ITPS Amusement INdustry News 2.9.11

[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 9, 2011
	Disney profit leaps 54 percent A rebound in its theme parks during the final three months of 2010 helped propel the Walt Disney Co. to 54 percent quarterly profit growth, the company announced Tuesday.  Disney's theme-parks business, often viewed as a bellwether for the U.S. economy, turned in its strongest performance since being dragged down by the recession three years ago: The unit posted a 25 percent increase in operating profit — to $468 million — on sales growth of 8 percent — to $2.9 billion. Click for Article SeaWorld to refinance $1 billion of debt SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is seeking to refinance most of the roughly $1.5 billion in debt the company took on in late 2009 as part of its sale to private-equity owner Blackstone Group. Click for Article SeaWorld announces roller coaster with 54-foot drop CA - A new roller coaster meant to mimic the sensation of a manta ray gliding through the water — complete with a 54-foot plunge — will debut next year at SeaWorld San Diego, the theme park is announcing today. Click for Article Cedar Fair's stock on the rise If you're an investor who holds Cedar Fair units, you've enjoyed watching the unit price skyrocket past $18 in the past few days. But if you dumped your units in 2009, when the price dipped as low as $6.10 on Nov. 11, you're probably sorry you climbed off the roller coaster. Click for Article Next group to offer ideas for Playland: local children RYE — With the future of Playland Amusement Park up for debate, the community has been hearing ideas from private businesses, wildlife conservationists and regular outdoorsy types, among others. But one group that's been missing from the dialogue so far has been the area's children. Click for Article Cadwalader Sued Over Advice on Bank's Fee in Six Flags Proxy Fight An investment vehicle closely tied to Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has sued Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft for $13 million over advice it gave on an investment bank's fee during a proxy fight at Six Flags Inc. in 2005. Click for Article Legoland Florida names Thompson Wesley Wolfe agency of record FL - Thompson Wesley Wolfe, an Orlando-based advertising agency, was named the agency of record for Legoland Florida in Winter Haven. Click for Article Quadriplegic man sues Disney over 'Small World' ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — A quadriplegic man is suing Disneyland in federal court, alleging the theme park left him on the "It's A Small World" ride for 40 minutes after it had stalled while staff evacuated other passengers. Click for Article Canada's Wonderland Tours for Talent Canada's Wonderland, Canada's largest single location employer of youth and York Region's top employer, is launching its annual audition tour for the upcoming season. The tour is in search of talented and trained singers, actors, variety artists, musicians, show technicians, and stage managers to star in the 2011 show line-up. Click for Article
	With attendance sagging, Tacoma's Museum of Glass trims staff WA - The Museum of Glass has reduced its staff by seven – about 20 percent – as part of across-the-board cost-cutting measures, museum officials said Tuesday. Click for Article New Park Slope restaurant’s got game NY - PSbklyn, a new kid-friendly joint that’s like a toned-down and upscaled version of Chuck E. Cheese — will open this week on Union Street in the defunct Bussaco space between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Click for Article 113,533 people enjoy free admission on Museum Day Saturday's sunshine and blue skies lured locals out their winter doldrums in record numbers for the 13th annual Sacramento Museum Day, when admission was free. Click for Article
	Zoo suffers huge drop in attendance Canada - The Toronto zoo saw a whopping 12 per cent drop in attendance last year — more than 150,000 fewer visitors — compared to 2009. The decline is a major setback for an attraction trying to burnish its image and vastly improve fundraising. Click for Article Aquarium group missing $8K from account PENSACOLA, Florida (WALA) - A movement to bring a world class aquarium to Pensacola may be dead in the water after Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) discovered several discrepancies and false claims by the development group. Click for Article Crittercam ready to take on whale of a challenge CT - Over the past 16 years, Tracy Romano, the senior vice president of research and zoological operations at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, has spent some of her summers in Point Lay, Alaska, studying wild beluga whales with a team of other scientists. Click for Article Touch A Shark exhibit at Maritime Aquarium CT - Stingrays, sea stars and horseshoe crabs are one thing, but sharks? That's right -- starting Saturday, Feb. 12, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk will give visitors the chance to touch a shark, too. 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.