Happy Holidays From Theme Park City

And a Happy New Year... which is when we'll be seeing you again. The Theme Park City NewsLog will be taking a little break until January 1st.

Kennywood President Protests West Mifflin Taxes
"The head of Kennywood Amusement Park said West Mifflin officials are using the park to balance its annual budget. Company president, Pete McAneny, said about $1.4 million of West Mifflin's proposed $11.7 million budget for 2005 comes from taxes targeted toward Kennywood. McAneny also accused last year's council of abusing its powers by raising the amusement tax paid on admission tickets to Kennywood. He said the park lost $986,000 from ticket sales because of the tax this year." From WPXI.com.

On Dasher, on Prancer, on Dolphin [?] and Blitzen...

Looks like Santa decided to warm up at SeaWorld's Discovery Cove in Orlando before the big, cold night. Photo from Discovery Cove.

Get a sneak preview of Jeepers! amusement park
"Jeepers!, a new indoor amusement park, is scheduled to open today at Westfield Shoppingtown Eastridge mall in Gastonia [NC]. To celebrate its sneak preview opening, the park will hold a 'Take A Load Off' event for parents to take a break from shopping. From 12 to 5 p.m., parents can receive free manicures, massages or mini-makeovers. Area salons also donated gift bags for the event." From the Charlotte Observer.

Prairie Rose owners want to bring Wild West to Park City
"The owners of Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper say they intend to build a 30-acre cowboy theme park called Wild West World in Park City [KS]. Thomas and Cheryl Etheredge plan to break ground in May and open the theme park a year later. Its estimated cost is $15 million to $17 million. The park would eventually create up to 150 seasonal jobs and bring in an estimated $40 million to $50 million in its first five years, a consultant said." From The Wichita Eagle.

Gila River Community votes to lure Rawhide theme park
"East Valley residents soon may be driving west to the Old West instead of north. The Gila River Indian Community Council voted Wednesday to lure Rawhide, the faux-1880s cow town from Scottsdale [AZ], uprooting the theme park from its home of 33 years." From The Arizona Republic.

Former Joyland owners buy it back at sheriff's auction
"The longtime owners of Joyland bought the property back today at a sheriff's auction, concluding their foreclosure action against the man to whom they had sold the park. George and Margaret Nelson plan to sell Wichita's only amusement park and have hired a commercial real estate company, Occidental Management, to pursue buyers." From The Wichita Eagle.

Knoebels Sells Roller Coaster
A roller coaster whose upside-down loops could make its riders sick will now help the sick. Knoebels Amusement Park in Northumberland County [PA] has sold its Whirlwild roller coaster to a Caribbean amusement park operated by the Costa Rica Children's National Hospital. From WPVI.com.

Worldwide park attendance a record 252.4 mil
"Total attendance at the biggest amusement and theme parks worldwide rose 2.2% in 2004 to a record level of 252.4 million, according to research conducted by AB and Economics Research Associates. The healthy recovery reversed a 1.5% decrease a year ago, when attendance was 247 million." From Amusement Business.

Winter Haven May Annex Theme Park
WINTER HAVEN [FL] -- Cypress Gardens Adventure Park soon could become part of the city, if the two sides can come to terms. In the meantime, the attraction, which reopened Thursday after closing last April, owes the city more than $60,000 for water and sewer service." From The Ledger.

Disneyland Honors Hollywood Legend Fess Parker on the 50th Anniversary of TV's 'Davy Crockett'
On the 50th anniversary of his debut as TV's 'Davy Crockett,' actor Fess Parker will receive the ultimate Disneyland honor on December 15th when the park unveils a tribute window in recognition of the actor's contributions to the opening of Disneyland. Following its debut, Disney's 'Davy Crockett' became a national phenomenon among young television viewers who yearned to dress like their frontier hero with the coonskin hat." Press Release on PR NewsWire.

Hersheypark sues Interactive over ride contract
"Less than three months after touting the 2005 arrival of the world's first tower coaster, Hersheypark [PA] has filed suit against manufacturer Interactive Rides Inc. for allegedly raising its price to cover escalating steel costs." From Amusement Business.

Knott's Launches New $16M Roller Coaster
"The park's new $16 million roller coaster, The Silver Bullet, opened at noon. The ride is billed as the longest, tallest suspended steel coaster in the West. The Silver Bullet climbs to a height of 146 feet before plunging 100 feet." From NBC 4.

Brookside star's theme park goes into liquidation
"Children's adventure theme park Poga's Wonderland, launched earlier this year by Irish actor and former Brookside star Bryan Murray, has gone into liquidation owing workers and suppliers 1.47 million euro. A creditors' meeting in Dublin was told that the venture, which featured Poga, an Irish giant and operated on a site at Kill, County Kildare, [Ireland] had ceased trading at the end of August after just two months. More than 100 staff, many of them students, are owed 72,133 euro as a result of the failure. The biggest creditor is Irish advertising agency AFA O'Meara which is owed 273,184 euro." From The Stage Online.

Whalom's future in limbo
"The fate of the once beloved, now abandoned, Whalom Park [Massachusetts] is sitting in court with no apparent resolution in sight. Potential buyer Lester Jay Rosensaft of Chestnut Hill filed a lawsuit in January 2004 against the Whalom Park Amusement Company Inc. and the Whalom Recreation Inc. for allegedly breaching a 2002 purchase-and-sale agreement. The amusement company subsequently filed a countersuit. The amusement park, which is located off Route 13, closed its doors in 2000 due to financial problems after more than 100 years of operation." From Sentinel & Enterprise Online.

Amusement park pursues plans to have road moved
"The owners of Lake Compounce say they will add new rides on dry land for the 2006 season, but will pursue their plans to move Mt. Vernon Road in Southington to make room for future expansion of the water park." From The Bristol Herald Press.

New steel roller coaster rocketing to Visionland
"Visionland [Alabama] will get a $5 million triple-loop steel roller coaster at its Magic Adventure amusement park next year as the park's operators hope to build on the record-setting attendance of 2004. Visionland owners Southland Entertainment Group purchased the 1,000-foot long coaster from a park in Australia and will be installing it in the coming weeks on the hillside between the Rampage wooden roller coaster and the Space Shot tower drop ride. " From al.com.

Theme park auctions off displays, equipment
"The Great Wall of Splendid China, which stretches for half a mile in western Osceola County [FL] but is not visible from space, will be up for auction soon. Bidders will have the opportunity to buy the replica of the architectural wonder either in total or in pieces when it and all displays, equipment and other inventory at the defunct Splendid China theme park are put on auction Dec. 9 - 11. Randy Kincaid Auction Co. of Lakeland will conduct the sale." From The Osceola News Gazette.

Disney Bumps Single Day Tickets To Near $60
"Walt Disney World will soon raise the price of a one-day theme park admission ticket by $5, making it the most expensive theme park admission in town, according to Local 6 News. Disney is also restructuring other offers in their ticket prices, offering discounts to visitors who stay longer and who live in Florida.
The price of a one-day park admission will be increased to $59.75 beginning Jan. 2. However, a five-day park ticket will soon cost $193 and a seven-day ticket will cost $199, Local 6 News reported." From Local 6 News.

Martin's Fantasy IslandAdds New Twist For 2005
"Martin’s Fantasy Island located in Grand Island New York just 10 minutes from Niagara Falls, today announced the purchase of a new Zamperla spinning coaster as part of a $2 million plus capital improvement plan for the 2005 season. This wild mouse type ride will not only provide guests the thrill of the sharp turns and sudden drops of the traditional Wild Mouse but adds the excitement of a spinning car making each ride unique." Press Release from Martin's Fantasy Island.

Cedar Fair, L.P. Announces Capital Expenditure Plans at Cedar Point and Worlds of Fun For 2005
"Cedar Fair, L.P. (NYSE: FUN), a publicly traded partnership which owns and operates seven amusement parks and five water parks, today announced capital expenditure plans for the 2005 season at its flagship park, Cedar Point, located on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo, and Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. Dick Kinzel, chairman, president and chief executive officer, reported that the centerpiece of Cedar Point's $10 million capital program for 2005 will be a new high-capacity thrill ride, called maXair. This new ride, which accommodates 50 passengers in outward-facing suspended seats, will swing its riders back and forth in a pendulum motion up to a height of 140 feet at speeds of up to 70 mph, while at the same time spinning in a clockwise rotation... The Partnership also reported that capital investments at Worlds of Fun for the 2005 season will total $7 million, highlighted by the introduction of a new multi-level children's activity area in the Camp Snoopy section of the park, and the addition of a luxury camping complex." Press Release from Cedar Fair, L. P.