Theme park news roundup: Harry Potter, robot rides and cheesy grub(s!)

by Gadling Staff on

Here’s what’s happening in theme park news this week.

Robot Land announced (Incheon, South Korea)
South Korea will be home to the world’s first robot theme park when Robot Land opens in Incheon in 2012. Robot Land will have a robotic arm ride, tributes to robot-themed movies such as “Matrix” and “Minority Report,” and robot employees and performers. A national robotics lab and office complexes will also be built on the 110-acre site.

The park will cost $562 million, with 87 percent coming from private investors and the remainder from the government, according to English-language newspaper The Korea Herald. Incheon, South Korea’s third largest city, is home to many high-tech businesses. Not surprisingly, Robot Land sounds like it’s trying to attract a different crowd than nearby Love Land.

Chessington World of Adventures tries new, gross snacks (London, England)
When the urge for a theme-park snack strikes this summer, you may be able to pass up the ice cream bars and funnel cake in favor of bacon-flavored crickets, cheesy grubs and chocolate ants. Chessington World of Adventures tested the unusual menu on February 18. The theme park just outside London is considering making the snacks part of the regular menu in its new Wild Asia section when it opens for the season on March 27.

Wild Asia will include a new spinning disc ride, the KOBRA, and a walk-through Lorikeet aviary. The Yorkshire Post reports that the insect snacks got rave reviews from testers. And lest you worry about exactly where those ants you eat are coming from, the newspaper reports that all the insects are “ethically sourced” (unlike these “8 great bug-eating videos from around the world”).
Wizarding World of Harry Potter details emerge (Orlando, FL, USA)
It looks like that promised spring opening for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will happen in May. Universal Orlando Resort has started selling vacation packages themed to the opening of the new “park within a park” at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The packages, which include hotel, park tickets and souvenirs and a breakfast, can be booked for travel beginning May 28. Pricing starts at $1,548 for a family of four (read more about the package here).

Universal Orlando is quick to say that May 28 is not the official opening date for the park, but the release of these packages is the first definitive sign as to when Harry Potter fans will be able to visit the village of Hogsmeade in Orlando. When the Wizarding World is complete, it will have three rides, a new restaurant (“Three Broomsticks”) and shops.

Adventureland burns (Altoona, IA, USA)
A toy store, arcade, restaurant and bingo parlor burned at Adventureland amusement park on February 20. The Altoona, Iowa, park known for its Tornado roller coaster was closed for the season and empty when the fire broke out, but an adjacent hotel was evacuated as a precaution.

The Des Moines Register reports that the burned buildings on Adventureland’s Main Street were built in 1974 and were not equipped with sprinkler systems. Park officials say that Adventureland will reopen for the season in April as previously planned.

“Captain EO” returns (Anaheim, CA, USA)
The Michael Jackson 3-D film “Captain EO” returns to the Magic Eye Theater at Disneyland on Feb. 23. The 17-minute sci-fi movie first debuted at the Anaheim, Calif., theme park in October 1986, the same week the National Enquirer printed a famous photo of Jackson sleeping in a futuristic hyperbaric sleeping chamber.

The movie follows Captain EO (Jackson) and his crew as they travel to a distant planet to deliver a gift to a wicked alien queen, played by Anjelica Huston. George Lucas produced the film, which reportedly cost more than $1 milliion per minute to make. On the Disney Parks blog, Disneyland PR manager Heather Hurst Rivera said the movie will be shown from a new 70mm print and that acoustic improvements to the theater since the original run will make “Captain EO” “sound better than ever.” The movie’s original Disneyland run ended quietly in 1997. Disney officials have been mum on how long the movie’s revival will last or whether “EO” will also return to Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, where it played from 1986-1994.

Waldameer going cashless (Erie, PA, USA)
Waldameer patrons won’t need a dime to visit the Erie, Penn., amusement park this year, but they will need Wally Points. Waldameer has announced that the park is going completely cashless.

Instead of the green stuff, park guests will load a plastic card or wristband with Wally Points, which are named after the park mascot Wally Bear. The points will cost $1 each. Waldameer owner Paul Nelson told the Erie Times-News that the move will save money by giving the business tighter control over its cash.

Wild Adventures rocks (Valdosta, GA, USA)
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Wynonna and Steven Curtis Chapman will headline concerts at the Wild Adventures theme park this season. The Valdosta, Ga., water and theme park announced that it will open for the year on March 6.

Three new rides will debut next month, and the park’s beloved wooden coaster, The Cheetah, will trot out its new, smoother ride thanks to a $1 million refurbishment. Wild Adventures concerts are free with park admission, but (better) reserved seats are available for $10.

Darien Lake Theme Park expands (Darien Center, NY, USA)
The Darien Lake Theme Park Resort has filed plans to build a new $7 million water park area called Pirates Cove. New attractions at the Darien Center, N.Y., resort would include a Lazy River, a 50-foot-high water slide and a FlowRider, which produces waves that riders can surf in a contained environment. The Genesee County Planning Board has given the Pirates Cove site plan a preliminary approval, according to the Batavia (N.Y.) Daily News.

[Lead photo courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/bistrosavage/ / CC BY 2.0]

LEGOLAND is coming to Florida!

by Tom Johansmeyer on


I’d normally be skeptical about another theme park opening in Florida. Does the state really need another one? But, when I saw the announcement from Merlin Entertainments, I changed my mind very quickly. After all, every city should have a LEGOLAND®. By the end of 2011, Winter Haven, Florida will open in this new attraction, which will sit on 145 acres that is currently home to Cypress Gardens. The development will involve a “significant multi-million dollar investment over a number of years” and eventually will include accommodations and other branded attractions along with the theme park. When the project is finished, this will be the world’s largest LEGOLAND.

The park is intended to mirror the LEGOLAND Parks already up and running in Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom and California. But, like the others, it won’t be a mere copy. The Winter Haven park will have its own “twist” that reflects its Florida home. The theme park will be only 30 minutes from Orlando, making it easy to integrate into a vacation that includes the usual theme parks, and it’s also close to Tampa. Preliminary research showed that vacationers were extremely likely to visit the park. And, the track record of the California park, which has been voted the best children’s theme park by Amusement Today for six years in a row, making this a smart move for Merlin.

%Gallery-83789%Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, calls LEGOLAND Florida “one of the most exciting and important projects Merlin ahs ever developed.” He explains, “It is a unique opportunity for us; Florida is the biggest family tourist centre in the world. We have been looking for the right site there for some time and in Winter Haven we plan to create one of the best and certainly most beautiful, theme parks in the world. LEGOLAND California has already proven how much US families love the unique LEGOLAND concept.”

The new LEGOLAND park will have more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, including LEGO models and interactive experiences. It’ll also bring more than 1,000 new jobs to the area by the time it opens. This is music to the ears of the state’s governor, Charlie Crist, who says, “We are delighted at this news. We are extremely happy that the future of Cypress Gardens is secure. LEGOLAND is one of the most exciting names in family attractions and a welcome new addition to Florida.”

Get tips on visiting Disney with a special needs child at Mouse-Aid

by Katie Hammel on

Disneyland and Disney World are supposed to be the happiest places on Earth. Every child wants to go to this place of wonder and excitement, and special needs children are no exception. But for parents of these children, the thought of organizing a trip may seem like a far too difficult task. That’s where the Mouse-Aid website comes in.

The website is not affiliated with Disney, but it is designed to help parents of children with special needs negotiate the obstacles to taking their kids on a Disney vacation. There are tips for travel, packing, get around the parks, dining and choosing a room, and what issues parents of special needs kids should consider The special needs covered range from physical and mental disabilities to ADHD and terminal illness.

For many parents, the most helpful part of the site might be the forums. Here parents can discuss the issues important for their children, like which rides might scare kids frightened of the dark. They can also find support in parents dealing with similar issues as themselves. As the aunt of a special needs child, I’ve seen how just knowing that there are other parents who understand your situation can be a big help in and of itself. If you are the parent of a child with special needs, and you are planning a trip to a Disney theme park, it might be worth checking out the Mouse-Aid site.

LEGOLAND Water Park to follow 6th year of growth

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The first looks at the world’s first LEGO® water park were revealed recently at LEGOLAND California Resort. So far, it’s only an artist’s rendering of the new water park, but that’s the first step toward getting drenched.

This new initiative follows the park’s successes with the new Bob the Builder™ 4-D movie and the presidential inauguration scene in Miniland U.S.A. These new developments come on the heels of a sixth consecutive year of growth for the California resort, with 2009 turning in a 6 percent increase … and guest satisfaction ratings in the high 90s.

“2009 was a record year here at LEGOLAND California Resort,” said the resort’s general manager, Peter Ronchetti, during the press conference. This comes, he continues, as “Many theme parks across the country have reported difficult trading and necessary cost control actions as a result of the challenging economic climate over recent months. So we feel very fortunate with all of the expansion here at LEGOLAND California Resort, to be able to report that our attendance continues to grow.”

The trajectory is expected to run through 2010, with more than $15 million invested in the park. The LEGOLAND Water Park is set to open in June (behind Fun Town) and will be ideal for families with children aged 2 to 12. “LEGOLAND Water Park will be lots of fun, constructive play including slides, LEGO friends and, the feature I am personally the most excited about – the Build-a-Raft concept where kids customize their own raft made of soft LEGO bricks before floating down a lazy river,” said Ronchetti.%Gallery-73517%

%Gallery-64352%

Disney offers free park admission to volunteers

by Katie Hammel on

Volunteer one day of your time next year, and you could receive a free day of admission at a Walt Disney theme park in return. The Disney company has announced that one million people who volunteer with the HandsOn Network can get into any Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, or into Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, for free in 2010 through the “Give a Day, Get a Disney” promotion.

The HandsOn Network works with 70,000 agencies across the country, including Habitat for Humanity and local food banks and churches. After volunteers gets their service verified with the agency, they get a voucher for free admission. The work must be done in 2010 and the voucher needs to be used by December 15 of that year. Volunteers must be 18 or older to sign up, but kids ages 6-17 who complete volunteer work with their parents can also get into the park free.

Those who have multi-day annual passes can use their free-day voucher for up to six FASTPASS tickets that will get them to the front of the line for certain rides. Only residents of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico are eligible to redeem the free admission vouchers.

This isn’t the only deal Disney has offered recently. All of the US Disney parks offered visitors free admission on their birthday this year, and many Disney resorts offered “stay two nights, get a third free” promotions as well.