases and going so far as to commission plans and renderings for renovations, only to receive eviction notices. All eight have appealed the eviction and the decisive hearing is slated for February 16. Click for Article Coastal Agency Staff Backs ‘Manta Ray’ Ride, With Conditions San Diego, CA - California Coastal Commission staff has recommended conditional approval of plans for a new “Manta Ray” roller coaster ride at SeaWorld San Diego, apparently modeled on a similar ride at the company’s Orlando theme park. Click for Article Playland ‘could go on forever,’ Greek says Greek’s Playland, the nonprofit Monroe amusement park for disabled children, has a future after all. After many hours of testimony given over several hearings before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Spiro “The Greek” Drake and Dr. Beatrice Mittman got the vote they wanted last week — unanimous approval to operate the banquet facility they say is needed to continue operating their charity. Click for Article Disneyland hosts Lunar New Year events Anaheim, CA - Disneyland is hosting a series of Lunar New Year events starting Friday. The Happy Lunar New Year Festival runs Friday through Sunday and Feb. 11 to 13 in the Festival Arena of Disneyland. The arena sits behind Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland. Click for Article For sale: pint-size Forbidden City, 6,000 terra-cotta soldiers Katy, TX - Forbidden Gardens is closing this month after almost 15 years. Expansion of the Grand Parkway, a ring road connecting Houston's farthest-flung suburbs, will encroach on the eastern edge of the park, Montague says, ruining its "contemplative nature." Click for Article College students to create game for theme park TX - EarthQuest Institute, the ecofriendly entertainment center slated for construction in New Caney, recently partnered with Lone Star College-Kingwood students to develop an interactive game in which players can recycle items in their virtual neighborhood and gain points for their efforts. Click for Article Penguin Chick Debuts in Texas Park - VIDEO TX - CBS News RAW: The first chinstrap penguin to be born at Moody Gardens Theme Park in Galveston, Texas made its press debut. Click for Article Ark Encounter presents no risk to taxpayers KY - The Enquirer recently published an article from the Louisville Courier-Journal ("Would you visit Ark park?," Jan. 17) quoting theme park representatives who are skeptical about the success of the full-size Noah's Ark attraction to be built in Northern Kentucky. Click for Article
	Annual fees sought for state history museums WA - If Washingtonians are going to pay more for nature, why not for culture? Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, who introduced a bill Tuesday to charge $30 a year for parking at state parks, wants to amend the measure to add another perk to the permits: access to the state’s history museums. Click for Article International Civil Rights Center And Museum One Year Later Greensboro, NC -- It has been one year since the International Civil Rights Center and Museum held its grand opening. Museum co-founder Earl Jones said this first year far exceeded his expectations, and they now have a clear picture of where they are, and where they need to go. Click for Article Cashing in on the cold CO - Mr. Bigg's offered a "snow day" deal Tuesday: play all day for five dollars off the original price. The fun center also threw in $5 worth of arcade for free or a free game of bowling. Click for Article
	Facebook push for water park Australia - SUPPORT has flooded in for the prospect of Bunbury’s first water park with almost 2000 locals getting behind the push. RadioWest presenters Cliff and Nay put the idea to the community last week and have been blown away by the enthusiasm it has received. Click for Article KeyLime Cove names ‘family of the year’ GURNEE — A Mount Prospect family has been named winner of KeyLime Cove’s second annual Family of the Year contest. Click for Article
	Oregon Zoo crafts a 20-year master plan In a work session Tuesday the Metro Council gave Oregon Zoo officials the thumbs-up to proceed with a sweeping master plan which, once finished, will guide the zoo for the next 20 years. Much of the plan includes projects that voters specifically approved in 2008, when they passed a $125 million zoo bond measure. Click for Article Record visitors but lower income at Brookfield Zoo Despite record attendance of 2.2 million people in 2010, Brookfield Zoo fell nearly $3 million below its projected revenue estimate, said Stuart Strahl, president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society, which operates Brookfield Zoo. Click for Article Zoo Installs Streaming Video on the Cheap TN - One of the first things you learn when working tech at a zoo that’s run by a non-profit foundation, and 85 percent self-funding, is to think way, way, way outside the box when it comes to spending money, since there never seems to be enough. You learn to find extremely creative ways of doing your job at minimal – or no -- expense. Having primarily served the SMB market most of my career, I was already pretty good at this, but working at the zoo finely honed these skills. Click for Article What fish? Oh, that's a humuhumunukunukuapua'a! Aquarium staff welcome unprounceable new Hawaiian arrival UK - There's one fish you are unlikely to find on the menu in British chippy - because there isn't a wall long enough to write its name on. And even if there was, no-one would be able to order the national fish of Hawaii by its proper name. Even experts at the Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium in East Sussex, which has just welcomed the new addition to their collection, can't wrap their tongues around the word humuhumunukunukuapuab'a. Click for Article Autopsy shows killer whale swallowed 80 kilograms of stones before death at aquarium Japan - A popular killer whale that died at an aquarium here last month has been found to have lost its life apparently after swallowing more than 80 kilograms of stones over the course of many years, which led to it suffering from a stomach ulcer and pneumonia, the facility has announced. Click for Article Cleveland: New aquarium groundbreaking postponed CLEVELAND, OH  -- Officials involved in the long-awaited new Greater Cleveland Aquarium have postponed Wednesday morning's ceremonial "shovel in the ground" at the Powerhouse on the West Bank of the Flats due to bad weather. Click for Article
	Georgia is second fastest-growing state for tourism, official says GA - Who needs the Statue of Liberty to draw tourists when you have the Big Chicken? Georgia’s new economic development commissioner, Chris Cummiskey, surprised us when he made this claim during a recent state budget hearing: "We are the second-fastest-growing state for international tourists." Click for Article Disney offers freebie for early season Alaskan cruises Disney Cruise Line has begun offering free sailings for children to help drive bookings for a series of cruises to Alaska planned for later this year. Under the promotion, children ages 17 and younger sail for free when traveling with two adults who pay full fare for an oceanview or verandah cabin. Click for Article Lenders file foreclosure notice against Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas, NV - A group of lenders has filed a notice of foreclosure against the financially struggling Hard Rock Hotel, which would give the lenders the right to take control of the hotel-casino in a public auction scheduled for Feb. 7. Click for Article Tourists shy from unrest Egypt - The violence in Egypt is already hurting the country's tourism industry, and in turn, its economy. It's also raising fears that other Middle Eastern countries will suffer as well. Many U.S. travelers have canceled trips to Egypt. Some tour operators are avoiding the country, and Delta Air Lines and EgyptAir suspended flights from the U.S. to Cairo. Stock markets in the Middle East fell sharply during the weekend. 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.