Amusement parks gear up for sizzling summer

By: Nicole Sipe
Journal Register News Network

This summer there’s no better way to beat the heat and have a great time than to hit a few amusement parks. Lucky for you, four of the nation’s best amusement parks are located within easy range of Montgomery County, and they are offering all new shows and attractions to help make the best of your summer.

For those with a sweet tooth, Hersheypark is featuring a variety of new and exciting attractions. With productions like “Tap: The Show” an exhilarating display of tap dancing; “Rock the Jukebox!,” a musical ride through entertainment history; and “Frontier Frenzy” for the country and bluegrass lovers in the crowd, it’s guaranteed that you can never be bored at Hersheypark.

“There are some exciting things in store at Hersheypark this summer. We now have shows every 15 minutes, now through Aug. 28. We also have all of our old favorites, like the Boardwalk,” says Kathy Burrows, public relations manager for the park.

Along with its ever-expanding entertainment, Hersheypark boasts some of the country’s best roller coasters and rides. Thrill seekers will not want to miss “Fahrenheit,” with its 121-foot ascent and 97-degree drop at speeds of up to 58 miles per hour. Other notable coasters include the “Sooperdooperlooper,” the first looping rollercoaster on the East Coast, and the “Wildcat,” a thrilling wooden rollercoaster.

If adrenaline isn’t your style, enjoy a lazy ride on the Ferris Wheel or a relaxing twirl on the carousel. Hersheypark also knows how to beat the heat with its water rides, so don’t forget your bathing suit.

If you prefer more aggressive coasters, Six Flags Great Adventure is the place for you this summer. Home to more than a dozen roller coasters, Six Flags is a thrill-seeker’s delight. Coasters like “Batman the Ride,” “Nitro” and “Kingda Ka,” the tallest, fastest roller coaster in the world, will be sure to take your breath away.

But don’t worry about finding a babysitter, Six Flags is family-friendly. Offering four areas just for kids, like “Wiggles World” and “Bugs Bunny National Park,” it’s a guarantee that no one in the family will get bored.

And Six Flags is so much more than just an amusement park. It also offers a drive-through safari that will transport you to the deserts of Africa, the forests of North America and all the way down under to Australia. The wildlife preserve is home to more than 1,100 animals and has a nearly five-mile autotrail, allowing you to view the animals as if they were in their natural habitat.

If you want to keep it a little closer to home, Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom has everything you are looking for. Break a sweat on “Hydra: The Revenge,” the only floorless rollercoaster in Pennsylvania, or “Steel Force,” the first rollercoaster in the East to reach more than 200 feet. After you’re nice and hot, cool off at Wildwater Kingdom, which boasts more than 15 water rides — enough to keep the whole family cool.

Dorney Park also offers live shows for everyone in the family, like “Snoopy Rocks on Ice,” hosted by everyone’s favorite cartoon character; “Across America,” a musical journey from coast to coast; and “Spin,” a break-dancing extravaganza, among others.

If you’re looking to focus more on the kids this summer, Sesame Place has what you need. This summer, Sesame Place is celebrating its 30th birthday and wants everyone to get in on the celebration. For its birthday, the park is offering new shows like “Elmo Rocks!,” starring all of your favorite characters, from Elmo to Zoey to Cookie Monster and more.

As the only theme park in the country based solely on the hit children’s show “Sesame Street,” this park offers a one-of-a-kind experience.

“It’s something for parents and children to experience together. Parents who grew up watching ‘Sesame Street’ can now share that magic with their children. There’s a lot of nostalgia. Guests can use their imagination and see our colorful shows and all of their favorite furry friends,” says Paula Pritchard, public relations representative for the park.

Guests can keep cool with the park’s countless water rides, like the “Teeny Tiny Tidal Pool,” “Bert and Ernie’s Slip and Slide,” “Rubber Duckie Pond” or “Sky Splash.” If you forget your bathing suit, don’t worry; there are plenty of things to do while keeping dry, like “Ernie’s Bed Bounce,” “Monster Maze” or the “Sunny Day Carousel.”

But whatever you do, don’t miss the “Rock Around the Block Parade.” Travelling right through the heart of the park, this is your little ones’ chance to see all of their favorite “Sesame Street” characters up close and personal.

Whether you’re looking for an adrenaline rush or a long, lazy river, these four theme parks deliver everything you’re looking for, and more. Summer means warm weather, fun and family and there’s no better way to incorporate them all than hitting a few amusement parks.

International Assoc. of Amusement Parks sends condolences to Koch family

Statement from Charles Bray, President and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Regarding the Death of Will Koch, President of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari 

June 14, 2010

“Today is a sad day for the worldwide attractions industry. We’ve lost a true industry pioneer and friend in Will Koch. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, the Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari staff, and the park’s loyal guests who all loved Will.”
 

“Will is known throughout the industry for his commitment to listening to and taking care of his guests and employees. To Will, the park guests are more than patrons, they are members of the Holiday World family.”
 

“We have watched Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari thrive and grow under Will’s leadership. He is known throughout the industry for being innovative and for upholding high-quality operating standards. Will and the Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari team championed industry innovations such as offering free soft drinks, free sunscreen, and free parking for guests and earned multiple industry awards including the prestigious Applause award for industry excellence and numerous Golden Ticket Awards for friendliest staff, cleanest park, and top-quality roller coasters. They also believe in maintaining direct contact with their guests and using their feedback to refine park operations. As a part of that commitment, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari became an early adopter of social media including the use of blogs, Facebook, and Twitter.”  

“Will was always willing to share his knowledge, experience, time, and talents with others throughout the worldwide attractions industry. He has been involved in and supported IAAPA for many years and his contributions will be missed. Will was a member of the IAAPA board of directors from 2003 to 2006 and he served on a number of IAAPA committees, including the executive committee, strategic planning committee, small amusement parks committee, exhibitor awards committee, service awards committee, and the government relations committee.” 

“We will all miss him.”

The magic of Harry Potter arrives in amusement parks

The magic of Harry Potter, after invading cinemas and all the shelves of libraries worldwide, arrives in amusement parks. On 18 June, in fact, at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida will officially open to the general public “The wizarding World of Harry Potter” theme park in the world of boy wizard created by JK Rowling.
A project on which the art director Stuart Craig and Alan Gilmore (producers of the Harry Potter films) worked for about three years, constantly consulting with the writer who created the character.
Among the attractions of the park, a recreation of Hogwarts castle, rebuilt for the occasion even more impressive of its actual height (tens of meters) with a spectacular view of games. Also in the park (which covers an area of 80,000 square meters) there are three big games: called Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey, Challenge and Dragon Flying Hippogriff.
Innovations for what concerns the queues: small attractions have been introduced along the rows, to make them less unnerving.
For example, before entering the Dragon Challenge is passed before the world the Triwizard Tournament, to dysfunctional Ford Anglia and Nimbus 2000 flying broom used by Daniel Radcliffe and his companions. The park has a number of virtual images and interactive so that visitors can sink physically in the world of Harry Potter. Among other things, and who has perhaps exaggerated in the toilet of women can hear the insistent wail of the ghost Moaning Myrtle.
In addition to the attractions, of course, ample shopping and dining, all strictly theme.

Amusement Parks Bank on Sunshine

You think you've enjoyed the summerlike weather this week? Probably not as much as the leaders of Ohio's outdoor attractions.

With memories of last year's cool, overcast summer still fresh, people like John Gannon, general manager of Zoombezi Bay, are gearing up for what they hope will be a sunny and profitable summer.

Water parks are foremost among the outdoor attractions that live or die by the weather forecast. So influential is the forecast, Gannon said, that it's a better determinant of how many people will visit than the actual weather.

"If the forecast is 78 and sunny, not as many people will come out. People like to see that '8,' " he said, as in 80 degrees or better. "People believe the forecast more than their own eyes," he said, adding that they've joked about sponsoring local forecasts and trying to influence them by a degree or two.

If forecasts hold true over the weekend, "this will be better than any seven-day stretch we had all last summer," said Gannon, who also oversees revenue and operations for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which like the water park is located in the Powell area.

Gannon practically shudders when he talks about last July, which was particularly unkind to his business.

"The four Saturdays in July last year were all cool and overcast or rainy," he said. "The warmest Saturday, which was July 4, was 73 degrees."

Zoombezi Bay normally opens at 10:30 a.m. At 11 each morning, Gannon holds a meeting to evaluate staffing for the day - which again is influenced by the weather.

"We can normally predict within a couple hundred people how many people we'll get by the end of the day," he said. "Because we work with a lot of young people, there are always volunteers to go home early. If we see it's going to be a great day, we have phone lists of people to call to come in."

Hot and sunny days can bring 8,000 people or more to the park; a cooler or overcast day can mean a fraction of that.

Next door at the zoo, key leaders meet every Tuesday morning to plan for the coming week, and weather is just one of several factors to be considered.

"We base our attendance projections on a lot of history: when holidays fall, when schools are out or in," said Dale Schmidt, executive director of the Columbus Zoo. "By October or November, our predictions are finalized for the next summer, and we're normally within a 5 to 7 percent accuracy range. But weather is the big variable that you can't know in advance. It's an add-in or subtract-out factor in our attendance."

Schmidt, who worked for years in the coastal states of Florida and Oregon before coming to Columbus, has his own theory about the outlook for this summer's weather: It should be a great summer because of the El Nino effect.

Areas bordering the ocean often dread El Nino, a seasonal weather phenomenon that's credited with bringing severe storms in the years it appears. But in the Midwest, Schmidt said, an El Nino summer tends to bring with it warm but mild weather, perfect for people to explore the zoo.

Regardless, the zoo is likely headed toward its fifth year in a row of record-setting attendance, meaning visitors could top 2 million for the first time. Marketing director Pete Fingerhut said early this week that the zoo was already more than 100,000 visitors ahead of projections and expects the new $20 million Polar Frontier exhibit to drive big crowds this summer.

Other outdoor attractions in Ohio say they're not quite as weather-dependent since they're regional destinations and sell many of their tickets in advance to groups. Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig said weather mostly affects whether people go to Boomerang Bay, the water park within the Cincinnati-area amusement park.

"You pretty much know what you'll get in southern Ohio in the summer. Weather doesn't typically affect our staffing, because we only close if there's severe weather," Helbig said. Where theme parks may take a hit, he said, is from season-ticket holders who live close by who may decide against visiting - and buying snacks and souvenirs - if the forecast calls for rain.

Some attractions actually encourage people to go play in the rain.

Julieann Eckel, co-owner of Hocking Hills Canopy Tours, said the company's zip-line tours - which take participants on a high-speed pulley-and-cable trip among the treetops - operate rain or shine. They'll suspend operations when there is lightning or "torrential" rain.

"We get a lot of people when it's sprinkling outside saying they want to cancel," Eckel said. "I tell them, 'Remember when you were 5 years old and the best thing in the world was going out to play in the rain?' I say, 'We're not canceling the tour, you can either come or not.'

"People say, 'This is going to suck, I can't believe I'm going out in the rain.' But most of them end up having a blast. A little rain makes you go faster on the lines, too."

Gannon, meanwhile, admits he'll remain obsessed with warm, sunny days until Labor Day, when Zoombezi Bay closes.

"My wife is just really sick of me watching the Weather Channel. My TV is set to come on to it," Gannon said. "People ask me how I am, and I'll talk for 10 minutes about the weather. I have to be reminded that it's really just a rhetorical question."

mrose@dispatch.com

Wyndham Branson at the Falls Branson near Silver Dollar City Branson Vacation in Missouri

Branson at the Falls has modern resort conveniences and yet manages to hold the original Ozark area charm. It's ideally located near the many attractions and provides pretty views of the surrounding hills. The Branson Tri-Lakes area offers freshwater fun at Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo and Bull Shoals. Boating, fishing, swimming, skiing, sailing, scuba diving, parasailing, spelunking, pirate cruises and helicopter tours.
Truly a remarkable, all-American vacation destination, Branson has 52 live performance theaters, three pristine lakes, 12 championship golf courses, an international award-winning theme park, dozens of attractions and museums, shopping galore, a full range of dining options, and a host of hotels, motels, resorts and meeting and conference facilities. Branson is less than a day's drive from one-third of the United States' population, and in 2009 the new Branson Airport will provide low-cost commercial flights from a number of major U.S. cities.
Adventure seekers can choose from a wide variety of authentic attractions in this Ozark Mountain destination.
Dont miss the world-famous Silver Dollar City, voted the number-one theme park in the world by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions. The 1880s-themed park features six exciting festivals each year, more than 100 demonstrating craftsmen, 60 unique shops, 40 live shows daily and a dozen delectable restaurants. New this year, the GIANT Swing, busts seven stories into the sky! On another end of town, Celebration City features more than 30 rides and attractions including the eight-story high Ozark WildCat wooden roller coaster, the all new Stinger, go-karts, mini-golf, midway games, shopping, dining and entertainment for the whole family. Meet Stella, Rose and Kim, sea lions of the newest show in Branson, the Animal Planet Sea Lion Splash.
Experience Shepherd of the Hills Homestead, a unique tale of the Ozark Mountain people. Another attraction that will take you back in time is the Branson Scenic Railway. Ride aboard restored 1940s dome cars while enjoying snacks or a romantic prime rib dinner. You might recall seeing Branson Scenic Railway from a July episode of As the World Turns daytime drama, filmed on location this summer.
Dolly Partons Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show is a full-scale production set in a 35,000-square-foot arena featuring stampeding longhorn steers, horses, racing pigs and ostriches. Another famous attraction featuring dinner and a show is the Showboat Branson Belle, a grand paddle-wheel riverboat on beautiful Table Rock Lake, featuring a Broadway-style performance by the Showstoppers, acrobatic adagio by Elena & Vladim and comedy by Todd Oliver and Friends.
The Ozarks are also wine country, with three wineries, Branson Ridge Winery, Mount Pleasant Winery and Stone Hill Winery, calling Branson their home.
Dont leave Branson without visiting the worlds largest TITANIC museum attraction. This ship-shaped building displays original artifacts, ascends more than 100-feet above the Highway 76 Strip and includes replicas of the Grand Stairway. Another addition to our many and varied attractions is a fascinating educational museum, BODIES, The Exhibition, will captivate you with its display of human physiology.
Visit White Water, the largest outdoor water park in the Branson area or the Splash Country Water Park. You can also relax at one of the lakefront beaches, such as the Moonshine Beach on Table Rock Lake. Dont forget about the two other lakes, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals, which provide an abundance of fun, hiking, water-skiing and fishing. See the Historic Downtown and the new Branson Landing from above, like you've never seen it before! Discover the exciting Branson Strip, see Silver Dollar City, Table Rock Dam and all the wonders Branson has to offer with an Ozark Mountain Helicopters tour.