Namco America issued a warning today about all games that have hanging prizes within them. Advancements and cost reductions in laser technology have created a new problem to those who operate games with hanging prizes whether the prize is hanging from a string or a spindle, the factory noted.

Hand held laser pointers with enough power to burn through colored string or a colored tie-wrap are now available for purchase from China at a fraction of the cost of what they were a couple of years ago. These devices are illegal in the U.S., but still find their way here via the Internet. A criminal armed with one of these can steal a number of prizes from a merchandiser in a short period of time, Namco noted.

The lasers have no affect on the white strings that currently ship with the Namco America games. The factory has been shipping BarBerCut Lite games stocked with white strings for around a year now.

“If you are currently operating a BarBerCut Lite game using orange strings, we strongly suggest you start using the white strings,” Namco stressed. “Also, as many operators use plastic tie-wraps to attach their prizes to the strings or the spindles in all merchandisers with hanging prizes, we strongly suggest you only use white tie-wraps as well.”

If you have any questions, or need any further information, contact Namco America at 847/264-5610, email arcadeinfo@namcoamerica.com.

No this is not a joke… Gift cards are DANGEROUS! Why you ask? At the IAAPA FEC Summit earlier this year, Gregg Borman, Senior VP Palace Entertainment, warned the audience about how unused gift cards or gift certificates will soon be seized by our desperate and over reaching state governments. The first state to try this move was New Jersey. Last year their law makers approved the seizure of any unused gift card or travels checks that had went unused for more than two or three years. While a federal court blocked their bid to seize these assets from businesses, it is only a matter of time before they are allowed to take your unused gift card or gift certificate funds. New Jersey is attempting to balance their out of control budget by taking the estimated $80 million in unused gift cards in the state. The fiscal ramifications to the businesses that lose these cash reserves will be catastrophic and the short-sided view by the state government will send shock waves through the already hostile business environment.

WHAT CAN I DO? Borman in a recent meeting with Party Center Software suggests that each facility contact their attorney to find out how to protect their funds from being seized. Borman says his in-house counsel had suggested the first step is to completely remove the word GIFT from the product name. They will most likely be going to a more generic “play card” or “game card” name. The theory behind this move is that if they can show that the monies paid were for the purchase of a “play card” then the fund were fully used and allocated to the play card and most likely will not be subject to the unredeemed gift card laws. On the accounting side you will need to verify and check with your accountant as this may change how you account for those cards and the value on them within your books. You may be requiring to show them no longer as a liability but now as an asset which can change your tax implications.

An additional step is to provide a policy for those play cards and have that policy printed on the back of the card as well as posted on your website and on location. This policy may include details about how the card value can be exchanged for other goods and services and also to put on an expiration date for the card. Under certain state laws, such as California, if you issue physical gift certificates as opposed to gift cards, they may never expire and are consider identical to cash. This makes is difficult to balance your books with years of unredeemed gift certificates. All in all the actual Gift Card is not dangerous but the fact that a state can, by the barrel of a political gun aka threat of prison, seize your hard earned cash right from your bank account makes them a huge liability. So this is just a warning to those of you who still issue gift cards or gift certificates. Get with your attorney and find out how you can start to transition your gift card program to a play card or other system and start protecting the hard earned revenue from the hands of often over reaching government.

“We are keeping our focus on 2011 and all the new things we have in store with Planet Snoopy,” McClure said.

The park’s opening day will reveal the results of an $8 million top-to-bottom makeover of 10-year-old Camp Snoopy, the 3.5-acre children’s area named after the too-cool beagle from Charles Schulz‘s “Peanuts” comic strip. The renovation will bring six new rides, an amphitheater, a souvenir store and a “soda pop shop” featuring root beer floats. Dorney representatives will take questions about the proposed 2012 addition from the South Whitehall Planning Commission on Feb. 17, but even that won’t demystify the new ride. ”The Planning Commission can ask us a variety of questions… but it’s premature to get into a lot of detail,” McClure said.

That hasn’t stopped people from speculating that the incoming ride will be a coaster from California‘s Great America called Invertigo. The coaster happens to be 138 feet tall and is being relocated to another park within Cedar Fair’s amusement park empire, according to a Great America news release issued last week. Invertigo takes riders sitting face to face up a 138-foot-tall tower, then on several loops and twists both forward and backward through three inversions. The rumor of the swap surfaced last week on a theme-park fan site called Screamscape.com, but Dorney spokesman Chuck Hutchison said the rumors are just that — rumors. Invertigo reopened in July almost a year after a mechanical failure left two dozen people trapped 80 feet in the air for at least three hours, according to CNN. All of the trapped riders were rescued and no one was injured.

Under Dorney’s proposal for a new ride, several kiddie rides would be removed, as well as a basketball game, concrete midways and a portion of a paved service drive, affecting about 1.7 acres of the 187-acre property zoned as commercial recreation. Three Dorney rides are listed for sale on Ital International LLC, which dubs itself as the amusement industry’s most comprehensive new and used ride brokerage source. The Antique Cars and Dune Buggy rides are both listed for $18,000, and the Kiddie Merry-Go-Round is listed for $25,000.

The ride is slated for the western portion of the park, just north of Lincoln Avenue and Dorney Park Road and south of the mammoth Steel Force coaster, where the old Laser coaster used to be.

The Laser was removed in 2008 after 22 years of double-loop thrills. The portable coaster, anchored by tanks of water, was originally named Colossus.

The site of the new ride, where Laser stood, is on the edge of a 100-year flood plain. The location caused heated debate at the township level when Dorney sought approval for Laser. It was eventually approved with a host of conditions attached.

If Invertigo greets fans in 2012, it would be the park’s third inverted coaster, making Dorney Park the only amusement park in the country to have three true inverted coasters, according to a post on Screamscape.com.

McClure said the park will release more information on the ride this summer.

Alley Cats Center is no stranger to Creative Works.  Creative Works has had the privilege of working with Brian Smith, owner of the facility, in building their 4,500 square feet space themed laser tag arena in 2006 and then returned in 2009 to enhance the look of the arena to a high tech space adventure.  The team at Alley Cats contacted Creative Works to add the Lazer Frenzy attraction to a space in their arcade that wasn’t producing the revenue needed.  Lazer Frenzy is a great game to add to any arcade as it produces a great return on the investment.  “We’

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Creative Works, the world leader in creating themed laser tag environments, started with a blank slate and customized one of their Jungle Quest style arenas to fit within the area allocated as part of the new center.  “The height of the space allowed for us to design and build one of our steel play structures for the client to ensure their guests had a great multi-level playing experience,”

The Force was strong at LEGOLAND® California Resort when General Manager Peter Ronchetti announced that a new STAR WARS™ Miniland area will be opening at the family theme park on March 31, 2011. The announcement came when a Jedi Knight – flanked by stormtroopers from the 501st Legion – interrupted the Resort’s annual press conference in a maelstrom of darkness and lasers. Before the interruption, Ronchetti reviewed LEGOLAND California’s 2010 business results and announced the addition of Octopus Garden at SEA LIFE™ Aquarium; Splash Zoo at LEGOLAND Water Park; a LEGO® Hero Factory Experience inside LEGOLAND California and the re-launch of Park favorite Fun Town Fire Academy as Fun Town Police and Fire Academy.

“I am thrilled to be able to report that LEGOLAND California’s stellar growth streak has continued,” said Ronchetti.

“2010 was the most successful year in the history of LEGOLAND California Resort!” 2010 marked the seventh year of continuous growth for LEGOLAND California with double digit percentage growth in attendance over 2009. “Many theme parks across the country have reported difficult trading as a result of the challenging economic climate in recent years. So we feel very fortunate to be able to report that our attendance continues to grow,” Ronchetti continued.

Ronchetti attributed the Park’s success to continued expansion of Resort properties, specifically the addition of LEGOLAND Water Park, which opened in May 2010 and has already received many accolades including the World Waterpark Association’s prestigious Industry Innovation Award. The Industry Innovation Award is judged based on how the organization has set itself apart from others in terms of moving the industry to a new or higher plane

“More than just a year of exciting growth for LEGOLAND California, 2010 marked an exciting year for Merlin Entertainments Group here in the states,” Ronchetti continued. The second SEA LIFE Aquarium in the U.S. opened in Tempe, Arizona in May and it was announced that the second U.S. LEGOLAND Park, LEGOLAND Florida will open in Winterhaven, Florida in October of this year. Additional LEGOLAND Discovery Centers and SEA LIFE Aquariums are also cropping up across the U.S. with openings already planned in Texas and New Jersey.

“We expect continued success in 2011 with a multi-million dollar investment into expansions planned for all three Resort properties,” Ronchetti said as he went on to describe each of the new additions.

On March 31 LEGOLAND California becomes the first of three LEGOLAND Parks to launch a new STAR WARS Miniland area. Guests can enjoy seven of the most famous scenes from the six live-action STAR WARS movies, as well as a scene from the animated series STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS™  all made out of 1.5 million LEGO bricks and built in 1:20 scale. Guests will be further immersed into the STAR WARS experience as they pose with life-size LEGO models of Chewbacca, R2D2 and Darth Vader. LEGOLAND Billund and LEGOLAND Deutschland will launch the STAR WARS Miniland area later this year.

Following a chronological path through the STAR WARS timeline, LEGOLAND guests retrace the major events of the beloved Saga. Some of the 2,000 LEGO models will be more than 6-feet-tall. Interactive buttons will allow children to activate animations throughout the scenes.

The models for the new STAR WARS area are being developed and built by eight model designers and two animation electricians at our sister park, LEGOLAND Deutschland. It will be up to Master Model Builders at LEGOLAND California to bring the scenes to life with the help of animation electricians, technicians and landscapers all working to ensure the LEGO models appear as realistic as possible with special effects and landscaping.

On February 17, a new LEGO Hero Factory attraction opens in the Imagination Zone. Here, young guests will be able to build and create their own heroes (or villains) and meet and greet their favorite Hero Factory characters. And from Feb. 17 through 27, guests will have the opportunity to build the largest LEGO mosaic to ever be built at LEGOLAND California. The 6-foot-tall, 26-foot-wide mosaic made of 298,368 LEGO bricks will depict an iconic scene from the Hero Factory saga and will be a permanent part of the new Hero Factory experience.

On April 12, one of the most popular rides in the Park – Fun Town Fire Academy – is being re-launched as the Police and Fire Academy. On this classic LEGOLAND ride, families pile into a fire truck and power it by pumping levers up and down as they race other families to put out the “fire”. The first family to make it back wins. Now the fire trucks are being joined by police vehicles and families race to put out fires and stop robbers.

On May 6, SEA LIFE Aquarium Carlsbad launches Octopus Garden, an interactive exhibit introducing families to the amazing world of cephalopods. From octopus and cuttlefish to nautilus, these distinctive creatures have almost supernatural abilities including camouflage, ink clouds and jet propulsion, that will surprise and delight adults and children alike. Octopus Garden replaces the Sharks Revealed exhibit that opened in 2008.

On May 26, Splash Zoo, a brand new area for toddlers, opens inside LEGOLAND Water Park. The DUPLO® Zoo themed area, located next to DUPLO Splash Safari and Kid Creek, features giant DUPLO Zoo animals – including a lion, a giraffe and a zebra – plus interactive spray pads, fountains and a teeter totter, all geared specifically for guests ages 1 to 3.

All of the new guest experiences are included in the cost of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort properties. For ticket prices, operating schedule and additional information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or www.sealifeus.com or call 760-918-LEGO.

*** STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS GROUP is the leading name in location based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s No 1 and the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin has 69 attractions, 6 hotels and two holiday villages in 15 countries, across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 38.5 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 15,000 employees.

The former Kick’s location reopened Friday as a different family entertainment center, America’s Incredible Pizza Company.

Incredible Pizza, headquartered in Springfield, Mo., has 15 other centers in Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, Tennessee and one in Monterrey, Mexico. This is the first in Illinois.

“We’re a family entertainment center based on Christian values,” said Rick Pogue, company president, who was in Springfield last week for the ribbon cutting.

His business card says the company “exists to bring families and friends together through great food and fun…We operate our business by Christian principles, delivering a positive family experience and a fair return to our company.”

Eighty local employees have been hired at the facility, 2744 S. Sixth St., Pogue said.

The 1950s-themed venue (pictured above) offers laser tag, indoor go-karts, mini bowling and more than 50 arcade and video games. Game winners can redeem points for prizes.

There are three large dining rooms and four private rooms for birthday parties, showers, church events, sports team banquets, family reunions and other get-togethers.

An all-you-can-eat buffet features pizza, pasta, taco, nacho, salad and dessert bars, plus two entrees each day, burgers, vegetables, mashed potatoes and the company’s signature item — cinnamon rolls.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Food service ends an hour before closing. Website: www.incrediblepizza.com. Phone: 280-4067.

For more information about Incredible Pizza, plus other restaurant news, read the A La Carte column in the business section of the print edition of today’s (Jan. 9)  SJ-R.

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By Gary White
THE LEDGER

Overview

The standard rate of VAT in the UK is changing to 20% on the 4th of January 2011!

What did winning the Aspire Award mean to you?
DJ: We have won several awards in the last few years and the Aspire Award is another sign that we are being recognised as a company that knows what it’s doing. You can wear a big hat and talk the talk, but unless you know how to back that up with actions, the words mean nothing. A lot of people in the industry have called us and that has been great; I think the smaller operators out there can see where we’ve come from and I hope it gives them a sign of what’s possible through hard work and dedication. As I said on the night, it was a victory for the smaller operators out there, for the many husband and wife or family indoor play centre owners who put their whole life into this business. It’s proof that you don’t need huge backing or to spend millions on a site; what you need to do is to get the basics right, keep your centre clean and tidy and give yourself every chance of making a real difference.

MJ: We had no fat bank throwing money at us and as an operation, we could not afford to make too many mistakes, so every move we have made has been well considered and carefully planned out. We don’t have a fancy marketing company working for us; we do everything in-house. I think one of our primary points of difference was that at no stage did we want there to be one Eddie Catz. I had a background in business consultancy and advertising, while Darren was a former professional on the international squash circuit, as well as manager of a Cannons health club in Fulham. We came into this with a very clear view of what we wanted to achieve. Before we opened in Putney, we had a long-term business plan. We already had a 52-page operating manual, which we update and still use today, we had a marketing plan, a board of directors and ambitions to expand. Our development was always going to be gradual and the biggest challenge when expanding is that you need all of the stars in the constellation to line up.

DJ: Sometimes you might find the perfect location when the money’s isn’t quite there, at others the financials add up but the location might be wrong. We have stuck to our plan throughout, always knowing that the key issue is how you are going to pay for yourselves and your staff.

What are the key attributes in a successful play centre?
DJ: I’d say location. You can have the best kit in the world, the best people and the best operation, but if it’s in the wrong place, you’ll still struggle to drag people through the doors. Having said that, you can also have the best location, but the wrong procedures and standards and that won’t work either.

MJ: It’s really important to understand what your customers want and give them that. I look at it like buying Christmas presents, there’s no point buying your child an X Box if he wants a Playstation. We have added a number of dimensions into our business after realising early that it would be impossible to survive on play alone. In Putney, we run 17 classes for pre-school children each week in our studio, as well as classes and events for local schools. We were the first in our industry to introduce classes on this scale and we were also the first to create summer camps, which have been extremely successful. We are also very big on seasonal events; more than 700 children attended Halloween parties at our three centres this year and we make sure we do it properly. If parents are paying for a ticket, they deserve it to be a big deal and we make sure it is. We also have a Beauty Bar called Mini Diva, which provides beauty treatments for ladies and parties for little girls. We don’t want to simply be seen as a destination for play, but also somewhere that children can come for pre-school development and education.

DJ: It’s extremely important for any centre to constantly be refreshing its offer. There are so many ideas out there that can be adapted for indoor play. If you come into any of our centres, you’ll see things we’ve taken from other sectors and made our own. But do it your own way, for your customers – simply copying other peoples’ ideas is not the way to be different. If you want to inspire your customers, come up with something new.

Was opening your second and third centres different to your first venture?
DJ: We learned from our experiences in Putney and our Wimbledon and Newbury sites are different. In Wimbledon, we took over an existing play centre, which was doing well and making money, but it was becoming tired front-of-house and the back-of-house operation was awful. We could see it had a loyal customer base and believed in its potential, so we took it over and for the first month, ran it under its previous name without changing anything. We then got the cleaners in for two days and got rid of the grot, replaced things like ripped posters, swept the car park, trimmed the hedges. Basically, we gave it a complete spring clean, but we didn’t change very much at all. A customer who had been there two days before came in and said ‘I love the refurb’, which just shows the impact a good clean can have. The site in Newbury was different again – we were looking for a new opportunity and this site was a previous indoor play area that had shut down two years before. When we asked around, it was a similar story to Wimbledon, in that everyone used to use it in the early days and liked it, but it had become run down and tatty and parents had stopped wanting to take their children there. We probably spent around a third as much money on Newbury as we did on our first site, because you certainly learn where and how to invest your money and which areas are most important to your customers. The Eddie Catz brand and Eddie as a character has become iconic in and around your centres. That must be very rewarding.

MJ: We designed him ourselves, and when it came to the look and feel, the kids were very important; we wanted a character they would want to hold and cuddle.

DJ: It’s great when you walk down the high street and see children hugging the Eddie Catz doll in their pushchairs – you feel like you’ve really made an impression. We trade tested him with our customers. We put two out on the counter without saying anything to anyone and the kids always went for the one we preferred, which is the Eddie we sell now.

MJ: We have created a community, but we are also an integral part of the community around each of our sites. In Putney, we are the provider of children’s entertainment on the high street and Eddie has become something of a local celebrity, to the extent that he is helping to switch on the Christmas lights this year. We have been very active in each of our local communities since we opened, working with local schools in particular and both hosting and attending events.

Eddie Catz has obviously been successful, but how have you dealt with the tougher times?
MJ: There came a point, when we realised that we were investing so much time and energy in the brand, we had started to lose sight of the real people in the business. So in the last couple of years, we have done an about face and looked to put some of our own identities back into Eddie Catz. We have always promoted from within and I think the customers can appreciate that. They are happier to know that there are people involved with real investment in the business and sometimes they can be more forgiving because of this. There is a definite connection being made between the government and big business at the moment and people respond better to a family-run, customer facing firm company.

DJ: The team working with us has been exceptional. This is not an industry where you’ll make £150,000 a year as a centre manager, but you do get a broad range of experience of food and beverages, health and safety, dealing with customers and leading a team.

MJ: Sometimes, admittedly, you can wonder why you’re doing it, but we have 200,000 visitors a year coming through our doors and we get an average of one complaint on email a month, and that shows we have a team that’s proud of what they do.

Your children were an inspiration behind you moving into the indoor play arena. How have they impacted on the business since then?
MJ: Our children are very much involved in the business and they have helped us in so many ways. It’s amazing how many times something that seems so complex can be so simple when you ask a child. We were looking at buying a centre in Scotland, for instance, and our 10-yearold said ‘daddy, if you’re flying to Scotland and back twice a week, you won’t be making very much profit will you?’. Of course, that was right, but we hadn’t looked at it like that. Our daughter is now 13 and she helps out a lot in the centre. She has a very good eye for the staff and picks up things that we don’t always see.

DJ: A lot of people get into this business because of their kids and we’ve evolved as our children have got older. We have introduced laser quest and our mini diva parties to reflect the changing tastes of our children. The really important thing is that you don’t pay too much attention to that while taking your eye off the needs of the younger children.

Have your attitudes to customers changed after six years in retail?
DJ: When we do get that one complaint a month, we have become more aware of the need to push back a bit, as long as we are 100% confident in our procedures. We always go into detail, defend the centre and engage with the customer who has complained. More often than not, we can turn that complaint around into a positive and, if it comes from a regular customer, that’s sometimes even better.

MJ: We all come into business having being told that the customer is always right, but in a recession, they’re not always right. It’s even more important now that you stand by your staff and your belief in your standards. Running our centres has changed me as a consumer. I used to look for reasons to complain, now I have a completely different perspective.

What future plans do you have for the Eddie Catz empire?
MJ: We are looking to expand further and want to grow the Eddie Catz brand around the country and into Europe. This could happen in a number of ways, including franchising or opening new sites, but what we’re searching for at the moment is existing sites that are welllocated but have perhaps lost their way or have owners who have decided that the indoor play sector is no longer for them. We have the experience and track record now to take on these opportunities and as long as the location is right, there is always a good chance we can turn a business around. We would be very interested to talk to anyone who feels they might fit our criteria.

Having been recognised as the best in the business, what advice would you give to other operators?
DJ: You have to take the time to step back and look at your own business. The easiest thing in the world is to criticise other operators, while ignoring your own faults. Go and see other indoor play operators, but don’t just look at our industry, constantly be on the lookout for ideas in other sectors. See how people do things, how they present themselves, how they deal with customers. Use your friends. Get them in to use the facility and give you honest feedback. One of the reasons we worked so hard to make Putney right was that we live just down the road and it became like an extension of our living room. You can’t have your friends round when the place isn’t clean and you can’t have their children picking things up off the floor. I didn’t want to embarrass myself and to this day lack of cleanliness drives me potty.

MJ: My advice would always be take your business plan and cut it in half, then assume you as the owner will take no salary for the first three years. Can you still survive? If the answer to that is yes, then you’ve got a chance. If it’s no, then don’t bother. This is not a quick payback industry – after six years, we have worked extremely hard to get three sites. We were disenchanted with what we were doing before and the lack of time we could spend together. But we knew the business would take time to develop. Now, even though we spend more time working, we are together a lot more and it’s under our control.

DJ: More people starting out should listen to the people in the industry who have been there and done it already. Sometimes, just talking to someone else who has experienced the ups and downs could be the key to your success. Competition is getting more intense for all of us, but we’re all in the same boat and we can all learn from and help each other. Speak to your competitors. It’s a difficult time, but there is nothing to be gained from stabbing them in the back or plagiarising their ideas. Pick up the phone or have a beer with other operators, you’ll be surprised how much you can get out of it.

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INDIANAPOLIS — The International Laser Tag Association has created a new division aimed at serving the family entertainment center industry. The formation of the nonprofit National Association of Family Entertainment Centers was announced in mid-November during the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, FL. It is expected to grow into a standalone sister association of the laser tag group.

NAFEC presently counts 200 members, all of which are associated with ILTA, which counts 500 members. The organization is offering six months’ free membership to anyone who joins in any of the three membership categories: developer, operator or supplier.

The laser tag association’s board is providing leadership to NAFEC under the direction of ILTA president Davor Franicevich, who owns Laser Tag of Baton Rouge and Laser Tag of New Orleans.

“Once we get the ball rolling, NAFEC may have a life of its own with its own board of directors and separate membership,” said Eric Gaizat, who serves as membership services director for both associations.

The growth of NAFEC’s membership and its development of separate leadership are expected to accelerate during the first quarter of 2011, particularly as the association launches a dedicated insurance program for FEC owners and operators. NAFEC may use ILTA’s insurance company or negotiate policies with a new carrier, Gaizat said.

Gaizat said it’s “premature” for NAFEC to decide if it will produce a trade show, but disclosed that the trade show question is the most frequently asked which is directed to the nascent organization. NAFEC will offer ongoing educational programs, he said.

NAFEC also announced the formation of the Supplier Advisory Council, which includes U-Profit’s Bill Carlson, Amusement Entertainment Management’s Frank Seninsky, Prime Play’s Nathan Jones and Agile Software and Marketing’s Scott Drummond.

Carlson and Seninsky were both members of the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry, which folded into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Both men were vocal critics of IALEI’s merger with IAAPA, which took place in October 2009.

Sources said the Supplier Advisory Council is “very loosely” affiliated with NAFEC. However, any association of Carlson and Seninsky with the new FEC association — no matter how informal or arms-length — is bound to raise questions about whether the faction views itself as a rival to IAAPA for operator loyalty.

NAFEC’s announcement of its birth provided a hint that such an interpretation may not be unwarranted. “Many [FEC] operators are concerned that their ability to be treated as equals with other high-profile members of [IAAPA] is nonexistent,” the new organization claimed. “We know what it is like to be a member of a large association where you are spoken at instead of spoken to. Our objective is to make each member feel important to the industry as a whole by taking the time to work with them individually and use those experiences to assist other members in similar circumstances.”

NAFEC said its mission is “to help our members become better informed through our research, services and communications with all levels of the industry … to provide our members with up-to-date data on safety, operations, marketing, seminars, trade shows and … to give [members] the knowledge and resources to grow their business and increase revenues.”

NAFEC’s launch announcement also said: “Our aim is to be the voice for the small business FECs and provide a forum for operators to share innovative ideas, learn from industry professionals and consultants, develop effective marketing strategies and address industry obstacles.”

Parent association ILTA was formed in 1996. Just over half of ILTA’s membership is based in the United States. National Association of Family Entertainment Centers is online at fecoperator.org and can be reached at (317) 786-9755.

The 1911 Looff Carousel, simply called the Merry-Go-Round at the Beach Boardwalk, was built by Danish woodcarver Charles Looff, who created Coney Island’s first carousel in the 1870s.

What makes the Beach Boardwalk’s carousel unique is the ring machine, one of fewer than 20 working dispensers in the U.S. Riders lean off their horses, grab rings from a dispenser arm and toss them into a clown’s mouth as the carousel spins.

It’s the most fun you’ll ever have on a carousel, with the ring-toss element turning an otherwise sedate kiddie attraction into a challenging and thrilling ride. The Beach Boardwalk goes through about 85,000 rings annually, with many riders keeping the 1 1/2-inch diameter rings as souvenirs, officials say.

The Beach Boardwalk made the mistake of briefly discontinuing the ring toss in the 1970s. Ridership dropped 75% before the park was forced to restore the popular pastime.

Adding to the charm of the 100-year-old carousel in Santa Cruz are a pair of rare pipe organs and the 73 hand-carved horses with real horsehair tails.

Looff’s son, Arthur, designed the Beach Boardwalk’s 1924 Giant Dipper wooden coaster, now designated a National Historic Landmark.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk also plans to upgrade its Freefall kiddie drop tower in 2011, replacing the old ride with a taller tower with greater capacity. The new 14-seat, 34-foot-tall Moser Rides drop tower is expected to open on Feb. 19 over Presidents’ Day weekend, officials said.

Looking further ahead, 2012 could see the addition of a new coaster at the Beach Boardwalk. Screamscape reports the seaside amusement park may replace the relatively mild and compact 1992 Hurricane with a new steel coaster.

Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

Cool de Sac, the family entertainment center that combines delicious and nutritious cuisine, with games and entertainment for kids, was recently awarded “Best Children’s Entertainment” by South Florida Parenting Magazine, the most valuable source of parenting information and local resources for families in South Florida, and “Most Kid-Friendly Amenities” by MyKidsPlate.com, an Orlando-based kid-friendly dining guide.

Recognized in the July 2010 Kids Crown Award issue, the “Best Children’s Entertainment” award was given to Cool de Sac to honor the family establishment for its intellectual games and various play areas, which include stations for art, blocks, games, tots, a play unit, a salon and an electronic and interactive games area. In addition, the family entertainment center also offers workshops for mommies and their little ones to bond and learn through play.

Cool de Sac’s second award was rendered by MyKidsPlate.com’s Platinum Plate Awards, awards recognizing family restaurants for having outstanding kid-friendly establishments. The “Most Kid-Friendly Amenities” award was presented to Cool de Sac for its safe and clean highchairs; changing tables in both men’s and women’s restrooms; kids’ cups with bendable straws; and Step-n-Washes, a step pad that that allows kids to wash their hands on their own.

“We are honored to receive the two well-recognized awards,” said Amy Madson, director of operations. “Cool de Sac is a family entertainment center not only built for children, but for parents as well. At our establishment, we strive to deliver high-quality food and service, while also making it a fun and safe place for kids.”

About Cool de Sac:

Cool de Sac, located in the city of South Miami, is a family entertainment center not only built for children, but for parents as well. The family establishment strives to deliver high quality food and service, while also providing a fun and safe venue for children. Providing its families with intellectual games and activities, its play areas include stations for arts, blocks, games, tots, a salon, a play unit and an electronic and interactive games area Lightspace® Play. For more information about the family entertainment center, please visit www.cool-de-sac.com .

By this time next year, we expect to have been inside the gates of Legoland Florida, the under-construction attraction where Cypress Gardens theme park once stood.
But don’t look for special Halloween events there in 2011. General manager Adrian Jones said last week that because the park would be new, holiday-based programming would be delayed until 2012.

California’s Legoland has been running a Brick-or-Treat promotion this month. Specific areas of the park are open after hours for treat-or-treating, costume contests, a dance party and a light show.

Legoland Florida, set to open next October, is already selling one-day tickets and annual passes at a pre-opening rate through Dec. 31. Annual passes for adults and children go for $99. During the special offer, one-day tickets will be $65 for adults, $55 for ages 3-12. (One-day tickets will be $10 more after Dec. 31.)