Shapiro Outlines Plans for Six Flags on First Park Tour
"As new Six Flags Inc. chief executive Mark Shapiro toured the desolate Largo theme park for the first time yesterday, he pointed to a yellow booth called Articature Cartoons, where caricatures of guests are drawn and sold. 'This does nothing. What does this do for your per capita?' Shapiro asked." From The Washington Post.

73 People Get Stranded On Theme Park Ride
"Officials at Busch Gardens in Tampa say 73 people were stranded when the Skyride at the theme park stalled for two hours. The guests who boarded the park's cable car ride were stranded 50 feet in the air starting at 7:20pm Saturday night -- 10 minutes before closing." From WFTV.

Imagineering's Sklar eased out of vice chairman's post
"The executive shake-ups continued at the Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday as Marty Sklar, a 50-year veteran of the company, stepped down as vice chairman and principal creative exec for Walt Disney Imagineering." From Amusement Business.

New owners to re-open Joyland in April
"Joyland Amusement Park [KS] will re-open April 16, its new owners said today in a news release.Joyland, 2801 S. Hillside, was purchased last October by T-Rex Group, a privately held real estate development and entertainment company with offices in Tacoma, Wash., and Tampa, Fla." From The Wichita Eagle.

Sportsworld FEC [NJ] Equipment to be Auctioned
Includes rides, games, and equipment. Thursday, February 23, in Paramus, New Jersey." From Caspert Management Company.

Man Dies Under Six Flags [Over Georgia] Coaster
"OSHA is investigating a deadly accident at Six Flags Over Georgia. It happened on Monday afternoon when a painter, doing maintenance work fell into a frigid pond. There are all sorts of improvements going on at the Austell amusement park, as they get ready to open for their 2006 season just a few short weeks from now. A 25-year-old contract worker was using a pontoon boat on a shallow pond to paint the lower portion of the Ninja roller coaster. A railing on the boat gave way, and the worker fell in." From WXIA-TV.

Quassy Installs Dual Waterslides
"Get ready to take the plunge into more than 400 feet of twisting and turning waterslide fun at Quassy Amusement Park. The new 'Tunnel Twister' dual waterslides will make a big splash with park guests when they open along with Quassy Beach and 'Saturation Station' in the late spring, park officials announced." From Voices.

George "The Wave Maker" Millay dead at 76
"Amusement industry pioneer George Millay, who invented Sea World in San Diego and Magic Mountain near Los Angeles before launching the modern waterpark industry with Wet n' Wild in Orlando, died in his sleep Monday, his biographer said. Millay, who had battled cancer, was 76." From Amusement Business.

A jungle out there for Six Flags Marine World
"Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo, Calif., on Thursday announced the addition of Tava's Jungleland, a jungle-themed play area featuring seven family rides, a giant treehouse adventure and live animal interaction, for the 2006 season. The park also will bow a new Shouka's Splashtime Show featuring the beautiful 5,000-pound Orca and her Atlantic bottlenose dolphin friend, Merlin, plus an expanded operating calendar concluding with Holiday in the Park featuring wintertime entertainment." From Amusement Business.

Angry Parents Toss Kids Over Sold-Out Disney Park Fences
"Angry families stormed fences at Hong Kong Disneyland and tossed their children over gates Thursday after the theme park sold out for an eighth consecutive day, according to a Local 6 News report." From Local6.com.

Six Flags' Mr. Six...Revealed?
"Now it looks like he has finally solved one of the biggest TV advertising mysteries of all-time: who is the mysterious Mr. Six in those Six Flags ads? Looks like it's none other than Danny Teeson, from Queer Eye For The Straight Girl! Davidson says that people who worked with Teeson had told an associate who let the info slip to Davidson. He had assumed it was OK to release the information since the ad campaign was over." From AdJab.