SeaWorld Orlando Launches Major Expansion

Orlando Sentinal: SeaWorld Orlando has quietly launched a "major redevelopment" that will add several new attractions to the marine park in 2012 and 2013.

The plans, according to government filings and interviews with people familiar with various elements, include transforming a 24-year-old penguin exhibit into a new, possibly Antarctica-themed ride; adding a sea-turtle movie attraction to an existing manatee display; and building a rainforest-themed trail in Discovery Cove, SeaWorld's limited-admission boutique park, that would include a freshwater pool and habitats for primates and otters.

SeaWorld would not discuss details of its plans this week, though it confirmed that it has multiple new attractions in the works.

"We do have plans for incredible new attractions at SeaWorld Orlando, and we're committed to finding amazing new ways to immerse our guests and fans in the mysteries of the sea," SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollattscheck said. "It's too early to talk about the plans and details right now, but you can expect us to share the news in the near future."

In a sign of how ambitious its plans are, a delegation of top SeaWorld Orlando executives met two weeks ago with more than a half-dozen senior Orange County planning and growth-management officials to alert them to the coming work. The SeaWorld contingent included SeaWorld Orlando President Terry Prather; park vice presidents in charge of finance, design and engineering, and lobbying; and a corporate engineering and creative-development executive.

The SeaWorld executives, according to those at the meeting, sought assurances that their plans would advance rapidly through the county's permitting process.

"They're going to be doing a major redevelopment. They're looking at spending a significant amount of money," said John Smogor, Orange County's planning administrator, though he said the SeaWorld executives did not discuss specific project details.

The Orlando spending surge is an effort by Orlando-based SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment — and its owner, private-equity giant the Blackstone Group — to revive the biggest and most important of their 10 U.S. theme parks. SeaWorld Orlando alone is responsible for roughly one-third of SeaWorld Parks' total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, according to a recent report by the ratings firm Standard & Poor's.

But SeaWorld Orlando has also struggled during the past 18 months, losing visitors to Universal Orlando and its year-old Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed area. More challenges are looming, with Merlin Entertainments Group preparing to open a nearby Legoland Florida theme park later this month and Walt Disney World in the midst of expanding two of its four parks — including Disney's Animal Kingdom, which, like SeaWorld, is themed around wildlife and conservation.

"SeaWorld desperately needs to keep up with the competition inOrlando, and both Universal and Disney are just throwing money at stuff right now," said Robert Niles, publisher of ThemeParkInsider.com. "If SeaWorld doesn't do anything, it's going to get left behind."

Although SeaWorld won't reveal its plans yet, some details have trickled out.

One of the biggest projects, expected to be completed in 2013, involves Penguin Encounter, a walk-through exhibit that opened in 1987 and displays several different species of penguins, as well as puffins and murres.

SeaWorld employees have been told the exhibit will close in December for an 18-month refurbishment, and one county official said he expects SeaWorld to demolish the building entirely. SeaWorld is currently renovating a back-area avian-research building to make room for the penguins that will be displaced by the construction.

What exactly will replace the penguin exhibit is less clear. There are persistent rumors, first reported by the industry news site ScreamScape.com, that SeaWorld plans to build an indoor "dark ride" in its place. Since August, SeaWorld Orlando has also trademarked a trio of names that could be associated with the project: "Antarctica" and "Empire of the Penguins," both for use as themed areas in an amusement park, and "SnowWorld," for use as an amusement-park attraction.

Separately, SeaWorld is also planning to redevelop its Manatee Rescue attraction, a project expected to debut in 2012. According to a person familiar with details, the plans include renovating a circular theater and using it for an upgraded, sea-turtle movie that will likely be tied in with a theatrical documentary that was released this past summer through SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment's new SeaWorld Pictures film unit.

Documents filed with the South Florida Water Management District confirm that SeaWorld plans to convert the manatee exhibit into a "combination manatee/sea turtle exhibit." SeaWorld last month also trademarked the name "Turtlesphere 360" for use in a theme-park attraction.

Discovery Cove, the high-end boutique park next door to SeaWorld, is also a part of the expansion efforts. Documents filed with the water district and Orange County show that SeaWorld intends to convert a now-closed saltwater reef into a freshwater environment referred to both as the "Flooded Rainforest Trail" and as "Flooded Forest River Trails."

According to the documents, its features will include a "primate island" and an otter-viewing area.

The Most Anticipated Rides at U.S. Theme Parks

EarthQuest Adventures

Los Angeles Times: At first I thought it was too early to look ahead at the new attractions coming to U.S. theme parks in 2013, but then I realized a number of big rides have already been announced and many more are already in the planning stages.

It already seems like 2013 is shaping up as a good year for ride enthusiasts and theme park fans. Big industry players have announced major projects, and several smaller parks are planning to roll out significant additions.

A few projects delayed by the economic recession have been given a 2013 opening date that might be best described as tentative rather than definitive. Only time will tell. But we won't let that dampen our anticipation.

Since it is still early, I'll update my top 13 over the coming months as new projects are announced. Until then, here's my list of most anticipated rides for 2013:

1) Magic Kingdom - Fantasyland

The final phase of the ambitious Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom in Florida is expected to wrap up in 2013, featuring a Seven Dwarfs mine train coaster, a Little Mermaid dark ride and a dueling Dumbo attraction.

2) Disneyland - Fantasy Faire

The Fantasy Faire medieval village at Disneyland in California will feature princess meet-and-greet areas and stage shows at the current location of the Carnation Plaza Gardens bandstand next door to Sleeping Beauty Castle.

3) Morey's Piers - Wooden roller coaster

The $10-million wooden roller coaster by Great Coasters International will span two piers and dive under the boardwalk at Morey's Piers. The New Jersey seaside amusement park is considering two names for the ride: Wildwoody and Boardwalk Flyer.

4) SeaWorld Orlando - Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin will transform SeaWorld Orlando's 24-year-old Penguin Encounter habitat into a new winter-themed land with 55-foot-tall glaciers in the shape of nuzzling penguins towering over shops, restaurants and an as-yet-unannounced attraction. SeaWorld remains highly secretive about the new attraction, describing it only as a one-of-a-kind, family-friendly yet thrilling interactive ride offering varied adventures from a penguin's point of view.

5) EarthQuest Adventures - New theme park

The oft-delayed $300-million EarthQuest Adventures theme park outside Houston would feature six themed lands filled with thrill rides, roller coasters and animal exhibits. Long-term plans call for a water park, retail center and hotel.

6) Lake Compounce - Water park expansion

The oft-delayed $15-million water park expansion at Lake Compounce in Connecticut will feature a slide tower, wave pool, lazy river and kiddie pool.

7) American Dream Meadowlands - Indoor amusement park

The stalled $3.8-billion mega-mall project next to the Meadowlands football stadium in New Jersey is scheduled to open in 2013. The completed 3-million-square-foot American Dream Meadowlands mall is expected to include an amusement park, water park, giant Ferris wheel and indoor ski slope.

8) I-Walk Orlando - Orlando Eye

Merlin Entertainment, the parent company of the new Legoland Florida theme park, plans to open a 425-foot-tall observation wheel in 2013. The Orlando Eye, slightly smaller than the landmark London Eye, would be part of new retail complex on International Drive in Orlando, Fla.

9) Skyvue Las Vegas - Giant Ferris wheel

The 500-foot-tall Skyvue giant Ferris wheel, taller than the London Eye, will feature more than 40 gondolas, each holding up to 25 passengers. The mini amusement park on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip across from Mandalay Bay will include several roller coasters.

10) Waldameer - Thrill ride

Waldameer has promised a new thrill ride for the area next to the merry-go-round. The Pennsylvania park last added the Mega Vortex spinning Disk-O thrill ride in 2009.

11) Water Magic - Water attraction

The $40-million Water Magic water-powered funhouse sounds like a cross between a water park and a children's museum where visitors will get wet but won't wear bathing suits (body driers will be available). The 40,000-square-foot water attraction near Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., will feature a walk-on-water illusion, hands-on water symphony, water mirror maze, bubble room, deep-sea diving experience and water sculptures.

12) Busch Gardens Williamsburg - Oktoberfest revamp

The Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg has undergone a multi-phase renovation over the last couple of years, with the addition of the Mach Tower drop ride (2011) and the Verbolten multi-launch coaster (2012). A third phase of the Oktoberfest renovation is expected to be unveiled by the Virginia park in 2013, according to Screamscape.

13) Six Flags Magic Mountain - New ride

Six Flags Magic Mountain recently shuttered the 1971 Log Jammer water flume to make way for a new ride in 2013. The wooded 6-acre parcel in the center of the California amusement park includes a sizeable man-made lake that could play a role in the new attraction. Will it be another water ride, a terrain coaster or a thrill ride that somehow interacts with the lake?

Getting Wet and Wild in Las Vegas

Splash Canyon Water Park

Vegas Chatter: Back in the day, it wasn't a Vegas vacation without a stop at Wet N' Wild on The Strip. Right next to the Sahara and before the reign of the Vegas day pool scene, the mega-waterpark was the cool place to get cool... at least until it turned off the spigots for good back in 2004.

Now, a new water attraction is about to make a splash, but don't look for it on Las Vegas Boulevard. Splash Canyon will keep the wet and wild times about 15 miles southwest of The Strip. Scheduled to open next Memorial Day Weekend, the H₂O complex will feature the requisite wave pool with 3-foot-high waves and Lazy River as well as 20 slides, a kids play zone, cabanas, picnic areas, restaurants, and probably a gift shop ready to teach us a lesson about forgetting sunscreen, our sunglasses, or Chapstick in the hotel room.

But, we know what you really want to hear about is the rides -- and if you'll be taken for one to get in. The water slides will include two 7-story Speed Slides, a six-lane, head-first Mat Racer, and a three-slide, multi-rider Tube Complex where 2 to 3 people can get drenched at once. Unlike Wet n' Wild, the inner tubes will be free here. We can't remember how much we forked over to get in back then, but Splash Canyon will charge us a top ticket price of $29.99 for adults or really tall kids. Tykes under 48 inches will get in for eight bucks less as will seniors and the military. Children under two will be free.

If you come to Vegas a lot, the best option, though, is a special $99 season pass available "while supplies last." Once those are gone, they'll go up by $40 bucks. Of course, tourists will need to factor in a rental car, too, or a really expensive cab ride for a day of fun in the sun off The Strip.

Vietnam, Land of Ridiculous Theme Parks

CNN International: If there’s one deeply unattractive quality in a travel writer it’s a sneer.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a jumped-up gap year kid blogging about how the“locals” don’t understand correct environmental protection or a corpulent blowhard taking a break from opining on American politics to glare askance at hectic traffic and piles of rubbish.

It’s the kind of writing that doesn’t do much except inflate its author’s ego and annoy readers.

So it’s not with a sneer that we view these theme parks. It’s mostly bewilderment.

Why the concrete bunnies? Wherefore scale models of real things you can already see in the city? Is that guy really hanging off the rollercoaster one handed? And he’s …welding?

Theme parks are popular in Vietnam. Each weekend the behemoth-sized Suoi Tien, just outside Ho Chi Minh City, is packed with families traipsing about looking at old mechanical dinosaurs or dressing up in old-time mandarins’ costumes for photos.

Whether this is better or worse than standing in a 16-day-long line to visit Disney’s Space Mountain is anyone’s guess.

“Finish, broken, cannot’

It’s what? We ask the woman at the ticket counter.

“Finish,” she replies.

The downhill luge we’d driven along bad roads in hot sun to ride was “finish”and it was barely noon.

We were at Black Lady Mountain, Nui Ba Den in Vietnamese, a mid-sized hill that was another slag-heap strategic point when the Americans fought here.

These days it is a small-time theme park with not much more than a long downhill luge to recommend it. And the luge wasn’t working.

A couple of months before that I’d traveled hours along Highway 1 –- the narrow road that links Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City over a few thousand kilometers of noisy dust –- to ride ostriches at Mango Garden, known in Vietnamese as Vuon Xoai and in Dong Nai province outside Saigon.

Our group was told: “Ostrich is … broken.”

We’d walked past several thousand of the things in paddocks and were standing at a corral full of them. A sign on top showed faded but joyful people riding these equally faded monster birds. The price was only 10,000VND (US$0.50).

We asked again, please?

“Ah,” he looked about to be swayed, then closed with the one word that speaks of dead and certain finality: “Cannot”.

We had to eat them instead (several barbecue places around town offer it on their menus).

Cartoon hell, in ferroconcrete

What the lugeing mountain lacked in working luges it made up for (not really) in terrifying concrete animals. The most terrifying were the bunnies, which were to Thumper what Chucky may be to say, Pinocchio.

A meter high with ferocious buckteeth that spoke of serious inbreeding and once gaudy color peeling off them in great clumps like weird tropical mange. They were everywhere.

Elsewhere, penguins doubled as rubbish bins.

You can make anything out of concrete here. A popular activity across Vietnam is cut down a lot of trees, put in new concrete ones, then call the thing “eco .”

Huge dragons, fake cliffs and representations of mythological figures from various eras are also common.

Discount Dali’s very bad brain day

Many of the exhibits or attractions at these parks aren’t broken, or intentionally terrifying. They’re just bewildering.

A friend of mine was once explaining attractions at Suoi Tien, Vietnam’s biggest, best-loved and strangest theme park.

He described one thus: “A large rotating teapot, two mannequins hanging from the ceiling, apparent victims of some celestial lynch mob, and a memorable tableau which seemed to consist of a woman electrocuting a baby.”

That, according to his wife, is the park’s idea of what Heaven might be like.

At Hanoi’s Bao Son park, a few kilometers outside the capital, you don’t just ask “WTF?” which can be fun, but: "what’s the point?", which is not.

Apart from clattery rides sourced from China and a laser show, there is also a recreation of the city’s Old Quarter. That’s the Old Quarter the whole city grew up with and can see, for free, any time they’d like.

Even the local press couldn’t resist criticizing the whole daft venture. They pointed out that entry fees for a whole family to the park stretch far above the average income.

Making the news, for the wrong reasons

When Vietnam’s amusement parks have been in the news this year it’s usually been for the wrong reasons. Last September, an Indonesian tourist was killed by a falling tree in a waterfall park in Dalat in the Central Highlands.

Earlier this year a six-year-old autistic boy was found dead at Dam Sen water park in Saigon. According to local news his parents have plans to sue the park, believing the management to be responsible.

Not so long ago the international press got all excited when it was revealed that one of the investors in Vietnam’s biggest new amusement park venture -– Happy Land -– is Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father.

The new park, which is due to open by 2014, will be located in southern Long An province a short way outside Ho Chi Minh City.

The plan is likely to attract 14 million visitors a year, and is expected to cost a mammoth US$2 billion. That's an awful lot of concrete.

A New Theme Park for Orlando?

The Mondial Revolution ride at the proposed Orlando Thrill Park

Gather: Orlando, Florida is world renowned as the center of the amusement park world. With the various parks of Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, the new Legoland and more, this Central Florida locale is a favored destination of amusement enthusiasts from all over the world, but there's one thing that Orlando is lacking and that's about to change pretty soon. For all its thrills, amusements and other entertaining attractions, there are relatively few roller coasters among its parks, and with a recent city council ruling, the area will soon be home to a brand new park with fourteen new thrill rides in all, including eight world-class roller coasters.

Developers of the proposed Orlando Thrill Park have long envisioned adding another theme park to the Orlando area, one that was a little closer to other amusement parks that featured thrill rides as their primary draw for crowds. I-Drive Investors planned their 78-acre park to be built off North International Drive, between a large shopping mall and a residential area, but their plan was turned down in April due to local zoning laws.

Earlier this week, the local city council agreed to make adjustments to allow the site to be used for amusement purposes and a public hearing is scheduled for November 14^th. The decision effectively revives the possibility of the Orlando Thrill Park, much to the delight of roller coaster enthusiasts who have always been hesitant to visit the area for its lack of thrill rides.

Plans for the future park align more with the scream parks that dot the country (like Cedar Fair and Six Flags) rather than the themed playgrounds that already exist in Orlando. Initial visions for the new Orlando Thrill Park were inspired by Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, two parks famous for their extensive collections of roller coasters.

The eight new coasters at the new park are as varied as anywhere, and include inverted, hydraulic-launched, simulated flying, and even a 4th dimension coaster, which is a newer design of coaster that spins on a horizontal axis. Developers have published a slideshow of some of the thrill rides they're proposing, which can be viewed here.

Though there are already some great roller coasters that do reside in the Orlando area, like Universal's Incredible Hulk and Sea World's Manta, and Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa is an hour's drive away, there has never been enough of them to draw the great crowds of thrill ride enthusiasts who travel far and wide for their fun to the area, until now. Orlando Thrill Park will surely be a welcome addition to the Central Florida amusement landscape, especially for roller coaster enthusiasts.

Disney World's Most Endangered Attractions

Disney's Country Bear Jamboree

MyJoy Online: Sometimes, Orlando's Walt Disney World proves to be a little too small, after all.

As the Florida resort battles changing entertainment standards, longstanding classic attractions throughout the resort’s four theme parks -- the Skyway aerial trams, the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine excursion and the future-predicting Horizons ride to name a few -- are torn down to make way for newer, flashier rides.

The Mickey Mouse Revue, an automated musical tribute to Disney songs that opened with the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World’s flagship theme park, in 1971, was sent to Tokyo's Disneyland in 1980 and was warehoused for good in 2009. Some of the 188 “Audio-Animatronic” figures in Epcot's transportation retrospective World of Motion (1982 to1996) have been re-cast in rides at other Disney theme parks, such as Anaheim's Pirates of the Caribbean and Paris's Phantom Manor.

Despite a fervent fan campaign to save Mr Toad's Wild Ride, the Coney Island-style, runaway car goof was run off the road in 1998 in favour of the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. As both a nod and an injury to its defenders, a statue of Mr Toad wound up in the pet cemetery at the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion.

Given the furore over the Mr Toad closure, Walt Disney World management holds its planned phase-outs close to the vest. But history shows a pattern: when attractions prove too expensive to maintain, score low on guest approval, lose sponsorship or have difficulty churning through high numbers of visitors, they are likely to meet the wrecking ball. Following that pattern, the following beloved Disney World attractions are, or might be, in the crosshairs. See them before it is too late.

Snow White's Scary Adventures, Magic Kingdom
This attraction, one of the last remaining from the Magic Kingdom’s opening four decades ago, will be demolished to make way for the park's reportedly $425 million expansion of Fantasyland, one of the park’s several themed areas. The indoor electric cart ride told from Snow White's perspective will be replaced with a meet-and-greet area for Disney's current banner brand, the Princesses. A closing date has not been announced, but it is expected in early 2012, so now is the last chance to try an insider's secret pleasure: buying smears of glow-in-the-dark hair gel at Main Street's Harmony Barber Shop that will light up under the black lights of the ride. Disney is not evicting its first princess from the grounds entirely, however. It is building a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster nearby.

Country Bear Jamboree, Magic Kingdom
One of Walt Disney's triumphs was the faithful re-creation of life, first in animated characters and later through "Audio-Animatronic" robotic figures. In 1971, a stage full of 18 robotic bears convincingly singing saloon songs was the cutting edge of amusement technology. Sadly, few of today's computer-reared guests appreciate such true technological prowess and instead, regard the attraction as an opportunity for air-conditioned rest. Citing poor attendance, California's Disneyland shed its version of the attraction in 2001, and with its audiences on the wane, the Orlando version is supported mostly by nostalgia. For the modern Disney, which prefers operating at high capacity, thinning crowds are a sure route to the red-line list.

Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey, Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's rides are known for being among the best in the business, so the opportunity to catch the company slumming is rare indeed. In fact, this Michael Eisner-era misfire has been demoted to that rarest (and most ignoble) attraction status: it operates only on extremely busy days to alleviate crowds. This Hollywood Studios theme park attraction is a vestige of a period of enforced synergy with Disney sister unit, ABC television. The 1999 movie attraction with Drew Carey demonstrates the importance of movie sound effects by shutting off the lights (and needlessly terrifying children) for seven minutes -- convenient for saving a bundle on production costs but patently unimpressive. A Star Wars-themed Jedi Training Academy show squats in its theatre on hot days, and it is reported (but not confirmed) that the Force will evict it full-time at some point.

Universe of Energy/Ellen's Energy Adventure, Epcot
The Epcot Center that opened in 1982 purported to explore the sciences in an intelligent way, and this pavilion was a perfect example of that promise. The roof is crowned with a glittering field of solar panels that partly power a dazzling seating system of six, 97-passenger mobile slabs that turn a theatre into a gliding ride. But as the attraction is sponsored by ExxonMobil, it virtually ignores solar and alternative fuels to pump up the merits of the oil industry. The fact it is narrated by 15-year-old filmed segments featuring Ellen DeGeneres (then an ABC star) and the largely forgotten '90s personality Bill Nye the Science Guy makes it even more dated. Waits of a mere five minutes are the norm. These combined deficits predict a gut renovation in the not-so-distant future.

Swiss Family Treehouse, Magic Kingdom
This ingenious concrete-and-steel walk-through castaway camp was built to impress in 1971 for the opening of the Magic Kingdom, with 300,000 hand-attached vinyl leaves and a working waterwheel system that sends fresh water from room to room. But people no longer recall its movie inspiration, a 1960s smash hit. The 14-story Tree of Life that was built for the opening of Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom theme park in 1998 makes the Swiss Family Robinson's home a sapling in comparison and California's Disneyland converted its own Treehouse to a more relevant Tarzan theme in 1999, so the writing may be on the treehouse wall Further undermining its future, the tree requires refurbishment every three to five years and the design flouts modern accessibility codes by requiring the navigation of 116 stairs and catwalks. It may not be long until this charming but cumbersome attraction ceases to exist in its current form.

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, Magic Kingdom
This 20-minute lesson about how appliances will rescue the nuclear family from drudgery is a genuine artefact from a period of consumer optimism in American history, having premiered with General Electric sponsorship at the 1964 World's Fair in New York City. The novel show system places the audience on a ring that rotates past four stationary stages stocked with Audio-Animatronic actors, yet people stay away in droves from this misogynistic chestnut. In 1973, it was booted from California's Disneyland for poor attendance, and now this antique spins in Orlando, where waiting more than five minutes is rare. Such low numbers would doom any other attraction, but since Walt is on record as having adored this one, and because it is billed (in a stretch) as the longest-running theatrical show in the United States, it has been permitted to remain in a forlorn corner of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland -- for now.

Journey into Imagination with Figment, Epcot
Catch it now, because since Epcot's opening, Imagineers have struggled to make this dark ride click. In this third try, the talent is not to blame. Eric Idle appears as a Dr Nigel Channing, a scientist at "The Imagination Institute" while Figment, a fan-favourite, kid-friendly mascot created for the park, serves as the mischievous spoiler. The fault lies in a delivery deemed so low-budget and uninspired that riders can usually walk on without a moment's queueing. Kodak yanked its 28-year sponsorship of the ride in 2010, and any sponsor-to-be is unlikely to take kindly to this albatross of an attraction, sending it into Disney history in favour of Imagination 4.0.

More Wizarding World Attractions Planned

Inside The Magic: Following the unprecedented success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park, more Potter attractions appear to be on the way, though no details are available yet.

In an interview with Universal Studios President and COO Ron Meyer, in which the studio chief blasts several of Universal’s recent box office failures, Movieline.com reports that more attractions based on the hugely popular Harry Potter film franchise are in development. The movie web site posed the question to Meyer directly, asking “if there were plans to build additional Harry Potter amusement parks built outside of Orlando.” His response was rather straightforward: “Yes.” He wouldn’t elaborate.

Since the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in June 2010, the Islands of Adventure theme park turned around from a park that was dramatically dropping in attendance to drawing thousands upon thousands of excited tourists and fans to walk through Hogsmeade Village, ride through a Forbidden Journey, and walk away with plenty of Muggle merchandise. Rumors continue to circulate that Universal Orlando plans to expand the relatively small Wizarding World into a much larger Potter-themed area, but no announcements have been made.

It’s not clear where exactly Meyer is asserting that more Potter fun will be built, whether it’s for the other Universal Studios theme parks in Hollywood, Calif. and Singapore or elsewhere. But his reply couldn’t be any clearer that there is definitely more theme park excitement in store for Harry Potter fans.

New App Helps Track Loved Ones at Theme Parks

Where's Johnny?

OrlandoSun Sentinel: Parents know how hard it can be to track children at Disneyworld parks or even the local mall. It is easy to lose a child in a crowd, and older children often demand freedom to wander alone to other rides or stores. Now you can worry a little less.

That’s the beauty of the new free Find My Friends app for Apple iPhone and iPad: Via iCloud technology, you can track children, friends, even employees, easily, as long as they have an iPhone or iPad too. It makes it easier for parents to call up exact locations of children – or for friends to find other friends fast.

You also have the option to share your location with others. They can follow you as you move around a theme park or travel from winery to winery in California’s Napa Valley. Users can share their location with a group of people for a few hours, days, or even weeks.

Dueling Dragons Will Never Duel Again

Attractions Magazine: After a couple of incidents, the Dragon Challenge “dueling” coaster (formerly known as Dueling Dragons) located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park will no longer duel.

The Orlando Sentinel newspaper has been following the story of a change on the way the Dragon Challenge roller coaster is run. The ride has two separate tracks and coaster cars that run on them simultaneously. At one point in the ride, riders on each train come around a loop at the same time, providing them a thrilling moment when they come within a few feet of each other.

After a couple of incidents in which riders reported being injured by something coming off riders on the other train (one person lost an eye), Universal decided to have the coasters run staggered, eliminating the “near-miss” moment while they investigated the issue. The newspaper reported …

It’s a substantial change for an attraction specifically designed with the near-misses in mind. Dragon Challenge is even programmed to calculate the weight of the two coasters after they are loaded with riders to ensure optimal timing.

Universal Orlando said this week it has decided to permanently end the practice of launching the two coasters simultaneously. The resort now bills the attraction as a “high-speed chase between two coasters.”

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our guests and our team members,” Schroder said. “This attraction has been through extensive safety inspections and continues to live up to our high safety standards.”

Although the ride has operated since 1999 as a dueling coaster, the recent incidents are the first to be widely reported.

Legoland Miniland Tour

Miniland is one attraction at Legoland Florida, The model village includes replicas of cities and landmarks made from millions of genuine Lego bricks. In all, Legoland Florida has more than 50 rides, shows and attractions including Lego Kingdoms, Duplo Village, Fun Town, Imagination Zone and Lego City. Legoland Florida opened October 15.

If you want to jump to a specific attraction, here are the sections:

00:00 - Daytona International Speedway
00:45 - Kennedy Space Center
01:45 - Miami Beach
02:25 - Bok Tower
02:35 - St. Augustine
03:28 - Panama City Beach
04:13 - Tampa
04:27 - Everglades & Key West
04:42 - Washington DC
07:35 - Las Vegas
12:31 - New York
14:18 - Hollywood California
14:42 - Chinatown
14:59 - San Francisco
15:52 - Pirates

Transforming Theme Parks Into Scream Parks

Detroit Free Press: Universal Orlando's first foray into Halloween Horror Nights 21 years ago involved one weekend, a single haunted house and some people in store-bought masks jumping out of dark corners.

What was largely an experiment has evolved into a monster draw for the Orlando theme park -- and for other amusement parks around the country.

Once the creative types figured out that people loved having the wits scared out of them and would pay for the privilege, the challenge was on to create something bigger and better every year. This year, the event takes over the entire park, with eight themed haunted houses and mazes, two live shows, sophisticated makeup, film-quality set decor, gallons of fake blood and as many as 1,000 "scare-acters" involved. Planning and production takes place year-round now, and the event draws hundreds of thousands of people who pay $42 or more to attend.

"I think it all has to with escape," says Patrick Braillard, a production show director. "People love to be transported, they love to be taken somewhere they're not familiar with. So our job is to create eight immersive environments. When they walk in, they are completely somewhere else."

Universal Studios Hollywood stages its own Halloween Horror Nights, with original mazes based on '70s shock rocker Alice Cooper's "Welcome to My Nightmare" theme, Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" and "The Wolfman." Also new this year is a maze built around "La Llorona," the fearful story of melancholy and murder that has terrified Mexican and Latin American children for generations. For the uninitiated, La Llorona was doomed to wander the earth forever after drowning her children in a desperate attempt to win a lost love.

At Busch Gardens in Tampa, the annual Howl-O-Scream event features seven haunted houses and mazes. Creative director Scott Swenson says twice as many actors are hired just to haunt the streets inside the park now than were involved in the entire event when it started 12 years ago. Now Busch Gardens hires an extra 1,000 people and artists spend hours creating detailed silicone prosthetics and masks for the characters.

Walt Disney World has Mickey's Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party, which offers something for families who want some Halloween fun that doesn't involve uncomfortable surroundings, gore and body parts. The costumed little ones can collect trick-or-treat candy from throughout the Magic Kingdom and see the Boo-To-You parade that includes stars of the famous Haunted Mansion attraction. Disney caps it off with a Happy HalloWishes fireworks show.

The SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego also are offering family-friendly Halloween events with undersea themes. Kids can trick-or-treat throughout the parks and check out Sesame Street's "Countdown to Halloween Show."

HalloWeekends at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, offer family-friendly fun during the day and scary stuff at night. The park is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through October and has four haunted houses, six outdoor walk-through scare zones, live entertainment and special decorations.

Top Theme Park Annoyances

Theme Park Crowd

 Behind the Thrills: It’s National Pet Peeve Week. It’s the one week a year where you get to point out and bring to light the things that really piss you off. Really it sounds like a lot of negativity, just randomly going around popping off about things that you see every day. Isn’t there enough anger and hostility in the world already? Still, it’s a fun subject to talk about.

So let’s turn this negative week into a positive by pointing out some of the things that are really annoying that we see at theme parks. Perhaps people who are guilty of these annoyances are unaware they are so annoying. Perhaps they’ll see this list and see the light, and stop doing these things. Yes, it is called Fantasyland for a reason.

So what ticks you off the most while attending “The Happiest Place on Earth”? Do the crowds at “Coaster Capital” make you want to throw them on the track? Let’s take a look at some theme park pet peeves.

Blind Fandom: Okay, so not exactly an annoyance IN the park, but it’s worse because it spills out all over the rest of society. I’m talking of course about the rabid fanboys. Sure you like a park, it’s a great place…perhaps the “Happiest Place on Earth”. In your eyes there is none better. So you start a blog…or a podcast…or a forum. And you continually talk about the greatness of the park. You also crap all over it for not “living up to standards”. You also beat down anyone else who dares to talk bad about that park. You act like just because someone doesn’t like your park, they shouldn’t say or do anything in near or around it. I hear it all the time. I point out a flaw about a park (me? A critic? Say it ain’t so!) and get bashed about it. It’s an opinion, and like a-holes, everyone has one. Does it mean I shouldn’t write about a park or event? No. It’s a good thing to have critics, it shows the parks and event makers that there are flaws and when the parks become aware of said flaws, they tend to get fixed. Sometimes. Of course, marketing departments hate it….but constructive criticism never killed a park. It also tends to make fanboys wake up and realize there are other parks out there, and it’s not so bad to like new things.

Brazilian Tour Groups: Okay, so I have nothing against Brazil, or people from Brazil. It just seems that Brazilian Tour groups are everywhere. With them comes rude behavior, line cutting, and rhythmic chanting and clapping. The reason for this is because the majority of people that make up the tour groups are teens on their own during a long trip for the first time. You know what it’s like, don’t you? You went nuts! Plus, Brazil makes up a huge portion of tourist dollars coming into our theme parks. Without them the parks would not have money to put on great shows, create new rides and expand into new areas. Unfortunately we do have to deal with the tour groups.

Line Cutters: It’s been a bane of theme park existence. It’s always happened and it will always happen. But people who cut in line are complete and total douche bags. It’s always the same story. “My family is right there” or “I had to use the bathroom”. Here’s an idea….make your friends and family wait for you! The line isn’t going to go from 10 minutes to 90 in the time it takes you to pee. So suggest that they wait with you…but chances are, the people you’re with don’t really like you which is why they ran off in the first place. Just because someone’s friend is ahead of you doesn’t mean that you have to let them join them. Make them wait. If they argue, cause a scene….or better yet…tell a team member they’re cutting in line. It usually will be dealt with.

Drunks: I love to drink at theme parks. Maybe I’m guilty of doing this myself…if I am, I’m sorry. But drinking at a theme park is fun, and at the same time inconsiderate. When people drink, they tend to get really loud, really annoying, and sometimes really angry. This spills into the lines and can be a bad situation. If you’re one of those drinkers that can’t say when, then don’t do it at a theme park. Wait until later. If you don’t want to wait until later, wait until you get done waiting in line.

Smokers: Another bad group. In a way I feel bad for smokers. They used to be able to smoke anywhere they wanted. Now they are designated to special sections. So instead of walking all the way to a special section, they light up in line. Come on…really? My mom has emphysema, and she’s never smoked a day in her life. Second hand smoke really does a lot of harm. Be considerate.

Photobombers: You get the whole family together. You get everyone in one spot long enough to take a picture in front of the fake plaster tree. And what happens…someone walks right in front of you not paying attention. Yeah, try to be considerate and pay attention to where you’re walking. It makes everyone act a lot nicer.

Pathblockers: On the other end of the one above is the pathblockers. Those that are trying to take a picture at every single landmark, sign and shrub. On top of that they are standing way too far away to get a good picture, and don’t know how to use their cameras. Practice before you go on vacation folks.

Bully parents: How many times have you seen a parent dragging their kid on a ride though the kid has tears streaming down their face? Rides are terrifying for some kids. Parents don’t see that, they tend to just go right for it and make the kids who are petrified to ride get on anyway. It’s a good way to make sure your kid not only hates coasters, but you as well. Child swap is a great tool, if you don’t have anyone to watch the little one, then you can just wait.

Idiots: This is a big, wide, broad brush to paint with folks. But these are the people that do really stupid things. Like the kids who walk through a haunted house and yell “I SEE YOU!” or get mad at an actor for jumping out and scaring them. Or even better…risking their lives for a hat, pair of glasses or anything that can be replaced. Everyone knows the story of the guy that literally lost his head after he jumped the fence of Batman at Six Flags over Georgia. And how about the video of that dumbass kid in Jurassic Park? Be smart people, don’t leave your brains at home with the dog when you go on vacation.

Stroller moms: These are the ladies that go plowing through crowds with their strollers. In one incident (swear this is true) the lady goes screaming into a crowd with her stroller after watching the parade “MOVE I HAVE A KID YOU ASSHOLES!” So…you have a vagina, you spit out a kid…and that makes you more special than the other 10,000 people who have to wait in line? Yes, it’s harsh…but so is running into the legs of a five year old who just happens to be holding daddy’s hand trying to get out of the same mess you’re in, and then yelling “WATCH IT BRAT!” (again, true story). It’s not only stroller moms, it’s shoulder dads at a parade or fireworks display, and just inconsiderate people in general. Everyone in the park paid money to enjoy the park…just because you paid doesn’t entitle you to enjoy it more or in a way that is not conducive to a safe and happy environment.

So, in short…look out for each other. We’re all trying to have a great time and relax.

Katy Perry Unrecognized at Theme Park

Winnipeg Free Press: Katy Perry was turned down by a theme park worker who didn't know who she was.

The 'Firework' hitmaker visited Knott's Scary Farm in California on Sunday (09.10.11) with her husband Russell Brand and some friends - who all had their faces painted - and while she jokingly asked one of the staff to kiss her, he refused because he had no idea it was the pop star.

A worker wrote on his personal Tumblr account: "Last night Katy Perry and Russell Brand went on Xcelerator 8 I got to see them and talk to them, they had their faces painted so they couldn't be noticed. Katy asked one of my coworkers to make out with her but he didn't know it was her so he turned it down, my supervisor called him an idiot hahaha. (sic) "

Katy later tweeted pictures of herself and her friends with their faces painted, writing: "Scariest night of my life?" and "Be honest with me, do I look tired? (above)"

Katy loves experimenting with her look and recently revealed she wants to try a pixie haircut but only for a short time after sporting the crop for a photo shoot.

She said: "It is a very short bob that has little curls coming around it.

"I think it's a bold look for me, especially for the short hair, but I've actually had a pixie cut before. I used to have a black pixie cut when I was about 17-18-19 so I felt I was reliving that part of my life again. It's really cute. I'd probably wear this look again, but I probably wouldn't do it for long."

An 8 Year Old Evaluates Legoland Florida

Merlin's Challenge

Tampa Bay Online: Sure, the new theme park near Winter Haven sounds like a lot of fun. Smaller rides built for kids, a pirate waterskiing show, deep-fried apple strips dunked in sugar.

But what do kids think of the park? We set out to find out the only way possible — with a kid.

Opening day is Saturday, but I purchased tickets for myself and my daughter, Anna, 8, for a preview day. Here's what she thought of it, from a kid's-eye view.

Merlin's Challenge
Our first stop was the Kingdom area, because it has princesses and face painting. ($5 to $10) The small ride is Merlin's Challenge, a merry-go-round that also rolls up and down.

Anna said, "It was pretty fun how it went up and down, and wasn't too scary if you're a little, little kid."

Anna's verdict: 4 blocks out of 5

We try Coastersaurus
Coastersaurus, a wooden roller coaster, was "super, super loud, and it rattles all over," Anna said. "I liked how it was so fast. At the first drop, it feels like you're in midair.

"Not too scary for a kid that's 8."

The cars hold two people, pretty snugly, and there are drop-down bars and seat belts.

Anna's verdict: 5 blocks out of 5

Safari Trek
Safari Trek is a much calmer ride. It has buggies that follow a flat track past huge Lego animals: lions, giraffes and ostriches.

"Kind of boring, because all you did was roll around. I did like the cool animals, like the big giraffe," Anna said.

Anna's verdict: 2 blocks out of 5

The new water show
The waterskiing show attracted lots of fans at the old Cypress Gardens, but this show is different.

The crowd helps the lovely Miranda and her crew of stubby Lego soldiers rescue Pirate's Cove from the dastardly, and stinky, Brickbeard pirate. There's plenty of zipping about on water scooters and a few ski jumps. The show lasts about 20 minutes.

Get there early and you might get to one of three water cannons along the front row to shoot at the actors. Anna warns: If you sit within five rows of the front, you will get soaked.

Anna's verdict: 4 blocks out of 5

Time to nibble
The Legoland signature snack is Granny's Apple Fries, which are strips of apple, fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar, served with thick whipped cream.

"The apple flavor kind of builds up on you, but the whipped cream cuts the flavor," she said. Given the chance, she would pick french fries.

As for the other food, there are the expected fries and cheeseburgers, but they have a variety of healthy food, including fruit sides and unbreaded chicken filets on whole wheat. That was a surprise.

Anna's verdict: 2 blocks out of 5. (Dad says the apple fries rock!)

Wave Racer a blast
For sheer laughs, one of the best rides is the Aquazone Wave Racer.

You ride standing up in a water scooter attached to a merry-go-round, spinning around as water bombs explode around and soak you.

Even waiting in line, you're likely to get soaked, and people walking by can hit buttons to blast the water fountains.

"I really like how it went so fast, but watch out," she said, "there is a bonk at the end!"

Anna's verdict: 5 blocks out of 5

Driving school
Anna tried the driving school, and I nearly had a heart attack.

The wait was at least an hour, and then I nearly passed out watching her blow through red lights. The driving course lasted about three of the longest minutes of my life.

"I was kind of nervous," Anna said. "My legs were kind of wiggly when I was done. The other drivers were kind of crazy."

With the wait so long, make sure your children really want to drive a car or get the plastic driver's license with their picture on it ($15.)

Anna's verdict: 4 blocks out of 5

Flying School coaster
The Flying School coaster is like a mini-SheiKra, where your legs hang in midair. But it rolls rather than dives in one big drop. This is at the far end of the park.

"It went so fast I could barely keep my eyes open. And it felt like if I put my arms out, they would hit the poles," Anna said.

Anna's verdict: 4 blocks out of 5

Spain to Open Universal's First European Theme Park

Attractions Management: Paramount is to open its first European branded theme park in Alhama de Murcia, Spain, as part of a EUR1.1bn (£950m, US$1.5bn) tourism project expected to open in spring 2015.

Proyectos Emblemáticos Murcianos (Premursa) is behind the scheme, which will also boast a 1.03 million sq m (11.1 million sq ft) LifeStyle Center business and leisure complex. Premursa has secured a long-term agreement with Paramount Licensing for the development and operation of the 550,000sq m (5.9 million sq ft) theme park.

Paramount will not be investing in the project but will assist in the creation of the park, which is to feature more than 30 attractions and two themed hotels. Retail and restaurant units and the Paramount Live live-stage-spectacular will be located in the Paramount Promenade at the grand entrance to the park.

Meanwhile, the main theme park will boast four themed areas: Adventure City for action fans; Rango's West; Woodland Fantasy for kids; and Plaza Futura offering science-fiction experiences. Meanwhile, the LifeStyle Center complex will offer seven hotels, including two four-star sites with a convention area and a five-star property incorporating a casino.

The commercial area of the development will be established in the 150,000sq m (1.6 million sq ft) Street Mall and contain a number of restaurant and night leisure facilities. An auditorium; an exhibition room; and a large convention area are also proposed, as well as a business complex to create a new financial hub for the Murcian region.

Paramount Licensing executive vice president Michael Bartok said: "Paramount chose the Region of Murcia for this project because of the exceptional qualities that make it a popular tourist destination.

"The support from the regional and local governments as well as Premursa is remarkable and we look forward to creating a world-class destination."

Ford Rolls Out Life-Size Lego Explorer

Daily Mail: To celebrate the opening of Legoland in Florida on October 15, Ford has built a very special car as a token of goodwill towards the amusement park.

The Michigan-based car company made a life-size Ford Explorer out of Lego bricks - 382,858 Lego bricks to be exact. A team of Ford engineers at the Chicago assembly plant designed and constructed the toy car which took them more than 2,500 hours to complete.

Ford Motor Company is one of Legoland's sponsors and a company statement said they provided the car as part of a 'long-term alliance between Ford and Legoland Florida theme park'. The Lego Explorer will be an exhibit at the park once it opens, featured in front of one of the park's attractions, the Ford Driving School for children.

Kids as young as three can attend, where they will learn 'the difference between the accelerator and the brake — and move on to stop lights and stop signs,' said Ford in a statement.

'Children then have the opportunity to drive in their own electric vehicles on curbed roads with maximum speed limits of three mph,' said the car giant.

According to Jalopnik.com, while the Ford Explorer is made with 2,500 parts, the Legoland Florida Explorer is made with 382,858 Legos. Also, the Ford Explorer was built by 2,500 employees at Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant, while the Legoland Florida Explorer was made in Connecticut by 22 employees over about 2,500 hours. The Lego Explorer weighs in at 2,654 lbs, while a real one weight almost double that at 4,503 lbs.

Ford said the vehicle will be loaded on to a trailer with transparent sides so motorists can see the Lego Explorer on its road trip to Florida.

Legoland Florida General Manager Adrian Jones said in a press release: 'We're less than a month from opening and the anticipation level is incredibly high. This is the only park of its kind in the world built exclusively for kids ages two to 12, and it will be a total departure from anything families with young children have seen before. It's a completely immersive experience, engaging kids' imaginations and their sense of adventure through interactive play.'

Legoland Florida Ready for Soft Opening

Orlando Sentinel: The rides at Legoland Florida are up and ready to roll, as Central Florida's newest theme park prepares for its first guests this weekend — the contractors who built the park and the families of the park's 1,000 employees.

Legoland doesn't open to the public until Oct. 15., but the Winter Haven park is nearly ready, with rides in working order, landscaping all but complete, and hundreds of Lego sculptures scattered throughout the property, waiting to be discovered by eager eyes.

"We're in full training mode. Our merchandise people are filling in the stores, our food people are practicing food preparation," Jill Swidler, the park's marketing director, said Wednesday. "So we'll be ready to go Oct. 15."

Legoland conducted a brief, technical rehearsal Wednesday of part of its water-ski show, the first time the show has been done in full costume. Dubbed "The Battle for Brickbeard's Bounty," the show includes a boxy Lego pirate named Brickbeard and the "spicy and brave" heroine, Ms. Miranda, who defends Legoland's happy harbor with her Lego soldiers and a pirate-eating shark named Sawtooth. The show set comes complete with a large-scale model of a Lego pirate ship.

"We actually have a Lego ship that we modeled this after," said Marc Kish, project manager for Nassal, the Orlando company that built the set piece. "We had to make sure every line and every seam and every placement is true."

The park also gave members of the media a sneak peek of Lego City, with its Boating School, Ford Driving School and Lego City Rescue Academy — a firefighter-inspired race that pits family against family in a bid to battle a burning building.

"The rides at Legoland are really special rides in that, instead of being a passive participant, you're an active participant," said Bill Vollbrecht, the park's senior project designer. "Everything they do, it's hands on. They drive the car — there's no track. They drive the boat on open water."

The park's Lego Technic Test Track was also ready Wednesday. The steel roller coaster offers a high-rise view of the park before riders plunge down a 45-foot drop.

Legoland said it will soon begin selling discount tickets at area Publix Super Markets. At $60 for adults and $50 for children, the tickets cost $15 less than those purchased at the gate and $5 less than pre-opening prices available online.

Park officials also expressed confidence in their annual-pass sales, saying area residents are already clamoring to get into the attraction.

"Our pass sales are going through the roof, totally exceeding our expectations," Swidler said. "We know the locals are totally excited to get in here."

Video:

Florida Won't Inspect Legoland Rides

Orlando Sentinel: The roller coasters and other rides at Legoland Florida, the theme park scheduled to open in Polk County next month, won't have to undergo any state safety inspections.

State officials agreed last month to spare Legoland from safety oversight because the Winter Haven theme park will qualify — albeit barely — for a 22-year-old exemption that was initially written into Florida law for Walt Disney World and other big theme parks.

The move makes Legoland parent company Merlin Entertainments Group the fourth park owner in Florida to operate free of state ride-safety regulation. The others are the Walt Disney Co.; NBC Universal, which owns Universal Orlando and Wet 'n Wild; and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, which owns SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

"Within our industry, it is common practice for the theme parks to govern themselves as far as ride inspections go," Legoland spokeswoman Jackie Wallace said Tuesday. "We are following suit."

To be exempt from the state's inspection-and-permitting requirements, Florida law requires a theme park to have a minimum of 1,000 employees. Legoland is not there yet. It currently has 994 workers — "with offers out to the last six," Wallace said. If Legoland's employment falls below 1,000 at any point, state officials say, the park would become subject to regulation by theFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The law requires exempt parks to employ full-time, in-house safety inspectors and to file annual affidavits with the state certifying that each of their rides has been inspected. Legoland Florida, whose approximately two dozen rides range from the relatively tame Big Rig Rally — a semi-truck ride for toddlers — to the more extreme Flying School — a suspended, steel roller coaster that promises kids the "thrill of flight" — said it has 28 people in its rides division whose duties include inspections.

Boosters of self-regulation say theme parks already have ample motivation to take safety precautions, as accidents can spark negative publicity and public backlash. They also say the biggest parks design ride systems and safety protocols that are far more sophisticated than anything that would be mandated by the state, which focuses in large part on traveling fairs or carnivals and smaller attractions.

Jim Miller, Legoland's director of maintenance, said the park's in-house inspections — some of which are conducted daily — will go beyond what would otherwise be conducted by the state. "I think we have more expertise. We surpass what the state is asking for as far as inspections," Miller said. "We feel like we go above and beyond when it comes to the safety of our guests on the rides."

Legoland also plans to contract with a third-party company, Recreation Engineering Inc., which will conduct certain types of tests and submit required documentation to the state. In addition, Legoland has agreed to abide by the terms of an existing "memorandum of understanding" between the other big theme parks and the Florida Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection, in which the parks submit quarterly reports with basic details of injuries that occur on their rides.

Some argue that Florida's voluntary reporting requirements are insufficient. Barry Novack, a California lawyer who has been involved in a number of personal-injury lawsuits against parks, say records produced from some of those suits show that parks frequently underreport the number of injuries suffered on their rides.

He said the situation is particularly acute in Florida — home to eight of the 11 busiest theme parks in the U.S. — because parks have to report only injuries that result in an immediate hospital stay of more than 24 hours "for purposes other than medical observation."

"What they [the theme parks] say is very few have been injured compared to the number that ride. It's not that very few have been injured, it's that they've only disclosed very, very few," Novack said. "It's really a farce." Whatever the reason, reported injuries are rare.

SeaWorld Orlando and its sister water park Aquatica, which drew an estimated 6.6 million visitors last year, haven't reported an official guest injury since the second quarter of 2008, according to state records. Busch Gardens and sister water park Adventure Island, which drew an estimated 4.8 million visitors last year, haven't reported an official injury since the second quarter of 2006, according to the records.

Disney World, whose four theme parks and two water parks drew 51 million visitors in 2010, has reported 87 injuries since the second quarter of 2008. Universal, whose two parks drew 11.2 million guests last year, reported 14 injuries over the same period. Wet 'n Wild, which drew 1.2 million, has reported five.

A spokesman for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment said the company takes injury reports seriously and goes as far as to alert the state even to medical conditions that occur on a ride but are unrelated to the ride's operation.

"Each of our rides is inspected daily to ensure all components and equipment are operating within manufacturer-recommended specifications," spokesman Fred Jacobs added. "Each ride is subject to a rigorous schedule of preventative maintenance and nondestructive testing according to ride-cycle parameters, as specified by manufacturer specifications, state and local requirements, and internal SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment standards. Our rides-maintenance teams remain in contact with ride manufacturers for ongoing support, parts and service for the life of the attraction."

Disney World noted that it employs more than 1,000 "engineers, mechanics, safety professionals and specialists" who are dedicated to the safety of guests and workers.

Supporters of the current system also say it fosters a culture of collaboration, because the parks annually consult with state regulators on best practices and safety trends. Universal Orlando recently hosted a session during which it showed inspectors new portable, emergency-shut-down units it has given to employees working three big thrill rides: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, and Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges.

"No one cares more about the safety of our guests than we do. No one knows more about how to keep our guests safe than we do," Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said. "We are always willing to discuss ways to enhance our industry's strong safety record, but more government programs and regulations are not the answer."

UK Theme Park Super-Sizes Its Seats

UK Press Association: A theme park has installed super-sized seats on one of its most popular rides after an "embarrassing" number of people had to be turned away because they were too big.

Thorpe Park in Surrey said it had to tackle the heavyweight issue to make sure all its customers could enjoy the Nemesis Inferno ride.

The park's divisional director Mike Vallis said: "We listen to the concerns of our customers and continually monitor trends, so that we can modify our offering to ensure we're giving them the very best possible experience.

"The reality is that we are super-sizing - and that's a fact we're embracing. Why shouldn't people be comfortable when they are enjoying a day out with their friends or family?"

Imagine Life Without the Mouse

Tampa Bay Online: Standing in the spooky darkness of the Haunted Mansion, Paul and Sherrye Archer wait their turn to enter the Magic Kingdom attraction at Walt Disney World.

The mansion filled with ghoulish illusions has been one of the Archers' favorite spots inside the park for the 19 years they have owned season passes. Disney World is the Valrico couple's escape from the pressure of their teaching jobs. Only an hour's drive from their front door, the four parks serve as weekend getaways several times a year.

Their set-in-concrete routine for every Magic Kingdom visit: a beeline to Adventureland and the Splash Mountain ride — their favorite — followed by the rib-rumbling Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Then the mansion, lunch, a dessert and the Buzz Lightyear laser shooting gallery.

Inside the mansion's dark entrance lobby, a narrator speaks in a mortician's ominous monotone. Sherrye, 61, whispers the script word-for-word. "Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis. Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination?"

Ah, imagination. The foundation upon which Walter Elias Disney built his entertainment empire. It was imagination that brought a whistling Mickey Mouse to the movie screen, then to TV and then to a land named after Disney in Anaheim, Calif. And it was imagination that led Disney to buy 30,000 acres of mosquito-choked scrubland in the middle of Florida with the idea of building a themed resort where visitors could spend money on rides, in restaurants and at hotels, immersed in a world of his creation.

It would take a Disney-size imagination to ponder what Orlando and Florida would be like if that first shovel of dirt hadn't been turned to build the Magic Kingdom. As the park marks its 40th year in business Saturday, it maintains its spot as the most popular theme park in the world, with an estimated 17 million visitors a year who spill into Orlando and use it as an entry point for exploring the rest of the peninsula.

"You're talking about the 500-pound gorilla in terms of tourism," said Mark Bonn, a professor at Florida State University's College of Business and president of Bonn Marketing Research. "Historically, we were promoted as a sun and sand and ski destination," Bonn said. "That all changed in a hurry when the Magic Kingdom opened."

Bonn's company has been tracking visitors for the city of Tampa for 17 years. His numbers show that 20 percent of the tourists who visit Tampa and St. Petersburg come here because of Disney and the other Orlando attractions it paved the way for. "If you were to take away 20 percent of spending in Hillsborough County, it would be a devastating loss," Bonn said. "Disney was the engine that started it all."

There are stories about why Walt Disney chose to build a duplicate park in Florida. One often-told tale is that Disney saw an employee, or "cast member," dressed in cowboy garb strolling through the futuristic Tomorrowland at Disneyland. For the big-picture Disney, who framed the construction of Disneyland with a cinematographer's eye, the contrast ruined his intended illusion. A theme park built properly would have tunnels for cast members to move without being seen, an innovation he used at Magic Kingdom.

The other story mixes illusion with money: When Disneyland was built outside Anaheim, Disney didn't anticipate the hoards of stores and rundown hotels it would attract outside the gates. As they surrounded the park, it limited any chance to expand. "He wanted them to be immersed and not see a 7-Eleven outside the gates of the Magic Kingdom," said Matt Roseboom, owner and publisher of Orlando Attractions Magazine. "He bought enough land to do just that."

After scouting other places in the United States and within Florida, Disney started scooping up land through dummy corporations to keep prices low. The Florida Project, as he called it, was intended to build Progress City, a concept that became Epcot and the town of Celebration.

Florida was all about big projects then. An hour away, billions of dollars were being spent to launch men into space at Cape Canaveral. In 1962, the nearby Kissimmee River was being straightened and drained to make way for grazing land and agriculture. In 1964, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began digging the Cross Florida Barge Canal to give ships a shortcut between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

"When you think about that time frame in Florida, you had a climate that was conducive to having a year-round operation like they had in California," Disney historian Dave Herbst said. "And they had the ability to buy a lot of land at a manageable price."

Using its considerable lobbying power, the company negotiated with the state to grant it eminent domain over the property to avoid the red tape of building in Osceola and Orange counties. The Reedy Creek Improvement District — overseen, managed and policed by Disney officials — was created. After Disney died from cancer in 1966, his brother Roy took over the project, nudging it toward a first phase of construction that included the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary and Polynesian resorts, golf courses, a campground and a monorail.

When Lakeland residents William "Bill" Windsor Jr. and his wife, Marty, were picked from the opening day crowd of 10,000 visitors to be the first to see Magic Kingdom, along with their toddler sons Jay and Lee, there was no way to predict the park's explosive growth. That 43-square-mile property now consists of four theme parks, two water parks, 33 resorts and hotels, a shopping district, a sports complex and a boardwalk. There remains ample room for parks and resorts if demand grows. Its success spawned similar versions in France and Japan.

So large was Disney's economic gravity back then that SeaWorld duplicated its San Diego theme park with an Orlando version in 1973. Universal Orlando more closely mimicked the Disney model in 1990, with what later became multiple parks and resorts. The three cemented the region as the world's top tourist destination.

A Disney-commissioned study released in April estimates that the Disney property generates $18.2 billion in annual economic activity in Florida, totaling 2.5 percent of the state's gross domestic product. The study by Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics showed Disney employs 62,000 who earn an aggregate of $1.8 billion. Statewide, 160,000 jobs lead back to Disney: one out of every 50 jobs in Florida. That doesn't include the millions of dollars that have flowed to Tampa or St. Petersburg as travelers filter through. Or the construction workers that built houses and widened Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike.

Disney and Florida have become so synonymous that marketing money spent by the company to draw visitors acts as de facto promotion for the rest of the state, economist Bonn said. The state has a $25 million tourism marketing budget, while Disney spends $250 million to promote its attractions.

Without Cinderella's Castle, there's no reason to assume Orlando would be the 29th-busiest airport in the world, according to Airports Council International. There's nothing to suggest "the I-4 corridor" would have become so coveted in national politics. "There would be no Orlando Magic basketball team," Bonn said, joking. "Funny how they got that name, eh? What would they have called them, the Orlando Oranges?"

Roseboom recently broke the news in his attractions magazine that Disney plans to feature a land in its Animal Kingdom park dedicated to "Avatar," the largest-grossing movie ever.

Without the Magic Kingdom, Herbst never would have left his job as a sports copy editor for the Pittsburgh Press to become a Disney historian. He will retire this year after 30 years. In 1977, he begrudgingly took a trip to Magic Kingdom instead of visiting his grandmother.

"My friends loved Disney," Herbst said. "They said, 'You have to go to Walt Disney World.' My response was, "Why? We have Kennywood!' "

After two days in the Magic Kingdom, he told his wife while driving north on Interstate 95, "I'm going to work there someday.

"I was seeing myself as the guy on the horse-drawn trolley or some fun little job," Herbst said. "I immediately sent a crazy letter to them after we got home. I got back a letter that said, 'Thank you for your interest.'"

Four years later, he was a cast member.

Paul Archer worked as a cast member in the mid-1970s, sweeping up trash along Magic Kingdom's impeccably clean Main Street U.S.A. His favorite park is Epcot: Once you have swept up after the horses, it changes your view of Magic Kingdom, he said. Archer, 55, owns no Mickey Mouse-adorned apparel. His wife once bought them matching Mickey Mouse outfits during a Disney cruise. He wore it. "Once," he said, flatly.

The couple, who met as physical education teachers and coaches at schools in Palm Bay, spend thousands of dollars a year at the park. Married for more than 20 years, they have no children but enjoy seeing the parks through the eyes of their relatives' kids.

Paul, a physical education teacher at Corpus Christi Catholic School in Temple Terrace, runs the Disney Marathon each year through the streets of the theme parks and resorts. Sherrye, who teaches physical education at Stowers Elementary in Lithia, wears her oversized Minnie Mouse hand to wave goodbye to students at the end of the school year. They rarely buy souvenirs.

One time in 2005, they broke that rule. They got through the front gate of Magic Kingdom at opening time and ran to their beloved Splash Mountain. As the first two riders of the day, they went down the water toboggan alone. Twice. They plunked down $15 for the 5- by 8-inch souvenir photo. It sits in a frame on their mantel. "That was the best day at the park ever," she said. "I'll never forget that."

Not everyone has been entranced by Disney's magic, though. Members of the I Hate Disney World page on Facebook, for example, see the resort as "a blight on the fetid swampland it was built on."

"It makes your average refugee camp look like a garden party," the page says. "The most accursed place on Earth."

In 2008, Newark Star-Ledger parenting columnist Peggy O'Crowley bemoaned a trip to Magic Kingdom, confessing her boredom and saying her kids were equally underwhelmed. "The heat, the long lines for rides, the $5 hot dogs, the plastic castle, the adults wearing Goofy or Mickey ears … it was all too much for us," she wrote.

Disney fans swarmed to the newspaper's website to defend the resort. "I am guessing if there was one of the seven dwarfs you admire and resemble the most it would be Grumpy," one wrote.

The definitive anti-Mouse screed remains Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen's 83-page book, "Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World." Published in 1998, the book has become the Rosetta stone for despising the Disneyfication of Florida and the country.

Hiaasen attacks the company for what he sees as its manhandling of the Legislature to get its way, for destroying the environmental purity of Central Florida and for insisting that nature is something to be managed instead of nurtured.

"Disney is so good at being good," Hiaasen writes, "that it manifests an evil; so uniformly efficient and courteous, so dependably clean and conscientious, so unfailingly entertaining that it's unreal, and therefore is an agent of pure wickedness. Imagine promoting a universe in which raw Nature doesn't fit because it doesn't measure up."

Disney has responded to critics with efforts to tout its recycling efforts. Visitors staying at resort hotels are asked to conserve towels to reduce water use. Attractions at Animal Kingdom and Epcot tout the wisdom of being ecologically minded.

But even critics know Disney isn't leaving Florida anytime soon. Consider those big projects that emerged about the time Magic Kingdom was built. NASA this year stopped sending people into space from Cape Canaveral. The Kissimmee River straightening is being undone to rectify damage to the region and to the Everglades. The uncompleted barge canal didn't see the end of the first Nixon administration and is now a greenway named for its most strident opponent.

Magic Kingdom, on the other hand, will add a village of new princess-themed attractions to Fantasyland next year. And Disney Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo announced Thursday the company's plan to expand into India. Shanghai Disney is slated to open in 2015.

Disney endures.