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STAR WARS™ Miniland Area Planned for March Opening!

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.

Pieces to Fit Together in New Park, From Bare Dirt

By Gary White
THE LEDGER

UK VAT changes for 4 Jan 2011

Overview

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

Marcus Webb
MarcusWebb@aol.com

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.

A dying breed of carousel celebrates its centennial in 2011 at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

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

WINTER HAVEN — Not one plastic block is in position at Legoland Florida, but the theme park has started selling tickets for admission once it opens late next year.

An annual pass that will sell for $99 through Dec. 31will allow entry from the day the park officially opens in October 2011 through all of 2012, park executives announced Thursday. Single-day tickets sold through Dec. 31 are $65 for general admission and $55 for ages 3-12 and ages 60 and older.

Future guests can buy tickets on the park’s website, LegolandFloridaResort.com.

Once Legoland opens, the public will have access to 50 rides and attractions geared to children as well as minature scenes created out of Lego‘s famed plastic building blocks.

Among the Florida scenes to be portrayed: Kennedy Space Center, Daytona International Speedway, Key West‘s Mallory Square, antebellum mansions of the Panhandle, and Polk County‘s own Bok Tower, the park announced during a site tour Thursday. The region’s other theme parks will not be represented.

General Manager Adrian Jones described different areas of the Winter Haven park, including a medieval-themed segment called Castle Hill. “There’s a perception in Central Florida that you have to build a castle in order to have a successful theme park,” Jones said. “So we built one.”

The centerpiece of Castle Hill will be a new indoor-outdoor roller coaster called The Dragon.

The demographic focus of Legoland theme parks, owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments Group, are 2- to 12-year-olds.

“We don’t do white-knuckle roller coasters, but we do pink-knuckle roller coasters,” Jones said before introducing the XTreme area, which features the Lego Technic Test Track coaster and a water-carousel ride.

Legoland Florida will be constructed where Cypress Gardens operated from 1936 to 2009. Some of the site’s old rides will be repurposed for the new park: the Swamp Thing suspended coaster, for example, will become Flight School in the Lego City area, and the Triple Hurricane wooden roller coaster will be reborn as Coastersaurus in the Land of Adventure.

Cypress Gardens’ famed ski show will be revived as a water-stunt show, and the Island in the Sky attraction will be rethemed as the Flying Island, on which guests will be elevated for views of Lake Eloise and the entire park.

“It will be a focal point of our attraction,” Jones said.

The park is primarily in a demolition phase right now. About 100 designers are working on miniature Lego scenes in six or seven countries, said John Jakobsen, managing director of Legoland Parks Operating Group.

Merlin is investing at least $100 million on the site’s transformation, he said. Having Cypress Gardens’ infrastructure in place is expected to keep the company’s costs down.

“That was a big benefit for us,” Jakobsen said.

About 1,000 people are expected to work at Legoland once it’s open; most of them will be hired in the six months leading up to opening day.

Dewayne Bevil can be reached at 407-420-5477 or dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Read the Theme Park Rangers Blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/TPR.

Legoland Florida executives revealed admission prices and other details about the Winter Haven theme park, set to open in October 2011.

Single-day tickets and annual passes are now available on the park’s website (http://www.legolandfloridaresort.com. A special pre-opening annual pass offer for $99 will be available through Dec. 31, and will allow admittance for after the park opens next October and through all of 2012.

Single-day tickets are now on sale for $65 general, $55 for ages 3-12. That offer is also available through Dec. 31.

A lifetime pass is sold for $2,500.

Other details revealed Thursday include some of the Florida icons to be constructed from Lego blocks in the park’s Miniland U.S.A. Guests will see representations of the Daytona International Speedway, Kennedy Space Center and more — but not other theme parks.

Cameron Park, Ca., August 24, 2010 –Scott Drummond, President of Agile Software and Marketing, received notification that their product PartyCenterSoftware.com, is a finalist for the “Innovation of the year” award presented by the Play Providers Association (PPA), arguably the UK’s most influential association for the fun industry.  “It was great to see our PartyCenterSoftware.com program be recognized for the contributions it is making to help the fun industry.  As a previous operator I understand the struggles that our customers go through and we have found a solution to help make both their lives and their profit better!”

Drummond will be exhibiting at the Leisure International Week in Birmingham, UK in late September and along with 9 other finalist will display his PartyCenterSoftware.com product to be voted on by members of the PPA.  He hopes to bring home top prize for his newly released version of his online party booking and facility management software. “This will be our first year exhibiting at LIW so I am very excited to meet many of our customers in person and if we can bring home the award it will make for one great trip!  I’m just thankful for our customers and all they do to help us grow as a business”, said Drummond.

Read more…

3:06 PM Thu, Aug 12, 2010
Deborah Fleck/News Assistant Read Here

LEGOLAND Discovery CenterA tractor dumped out its unusual contents–thousands of colorful LEGO bricks.
Then, Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate, Sen. Jane Nelson, Russell Barnes of Merlin Entertainments Group and Peggy Weaver of Grapevine Mills took up shovels and dug into the pile.

A “Turning of the LEGO Bricks” ceremony this morning marked the construction launch for a new LEGOLAND Discovery Center at Grapevine Mills Mall. The center, only the second one in the United States and fifth one worldwide, is scheduled to open in April, 2011. The 35,000-square-foot playland will offer rides, a 4D cinema, party rooms, interactive features and even a MINILAND that will feature landmark North Texas buildings–including a Cowboys Stadium made out of LEGOs.

Merlin officials said they love the location–near the airport, in a growing area and in a city that works hard to draw tourists. Irving officials are also happy–they will have something else to promote nearby and draw visitors to their hotels as well.

I’m anxious to see that Cowboys Stadium made of LEGOs!
Lego three (Small).jpg

BY JAMES S. TYREE Oklahoman
Published: June 9, 2010

NORMAN — Summer vacation has just started and Eric and Andrea Hanson’s three kids have already reached the ends of their rope.

That’s OK, they’ll just turn and walk another portion of Hey Day Family Fun Center’s ropes course, which is laid out 12 feet above the facility’s floor. “It’s the whole reason we’re here,” Andrea Hanson, of south Oklahoma City, said of the suspended ropes. “It’s awesome because it’s physical activity; I like that it requires some exercise.” Brian Burks, Hey Day’s entertainment and program manager, said the course is the first in Oklahoma at a for-profit facility and is patterned after a larger one used by the Tulsa School District. All participants are tethered to harnesses and there are courses with varying levels of difficulty, all for safety.

“It is a lot of fun but after you do it, you’ll feel like you’ve been working out,” Burks said. The ropes course and other attractions at Hey Day, off Indian Hills Road and Interstate 35 near the Moore-Norman border, offer just a few ideas for summer fun.
Read more…

Excerpt from The 2010 Laser Tag Convention Review by Eric Gaizat

On the show floor, the ILTA announced the winners of the 2010 Golden Phaser Awards. One of the show’s attendees, Robert Peppard with Combat Sports Laser Tag Park, New Jersey, won the award for best website (www.OutdoorLaserTag.com) and was able to receive his plaque at the show.

On Tuesday night, the ILTA had their first Convention Mixer on the third floor of Margaritaville in the Flamingo Hotel. Over 40 people joined in appetizers, drinks, and discussion of all things laser tag. A few ILTA Developer Members had commented that it was great to see a vast representation of the industry having a great time together.

The mixer event wasn’t all work though. Shane Zimmerman, Executive Director of the ILTA, presented Jarett Waite with the Golden Phaser Award for Operator of the Year. Scott Drummond with Party Center Software also turned 31 that night and everyone got to sing Happy Birthday while Scott wore a balloon hat in the shape of 31 (seen left).

The awards didn’t stop there. Before the show was done, Battlefield Sports also won an award from the RSA Trade Show for the best single booth! Congratulations to Elaine with BFS for representing the industry in style.

Is Your Leadership Showing
By: Beth Standlee, TrainerTainment

I believe that most people that read this newsletter are leaders, supervisors, owners, and influencers of some kind. We all influence or have some leadership roles with someone or ones in our lives. How are you showing up when it comes to leadership?

Whether you believe in scripture or not, Exodus provides great insight to the visual presence of leadership. Exodus 13:21 says that God lead his people out of Egypt with a cloud by day and fire by night. When I read this scripture it struck me that leadership has a real presence that others can see. It takes different shape depending on the situation.

In the fast paced world we live in, people move in and out of our businesses very quickly. Those that show themselves as leaders demand to be promoted. Our young leaders today have a confidence that they can get the job done, but may lack the wisdom of what leadership looks like. Oh wait, that can apply to mature leaders too!
I don’t know that I’m an expert in what leadership looks like but I have noticed that these 5 things inspire others to follow:

1. CARE: Great leaders show that they care. John Maxwell teaches Read more…

Jim Stinson • Staff writer • May 7, 2010
JFSTINSO@DemocratandChronicle.com

Amusement park operators don’t like being on roller coasters — the Roller Coaster of Upstate Weather and Recession’s Wild Ride.

But they are optimistic about 2010 and beyond, and they’re making the investments to prove it.

Darien Lake Theme Park Resort is spending at least $7 million on its water park, adding three major rides. On Thursday, about 100 workers continued plowing, painting, nailing and adding large glass fiber tubes for the new rides.

The theme park rides will open Saturday, with the newly christened “SplashTown” opening May 21 and the new water rides on May 28.

The region’s other major amusement and water parks, Seabreeze in Irondequoit and Roseland in Canandaigua, are set to open on May 22 and June 26, respectively. Operators of all three parks are hoping Read more…

Mini golf back in Biloxi
By MARY PEREZ – meperez@sunherald.com

BILOXI — Miniature golf is back on the Coast, nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the popular attraction.

Two 18-hole courses are open at Big Play Family Fun Center ahead of the May 20 grand opening. Live oak trees provide some shade and three water features add to the beach theme, along with a bridge, a smattering of fish sculptures, a pirate’s treasure chest and other tropical accessories.

Brandon Wooldridge operates the course for RW Development, his family’s business. He believes it is the first miniature golf attraction on the Coast since Katrina.

The course includes an indoor video arcade and a deck with picnic tables where customers have a view of the action while they eat hot dogs, pizza and snacks prepared in the kitchen. The 36 holes are set back from U.S. 90 near the corner of Beach Boulevard and Veterans Avenue and is one part of what RW Development plans to open in that area.

A new restaurant will open in June along U.S. 90 and adjacent to the golf course. Wooldridge said Biloxi Breeze Beach Club and Restaurant will be decorated in Caribbean colors and have 4,000 square feet of decks facing both the beach and the golf course.

The Biloxi Beach Snowball Company, whose design mimics the Coast Transit Authority trollies, also opened for the season Friday on the beach.

To the east, the punch list of work is being completed at RW Development’s South Beach Hotel and Suites.

“It will be opening this summer,” said Wooldridge.

The developers originally planned a casino and other entertainment in the area around Beach Boulevard and Veterans on the Biloxi Strip.

“We’d love to make it the center of Biloxi again,” said Wooldridge.

Wooldridge said the investment in the golf course was $750,000 and combined with the new restaurant will total $1.3 million.

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