ITPS Amusement INdustry News 2.15.11

[Shawn Haas]



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	Tuesday February 15, 2011
	Cedar Fair Reports Record Results for 2010 SANDUSKY, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN), a leader in regional amusement parks, water parks and active entertainment, today announced record results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2010. Cedar Fair's operations generated full-year net revenues of $977.6 million and a net loss of $31.6 million, or $0.57 per diluted limited partner (LP) unit. In 2009, the Company achieved net revenues of $916.1 million and reported net income of $35.4 million, or $0.63 per diluted LP unit. Included in the 2010 results are non-cash charges of $62.8 million for the impairment/retirement of fixed assets and $35.3 million for the early extinguishment of debt. The 2009 results include a $23.1 million gain on sale related to the sales of surplus land. Click for Article Will SeaWorld hearing be closed to the public? Orlando, FL - SeaWorld is battling the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after the theme park was slapped with a reckless citation. It's been almost a year since Dawn Brancheau, 40, was killed when an orca, or killer whale, pulled her into a tank at SeaWorld. Click for Article Morey's Piers says ‘it' will swing, spin and fly over North Wildwood NORTH WILDWOOD, NJ  - It could be the start of some very confusing conversations. "Where is it? "What?" "It?" "Oh, it's over there." "What's over there?" "No, it's over there." "What ......? But once the confusion has passed, "it" will all become clear as riders approach "it," the difficult-to-forget name given to Morey's Piers' newest thrill ride set to debut Memorial Day weekend on the Surfside Pier at 26th Avenue. Click for Article No plan to take Village Roadshow private Australia - VILLAGE Roadshow managing director Graham Burke would like to put the privatisation rumours to rest. "I can categorically say that any consideration of privatisation has been ruled out," he said yesterday after the release of the radio, film and theme park group's interim results. "It will not happen". Click for Article Palace Entertainment Holdings, LLC Proposes an Offering of $430 Million of Senior Secured Notes Due 2017 NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA, 14 February, 2011 – Palace Entertainment Holdings, LLC (“Palace”), announced its intention to sell, subject to market and other conditions, $430 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2017 (the “Notes”) in a private placement. The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by all material domestic subsidiaries of Palace. Click for Article SVL HOLDINGS INC. SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE SHARE CONSOLIDATION BRACEBRIDGE, ON, Feb. 14 /CNW/ - SVL Holdings Inc. ("SVL" or the "Company") announced today that the proposed amendment of the Company's articles to effect a consolidation of its common shares on a 2,000:1 basis was approved by a special resolution of the Company's shareholders at its special meeting held on February 12, 2011. The Company will shortly file its articles of amendment to give effect to the consolidation. Click for Article Roller coaster added at Six Flags AGAWAM, MA - Six Flags New England is adding a 10th roller coaster to its rides, the Gotham City Gauntlet Escape from Arkham Asylum, according to Jason Freeman, the amusement park's president. Click for Article Alton Towers free entry to Facebook users UK - Alton Towers is offering free entry to anyone who checks in on Facebook this Friday (February 18). The Staffordshire theme park is opening its gates exclusively for people who check in via Facebook. Click for Article Disney keeps 'Tron' events through summer Anaheim, CA - Disney California Adventure is extending the popular "Tron"-themed parties into the summer season, the company planned to announce Monday (today). ElecTRONica, a nighttime entertainment experience based on the "Tron: Legacy" movie, originally was supposed to stay until April. But the feature has been such a hit that the Anaheim park decided to keep it longer. Click for Article
	City attractions sound amid dip KS - Hutchinson's two major museum attractions experienced declining attendance in 2010 but remain financially upright. At the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, attendance slipped about 7.5 percent, and at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, 5.8 percent. Click for Article In defense of the Mall of America MN - I don't know what percentage of Twin Citians have never been to the Mall of America. There used to be a figure that was bandied around, and I can't remember what it was, but it was something preposterous. 60 percent? Something like that. Click for Article
	Cleveland: Ceremonial 'groundbreaking' for new aquarium CLEVELAND -- Although no actual dirt was shoveled, officials had a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday afternoon in Windows on the River inside the Powerhouse in the Flats to announce construction plans for the new Greater Cleveland Aquarium. Click for Article Lowry Park Zoo nearing deadline for accreditation Tampa, FL - Lowry Park Zoo has had a year to make improvements to obtain its all-important accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and one month away from the deadline, the renovations are still a work in progress. Still, zoo officials are optimistic, though reserved about saying so. Click for Article New Denver Zoo exhibit set to open on schedule DENVER -- The 10-acre, $50 million dollar project called Asian Tropics at the Denver Zoo is about right on schedule for completion. The question remains, is that completion date early, mid- or late spring of 2012? "We're crossing our fingers that we're gonna move through construction uneventful," said George Pond, Vice President of Planning and Capital Projects for the zoo. Click for Article Minnesota Zoo starts young professionals group; Launch party 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 Exciting news -- the Minnesota Zoo has formed a young professionals group called AZUL. AZUL is a community of like-minded 20- and 30-somethings eager to actively connect through conservation, education and social events to support the Zoo. Click for Article Zoo ex-manager spared jail, probation in theft NY - The former gift shop manager at the Buffalo Zoo was granted a conditional discharge Monday by acting City Judge Philip Marshall after prosecutors confirmed he has fully repaid the $7,976 he stole in August. Click for Article
	Perth's $440m Waterfront plan revealed Australia - PLANS for the long awaited Perth Waterfront redevelopment have been released by the State Government, with a $440 million price tag which is due for completion by mid-2014. Click for Article Industry leaders lobby for tourism GA - Atlanta and Georgia hospitality leaders have a message for state legislators: cut with caution.  Acutely aware that tourism and related industries like filmmaking are being eyed as possible savings in the state budget, the leaders have met with elected officials to make a case for sparing as much hospitality funding as possible. 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.