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After a year full of disappointments with having to close its doors, The Beach finally received good news with word they will be reopening in 2013. The park's new website is stating that Adventure Holdings LLC, based out of Jacksonville Beach, Fl, will be the new owner, who already operate 17 other family entertainment centers in seven states. They signed a long term lease and have the option to buy the park. Adventure Holdings plans to spend $1 million in 4 areas, including adding 4 water slides, revamping the kids area, and tearing out the wave pool and constructing a new one. No other details were divulged. The site also announces that the park will also be renamed to "The Beach at Adventure Landing". Adventure Holdings LLC president and founder Hank Woodburn stated "I look forward to welcoming the dedicated supporters of The Beach in 2013, and hope they enjoy the upgrades and enhancements we plan to make at the park".
According to Cincinnati.com, also plans to accommodate those who bought 2012 season passes, which 8,800 people bought. Many of which were given the option to redeem their passes at Kings Island, Coney Island, and the Cincinnati Zoo, but many didn't go for it. The Beach at Adventure Landing will honor 2012 season pass purchases for 2013 passes.Cincinnati.com attributes the former issue t0 a lawsuit by 2012 season pass holders who wanted refunds when they found out the park would not operate for the 2012 season, but couldn't receive them. The park has stated they were unable to issue refunds to everyone simply because they ran out of money. This was prompted by 465 complaints sent to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. Its unclear how this news of reopening will affect the outcome of the lawsuit. The Beach opened in 1985 and currently owns 35 acres just across I-71 from Kings Island. The park has employed 15,000 people annually, including 500 seasonal employees. The park contains 50 rides and attractions.
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For over the past two years now, SeaWorld Orlando has been locked in a battle against OSHA fines and regulations. After OSHA banned SeaWorld from allowing trainers back in the water with its whales during performances, they ruled at the end of May that they must be separated by a physical barrier. SeaWorld, displeased with the ruling, appealed the decision to an independent review commission in Washington. According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, the commission rejected SeaWorld’s appeal to try and overturn this ruling.
The ordeal started back on Feb 24, 2010, when SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was pulled under water by the park’s largest, six-ton killer whale, Tilikum, and drowned. After OSHA’s investigation, they cited SeaWorld with over $75,000 in “willful” safety violations and barred SeaWorld from allowing trainers close contact with the bigger whales. After much deliberation, OSHA dropped the “willful” classification from its fines, its most severe classification/violation, but conceded nothing more. SeaWorld made many changes at their parks, including false-bottom floors in their show tanks, locations underwater for oxygen equipment, and even water vehicles which could distract whales should one find themselves in trouble. It wasn’t enough for OSHA, and as things progressed, their restrictions became more severe, culminating in May’s ruling that they must be protected by a physical barrier from the animals. The only concession made by OSHA in that ruling is that it limited the separation to performances only, since veterinary care and training itself requires close contact with the whales. At this point, SeaWorld can appeal the judge’s order in a US appellate court in either Washington or Atlanta. Though they have announced no plans, since day one, the park has been fighting a ruling which they feel “contained errors in fact and the law,” as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. Throughout the cases over the past two years, SeaWorld’s trainers themselves have been fighting in favor of SeaWorld, despite the fact that it was one the death of one of their own that lead to the entire ordeal. Whatever SeaWorld decides, they will do so within the next 60 days, but it seems likely they will go to the US Court of Appeals. The worry outside of SeaWorld is the impact the ruling may have elsewhere. It is possible that OSHA could begin enforcing this ruling across other various shows which put trainers in the same enclosure as larger or more dangerous animals, such as shows involving lions, elephants, wolves, etc. After two years of hard fighting, it is likely SeaWorld has not given up yet, and will continue to appeal the decision to the highest level possible. One of Six Flags Fiesta Texas' original rides will finally come to an abrupt end this year. The giant wooden coaster Rattler has been announced to be closed on August 5th. The park didn't say why the ride was being closed nor what would be going in its place if anything.
Rattler has been notorious for its uncomfortable ride and need for renovations. The ride opened in 1992 as the tallest wooden coaster in the world, soaring 179 ft with a 166 ft first drop. The ride sprawled out to over 5,000 ft in length with a course that utilized the canyon-side location which it calls home. However, due to the roughness of the ride even in its first year, the ride underwent many modifications in the first 4 years after it initially opened. Most of the work went into shortening the drop, finishing with a final first drop height of 124 ft. The 2nd hill's drop has been shown on various freelance videos that it sways a lot, some speculate more than a coaster structure should sway. The helix also underwent major modifications and new trains were acquired at some point as well. It is rumored Rocky Mountain Coaster, who did renovations to Texas Giant in 2010, will renovate Rattler to similar extents, either with the Iron Horse treatment with the steel I-beams or the topper track, with steel coverings on top of layers of wood. Cedar Fair has recently bought a piece of land to be used by Cedar Point. No, this doesn't mean the park is expanding for more space to build rides. Instead this is an effort to make the drive into the park more attractive while providing the park with some extra storage space.
According to the Sandusky Register Cedar Fair bought the land for $735,000. This includes a 13.8 acre lot as well as the former J.D. Byrider building. This building includes a layout of 17,800-square-feet including office space as well as a showroom. The lot also contains a warehouse with 7,800 square feet of space inside. The lot is located at 2000 Cleveland Road in Sandusky. This is just over three miles from the front gates of Cedar Point. This distance means its a building that guests will not use. In an interview with the Sandusky Register Annie Zelm, a Cedar Point spokeswoman, said, "It’s not going to be for guests, but something useful for us." Zelm also told the Sandusky Register, "“People should see some enhancements to the area. We look forward to developing it." It is expected that work will be started on the site in the near future. Could this be a site where the park can hide new coaster track? We will keep you posted on any further developments. Could you handle sitting 400 feet in the air with nothing below your feet but air? Riders are now able to experience this at Six Flags Magic Mountain, where the park has broken yet another record.
Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom is the first drop tower to bring its riders to 400 feet. The ride allows riders to freefall back to Earth, bringing their top speeds up to 85 miles per hour. “We are excited to add another world-record ride to our existing collection of record-breaking attractions,” Bonnie Rabjohn, Six Flags Magic Mountain Park President, said in the park’s official press release. “Six Flags is known as the industry leader in introducing innovative thrills and attractions, and Six Flags Magic Mountain, with more one-of-a-kind rides and attractions than any other theme park on the planet, is proud to expand our status as the Thrill Capital of the World.” Six Flags takes the superhero theme to a whole new level, because this drop tower doesn’t just stand alone. Lex Luthor is attached to Superman: Escape from Krypton, playing on the idea of Lex Luthor stealing power from Superman and allowing Superman riders to battle it out in the sky with the Lex Luthor riders. The themeing doesn’t stop there. To ride Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom, riders must first enter LexCorp, Lex Luthor’s facade company for his evil schemes. As they wait to board, they can view Lex Luthor’s famed suit that he wears when fighting Superman. For the premiere of the ride, Six Flags hosted Michael Rosenbaum, an actor who played Lex Luthor on CW’s television series Smallville for ten years. “When they told me about the ride I was excited, you never have a villain ride, it’s always Superman or Flash or some super hero,” Rosenbaum told SVCnew.com, a Santa Clarita news site. “On my way (to Magic Mountain) I told my brother that I was nervous. He asked why and I told him it’s a 400-foot drop and we are going to be the guinea pigs. Yet after I went on it a few times I just wanted to go on more and more.” From reports, it would seem that many riders share Rosenbaum’s enjoyment of the ride. Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom is now open at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Health officials in Montreal received a call from La Ronde at about 1:30 PM on July 6th after a catastrophic and chaotic event occurred. A 35 year old worker ventured beneath the track of the Vampire inverted coaster and was fatally struck by the 50 mph train.
More investigation has yet to be done as to why the worker was there and other circumstances. The location of the injury and the name of the worker has also remained anonymous, which the family wishes it to remain as such. The man was declared dead at the scene. Soon after the accident, there was said to be lots of people running and screaming which had to be broken up by the paramedics and park security. The ride will remain closed through the investigation. Vampire is an inverted coaster designed by Bolliger and Mabillard. It has a layout similar to the Batman: The Ride coasters found at many Six Flags parks, featuring a lift 100 ft in height, a top speed of 50 mph, and 5 inversions including a pair of loops, 2 corkscrews and a zero-g roll. |
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