Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:15:03 +0100

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort is the largest and most visited recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks; two water parks; 23 themed hotels; and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt Disney Company, it is located southwest of Orlando, Florida. The property is often abbreviated Walt Disney World, Disney World or WDW.

It opened on October 1, 1971, with the Magic Kingdom theme park, and has since added Epcot (on October 1, 1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (on May 1, 1989), and Disney's Animal Kingdom (on April 22, 1998).

History and development

Cinderella Castle, the icon of the Magic Kingdom

Spaceship Earth, the icon of Epcot

The Sorcerer's Hat, the icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios

In 1959, Walt Disney Productions, under the leadership of Walt Disney, began looking for land for a second park to supplement Disneyland, which had opened in Anaheim, California in 1955. Market surveys revealed that only 2% of Disneyland's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River, where 75% of the population of the United States lived. Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland and wanted control of a much larger area of land for the new project.

Walt Disney flew over the Orlando site (one of many) on November 22, 1963, the day of the Kennedy assassination. He previously flew over, and appealed to, the Sanford, Florida city council to allow him to build Disney World in Sanford, but his appeal was declined. The citizens of Sanford did not want the crime that was sure to come with tourism. He saw the well-developed network of roads, including the planned Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, and immediately fell in love with the site.^{[citation needed]} When later asked why he chose it, he said, "the freeway routes, they bisect here." Walt Disney focused most of his attention on the "Florida Project" where he purchased land for Disney World, both before and after his participation at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, but he died on December 15, 1966, and never saw his vision complete.

To avoid a burst of land speculation, Disney used various dummy corporations and cooperative individuals to acquire 27,400 acres (110 km², 43 mi²) of land. The first five-acre (20,000 m², 217400 ft²) lot was bought on October 23, 1964, by the Ayefour Corporation (a pun on Interstate 4). Others were also used with second or secret meanings which add to the lore of the Florida Project, including M.T. Lott Real Estate Investments ("empty lot").

In May 1965, major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. Two large tracts totaling $1.5 million were sold, and smaller tracts of flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotic-sounding companies such as the Latin-American Development and Management Corporation and the Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation. In addition to three huge parcels of land were many smaller parcels, referred to as "outs."

Much of the land had been platted into five-acre (20,000 m², 217400 ft²) lots in 1912 by the Munger Land Company and sold to investors. In most cases, the owners were happy to get rid of the land, which was mostly swamp. Yet another problem was the mineral rights to the land, owned by Tufts University. Without the transfer of these rights, Tufts could come in at any time and demand the removal of buildings to obtain minerals.

After most of the land had been bought, the truth of the property's owner was leaked to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper on October 20, 1965. A press conference soon was organized for November 15. At the presentation, Walt Disney explained the plans for the site, including EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which was to be a futuristic city (and which was also known as Progress City). Plans for EPCOT would drastically change after Disney's death. EPCOT became EPCOT Center, the resort's second theme park, which opened in 1982. Concepts from the original idea of EPCOT would be integrated into the community of Celebration much later.

The Reedy Creek Drainage District was incorporated on May 13, 1966 under Florida State Statutes Chapter 298, which gives powers including eminent domain to special Drainage Districts. To create the District, only the support of the landowners within was required.

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, before his vision was realized. His brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney , postponed his retirement to oversee construction of the resort's first phase. The Disney Company worked with Robert Hart, a New York architect and founder of Hart Howerton, an architecture firm that specializes in large-scale land use, to develop the initial master plans for the park. Hart had previously worked with John Carl Warnecke & Associates, which designed the John F. Kennedy memorial at Arlington National Cemetery

On February 2, 1967, Roy O. Disney held a press conference at the Park Theatres in Winter Park, Florida. The role of EPCOT was emphasized in the film that was played, the last one recorded by Walt Disney before his death. After the film, it was explained that for Walt Disney World to succeed, a special district would have to be formed: the Reedy Creek Improvement District with two cities inside it, the City of Bay Lake and the City of Reedy Creek (now the City of Lake Buena Vista). In addition to the standard powers of an incorporated city, which include the issuance of tax-free bonds, the district would have immunity from any current or future county or state land-use laws. The only areas where the district had to submit to the county and state would be property taxes and elevator inspections.

The legislation forming the district and the two cities was signed into law on May 12, 1967. The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that the district was allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds for public projects within the district despite the sole beneficiary being Walt Disney Productions.

The district soon began construction of drainage canals, and Disney built the first roads and the Magic Kingdom. Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground were also completed in time for the park's opening on October 1, 1971. The Palm and Magnolia golf courses near the Magic Kingdom had opened a few weeks before.

Roy O. Disney dedicated the property and declared that it would be known as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honor. In his own words: "Everyone has heard of Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford, who started it all? Walt Disney World is in memory of the man who started it all, so people will know his name as long as Walt Disney World is here." After the dedication, Roy Disney asked Walt's widow, Lillian, what she thought of Walt Disney World. According to biographer Bob Thomas, she responded, "I think Walt would have approved."

Roy O. Disney died on December 20, 1971, barely three months after the property opened.

Disney subsequently opened EPCOT Center in 1982, a theme park adapted from Walt Disney's vision for a "community of tomorrow". The park permanently adopted the name Epcot in 1996. In 1989, the resort added Disney-MGM Studios, a theme park inspired by show business, whose name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.

Meg Crofton was named president of the resort in August 2006, replacing Al Weiss, who had overseen the site since 1994.

Location

Despite marketing claims and popular misconceptions, the Florida resort is not located within the Orlando city limits, but is in its own cities: Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, about 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Orlando within southwestern Orange County, with the remainder in adjacent Osceola County. Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista are controlled by Disney through the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

The 25,000 acres (101 km²; 39 sq mi) site is accessible from Central Florida's Interstate 4 via Exits 62B (World Drive), 64B (US 192 West), 65B (Osceola Parkway West), 67B (SR 536 West), and 68 (SR 535 North), and Exit 8 on State Road 429 (Florida), the Western Expressway.

At its peak, the resort occupied approximately 30,000 acres (120 km²) or 47 square miles (120 km²), about the size of San Francisco, or twice the size of Manhattan. Portions of the property since have been sold or de-annexed, including land now occupied by the Disney-built community of Celebration. Attractions

Theme Parks

Walt Disney World Resort features four theme parks. Each park is represented by an iconic structure:

Magic Kingdom – Cinderella Castle
Epcot – Spaceship Earth
Disney's Hollywood Studios – The Sorcerer's Hat
Disney's Animal Kingdom – The Tree of Life

Water Parks

Other Attractions

Golf and recreation

Disney's property includes five golf courses. The four 18-hole golf courses are the Magnolia, the Palm, Lake Buena Vista and Osprey Ridge. There is also a nine-hole walking course called Oak Trail, designed for young golfers. Additionally, there are two themed miniature golf complexes, each with two courses, Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland.

Catch-and-release fishing excursions are offered daily on the resort's lakes. A Florida fishing license is not required because it occurs on private property. Cane-pole fishing is offered from the docks at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Disney's Port Orleans Resort.

Additional recreational activities inlcude watercraft rentals, surrey bike rentals, and firework cruises that launch from several resort marinas.

Resorts

On-site Disney Resorts

There are 32 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 23 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and Campground.

Deluxe Resorts

Moderate Resorts

Value Resorts

Cabins and Campgrounds

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Disney Vacation Club Resorts

Main article: Disney Vacation Club

Disney's Magical Express

Guests with a Disney Resort reservation arriving at Orlando International Airport can be transported to their Disney resort from the airport using the complimentary Disney's Magical Express service, and have their bags picked up and transported for them through a contract with BAGS Incorporated. Guests board custom motor coaches, watch a video about the Walt Disney World Resort, and their luggage is later delivered directly to their rooms.

On-site non-Disney hotels

Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel
Doubletree Guest Suite Resort
Regal Sun Resort
Hilton Orlando Resort
Holiday Inn in the Walt Disney World Resort
Royal Plaza
Shades of Green (owned and operated by the United States Department of Defense and used for vacationing active and retired military personnel, their families, and DOD civilians only)
Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa
Walt Disney World Dolphin (owned and operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide)
Walt Disney World Swan (owned and operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide)

Future resorts on Disney property

Four Seasons: On March 1, 2007 Disney announced plans to convert its Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge golf courses into a new 900-acre (3.6 km²) luxury resort that will include a Four Seasons hotel, an 18-hole championship golf course, and single- and multi-family vacation homes plus fractional ownership vacation homes.^[4] Construction delays have pushed the planned opening from 2010 to 2012.

Never-built Disney resorts

Former Disney resorts

The Golf Resort — Became The Disney Inn, and later became Shades of Green.
Disney's Village Resort — Became the Villas at Disney Institute and then Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. The "Tree House" Villas were permanently decommissioned because they were not accessible to disabled guests. Until early 2008, they were used for International Program Cast Member housing. In February 2008, Disney submitted plans to the South Florida Water Management District to replace the 60 existing villas with 60 new villas. The Treehouse Villas opened during the summer of 2009.

Executive Management

President, Walt Disney World Resort – Meg Crofton
Senior Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World Resort – Erin Wallace
Senior Vice President, Walt Disney World Resort — George Aguel
- Vice President, Magic Kingdom — Phil Holmes
- Vice President, Epcot — Dan Cockerell
- Vice President, Disney's Hollywood Studios – Rilous Carter
- Vice President, Disney's Animal Kingdom — Kevin Lansberry
- Vice President, Downtown Disney — Keith Bradford
- Vice President, Resort Operations — Kevin Myers
  - Resort General Managers
- Vice President, Disney Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney Water Parks — Reggie Williams
- Walt Disney World Transportation, Sports and Golf — Jim Vendur
- Vice President, Global Promotions, Disney Destinations LLC. – Greg Albrecht
  - Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Walt Disney World Resort — Shannon McAleavey
  - Vice President, Community Relations and Minority Business Development, Walt Disney World Resort — Eugene Campbell
  - Vice President Government Relations, Walt Disney World Resort — Bill Warren
  - Vice President Engineering, Walt Disney World Ressort — Trevor Larsen
  - Vice President, Animal Programs and Environmental Initiatives — Dr. Jackie Ogden

Miscellaneous Facts

Attendance

The May 2008 issue of trade magazine Park World reported the following attendance estimates for 2007 compiled by Economic Research Associates in partnership with TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association):

Magic Kingdom, 17 million visits (No. 1 worldwide)
Epcot, 10.9 million visits (No. 6)
Disney's Hollywood Studios, 9.51 million visits (No. 7)
Disney's Animal Kingdom, 9.49 million visits (No. 8)

Employment

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 "cast members". Today it employs more than 66,000, spending more than $1.2 billion on payroll and $474 million on benefits each year. The largest single-site employer in the United States , Walt Disney World Resort has more than 3,700 job classifications.

The resort also sponsors and operates the Walt Disney World College Program, an internship program that has American college students live on site and work for the resort, providing much of the theme park and resort "front line" cast members. There is also the Walt Disney World International College Program, an internship program that has college students from all over the world.

Maintenance

In a March 30, 2004, article in The Orlando Sentinel, then-Walt Disney World president Al Weiss gave some insight into how the parks are maintained:

More than 5,000 cast members are dedicated to maintenance and engineering, including 750 horticulturists and 600 painters.
Disney spends more than $100 million every year on maintenance at the Magic Kingdom. In 2003, $6 million was spent on renovating its Crystal Palace restaurant. 90% of guests say that the upkeep and cleanliness of the Magic Kingdom are excellent or very good.
The streets in the parks are steam cleaned every night.
There are cast members permanently assigned to painting the antique carousel horses; they use genuine gold leaf.
There is a tree farm on site so that when a mature tree needs to be replaced, a thirty-year-old tree will be available to replace it.

Transportation

A Disney bus, one of several transportation modes within the Walt Disney World Resort

A fleet of Disney-operated buses on property, branded Disney Transport, is available for guests at no charge. In 2007, Disney Transport started a guest services upgrade to the buses. SatellGPS systems controlling new public address systems on the buses give safety information, park tips and other general announcements, with music. They are not to be confused with the Disney Cruise Line and Disney's Magical Express buses which are operated by Mears Transportation. Taxi boats link some locations.

The Walt Disney World Monorail System also provides transportation at Walt Disney World. A fleet of 12 monorail trains operates on three routes that interconnect at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) adjacent to the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. One line provides an express non-stop link from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom, whilst a second line provides a link from the TTC to Epcot. The third line links the TTC and the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts.

Name and logo

During the resort's early planning stages, Walt Disney referred to the project as Project X, The Florida Project, Disney World, and The Disney World. Early visual references used the same medieval font as Disneyland. Walt Disney was very involved in the site selection and project planning in the years before his death. The secretive names were chosen because of the high confidentiality of the project during the initial planning.

After Walt Disney's death, Roy O. Disney added the name Walt to Disney World as a permanent tribute to his brother. The resort's original logo was an oversized "D" with a Mickey Mouse-shaped globe containing latitude and longitude lines, with the property's name presented in a modern, sans-serif font.

Walt Disney World Resort retired its original font and symbol during its 25th anniversary celebration in 1996–97. The old "D" symbol still can be found in many places, however, including the front car of each monorail, manhole covers, select merchandise items and flags flown at several sites across the property.

Development timeline

1965

Walt Disney announces Florida Project

1967

Construction begins

1971

Magic Kingdom
Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Polynesian Resort
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

1972

Disney's Village Resort

1973

Disney's Golf Resort

1974

Discovery Island

1975

Disney's Village Resort
Walt Disney Village Marketplace

1976

Disney's River Country

1980

Walt Disney World Conference Center
Disney's Village Resort — Club Lake Villas

1982

Epcot

1988

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

1989

Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Pleasure Island

1990

Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts
Walt Disney World Swan
Walt Disney World Dolphin

1991

Disney's Port Orleans Resort
Disney Vacation Club
Disney's Old Key West Resort

1992

Disney's Dixie Landings Resort
Bonnet Creek Golf Club

1994

Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge

1995

Disney's All-Star Music Resort
Disney's Blizzard Beach
Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding Pavilion
Walt Disney World Speedway

1996

Disney Institute
Disney's BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas

1997

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex

Tivoli Gardens, Denmark

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:01:02 +0100

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tivoli Gardens


Location	Copenhagen, Denmark
Website	Tivoli.dk
Owner	Tivoli A/S
Opened	1843
Area	82,717 m²
Rides	25 total

Tivoli, Summer 2000

Harlekin and Columbine at The Pantomime Theatre

Tivoli (in English also called Tivoli Gardens) is a famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and is, with the exception of Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, the oldest amusement park in the world.

Tivoli is currently the most visited theme park in Scandinavia and the 3rd most visited in Europe.

History

The amusement park was first called "Tivoli & Vauxhall"; "Tivoli" alluding to the Jardin de Tivoli in Paris (which in its turn had been named from Tivoli near Rome), and "Vauxhall" alluding to the Vauxhall Gardens in London.

Tivoli's founder, Georg Carstensen (b. 1812 - d. 1857), obtained a five-year charter to create Tivoli by telling King Christian VIII that "when the people are amusing themselves, they do not think about politics". The monarch granted Carstensen use of roughly 15 acres (61,000 m²) of the fortified glacis outside Vesterport (the West Gate) at the annual rent of 945 kroner. Therefore, until the 1850s, Tivoli was outside the city, accessible through Vesterport.

From the very start, Tivoli included a variety of attractions: buildings in the exotic style of an imaginary Orient: a theatre, band stands, restaurants and cafés, flower gardens, and mechanical amusement rides such as a merry-go-round and a primitive scenic railway. After dark, coloured lamps illuminated the gardens. On certain evenings, specially designed fireworks could be seen reflected in Tivoli's lake.

Composer Hans Christian Lumbye (b. 1810 - d. 1874) was Tivoli's musical director from 1843 to 1872. Lumbye was inspired by Viennese waltz composers like the Strauss family (Johann Strauss I and his sons), and became known as the "Strauss of the North." Many of his compositions are specifically inspired by the gardens, including "Salute to the Ticket Holders of Tivoli", "Carnival Joys" and "A Festive Night at Tivoli". The Tivoli Symphony Orchestra still performs many of his works.

In 1874, Chinese style Pantomimeteatret (The Pantomime Theatre) took the place of an older smaller theater. The audience stands in the open, the stage being inside the building. The theatre's "curtain" is a mechanical peacock's tail. From the very beginning, the Theater was the home of Italian pantomimes, introduced in Denmark by the Italian Giuseppe Casorti. This tradition, which is dependent on the Italian Commedia dell'Arte has been kept alive, including the characters Cassander (the old father), Columbine (his beautiful daughter), Harlequin (her lover), and, especially popular with the youngest spectators, the stupid servant Pierrot. The absence of spoken dialogue is an advantage, as Tivoli is now an international tourist attraction.

In 1943, Nazi sympathisers attempted to break the Danish people's spirit by burning many of Tivoli's buildings, including the concert hall, to the ground. Undaunted, the Danes built temporary buildings, and the park was back in operation after a few weeks.

Tivoli is always evolving without abandoning its original charm or traditions. As Georg Carstensen said in 1844, "Tivoli will never, so to speak, be finished," a sentiment echoed just over a century later when Walt Disney said of his own Tivoli-inspired theme park, "Disneyland will never be finished as long as there is imagination left in the world." Walt Disney during a trip overseas with his wife Lilly visited Tivoli Gardens. Walt was so impressed with the Danish amusement park, he immediately decided Disneyland should try to emulate its "happy and unbuttoned air of relaxed fun."

Rides

Dragon Boat lake and Dæmonen rollercoaster

The park is best known for its wooden roller coaster, Rutsjebanen or as some people call it Bjerg Banen (Mountain Track), built in 1914 in Malmö, Sweden. It is one of world's oldest wooden roller coasters that is still operating today. An operator controls the ride by braking down the hills so it won't gain too much speed. It is an ACE Coaster Classic.

Dæmonen, The Demon, features an Immelmann loop, a loop, and a Zero-G roll all during the ride time of just one minute and forty six seconds. The old roller coaster, Slangen, was removed to have enough space for The Demon. The roller coaster is situated next to the concert hall.

The world's tallest carousel, Himmelskibet, opened in Tivoli in 2006. Eighty meters high and built by the Austrian company Funtime, it offers panoramic views of the city.

On May 1 2009 Tivoli opened the new thrill ride "Vertigo".

Performing arts

Besides the rides, Tivoli Gardens also serve as a venue for various performing arts and as a active part of the cultural scene in Copenhagen.

Tivoli Concert Hall

Tivoli Concert Hall is a classical concert hall featuring concerts with some of the largest names in international classical music. It was built in 1956 by Hans Hansen and sits 1660 people. In 2005 the concert hall saw a major renovation and extension by 3XN where the classical 50's style of the main auditorium - including a characteristic colour scheme of red, blue, yellow and green colours - was restored while visitor facilities were upgraded and expanded. These include a new gardenside foyer with a two-story bar and lounge and Europe's longest saltwater aquarium in the basement.

The Pantomime Theatre

Main article: Pantomimeteatret

The pantomime theatre is an open-air theatre designed by Vilhelm Dahlerup, also known for the design of the Royal Danish Theatre. It is a toy-like historicist built in Chinese style and noted for its mechanical front curtain that takes five men to operate and unfolds like a peacock's tail. As indicated by the name, it is primarily a scene for pantomime theatre in the classical Italian commedia dell'arte tradition, which is performed daily with a live pit orchestra. Besides this original function, the theatre leads a second life as a venue for ballet and modern dance.

The Tivoli Guard

The Tivoli Guard is a music ensemble of boys aged 8-16 dressed in uniforms reminiscent of those of the Royal Danish Guard complete with bearskins. It was founded in 1844 and gives concerts, makes parades, stands guard at the garden's buildings and monuments at special occasions and represents the gardens at various events.

Live music

During the warmer summer months, Tivoli also features a live music series dubbed Fredagsrock (Friday Rock), which in the past has featured the Smashing Pumpkins, Sting, the Beach Boys, Pet Shop Boys and Danish groups such as TV-2, Nephew, Hanne Boel, Raveonettes and Thomas Helmig.

During Copenhagen Jazz Festival Tivoli Gardens is one of the many Copenhagen localities that serves as a venue for concerts.

Gallery

The H.C. Andersen castle

A view of the illuminated gardens on a December night

The Pantomime Theatre

The Glass Hall

Aerial photography, taken from Eduard Spelterini's balloon on June 22, 1922

Canada's Wonderland, Ontario

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:48:50 +0100

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Canada's Wonderland


Location	Vaughan, Ontario, Canada,
Website	canadaswonderland.com
Owner	Cedar Fair Entertainment Company
Opened	May 23, 1981
Previous names	Paramount Canada's Wonderland
Operating season	May through October
Area	330 acres (1.3 km²)
Rides	48 thrill rides & 200 attractions total 15 roller coasters 20 Acre (81,000 m²) Waterpark – Waterpark, Outdoor Wavepool, 16 Water Slides water rides
Slogan	Where Else?

Canada's Wonderland is a 330-acre (1.3 km²) theme park in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada and is located within the Greater Toronto Area. The park is open seasonally from May to October and contains more than 200 attractions. It opened in 1981 and was Canada's first major theme park. The park, when under the ownership of Paramount Parks from 1994 to 2006 was known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland. When sold to Cedar Fair in 2007, the park reverted to its original name. It was designed by Landscape Architects Richard Strong and Associates and structurally engineered by O.T. Baggio and Associates Professional Engineers. The park was the most attended seasonal theme park in North America two years in a row (2005 and 2006). In 2006, attendance was just over 3.2 million. Notably, with 15 roller coasters the park, holds the record for the most roller coasters in one park outside of the United States.

Park history

Origins

In 1972, the Taft Broadcasting Company first proposed building a 1.5-square-kilometre (370-acre) theme park in the small village of Maple, part of Vaughan, Ontario. Several other possible locations were considered, including Niagara Falls, Ontario, Cambridge, Ontario and Milton, Ontario, but the site in Maple was finally selected, because of its proximity to the City of Toronto and the 400-series of highways.

Other companies had seriously considered the Greater Toronto Area as a spot to build a theme park, including the Conklin family (whose Conklin Shows ran various midways around North America, including Toronto's CNE midway) and Walt Disney, who considered the area before his expansion plans in Florida. He eventually decided that the area would not make a suitable park site, mainly because the climate was too cold, thus the operating season would be too short to be sustainable.

The falls at Wonder Mountain, the centrepiece of the park. The boarded up entrance to what used to be the walkway behind the falls can be seen.

Construction of the park was opposed on multiple fronts. Many cultural institutions in Toronto such as Ontario Place, the Royal Ontario Museum and the operators of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) felt that the new theme park would put them out of business because the Toronto market was not large enough to support more competition. Other groups that fought the building of Wonderland included a Vaughan residential association (called 'SAVE') who felt the increased traffic would reduce property values. Some of the concessions from the company included a landscaped berm around the park to reduce noise and the appearance of the large parking lot. Taft was concerned about opposition, going as far as to fly a group of opponents and regional councillors out to Cincinnati to show residents and town councillors the positive impact of one of their theme parks within the local community. People in the region were concerned that the new park would be similar in aesthetics to a carnival or midway.

Canada's Wonderland was also responsible for changing the master development plan for the Province of Ontario. The government wanted to increase residential and commercial development to the east of Toronto in the Regional Municipality of Durham, which includes Pickering and Oshawa, while having the lands to the north of Toronto remain agricultural (see Greenbelt (Golden Horseshoe)). Wonderland was able to convince the province to amend the planning policy for the region, and the park secured infrastructure improvements (including a highway overpass and sewage systems) to be expanded and built out to the site. These improvements paved the way for increased development throughout the region.

Concerns were also raised about the cultural implications of allowing an American theme park to open in Canada. Many felt that it would be a "Trojan Horse" for American culture. To offset the criticism, Taft planned to open Frontier Canada, a part of the park devoted to Canada's history. Early park maps show the area encompassing what is now Splash Works, White Water Canyon, the F/X Theatre and the southern part of Kidzville, as well as proposed attractions, including a steam passenger train. While Frontier Canada was never built, several elemental themes remain in the area. Unlike its sister parks, Kings Island and Kings Dominion, it was decided during the early planning stages that centrepiece of the park would not be a replica of Paris's famous Eiffel Tower. Instead the park's designers chose to build a massive mountain, known as Wonder Mountain. Situated at the top of International Street, Wonder Mountain featured a huge waterfall and interior pathways which led visitors to a look-out point. Other elements which were never built include a hotel and conference centre (to have been built north of the park).

Construction and opening

On June 13, 1979, Ontario Premier William Davis depressed the plunger on an electronic detonating device, triggering an explosion on the site. Construction on Canada's Wonderland began immediately and continued through to early 1981. Canadian companies partnered on the preliminary design and engineering of the project and helped to mould the dream into a reality.

Two years later, on May 23, 1981, Canada's Wonderland was officially opened to the public by Davis and Taft Broadcasting President Dudley Taft. The park's cost was 120 million dollars.The spectacular opening ceremony included 10,000 helium balloons, 13 parachutists, 350 white doves, and a pipe band. Four children representing the Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, and Great Lakes regions of Canada each poured a vial of water from their home regions into the park's spectacular fountain. Hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky also appeared as a special guest, helping to raise the Canadian flag. 12,000 guests were welcomed into the park for the first time.

1980s-1990s

Flight Deck (formerly Top Gun) in action (2006).

Kings Entertainment Corporation operated this park during the 1980s and early 1990s. The park's former connection to Hanna-Barbera productions was reduced after Paramount Pictures purchased the park. At that point the park was renamed Paramount Canada's Wonderland. After Viacom bought Paramount in 1994, a successful attempt was made to bring families back to the park by providing children with Nickelodeon cartoon characters that were familiar to a new generation. While the Nickelodeon channel (part of Viacom's MTV Networks) is not available in Canada, many of the network's shows air on YTV, making this decision logical. YTV had previously been involved in numerous projects at the park, including the 1992 direct-to-video Festival of Friends concert, raising money for Kids Help Phone.

In 1983, Fraggle Rock shot a live action scene (with the Uncle Traveling Matt character) on one of the roller coasters. It was featured in the episode "The Thirty-Minute Work Week" from season 1.

2000s

In 2005 the park introduced Fearfest, a Halloween event featuring various haunted house attractions in differently-themed areas of the park. Though the section of the park for smaller children was closed off, the park continued running many of their thrill rides during the event such as the Thunder Run ride, where patrons ride a mine-car-like train through a mountain. During the Halloween season it is re-themed as the 'Haunted' Thunder Run, and patrons ride through a darker tunnel with more strobe lights, fog machines, and black light lit scenes featuring the skeletons of miners that might have died in the mine.

In 2006, the park introduced Spooktacular, a Halloween event geared towards children. The event included children's rides, costume contests and a treasure hunt. Spooktacular was open on weekends during the daytime, while Fearfest remained open at night. Due to very low attendance, Spooktacular only lasted one season.

On 14 May 2006, it was announced that Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. was interested in acquiring the five Paramount theme parks, including Canada's Wonderland. The acquisition was completed on 30 June 2 As a result, in early January 2007, Cedar Fair began to drop the "Paramount" name from all of their former Paramount parks, and the park is currently referred to once again by its original name, "Canada's Wonderland". The 2007 season marked a transition year of removing "all things Paramount" throughout the park, which includes the renaming of some of the rides. By the start of the 2008 season, the Paramount logo and similar references were removed.

In June 2007, an accident involving a thirteen-year-old girl at a theme park in Kentucky on a ride similar to the Drop Zone at Canada's Wonderland caused Cedar Fair to close all five similar rides in its theme parks. Drop Zone at Canada's Wonderland was reopened in July 2007.

In August 2007, Cedar Fair announced that Fearfest would be renamed Halloween Haunt to remain consistent with other Cedar Fair parks. At this time Cedar Fair also announced that Spooktacular would be discontinued. In place of Spooktacular, the park extended its regular operating season until the last weekend in October. Thus, the park is open to the public during the day, and Halloween Haunt runs in the late evenings on October weekends.

In the off-season of 2008-2009, Flashpoint shot an episode there for "The Perfect Family" episode, which aired on April 10, 2009 and in the Episode, it was shown as Northern Dream Park.

The park also announced its addition for 2008, a new hypercoaster called Behemoth, which is currently the largest roller coaster in Canada (reaching three feet taller than the Drop Tower), and was built in time for the May 4, 2008 openin In addition, Cedar Fair reactivated the very top two waterfalls, which had been inactive for a long time.

Themed areas

The park has several themed areas. The four original sections are, International Street, Medieval Faire, Grande World Exposition of 1890 (now Action Zone), and the Happyland of Hanna-Barbera (renamed to Hanna-Barbera Land) Later areas include White Water Canyon (1984), Splash Works (1992), and the expanded children's area including Nickelodeon Central (2003), Kidzville (1998), and Zoom Zoom (2001).

Flight Deck, which opened in 1995 as the "Top Gun" (based on the movie Top Gun) with a movie theme was a shift in the design of the park as it was the first ride to no longer be themed to match the "land" in which it was situated. Since then, almost all new rides have not been themed to be connected to the areas.

International Street, as it leads from the entrance of the park towards Wonder Mountain.

International Street

International Street is the park's main street area, which greets guests when they enter the park. Both sides of the street are lined with shops, including park-related souvenir shops, clothing stores, restaurants, and candy stores. At the end of International Street is Wonderland's centrepiece mountain, Wonder Mountain. While today International Street is filled entirely with chain fast food restaurants and general souvenir stores, it originally had stores and food representing Latin American, Scandinavian, Mediterranean and Alpine (often called Central Europe today) countries, hence the "international" in its name.

Sister Paramount parks of Kings Island and Kings Dominion also have an International Street.

Medieval Faire

The Medieval Faire section of the park includes a medieval Europe feel to it, in both environment and names of rides. However, it has diminished in recent years due to the advent of un-themed new rides, Riptide, Drop Tower, Shockwave, Speed City Raceway, and The Bat. Quixote's Kettles, a spinning buckets ride, was renamed to Spinovator in 1998 and its brown wooden buckets with twine handles were painted bright pastel colours and had the handles removed. The other original rides which are part of the medieval theme are Dragon Fire, The Rage (a swinging Viking ship, originally called Viking's Rage), and Wild Beast. The stores and restaurants follow the medieval theme as does the castle theatre (Wonderland Theatre, originally Canterbury Theatre) and a pirates show in the middle of the lake. Rides Wild Beast and Dragon Fire also had pseudo Old English names, Wilde Beast and Dragon Fyre before 1998.

Australia's Wonderland, which opened in 1985, was modeled heavily around Canada's Wonderland, as both parks were constructed by Taft Broadcasting. Two of the three themed areas at Australia's Wonderland were Medieval Faire, and Hanna-Barbera Land, and had a layout similar to Wonderland.

International Festival

International Festival is located on the north east section of the park and is home to 14 games and 6 rides in the area.Rides include Thunder Run, The Fly, Vortex, Klockwerks, and Krachenwagen. International Festival is most notable for their midway games. Depending on their respective department, Canada's Wonderland staff often refer to this area under different names, including Alpen Games (or also Alpenfest, or just simply Alpen), or simply as Mountain, due to its proximity to Wonder Mountain. The original rides of Krachenwagen and Klockwerks with its pseudo-German name, and the former ride of Bayern's Curve which featured a fake man in traditional German dress with a massive horn with German fencing around it, fit into its international theme.

White Water Canyon

This section of the park is heavily treed area and includes White Water Canyon, Timberwolf Falls, and Action Theatre, as well as Launch Pad, a set of six trampolines, which is a pay-per-experience attraction. This area was introduced in 1984 when the White Water Canyon ride debuted, it is where the "Frontier Canada" themed area had been promised (along with Splash Works). For operational purposes, these rides are considered part of the Mountain operational group.

Splash Works

Main article: Splash Works

Opened in 1992, Splash Works is a 20-acre (81,000 m²) water park located within the park boundaries of the park. Splash Works is home to "Whitewater Bay", the largest outdoor wave pool in Canada, and is today home to 16 waterslidesAction Zone

This area was formerly called the "Grande World Exposition of 1890" and was made to resemble an old world fair, which has expos ("expositions") from different countries all over the world, with specifically, the park focusing on African and Asian themes. The original rides which fit into the theme are its Antique Carrousel, and Swings of the Century (originally Swings of Siam), in addition to the arcades/laser zone. The restaurants and bathrooms formally had the exposition theme, as well as The Orbiter, which was called Sol Loco and had a Latin American theme. For instance, one of the restaurants was called "Ginza Gardens" (now "The Backlot Cafe") and had a Japanese theme, which explains the former Japanese façade. In addition the former rides of The Great Whale of China and The Fury (originally Shiva's Fury) fit into the theme as well. The newer rides of Backlot Stunt Coaster, Jet Scream, Time Warp, SkyRider, Flight Deck, Psyclone, Sledge Hammer, Xtreme Skyflyer do not. Despite the name change, signage at the entrance from International Street still maintains the old name, and this area continues to be referred to as either Expo or Expo/Action Zone by staff members.

The Grande World Exposition of 1890 is one of the original four themed areas at Wonderland. In 2002, Action Zone, was created as a new themed area within the Grande World Exposition of 1890 (for area of the new rides Psyclone and Sledgehammer). However, in 2008, the entire area was renamed "Action Zone." At sister park Kings Island, Paramount renamed their "Wild Animal Habitat" themed area (which became Adventure Village in 1994), "Action Zone" in 1999.

The Mighty Canadian Minebuster roller coaster, built for the opening park, is on the outskirts of the Grande World Exposition of 1890 and was originally intended to be the centrepiece of the never-built Frontier Canada section of the park.

Children's areas

Main article: Children's attractions at Canada's Wonderland

The children's areas in Canada's Wonderland all began as The Happyland of Hanna-Barbera. The three areas were themed as Yogi's Woods, Scoobyville, and Bedrock; the first changed into Smurf Village in 1984. In 1993, the Smurf area transitioned to Kids Kingdom, which became Kidzville in 1998. In 2003, Bedrock became Nickelodeon Central, featuring Rugrats, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, The Wild Thornberrys, and Dora the Explorer themed rides, leaving only Scoobyville and the swan ride as-is. Planet Snoopy replaces both sections for the 2010 season, standardizing the park with the rest of the Cedar Fair chain.

Planet Snoopy

Kidzville

In 1984, "Smurf Village" replaced Yogi's Woods; a themed area of Hanna-Barbera Land. The section featured the newly popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Smurfs and was a walk-through attraction. For the 1993 season, the Smurf Village section became "Kids Kingdom." The year 1998 saw the Kidzville (styled as KidZville) area replace the Kids Kingdom. While the two Kids Kingdom rides were kept, Kidzville also introduced Taxi Jam, Flavourator, Chopper Chase, Toucan Sam maze, and Swing Time (which removed Snail Trail). Today, it also has the rides, Frequent Flyers, Jokey's Jalopies, and Kidzville Station.

A fourth themed area is Zoom Zone. Quite small, it is part of Kidzville. Created in 2001 with the debut of Silver Streak, it also contains the small rides of Blast Off, and Jumpin' Jet. One of the Kidzville rides, and originally a Kids Kingdom ride, Jumbo Bumps, was removed to make way for these three rides and new section. Starting in 2004, the Zoom Zone was no longer printed on the park maps as an independent section, however since Cedar Fair's takeover each of the three rides mentions it is in Zoom Zone, and park signage continues to indicate the name.

For operational purposes, Kidzville, Nickelodeon Central, and Hanna-Barbera Land are all considered to be one operational area, known internally by staff members as "H.B.", for Hanna-Barbera.

Sister Paramount Parks of Kings Dominion, and California's Great America both have a Kidzville. Both created Kidzville by replacing Hanna-Barbera themed areas. Kings Dominion replaced their Hanna-Barbera Land in 1997, and Great America replaced their "Smurf Woods" themed area in 1999.

Attractions

Today, Canada's Wonderland has over 200 attractions, including over 60 thrill rides. The park is tied for second place for the record of most roller coasters in one park with 15 in total, and North America's greatest variety. The park features eight themed areas on 330 acres (1.3 km²) of land which includes a 20 acres (81,000 m²) waterpark called Splash Works. Splash Works has over 2 million gallons (7,570 m³) of heated water, Canada's largest outdoor wave pool measuring 36,000 square feet (3,300 m²), a lazy river, and 16 water slides.

In 1983, Canada's Wonderland added the Kingswood Music Theatre, a 15,000 seat amphitheatre that hosted many "big-name" concerts. After the Molson Amphitheatre opened on the grounds of Ontario Place in 1995, cultural festivals at the theatre became more prominent. Splash Works is featured in the southwest quadrant; an artificial mountain forms the park's central feature.

Roller coasters

Main article: List of roller coasters at Canada's Wonderland

Name	Type	Opening date
Backlot Stunt Coaster	Steel launched roller coaster	2005 on May 1
The Bat	Steel Shuttle roller coaster Boomerang	1987
Behemoth	Steel hypercoaster	2008 on May 4
Dragon Fire	Steel roller coaster	1981
Flight Deck	Steel inverted roller coaster Suspended Looping Coaster	1995
The Fly	Steel Wild Mouse	1999 on May 2
Mighty Canadian Minebuster	Wooden roller coaster	1981
SkyRider	Steel stand-up roller coaster	1985
'Thunder Run	Steel powered coaster	1981 on May 23
Time Warp	Steel flying roller coaster	2004
Vortex	Steel suspended roller coaster	1991
Wild Beast	Wooden roller coaster	1981
Children-oriented roller coasters
Scooby's Gasping Ghoster Coaster Often simply: Ghoster Coaster	Wooden roller coaster	1981
Silver Streak	Steel inverted roller coaster	2001 on May 6
Taxi Jam	Children's steel roller coaster	1998

Flat rides

Main article: List of flat rides at Canada's Wonderland

Swings of the Century (originally Swings of Siam), was built for the opening of the park in 1981 (2007).

Besides the large number of roller coasters it has, it also has a huge variety of flat rides, such as bumper cars, carousels, many of these relying on centripetal force, and other funfair rides, such as:

Psyclone - A Revolution, swinging and spinning reaching heights of over 120 feet (37 m)
Shockwave - A Top Scan that twist and turns on every possible axis.
Riptide - A Splashover with twin gondolas that flip and go around in the air. Riders will become wet during the summer.* Jet Scream - A looping starship type of ride
Antique Carousel A classic carousel loacted in Action Zone
Orbiter AnEnterprise rotates around one axle, which eventually turns to almost 90°
Spinovator A Tea Cups Ride
The Rage A standard Pirate Boat
Klockwerks - A Swingaround
Sledgehammer - An Octopus ride that spins riders on two axes and blasts you up and down.
Action Theatre - Motion based seating ride in two large theatres featuring Sponge Bob Squarepants in 3D)
Drop Tower: Scream Zone - A vertical Drop Tower tower-like ride that begins by slowly taking its passengers up the towards the peak of the tower and then immediately drops the passenger down until he/she reaches the ground.

Major attractions by year

The Jet Scream "looping starship" ride (2003).

Psyclone (2005), built for the 2002 season.

1981 - Park Opens with:

Antique Carousel, Balloon Race (Frequent Flyers), Bayern's Curve (R), Bedrock Dock (R) moved to Carowinds, now operates as "Little Bill's Cruisers",Dragon Fire, Flintstone's Flyboys (R), Ghoster Coaster, Great Whale of China (R), Happy Landing (Swan Lake), Hot Rock Raceway (R), Klockwerks, Krachenwagen, Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Wild Beast, Spinovator, Kidzville Station, The Fury (R), Orbiter, Swings of the Century, Nightmares, & The Rage)

1982 - Kings Courtyard (The Courtyard)

1983 - Kingswood Music Theatre

1984 - White Water Canyon, Smurf Forest (until 1990s) (R)

1985 - SkyRider

1986 - Thunder Run

1987 - The Bat

1989 - Timberwolf Falls

1990 - Jet Scream

1991 - Vortex

1992 - Splash Works: Whirl Winds, Body Blast, Splash Island Kiddy Slides

1993 - Kid's Kingdom play area (later renovated and renamed Candy Factory)

1994 - Days of Thunder - Motion Simulator Movie Ride (Action Theatre - Currently Playing SpongeBob SquarePants 3D)

1995 - Top Gun (later renamed Flight Deck)

1996 - Xtreme Skyflyer; Splash Works Expansion: Wave Pool, The Pump House, Black Speed City Raceway

1998 - Kidzville, James Bond - License To Thrill (feature at Action Theatre (R)), The Edge Climbing Wall (R)

1999 - The Fly; SplashWorks Expansion: Super Soaker and The Plunge; Escape from Dino Island (feature at Action Theatre (R))

2000 - Riptide, Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion

2001 - Shockwave; Zoom Zone (new kids area) including: Silver Streak, Blast Off and Jumping Jet; 7th Portal (feature at the Action Theatre (R))

2002 - Psyclone; SplashWorks Expansion: Riptide Racer, Barracuda Blaster and Kids Sprayground

2003 - Sledge Hammer, Nickelodeon Central (replacing Bedrock), "Warrior of the Dawn" (in Action Theatre) (R), "Spongebob Squarepants 3-D" (feature in Action Theatre), Launch Pad (trampolines; requires separate fee)

2004 - Time Warp

2005 - Backlot Stunt Coaster

2006 - Paramount's Hollywood Stunt Spectacular (R), The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbara (feature at the Action Theatre (R), Nickelodeon Celebration Parade (R)

2007 - Coasters 50s Diner, International Marketplace Buffet, "Twistin to the 60s" show (R), "Endless Summer on Ice" show, Picnic Pavilion

2008 - Behemoth, "Dance to the Music" show (R)

2009 - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" show, "Marty's Party" Show

2010 - "Snoopy On Ice" show, Planet Snoopy

Current name in (brackets); R= Removed/Closed

Location

Canada's Wonderland is on the east side of Highway 400 between Rutherford Road (Exit 33) and Major Mackenzie Drive (Exit 35), 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Highway 401, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Highway 407 and 64 kilometres (40 mi) south of Barrie. It is bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Jane Street to the east, Major Mackenzie Drive to the north and Rutherford Road to the south. Formerly quite isolated, it is now surrounded by housing on all sides. It has three public entrances and one entrance designated for staff, deliveries and buses.

Public transportation

Regular transit access is provided by York Region Transit (YRT), while GO Transit, Brampton Transit, and Mississauga Transit all run special services. The bus loop at Wonderland is located near the northeast corner of the park, and is accessible from the service entrance on Jane Street, North of Major Mackenzie Drive. Transportation to the park to the Wonderland Terminal is available from the following of the regional transit organizations:

Toronto Transit Commission on behalf of York Region Transit: Toronto - Route 165 Weston Road North to York Mills Station via Wilson Station.
Mississauga Transit- Route 288, express, non-stop trip to/from Canada's Wonderland, starting/ending at Mississauga's Square One.
York Region Transit: Route 20 Jane-Concord provides service along the Jane Street corridor from York University to Teston Road. YRT Route 87 Langstaff-Maple and Route 4/4A Major Mackenzie serve the park from nearby stops on Jane Street or Major Mackenzie Drive.
GO Transit: Wonderland GO Bus Service from York Mills Bus Terminal and Yorkdale Bus Terminal.
Brampton Transit: Route 66 from Bramalea City Centre.

York Region Transit has, in the past, run express Wonderbus services from Newmarket and Markham. These servi

Six Flags Magic Mountain, California

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:31:57 +0100

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Magic Mountain from Interstate 5
Location	Valencia, California
Website	www.sixflags.com/magicMountain
Owner	Six Flags
General Manager	Tim Burkhart
Opened	May 29, 1971
Previous names	Magic Mountain - 1971 to 1979
Operating season	Year-round
Area	260 acres (1.1 km²) (1.0 km²)
Rides	52 total 16 roller coasters 5 water rides

Six Flags Magic Mountain is an amusement park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 29, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title.

History

The early years (1969-1975)

In 1969 the Newhall Land and Farm Company formulated the idea to create a more thrilling alternative to the Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm amusement parks. The company selected Valencia as its location, and construction began that year. The park was the result of a joint venture between SeaWorld and NLFC and cost approximately 20 million dollars to build. When the park opened on May 29, 1971, there were 500 employees and 33 attractions, many of which were designed and built by Arrow Development Co. which designed and built many of the original attractions at Disneyland. The admission price in 1971 was $5 for adults, and $3.50 for children between the ages of 3 and 12.

Aerial view of Magic Mountain, August 2007. Colossus, Goliath, Gold Rusher, Superman The Escape, and Scream! are on the left, Riddler's Revenge and Batman: The Ride on the bottom, Deja Vu on the lower right, Tatsu and Revolution at center right, Viper and X (now X2) at top right.

At its 1971 opening, the rides included Goldrusher, a steel coaster, the Log Jammer log flume, the Sky Tower observation tower, Grand Prix (similar to Disneyland's Autopia ride), El Bumpo, Funicular, The Metro (a monorail ride that encircled the park), "Eagles Flight" Skyride, a Carousel, and other smaller rides. The Showcase Theater (now known as the Golden Bear Theater), was part of the original park and featured Barbra Streisand as the first of many headline performers who would appear at Magic Mountain over the years.

In the 1971 season, Magic Mountain obtained permission from Warner Bros. to use the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. However, the park did not begin using these characters for nearly ten years. Instead, in 1972, they began using trolls as the park mascots. The trolls King Blop, also known as King Troll, Bleep, Bloop, and the Wizard became recognizable symbols of Magic Mountain. All King Productions, a contractor, provided the entertainers wearing the costumes until December 31, 1972, when Magic Mountain took on that role. The characters were used until 1985. Also in 1972, a second log flume named Jet Stream was added.

In 1973 the park added its second roller coaster, the Mountain Express, a compact wild mouse roller coaster. It had small cars and several tight, fast turns. In 1974 the park also installed a new complex of spinning Tilt-A-Whirl rides in what would later be known as Back Street. The new additions consisted of the Himalaya, Electric Rainbow, and Tumble Drum. In 1975, the Grand Centennial Railway opened in the Back Street. It took riders on a train journey to Spillikin Corners and back.

Roller Coaster Revolution (1976-1987)

With the opening of the Great American Revolution in 1976, Magic Mountain became the first park in the world with a 360-degree steel looping coaster. When it was built, there was very little in the way of surrounding brush. Now, the tracks are surrounded by trees and bushes, which prevents the riders from knowing the track layout beforehand. Universal then filmed a major movie at Magic Mountain with the Revolution as its centerpiece called Rollercoaster in 1977.

In 1978 Colossus, at the time the fastest, largest dual-tracked wooden coaster, had opened. Following its first season, it was closed and extensively redone. When it reopened, it was a much smoother ride. In 1991, the camel hump before the last, or third, turn was replaced by a block brake. Though it decreased the speed of the ride after this particular brake, it did allow three trains to run per side at a time, greatly increasing capacity. One of the trains sometimes ran backwards for a few years in the mid-80s. However, until the late 1990s this kind of ride was no longer possible due to the newer ride system in place, as well as different trains. During Fright Fest, the park runs one side backwards using a set of trains acquired from the now demolished Psyclone.

In 1979 the park was sold to Six Flags and became known as Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1980. In 1981, Six Flags Magic Mountain introduced a ride that was on the west coast for the first time called Roaring Rapids. It was developed by Intamin AG in conjunction with Six Flags AstroWorld, which had opened a similar ride in 1979. Along with Rapids came the completion of the midway near Spillikin Corners to link with the Revolution area. Finally, a complete circuit could be made around the park. The Roaring Rapids ride was originally designed as a dual-sided station, but only one was fully developed, and all that exists of the possible second side is a few supports. Rapids uses large pumps to circulate water, and each of the two pumps can circulate 88,500 gallons per minute. The reservoir can hold 1.5 million gallons of water, and one of the innovations used on Roaring Rapids was the introduction of guide boards to help eliminate jam ups.

In 1982 Freefall was added. At the time, it was considered cutting edge, if not strictly a "roller coaster." The ride simply ascends the tower and then drops, with the track curving to horizontal, leaving riders on their backs. Others were built for other parks (some of which are Six Flags). Today, most of these rides are obsolete and have been removed. Some flat rides were added and others removed the next year.

In 1984 the Sarajevo Bobsleds was erected. The coaster was basically a bobsled without ice and snow. The coaster was built in honor of the 1984 Olympics. Six Flags Great Adventure added a similar ride that same year. In 1986, the bobsled was removed and now operates at Six Flags Over Texas. The other bobsled was moved to Six Flags Great America and later to The Great Escape in Queensbury, New York, where it still operates.

In 1985 Children's World was re-themed as Bugs Bunny World, as Magic Mountain had abandoned the Trolls in favor of the Warner Brothers' characters. That year, Michael Jackson visited the park, riding rides such as Colossus,Revolution and Roaring Rapids. In 1986, the park added a steel stand-up looping roller coaster called Shockwave designed by Intamin AG. This coaster was located in the back of the park replacing Sarajevo Bobsleds. At the end of 1988, the coaster was removed as part of a ride rotation program and went to Six Flags Great Adventure in 1990. It was removed from there in 1992 and was repainted white and rethemed upon its removal to Six Flags Astroworld. There it was known as Batman The Escape. When Astroworld closed in 2005, the ride was put in storage at Darien Lake, now no longer a Six Flags park.

Six Flags Magic Mountain installed Z-Force in 1987. It was removed in 1994 for Batman The Ride. Along with Z-Force came Back Street, a re-theming of the area surrounding Z-Force. Spinning flat rides were renamed Turbo (Electric Rainbow), Subway (Himalaya), and Reactor (Enterprise). The dance club was re-themed as well, and located near Reactor. After Hours, as it was now called (formerly Decibels), for one summer stayed open later than the rest of the park. It, along with Back Street, would stay open an additional two hours as a place for locals to hang out. This format lasted one season.

Time Warner era

In 1988 Ninja, "The Black Belt of Roller Coasters", opened. It was the first suspended swing roller coaster on the West coast. Ninja has gone through very few changes since it was opened in 1988; evidently only the wheels and paint have been changed.

Tidal Wave opened in 1989 to rather large crowds. It is a short, wet ride. A large boat goes up a low-angled incline to a level water trough. The trough, in the shape of a semicircle, ends in a steep drop that leads to a very large splashpool. When the car hits the pool, it displaces large amounts of water on its riders. The ride's exit ramp crosses over the splashpool, causing unwary patrons leaving the ride to get soaked, yet again. In the summer, the exit ramp is a popular place to cool down from the (frequently) 100-degree heat.

In 1990 Viper, a multiple looping coaster designed by Arrow opened. It features a 188-foot (57 m) drop, speeds up to 70 MPH , 3 vertical loops, a batwing turn that inverts riders twice, and a double corkscrew. Viper held and still holds the record for highest vertical loop at 14 stories high.

In 1991 Magic Mountain added Psyclone, modeled after the Coney Island Cyclone. The Spillikin Corners area of the park was re-themed as Cyclone Bay to suit the new coaster, drawing guests into this area. The change was largely cosmetic, as the earlier theme relied on retail establishments that had been removed previously. The Glass Blower had been replaced by the Shooting Gallery, and the Candy Kitchen viewing area was redesigned. With Psyclone, the crowds returned. Still, the ride itself was very rough. (The coaster was later removed in 2007.) After adding Ninja, Viper, and Psyclone within 4 years, the park was getting a large repertoire of big roller coasters.

The next year, 1992, a coaster built by Intamin AG called Flashback was added. This one-of-a-kind ride, originally planned to be enclosed in a building, had already operated at Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Over Georgia prior to its arrival. Very steep, short drops were designed to make riders feel like they were "diving" down in a plane, and it ended in a 540 degree upward spiral. But, because of the shoulder harnesses, riders were subjected to a lot of head banging. This coaster rarely ran by 1996 (it created too much noise for the nearby water park) and on January 23, 2007, the park announced that Flashback would be removed along with Psyclone. The park also stated that Flashback might be re-built elsewhere within the park for 2008 but the ride was finally demolished for scrap at the end of 2007.

In 1993 Six Flags Magic Mountain entered the Time Warner era. The new ride for the year was Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls. It is a water park water ride that has two twisting tubes that riders could slide down in using a raft. Also that year, there was re-theming and High Sierra Territory was opened. The Showcase Theatre became Golden Bear Theater, the Animal Star Theatre was created in Bugs Bunny World, and a large, fake, wooden tree was built. This year saw the end of live concerts in the park due to the riot that broke out after the cancellation of a TLC concert.

In 1994 Magic Mountain added what two other Six Flags parks already had, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted looping roller coaster called Batman The Ride (which other Six Flags parks also added in the coming years). Batman the Ride (BTR) is an inverted coaster, meaning the usual coaster protocol is reversed; the track is overhead and the cars are below it. The trains travel on the outside of the loops, and rider's legs hang freely, as on a ski lift.

In 1995, no new rides were opened. Instead, a separately gated waterpark called Hurricane Harbor opened in June. That park included a bunch of typical body slides, tube slides, a kiddie water play area, lazy river, and a wavepool.

Premier Parks era

In 1996 Superman: The Escape, a dual launch coaster, was built. It opened on March 15, 1997. It consisted of a 30 second ride with speeds running from 0 to 100 miles (160 km) an hour on a track up a 41 story tower. It was designed by Intamin. Today, the ride only runs one side at a time, switching every 6 months or so, and speeds reach between 85 and 90 miles per hour. Also opening in 1996 was Dive Devil, a SkyCoaster by SkyFun1.

In 1998 a new Bolliger & Mabillard Stand-up roller coaster called Riddler's Revenge would be added as the tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster, a record that the ride continues to hold. There was also a gang shooting and death in the parking lot that same year. That year, Six Flags was sold to Premier Parks. The next year saw no dramatic changes. In 2000, a steel hypercoaster, Goliath, was added. It was built by Giovanola.

2001 was to be the year of three new roller coasters, but only one actually opened, Goliath Jr., a steel kiddie coaster; the other two, Déjà Vu and X (now X²), had mechanical problems. Déjà Vu opened late in 2001 and X opened early in 2002. Déjà Vu was designed by Vekoma and is a variant of their popular Boomerang design. It is an inverted coaster with coaches suspended beneath an overhead track that traverses an open-circuit track forward and in reverse and features two completely vertical drops and three inversions. It opened late in 2001, but suffered a lot of downtime. X was designed by Arrow Dynamics, it was the worlds first (and today one of only two in the world) Fourth Dimensional roller coaster. It is the only one in North America where riders experience going 360 degrees in their seats. Each seat lies on a separate axis from the track. This coaster managed to open briefly in early 2002 only to close due to more technical problems. It reopened late in August of that year. The ride closed for a major refurbishment and re-theme in 2008 where X transformed into X2.

In 2003 Scream!, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard was added. At this point, Six Flags Magic Mountain tied with Cedar Point for the park with the most roller coasters in the United States. Scream is similar in concept with Medusa at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and is a mirror image of Bizarro at Six Flags Great Adventure. It is a floorless roller coaster with trains riding above the rails traversing seven inversions on 3,985 feet (1,215 m) of track on floorless coaches. Six Flags Magic Mountain made few changes in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, Tatsu, a Bolliger & Mabillard flying roller coaster was added, causing a temporary closure of Revolution to allow construction to take place. It was much larger than the three Superman: Ultimate Flight coasters at the other Six Flags parks. The coaster has a suspended-track orientation featuring vehicles that recline passengers with their backs against the track and facing the ground. This brought the park up to 17 roller coasters, to tie with Cedar Point for the greatest number of roller coasters in a park (albeit Flashback had been standing but not operating for an extended period of time and thus it is debatable whether the park could claim 17 as its number of roller coasters).

2006 attempted sale

On June 22, 2006, Six Flags, Inc. announced that it was exploring options for six of its parks, including Magic Mountain and its neighboring water park, Hurricane Harbor. Though management said closing the park was unlikely, rumors still began that the park could be sold to real estate developers, with an intent to close the park and build housing developments in the area. Park officials cited dwindling attendance and rowdy behavior among some of the park-goers (notably teenagers and young adults, who account for a large percentage of the park's attendance) as reasons for wanting to sell the park while management was wanting to move Six Flags into more of a family park direction.

One of the coasters at Magic Mountain: Tatsu

The decrease in attendance may be due in part to the fact that the park raised its ticket prices by $10 to $60 for the 2006 season, as well as increasing the price of parking to $15. Throughout the Six Flags chain, attendance in the second quarter of 2006 was 14 percent lower than it was in the second quarter of 2005.

By the fall of 2006 Six Flags announced that Magic Mountain was still up for sale. They also stated, however, that it would be sold to a company that would continue to operate it as a park, and that closing Magic Mountain was not a possibility. Cedar Fair, Hershey, and several others considered buying the park but none of the offers came close to the asking price.

When Six Flags announced which parks it was selling in January 2007, Magic Mountain was no longer one of them. The company decided not to sell Magic Mountain and its adjacent water park. Spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg said that upon further evaluation, the company decided that the Los Angeles parks remained too valuable to relinquish, as sales were increasing, and that the park would not be sold. Other parks were sold as a package and remained open.

Today

In 2007 Psyclone was removed, and Flashback was demolished in early 2008. As a result, Six Flags Magic Mountain no longer ties the record for the most roller coasters in a single park, relinquishing the record to Cedar Point (Magic Mountain has never surpassed Cedar Point in number of operating coasters but has tied numerous times). The park itself has begun to focus more on the family market, as a new children's theme area was added. In 2008, Thomas Town was added as another area for children. Furthermore, X closed down in late 2007 to be transformed into X²: Xtreme to the Second Power. At a cost of $10 million, X² received new, third-generation trains, a new paint job, flame throwers, and audio effects.

Vintage carousel horse at the Magic of the Mountain museum in the Sky Tower

In 2008, the park started work on creating the Magic of the Mountain museum at the top of the Sky Tower with memorabilia throughout the park's history, including old television commercials, park maps, models, and parts of rides.In October, the park announced Terminator Salvation: The Ride, a wooden roller coaster that opened on May 23, 2009. Terminator Salvation Took the place of Psyclone, making it almost the same track. Terminator now has more tunnels, in which mist sprays at guests, and also has sound effects, and a truck flaming as you go by it.

2010/2011 Capital Expenditures

In a 2008 interview with Six Flags President and CEO Mark Shapiro, the Los Angeles Times quoted Shapiro stating that Magic Mountain will be installing a new roller coaster for the 2010 season. It is anticipated to be announced in November. In addition, a brand-new themed area dedicated to younger children based on the Wiggles is to follow in 2011, along with an expansion to the adjacent Hurricane Harbor water park.

Film and television

Magic Mountain's close proximity to Los Angeles, the hub of the American film and television industry, has resulted in its appearance in several productions, usually representing a park other than itself. The debut of Revolution was the focal point of the 1977 release Rollercoaster. In 1982, Magic Mountain became the fictional "Walley World" for National Lampoon's Vacation, with scenes featuring Revolution and Colossus (each using fictional names). On television, Magic Mountain doubled as the theme park in the opening credits of the television series Step by Step. Other TV productions featuring Magic Mountain have included Entourage, CHiPs, Wonder Woman (TV series), Way Out Games and The King of Queens.

Present roller coasters and rides

Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description
Atom Smasher	1974	Mack	A Mack Musik Express ride known in the past as Himalaya from 1974-1986; Subway from 1987-1993, and ACME Atom Smasher from 1994-2004.
Batman: The Ride	1994	B&M	One of several clones of the same design installed at parks across North America. Floorless coaches suspended beneath an overhead track whip around steeply banked turns and five inversions.
Buccaneer	1980	Intamin AG	This Intamin Bounty swinging pirate ship ride opened in 1980 and was built on the Galaxy's old site.
Canyon Blaster	1999	Miler Coaster Company	Small junior roller coaster for children and pre-teens.
Colossus	1978	International Amusement Devices	This massive dual-tracked wooden roller coaster was the tallest in the world upon debut.
Cyclone 500	1992	J & J	A Go-Kart track near Terminator Salvation: The Ride.
Dive Devil	1996	SkyCoaster, Inc.	This freefall swing ride requires an extra charge.
Déjà Vu	2001	Vekoma	It is the tallest boomerang roller coaster in the world. Inverted floorless coaches suspended beneath an overhead track traverse the track forward and in reverse—featuring two vertical drops and three inversions.
Goldrusher	1971	Arrow Dynamics	A steel "mine train" roller coaster that utilizes the park's unique terrain to its design advantage.
Goliath	2000	Giovanola	Steel roller coaster featuring an opening drop of 255 feet (78 m) into a subterranean tunnel.
Grand Carrousel	1971	Philadelphia Toboggan Inc.	This 1912 merry-go-round is located near Revolution. It was removed in the 1960s from the Savin Rock Amusement area in West Haven, Connecticut and sold to Magic Mountain.
Grinder Gearworks	1974	Hrubetz	Round Up ride; known in the past as: Electric Rainbow from 1974-1986, Turbo from 1987-1993 and Gordon Gearworks from 1994-1998.
Jet Stream	1972	Arrow Dynamics	A log flume ride located under the Ninja roller coaster. Known from 2001-2006 as Arrowhead Splashdown.
Log Jammer	1971	Arrow Dynamics	This classic log flume has two lifts and three drops.
Metro	1971	Universal Mobility	This monorail ride has been standing but not operating since 2001. As of 2008, the park does not have plans to re-open the attraction. The trains are located near the former location of Flashback.
Ninja	1988	Arrow Dynamics	Swinging coaches suspended from an overhead track whip around steeply banked turns and curves in and out of the treetops. Max speed: 55 m/h or 89 km/h
Orient Express	1971	Intamin AG/Kornenberg Shipbuilding Co.	This cable car ride was known from 1971-1988 as Funicular.
Percy's Railway	2008	Bradley & Kaye	Small steel coaster designed specifically for young children. Previously titled "Goliath Jr."
Revolution	1976	Anton Schwarzkopf	First modern day roller coaster to feature a 360-degree loop.
The Riddler's Revenge	1998	B&M	World's tallest, fastest and longest stand-up roller coaster takes riders upside-down six times on 4,370 feet (1,330 m) of steel track.
Roaring Rapids	1981	Intamin AG	An Intamin oval river rafting rapids ride.
Sandblasters	1971	Reverchon	Classic bumper cars in an enclosed building.
Scrambler	2003	Big Eli Bridge, Co	The park's former old Scrambler was damaged from an uprooted tree. This Scrambler was relocated from Six Flags Over Texas.
Scream!	2003	B&M	Floorless coaches riding above the rails traverse seven inversions on 3,985 feet (1,215 m) of track at a top speed of 65 mph.
Sky Tower	1971	Intamin AG	A 38 story observation tower overlooking the entire park. In 2008, a museum was added to the top of the tower showcasing memorabilia from the park's history.
Swashbuckler	1983	Chance	This Chance Yo-Yo was opened in 1983. It stands on the Galaxy's former site.
Superman: The Escape	1997	Intamin AG	First amusement park attraction to attain speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h).
Tatsu	2006	B&M	The world's tallest, fastest and longest flying roller coaster, with a suspended-track orientation featuring vehicles that recline passengers with their backs against the track.
Terminator Salvation: The Ride	2009	Great Coasters International	Wooden roller coaster featuring steeply banked turns and twisting drops. Based on the fourth movie of the Terminator series, Terminator Salvation.
Thrill Shot	2001	S&S Power	A Sky Slingshot with three towers. The ride requires an extra fee.
Tidal Wave	1989	Intamin AG	This Shoot-the-Chutes ride was built on the Grand Prix's old site.
Viper	1990	Arrow Dynamics	Giant seven-inversion steel roller coaster featuring the world's highest 360-degree loop.
X²	2002 (renovated for the 2008 season)	Arrow Dynamics	The world's first fourth Dimensional roller coaster, where riders pitch forwards and backwards in seats that lie on a separate axis from the track.
Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls	1993	Intamin AG	A twin waterslide with tubes; known from 1993-1999 as Sierra Falls.

[edit] Past roller coasters and rides

Ride	Year Opened	Year Closed	Manufacturer	Description
99 Steam Train	1971	1981	Crown Metals	The Train ride to the troll country.
Billy the Squid	1971	1973	Meisho	Polyp Ride. In 1973 this Polyp ride had a machine problem and was removed. The Jolly Monster was built on its site.
Circus Wheel	1971	1999	Chance	Chance Trabant with Roman theming. It spun in a clockwise direction and tilted at the same time. The ride was removed and Jolly Roger (Tilt-A-Whirl) was moved onto its site.
Circus Wheel	1981	2008	Sellner Manufacturing	This Sellner Tilt-A-Whirl was known in the past under the names Fiesta Dance 1981-1981; Baile de las Flores 1982-1988 and Jolly Roger 1988-1999. The Tilt-A-Whirl was removed to make room for 3-Point Challenge basketball game.
Condor	1988	1989	Huss	This Huss Condor was open for two years before being removed. It was removed to make room for Viper.
Crazy Barrels	1971	1989	Intamin AG	This Intamin Drunken Barrels was formerly located at a county fair. The Barrels were removed, but the platforms are still there behind the basketball game near the Metro station.
Dragon	1974	1981	Arrow Dynanamics	This transportation cable car transported riders from the upper level of the back of the mountain down to the lower level of this area, and vice versa. The ride was removed and Ninja was built in 1988. The Dragon's track, wall, and upper station are still visible under Ninja. The lower station is still standing near Gold Rusher.
Eagle's Flight El Dorado Side	1971	1981	Intamin AG	This Intamin AG aerial sky-way ride took passengers from the upper part of the mountain to the lower land on the north of the mountain. The station was next to El Bumpo's area.
Eagle's Flight Galaxy Side	1971	1994	Intamin AG	A second aerial sky-way ride from the top of the mountain to the lower land in the County Fair area.
El-Bumpo	1971	1979	Arrow Dynamics	Gas-powered bumper boats located on the pond.
Flashback	1992	2003	Intamin AG	One-of-a-kind roller coaster featuring a stacked design and numerous steep rolling track dives. It was SBNO since 2003, but was removed early in the 2008 season and sold as scrap.
Freefall	1982	2008	Intamin AG	An Intamin 1st-generation Freefall. The ride was standing but not operating from 2005 to 2006; however, it was scrapped for the 2008 season.
Galaxy	1971	1979	Intamin AG	An Intamin Double Ferris Wheel with cable pulley that looked like a V-shaped beam. The ride was removed and was located where Buccaneer and Swashbuckler are now sitting.
Grand Centennial Excursion Railroad	1975	1985	unknown	A big steam train that took passengers around. Located north of the main mountain.
Granny Gran Prix	1971	2007	D. H. Morgan	This track-guided car ride was known as Chevron Gran Prix (Gas Powered) from 1971-1986. A new turnpike (electric-powered) was opened for three years before being moved in 1988 to Bugs Bunny World. The old guided track was demolished to make room for Tidal Wave. In December 2007 it was demolished to make room for Thomas Town's opening in 2008.
Jolly Monster	1973	1981	Eyerly	A standard Eyerly Monster ride which replaced Billy the Squid. This thrill ride was at the Pirate's Cove near Colossus, Buccaneer, and Swashbuckler. The ride was removed and its site sat empty for 7 years before the Tilt-A-Whirl was moved there.
Magic Pagoda	1974	1984	Unknown	A walk-thru attraction located on Samurai Summit. It featured a talking buddha, a mirror maze, a strobe light room (with a dragon flying overhead), a walk through a miniature version of chinatown and various other small scale items of interest with a Chinese Theme. Recently used as part of a walk-thru maze for the Halloween season.
Mountain Express	1973	1982	Schwarzkopf	Wildcat coaster located near where Flashback stood. Relocated to Magic Landing as Wildcat and then to Bosque Magico as Montana Rusa, according to the Roller Coaster DataBase.
Psyclone	1991	2006	Dinn Corporation	A wood tracked roller coaster patterned after the Cyclone at Astroland park in Brooklyn, New York. It was torn down for the 2007 season, and piles of wood remained at the site for many days after the destruction. The site is now home to another wooden coaster, Terminator Salvation: The Ride.
Reactor	1977	1993	Schwarzkopf	A Schwarzkopf Enterprise, known from 1977-1987 as Enterprise, was renamed Reactor in 1987. This thrill ride was removed at the end of the 1993 season.
Sarajevo Bobsleds	1984	1986	Intamin AG	Bobsled coaster named after the 1984 Olympics. Removed due to the Six Flags ride rotation program and replaced with Shockwave. It was moved to Six Flags Over Texas and opened as Avalanche, but was later renamed and rethemed as La Vibora to better match the Spain section of the park.
Scrambler	1973	2003	Big Eli Bridge, Co	This scrambler had a lot of damage from an uprooted tree and was scrapped; however, Six Flags Magic Mountain received another scrambler from Six Flags Over Texas.
Shockwave	1986	1988	Intamin AG	A Steel Standup looping roller coaster. it was removed in 1989 and relocated to Six Flags Great Adventure due to the ride rotation program.
Sierra Twist	1973	2008	Schwarzkopf	A Schwarzkopf Bayern Kurve ride, originally known as Swiss Twist. It was a high-speed bobsled ride with a circular track. The ride was removed due to aging parts and high maintenance costs.
Spin Out	1971	2008	Chance	A Chance Rotor known from 1971-1972 as Bottoms Up. Featured in the video for Belinda Carlisle's #1 hit song, "Heaven is a Place on Earth". The video was directed by Diane Keaton.
Tumble Drum	1974	1980	unknown	This walk-through barrel roll was located near the Electric Rainbow (now Grinder Gearworks).
Z-Force	1987	1993	Intamin AG	An Intamin Looping Starship/Space Shuttle themed as an Air Force fighter plane. The ride was removed at the end of the season in 1993 to make room for Batman: The Ride.

[edit] Ride/attraction timeline

2010: Unknown roller coaster.[6]
2009: Terminator Salvation: The Ride.
2008: Goliath Jr. renamed Percy's Railway; Flashback removed; Thomas Town themed area; Thomas the Tank Engine railroad; X reopens as X²; Freefall removed; Circus Wheel removed; Sierra Twist removed; Spin Out removed; Viper repainted;3-point basketball midway game; CSI: Live; Cyber Cafe.
2007: X reopens; Psyclone removed; Coldstone Limited; Johnny Rockets; Johnny Rockets Express; Justice League Feast; Wii Experience; Cyclone 500 Go-Karts are rehabbed and converted to a new control system designed by the parks maintenance crew; Ninja repainted; Granny Gran Prix removed in 12/2007; Goliath Jr. closes 12/2007; X closes to be transformed into X² .
2006: Tatsu ; Arrowhead Splashdown renamed back to Jet Stream; Chinese Acrobats of Hebei show; Paintball Alley shooting gallery; Revolution reopens; Sky Tower reopens; Orient Express reopens; Circus Wheel reopens; Freefall reopens, X becomes X2; Psyclone closes; Papa John's Pizza.
2005: Batman Begins stunt show; Circus Wheel closes; Freefall closes; Orient Express and Revolution close for Tatsu construction.
2004: Tornado (Hurricane Harbor);
2003: Scream!. Flashback closes.
2002: X; Scrambler removed due to structural damage; Scramber (relocated from Six Flags Over Texas as Missile Chaser).
2001: Speedy Gonzales Mouse Racers removed; Goliath Jr. formerly Wile E. Coyote Coaster; Déjà Vu; Thrill Shot; Jet Stream renamed Arrowhead Splashdown; The Metro closes; Sky Tower closes; Panda Express.
2000: Goliath.
1999: Canyon Blaster; Bugs Bunny World expansion; Sierra Falls renamed Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls; Wile E, Coyote Coaster storage; Circus Wheel (Trabant) removed; Jolly Roger moved to midway and renamed Circus Wheel.
1998: The Movie District themed area (retheme of Monterey Landing); The Riddler's Revenge; Gordon Gearworks renamed Grinder Gearworks.
1997: Superman: The Escape; Hurricane Harbor expansion.
1996: Dive Devil.
1995: Hurricane Harbor water park.
1994: Gotham City Backlot themed area (retheme of Backstreet); Batman: The Ride; Subway renamed ACME Atom Smasher; Turbo renamed Gordon Gearworks; Eagles Flight-Galaxy Side removed.
1993: Sierra Falls; High Sierra Territory themed area; Swiss Twist renamed Sierra Twist; Z-Force removed; Reactor removed; Time Warner purchases Six Flags theme parks.
1992: Flashback (formerly Z-Force at Six Flags Over Georgia); Cyclone 500.
1991: Psyclone; Cyclone Bay themed area (retheme of Spillikin Corners).
1990: Baja Ridge themed area; Viper.
1989: Tidal Wave; Condor removed; Crazy Barrels removed.
1988: Ninja; Condor; Funicular renamed Orient Express; Gran Prix moved to Bugs Bunny World and renamed Granny Gran Prix; Baile de las Flores moved to Pirate's Cove and renamed Jolly Roger; La Revolucion renamed Revolution; Shockwave removed.
1987: Z-Force; Electric Rainbow renamed Turbo; Himalaya renamed Subway; Enterprise renamed Reactor.
1986: Shockwave; Grand Prix changes from old car with gas powered to new turnpike with electric powered; Sarajevo Bobsleds removed.
1985: Children's World renamed to be Bugs Bunny World and re-themed; Clown Coaster renamed Wile E. Coyote Coaster; Grand Centennial Excursion Railroad is removed.
1984: Sarajevo Bobsleds; Colossus changes the 2nd track to ride in reverse.
1983: Swashbuckler.
1982: Freefall.
1981: Roaring Rapids; Baile de las Flores; The Great American Revolution renamed La Revolucion; midway added; Dragon removed; Mountain Express removed; Jolly Monster removed; 99 Steam Train removed.
1980: Buccaneer; Tumble Drum removed; Eagles Flight-El Dorado Side removed.
1979: Revamp of Colossus; El Bumpo removed; Galaxy removed.
1978: Colossus.
1977: Enterprise.

Europa-Park

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Europa-Park


Location	Rust, Germany
Address	Europa-Park-Straße 2, Rust, 77977
Website	www.europapark.de
Owner	the Mack family
Opened	1975
Operating season	April to October, December to January
Area	850.000 m²
Rides	54 total 10 roller coasters 4 water rides

Europa-Park is the most popular theme park in Germany. Having over 4 million visitors in 2008, it is the most popular seasonal theme park in the world. Europa-Park is located in Rust, in the south-west of Germany between Freiburg and Strasbourg. It is usually open from just before Easter until the beginning of November (summer season) and from the start of December to the second week in January (winter season).

The park is split into fifteen different areas, mostly named after European countries or regions. The park mascot is a grey mouse named "Euromaus" although there are over a dozen other characters that "live" at the park.

Europa-Park is run by the Mack family which have produced vehicles since 1780, circus wagons since 1880 and rollercoasters since 1921. The park was opened in 1975 to act as a showcase for many of their different ride models - for example, the Wild Mouse roller coaster. The amusement ride company is now called MACK Rides. This explains why the park has two of their water coaster models (one a Super Splash model) and is home to the one-of-a-kind Euro-Mir. One of the few rides that goes against this rule is the relatively new Silver Star hyper coaster, designed by B&M of Switzerland. This is presumably because Mack doesn't yet offer a hyper coaster model, although they are now developing taller and faster rollercoasters.

The park is home to ten roller coasters, the oldest being the Alpenexpress Mine Train, where a powered coaster speeds through a diamond mine, complete with fire and smoke - and the newest coaster being Blue Fire which sees the trains navigate a short dark ride inside an Energy Research complex before being launched at 100kph through various twists, loops, tunnels and hills. The theme park is well respected world wide by enthusiasts for its commitment to keeping queue's short by running rides efficiently and dispatching trains without delay.

Along with the park and rides, Europa-Park is also a major resort. It boasts four hotels, a guest house, Tipi Village and campsite. The largest hotel is called Colosseo which includes a re-creation of a Roman colosseum.

Across the park, there are many shows performed on a daily basis, such as an Ice Show, a Gladiator Show, an Acrobatics Show in an Italianate Theatre and a fully re-created Globe Theatre, based on that of William Shakespeare. The Magic 4D Cinema also opens during the evening and shows current blockbusters.

Developments and the future

Aerial photography of the park prior to the construction of Blue Fire

In 2007, the park introduced 'Terenzi Horror Nights' based on an idea by popstar Marc Terenzi and Michael Mack. The idea is to bring the American idea of Halloween to Germany. These returned in 2008, attracting double the number of guests. Terenzi Horror Nights will run in Autumn 2009, probably in the Greek section of the park (it has always operated in the Italian area thus far) and with more actors and attractions than ever before.

In 2009 the park opened their first looping rollercoaster, and biggest ride investment to date. It is a prototype launched roller coaster named Blue Fire and features 4 inversions as part of a 10-15 hectare extension to the park. The ride forms part of the Iceland themed area and features a short dark ride pre-launch section. The ride boasts a capacity of over 1,700 people per hour.

In 2010, the park has revealed plans for new developments located between Atlantica Super Splash and Blue Fire - presumably within the Iceland area of the park. Details are sketchy as of July 2009, however an aquatic theme is likely given a concept poster that has appeared on site at the park. The development could be for up to two new rides after an article in a European magazine had Roland Mack talking about attractions in the plural for 2010.

In the 2011-2012 timeframe, the park are looking at further hotels, a water park and more rides and attractions.

Features

Panoramic image of Poseidon

Adventure Land

Essentially the area that comprises everything besides Europe.

Jungle Rafts
Mississippi Steamer
Dwarf City
Fairy Tale Alley

Atlantica SuperSplash

The Silver Star

Poseidon water ride

Euro-Mir

Euro Sat

Blue Fire

Children's World/Viking Land

Giant Slide Labyrinth
Viking Boat Ride
Viking Ship
Dino Merry-Go-Round - a carousel ride
Lighthouse

Germany

Elf Ride - A tow boat ride with a dark ride section
Vintage Cars - A car ride
Panorama Train - Also has stations in other areas
EP-Express - A monorail. Also has stations in Greece, Spain and Hotel Resort
Castle Pavilon
Magical Garden
Old 99

Russia

Euro-Mir - A one-of-a-kind, high-speed, Mack steel track spinning coaster, based around Russian Space Missions. The spinning is controlled and only happens during some parts of the ride. The ride features indoor dark-ride elements, back-to-back seating, an indoor spiral lifthill, a techno soundtrack, and one of the longest ride times of any roller coaster. The Mir space station training module is located above the outdoor queue for the ride.
Mir Space Station
Radio Telescope
Schlittenfahrt Schneeflockchen (Snowflake Ride) - a short dark ride through a Siberian landscape. The ride features a folklore theme and has been nicknamed "BENCH: The Ride" for its park bench style cars.

Italy

Ciao Bambini - A family dark ride, suitable for young children
Ghost Castle (Geisterschloss) - A spooky dark ride with inspiration from Disney's Haunted Mansion
Mack Exhibition - A gallery of Mack ride models and Europa Park's history
Electric Bird Theatre

France

EuroSat - Indoor coaster themed around space travel. Located inside a large geodesic sphere structure, similar to Spaceship Earth (Epcot) at Walt Disney World's Epcot. The ride itself is similar to Disney's Space Mountain, except that the train is made up of many more cars, and it features a spiral lift hill. The ride's techno soundtrack was composed by Stark Fader, with "In A Second Orbit" being the song that plays during the ride and "Sat Race" being the song in the gift shop.
Silver Star - Megacoaster and Europe's highest and third fastest roller coaster. Built by Bolliger and Mabillard of Switzerland. One of the few non-Mack rides featured at the park, presumably because Mack doesn't feature a hyper coaster model. The ride is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. Within the ride's hall there is a coffee shop, a gift shop, and a small-size museum that features a full scale replica of a Mercedes-Benz Formula One car.
Puppet Boat Ride
Universe of Energy - a dinosaur themed dark ride
Euro-Tower - An observation tower
Magic Cinema 4D: Sammy's Great Adventure (changes at Halloween and Christmas)

Scandinavia

Fjord-Rafting - A river rapids ride through caverns and waterfalls
Sunken City "Vineta" - A small walk-through indoor display
Vindjammer - A swinging ship ride
Rocking Bridge
Cable Ferry
Norwegian Stave Church
Andersen's Fairy Tale Tower
Fishing Village

Portugal

Atlantica SuperSplash - High-speed water ride themed around Portuguese explorers. The boats are a higher capacity than Poseidon, and it doesn't feature any high speed turns as on Poseidon, but still has enough time on the coaster track that it can be considered a coaster.
Casa D'Aventura - An Indoor-Playground for Kids.
Atlantica-Shower - A wooden runway where the visitors can wait for the next boat of "Atlantica" plunging into the lake and soak them to the bones.
Santa Marian - A sailing ship which includes a bar

Spain

Columbus Dinghy - A Seastorm ride which travels backwards and forwards
Feria Swing - A spinning, high speed carousel ride.
Adventure Playground

Holland

Rocking Bridge and Chute
Pirates in Batavia - A tow boat, indoor dark ride featuring a drop and multiple effects.
Red Baron - A carousel ride
Peter Pan - A carousel ride
Monorail
Mini Scooter - A kiddie bumper car ride
Koffiekopjes - A spinning coffee cup ride
Bouncy House
Ball Pool
Windmill

Switzerland

Matterhorn Blitz - Wild mouse featuring the largest drop of any wild mouse in the world and a rocking vertical lift. Themed around a Swiss Farmhouse.
Swiss Bob Run - Bobsleigh coaster. One of the few ones of this model to feature a regular style drop. This was a Worlds First when it opened.
Jungfrau Gletscherflieger - A high speed spinning plane ride
Swiss Village & Parlours

Greece

Cassandra's Curse - A madhouse type indoor illusion ride
Pegasus - Family coaster themed around an archeological dig
Poseidon - High-speed water coaster with incredibly detailed theming, such as the Trojan Horse, and the station being located inside a Grecian temple.
Atlantis Adventure - Interactive dark ride
Greek Village Mykonos
The Flight of Ikarus - A balloon ride

England

Silverstone Race Track - A car ride
The British Carousel
Crazy Taxi - A demolition derby carousel ride
London Bus - A magic carpet ride
Arena of Football - A football exhibition, sports bar and Adidas shop
Soccer Scooter - Dodgems ride located in the Arena of Football

Austria

Alpenexpress - Rollercoaster which includes a trip inside the World of Diamonds (which can also be viewed by foot). Makes two trips through its relatively short course to form a complete run, or three on a quiet day
Silvretta Nova Wave Swinger - A Chairswing ride
Tirol Log Flume - A traditional log flume ride through the World of Diamonds
Magic World of Diamonds - A walk through attraction

Iceland

Blue Fire - launched rollercoaster with several inversions, onboard sound, heartrate monitor and unique restraint system. Includes various headchopper effects and a dark ride section with a variety of special effects.
Icelandic Village

About Amusement parks

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:02:41 +0100

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bobbejaanland, Belgium

Europa-Park, Germany

Hopi Hari, São Paulo, Brazil

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Disneyland is a theme park where rides, shows and attractions are organized and decorated around certain themes instead of being separately designed and decorated, like at an amusement park.

Amusement park or theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group of people. An amusement park is more elaborate than a simple city park or playground, usually providing attractions meant to cater to children, teenagers, and adults. A theme park is a type of amusement park which has been built around one or more themes, such as an American West theme, or Atlantis. Today, the terms amusement parks and theme parks are often used interchangeably.

Amusement parks evolved in Europe from fairs and pleasure gardens which were created for people’s recreation. The oldest amusement park of the world (opened 1583) is Bakken, at Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, Denmark. In the United States, world's fairs and expositions were another influence on development of the amusement park industry.

Most amusement parks have a fixed location, as compared to traveling funfairs and carnivals. These temporary types of amusement parks, are usually present for a few days or weeks per year, such as funfairs in the United Kingdom, and carnivals (temporarily set up in a vacant lot or parking lots) and fairs (temporarily operated in a fair ground) in the United States. The temporary nature of these fairs helps to convey the feeling that people are in a different place or time.

Often a theme park will have various 'lands' (sections) of the park devoted to telling a particular story. Non-theme amusement park rides will usually have little in terms of theming or additional design elements while in a theme park all the rides go all with the theme of the park, for example Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

History of amusement parks

Fairs and pleasure gardens

Periodic fairs, such as the Bartholomew Fair which began in England in 1133, are a parent for the modern amusement park. Beginning in the Elizabethan period the fair had evolved into a center of amusement with entertainment, food, games, and carnival-like freak-show attractions. The seasonal celebration was a natural place for development of amusement attractions. Oktoberfest is not only a beer festival but also provided amusement park features beginning in 1810, when the first event was held in Munich, Germany. In the United States, the county and state fairs also played a part in the history of amusement parks. These were annual events that were usually held for a short time, a week or two, to celebrate a good harvest. These fairs featured livestock exhibits, baking and cooking competitions.

Vauxhall Gardens, c. 1751.

Amusement parks also grew out of the pleasure gardens that became especially popular at the beginning of the Industrial revolution as an area where one could escape from the grim urban environment . The oldest intact still-surviving amusement park in the world (opened 1583) is Bakken ("The Hill") at Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, Denmark. The most well known of the parks in London, was Vauxhall Gardens founded in 1661 and closed in 1859. Another long-standing park is Prater in Vienna, Austria, which opened in 1766. This park was conceived as a place where the common person could enjoy a respite in a pastoral setting and participate in the musical culture of the city. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen is another example of a European park, dating from 1843, which still exists. These parks consisted of booths, entertainment, fireworks displays and some “rides” such as introduction to the modern railroad. The parks grew to accommodate the expectations of their customers -- who were increasingly familiar with the mechanical wonders of industrialization. Rides became a required part of the pleasure garden and by 1896 there were 65 such pleasure parks in London.

First Ferris wheel, World's Columbian Exposition, 1893

Another type of fair is the exposition or world’s fair. World's fairs began in 1851 with the construction of the landmark Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the exposition was to celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world (of which Britain just so happened to be the leader). America cities and business saw the world’s fair as a way of demonstrating economic and industrial success. People particularly point to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, Illinois as an early precursor to the modern amusement park. This fair was an enclosed site that merged entertainment, engineering and education to entertain the masses. It set out to bedazzle the visitors, and successfully did so with a blaze of lights from the “White City.” To make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a dedicated amusement concessions area called the Midway Plaisance. ^[3] Rides from this fair captured imagination of the visitors and of amusement parks around the world, such as the first Ferris wheel, which was found in many other amusement areas, such as the Prater by 1896. Also, the experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder, rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place. Certainly the precursor of the amusement park experience to come.

The “midway” introduced at the Columbian Exposition would become a standard part of most amusement parks, fairs, carnivals and circuses. The midway contained not only the rides, but other concessions and entertainments such as shooting galleries, penny arcades, games of chance and shows.

Trolley parks and Coney Island

Main article: Trolley park

In the final decade of the 19th century, the electric trolley lines were developed in most of the larger American cities. Companies that established the trolley lines were directly responsible for establishing amusement parks -- trolley parks -- as destinations of these lines. Trolley parks like Atlanta's Ponce de Leon Park, or Reading's Carsonia Park were initially popular natural leisure spots before local streetcar companies purchased the sites, expanding them from picnic groves to include regular entertainments, mechanical amusements, dance halls, sports fields, boats rides, restaurants and other resort facilities. Various sources report the existence of between 1500 and 2000 amusement parks in the United States by 1919.

Some of these parks were developed in resort locations, such as bathing resorts at the seaside in New Jersey and New York. Others were found along rivers and lakes that provided bathing and water sports such as Riverside Park in Massachusetts which was founded along the Connecticut River in the 1840s and Lake Compounce first established as a bathing beach in 1846.

Another such location was Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York where a horse drawn street car line brought pleasure seekers to the beach beginning in 1829. In 1875, a million passengers rode the Coney Island Railroad, and in 1876 two million reached Coney Island. Hotels and amusements were built to accommodate both the upper-classes and the working-class. The first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first roller coaster, the "Switchback Railway" in 1884. It wasn't till 1895, that the first permanent amusement park in North America opened: Sea Lion Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. This park was one of the first to charge admission to get into the park in addition to sell tickets for rides within the park.

In 1897, it was joined by Steeplechase Park, the first of three major amusement parks that would open in the area. George Tilyou designed the park to provide thrills and sweep away the restraints of the Victorian crowds. The combination of the nearby population center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the embodiment of the American amusement park. Often, it is Steeplechase Park that comes to mind when one generically thinks of the heyday of Coney Island, but there was also Luna Park (opened in 1903), and Dreamland (opened in 1904). Coney Island was a huge success and by year 1910 attendance on a Sunday could reach a million people. ^[1] Fueled by the efforts of Frederick Ingersoll, other "Luna Parks" (starting with ones in Pittsburgh and Cleveland in 1905) were quickly erected worldwide and opened to rave reviews.

Furthermore, fire was a constant threat in those days, as much of the construction within the amusement parks of the era was wooden. In 1911, Dreamland was the first Coney Island amusement park to completely burn down; in 1944, Luna Park also burned to the ground. Most of Ingersoll's Luna Parks were similarly destroyed (usually by arson) before his death in 1927.

The "Golden Age" of amusement parks

During the Gilded Age, many Americans began working fewer hours and had more disposable income. With new-found money and time to spend on leisure activities, Americans sought new venues for entertainment. Amusement parks, set up outside major cities and in rural areas, emerged to meet this new economic opportunity. These parks reflected the mechanization and efficiency of industrialization while serving as source of fantasy and escape from real life. By the early 1900s, hundreds of amusement parks were operating in the United States and Canada. Trolley parks (established at the end of the trolley line by enterprising streetcar companies) stood outside many cities. Parks like Ponce de Leon in Atlanta, GA and Idora Park near Youngstown, OH took passengers to traditionally popular picnic grounds, which by the late 1890s also often included rides like the Giant Swing, Carousel, and Shoot-the-Chutes. These amusement parks were often based on nationally-known parks or world's fairs: they had names like Coney Island, White City, Luna Park, or Dreamland. The American Gilded Age was, in fact, amusement parks' “golden age” that reigned until the late 1920s.

The Golden Age of amusement parks also included the advent of the Kiddie Park. Founded in 1925, the original Kiddie Park is located in San Antonio, Texas and is still in operation today. The Kiddie Parks became popular all over America after World War II.

This era saw the development of the new innovations in roller coasters that encouraged extreme drops and speeds to thrill the riders. By the end of the First World War, people seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by the roller coasters. Although the development of the automobile provided people with more options for satisfying their entertainment needs, the amusement parks after the war continued to be successful, while urban amusement parks saw declining attendance. The 1920s is more properly known as the “Golden Age” of roller coasters, being the decade of frenetic building of these rides.

Depression and post-World War II decline

Derelict amusement park in Tanzania, Africa

The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the decline of the amusement park industry. War saw the affluent urban population move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to amusement parks less often.^[1]

By the 1950s, factors such as urban decay, crime, and even desegregation in the ghettos led to changing patterns in how people chose to spend their free time. Many of the older, traditional amusement parks closed or burned to the ground. Many would be taken out by the wrecking ball to make way for suburban living and development. In 1964, Steeplechase Park, once the king of all amusement parks, closed down for good. The traditional amusement parks which survived, for example, Kennywood, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and Cedar Point, in Sandusky, Ohio, did so in spite of the odds.^[1]

The modern amusement park

First parks devoted to a particular theme are precursors for the modern amusement park. A Blackgang Chine amusement park, established in 1843 by Victorian entrepreneur Alexander Dabell, on the Isle of Wight, UK can be considered the oldest existing theme park in the world. The first amusement park on Coney Island, Sea Lion Park was built around a nautical theme.

Modern amusement parks now run differently than those of years past. Amusement parks are usually owned by a large corporate conglomerate which allows capital investment unknown by the traditional family-owned parks. Starting with Disneyland in the 1950s, the park experience became part of a larger package, reflected in a television show, movies, lunch boxes, action figures and finally park rides and costumed characters that make up the "theme." These parks offer a world with no violence or social problems. The thrills of the theme parks are often obscured from the outside by high fences or barriers re-enforcing the feeling of escape, they are kept clean and new thrill rides are frequently added to keep people coming back. In addition to this experience, the theme park is either based on a central theme or, divided into several distinctly themed areas, lands or "spaces." Large resorts, such as Walt Disney World in Florida (United States), actually house several different theme parks within their confines.

Today, central Florida and most notably Orlando boasts more theme parks than any other worldwide destination. The northeastern USA region, most notably Pennsylvania, is now a hotbed of traditional surviving amusement parks. In its truest traditional form is Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. Others include Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Knoebels Groves in Elysburg, Pennsylvania; Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania; Idlewild Park in Ligonier, Pennsylvania; Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania; Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Family-owned theme parks

Narrow gauge mining train going through Calico Ghost Town.

Some theme parks did evolve from more traditional amusement park enterprises, such as Knott's Berry Farm. In the 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand, which grew to include a restaurant serving fried chicken dinners. Within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter Knott built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California ghost town and Prescott, Arizona. In 1968, the Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became an amusement park.^[1] Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park." Knott's Berry Farm is now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut may be the true oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States, open since 1846. Santa Claus Town, which opened in Santa Claus, Indiana in 1935 and included Santa's Candy Castle and other Santa Claus-themed attractions, is considered the first themed attraction in the United States: a pre-cursor to the modern day theme park. Santa Claus Land (renamed Holiday World in 1984) opened in 1946 in Santa Claus, Indiana and many people will argue that it was the first true Theme Park despite Knott's history.^[4] In the 1950’s the Herschend family took over operation of the tourist attraction, Marvel Cave near Branson, Missouri. Over the next decade they modernized the cave, which led to large numbers of people waiting to take the tour. The Herschend family opened a recreation of the old mining town that once existed atop Marvel Cave. The small village eventually became the theme park, Silver Dollar City. The park is still owned and operated by the Herschends and the family has several other parks including Dollywood, Celebration City and Wild Adventures.

Other theme parks include: Children's Fairyland opened in 1950 in Oakland, California. Another variation of the theme park were the animal parks that reintroduced the concept of Sea Lion Park such as Marineland of the Pacific which opened in 1954 which paved the way for SeaWorld parks which eventually added thrill rides

Disneyland and the corporate-owned park

Walt Disney, however, is often credited with having originated the concept of the themed amusement park, although he was obviously influenced by Knotts Berry Farm owned by Walter Knott (at the time owner of Calico Ghost town) whom brought buildings from Calico to increase business at his berry stand located in nearby Buena Park, CA, as well as Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and De Efteling, opened in 1952 in the Netherlands, to which Walt Disney was a regular visitor. Disney took these influences and melded them with the popular Disney animated characters and his unique vision, and "Disneyland" was born. Disneyland officially opened in Anaheim, California in 1955 and changed the amusement industry forever. Key to the design process of Disney's new park was the replacement of architects with art directors from the film industry.

The years in which Disneyland opened were a sort of stopgap period for the amusement park industry, as many of the older, traditional amusement parks had already closed and many were close to closing their doors. Cedar Point was set to be torn down in the 1950s when local businesspeople were intrigued by the success of Disneyland and saved it from destruction. Other parks were not as lucky, with Steeplechase Park at Coney Island closing in 1964; Riverview Park, Chicago, Illinois, closed in 1967. Some traditional parks were able to borrow a page from Disneyland and use television to its advantage, such as Kennywood, a park started in 1898 and continuing to operate to the present which used television advertising and featured television personalities at the park.

The first regional theme park, as well as the first Six Flags park, Six Flags over Texas was officially opened in 1961 in Arlington, Texas near Dallas. The first Six Flags theme park was the vision of Angus Wynne, Jr. and helped create the modern, competitive theme park industry. By 1968, the second Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Georgia, opened, and in 1971, Six Flags Over Mid-America (now Six Flags St. Louis) opened near St. Louis, Missouri. Also in 1971 was the opening of the Walt Disney World resort complex in Florida, which is still the largest theme park and resort complex in the world^{[citation needed]} with the Magic Kingdom (1971), Epcot (1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (1989) and Disney's Animal Kingdom (1998).

During the 1970s, the theme park industry started to mature as a combination of revitalized^{[citation needed]} traditional amusement parks and new ventures funded by larger corporations emerged. Magic Mountain (now a Six Flags park) opened in Valencia, California. Regional parks such as Cedar Point and Kings Island, popular amusement parks in Ohio, moved towards the more modern theme park-concept as well as rotating new roller coasters and modern thrill rides. Also during the mid-1970s, Marriott Corporation built two identical theme parks named "Great America" in northern California and Illinois. The former is now California's Great America and is owned by Cedar Fair, L.P., which now also owns Kings Island and Cedar Point; and the latter is now Six Flags Great America. Many theme parks were hit badly by the Arab oil embargo of 1973 and a number of planned theme parks were scrapped during this time. Most of today’s major amusement parks were built in the 1970s.

Perhaps the most indirect evolution of an attraction into a full-fledged theme park is that of Universal Studios Hollywood. Originally just a backlot tram ride tour of the actual studios in Hollywood, California, the train ride that started in 1964 slowly evolved into a larger attraction with a western stunt show in 1967, "The Parting of the Red Sea" in 1973, a look at props from the movie Jaws in 1975, and the "Conan the Barbarian" show in 1984. By 1985, the modern era of the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park began with the "King Kong" ride and, in 1990, Universal Studios Florida in Orlando opened. Universal Studios is now the third-largest theme park company in the world, behind Disney and Merlin

Present and future of amusement parks

Since the 1980s, the amusement park industry has become larger than ever before, with everything from large, worldwide type theme parks such as Disneyworld and Universal Studios Hollywood to smaller and medium-sized theme parks such as the Six Flags parks and countless smaller ventures in many of the states of the U.S. and in countries around the world. Even simpler theme parks directly aimed at smaller children have emerged, including Legoland opened in 1999 in Carlsbad, California (the first Legoland opened in 1968 in Billund, Denmark). The only limit to future theme park ventures is one's imagination.

Amusement parks in shopping malls began in the 1990s, blending traditional amusement park entertainments -- roller coasters, water parks, carousels, and live entertainment -- with hotels, movie theaters, and shopping facilities. Examples of giant mall parks are West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada; Pier 39, San Francisco; Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota.

Amusement park owners are also aware of the need to satisfy their aging baby boomer customer base with more restaurants, landscaping, gardens and live entertainment. Kennywood has created in 1995 the "Lost Kennywood" area with classic rides that recall the possibly more tranquil times of the early twentieth century. In 2001, Disney opened the Disney's California Adventure which includes Paradise Pier, a recreation of the traditional seaside amusement park of yesteryear.

Family fun parks starting as miniature golf courses have begun to grow to include batting cages, go-karts, bumper cars, bumper boats and water slides. Some of these parks have grown to include even roller coasters, and traditional amusement parks now also have these competition areas in addition to their thrill rides.

The popularity of theme parks has led to the increase of theming -- "the use of an overarching theme, such as western, to create a holistic and integrated spatial organization of a consumer venue" in non-theme park venues. While theme restaurants, casinos, and other themed spaces lack the rides and other features of theme parks, they owe much to the legacy of the theme lands and spatial organization that became popular in theme parks.

Although domestic visitors still make up around 80 percent of admissions to theme and amusement parks, an aging population in the U.S. and a slowing economy in 2008 are forcing The Walt Disney Company and its competitors to seek their fortunes in emerging tourist markets such as in the Middle East and in China. The Walt Disney Company, accounts for around half of the total industry's revenue in the US as a result of more than 50 million adventure seekers pouring through the gates of its U.S.-based attractions each year.

Admission prices and admission policies

Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by guests attending the park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and beverage sales and souvenirs.

Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles:

Pay-as-you-go

In this format, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like a token). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. For example, a guest might pay one ticket to ride a carousel, but would pay four tickets to ride a roller coaster. The park may allow guests to purchase unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park. A wristband or pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission.

Disneyland opened in 1955 using the pay-as-you-go format. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon. In this new format, guests purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labeled "A," "B" and "C." Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "C-tickets" used for the larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then finally the now-famous "E-ticket," which was used on the biggest and most elaborate rides, like Space Mountain. Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides (i.e., two or three A-tickets would equal a single B-ticket). Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982.

The advantages of pay-as-you-go include:

guests pay for only what they choose to experience
attraction costs can be changed easily to encourage use or capitalize on popularity

The disadvantages of pay-as-you-go include:

guests may get tired of spending money almost continuously
guests may not spend as much on food or souvenirs

Pay-one-price

An amusement park using the pay-one-price format will charge guests a single, large admission fee. The guest is then entitled to use almost all of the attractions in the park as often as they wish during their visit. The park might have some attractions that are not included in the admission charge; these are called "up-charge attractions" and can include bungee jumping or go-kart tracks or games of skill. However, the majority of the park's attractions are included in the admission cost.

The “pay-one-price” ticket was first used by George Tilyou at Steeplechase Park, Coney Island in 1897.^{[citation needed]} The entrance fee was 25 cents for entrance to the 15-acre (61,000 m²) park and visitors could enjoy all of the attractions as much as they wanted.

When Angus Wynne, founder of Six Flags Over Texas, first visited Disneyland in 1959, he noted that park's pay-as-you-go format as a reason to make his park pay-one-price. He felt that a family would be more likely to visit his park if they knew, up front, how much it would cost to attend.

The advantages of pay-one-price include:

guests can more easily budget their visit^{[citation needed]}
guests may be more likely to experience an attraction they've already paid for

The disadvantages of pay-one-price include:

guests who are simply coming just to be with their families will have to pay anyway

Rides and attractions

Mechanized thrill machines are what makes an amusement park out of a pastoral, relaxing picnic grove or retreat. Earliest rides include the carousel which was originally developed as a way of practicing and then showing-off expertise at tournament skills such as riding and spearing the ring. By the 19th century, carousels were common in parks around the world. Another such ride which shaped the future of the amusement park was the roller coaster. Beginning as a winter sport in 17th century Russia, these gravity driven railroads were the beginning of the search for even more thrilling amusement park rides. The Columbian Exposition of 1893 was a particular fertile testing ground for amusement rides. The Ferris wheel is the most recognized product of the fair. All rides are set round a theme.

A park contains a mixture of attractions which can be divided into several categories.

Many thrill rides, such as the enterprise and the

index

Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

History and development

Location

Theme Parks

Water Parks

Other Attractions

Golf and recreation

Resorts

On-site Disney Resorts

Deluxe Resorts

Moderate Resorts

Value Resorts

Cabins and Campgrounds

Disney Vacation Club Resorts

Disney's Magical Express

On-site non-Disney hotels

Future resorts on Disney property

Never-built Disney resorts

Former Disney resorts

Executive Management

Miscellaneous Facts

Attendance

Employment

Maintenance

Name and logo

Development timeline

Tivoli Gardens, Denmark

History

Rides

Performing arts

Tivoli Concert Hall

The Pantomime Theatre

The Tivoli Guard

Live music

Gallery

Canada's Wonderland, Ontario

Park history

Origins

Construction and opening

1980s-1990s

2000s

Themed areas

International Street

Medieval Faire

International Festival

White Water Canyon

Splash Works

Children's areas

Planet Snoopy

Kidzville

Attractions

Roller coasters

Flat rides

Major attractions by year

Location

Public transportation

Six Flags Magic Mountain, California

History

The early years (1969-1975)

Roller Coaster Revolution (1976-1987)

Time Warner era

Premier Parks era

2006 attempted sale

Today

2010/2011 Capital Expenditures

Film and television

Present roller coasters and rides

[edit] Past roller coasters and rides

[edit] Ride/attraction timeline

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Developments and the future

Features

Adventure Land

Children's World/Viking Land

Germany

Russia

Italy

France

Scandinavia