Representatives of Brittain Resort Management announced the construction and opening of a new waterslide in the pool area of the full-service resort management firm’s Ocean Reef Resort, a premier Myrtle Beach vacation resort.
Ocean Reef was already known for having one of the best indoor/outdoor pool decks on the Grand Strand, and the new royal blue tube-style waterslide has generated additional buzz and enjoyment at the resort.
The slide is located in Ocean Reef’s horseshoe-shaped Cancun Lagoon outdoor waterpark and weaves its way between festive tiki statues that festoon the pool area. It has been open since April and receives rave reviews from kids of all ages.
“We love building these fantastic, fun amenities for the young and the young-at-heart,” said Patrick Norton, Brittain Resort Management’s vice president of marketing. “We value the directive to create unforgettable experiences for children as much as the call to provide great facilities, convenience and value for adult guests, and we’re pleased to be receiving a great deal of positive feedback about Ocean Reef, as well as our other resort holdings.”
A group of 1,008 people wearing sombreros at Waterfront Park in Portland, Ore., set a world record on May 12, 2012. The previous record for the largest gathering of people wearing sombreros, was about 500 people.
Ron Burback who owns Funtastic Traveling Shows Carnival in Portland has a Special Events division that produces full events. They produce the three-day Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, the largest Hispanic event in Portland, over the Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Roller coaster enthusiasts from across the United States will flock to Cedar Point for a spring coaster celebration May 18-20, 2012. The weekend-long event is the annual Spring Conference of American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), which will be held Friday through Sunday at Cedar Point. Highlights of the conference will include several hours of riding all 16 Cedar Point roller
coasters.
Wood coaster connoisseurs crave the carefree “airtime” sensations on Cedar Point’s historic Blue Streak, while steel coaster aficionados in attendance are eager to get their fill of speed, heights, and spine-tingling inversions of the modern Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Maverick, and Raptor during the Exclusive Ride Time (ERT) sessions. Attendees will enjoy camaraderie with like-minded people and share stories of coasters ridden in all corners of the world as many ACE members have traveled to Europe, Central America and Asia to enjoy that next great thrill. Anywhere there is a coaster, you will find an ACEer.
A highlight of the event will take place the afternoon of Saturday, May 19, when the members of ACE will present a memorial plaque to Cedar Point honoring legendary coaster designer Ron Toomer. Mr. Toomer’s career spanned 93 roller coasters from 1966 to 1998, with Cedar Point being home to five of Mr. Toomer’s coaster creations: Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Corkscrew, Gemini, Iron Dragon, and the world-renowned Magnum XL-200. As Mr. Toomer’s coasters were a critical part of the exploding popularity and growth of both roller coasters and Cedar Point during the latter part of the 20th Century, it is fitting that Cedar Point is receiving this award highlighting Mr. Toomer’s vital importance to the development of the steel roller coaster. Unfortunately, Ron passed away last September. However, his wife Betty and daughter Carol will be attending this very special presentation as guests of Cedar
Point and ACE.
More information on the event can be found at www.AmericanCoasterEnthusiasts.org. Founded in 1978, ACE is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, appreciation and safe enjoyment of roller coasters. With more than 5,200 members across the U.S., Europe and Japan, ACE is the largest amusement park enthusiast organization in the world. Members of ACE receive bi-monthly newsletters, quarterly magazines, as well as the opportunity to attend national and local coaster events at parks each year. In addition, numerous shows made for
cable networks such as the Travel Channel have prominently featured ACE. Ultimately, ACE’s mission is to promote, preserve and enjoy roller coasters everywhere, regardless of type or size.
After much anticipation and a 24-hour weather delay, Hurricane Alley in Corpus Christi, Texas, opened its gates for Mothers’ Day. Several hundred people visited the park for the first time on May 13, and enjoyed the six-story water slides, racing slides, lazy river or the 12,000-square foot wave pool.
The new waterpark is adjacent to Whataburger field stadium. Guests can enjoy spectacular views from the slide towers of the ballpark playing field as well the coastline, shipping channel and downtown skyline.
The soft-opening was kept low key with the park open on weekends only from 10 am. to 6 p.m. Although all the attractions are fully operational, cosmetic touchups and additional landscaping will be added to the park over the next few weeks. A formal Grand Opening is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend and the park will then be open seven days a week through labor day.
Due to the severe weather that struck Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend May 10, 2012, Hurricane Alley Waterpark has delayed opening 24 hours. No rides were significantly damaged during the storm; however, the rain and wind caused a large amount of damage to seating and service areas. The storm forced an unusually large amount of dirt, mud & other debris into the pools. It will take about 24 hours to get the water back into acceptable condition for opening.
Hurricane Alley Waterpark is excited to open its gates on Sunday, May 13, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. Amusement Today will post coverage of the opening on Monday, May 14, 2012.
Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Ill., debuted X Flight to the press and media on Thursday, May 10. The new coaster has riders suspended on both sides of the track with their feet dangling and nothing above them and nothing below. The Wing Coaster is a new genre designed by the acclaimed Swiss manufacturing firm, Bolliger & Mabillard, and is only the second of its type in the United States.
X Flight begins with a 12 story climb followed by a 120-foot drop propelling riders to speeds of 55 mph. Along the 3,000 feet of track, riders encounter five inversions, including a barrel roll and a zero-G roll. One of the highlights is a key-hole fly through that has the train making a last-minute vertical flip to clear the structure.
The new coaster will be open on May 12 and May 13, for an exclusive passholder preview event, with a grand opening on Wednesday, May 16, when the park begins daily operation.
Amusement Today Photos/Gary Slade
Dickey’s Barbecue is thrilled to announce the opening of their Valleyfair Park location. Franchise owner, Shawn Lindsey’s location will be open for business May 12 when the park opens for the summer season and is giving the first 100 customers pulled pork big barbecue sandwiches for $2.99.
“We are looking forward to offering Valleyfair Park something truly new and different — not your average theme park food,” said multi-unit franchise owner Shawn Lindsey, who also owns a Dickey’s in Savage. “This should be a fun summer!”
Valleyfair Park opened its gates over 35 years ago and is a summer staple for many families in the area. The park opens for the summer season on May 12 with a limited schedule. Full operations will begin May 23.
“We are located near the entrance of Planet Snoopy,” said Lindsey. “It’s the perfect spot to stop in for some slow smoked barbecue.”
Valleyfair is located 25 minutes southwest of the Twin Cities on Highway 101. The park’s more than 75 world-class rides, shows and attractions are located within a two-hour drive of Eau Claire, Wis. and Duluth, Minn. and a four hour drive from Fargo, N.D., Sioux Falls, S.D. and Des Moines, Iowa.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit opened its first location in Dallas in 1941. Dickey’s began franchising in 1994 and has continued to grow across the country. Dickey’s currently has more than 220 locations in 42 states nationwide.
Dickey’s Barbecue offers a quality selection of signature meats, home style sides and tangy barbecue sauce. All meats are slow smoked on-site in each restaurant. For more information, including a full menu, other restaurant locations and franchising opportunities, visit www.dickeys.com.
The historic Coney Island B&B Carousell in Brooklyn, N.Y., needs your votes in a program that spotlights preservation.
The B&B Carousell, the last of Coney’s historic carousels, was set to be dismantled and auctioned off until the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) stepped in and bought it for $1.8 million. It’s now being painstakingly restored in an Ohio workshop.
The B&B Carousell is one of 40 historic properties in NYC that have been selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to participate in Partners in Preservation (PIP), a community-based program which provides preservation grants for local historic places.
Fans of this historic carousel are urged to vote online through May 21, 2012 — one vote per day is allowed. The top four vote-getters, to be announced May 22, are guaranteed to receive grants for their preservation projects. A Partners in Preservation advisory committee of community and preservation leaders, will select sites that will receive the rest of the $3 million in grants. Votes can be submitted at www.PartnersinPreservation.com or on the Partners in Preservation Facebook page.
Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awards preservation grants to historic places across the country. American Express has committed more than $15 million to Partners in Preservation, helping historic sites in six cities to date, which includes preservation projects in San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Seattle and Saint Paul/Minneapolis and has engaged more than a million people.
Through this partnership, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United States and to preserve America’s historic and cultural places. The program also hopes to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic places at the heart of their communities.
IAAPA is now accepting nominations for the 2013 third vice chair and board of directors.
The board of directors oversees IAAPA and determines the association’s goals, objectives, and priorities. The third vice chair will proceed through the positions of second and first vice chair to assume the position of chairman of the board in 2016. The IAAPA nominating committee, led by Darrell Metzager, Themed Attractions and Resorts, will recommend candidates to the board in September for approval.
IAAPA strongly encourages nominations from all facility types and geographic areas. While the selection process is largely based on each individual’s qualifications, the association strives to achieve a balance of geography, facility size, and industry segments among directors.
Online nomination forms and qualification criteria are available on the IAAPA website:
Questions about nominating someone for the board or third vice chair positions, can be addressed to Susan Mosedale at smosedale@IAAPA.org.
Universal Orlando Resort surprised guests on Saturday, May 5, with a first look at Universal’s Superstar Parade — one of the largest interactive experiences the theme park has ever created. The daily parade will feature elaborately themed floats that tower above guests, hundreds of energetic street performers and spectacular music and dance performances. The all-new parade will grand open on May 8, along with Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular – a new nighttime show that unfolds across Universal’s central lagoon, taking guests on a journey filled with powerful movie moments.
