Santa's Land falls on hard times
"Santa's Land U.S.A. [Putney, Vermont] owner John Fanelli said this week that the past year has probably been one of the most difficult in the history of the nearly 50-year-old North Pole-themed park. Although there was talk of selling the park earlier this year, no sale has yet been finalized, Fanelli said. A heavy late November snowstorm, combined with strong winds and power outages, forced the closure of the park on Nov. 30, some three weeks earlier than the usual closing date, he said." From the Brattleboro Reformer.

Nashville Shores seeks to expand with theme park
"Owners of the Nashville Shores [Tennessee] water park want to build a multimillion-dollar amusement theme park adjacent to the existing park but have had trouble persuading the federal agency overseeing the land to relax its policy against such parks. U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, has stepped in to try to help convince the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that a dry-land park near Percy Priest Lake would work on the 376-acre location that includes Nashville Shores." From The Tennessean.

Florida Splendid China To Close
From the website of Florida Splendid China: "FLASH!!! Florida Splendid China Theme Park will discontinue operations in Central Florida as of the close of business on December 31, 2003. This determination was reached primarily due to the continued downturn in the tourism economy, as evidenced by the closing of other tourism-dependent businesses in the area. Despite several years of attempting to achieve successful theme park operations, the company has concluded that it could not longer continue to incur significant losses. To our friends and supporters, we express extreme regret that this action has become necessary."

Not all fun and games
"Brookfield, WI - More than 40 times this year, police have been called to investigate incidents at a Blue Mound Road establishment, but it's not your ordinary problem-plagued gin mill. It's Chuck E. Cheese, the pizza, game and birthday party paradise adored by children. Unruly children are expected amid the euphoria of a singing mouse and the Whack-a-Mole. But Chuck E. Cheese has become, at least for some adults, a place where the frenzy of Skee Ball, pizza, alcohol and manic children translates into emotional overload." From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Japanese theme parks receive bomb threats
"Japan's two major theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan (USJ), received phone calls threatening to plant bombs during the Christmas holiday season, news reports said on Friday. Police found no bomb at the sites and are investigating the case as a prank, according to Jiji Press and Kyodo News agencies, quoting police sources. " From ABC News Online.

Voyager to take Rio skywards
"No one was calling it a Ferris Wheel last week, but the new attraction slated to be built on the southeast side of the Rio Hotel-Casino parking lot looks a lot like a super-modern, ultra luxury Ferris wheel. In fact, the only comparable structure is the London Eye, the circular ride, built to celebrate the millennium, that stands by the Thames River. The company is calling the structure 'the Voyager,' but says that the original concept was to create a wheel half the size of the 600 ft. wheel that will now be built. " From the Las Vegas Business Press.

Rumors of theme park in Fishkill [New York] Quashed
"Despite recurring rumors, a Six Flags theme park will not be coming to the former Dutchess Mall site in Fishkill anytime soon. The tale, which has been circulating for months, surfaced again just a week before Christmas, but local experts say it is only gossip. David Livshin, principal of The Dagar Group in Fishkill that manages the site, now named the Hudson Valley Metro Centre, said the property is too small to support a park from the Oklahoma City-based firm. 'We've never been contacted by Six Flags, we never contacted Six Flags and nor have I ever been to a Six Flags,' Livshin said emphatically." From The Poughkeepsie Journal.

Locals Scream Cheap! : Six Flags Magic Mountain Theme Park Announces First-Ever Price Break for Local Residents
"Six Flags Magic Mountain ... the Xtreme Park, announces an unprecedented price break for Southern California residents. Starting Monday, December 22, 2003, local residents pay only $24.99 for admittance to the World's #1 Xtreme Park. No coupons, no vouchers ... just bring proof of local residency and guests can experience ultimate thrills." PR NewsWire release from Yahoo! News.

Sold! Universal acreage acquired
"Universal Orlando appears to have washed its hands of a long-range plan to one day grow as large as rival Walt Disney World. On Dec. 8, the entertainment giant closed on the sale of 1,800 acres that had been slated to handle expansion of the resort. Atlanta development company Thomas Enterprises Inc. acquired the acreage for an undisclosed sum. Owner Stan Thomas would not confirm the reported $65 million sale price, roughly $15 million below the $80 million paid by Universal when it purchased the property from Lockheed Martin in 1998. Thomas does acknowledge the sale price was lower than originally asked, however." From Orlando Business Journal.

Cypress Gardens will gain new owner, thrill rides
According to The Orlando Sentinel, Florida's Cypress Gardens new owner, Wild Adventures owner Kent Buescher, plans the addition of roller coasters to broaden the park's appeal. (Link requires registration).

Attendance at Amusement Parks Falls in 2003
"Attendance at amusement parks in North America fell by 1.6 percent this year, primarily due to rainy weather at regional parks during the first half of the summer. But industry officials were confident that a two-year slide at the large destination parks in California and Florida had bottomed out and that business would take off next year. Visits to the 50 most visited theme and amusement parks in North America declined by 2.7 million this year from the previous year to 168 million, according to the annual survey by Amusement Business, a trade publication. Although it was a second consecutive year of attendance declines, an improving economy and pent-up demand should contribute to a stronger 2004, industry experts said. " AP Story from the Springfield News Sun.

GloTech Industries, Inc. Acquires Intra-Asia Entertainment Corporation
GloTech Industries, Inc. today announced the acquisition of Intra-Asia Entertainment Corporation. Intra-Asia operates the 8th largest amusement park in Asia. The highly successful Weifang Fuhua Amusement Park, located in China's eastern Shandong Province in the city of Weifang, is Intra-Asia's first developed property. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. From Silicon Valley Biz Ink.

6 children rescued after cable snapped at carnival ride
"SINGAPORE : Six children were suspended in mid-air on Wednesday night when a cable at a carnival ride they were on snapped. They were at a carnival next to Orchard MRT Station, organised by Heartware Network for its volunteer drive. No one was injured. For nearly 15 minutes, the children clung on as the platform they were strapped into was suspended in mid-air - some six metres off the ground." From Channel NewsAsia.

Advent will buy rest of Spain's Parques in market
"Advent International, the private equity fund that has successfully bid for 91 percent of Spanish leisure park operator Parques Reunidos , will offer to buy the outstanding nine percent in the market, it said on Thursday. Advent will offer 6.25 euros ($7.71), the same price as the formal takeover bid, it told the securities market regulator in a letter." From Forbes.com.

Georgia Theme Park Set To Acquire Cypress Gardens
"The owner of the Wild Adventures theme park in South Georgia is poised to take over Cypress Gardens in Central Florida. It closed its doors earlier this year because of declining attendance. Under the arrangement, Wild Adventures owner Kent Buescher would pay $7 million for 120 acres of the 67-year-old Cypress Gardens, which is one of Florida's oldest tourist attractions. Polk County and the City of Winter Haven would pay $2.5 million for the remaining 30 acres, including the historical botanical garden. The state of Florida would pay $11 million for development rights to all 150 acres. Buescher would manage the park." From WESH.com.

Europe's biggest fishtank wrecked
"More than a million of gallons of water flooded out of Europe's biggest fish tank Wednesday, threatening to kill most of its inhabitants after a fire ravaged the Danish museum in which it is housed. 'We know that some of the fish are still alive but some are dead because we can only see a few swimming about,' the museum's chief biologist Henrik Flintegaard told Reuters. 'It's such a sad day. The worst day ever.' " From CNN.

Disney puts motion sickness bags on Mission: Space ride
"Walt Disney World has begun placing motion sickness bags on its newly opened Mission: Space ride, which recreates the intense experience of a rocket launch, simulating rising g-forces and loss of gravity. The motion sickness bags are a first for the theme park resort, which never before has used them on a ride." AP Story from Heraldtribune.com.

DreamWorld woos foreigners
"The operator of the DreamWorld amusement park, aims to capture more foreign visitors, especially from the Middle East, Korea and Russia, as part of a campaign to lift attendance by 10% to two million next year. Amusement Creation Co recently took part in roadshows in the three regions with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and it hopes to have the Bangkok attraction included on the itineraries of more local tour operators as well. Currently, foreign tourists account for 30% of the visitors to DreamWorld. The figure slipped by 5% this year after the decline in travel linked to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) outbreak." From The Bangkok Post.

Keeping the ride smooth at Carowinds: Maintenance director oversees installation of his 20th ride
"Most of the rides at Paramount's Carowinds have one thing in common -- John Roof. As Carowinds' director of ride maintenance, Roof has overseen construction of 19 rides in the nation's only bi-state amusement park. But No. 20, which he and crews are now building, stands out above the rest.'It is definitely one of the biggest,' Roof said of the park's newest roller coaster, which will be nearly 12 stories high. 'In fact, I'd call it a mega-coaster.'... While SpongeBob SquarePants has temporarily returned to his home under the sea and Yogi Bear has gone to hibernate for the winter, Roof and a team of engineers, electricians, landscapers and drillers are working to complete Carowinds 12th and tallest roller coaster. At 115 feet, the yet-unnamed attraction is designed to give riders the sensation of flight. Officials plan to give the roller coaster a name in January so its identity can truly be established in the park, said Carowinds spokesman Scott Anderson." From The Herald.

Disney's Pop Century Resort Opens Dec. 14 With 2,880 Rooms Of Pop Culture Memories
"Walt Disney World Resort opens the doors Sunday to its newest value hotel as Disney's Pop Century Resort takes its first guests on a trip down memory lane. Eager guests are expected in the early morning hours of Dec. 14 to be among the first to check into the 2,880-room resort. With rooms starting at $77 a night (based on season), Disney's Pop Century Resort expands by 50 percent the number of Disney owned-and-operated value- category rooms across the 47-square-mile Vacation Kingdom to more than 8,500." From Yahoo! News.

Huge New Amusement Park Planned
"A Franklin Park man and five friends want to build an indoor/outdoor amusement park near Pittsburgh International Airport [Pennsylvania], Channel 4's Shiba Russell reported Thursday. Joseph Jarvis said his group is looking for corporate sponsors and 400 acres of land for the project, known as the Only In America Amusement Complex." From ThePittsburghChannel.com.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas adds new water park ride for 2004
"Explaining that the popularity of 'tubing in Texas' was part of their inspiration, Six Flags Fiesta Texas officials announced Wednesday that the San Antonio theme park will add the Tornado ride to its Armadillo Beach water park for 2004. The Tornado will drop park guests from 75 feet in the air into a 60-foot-tall, 132-foot-long multi-colored funnel of water. Riders will navigate the 5,000 gallons of rushing water coursing through the funnel on a four-person raft... It was created by ProSlide, a Canadian company." From the San Antonio Business Journal.

Popular Amusement Park Torn Down
"The Jeddah municipality [Saudi Arabia] has dismantled the Al-Nawras amusement park, a popular landmark on the Corniche for 10 years. The SR450,000 lease of the plot expired last year and the municipality rejected all applications for renewal." From The Arab News.

City to partner with business, group for two new attractions for Amarillo [Texas]
"Partnerships benefit both. That's the reasoning behind Amarillo Parks and Recreation Department's collaboration with Keep Amarillo Beautiful and Wonderland Amusement Park. Updates on the partnerships were presented during the Parks and Recreation Commission's meeting Tuesday. The parks department and Wonderland are planning a skyride that will go back and forth between Wonderland and the Amarillo Zoo to take advantage of the two facilities' unique proximity to each other... The skyride is one of several projects the amusement park has planned for the next six years... Another will be the kind of tower that shoots passengers 100 to 150 feet up into the air and back." From The Amarillo Globe-News.

Pirate's Park may form base of first Flint Township [Michigan] park
After decades of talk about the need for a community park, plans are starting to take shape for a 9-acre site that would include Pirate's Park, between Miller Road and I-69. Township Clerk David Leyton said the owners of the amusement park have agreed to a 'handshake deal' that would have the township buy and operate the recreation center." From The Flint Journal.

Disney World, banquet workers reach agreement, no layoffs
"Walt Disney World and its banquet workers have reached an agreement that will avoid layoffs, company and union officials said Tuesday. The banquet workers approved the agreement by a 155-5 vote. Disney had proposed laying off 118 of the resort's 205 servers and bartenders in August in an effort to better adjust to the seasonality of the banquet business. But union leaders saw the effort as a way for Disney to switch workers from full-time to part-time status and deny them medical insurance coverage, which is one of the fastest-growing expenses for the resort." AP Story on Bradenton.com.

Het Land van Ooit to open second theme park
"Marc Taminiau, owner and director of Dutch theme park Het Land van Ooit, has signed a contract to open a second theme park in Belgium, in 2006. The new park will be built on 22 hectares of land in Tongeren, Belgium – on the border of both Germany and France, with a total investment of 42 million Euros." From World Leisure News.

Wet 'n Wild officials mum on plans for site
"Officials at a Las Vegas Strip waterpark declined to comment today on what their next step will be should a resort be built on the 27-acre site. The owner of the land, Archon Corp., said Friday it plans to build a hotel-casino anchored by a 600-foot ferris wheel at the Wet 'n Wild waterpark just south of the Sahara hotel-casino." From the Las Vegas Sun.

Heart Condition Caused Girl's Death at Amusement Park
"A heart condition caused the death of an 11-year-old girl who collapsed and died in May after riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, a coroner's jury has ruled. Erica Emmons, a fifth-grade honor student from Gary, Ind. had seen a cardiologist and had an enlarged heart, Lake County Deputy Coroner Tammy Williams testified during an inquest Thursday." From CBS 2 Chicago.

Tokyo Disneyland roller coaster derails, no injuries reported
"The rear car of the 12-car roller coaster popped off the tracks near the end of the popular ''Space Mountain'' ride, said Keiko Namikoshi, a spokeswoman for operator Oriental Land Co., adding that the train came to a halt and all aboard were safely guided out of the cars. It was the first accident on Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983, Namikoshi said." From MSNBC.

Blazing Wild West ride strikes blow to peak season
"The Gold Coast Movie World theme park [Australia] suffered a devastating pre-Christmas blow last night, when one of its rides was severely fire damaged. The $14 million Wild West Flume Ride burst into flames about 6.15pm... an electrical fault is suspected to have caused the fire." From The Courier-Mail.

Spinning coaster at Seabreeze
"What has a 51-foot hill, 1,400 feet of track and cars that carry four riders and travel forward, backward and sideways? A brand-new spinning roller coaster that Seabreeze Park [New York] will unveil this spring. Park Vice President John Norris said the new coaster, which has yet to be named, will help the park kick off its 125th anniversary in style and will cost nearly $2 million to purchase and install." From The Democrat & Chronicle.

14 tigers seized from theme park
"Police yesterday seized 14 tigers from Phuket Fantasea theme park [Thailand], charging they were there illegally. The theme park is owned by Safari World Co, which is licensed to keep the 14 tigers at its Safari World Zoo. Pol Colonel Sriwara Rangsipramkul, deputy commander of the Forestry Police, said Phuket Fantasea could not keep the tigers because it was not a zoo, and Safari World, which could legally keep the tigers, had broken the law by moving them there." From The Nation.

Disneyland's Vip Guests Had Credit Cards Cloned
"A Disneyland Paris employee is under investigation for allegedly stealing credit card information from some of the theme park’s celebrity clientele. Jean-Pierre Sallet, who worked booking reservations over the phone for Disneyland Paris’ VIP village, was arrested while buying tickets at a Paris concert hall. He was placed under investigation – a step short of being charged – for fraud, officials said." From The Scotsman.

Wegmans to sell Six Flags tickets
"Wegmans Food Markets Inc., and Six Flags Darien Lake have announced a deal to have the supermarket chain serve as the retail ticket distributor for New York state's largest theme park and resort... Rochester-based Wegmans will sell passes at all of its store locations for the 2004 operating season, including Western New York, Syracuse, the Southern Tier, Erie, Pa., central and eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey." From Business First of Buffalo.

Roy Disney Sees Groundswell in Rebellion
"Roy Disney's rebellion against the management of Walt Disney Co. has found fertile ground among small shareholders and average `folks,' the former director said on Wednesday." From MSN Money.

San Antonio Six Flags GM coming to Atlanta
"The vice president and general manager of the Six Flags theme park in San Antonio, Texas is coming to Atlanta to run Six Flags Over Georgia. Atlanta native Melinda Ashcraft, who has run the Fiesta Texas Six Flags park since late 2000, got her first job with Six Flags when the Atlanta park first opened in 1967 and she was a teenager in high school. Ashcraft told San Antonio tourism leaders on Dec. 2 that she will leave Texas on Dec. 16 to prepare for the upcoming season in Atlanta when the park reopens in March. Ashcraft officially begins as the Atlanta general manager on Jan. 5, said a local Six Flags spokesperson. " From the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Kids Fly Free to Disneyland Resort on Alaska Airlines
"'The Happiest Place on Earth' will get a little bit happier on January 6, because kids ages two to 11 will be able to fly free on Alaska Airlines Southern California Vacation packages. Alaska is offering its popular Kids Fly Free promotion for travel from January 6 through June 9, 2004" From Businesswire.

Child Falls Off Ride At Holiday Village
"A ride at Miami's [Florida] Holiday Village was shut down this weekend after a boy fell from his seat on one of the rides. The child was recovering from minor injuries Monday, and the holiday attraction reopened Monday evening. The carnival was operating, but the popular ride, called the Avalanche, remained closed while inspectors continued to pour over it to determine what went wrong." From NBC6.net.

Letter From Stanley P. Gold to the Board of Directors of the Walt Disney Company
Gold has also resigned the board (see Roy Disney's resignation below) and also calls on Eisner to resign. From PR Newswire.