As Six Flags Turns 50, New CEO Jim Reid-Anderson Shares How He Will Rebrand and Rebuild Custom Modular Renovation

IN FOCUS: TRENDS IN VIRTUAL QUEUES AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY, P. 28

FUNWORLDTHE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AMUSEMENT PARKS & A TTRACTIONS APRIL 2011

Roadto Recovery As Six Flags turns 50, new CEO Jim Reid-Anderson shares how he will rebrand and rebuild Custom Modular Renovation

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Roadto BROWNKEVIN Recovery In this exclusive interview, new Six Flags CEO Jim 20 Reid-Anderson explains his strategy and vision for the company as it Jim Reid-Anderson at celebrates its 50th the newly refurbished “Texas Giant” anniversary. IN FOCUS: QUEUES

Parks share

SAINT LOUIS ZOO LOUIS SAINT insights on ADVENTURE LANDING ADVENTURE 28 managing lines for major DENO’S WONDER WHEEL PARK WONDER DENO’S attractions.

How smartphones From packaging to Zoos see multiple The continuing are changing the payment plans, a benefits in legacy of Deno’s 32 way attractions 36 look at pricing 40 refurbishing their 44 Wonder Wheel Park handle queuing strategies through - entrances. in Coney Island. and the in-park out the industry. experience. WYLIE THUNDER ROAD WYLIE NATIONAL TICKET COMPANY NATIONAL MOUNTASIA FAMILY FUN CENTER FAMILY MOUNTASIA SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK SANTA SECURITY FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING HUMAN RESOURCES How attractions are Beverages can Text messaging FECs save time, 49 addressing ticket 54 make a big impact 56 effective for FECs 58 reduce turnover fraud. on the bottom line. reaching out to with creative hiring teens. techniques.

DEPARTMENTS THE MIDWAY RESOURCES 2 Letter from 60 SPECIAL REPORT: 66 Ad Index FUNWORLD the Chairman Drive ticket sales 66 Calendar 4 Quick Hits 62 BOOK REVIEW: April 2011 Jack Lindquist’s VOLUME XXVII • ISSUE 4 7 Out & Back ‘In Service To The 15 IAAPA News Mouse’ Funworld is a member beneﬁt of the International Association of 68 Last Shot: 64 IN BRIEF: People Amusement Parks and Attractions Six Flags and Products LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN FUNWORLD

Editor Amanda Charney The many faces Senior Editor Jeremy Schoolﬁeld

of ticketing News Editor Keith Miller

Innovation and creativity happen in our Editor at Large industry every day. Sometimes the result is Tim O’Brien

obvious to our guests: A new ride is outfitted Contributing Editor with high-tech elements, or a new food item is Mike Bederka introduced to the marketplace. Vice President of Communications Ticketing may not be as obvious as a 200- David Mandt foot-tall roller coaster, but it’s just as important Production Manager

LOGAN WALLACE LOGAN to the guest experience. Not everyone is going Michelle Wandres to ride every ride or eat every morsel of food, but everyone is guaranteed to use a facility’s ticketing interface every visit. Advertising Representatives Capitol Media Solutions The ticketing world has become more sophisticated and refined over the past Lyanne Dupra +1 703/647-6242 several years. With the introduction of virtual ticketing, online sales, virtual queueing, Dan Ferrin +1 404/347-1755

and more, the possibilities are endless. IAAPA Chairman of the Board In this issue of Funworld, we ask a handful of ticketing companies where they see Bob Rippy

the sector going and what innovations are on the horizon. We IAAPA Interim COO also look deeper into virtual queuing, ticket challenges for Susan Mosedale

waterparks, small park solutions, and ticket security. IAAPA Executive Director, IAAPA MISSION This issue was developed to give you ideas and Asia-Paciﬁc Operations Our mission is to insight into what you can apply to your business, and Andrew Lee serve the membership by promoting demonstrate how the visionaries in our industry can IAAPA Executive Director, safe operations, global development, propel us forward by taking risks and thinking European Operations professional growth, and the creatively. Karen Staley commercial success of the Enjoy the issue, and let us know what you think by IAAPA Executive Director, amusement parks and Latin American Operations e-mailing Funworld at [email protected]. FW attractions industry. Paulina Reyes

Sincerely,

Bob Rippy, Chairman of the Board

Funworld (ISSN 08923752; mailed in Canada under IPM #0902179) is published monthly, except in December, by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, 1448 Duke Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314-3464; phone +1 703/836-4800. Peri- odicals postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and additional ofﬁces. The GO On IAAPA.org purpose, function, and nonproﬁt status of this organization have not changed during the preceding 12 months. Postmaster: Send address changes to Funworld, 1448 Duke Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314-3464. Subscriptions are available to IAAPA members for Celebrate the Power of Travel. May is National Tourism and Travel Week. Since US$70 and US$90 for nonmembers. Single issues are $8. ©2011 International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. No 1983, the travel industry has celebrated with local rallies and media outreach. material or part thereof may be reproduced or printed without the You can do the same at your company. Read about the event on IAAPA’s blog written consent of IAAPA. Ride-along may be enclosed. and view helpful tips from the travel industry about how you can promote tourism at your organization. http://iaapainthequeue.blogspot.com/2011/02/ start-planning-national-tourism-and.html www.IAAPA.org

DISCLAIMER. IAAPA makes no representations or warranties about Free Member Crisis Communication Guide: As you gear up for the season, the accuracy or suitability of any information or materials in this pub- lication; all such content is provided on an “as is” basis. IAAPA remember IAAPA members can download the association’s quick guide to crisis hereby disclaims all warranties regarding the contents of this publi- cation, including without limitation all warranties of title, non- communications management. Visit www.IAAPA.org, log in with your username infringement, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. IAAPA does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse the information, and password, and visit the Member Center for more information. products, or services of any corporation, organization, or person. IAAPA shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, claim, or otherwise, whether an action in contract or tort and further shall not be liable for any lost profits, or direct, indirect, special, punitive, or con- sequential damages of any kind (including without limitation attor- neys’ fees and expenses). 2 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1

QUICK HITS Six Flags New England Will Run the ‘Gauntlet’ Six Flags New England’s (SFNE) “Bizarro” roller coaster, which routinely tops lists of the best steel roller coasters in the world, is about to have a thrilling cohort. “Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum” will join “Bizarro” in the DC Super Hero th roller coaster. It will Adventure section of the park as SFNE’s 10 feature winding twists and 17 hairpin turns. But some shuffling had to be done to make room for the Maurer Söhne ride, according to park spokesperson Melissa Pinkerton: “The football field was removed—it was a pass-kick game—and we relocated our slingshot ride to the south end of the park. So it’s maybe 100 feet from SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND ‘Bizarro’—I mean right next door!”www.sixflags.com/newengland

‘Dragon’s Treasure’ Refreshed for Special sequence of ‘Dragon’s Treasure’ that FALCON'S TREEHOUSE New Year takes place in the Bubble Theater In recognition of the first day of the Chinese New Year, Feb. 3, a new edition of the “Dragon’s Treasure” show opened at The Bubble theater of the City of Dreams in Macau and featured new content created by Falcon’s Treehouse. The Bubble theater is the world’s largest special effects projection dome. www.falconstreehouse.com

SUNWAYLAGOON Taking It to Extremes for Charity Evergreen In a symbolic nod to the unusual Magic calendar date, 1/11/11, teams Clostermann representing various local Entertainment has Selangor, Malaysia, media completed its work on competed for a grand prize of the stunningly realistic 11,111 ringgit (US$3,660) and 130-foot-tall rainforest other prizes for charity at the tree in the Ruhr Sunway Lagoon Extreme Sports Region’s Gasometer in Challenge. A crowd of 2,000 Ettlingen, Germany, the looked on as the team from KL tallest exhibition hall in FM radio station racked up the Europe. The huge tree A contestant bungee highest score. The contest jumps as a part of weighs nine tons and heralded the opening of the Sunway Lagoon's will be the artistic focal new extreme sports park, Extreme Sports point of the “Magical Challenge for charity. which boasts a permanent Places” exhibition bungee jump site, go-karts, opening April 8, 2011. paintball, kayaking, and a power bungee trampoline www.clostermann- among its offerings. www.sunwaylagoon.com CLOSTERMAN ENTERTAINMENT entertainment.com

4 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Send us your news and pictures. E-mail Keith Miller at [email protected].

Two ‘World’s Firsts’ WADI WILD Open at Wild Wadi Thrill-seeking visitors to Wild Wadi Waterpark in Dubai should be gushing about two new rides. “Burj Surj” and “Tantrum Alley,” both from ProSlide Technology, are a part of the park’s newly opened expansion. “Burj Surj” is the only water ride in the world with back-to- back bowls, designed for four- and five-person rafts, and “Tantrum Alley” is the only slide in the world with three funnels. Jihane El Fadl, the park’s marketing communications manager, answered a couple of questions for Funworld about the slides: How are guests reacting?The reaction is absolutely amazing—we have very high media coverage and also received a lot of positive comments from our guests. Has it impacted your attendance? We saw an 8 percent increase in attendance in January, and we can’t Starting from the top of a shared tower, “Tantrum Alley” (left) and “Burj Surj” (right) help but think the new slides have something to do give riders a bird’s-eye view of Wild Wadi with it! www.wildwadidubai.com Waterpark.

One School Project NAZARI STUDIO with a Very Nice Payoff

THUNDER TECH In playful recognition of Cedar Point’s Math and Science Week, the amusement park and Knex construction toys joined to create the Great Thrill Ride Build-Off. The Hot-air Publicity Stunt contest al- This hot air balloon sails over the lows class- 15,782-foot summit of Mont Blanc, rooms of kids located in the Alps on the border of ages 6 to 12 Italy and France. The balloon is named to build for the new extreme roller coaster amusement park rides using only Knex pieces. “Raptor, a chilling flight,” which opens Five winning classrooms will receive 15 tickets to April 1 at Italy’s Gardaland. Cedar Point, construction sets provided by Knex, www.gardaland.it and other prizes. www.cedarpoint.com, www.knex.com

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 5 INDIVIDUALLY CUSTOMIZABLE... WATERPARKS

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Ancol, Jakarta (INA) Tibidabo, Barcelona (ESP) Costa Luminosa (OCEANS) Parque Isla Magica, Sevilla (ESP) Lotte World, Seoul (KOR) City of Dreams – The Bubble, Bakken Park, Klampenborg (DEN) Agat Asia, Almaty (KAZ) Macau (CHN) Bellewaerde Park, Ieper (BEL) Misa, Kuala Lumpur (MAS) City of Dreams – Virtual Aquarium, Faarup Sommerland, Blokhus (DEN) Happy Valley, Shenzhen (CHN) Macau (CHN) Shipra World, Agra (IND) Bogor Nirwana Residence, Aviation Pavilion, Gold Reef City, Johannesburg (RSA) Jakarta (INA) World Expo 2010, Shanghai (CHN) Zoomarine, Albufeira (POR) NP-Zentrum Kellerwald, Austrian Pavilion, Jawa Timur Park, Jawa Timur (INA) Vöhl-Herzhausen (GER) World Expo 2010, Shanghai (CHN) Bobbejaanland, Kasterlee (BEL) AIDAbella (OCEANS) Shanghai Pavilion, Gardaland, Castelnuovo Corpus, Oegstgeest (NED) World Expo 2010, Shanghai (CHN) del Garda (ITA) Gondwana Prähistorium, Futuroscope, Poitiers (FRA) Slagharen, Slagharen (NED) Schiffweiler (GER) Madam Tussauds, London (GBR) Jesperhus, Nykøbing Mors (DEN) Galeria Bran, Bran (ROM) Aquapulco, Bad Schallerbach (AUT) Kamori Rusutsu, Hokkaido (JPN) AIDAluna (OCEANS) 5d Theatre, Tallinn (EST) KRAFTWERK Living Technologies GmbH Tel: +43 7242 69269-0 [email protected] www.kraftwerk.at News Editor Keith Miller goes around OUT&BACK the world to bring the industry to you Universal Japan Unveils New Guest Service Program

Ⅲ How does a park or attraction JAPANSTUIDOSUNIVERSAL impress the importance of strong, positive guest interaction upon its employees and get them to make that goal a reality? Well, Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka (www.usj.co.jp) has been exploring the challenge since fall 2009 with an initiative called the Mag- ical Moment Project (MMP). Fun- world spoke with Keizo Natsuyama, general manager of the park’s operation planning office, who is intimately involved with the MMP. Natsuyama says the main goal of the project is for USJ to create a true “difference” from other theme parks in the emotional connection between its guests and “crew” (how USJ refers to its employees). He says Universal wants its guest to regard the crew as the park’s number-one attraction. “In theme parks, what is expected is the attractiveness of shows and rides. The positive interaction between guests and employees never comes up as the number-one reason [to visit],” Nat- A USJ clerk laughs suyama says. “However, despite large with a child as they play with a Snoopy investments in attractions and shows, puppet. after several times of the same experience, you may get tired of it. To the revamping the orientation program for another way for a long time. But once contrary, positive interactions between new employees. the new crew/guest interactions began guests and crew members are always Natsuyama notes such positive, per- to take place, the positive guest reac- new and fresh.” sonal interaction is actually not as per- tions became good motivation to con- He says such positive interactions vasive in Japan as is commonly thought. tinue. will make guests want to return to the “It is very uncommon that people get As for evaluating the project’s park more than anything else, and it’s positive interactions in many of the success, Natsuyama says, “We’re mak- something only the employees can service outlets,” he reveals. “If you fre- ing a parkwide guest satisfaction survey deliver: “It has a very strong power, and quently use the same place again and based on the Magical Moment Project, only human beings, not a robot nor a again, you may be remembered … but both in-house and [with] an outside vending machine, can do it.” for the first-time guests, it is still rare. survey company, to measure the guests’ The Magical Moment Project was Often people say Japanese service is experience and their satisfaction. Also, developed internally by USJ, but Nat- very good, but this is true only when you we are thinking of a mystery-shopper suyama says outside professionals were ask for it—it is more like an ‘If you ask, approach to find out the specific occasionally consulted, including the- I would do’ approach. What we would problems in each venue. Of course, ater producers, performers, communi- like to establish is creating the experi- some guests are not good at receiving cation specialists, and motivational ence based on emotional connections.” positive interactions because of the trainers. The park has focused its efforts He says there was some initial general customs in Japan, but the on training existing crew members in employee resistance, especially from theme park environment really helps to

the value of the initiative and on those who had been used to doing it do positive interactions.” FW

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 7

OUT&BACK Mt. Olympus MT.OLYMPUS Shows No Fear with Bold Expansion

Ⅲ Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Rather than (www.mtolympuspark.com), is boldly building new hotels, Mt. charging ahead with a major expansion Olympus AFTER project. Park owners Nick and Eva bought existing Laskaris bought numerous nearby facilities and renovated hotels and motels—six in the four them. months between October 2010 and February 2011—and are looking to add more in an effort to bolster the accommodations they offer guests. All of the hotels are located along Wisconsin Dells Parkway—an attraction-rich, heavily traveled thoroughfare nick- named “the strip.” Nick Laskaris says they came to the conclusion they needed more lodging after analyzing the numbers associated BEFORE with their arrangement with local motels and hotels. “We were giving mier, and all of the rooms will fall under and his wife are funding the expansion hotels free tickets to Mt. Olympus if they the park’s slogan “Stay and Play Free,” from park operations. “I’m doing all of paid us $1,000 per room,” he explains. meaning guests will have free use of Mt. this through cash flow,” he notes. “We “We were cleaning out the hotels—their Olympus for their entire stay. This had great success—a very nice profit— guests were all coming here—but when includes access to the ride park, the last year, our best year ever—way above we ran the numbers, it worked out to Medusa indoor waterpark, Neptune’s any other year, with almost a million only about $5 profit per person.” Water Kingdom outdoor waterpark, the guests coming. I could have gotten a big So, the Laskarises looked at building Parthenon indoor theme park, and ride or fixed up the strip, and I decided a 200-room hotel to add to the two they Zeus’ Playground. to fix up the strip.” already owned, but the bid came back Laskaris says he sees the expansion With the recent hotel purchases, at $13 million. “So I thought, ‘What project in much larger terms than just a Mt. Olympus now has about a mile of can I buy for that?’” says Laskaris. “I can benefit to Mt. Olympus. He’s been con- continuous frontage along the strip, buy three times the number of existing cerned about deteriorating properties and with the goal of acquiring most of rooms, and that would help us, help along the strip and the need to improve its remaining hotels, Laskaris expects these hotel owners who are just hang- its appearance and appeal for the future that to increase. Then, it’s on to the ing on, and help the town, which helps sake of Wisconsin Dells. “What I’m next phase of the expansion, which he everyone.” doing buying these small hotels is that says will include building treehouse He said it’s costing him and his wife the guests won’t just stay at Mt. Olym- lodging and camping sites. As for the about $20 million to purchase the pus; they’ll move around and experi- park itself, he’s planning another “big, hotels and remodel them, but by ence other attractions and go to the big” roller coaster and new additions to Memorial Day weekend they’ll have downtown Dells, and that’s what the the outdoor waterpark. about 1,000 rooms available to guests. area needs,” he says. “Yep, and I want to do more,” he Laskaris says they’ll have a full range of Since financing is “almost impossi- adds. “The Dells have a ways to go, but accommodations, from budget to pre- ble to secure,” according to Laskaris, he it’s getting there.” FW

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 9

OUT&BACK Legoland Scores LEGOLANDCALIFORNIA Big Hit in Landing Star Wars Miniland Ⅲ Legoland California (www.legoland. com) is known for creating stunning Master Model replicas of famous places, things, and Builders add people. Now the park is opening an at- finishing touches to a Lego traction to dazzle generations of movie Millennium fans. Falcon. On March 31, the park unveiled its new Star Wars Miniland. Boasting developing it for the past two years, ongoing “Clone Wars” show. 2,000 models made from 1.5 million working with Lucasfilm (the produc- The new miniland is situated next Lego bricks, the miniland depicts seven tion company of Star Wars creator to The Model Shop, where the Day- famous scenes from the celebrated George Lucas) directly to make sure tona Speedway was located. That Lego motion picture series and one scene we’re doing it the way they want.” creation is being moved to Legoland from the animated series, “Star Wars: Some of the famous movie locations Florida, which opens in October. The Clone Wars.” depicted include scenes from the planet Legoland Billund in Denmark and Some of the models are more than Tatooine, where Luke Skywalker grew Legoland Deutschland in Gunzburg, six feet tall, including life-size models up, and Lego remakes of characters like Germany, will also open Star Wars of the Chewbacca and Darth Vader Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO, Minilands this year, with the models for characters. There is also a walk-around R2-D2, and a huge version of Han all three constructed in Deutschland. Darth Vader that will interact with Solo’s ship, the Millennium Falcon, The same builders will work on all the guests. which Estrada says will feature lights models, Estrada says, ensuring the results Julie Estrada, spokesperson for and smoke. are exactly the same. The Master Model Legoland California, accompanied Legoland approached Lucasfilm Builders at Legoland California will then some of the miniland models on a about creating this miniland because set up the scenes with the help of multicity tour announcing the new Star Wars is a best-selling Lego series animation electricians, landscapes, attraction earlier this year and was and has an enduring, cross-generational and technicians. Merlin Entertain- excited about the public response. popularity. Estrada says that though the ments, which owns the Legoland parks, “The reaction we got on the tour is movie series ended six years ago, it has not released cost figures for the

really amazing,” she says. “We’ve been remains popular with kids because of the minilands. FW LEGOLANDCALIFORNIA Legoland California President Bill Haviluk announces Star Wars Miniland.

Lego AT-ST vehicle LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA LEGOLAND

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The “Miracle of Lights Parade” at Theme Park and Resort Slagharen

visitors and 750 seasonal employees in Additionally, in 2010 the resort Resort Slagharen: 2010. The resort has experienced a introduced a new pricing system. rebirth in the past couple of years, as 12 “Admission prices vary depending on million euros (US$16.3 million) has several factors, such as weather and from Shetland been invested in renovations and expected demand,” explains Klar. “This upgrades. dynamic pricing system was a big suc- Ponies to Roller “Several changes and improvements cess, and as far as we know, we are the have been made as a part of the ongoing first in our industry worldwide to do so.” Coasters transformation, especially regarding live But despite all of the upgrades, Klar entertainment,” says Angelique Klar, believes it’s something else that sets the Ⅲ It’s always intriguing to hear the sto- director of Theme Park and Resort resort apart: “The emphasis and dedica- ries about major successful attractions Slagharen. “Last season, Slagharen suc- tion we put on hospitality.” that have charming and humble begin- cessfully completed a brand-new theater The result of all the new attractions, nings, be it the birth of Silver Dollar where we host the IAAPA- award-win- upgrades, and special offerings has been City from Marvel Cave, or of Knott’s ning ‘Western Village Stunt Show’ to a host of awards for the resort, including Berry Farm from the Chicken Dinner over 700 guests. Also, starring at the the Zoover public appreciation award Restaurant. Now another attraction can only 4-D theater in the Netherlands is for “Best Large Amusement Park in the be added to the list of those with allur- the new 4-D movie ‘Turtle Vision.’” Netherlands,” and “Kids Holiday Desti- ing origins: Theme Park and Resort The resort’s amusement park features nation of the Year 2011” in the Nether- Slagharen. more than 40 rides and includes the lands. This award is determined by a The resort in Slagharen, Nether- “Looping Star” roller coaster (an Anton committee that scores nominees based lands, got its start as Ponypark Schwarzkopf original), a Vekoma mine on the child friendliness of resort activ- Slagharen in 1963. Founder Henk Bem- train coaster, and a log flume called ities. boom had the idea of offering holiday “Ripsaw Falls.” But Slagharen didn’t evolve from cottages that each came with a unique Resort Slagharen constructed holiday cottages with ponies to a large amenity: a Shetland pony. The idea was upscale holiday guest cottages, refur- theme park and entertainment resort by a big hit, and the cottages rented bished several shops and restaurants, resting on its laurels. “We want to fur- quickly. and overhauled its menus to offer more ther develop our holiday park with Today, the result of that modest start healthy foods. It also opened its doors in lodges and bungalows and add two new is Theme Park & Resort Slagharen, the winter season for the first time this spectacular attractions,” says Klar. “The ranked as the second-most-popular year by featuring an alpine sports expe- level of investment will be another 12 tourist destination in Holland by the rience that targets groups, such as cor- million euros (US$16.3 million) in the

Dutch Tourist Board, with 1.6 million porate outings. next two years.” FW

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 13 Virtually “turn” the pages of Have you seen the Funworld your favorite industry magazine right on your computer screen through an easy-to-use interactive PDF! Digital Edition? With the digital edition you can: • easily turn pages with a click of the mouse • search the issue by keyword • click through to websites embedded in the stories • click through to advertisers’ websites • share stories with colleagues and friends! Get started now at www.IAAPA.org/funworld, where you can view the current digital edition and browse the archives!

FUNWORLD is a member beneﬁt of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions IAAPANEWS IAAPA Europe: Upcoming Events and Meetings IAAPAEUROPE

Euro Attractions Show 2011 Mark your calendars for 27-29 September The M&S and for networking, new product displays, the education and special events, in London. Please visit committees during their www.IAAPA.org/EAS for regular updates. EAS London site visit

Subcommittees Meet to First Regional Conference Prepare for 2011 Initiatives Set for Europa-Park in May In January IAAPA Europe had its first set of meetings with the In cooperation with the German parks association, VDFU, European subcommittees for government relations (GR), edu- IAAPA Europe will hold its first regional conference on cation, and manufacturers and suppliers. The two latter sub- May 17-18 at Europa-Park in Rust, Germany. It will be committees met in London to have a closer look at the facilities open to all members and nonmembers with a focus on the for this year’s Euro Attractions Show and to discuss the expo German-speaking regions in Europe. This two-day event education program and member services for 2011. will gather all European subcommittees and participants The GR committee met in Brussels and was provided with for a reception on May 17, followed by a special program a thorough presentation regarding IAAPA Europe’s role in EU hosted by Europa-Park on May 18. The first vice chair of matters. The committee also discussed how IAAPA Europe IAAPA, Roland Mack, will welcome the guests on the might improve its work on governmental activities in Europe. 18th, then attendees will participate in seminars and presen- The new IAAPA European Manifesto outlining IAAPA’s tations focusing on safety, marketing, and IAAPA Europe. political positions on various EU issues was discussed in great Visit www.IAAPA.org/EAS for further information and

detail and will be available to all members when completed. rates. FW IAAPA Latin America: Spring and Summer Activities This year IAAPA Latin America is working hard to offer and crisis management, and the Latin American Executive more customized services for the Latin American community. Program in México City, which will include safety content In March, the regional office, located in Mexico City, offered and educational tours. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn a free members-only webinar in Spanish about employee and obtain tools to improve your businesses. retention. A webinar on edutainment is planned for the com- We are also preparing the first IAAPA Institute for Attrac- ing months and will be held in Portuguese. tions Managers in Brazil for June 21-23. This institute is April 5-8, members in the region will enjoy a second net- designed for midlevel managers interested in growing in their working event in Bogotá, Colombia, that will combine behind- organizations and positions. the-scenes visits to local attractions in the city with educational IAAPA Latin America is continuously adding customized content organized by the Colombian Parks Association. This services for members in the region. Please visit www.IAAPA. will be a great opportunity for members to meet and greet col- org/latinoamerica or www.IAAPA.org/latinoamerica/ leagues while learning from industry leaders. IAAPAversaoemportugues.asp for more details on these May 23-27, industry leaders can attend the IAAPA one- programs or for more information about our services and

day safety seminar, which will focus on safety in operations benefits. FW

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 15 IAAPANEWS IAAPA Institute a Huge Success During February’s IAAPA Institute for Executive Edu- cation with the new academic partner San Diego State University, the sellout attendance of 30 took in valu- able theory from top industry leaders and faculty and applied it firsthand. The participants had opportunities to test best practices at local attractions, including the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, and Boomers! family entertainment center. As one participant stated, “This experience has far exceeded my expectations!” Here’s a look at what participants, who came from eight countries, enjoyed during their week of immersive learning, best practices, and networking. Photos by Robert Benson

Participants gain insight into an organization’s culture through its employees.

Participants arrive at Disney Legend SeaWorld for an in-depth Marty Sklar study on leadership. addresses the class.

Class of 2011 IAAPA Institute for Executive Education

16 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Bringing theory into practice at the Behind the scenes San Diego Zoo at SeaWorld

Ted Molter, San Diego Zoo, wraps up the week.

Participants use real-life examples to sharpen their learning.

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 17 ASIAN ATTRACTIONS EXPO 2011 SIMPLY DAZZLING Prepare to be amazed at Asian Attractions Expo 2011. Come to Asian Attractions Expo 2011 at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore to discover how you can elevate the guest experience at your park or attraction and to connect with industry colleagues from across Asia and the world. Featuring a kaleidoscope of innovative products, rides, games, and equipment from more than 200 exhibiting companies; exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of Singapore’s ﬁ nest attractions; unparalleled special events; and expert-led education sessions— Asian Attractions Expo will dazzle you. www.IAAPA.org/AsianAttractionsExpo

Asian Attractions Expo 2011 RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA Produced by: SINGAPORE 21-24 June, 2011 Hard Rock Hotel Singapore To attend or exhibit, go to www.IAAPA.org.

IAAPANEWS Networking Events Connect Members in Asia IAAPA’s Asia-Pacific office recently hosted two networking to share future plans and activities for the region. The group luncheons for members and partners. One was held at Marina also discussed plans for the forthcoming Asian Attractions Bay Sands Expo in Singapore Feb. 10, and the other was at Expo 2011 to be held at Resorts World Sentosa, June 21-24. the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on Feb 15. Both luncheons were attended by IAAPA members of IAAPA Asia-Pacific Executive Director Andrew Lee these countries as well as representatives of the local attrac- arranged these luncheons to conduct member meetings and tions industry. FW MIKE TSANG MARIO MAMON MARIO

Mario Mamon (third vice chair of IAAPA; president and IAAPA networking event in Hong Kong CEO of Enchanted Kingdom) urges guests to attend Asian Attractions Expo and join IAAPA during a networking event in Singapore.. MIKE TSANG MIKE TSA NG

From left: David Shum (Temasek Polytechnic), Timothy From left: Abdul Ghani (APEX Expo Logistics Pte Ltd) and Swieter (Birket Engineering), Samuel Chow (Apex Expo Will Edwards (Themed Attractions & Resorts Sdn Bhd) in Logistics), Timo Etz (Melchers), Ho Chiew Peng (Kingsmen) Singapore in Singapore MIKE MIKE TSANG TSANG

From left: Eric Liew (Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd ), Susan IAAPA networking luncheon in Singapore Kuan (Omniticket Network Pte Ltd), Lim Suu Kuan (Sentosa Leisure Group), Trevor Soh (Pico International Pte ltd), and Tan Teck Ming (Temasek Polytechnic) in Singapore

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 19 A FUNWORLD EXCLUSIVE

Roadto Recovery How new Six Flags CEO Jim Reid-Anderson empowers his employees to help shape the company’s future by Jeremy Schoolfield ome bosses like to keep employees on edge. Jim Reid-Anderson wants Sto put them at ease. § The new chairman, president, and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the kind of guy who likes to crack a joke— often at his own expense—and doesn’t mind leaning up against a roller coaster track for a company photo, even if it means ruining a sport jacket.

Originally from the United Kingdom near those who work for him fairly, with honesty and Wimbledon, Reid-Anderson traveled the globe in facts; in other words, exactly how he wants to be executive roles for companies such as PepsiCo, treated. Mobil, Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo), and Reid-Anderson has been working tirelessly to Siemens AG. As the CEO of Dade Behring he improve his company’s image both at home and helped guide the medical company through abroad. Upon taking the job he immediately bankruptcy in 2002 before its eventual sale to started meeting with investors to change their per- Siemens in 2007. ceptions not only of Six Flags, but the entire By joining Six Flags in August 2010, Reid- attractions industry. He believes strongly that a Anderson took over a company that’s had a rough rising tide lifts all boats. go of it the past decade: soaring debt, two con- It all appears to be working so far. On Feb. 22, tentious corporate leadership changes, and a dec- Six Flags announced 7 percent growth for the full laration of bankruptcy in June 2009. The year—up 18 percent in the fourth quarter alone. 51-year-old father of four (all under 20—his best 2010 revenue rose to a total of $976 million, with and most honest focus group) acknowledges how adjusted EBITDA up 50 percent to $295 million. tough it’s been for the employees he’s still getting Full-year company-wide attendance rose 4 percent to know. But he firmly believes they are the key to to 24.3 million visitors, including 3.1 million in the company’s future success. the fourth quarter—a 19 percent jump over 2009. Reid-Anderson has a bottom-up business style Recently Funworld was invited to the Six that empowers the Six Flags team on the Flags corporate office in Arlington, Texas, for an ground—those out walking the hot, crowded mid- exclusive interview with the new CEO. In this ways every day—to make important decisions and comprehensive discourse, Reid-Anderson dis- guide their parks. Key personnel from all 19 of Six cusses Six Flags’ strengths and weaknesses, his Flags’ theme and waterparks have his personal cell business and management philosophies, and phone number, and he expects to hear from what will make his new company successful in them—regularly. His promise: to always treat 2011 and beyond.

Jim Reid- BROWNKEVIN Anderson stands next to the “Texas Giant,” which opens later this year at Six Flags Over Texas with a completely new track and revamped layout.

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 21 One of Reid- What’s the Anderson’s primary goals is S-C-O-R-E? to improve employee morale Jim Reid-Anderson’s at every level of formula for a the company. successful business

ound strategy: SIX FLAGS SIX SMaking it clear and communicating it to employees

ommunication: CBeing open and honest with employees so they understand the company’s direction

rganization: OMaking sure quality leadership is in place and roles are clear

ecognition: RTelling employees they’ve done a good job and taking care of them

xecution: Ensuring Eyou do what you say you’re going to do

ASSESSING SIX FLAGS dous long-term potential. I would like to be in a position to work with IAAPA and others in the industry to raise the What brought you to Six Flags, and what were whole profile. your first impressions of the company? Second, the assets within Six Flags are great. Trying to re- I received a call from one of the investors saying this role is create a Six Flags from scratch would be so difficult to do, but something I’d really be interested in. Once I did a little bit of we have these wonderful parks already. due diligence, I became pretty rapidly convinced Six Flags is And the third and single most important aspect, for me, a great place to be. is our people. They are our number-one asset, and a driver for This is a great company with a fabulous history that has why I enjoy what I’m doing. just had a few rough years due to a number of reasons that are irrelevant now. We’re at the point where we can get that What has it been like for you to visit the parks great history back. That’s been reinforced during my first six and meet employees? months here. It’s been phenomenal. It’s not that I expected one thing or another, but the most pleasant surprise has been the quality What was appealing to you about this job? of people in our parks and their absolute dedication to this There were three things. First, I felt the industry was misun- company. Their tenure amazes me, many of them starting derstood and, perhaps, devalued in its external perceptions when they were teenagers. Their love of this company goes [on Wall Street]. I like the industry and think it has tremen- very deep.

22 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Our park presidents are That’s a telltale sign of so many in this industry—they started by taking tickets or more like entrepreneurs running rides and turned those jobs into careers. now—they feel they can It’s actually different than many other industries, and I’ve seen a number of them. There’s a loyalty, a dedication, and a make things happen. desire to make people happy. That’s why people love working in this industry. That’s a real strength. part of a family. You think about how Six Flags started—it’s And that’s something appealing to you, as well? a family. I want them to feel we’re all pulling in the same Absolutely! That’s one of the reasons I like being here. How direction. many jobs out there involve making people happy, creating memories for people? Speaking of Six Flags' origins, what does it mean to the company and its employees to be Can you share a few keys to improving celebrating your 50th anniversary this season? employee satisfaction? This is a major milestone for the company and the industry— In a way I have a bit of an advantage because things were so one we are excited to be celebrating throughout the year. rough here for so many years. There was very low morale, so When Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961, it launched the I try to talk directly with employees at all levels, to ask them regional theme park business and quickly became an innova- what they think. I want them to love working here and feel tor with the introduction of many industry firsts: the pay-one- price admission ticket; full production shows; and, of course, a long list of record-breaking rides and attractions. Genera- The Six Flags executive team, from left to right: Michael tions have grown up with Six Flags—grandparents who came Israel, CIO; John Odum, Sr. VP Park Operations; John Duffey, CFO; Tom Iven, Sr. VP Park Operations; Jim Reid-Anderson, as children now bring their grandchildren. Six Flags has CEO; David McKillips, Sr. VP Corporate Alliances; Al Weber, grown up right along with our guests, and while we continue COO; Lance Balk, General Counsel; John Bement, Sr. VP In- to innovate and create new offerings, the foundation—the Park Services; Nancy Krejsa, Sr. VP Investor Relations and Corporate Communications; Walt Hawrylak, Sr. VP basis for Angus Wynne’s creation some 50 years ago—remains Administration; Brett Petit, Sr. VP Marketing the same: safe, friendly, clean family fun. SIX FLAGS SIX BANKRUPTCY, INVESTOR RELATIONS, talk to investors. And we don’t just talk about Six Flags; we AND WALL STREET’S PERCEPTION start with a discussion of the industry and why it’s good. We OF THE INDUSTRY talk about the fact that it’s very stable, even amidst a horren- dous recession. We have a high recurring revenue base. What have you learned so far about keys By improving the industry’s image, we also improve our to success in this industry? own image as the whole water level rises. We’ve had a lot of First and foremost, it’s perhaps misunderstood. What Wall meetings with people who at first had no interest in talking Street looks for is consistency and credibility—perceptions to us. But over a period of time we’ve won them over and are built around that, and I think they haven’t seen that con- they’re supportive. That’s part of the reason you’ve seen a sistency from our industry. They want us to say what we’re lot more investor interest in the company recently. going to do, and then do what we say. They want us to communicate clearly. It’s important for us to not criticize each Wall Street often seems geared only other, and raise the whole profile in a positive way. This toward quick growth, while our industry’s good at that, and we have to work on it further. industry is more about long-term goals and stability. What are your So what story do you feel we need thoughts on that concept and to tell Wall Street? perception? The reality is investors don’t focus on this industry; primarily There are investors who want short, quick because of Six Flags, they’ve moved away and have not returns, but I would not work for a com- believed in it. pany where that type of pressure existed. So literally from Day 1, we started an agenda to proactively In fact, Six Flags is part of only 2 percent

The “Texas Giant,” seen here near the end of its refurbishment, features a new steel track that allows it to make steeper drops and higher banked turns.

24 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 of American companies that won’t issue financial guidance to investors. We want people to invest in our company What we’re trying to because they believe in our long-term vision, and understand do is provide news that type of positive change does not happen overnight. That approach has been extremely successful for us. and excitement in

Has that philosophy guided you every park, every year. throughout your career? It might be a ride, it Yes. We did the same thing at Dade Behring and it worked well. We had loyal investors who were there for the long term. might be a show, but Dade Behring gave me a lot of experience in how to manage a company that went through bankruptcy. It also went you have to make sure through a few rough years with low employee morale; we were the park is driving that successful in building one team and one culture fighting for the same thing. That’s similar to what we have at Six Flags. decision.

Six Flags emerged from bankruptcy in May 2010. How is the company positioned entering its first full season free from The company is situated really well. We took the necessary that burden? steps through the bankruptcy and immediately following— not only to establish the core of the company, but also the leadership team and the strategy. That positions us ever so SIX FLAGS OVERFLAGS SIX TEXAS well for 2011 and beyond. Team morale is high, considering where it was, and will continue to grow.

Can you discuss the successes you’ve already seen since joining Six Flags? The single most important success we’ve had is a positive internal response to our strategy and key imperatives. We are going to be the leading regional theme park company. That focus has been received very well by our employees. Secondly, we’re in a position where our people can actually see the strategy is working. We saw great success as we went through the third and fourth quarters. The operational piece has yielded good performance in the parks. Our park presidents are more like entrepreneurs now—they feel they can go make things happen, which was not the case previously. Concurrently, we’ve been working to improve our overall financial standing even further. Immediately we were communicating with our shareholders and other parties who might be interested. We directly engage with the credit rating agencies, who are notoriously slow and nervous about making ratings changes. We went to them early and weekly and said this is a great company, and the ratings we have are not right. As they saw our third-quarter results they agreed and we received upgrades rather quickly. That allowed us to go back and rene- gotiate our debt financing so we could reduce our interest rates, putting us in a position where we could pay our first-ever div- idend to our shareholders. We managed to make a lot of people happy in a short amount of time, but it requires proactive and open communication. People have to be able to look you in the eye and know this company’s for real.

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 25 Six Flags’ 5 Key probably the most exciting overall lineup in a decade for Six Flags. We have the mix of innovation and more traditional Strategic Imperatives approaches. We’re going to do our best to provide that bal- Jim Reid-Anderson worked with his park ance, so there isn’t a single park where people can say, “What presidents and other team leaders to create five have they actually done?” key imperatives to fuel Six Flags’ ongoing strategy. With the goal of delivering excellence, and In the 1990s and early 2000s, Six Flags focused built on a foundation of safety, quality, and almost exclusively on high-thrill attractions, innovation, those imperatives are: namely roller coasters. Under the previous 1. Enhance guests’ experiences executive team, the company moved strongly 2. Develop guest-focused innovation toward family-friendly fare. How do you plan to 3. Improve operational efficiency balance those two seeming extremes? I am not in a position to define what every park needs. The 4. Deliver financial excellence best guides I have are the teams in our parks who know the 5. Build a high-performance team culture demographics in incredible detail. In the past few months

SIX FLAGS SIX we’ve developed a five-year capital plan. It’s a balance, and it will be different by park. And it’s coming from our leaders on the ground.

You seem willing to entertain any idea. We are open to anything, and our people do come up with any and all ideas! We go through them and try to make the right decisions for our guests. We look at the broad picture. I Park leaders have their fingers on want to know, park by park, what the need is, and not just on the pulse of the a one-year basis; it’s like a chessboard, and you’re trying to guest experience. think ahead.

ATTRACTIONS AND THE What are your thoughts on attractions IN-PARK EXPERIENCE with intellectual property licenses? You need a balance. You will see us use both internally and What is your philosophy on Six Flags’ innovation externally developed themes, depending on the needs of our within the industry? Do you want to be on the parks. There is no one answer. cutting edge or stick to tried-and-true concepts? You need a mix of both. Six Flags has a history of great inno- But theming, in general, is important vation—pretty much every kind of roller coaster you can to Six Flags going forward? imagine. People are proud of that. Over the past few years Yes. It is part of delivering the guest experience. That’s why that hasn’t happened in quite the same way, and for many it’s called a theme park. We want to leverage that. good reasons. Our philosophy is very simple: People like news, they like What about corporate partnerships, which have innovation. But innovation doesn’t just have to come in increased over the past several years in Six Flags terms of the biggest, fastest ride—or most expensive piece of locations? What benefits do they bring to the table? hardware. What we’re trying to do is provide news and We have relationships with several major companies. When excitement in every park, every year. It might be a ride, it you think about, for example, Coca-Cola, Discover Card, might be a show, but you have to make sure the park is driv- Mars, Wrigley … these are fantastic brands. They benefit ing that decision. What do we think we need to attract peo- because there are 25 million people visiting our parks they can ple and make them come back? It will come the form of in reach. And through them, we can reach a much broader audi- new capital, and in the way we communicate with people ence, too, and we’ve been doing that very successfully. You and attract them to our parks. will see us build on that, but in a positive way, not to the detri- ment of our parks. That’s something I watch very carefully. Innovation can be high risk, high reward. What are your thoughts on balancing risk How do you define a positive and innovation? corporate presence in the parks? If you’re thoughtful about the process, and you gather input We have a strict approach to this that we’ve refined as we’ve from the park leaders, then you can balance off that risk. gone along—tightened it up a bit. It can’t detract, in any way, If you look at our lineup for 2011, it is fantastic— from the experience guests have in the parks.

26 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 MARKETING AND I want guests to think THE SIX FLAGS BRAND about the brand as What are your thoughts on how Six Flags should be marketed in 2011 and looking toward the somewhere they future? Have we seen the last of Mr. Six? Over the past 10 years, for a variety of reasons the company can go to have fun has built more of a global brand image. What we need to do with their family now is translate that at a local level. The difference you will see going forward is we will have a new campaign, focused or friends … enjoy a around “Go Big! Go Six Flags!”—a bigger, grander, epic theme. The marketing will feature our parks and new attrac- great day out and tions, and will place less emphasis on Mr. Six—you might see create memories. him as a tag or something like that. You won’t see Little Six again. The emphasis will be on celebrating our parks.

How will you communicate those messages to Right now, people think about Mr. Six. Going forward I want your potential guests? them to think of Six Flags—our parks. I want them to think TV—local TV—cinema, radio, print, Internet … we’ll use about the brand as somewhere they can go to have fun with every form. But it will be specific to the local area. We think their family or friends … enjoy a great day out and create our guests want to know what is going on in their park. That’s memories. Our people will reinforce over and over to “have a what will trigger the decision to visit. Six Flags day.” It’s part of our culture. I want people to escape from the real world and have a perfect day. And then desire

How do you define the Six Flags brand as it to come back again. That would make me happy. FW stands now, and do you want to see that change Contact Senior Editor Jeremy Schoolfield at over the coming years? [email protected].

“Have a Six Flags day” will be a constant refrain this year from employees to guests across the chain. SIX FLAGS SIX

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 27 Parks share insights on managing lines for Spreadheadline attractions THEM OUT

28 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 IN FOCUS:

QUEUES

by Keith When amusement parks operated under the traditional pay-as-you-go model, there was a natural Miller flow to visitors’ trips around the midway. With the Disney system, for instance, guests bought books of tickets assigned to various levels of rides (the company still uses the “E-ticket” terminology to this day when describing its biggest installations). Sure, guests used their “E” tickets for the “Mat- terhorn,” but to make the most of their purchases they took spins on the smaller “Mad Tea Party,” too. Today, however, the pay-as-you-go model is more the exception than the rule at amusement parks. With all-access admissions, facilities acknowledge many guests spend their days going from one headliner attraction to the next, and this has created a couple of real challenges: first, cutting down on the long lines at big attractions and spreading guests out so they get the chance to experience other attractions, restaurants, and shops and help parks’ per caps; and second, how to keep guests standing in long lines happy.

Attraction Location Is Important The most basic approach to spreading guests out is to do it through park design. Though this seems like an obvious strategy, areas with a cluster of big attractions can get extremely crowded, while other sections seem deserted by comparison. Two parks that have addressed this are Cedar Point in San- dusky, Ohio (www.cedarpoint.com), and Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho (www.silverwoodthemepark.com). Cedar Point is one of the most visited amusement parks in the world, and its most popular attractions are spread from one end of the complex to the other. “We really try to balance the park so that exciting rides and attractions, plus food and retail outlets, can be found throughout the park,” says Robin Innes, Cedar Point’s director of public relations. “We want our guests flowing to all areas of the park.” Silverwood uses a good park design combined with a smart adjustment to its closing times to not only spread the crowds, but to also help its per caps. During the busy summer season, after guests enter through the main gate they can turn one

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPANSTUDIOSUNIVERSAL direction to the Boulder Beach Waterpark or the other direction to Silverwood Theme Park because they’re both included in the admission. So, the facility opens them at the exact same time to spread out the crowds. But they don’t want the waterpark guests to leave at the end of the day without visiting the dry ride park. “When the waterpark closes, if they go out the gate and not to the ride park, it affects our per caps,” says Nancy DiGiammarco, director of The queue for Universal marketing, sales, and public relations for Silverwood. “So that’s Studios Japan’s “Space Fantasy—The Ride” features why we stagger the closings. That way, they come out of the a 26-foot-long interactive waterpark when it closes at 7 p.m., and they now pass back into screen for guests to play the dry park, which closes at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.” with while they wait.

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 29 IN FOCUS:

QUEUES

Europa-Park is careful about how much it tries to upsell guests. The park is willing to sacrifice some per- cap growth to EUROPA-PARK maintain customer satisfaction with the entire experience.

When Silverwood’s waterpark closes, guests pass through the dry park to exit, encouraging them to stick around a Freeing Guests from Lines awhile longer. Several years ago parks began responding to massive lines at headline attractions with systems that allow guests to reserve a slotted time at a popular site then go enjoy other areas of the park. These systems have reduced many of the lines at big attractions and given guests the opportunity to visit other attractions, restaurants, and shops, thereby increasing park per caps. The “Flash Pass” system employed by Six Flags New Eng- land (SFNE) in Springfield, Massachusetts (www.sixflags.com/ newengland), gives guests virtual spaces in ride lines and frees them to go enjoy other park offerings. When their wait time is up, guests receive an alert on a pager, at which point they can make their way back to the ride. “It’s become one of the best ways to utilize your time at the park,” says Melissa Pinkerton, spokesperson for SFNE. “Our Regular, Gold, and Platinum Flash Passes were introduced

last year and were extremely popular because they really THEME PARK SILVERWOOD reduce your time in line and free you up to do other things.” reserved ride times, freeing guests from long lines so they can Liseberg Park in Gothenburg, Sweden (www.liseberg.com), enjoy other park amenities. The park also likes the fact that has five or six major rides that get long lines. “We are struggling there are a limited number of Quick Pass slots available, with this problem of entertaining guests in [queues] and free- because once all of the slots are taken on a busy day, guests ing people up from standing in line so they can do other things will book for another day. in the park and improve their experience,” says Pelle Johannis- But not all parks have found queue systems to their liking. son, Liseberg’s marketing director. Cedar Point introduced its “freeway system” kiosks a few The park addressed this challenge by introducing a new years ago but then removed them after a few seasons. “We system last year. Liseberg worked with Entertainment Book- believe the first-come, first-served system is the best and ing Concepts (www.ebookingconcepts.net) to develop fairest way,” explains Innes. “The key is having a very smooth “Quick Pass,” which allows guests to plan their entire stay at and proficient program that minimizes down time and the park online at no additional charge. The pass includes reduces wait time.”

30 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Still, There Will Be Lines Universal Studios Even with the best queue management systems, parks are still Using Japan in Osaka has going to have lines and crowds around attractions and restau- reservations added a couple of inter- rants, so keeping guests who are in them happy is a priority. for new esting tweaks to the Some parks use ad hoc entertainment to accomplish this. “We attractions standard “Universal can send entertainment—characters and marching bands— Express Pass” premium to areas we want to attract people and spread the crowds,” says queuing system, which, for an additional fee, allows Johannisson. “The green rabbit is our [mascot] and we have a guests to walk on to a limited number of popular lot of those, and they are very useful, too, with entertaining rides and attractions without having to wait in line. people who are standing in line.” “When we open big attractions, we ask guests to SFNE also uses entertainment as a method to amuse peo- exchange the ‘Universal Express Pass’ for a time- ple in queues and to move guests to select areas. “We strate- specified pass to spread the peak wait time,” says gically placed two character stages at opposite ends of the Noriko Matsushita of the park’s publicity marketing park with the famous Looney Tunes characters,” says Pinker- department. “We also have ‘Universal Express Pass ton. “We’re also getting three new shows this season, includ- Mobile,’ which you can purchase by mobile phone. ing ‘Survivor Live,’ based on the TV show, and that should The ‘Express Pass’ is stored in the phone’s IC chip draw a lot of people away from ride queues.” and is like making a reservation by specifying which Not only are guests standing in long queues uncomfortable time you would like to come back. I think this is a if they are thirsty or hungry, but they’re not contributing to a unique system that no other theme parks in the park’s per caps when stranded in line, so Cedar Point has world have.” addressed both problems at once with the use of vending machines in queues. SFNE has opted for live vendors instead of vending ried about losing [per caps] because of long queues. But we are machines, and Pinkerton explains why: “The live vendors putting in points of sale at our new rides, where we can sell interact with the guests and let the guests ask questions, and drinks and ice cream to both queue waiters and non-waiters.” they really seem to appreciate that. It absolutely works for us.” In the end, Pinkerton contends the best way to spread out But selling to guests in queues can be a tricky proposition. crowds is through a well-trained staff. “It’s all about the train- “We’ve always been very shy on that and we don’t want to push ing of your team members,” she stresses. “We upsell all of the it on people,” says Michael Mack, managing partner of Europa- different attractions in the park when people are standing in Park in Rust, Germany. “There’s a different attitude in Europe line. We tell them about another ride to try out or a restau-

with upselling things—a cultural difference between European rant to visit. It really does work.” FW parks and American parks. Frankly speaking, I don’t think you should push it too hard in queuing lines, and we are not so wor- Contact News Editor Keith Miller at [email protected].

Parade at Universal Studios Japan UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPANSTUDIOSUNIVERSAL IN FOCUS: QUEUES Smart Parks How smartphones are beginning to change how the industry handles virtual queueing and in-park guest communication

with us,” says Gregg Oosterbann, information technology director for the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. “Figuring out how we can fill their need will determine our success.” Much of the talk about smartphone interaction in the attractions industry revolves around using the devices for virtual queuing on rides and attractions. “It’s an immediate, and a much more personal, approach,” says Leonard Sim, CEO of Lo-Q, a London-based company that has developed virtual queuing technology in the industry. “You make your ride choices on a device that belongs to you; by John Smartphone sales are increasing by double dig- you’re familiar with how it works and you have complete con- its worldwide each year, and more people are trol of it. You can choose to download the app that gives you Morell finding they can’t live or do business without a that capability or not.” fast, web-capable mobile device. It’s not uncommon now to “To say that this is a fluid topic in the industry would be see guests using their handheld devices as a means to line up putting it mildly,” adds Joshua Cole, vice president of inter- for rides. active marketing for Universal Studios Hollywood in Califor- It’s no wonder then that so many facilities are looking at nia. “It’s similar to when the Internet broke out and people ways to connect with guests through their smartphones. didn’t really know what to do with it. We can see that mobile “This is where commerce is heading: Mobile, Internet-con- devices are the future; we just have to make sure we’re doing nected smartphones are quickly becoming the standard for everything we can to be on the cutting edge of what our consumers and we have to look at ways to help them interact guests want and expect.”

32 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 The Q-credit wristband queueing system for Queue Monitoring waterparks This is a long way from the days when guests first brought cell phones to parks in the late 1980s. Cell coverage could be spotty in open areas surrounding an amusement park, and the weak external antennas could be affected by a facility’s large metal coasters and other struc- tures. And because they were expensive

($200 to $300/month per phone for an LO-Q unlimited plan), most families generally had only one. Forget about the kids running off with their own Motorola Star- Lo-Q Unveils Virtual Queueing Tacs. The need to communicate with System for Waterparks members of your group who were in a If Lo-Q’s Leonard Sim gets overly excited when talking about his com- different location in the park was often pany’s Q-credits product, he has to be forgiven since this is one of his met by small, inexpensive walkie- long-held dreams—creating a virtual queuing product for waterparks. talkies, which worked fine as long as you “Because of the wear and tear and moisture, it’s been difficult to have didn’t have lots of people using the same something that works reliably, but we’ve found it,” Sim says. channel. Ironically, Lo-Q’s new system is a throwback to the pay-as-you-go sys- In the mid-1990s text messaging tem, with a twist. The Q-credit is a plastic wristband with a screen that’s began to take off, which has allowed worn by the guest. As guests enter a park, their bands are loaded with a guests in different areas of a park to reli- certain number of credits that they use to “pay” for various rides. Instead ably communicate; then in 2000, the of buying more credits, though, they simply replenish after a certain smartphone was born. Although fea- amount of time, allowing the guest to go “skip” a line at another attraction. Waterpark guests also have the option to buy credits to go down tures can vary, the typical smartphone more slides, or they can pay for a passport that lets them bypass the offers a web browser with a fast proces- longer lines. sor and a GPS program to show the “For management, this keeps the lines down on the popular attrac- exact location of the user. tions, spreads people out around the park, and gets them to become Around the time smartphones food and beverage customers or to visit the arcade,” says Sim. “For the became available, Lo-Q introduced its guests, it gives them some control over their visit. They’re not subjected Q-bot, a handheld unit rented to guests to these endless, long queues that hamper their experience.” that allowed them to reserve a place in As an example, Sim suggests two guests might enter the park and line at a ride and check on the wait have 90 credits each. They want to go on the most popular ride at the park times at other attractions. It came about that charges 60 credits. After they ride, they walk around, their credits after Sim, trained as an electronics engi- increase, and they have enough to go on the same ride again, or two rides that charge less. “It’s still an emerging system, but we see it as neer, waited in a long ride queue with bringing more enjoyment for the guest than the ‘one-price all rides’ his family at a park and couldn’t figure model.” out if it was better to go with a shorter Sim believes the one-price marketing of parks no longer works, since ride and come back or stick with the it creates long queues that dampen the experience for guests who have long line. “I decided there had to be a been trained by a fast-paced society that one shouldn’t have to wait. “I way to answer this electronically,” says think the old A-B-C-D-E-ticket model worked very well in spacing out Sim. people in lines. When you had that ticket book, you planned what you The Q-bot has been used in several wanted to go on; you didn’t want to use up all of your E tickets too fast. parks, including six of the Six Flags “What we’re doing here is bringing back an updated version. You can’t properties, Legoland Windsor, Dolly- go on all of the rides you want as many times as you want unless you wood, and others. At Dreamworld in pay more, but you won’t have to deal with horrible queues.” The system uses RFID (radio frequency identification) similar to that Queensland, Australia, the device, used in credit cards. There’s no swiping; rather the technology allows a which is branded there as “Q4U,” has guest to load a wristband with a dollar amount that can be used for food helped keep ride management running and beverage and other items, negating the need for a wallet or purse in smoothly during peak times. “You still the park. “Offering a cashless system is critical in a waterpark since no have a wait whether you have a device one has a place to carry money on them,” says Sim. or not,” says Melinda Lloyd, spokesper- The Q-credit system is being tested this year at three of the Aquo polis son for the park. “You just don’t have to waterparks in Spain. wait in line if you have one.”

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 33 tion. At Universal Studios Hollywood, there’s an unadver- tised site for guests who log on with their cell/smart phones. Lo-Q’s Q-Txt does “If someone is here and they happen to type in our website, essentially the we have a WAP (wireless application protocol) that picks up same job as a Q-bot, only via that this guest is on a cell phone and it gives them a simple, standard text menu-driven version of our website,” says Cole. “They’re not messages. able to virtually queue for rides, but they can use it to check on wait times at different attractions so they can use their time at the park more efficiently.” The Disney parks in the U.S. introduced Mobile Magic in 2009, a smartphone interactive app for Verizon customers,

LO-Q and found it to be a big hit. Guests download it for $10 and can check it to see about wait times at various rides. “We see this as something that complements our tradi- Checking on Wait Times Goes Mobile tional Fast Pass system,” says Tom Aronson, digital market- The advantages of a product like the Q-bot are obvious: easy ing director for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “If you’re to use, reliable, and guest friendly, and they’re sturdy enough deep in Tomorrowland and you’re thinking about ‘Splash to be dropped or covered in ketchup and still be able to go Mountain’ on the other side of the park, you can check the out the next day. But for all of their attributes, it looks as if it wait times and the Fast Pass return times that are available could become part of theme park history. from the app rather than walking all the way over there. It’s Lo-Q introduced its Q-Txt service four years ago and does not what we think of with the term ’virtual queuing,’ but it much of what the Q-bot does without the hardware expense. works the same way, helping guests plan their day.” “After the guest signs up for it, the system communicates Due to the popularity of the Disney properties, there are ride reservations and information with them through text free apps available that show ride wait times, but they may messages,” says Sim. “This allows someone with any cell not be accurate. “These are crowd sourced; people write in to phone, not just smart devices, to use the system.” say how long they’ve had to wait for a ride, so they’re not Other parks have made similar inroads in guest interac- always up to the minute like Mobile Magic,” says Aronson.

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34 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 IN FOCUS:

Demand Drives Technology Universal has experimented with As productive as these types of approaches can be, neither is an app through Los Angeles-based expected to be around for the long haul. “With a text-based software firm Geodelic that enhanced QUEUES system or even an old cell phone with a simple web browser, guests’ experiences during October’s popular “Halloween you can communicate basic information, but you’re not Horror Nights” promotion. “We saw this as a perfect oppor- going to do much more than that,” says Sim. “Remember tunity to try out an enhanced system since the demographic that home computers initially were used just for word proof guests coming to ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ were younger, cessing, spreadsheets, and games. Then came the Internet and a high percentage of them were using smartphones,” says with pictures, then more elaborate graphics, and now high- Cole. The Universal app showed where you were in the park definition video. This is the same thing that will happen using the device’s GPS function and gave detailed informa- with smartphones. No one would buy a computer today that tion about rides and included videos and wait times, doesn’t show videos, and soon no one will buy a smartphone although not virtual queuing—at least not yet. that doesn’t do these things.” “It will be the future, using your phone to reserve your Sim and his engineers are looking at developing these spot in lines. I think everyone’s trying to work out all the easy-to-use Q-bot systems without the Q-bot. He envisions kinks before these systems are put in place,” says Cole. rolling out a program that will allow guests to download a Before rolling out a smartphone ride reservation program, park app for a fee; then they have access to maps showing some properties will have to look closely at their infrastruc- their location, ride queue times, line reservations, restaurant ture. Too many “dead spots” with little or no cell coverage reservations, enhanced videos, and more. “This will greatly will have to be fixed, and some parks might consider add to the experience and it will be something that you’ll just installing quick-charging stations so guests can keep their have to have in the park,” he says. phones going during a long visit. “There will be a great many However, some properties may choose to go the route Dis- changes in how parks relate to guests,” says Sim. “This is just ney has chosen, contracting with a telecommunications com- one new avenue to connect with them.” FW pany as a partner and offer queuing information rather than reservations. “For us, this works,” says Aronson. “People know John Morell is a freelance business writer based in Los Angeles the Fast Pass system and how it works, and if you buy the app, whose work has appeared in the Los AngelesTimes andThe New YorkTimes. He can be reached at [email protected]. you have an even better experience with Fast Pass.”

Why wait? Virtual queuing solutions from Lo-Q Put your rides in the palm of your guests hands. Give them a queue free experience, offer them premium services

and turn your queues into more dollars. www.Lo-Q.com e: [email protected] Join the worlds leading theme parks and proﬁt from your queues with Lo-Q. T: +44 118 934 7400 Contact us for a FREE quotation today.

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 35 The Cost of Doing Business

by Jennifer Gustave Flaubert, a French novelist who From packages to payment plans lived and wrote in the early 19th century, J. Salopek observed, “Le bon Dieu est dans la and everything in between, detail”—God is in the details. About a century later, Ger- man architect Mies van der Rohe was often quoted as say- a wide-ranging look at ing, “The devil is in the details,” reflecting the realization that, in architecture as in life, details can drive successful construction. Certainly for amusement parks and attrac- pricing strategies tions trying to set pricing strategy, the task can be devilish. Here are some suggestions for ticket pricing and execution throughout the industry that can help make your results heavenly.

36 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 ADVENTURELANDING

Adventure Landing uses “99” in its package prices to give the impression of a sale.

Pricing Strategy Promotions and Discounts When it comes to pricing strategy, Accesso CEO Steve Set prices for promotions to signal great deals. Julie Dion han- Brown advocates a “good, better, best” approach; that is, a dles marketing for Adventure Landing, which operates 10 three-tiered structure that helps frame your attraction’s price family entertainment centers in Florida, New York, Texas, for the consumer. “Some people always tend to go for the and North Carolina. Attractions such as miniature golf, laser best,” Brown explains. “If you don’t offer them a premium tag, go-karts, and bumper boats cost $7.25 each on an a la option, you’re leaving money on the table.” carte basis. However, a package of three attractions costs Remember that you’re pricing your primary offering, the $16.99, and a package of five costs $26.99. “We use that 99 at experience of your park or attraction. That helps you focus on the end to give the impression of a sale,” says Dion. value for the consumer, says Joni Newkirk, CEO of Orlando- Be careful with your discounts, advises Brown, such as based consultancy Integrated Insight. “Don’t hesitate to put those for affinity organizations and travel clubs. “Many dis- strong pricing on the experience itself. That’s where your counts are inherent but nonperforming. They aren’t pro- investment is going. The value is in the experience, not in moted or marketed and do nothing to drive attendance,” he food, lockers, or parking,” she says. says. Customers standing at the gate may inquire about a Regard your attraction’s experience as the premium prod- AAA discount, but that 5 percent isn’t likely to influence uct it is, and price it accordingly. Studies suggest consumers the sale. Rather, round up all those discounts and transform expect high-value products to carry round prices (ending in them into something you can market, he says. Offer bigger double zero), Brown reports. Adopt this pricing approach to discounts on products you are trying to sell, such as season position your park among luxury consumer goods. passes.

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 37 A simple name change to “3- Attraction Pass” helped Adventure Landing double sales of ticket packages. ADVENTURE LANDING ADVENTURE

Payment Plans Segmented Pricing Although many big park chains such as SeaWorld, Universal, Why do attractions charge the same price on a super-busy and Cedar Fair have been offering season-pass payment plans Saturday as they do on a slow Tuesday? In years past, there for years, they’re still not a widespread strategy. “Certainly, if a was no feasible way to manage varying prices. But with guest has three kids it’s a big chunk of change to purchase five advances in technology and consumer adoption of online season passes all at once,” says Brown. “Splitting up the pay- purchasing, it’s much easier. “This is a way to drive atten- ments makes it more affordable from a cash-flow perspective.” dance on slower days and maximize revenue from those Darien Lake Theme Park in upstate New York offered pay- who want to visit on peak demand days,” Brown says. ment plans for the first time this year, with great success. Cus- Segmentation is critical, and even a small business can tomers who purchased season passes online in December could implement this strategy, says Newkirk. For example, by opt to be charged in two or three credit-card installments; the offering a student discount, you might attract local college last is due before the park opens in May. “We saw it as a great students to fill in slow attendance times when families gesture, a way to show that we are putting our best foot forward aren’t coming. “The key is to go deep in order to attract in servicing the needs of our guests,” says General Manager people who aren’t going to visit your attraction anyway,” Chris Thorpe. The plan was marketed to returning season-pass she says. holders; 14 percent took advantage of the plan.

TICKETING TIP SHEET: A few ticketing companies tell Funworld what trends and What’s Hot and New developments are on the horizon.

Cashless Social Better, More Integration Networking Mobile Data Cashless integration gives parks and We see a hot trend in social network- Customers are becoming more family entertainment centers greater ing and tying it in with ticket promo- demanding about data. They want control. Using barcodes or RFID on tions. We can now build functionality it to be mined in a more intelligent wristbands, customers can access into the online ticketing form that lets way, and they want reports available funds in their accounts, on their consumers share their purchasing to them anytime, anywhere. They credit cards, or in stored value. The decision and the fact that they’re are asking for smartphone advantage to parks is that there is going to an event or attraction with capabilities, not only to sell and much less money changing hands, their social network. That posting deliver tickets but to deliver data greatly reducing the risk of theft or includes a promotional link so friends to management. The question is: counting error. Consumers love it, can learn more and purchase, too. How do you make it as easy too, for the increased security and Parks and attractions are able to see and convenient as possible? reduced worry it brings them. It is how many people use that feature. Ian McMillan very easy to cost justify. It’s just another way to sell more tick- Sales Manager, North America ets without a huge marketing budget. Jason Mauser Centaman Vice President, Sales and Marketing Dan Voelker Sydney, Australia National Ticket Director of Sales and Marketing Shamokin, Pennsylvania Interactive Ticketing Seattle, Washington

38 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Bundling Execution Bundling, or packaging, is a key approach for Adventure Execution of your pricing strategy is equally as important as Landing. “A lot of strategy goes into packaging our attrac- its design. Parks and attractions continue to struggle with tions together to increase per capita revenue,” says Dion. online sales execution, but it’s the place to invest, says Evans. Packages are designed to be as user friendly as possible, and “Make it easy for visitors to price and purchase tickets,” she Adventure Landing offers multiple choices and combina- says. “It is really worth investing in the e-commerce portion tions. Try to have as few disclaimers and restrictions as pos- of your website.” The simplest tactic many parks overlook is sible, Dion advises. strategic placement of the link to the e-commerce landing The language you use to describe your offer is important. page. The upper right corner is common to many online Adventure Landing had been calling its three-attraction retailers, and where consumers are accustomed to seeing package a “Quest Pass” for years. When it changed the name their shopping carts. to a “3-Attraction Pass” last year, sales literally doubled. Ensure prominent, visible placement of that link on every With bundling and prepurchase options, it’s all about con- page, but especially on your Hours and Directions page— venience; no discount is necessary, says Debbie Evans, a mar- probably the most visited page on your site, according to keting consultant based in Severna Park, Maryland. “Use the Brown. He also recommends placing a ticket-purchase but- website as a revenue driver and to get guests to plan their visit ton in the header or navigation bar of every page on your site. in advance,” she says. Third parties such as corporate benefit programs also have Riverbanks Zoo and Garden recently began offering a to be managed successfully. Remind them frequently of your wristband that provides the wearer unlimited access to the existence and leverage your relationship as a way to market to zoo’s four rides and two feeding opportunities. The wristband their employees or members. Take these relationships to the is bundled with the admission ticket and costs $20, the same next level by offering electronic third-party distribution—basi- as it would cost to do each thing once. “For our guests, the cally, just a special link for employees to buy tickets. This frees benefit is the convenience,” says Tommy Stringfellow, the everyone from the burden of counting and reconciling paper zoo’s director of marketing. tickets and decreases the risk of loss or theft. Convenience can really be a revenue driver, says Brown: So sweat the small stuff. By assigning the appropriate “We are seeing more clients adding basic items to their value to the experience your attraction offers; giving guests online stores, allowing guests to pay in advance for parking, options in terms of price, payment, and add-ons; and ensur- rentals, and meals.” That allows consumers to charge those ing effective execution whether online or in person, you can

purchases and save their precious cash for in-park spending, drive the devil out of the details. FW and offers operators an opportunity to maximize that spend- Jennifer J. Salopek is a freelance writer in McLean, Virginia. ing on games and other impulse buys. She can be reached at [email protected].

Digital Loyalty Diminishing Marketing Programs Categories What we’ve seen is clients clamoring Every customer is trying to find ways We see companies moving away for digital marketing tools they can to increase visitor per caps. Loyalty from standalone admission, as use to promote and integrate ticket programs are relatively new to the attractions position themselves as sales: e-mail, social networking. amusement industry: Guests get multicomponent experiences. I Although they may have cards and earn points, but without believe that we will see adult/child sophisticated e-commerce having to make the investment in a ticket categories give way to capabilities, they may not have the season pass. This allows attractions customizable packages. An example human resources to implement to collect demographics and is the one at the Kennedy Space digital marketing programs. We help graduate guests to different levels of Center, where guests can add a bus them develop custom campaigns involvement. Now that you have tour, Imax movie, or meal with an that have purchase functionality data and know who your buyer is, astronaut to their admission built in. you can provide customized purchase. Packages increase guest incentives and make informed spending once they’re on site. Ben Wingrove decisions about advertising. Vice President, Sales Mickey Carlson Etix Darryl Moser Chief Operating Officer, Raleigh, North Carolina Vice President North America Gateway Ticketing Omni Ticket Network Boyertown, Pennsylvania Orlando, Florida

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 39 From increasing revenue to improving safety, FIRST zoos see many reasons to redo their IMPRESSIONS front entrances

40 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 by Mike Even though a state highway runs right in dollar renovation plan. The 56-year-old zoo constructed a Bederka front of the Charles Paddock Zoo, people brand-new entrance building that contains a ticket booth, would frequently drive by and not even see offices, a large gift shop, food service area, and two public rest- the entrance. Set back a bit and only distinguished by a rooms. A welcoming circular plaza also allows groups to small ticket booth, you could understand why. queue easily. “Years ago, the zoo was free. So not a lot of effort was put “This building makes a statement,” says Baker of the into the front entrance, because essentially it was just a way year-long project that wrapped in March. “It’s going to take for people to get in,” explains Alan Baker, director of the our customer service into the 21st century, for sure.” zoo in Atascadero, California. “But now, we want people to The zoo’s inhabitants play a role, as well. The flamingo be excited when they get here.” exhibit moved closer to the new entrance complex, allow- The city-owned zoo also realized it was missing out on a ing guests to see a sampling of animals from outside the serious revenue stream, he says. The 5.2-acre facility had gate. zero concessions and just a small gift shop. “That really sets the tone that this is something special, To remedy all situations, officials came up with a million- this is something unique,” Baker says enthusiastically.

The Saint Louis Zoo’s new south entrance was part of a $120 million renovation plan. SAINTLOUISZOO

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 41 Worth the Expense Other zoos around the globe have realized the varied benefits Creatures include a towering 19-foot-tall African elephant (a of enhancing their entrances. For example, the Saint Louis great wayfinding marker), Cape cobra, meerkat, bat-eared Zoo in Missouri dedicated part of its massive $120 million fox, a lioness with cubs, and more. “We wanted the story- capital campaign to transform the facility’s south entrance telling to begin when you got out of your car,” Bonner says. and build a pedestrian bridge. The reasons for such an under- “It’s not live animals, but they’re magnificent sculptures that taking, which opened this past summer, were threefold, get you thinking animals before you even cross the street.” according to Jeffrey Bonner, the zoo’s president and CEO. The last motivation was to improve upon the 40-year-old Several years ago a drunk driver killed a young child cross- “sea of asphalt,” Bonner says: “It wasn’t a green parking lot— ing the busy road to visit the zoo. “We felt we needed to cre- naturally or in the modern sense of the word.” The zoo ate a safer way to get guests from the parking lot to the zoo,” reduced asphalt by 30 percent and increased greenery on the he says. “The federal government agreed with us and made lot by 40 percent. In addition, it diverted rainwater to the an allocation to fund this renovation and improvement.” trees instead of the storm sewer. The second reason was to make the entrance an “aesthet- “We accomplished everything we wanted to do,” he says. ically pleasing experience,” Bonner notes. A donor commis- “It’s safe. It’s beautiful. It’s green. It was expensive, but it was sioned a series of life-size bronze sculptures for along the walk. worth it.”

The Growing Pains of Construction Jeffrey Bonner of the Saint Louis Zoo knew the construction would be tough. “You bite the bullet,” he says. “The last thing anyone wants is construction at the front entrance, but it had to be done.” The facility drew 3.1 million guests in 2009 and dipped to 2.9 million in 2010 when sections of the parking lot closed in phases, Bonner says. How- ever, he struggles to assign the drop to either weather- or construction-related reasons. Charles Paddock Zoo’s Alan Baker also con- tended with some minor attendance woes during their project. It, too, worked in phases to try to limit the disruptions. Plus, staff hung “the zoo is open” banners and tried to spread the word. But despite their best efforts, many folks saw the busy work zone and wrongly assumed Charles Braddock was closed for business. The zoo may have waited too long to battle the perception, Baker speculates. “We could have caught it better if we were more proactive.” The Frankfurt Zoo doesn’t plan to make the same mistake. It launched an extensive media and public relations campaign to accompany the whole entrance construction period, which is being pack- aged with a new bear exhibit slated to open in 2013, says Thomas Wilms, the zoo’s curator. Efforts include an Internet diary, an information center inside the zoo, and regular press releases. “Last but not least we shall have a grand opening event to mark yet another milestone on our way toward becoming a modern, environmentally friendly, and conservation-oriented zoo,” he says. “The newly designed area will cover approximately 5 percent of the whole zoo area so this is definitely an excellent reason for communication.”

42 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Building on the Experience Built in the 1980s, Germany’s Frank- furt Zoo’s old main entrance no longer met the demands of a facility that attracts nearly 1 million visitors a year, says Thomas Wilms, the zoo’s curator. The entrance shared space with a theater and a large event space—“a situation leading, at times, to problems.” The project, which broke ground in March and is scheduled to open spring 2012, will provide more breathing room for guests waiting to enter as well as additional space for FRANKFURTZOO an information desk and a meeting place, he says. A large window will A rendering and site plan (inset) for give customers a view of the black Frankfurt Zoo’s new main entrance howler monkey enclosure, and six modern cash points will help shape guests’ first impressions activities aimed to modernize and restructure the zoo. “The of the zoo. combination of these efforts will surely strengthen our posi- “Both the architecture of the building and the numerous tion as one of the main visitor attractions in the region and cash desks are intended to allow a speedy passing of the cash increase our attractiveness.” FW point even in times of high visitor attendance,” says Wilms, Contract Contributing Editor Mike Bederka at noting this is just the first step in a series of new displays and [email protected]. 11:19:02 AM

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 43 DENO’S WONDER WHEEL PARK WONDER DENO’S

44 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Still Iconan Deno’s ‘Wonder Wheel’ remains a symbol of innovation, hard work, and a family’s legacy

by Jim Even by today’s standards, the “Wonder Wheel” at New Futrell York’s Coney Island is an engineering marvel. Built in 1920, the 150-foot-tall, 200-ton structure floats on a con- crete slab set in an underwater buoyancy tank 60 feet deep that also acts to diffuse lightning that strikes the ride. But it’s not just any Ferris wheel, as 16 of its 24 cars swing from an inner to outer ring on an oval shaped track, providing a thrill unlike any other. For most of its life, the wheel operated as an independent attraction. But today it’s the centerpiece of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, a 22-ride amusement park assembled around the wheel itself. The story of how the park came to be is a great example of the rewards of the Vourderis family’s hard work, risk taking, and embracing an opportunity where others saw none. Dennis Vourderis recently told Funworld how his father grew the business from a single food trailer and a vision.

DENO’S WONDER WHEEL PARK www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 45 The American Dream The eighth of 22 children, Denos Vourderis immigrated to the United States in the 1930s with little more than a fifth- grade education. After serving in World War II, he worked as a pushcart vendor but was always drawn to Coney Island, spending hours on the beach dreaming of one day selling hot dogs along the boardwalk. The “Wonder Wheel” held a particular fascination, and Vourderis even went so far as to promise to buy it for his wife, Lula, as a wedding present—a ring so big, everyone would see how much he loved her. In 1970, after operating the Anchor Bar at Coney Island for three years, Vourderis found a new opportunity at Ward’s Kiddie Park along the boardwalk. He convinced the DENO’S WONDER PARKWHEEL owner, John Curran, his park was losing business because he did not have any food service facilities and offered to set up a trailer on a corner of the property. According to Dennis, to assuage Curran’s concerns about litter on the property, Vourderis committed to taking responsibility for keeping the park clean. This simple gesture opened a whole new world to Vourderis, as he took increasing responsibility in Curran’s operation. Vourderis’ Soon he was opening the park in sons, Steve the morning and maintaining the rides along with operating Above: Denos Vourderis and his wife, Lula, and Dennis, stand in front of the wheel he promised to his increasingly successful food one day buy for her. Below: Denos continue the business. Vourderis instructs sons Dennis (left) and tradition, caring for In 1981 Curran wanted out Steve (center) on the work that needs to be and offered the operation to done on the “Wonder Wheel.” their father’s legacy, Vourderis—the only person joined by three of he considered worthy of taking their combined over his business—for seven children. $600,000. To most people this was not the time to be involved in Coney Island. The once grand playground was in the depths of a decades- long decline. Crime was rampant, attractions were abandoned, and the public infrastructure was in tatters. Vourderis’ wife and four children had their doubts. “Peo- ple were running away from Coney Island,” remembers Den- nis, who recalls his father saying, “I’m gonna fix it up and make it nice, and we’ll make money.” The family put everything they had into the operation, and within two years the park had been transformed. The improvements caught the attention of Fred Garms, whose family was the longtime owner of the “Wonder Wheel.” Like so many others, Garms had tired of the challenges of running a business at Coney Island and knew he could entrust the ride to just one person—Denos Vourderis.

DENO’S WONDER PARKWHEEL Dennis says his father was in the hospital recovering from tuberculosis when Garms showed up asking if they would like to purchase the wheel. When Dennis relayed the offer to his father, Vourderis responded, “If he sells that wheel to anyone else, I’ll kill him.” Dennis and his mother were hesitant. It’s one thing to run a kiddie park, but a completely different thing to take on an

46 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 additional $250,000 in debt to acquire a large attraction that was in dire need of an overhaul. But again, Vourderis had faith he was doing the right thing. “I don’t care. I want it. I’ll fix it. I’ll make it brand new,” Dennis recalls him saying with LOU DEMBROW LOU his trademark confidence. And this time, his son Steve sup- ported his father’s position, although he remembers being intimidated by the task ahead. The family went to work—again. They ran a catering business in the winter to help pay the bills, all while over- hauling the “Wonder Wheel” in a makeshift workshop under the neighboring kiddie park—it had dirt floors and no utili- ties. “We owed so much money, we had to make it work,” says Dennis.

It All Comes Together As restoration on the wheel progressed, another opportunity presented itself. In 1985 a fire destroyed a building adjacent to the wheel, opening the parcel for development. Vourderis jumped on the chance to expand his now-thriving business. The additional land permitted the family to add larger rides, making the formerly disjointed holdings a complete amusement park. Peter Buxbaum, owner of the neighboring Eldorado Bumper Cars, suggested they call the facility Won- der Wheel Park. But Dennis says his father had a slightly different idea. “As long as you put my name in front if it, I don’t care what you call it,” Dennis remembers him saying. “My father loved having his name on everything.” Steve Vourderis (top row left) oversees the maintenance on In only a few years, Denos Vourderis had gone from the the “Wonder Wheel.” operator of a single food concession to the owner of a 100,000-square-foot amusement park in the heart of Coney Island, four times the traffic in the early 1980s. Island. The “Wonder Wheel” he so admired had been com- The wheel remains a particular source of pride. Given its pletely restored and in 1989 was designated a city landmark. age and unique structure, all parts have to be custom fabri- Vourderis had proven the skeptics wrong; Dennis remembers cated; as a result, the makeshift workshop of the 1980s has his father was fond of telling naysayers that they had “too given way to a full-service 10,000-square-foot workshop, still much education and no guts.” located under the kiddie park. The Vourderis family does not permit Coney Island’s most enduring attraction to remain Vourderis’ Legacy Continues stuck in the past, however. For 2011 a solar-powered LED By the time Vourderis passed away in 1994, his vision was lighting system is being installed on each of the swinging becoming reality as Coney Island was starting to make a cars. comeback, with the city making infrastructure improve- Even Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park is not completely ments and building a minor league baseball stadium. People immune to the greater forces that have been impacting were returning, and crime was down. In honor of his commit- Coney Island in recent years. The city now owns the land ment to Coney Island, the city renamed West 12th Street in under the kiddie land portion of the park and intends to front of the wheel Denos Vourderis Place. include the parcel in the master development plan; however, Vourderis’ sons, Steve and Dennis, continue the tradi- the family has full control of the remaining property. The tion, caring for their father’s legacy, joined by three of their family has a lease with the city through 2020, so until then combined seven children. Their skills complement one it’s business as usual. But one thing is certain: The “Wonder another, with Dennis handling the administrative end of the Wheel” will continue to be a part of Coney Island with the business and operations at the kiddie park, while Steve over- Vourderis family in control. “We are proud owners of a beau-

sees maintenance and operations of the larger rides. tiful city landmark. It’s a privilege,” says Steve. FW Today Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park is riding the wave of renewed interest in Coney Island. Thanks to the opening of Jim Futrell has served as historian for the National Amusement Luna Park next door, attendance increased by 17 percent in Park Historical Association since 1984. Author of four books on the industry, he oversees IAAPA’s Oral History Project and serves on a 2010 season that saw 14 million visitors come to Coney the IAAPA Hall of Fame and Archives Committee.

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 47

Tivoli Gardens had to adjust its season pass program to

NATIONAL TICKET COMPANY NATIONAL guard against fraud.

SECURITY Pennsylvania. “If you have no barcodes, someone can take the tickets, and they’re live and ready to go. But with barcoded tickets, they’re not activated until they’re redeemed or To Catch a Thief sold.” However, attractions still must closely monitor and track them because even the barcoding systems can be Parks and attractions grapple with defeated, especially when an outside ticket distributor is ticket fraud being used. “Where I ran into it first was with counterfeited tickets at by Keith Miller Penn State, one of our [customers],” recalls Mauser. “The coun- terfeiters were constantly a nuisance to them because scalpers sold tickets that looked exactly like ours. People presented Over the past few years numerous people were arrested for sell- them at the gate, the barcode scanned, and they’d get in, and ing fraudulent attraction tickets. Just last summer there were the person with the legitimate ticket with that barcode could- several such arrests in the Orlando area alone, including one n’t get in because the barcode had already been scanned.” scam where police recovered 2,126 tickets worth $395,000. He says the criminals were able to accomplish this by buy- As technology advances for making tickets more secure ing the proper barcoding equipment, finding out what bar- and trackable, so, too, does the ability to commit ticket fraud. code the ticket distributor was using, duplicating the exact Parks and attractions worry that as the use of social media algorithm for that barcode, and then creating phony tickets. grows, its instant mass communication means ticketing loop- Mauser warns attractions could be vulnerable to the same holes could be quickly exploited by large numbers of people. kind of illegal activity. Now parks are becoming more proactive. Barcodes are one way Barcodes to help guard against Attractions and ticketing companies both say the tickets that fraudulent tickets. present the greatest opportunity for security issues are the traditional type on non-barcoded paper. It’s difficult to track their purchase history since they’re not barcoded, and though an attraction can take and tear them at the gate, that doesn’t prevent matching duplicates from being printed and used or sold. It also doesn’t prevent people—even employees—from stealing unsold supplies. “How are you ever going to catch them?” asks Jason Mauser, vice president of sales and marketing for National

Ticket Company (www.nationalticket.com) in Shamokin, TICKET COMPANY NATIONAL

www.IAAPA.org ? A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 49 SECURITY

Double Dipping Vigilance Is Key Roaring Springs Waterpark in Meridian, Idaho (www.roaringsprings.com), ran into a different Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho, discovered there’s always issue with admission tickets being sold at someone willing to abuse a generous program. The park’s Gold Pass Costco Wholesale Club. The tickets had a dis- allows a guest to bring two people to the park each day for no addi- count coupon for a local restaurant on the back tional charge. Silverwood’s Nancy DiGiammarco says it’s a great thing, of them, so once the ticket was scanned at the especially for families, but a few people manipulated it. front gate, it was returned to the guest so they “Some individuals purchased multiple passes in different variations could use the coupon. of their name, like George Smith, G.W. Smith, and G. William Smith,” “We had people that bought a ticket at she says. “Then they advertised on Craigslist that if you met them at the Costco, used it, and then because Costco has park and paid them, say, half the admission price, they would get you basically a no-questions-asked return policy, in. So they were using the Gold Pass as a [personal] revenue stream.” they returned it to Costco for a refund,” says Silverwood’s front gate staff uncovered the ploy when they saw the Tiffany Quilici, the park’s sales and marketing same people coming through the front gate several times a day, so the director. “So now we mark those Costco tickets park worked on a sting operation with local police and confronted the before we give them back to the guests so they perpetrators at the gate. She says the park now monitors websites like can’t be returned to Costco.” Craigslist very closely. She says the park has also had people try to use other guests’ season passes: “Usually these people also bands and reuse them. So, Ray Horton of TSI Custom Card have a photo ID that matches the name on the card, but the Solutions (www.tropicalsecurity.com), which sells wristbands ID isn’t theirs, of course, so we’ve trained our greeters to to parks, says TSI sells bands that change color when they’ve make sure the person matches the photo, and we usually been torn. catch it.” “We’ve also had a lot of interest in our bands from the Nearby Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho haunt [industry],” says Horton, “because they have major (www.silverwoodthemepark.com), put the guest’s photo on problems with wristbands. People are taking them off and the season pass itself, but this didn’t stop all deception. “The swapping them since they’re preprinted.” pictures are small and aren’t the greatest in the world, so it’s But he says this won’t work with his company’s wrist- easy to let the wrong person slip through,” says Nancy bands: “They’re in a cartridge and you can’t open the car- DiGiammarco, Silverwood’s director of marketing, sales, and tridge until they’re ready to use—you can’t just pull a public relations. “But now our system is set up so that when wristband out of the cartridge. You don’t have to worry about the ticket is scanned, a better, full-sized photo comes up on a someone stealing a band because they’re blank and [the thief] screen.” won’t know what the color or the information on them is Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark (www.tivoli.dk), going to be that day.” doesn’t have to worry about the majority of its admission tickets because they’re bought at the front gate; guests don’t even Print-at-Home receive a ticket, just a receipt. “They take the receipt directly Print-at-home ticketing has become popular for amusement to the turnstiles, so it’s not possible to cheat,” says Ellen Dahl, parks and attractions, but it also presents challenges. “People Tivoli’s communications consultant. will print out several tickets at home with the same barcode, But Tivoli did run into a problem with its premium Gold then sell them,” DiGiammarco reveals. “But only the first Card program, which allows guests to bring as many as five person presenting a ticket with that barcode will get in.” people with them into the park each day, because a few Gold Quilici notes, “As far as we know, we’ve not had a prob- Card holders were bringing in more than five people a day. lem at Roaring Springs with print-at-home tickets, but I’m “They’d use the five accesses to continually ferry people in not sure how we’d know if someone was using a phony [bar- with them,” says Dahl. “We discovered code] they’d made up or was print- it because we saw people with a Gold ing more than one ticket and trying Card coming in more than once a day, to sell them.” with groups of people.” And therein lies the problem. Some parks say it’s just hard for Wristbands them to track the exact extent of Attractions that use wristbands haven’t some ticketing issues, including escaped problems either. Some guests problems with tickets created out-

will try to tape together used, torn CARD SOLUTIONS TSI CUSTOM side their gates. For instance, Tivoli

50 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1

SECURITY Tivoli’s regular guests don't even purchase hard tickets—they just receive receipts they then present at the turnstiles, which makes counterfeiting nearly impossible.

has many guests who gain access to the park with a concert ticket. “They print them at home and they’re valid tickets, and they don’t carry a Tivoli barcode, so we can’t monitor that as much,” Dahl says.

Buyer Beware It’s also difficult for parks to know if someone is selling multiple copies of a ticket to unsuspecting visitors; if the tickets don’t scan at the gate, those guests are unlikely to report it to the park since they know they bought a scalped ticket in the first place. This also occurs with multiday tickets. Guest will sometimes buy these at a heavy discount from unlicensed distributors or from persons selling them outside the park gates, tickets that supposedly have days left on them. But the buyer usually has no way of knowing if there actually are valid days remaining because that information is stored only in the park’s barcode system. This is why a few parks, like Walt Dis- ney World, have gone to fingerprint scans at the gates so if a guest’s print doesn’t match the fingerprint first used with the ticket, that guest isn’t admitted. “It’s definitely buyer beware,” says Mauser. “We encour- age [attractions] not to buy from unknown, unlicensed distributors.” GARDENS TIVOLI Park officials say ticketing security requires constant vigilance on their part. They train their front-gate staff members to look closely at season pass photos and to check ID, PLASTIC CARDS and to stay alert for any pattern of barcoding problems. They also monitor sites like Craigslist and Facebook carefully for mention of their park names; some, like Tivoli, use closed-circuit television to monitor their staff’s handling of ticket transactions. But National Ticket’s Mauser encourages parks to go a step further by incorporating cashless systems into their ticketing operations. “It allows parks to closely track guest and employee transactions, and it cuts down on theft,” he says. • Can be used for many different applications: gate admission, He recalls one client park that had an employee who special access, gift cards, game cards for redemption centers, helped a friend by using a stolen credit card to buy thousands membership cards & more. of dollars in park debit cards at a kiosk. “The park was able • Custom printed to your specifications to capture the information and track each of the cards • One color to full color graphic capabilities with encoded or bought,” he says. “They were able to tell each time they were non-encoded magnetic stripes and/or bar codes used, and the person was caught. But without cashless integration, it wouldn’t have happened.” Call for details and a price proposal today! Tivoli has even experimented with biometric facial recognition scanning but decided not to pursue it at this time. Explains Dahl, “We have to remember that we are first a service organization; we are not a prison! So we don’t want too many barriers, and we just have to accept that though most of our guests are very trustworthy, some peo-

P.O. BOX 547 • SHAMOKIN, PA 17872 ple will cheat.” FW PH (800)829-0829 / (570)672-2900 • FAX (570)672-2999 www.nationalticket.com Contact News Editor Keith Miller at [email protected].

52 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Partner with IAAPA to Ensure Industry Safety

IAAPA knows safety is your number one priority, and it’s ours, too. Joining IAAPA brings you the knowledge and resources you need to implement and maintain the highest safety standards. Let IAAPA help you succeed where it matters most. • IAAPA members have pioneered the development of amusement ride safety standards, worked closely with ASTM International, and made efforts to update and harmonize European standards to further the safety of the industry. • IAAPA is the driving force behind industry safety and works with countries around the world on consistent safety standards. • IAAPA is the industry leader in safety education providing expert-led sessions at our Expos, webinars, and Safety Institutes around the world.

Safety

We work with IAAPA to Lobbying ´make sure our industry stays safe; but we also work with them to assure the government Regulation does not impose unnecessary regulation that detracts from the real issues of park safety.µ JOEL MANBY President and CEO Herschend Family Entertainment www.hfecorp.com

Join IAAPA today and view a complete list of beneﬁts at www.IAAPA.org/membership.

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AMUSEMENT PARKS AND ATTRACTIONS www.IAAPA.org/FEC • [email protected] A staff member at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk shows off the refillable souvenir bottles available at the park.

SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK

FOOD & BEVERAGE ple as that might sound, it’s yielded tremendous growth in unit volume.” Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of a number of parks They’ll Drink selling souvenir bottles with discounted refills all season long. As an added incentive, the park decided to include a coupon for one free refill with the purchase price; additional refills are to That offered at 99 cents all season. Whiting admits park operators are often concerned about offering souvenir bottles with free Parks raise a toast to the value of refills, worried that families will purchase one bottle to share, beverages on their bottom lines instead of buying multiple nonrefillable drinks. “It just doesn’t seem to happen—at least not at a level by Jodi Helmer that’s impacted overall growth,” he says. “In fact, the opposite is true. In most cases, each member of the family gets their own [souvenir cup].” Sip, slurp, gulp, guzzle: The sounds of guests drinking soda, Lake Compounce took its commitment to value to the bottled water, iced coffee, and smoothies at amusement parks extreme when the park began offering free soda to guests with can mean big profits for operators. the price of admission. It set up self-serve kiosks in 2003 and “Beverages are an essential part of the park experience,” began promoting the value of the program. says Jon Vigue, assistant general manager of Lake Com- “It’s expensive to drink all day long at the park, and our pounce in Bristol, Connecticut. “[Operators] have gotten guests immediately see the value,” Vigue says. “If you’re much more creative with their beverage programs, and the charging $4 for a drink, you will get it but you won’t get it a biggest reason is that it’s a great item from a profitability lot. In other words, guests won’t keep going back and open- standpoint; there’s low cost and high markup.” ing their wallets to spend $4 on a bottle of water because it’s Creating a successful beverage program requires more than too expensive. Here, guests can keep going back for free soda, increasing cup sizes, stocking the trendiest drinks, and post- and that kind of value is a big selling point for us.” ing marketing materials around the park. Marketing Matters The Value of Value It’s not enough to offer great deals; parks also have to market When it comes to setting prices, Ken Whiting, president of them. Promoting specials on websites, brochures, and radio Whiting’s Food Concessions and chair of IAAPA’s food and and TV advertisements allows guests to know about beverage beverage committee, has some advice: Free sells. values, but location matters, too. “We emphasize free [soda] refills on all of our POS (point- At Adventureland Amusement Park in Farmingdale, of-service) materials,” explains Whiting, the concessionaire New York, kiosks selling souvenir cups are located directly for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California. “As sim- inside the front gate. According to park manager Bob

54 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 FOOD & BEVERAGE

Amoruso, guests are more likely to see the value of free refills ice—was a hit. Ralph Fernandes, the food and beverage man- at the beginning of the day. Placing those kiosks toward the ager for the park, attributes the success of Wadi punch to its back of the park means guests won’t see them until their visit one-of-a-kind appeal. is almost over. “We wanted to try it out and see if guests would be willing “A souvenir cup with refills loses its value as the day goes to try something new,” Fernandes says. “I think guests on,” explains Amoruso. thought, ‘If you are at Wild Wadi, why not try a Wadi punch?’ Giving beverages their own locations will also help It was a novelty.” increase demand. For example, a kiosk that sells bottled Wild Wadi also hosted a milkshake festival in 2010, set- drinks such as soda and water as well as iced coffee, smooth- ting up special kiosks throughout the park. Fernandes hoped ies, and Icee drinks will be less successful at attracting guest offering a specialty drink on a limited basis would increase attention than a kiosk with a brightly colored, prominent sales; it was also a test to decide if sales warranted adding sign advertising just one drink. milkshake kiosks throughout the park on a permanent basis. “Different beverages should be featured in different loca- Sales were decent but, according to Fernandes, “We could tions around the park, signed and promoted individually,” have done better.” says Whiting. “Beverage sales are often based on impulse, and it’s impossible for guests to take in information about too Challenges of Choice many different drinks at once.” Offering several different kinds of beverages, either on a tem- Additionally, service is often faster at beverage kiosks and porary or permanent basis, provides operators with one signif- concession stands that specialize in a single product com- icant challenge: space. In addition to needing enough real pared with those where multiple kinds of drinks are offered; estate to introduce kiosks and concessions, storing beverages that enhances the guest experience, according to Whiting. is also a challenge. The right signage is also essential for increasing beverage With limited storage space at Santa Cruz Beach Board- sales. The best price should be the most prominent, which walk, Whiting had to negotiate with vendors. Instead of one means signs should advertise 99 cents for refills with the initial large delivery each week, he works with vendors who are will- purchase price of the souvenir cup in smaller print, for exam- ing to make several smaller deliveries. ple. It’s important not to waste space on irrelevant information. “The cost is nominal,” he says. “It definitely takes more “You don’t need to put the name of the park on the sign; staff time to manage inventory, but we had no choice because people already know where they are,” says Amoruso. “Use we just don’t have the space to store larger deliveries.” that space to market the product, not the park.” Lessons Learned Self-Serve Sells While other parks were selling souvenir bottles with dis- Vigue says he was skeptical about introducing a self-serve sta- counted refills, Whiting wasn’t convinced that lowering the tion for Icee Mix-it-Up drinks. The park had been offering price of soda refills at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was a Icee drinks in its concessions for quite some time, and the good idea. As the trend continued, he decided to give it a try. frozen beverages didn’t sell well. Something happened when “When we finally lowered our [refill] prices seven years the stations were transitioned into self-serve kiosks in 2008: ago, we saw tremendous growth,” he says. “I learned that if Sales skyrocketed. something is working for another park it will probably work Letting guests mix and match colors and flavors turns the for you.” machines from simple beverage stations into park attractions. Vigue learned a similar lesson when he introduced iced Enhancing the guest experience is just one of the reasons coffee at Lake Compounce last season. Other parks had been park operators like the do-it-yourself beverage stations: Let- serving iced coffee for several years and reported strong sales, ting guests help themselves to beverages also helps decrease but Vigue questioned if park guests would be willing to pay a lines and increases the speed of service at concession stands. premium for the drink, especially when soda was free. After “Moving the soda and Icee stations outside of our food much debate, he decided to give it a shot. locations increased the speed of the food lines drastically and The concept was so successful Lake Compounce decided decreased our labor costs because we didn’t have one person to introduce an entire concession stand devoted to iced cof- dedicated to filling beverages,” says Vigue. “Over the last fees this season. The food and beverage team is also explor- eight years, we’ve noticed an increase in food sales because ing options for introducing a souvenir cup with a refill we’re no longer serving soda [in our concessions].” program specifically for iced coffee. “On a good day, we’re selling 400 iced coffees! The sales Creativity Counts numbers are great—and it prevents people from drinking free

In 2010, Wild Wadi Waterpark in Dubai, United Arab Emi- soda all day,” Vigue says. FW rates, introduced a branded drink called Wadi punch. The Jodi Helmer is a freelance writer in Charlotte, North Carolina, and drink—a mix of grenadine syrup, lemon juice, 7-Up, and frequent contributor to Funworld.

www.IAAPA.org ? A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 55 Wylie Thunder Road customers receive an e-coupon within 30 minutes of Mobile Magic signing up for Novstrup and Decker agree the web-based text systems are the FEC’s text fairly easy to use and inexpensive. For instance, after Decker promotion program. logs on to the provider’s website, a dashboard pops up. It shows how many messages he has sent, the number of people in the database, and their wireless providers. The system also allows him to put the phone numbers into different groups— for him, it’s college, kids club, general, and teen. Once Decker picks the group, he types in the message and hits “send.” He pays $80 for a thousand texts; over that, it’s pro rated. Novstrup, who is a partner in a text messaging service, suggests sending texts within a few hours of the promotion for the best results. “They might forget about it if it’s a few days away or it could get buried in their texts,” he says. As for the message itself, the shorter, the better, says David Breen, CEO of PiNZ Entertainment in Milford, Massachu- WYLIE THUNDER ROAD WYLIE setts, who likes to send texts for special events or to promote MARKETING live entertainment at his adjoining bar. “Get straight to the point,” he advises. “You don’t have a lot of room to negotiate.” A Clear Signal Don’t make the texts overly promotional either, Decker adds. “We always make sure there’s value in each text. We tell FECs find text messaging an effective them about a special or offer free laser tag. It’s not just, ‘Prime way to reach teens Time is a great place.’” Wylie Thunder Road customers will automatically receive by Mike Bederka a free ticket within a half hour of signing up, Novstrup says. This way, they see the benefit right away and understand the FEC doesn’t just want to collect their personal information. Besides air, food, and water, most teenagers rely on their cell Novstrup sends a couple texts a month, and every message phones to survive. That’s why a growing number of family includes an opt-out option, which is important to ease any entertainment centers (FECs) believe it makes sense to mar- spamming concerns. ket to a core segment of their audience via text messaging. “You don’t want to abuse it,” Novstrup notes. “You don’t

“It’s so direct,” says David Novstrup, general manager for want to ruin the relationship.” FW Wylie Thunder Road in Aberdeen, South Dakota, who started to text guests in late 2009. “You know you’re target- Contact Contributing Editor Mike Bederka at ing the right people. With other ways, you’re not sure if you’re [email protected]. hitting your customers.” Daniel Decker also saw the value of connecting with young customers on their iPhones, Droids, and BlackBerry devices. Text Staff, Too Last summer’s weekly teen nights served as a springboard to FECs shouldn’t limit their texting to customers only. launch a texting campaign; at the end of each evening, the DJ David Novstrup of Wylie Thunder Road finds texting an would urge customers to sign up, using a free drink an incen- effective and efficient way to contact staff, as well. tive. Within seconds, 50 people would join their database; they When rainy weather keeps guests away, he’ll let now have more than 700 names on their list. some employees know to stay home. Or if a large “It’s the best way to get the teens,” declares Decker, direc- group shows up unexpectedly, Novstrup will put out tor of integrated services at Prime Time Family Entertain- the call for additional help. The first staffer to respond ment Center in Abilene, Texas. “They’re texting at teen by text or call gets the extra shift. night anyway.” “From the time I send the text to time the person is The immediacy of texting is another benefit, he says. On working could be as little as 20 minutes,” he says. slow nights, Decker will send out a blast to help generate some last-minute business.

56 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 MARKETING

How FECs Can Take Marketing Tips from Minor League Baseball

Minor league baseball teams run on small budgets and motions to such extremes, but they do need to step must contend with a seasonal business. Sound familiar? outside their comfort zone to attract new guests and FECs and minor league squads face similar chal- keep them coming back, Brown says. “How do we keep lenges, and both industries need to fight for customers’ our product fresh and unique to our audience even entertainment dollars. But where baseball excels (and though they’ve seen it over and over again? You can FECs can learn a thing or two) is the marketing. only repackage game room token deals in so many “Their philosophy is to create a new product every ways,” he says. single game,” explains Scott Brown, director of market- For Brown, a recent sports shakeup provided the ing for Swings-N-Things Family Fun Park in Olmsted inspiration for his novel promotion. In 2010, profes- Falls, Ohio, citing teams usually lack the big names to sional basketball superstar LeBron James left the attract fans on star power alone. nearby Cleveland Cavilers for the Miami Heat. Tapping With promotions, minor league teams frequently into the anger of many loyal fans, Swings-N-Things lean toward current events, pop culture, or just plain hosted a “LeBon Fire” where people could burn their wacky ideas. For example, one team’s annual “Awful LeBron jerseys and other related gear. Night” features giveaways of bubble wrap and pictures “It was wildly successful,” he says of the event, of gallbladders, concession stand eats of Spam and which came together in less than 24 hours. Hundreds of cheese sandwiches, and videos clips of David Hassel- people attended, and NBC, ABC, and Fox all ran TV seg- hoff movies. An appearance by the actor who played ments on it. A CBS affiliate even sponsored the specta- Chewbacca highlighted another team’s “Star Wars” cle, intended to be cathartic rather than malicious. night. “It’s kind of like when you burn your ex-girlfriend’s FECs may not have to take their marketing and pro- love letters,” Brown describes.

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more than not. Additionally, you can easily see who are the HUMAN RESOURCES eagles and who are the ducks. Who are the natural leaders and the followers—both of whom are important in a business. You also get a much greater sense of who is obnoxious, intro- Employee verted, a bully, etc.” Fleming mentions another strong advantage to the employee audition. Staff hired via this approach tend to stick Auditions around a lot longer, and a lower turnover rate means more FECs can save time, reduce turnover money and time saved. with different hiring approach The Rundown The audition follows a structured program, and subtle cues by Mike Bederka could determine if an individual comes back for a second interview, Fleming says. Here are the highlights: How long would it take you to interview 100 potential hires Prep Work. Audition promotion is fairly simple: a few one on one? Days, right? And even then there’s no guarantee fliers with basic information and instructions—“6 p.m. sharp; that you’ll find the best person to run the go-karts, work the dress to impress; be prepared.” redemption counter, or coordinate the birthday parties. At the Start. Candidates wait in the lobby and the doors Mike Fleming, a 30-year industry veteran, can’t tell you open. After the last person in line enters, the doors close and how many times he got duped during an interview. “You no one else can come in. Staff members dismiss candidates think they’re great,” says Fleming, CEO of Farrell’s Ice Cream inappropriately dressed. Those up to code receive an employ- Parlour Restaurants and Fleming Entertainment Centers. ment application; invariably 10 to 15 people forget to bring “Then, once hired, you find out they’re a bump on a log.” a writing instrument. “They didn’t come prepared,” Fleming To streamline the interview process as well as to help pick says. out the cream of the crop, Fleming and Courtney Bourdas They then receive a numbered name tag for identification. Henn, executive director for Mountasia Family Fun Center “We tell them to put the sticker on their left side, but you in Santa Clarita, California, have devised a different would be surprised how many people put it on their right,” he approach: the group employee audition. says. “This is indicative of someone who won’t follow your “It puts the candidates in a setting that is much more in explicit instructions.” line with what their day-to-day position would be like: a lot After candidates complete the application, they head to of people, a lot of coworkers,” Henn explains. “Therefore, it the audition area where the judges wait. What the candi- stands to reason that their true personality would come out dates don’t know is the sticker backing had their number on

58 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 HUMAN RESOURCES it as well, a trick that offers another clue. Oftentimes, staff texting. Judges look for those indi- find half a dozen or so backings wadded up and dropped on viduals who can perform under pres- Have you heard the floor, when garbage cans sit nearby in prominent places. sure and communicate well. Each about F.I.R.S.T.? “These are people that didn’t care,” Fleming notes. member of the winning team wins a 10 Minutes In. With no introduction, applicants are small prize ($5, candy, movie tick- For details about the asked to play the hokey pokey. Judges, a mix of managers, ets). IAAPA-sponsored FEC supervisors, and frontline staff watch what happens. Some 60-65 Minutes In. Applicants insurance program, visit www.amerspec.com, candidates might stand and look confused, while others will play a low-pressure game like hot or call +1 800/245-2744. be into it. After the hokey pokey, the emcee introduces the potato to lighten up. They then do judges, describes what type of person the company wants, and the hokey pokey again to see if their lets the candidates know they shouldn’t be offended if they personalities have changed since the first time. don’t get a second interview. 65-70 Minutes In. Judges thank all candidates and 15 Minutes In. Candidates are paired off and spend five announce that the FEC will be calling back some for one-on- minutes learning as much as possible about each other. They one interviews. (Usually about 20 percent make it through to then introduce “their new friend” to the group. When they’re the next round.) talking to each other, judges look to see how candidates com- Afterward, judges spend roughly an hour comparing notes municate. When they’re introducing, judges score how they and speaking with moles who were sprinkled in with the can- articulate, convey their introduction, and retain information. didates. The moles, generally friends of staff members, prove Judges pay particular attention to what’s presented by and to be invaluable as they listen in on conversations and leave about each candidate. with the group to keep the ruse going, Fleming says. One 30-45 Minutes In. Judges ask candidates to tell a clean time, the judges thought they had the perfect applicant, but joke or sing a verse of their favorite song. They have a a mole revealed he was actually using foul language and minute to think about it. Judges look for originality, speaking poorly of others. “We try to use every tool we can to thoughtfulness, and creativity. Those who say, “I don’t feel confident that we’re getting the right people,” he says. FW know,” earn a big red flag. 45-60 Minutes In. Candidates go into groups of five and Contact Contributing Editor Mike Bederka at are instructed to line up in order by age without talking or [email protected].

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 59 MIDWAYTHE Special Report New ideas and old methods work to drive ticket sales in trying times by Ron Gustafson

A number of people I’ve talked to within the industry have an optimistic outlook for 2011, and for good reason. These challenging economic times have offered proof that amusement parks and attractions are resilient, even when everything isn’t coming up roses. When the bottom fell out of the economy, it brought with it plummeting group sales—at least for a lot of us—and a host of other worries about just keeping our heads above water. But we have been down the bumpy economic road before and managed to see our way through. Like a season filled with bad weather, economic slumps come and go in cycles. The fact is a lot of properties reported a very good if not outstanding 2010 season, and recent accounts indicate the

turnstiles continue to spin at a hearty pace early in 2011. AMUSEMENT PARK QUASSY Here’s a look at some ticketing strategies that have made Both the church and graduation parties feature ride pack- those results a reality. ages and catered food provided by Quassy, so those events help cushion the hit we were taking when companies started It’s All About Selling Tickets bowing out of picnics. Regardless of whether you operate a giant theme park, School field trips are also making a comeback, as the park museum, aquarium, or small family property, we are all in the has been able to facilitate over the past several years an business of selling tickets. How we accomplish that may very extensive educational program and coordinate grants well include a blend of new technology as well as some older through regional school districts to bring youngsters to the tried-and-true methods. park. Group sales are a big part of our bottom line and of gen- A substantial grant in 2010 afforded the park the oppor- uine concern as companies are cutting back on—if not tunity to host a select group of students from one school dis- totally eliminating—outings. Schools are also strapped for trict for a five-day spring break program. Each day had an funding and have curtailed field trips, while municipalities educational component built in as well as breakfast, lunch, with summer youth programs are facing budget issues. and field games. The program was capped off by an awards It’s the “think outside the box” mentality that has helped day, which included a few hours to enjoy the rides. us pick up some of the slack as our sales team put into motion The tip here is to check into grant money available not ideas such as a church gospel day, combined outings for only through your school districts but also through corpora- smaller companies, and exclusive after-graduation and prom tions that contribute to educational experiences outside the parties for high schools. classroom. And be prepared to help lay out a curriculum specific to the needs of the school for the grant to be awarded. New Tactics with Results Transportation has also become an issue for many schools, The gospel day concept has become so popular that Quassy and the park has acknowledged the dilemma by helping to now hosts two separate events to accommodate all of the leverage affordable busing for field trips. churches that want to participate. Being a small property, we were also able to formulate a Online Consignment plan for exclusive buyouts for high school after-graduation Much of the industry has embraced online ticket sales in parties, which is really newfound income for the park. recent years and other means of distributing consignment

60 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 tickets through various retail outlets. integrity in our major market areas so not to undermine our Companies that no longer can come to the park for a consignment partners and group outing sales. group function are now being wooed into the consignment Optimistic about 2011? You bet we are. arena thanks to the digital age. Quassy is in the midst of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar We’ve found that online consignment programs are an improvement plan, which the park owners embraced prior to easy sell and are flourishing because human resource directors the economy tanking. can offer employee incentives without handling cash and The park added a family drop tower ride in 2010, which cumbersome stacks of tickets. was an immediate success, and this spring Quassy will debut For companies that still won’t pitch in for employee tick- its new marquee attraction: the “Wooden Warrior” roller ets, we suggest allowing employees to pay for their discounted coaster. Waterpark expansion is also on the horizon as part of online tickets using a company password (code) provided by the strategy. the park. The bottom line is the company still looks like the While we all grimace at what it will cost to fill up the gas good guy for brokering the discount for its workforce. tank this summer—prices are projected to hit $4 plus again in the United States—we’re not overly worried about it Proven Methods Still Work Here impacting attendance. After all these years—103 to be exact—Quassy still reverts In fact, many properties benefit when vacationers decide back to a number of its proven promotions to drive sales, to stay closer to home as travel costs start spiraling upward. especially during times when the park might otherwise be And while money might still be tight for a lot of working- slow. class families, parents seem to remain determined to set aside Quassy offers single-ride tickets or all-day ride and water- enough to visit the local and area amusement parks and park wristbands, which play favorably into the park’s demo- attractions. graphic: families with children 2-12. Being a family-friendly With a little luck and run of good weather, 2011 may be

property with no general admission also rates highly with a solid year for a lot of us. FW grandparents who are watching the little ones for the day. No one at the park knows for sure how long Quassy has Ron Gustafson is director of marketing and public relations for offered its famous Friday night special, but the crowds roll in Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Connecticut. With more than 35 years in the industry, Gustafson currently serves on the after 5 p.m. for 50-cent rides, hot dogs, soft drinks, and cot- IAAPA Marketing and Hall of Fame committees. ton candy. It’s a summer tradition structured on volume and, granted, not an ideal fit for every property. We promote it with a simple formula showing how a family of four can come to the park on a $20 bill and enjoy a night out. Of course, the per caps are much more than that. The latest in live, interactive entertainment products for your facility or attraction Quassy also features a $30 Saturday night (after 5 p.m.) carload special. Up to 10 persons in a vehicle receive an evening wristband for $30—another great family offer built on volume. To boost our Saturday night attendance, we 100% launched a campaign on the prominent Hispanic television LIVE network in Connecticut, which netted us immediate results. NO PRE-RECORDED ANIMATION Hold the Line Price integrity is a topic we hear a lot about in our industry, but it’s also something we find can ourselves backpeddling on in order to drive attendance when projections fall short. Being a small property with pretty favorable pricing to begin with—an all-day wristband can be had for $23.50—we Winner of Best New Product for don’t find ourselves scratching our heads too often over the t Live Interactive Character tPlay Games & Host Quizzes FEC Rides and topic. Attractions tProduce Stage Shows In season the largest coupon discount offered regionally is IAAPA Brass Ring t Entertain Guests Awards 2010 generally $3 off the $23.50 wristband. Reaching into sec- t Information Point ondary markets, we increase the offer in selected campaigns to a buy-one-get-one ($23.50 wristband) offer to bring in Head Office USA Office e: [email protected] e: [email protected] new guests. t: +44 (0) 1273 417 440 t: 512.540.0855 At the same time we remain very conscious about price For more visit www.animalive.com

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 61 MIDWAYTHE Book JACKLINDQUIST Review Jack Lindquist’s new memoir, ‘In Service To The Mouse’ by Marty Sklar

When I received the invitation from Jack Lindquist to speak in Morocco. And you thought you had CHARLES BOYER at the launch of his new book, “In Service To The Mouse,” I difficult clients! reluctantly agreed. I was not negative about Jack, who has I don’t want to spoil your fun in reading Jack’s been one of my best friends since we started working together book, but here are two sample stories: the first about the at Disneyland in 1955. I hesitated because Richard Nixon Magic Kingdom Club, which he developed with Milt was not one of my favorite presidents of the United States, Albright into a promotional vehicle with thousands of indus- and the inaugural event was to take place in mid-December try “chapters” and millions of members before it was discon- 2010 at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba tinued in 2000: Linda, California. I had been there previously, and I knew I would have a dif- Card Walker (Disney CEO in the ’70s and early ’80s) ficult time focusing on Jack after experiencing the shock of once told me … my favorite story about the Club. While seeing the museum’s first photo of President Nixon, viewed playing golf in the United Airlines Tournament, Card stood almost immediately to your left as you enter the building. at the tee talking with the chairman of United Airlines, There they are—Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley! I remem- when the chairman pulled a little card out of his wallet. He ber thinking, “Wouldn’t it be fun, just for today, if we could proudly showed off his card and said, ‘I’m a member of the substitute a photo of Jack in place of Nixon?”—after all, Jack Magic Kingdom Club!’” was the first president of Disneyland! And, as his new book The second story takes place at a private party at the Dis- will prove when you read it, that’s exactly what Jack would neyland Hotel in the early 1960s, following the classic “Dix- have done in his days at the Magic Kingdom. ieland at Disneyland” evening show on the Rivers of Jack retired as president of Disneyland in 1993 after 38 America in Frontierland, a special event that starred the years at Disney. As a result of our relationship—going all the great trumpet players Louis Armstrong and Teddy Buckner: way back to the beginnings of Disneyland—I am privileged to have written one of the book jacket’s quotes, as follows: We invited the mayor of Anaheim, the city manager, the “Jack wrote the marketing ‘bible’ for the amusement city council, various department heads and some prominent industry—he was willing to try anything. He bet his job on business and social leaders to meet the bands and to cele- some of the wildest ideas ever: Disney Dollars, ‘Gift Giver’ for brate {at the Disneyland Hotel}. Disneyland’s 30th anniversary and the Mickey Mouse- The party started at about midnight but remained quiet shaped cornfield in Iowa—now they’re all textbook classics! and staid until one in the morning, when a few musicians You don’t teach this stuff; you do it!” started jamming. Then a few more joined in and by two in Jack’s book is easily one of the most readable about the the morning, the joint was jumping. Everybody knew that Disney parks, because he chose to tell the story as a series of at two, the bar would have to shut down and the party anecdotal chapters. Because the stories are about so many of would end. But Mark Stephenson, the Anaheim chief of the marketing inventions from Jack’s playbook at Disney, police, proclaimed the event a private party and ruled that readers will feel as if they were right there at the creation of as such the bar could remain open. With this last minute Disney Dollars, Grad Nite, “Date Nite at Disneyland,” New reprieve, the party found new vigor. More musicians, Year’s Eve parties, “Blast to the Past,” and so much more Jack including Nellie Lutcher and Sweet Emma, loaned their Lindquist’s inventive marketing mind brought to life. voices to what I consider one of the greatest jam sessions Jack also shares the tales of how, in the course of selling ever held outside New Orleans. sponsorships for Epcot, he spent 10 days waiting for a meet- At about five in the morning, the curtain fell on the ing with Imelda Marcos, wife of the president of the Philip- event with Louis Armstrong playing a soft, almost religious pines; six weeks in Tehran waiting to meet the Shah of Iran rendition of ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ as the sun (who was overthrown a few weeks later); and that he was one rose over the park. I don’t think anybody who was there of those threatened to be beheaded by a 10-year-old prince ever forgot that night. I know I haven’t.

62 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 And neither have I. It was a thrill to be there— Eisner appointed him the first president of Disney- “In Service To even when we had to be at work at the park again The Mouse” land in 1988. Jack retired Oct. 18, 1993—Mickey at 9 a.m.! is available at Mouse’s birthday. He was named a Disney Legend in www.amazon.com for $26.95. 1994. ‘Gift-Giver Extraordinary’ At that Nixon Library event, the current presi- Perhaps the greatest promotion Jack writes about is the “Gift- dent of Disneyland, George Kalogridis, told the enthusiastic Giver Extraordinary” for Disneyland’s 30th birthday. “Top audience that he had purchased copies of Jack’s book for all management opposed it—they thought it was another one of his leadership staff. It teaches us “to think out of the box” and my crazy ideas,” Jack writes. “To get the consensus needed, I never fear failure, he said. had to say that I would resign if it didn’t work.” There’s so much history about Jack B. Lindquist and his A change of management, the arrival at Disney of exploits for Disney parks and resorts around the world. I’ve Michael Eisner and Frank Wells as the new heads of the cor- been privileged to work with more of the wonderful talents poration, triggered this exchange: recognized as Disney Legends than perhaps anyone else still around to talk about it—many were my mentors at Walt Michael: “Are you the guy that wrote that memo? You Disney Imagineering. But I also learned so much from so said we’ll do 12 million people in ’85. That’s ridiculous!” many others in other parts of Disney: Walt, of course, and (Disneyland attendance in 1984: 9.5 million.) Chairman and CEO Card Walker, President Frank Wells, Jack: “That’s my job.” songwriters Dick and Bob Sherman, and many others who Michael: You said that if we don’t do 12 million people “grew up” with Walt. And from working with Jack Lindquist, in ’85, you’ll resign on January 1, 1986.” the first advertising and marketing manager and very first Jack: “That’s a bonus for the company.” president of Disneyland. It’s about time his stories, memories, “We computerized the Main Gate,” Jack describes, “and and remarkable marketing concepts have been published. every thirtieth person got a prize … The 30,000th person got “In Service To The Mouse” is simply a great read about an

a new car … and the 3 millionth got a Cadillac. We gave incredible career in our industry. FW away 410 cars that year, and attendance went up 22 percent (to 12.5 million guests!).” Marty Sklar is the principal of Marty Sklar Creative, a Disney Leg- end, an IAAPA Hall of Famer, and recipient of the TEA Lifetime Not only was Jack’s job saved but not long after, Michael Achievement Award. E-mail: [email protected].

InsuringIInInsnssusuruririniingng NNeNewew & EExExcitingxxcitingccicitiititiniingng ThingsThhihiniingngsgs ararerree AAlwaysllwwwaaayyyss HHappHappeningaapapppppeenenininingng fofororr YYou!ouou!u! MIDWAYTHE In Brief

PEOPLE

NEW FACES ON THE ISLAND: Jungle Island, a WELCOME “TONY O”: Tony Orozco, known in the themed interactive zoological park in Miami, Florida, has amusement industry as “Tony O,” has joined Benchmark announced the appointment of two new members to its man- Games, manufacturer of coin-operated redemption games, as agement staff. Aston Ziadie joins as a member of the cater- its southwest regional sales representative, covering Califor-

ing sales management team, and ISLAND JUNGLE nia, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico. Orozco joins Benchmark Suresh Dias comes aboard as an games from C.A. Robinson, where he began his career 36 operations manager. Ziadie previ- years ago. Benchmark says Orozco has been exposed to all ously served as director of catering facets of distribution and operation of amusement games. His for Signature Gardens for two years primary focus will be to maintain existing sales relationships and as an event producer for the and to develop new business. prior 13 years. Dias was operations manager for Wannado City in Sun- BIG TOP HONOR: Roland Mack, managing partner of rise, Florida, where he managed the Europa-Park, was honored to be invited by H.S.H. Princess facility’s day-to-day functions and Stephanie of Monaco EUROPAPARK systems. Aston Ziadie and Prince Albert II to be a member of the CONTINUING THE MAGIC: Amusement Manage- international jury for ment Partners, the new manager of Magic Springs & Crys- the 35th Monte-Carlo tal Falls in Hot Springs, Arkansas, has announced that Steve International Circus Honeycutt has taken over as the park’s new general manager. Festival in Monte Honeycutt is an industry veteran with more than 34 years of Carlo, Monaco. Each experience with Kings Entertainment, Anheuser-Busch, and year, the jury selects Herschend Family Entertainment. Most recently, he was the top international general manager of Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado. circus artists from a field of more than PICTURE PERFECT HIRE: Digital Centre America, 150. Mack handed manufacturer of photo booths and a division of Digital Cen- the “Prix Europa- H.S.H. Prince Albert and tre, S.L., in Barcelona, Spain, Park” award to the Roland Mack (right) has named Omaly Rodriguez “Troupe Strangers” from Russia, which allows them to take as Technical Support Manager. part in Europa-Park’s circus revue next winter. He will be responsible for all technical support provided to STEPPING DOWN: After 30 customers in the United States years of service in the amusement DIGITAL CENTRE AMERICA CENTRE DIGITAL

and Canada. Rodriguez was IT DOLLYWOOD industry, Dollywood Vice Presi- department manager for MB dent and General Manager Development for four years Barbara Joines has announced she and, prior to that, was presi- is retiring at the close of the theme dent of his own company, park’s 2011 season. She will Omaly Rodriguez Miami Total IT Solutions. assume the title of vice president/ general manager emeritus for her NEW PRESIDENT: FEC chain Dave and Buster’s, final season with the park; Craig Inc., has named Dolf Berle as its new president and COO. Barbara Joines Ross, vice president of retail for Berle comes to Dave and Buster’s from ClubCorp USA, Herschend Family Entertainment, Dollywood’s operating where he served as executive vice president of hospitality of partner, has been promoted to vice president/general man- the nation’s largest operator of private clubs. Prior to that, he ager of Dollywood. Joines’ long career with Dollywood actu- was president of Lucky Strike Entertainment and was also ally began with Silver Dollar City, Tennessee, which became chief operating officer of House of Blues Entertainment. Dollywood in 1986.

64 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 PRODUCTS

POPPIN’ GOOD: C. Cretors introduces the Model 40 Continuous Hot Air Popper, which can produce up to 40 pounds of popcorn per hour. The newest addi-

tion to the company’s hot air pop- CRETORC. ping equipment line, the Model 40 is ideal for caramel corn shops and other concession locations. It pops kernels in a steady flow of hot air, creating uniform popcorn and producing very lit- Model 40 tle scrap. A built-in sifter Continuous removes unpopped and under- Hot Air Popper sized kernels, while a digital control panel allows the operator to set an exact temperature for the best popping efficiency. The stainless steel popper is a smaller version of Cretor’s original Model 80 Continuous Hot Air Popper. www.cretors.com

GAMEON!: The new “Play BACKYARDPRODUCTS POOL Full Court!” from Backyard Pool Products features two Pool Shot Varsity II water basketball games and creates realistic, NBA-style games for inground and above- ground pools with decks. It includes two patented winged backboards, two stability bases with ball holders, two regulation-size hoop kits, two long-wearing nets, two decals, and four waterproof basketballs. Game- play recommendations are provided Full Court Pool Shot on the company’s website to adjust Varsity II play for families, oddly shaped pools, and pools where the full court covers both deep and shallow sections. www.Back- yardPoolProducts.com.

TWOGAMESINONE: LAI Games rolled out two new games at the BACKYARDPRODUCTS POOL Amusement Expo in Las Vegas in early March. Stack ‘N’ Grab is a prize mer- chandising game that provides players two games in one. A player first attempts to win a shortened version of LAI’s stacker game. If successful, the player selects a prize with a crane claw that guarantees delivery. A second game, Catch ‘N’ Grab, uses the identi- cal prize delivery system but instead of the stacker game, players are chal- Full Court Pool Shot Varsity II lenged to a game of Drop Zone, whereby they attempt to catch a group of blocks between two

stacks of “catcher” blocks. FW

www.IAAPA.org Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 Ⅲ FUNWORLD 65 This is a partial listing of trade shows, conventions, and seminars of interest to the attractions CALENDAR industry. Submit information marked “Funworld Calendar” via fax +1 703/738-7393 or e-mail at [email protected].

ᮣ 9-12 IAAPA MEMBER WEBINARS: AALARA 2011 Crisis Management—A Legal Perspective Conrad Jupiters Hotel April 27, 1 p.m. EST Gold Coast, Queensland Australia www.aalara.com.au This seminar will address the legal aspects of crisis management, including crisis communication, preservation of evidence, dealing with local, state, and federal authorities, ᮣ 22-25 staff issues, adverse publicity, experts, and preparing for potential litigation. AAM Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo 2011 Speakers: John W. Grund, IALDA Attorney and Managing Shareholder of Grund Dagner P.C; Bryan T. Pope, IALDA Attorney and Managing Shareholder of The Pope Firm; Lary I. George R. Brown Convention Center Zucker Esq., IALDA member and counsel to the New Jersey Amusement Association, Houston, Texas and chair, Amusement Sports and Entertainment practice group, Marshall Dennehey www.aam-us.org Warner Coleman and Goggin ᮣ 23-27 Register Now at www2.gotomeeting.com/register/615427570. Latin American Executive Program Suddenly Supervisors Part 2 - The Art of Diplomacy Universidad Iberoamericana May 18, 1 p.m. EST Mexico City, Mexico This webinar will address conflict resolution and provide positive tactics and techniques www.iaapa.org/latinoamerica that can help new managers and supervisors successfully lead in challenging situations. Particularly when conflicts arise among young personnel and frontline workers, it takes ᮣ 27 strong, yet prudent, leadership to manage an issue while keeping a team focused and IAAPA Safety Institute performing professionally. This program is designed to help prepare new supervisors to Mexico City, Mexico handle various scenarios and forms of conflict they may encounter. www.iaapa.org/latinoamerica Presented by the IAAPA Human Resources Committee June April ᮣ 11 IAAPA Safety Institute ᮣ 16 ᮣ 4-6 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Feel Expo Latin American DEAL 2011 Details forthcoming at Entertainment Trade Show Dubai World Trade Centre www.IAAPA.org Centro Internacional de Negocios Dubai, UAE y Exposiciones www.themeparksdubai.com, ᮣ 27-May 2 Corferias, Bogotá Colombia +971/43435777, e-mail [email protected]. Hauntcon www.feelexpo.com/index.php Crowne Plaza Hotel Louisville ᮣ 4-7 Louisville, Kentucky ᮣ 20-24 IAAPA Latin American For details, visit www.hauntcon.com, Brasilian Association of Industry Leadership or call +1 877/467-5786. Amusement Park and Program Attractions (Adibra) Bogotá, Colombia Training Week www.iaapa.org/latinoamerica May São Paulo, Brazil www.adibra.com.br ᮣ 6-8 ᮣ 2-4 ACOLAP III Congress and GTI Asia Taipei Expo 2011 ᮣ 21-23 Latin American Taipei World Trade Center IAAPA Institute for Amusement Expo Taipei, Taiwan Attractions Managers Centro Internacional de Negocios y Ex- www.gtiexpo.com.tw, São Paulo, Brazil posiciones +886/22760740710, www.iaapa.org/latinoamerica/ Corferias, Bogotá, Colombia [email protected] IAAPAversaoemportugues.asp www.acolap.org.co/

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

C4 Accesso C3 Auxel 59 Herborner Pumpenfabrik 8 Siriusware www.accesso.com www.unixon.eu www.herborner-pumpen.de www.siriusware.com C2 Adventure Golf Services 34 Center Edge Software 67 IAAPA Certification 51 Tacki-mac Miniature Golf www.adventureandfun.com www.centeredgesoftware.com www.IAAPA.org/certiﬁcation Supplies www.tackimac.com 65 Allied Specialty Insurance 43 Centaman 53 IAAPA Membership www.alliedspecialty.com www.centaman.com www.IAAPA.org 63 Thomco www.funproins.com 61 Animalive 3 Fotosmile 6 Kraftwerk www.animalive.com www.moviesmile.eu www.kraftwerk.at 57 Tiburon Lockers www.tiburonlockers.com 18 Asian Attractions Expo 2011 14 Funworld Digital Edition 35 Lo-Q www.IAAPA.org www.IAAPA.org/funworld www.Lo-Q.com 14 Tropical Expressions Inc. www.tropicalexpressions.com 10 Astro Carpet Mills 48 Gateway Ticketing Systems 52 National Ticket Company www.astrocarpetmills.com www.gatewayticketing.com www.nationalticket.com 12 Water Walkerz www.waterwalkerz.com

66 FUNWORLD Ⅲ A p r i l 2 0 1 1 IAAPAIAAAPAAAAPA CertificationCertification

Are youyou serAre serseriousious aboutabouab youryourur career?careca re eer?

For more than 90 y s, IAAPear A has servA ed the attractions indus y — protr viding you and your gor anization the opportunity to grow highly successful businesses and deliver amazing guest xpere iences around the w ld. NNor old. w it is time t focus on yo our personal growth and take your career to the ne levxt el.

IAAPPAA Certiﬁcation is designed to ele tatvo he profe s andartessional ds of the attractions industrryy. Through a combination of classroom w k and on-tor on-t e ience, txperhe-job he prog of erfram s attractions professionals self toure ylik self toure he oppor to furtunity fur yto our knoher wledge of all aspects of the industrryy — and, in turn, ance yadv our career.

CERTIFICATIONTIFICCER AATIONTIONN IS OFFERED ATAT THREE SUCCESSIVES LEVELS:LEVELS: CertifiediedtifCer CERTIFIEDCERTIFIED ATTRACTIONSAATTRATTRACTIONS MANAGERMANAGER Attractions Youro certification journey begins here. Emphasis is placed on Manager xpanding ye our knowledg in fivwledg e ke ey domains: mar eek ting, enue gvfinance, re enue gvfinance, eneration, operations, and human resources. CertifiediedtifCer CERCERTIFIEDTIFIED AATTRAATTRACTIONSTTRACTIONS PRPROFESSIONALOFESSIONAL Attractions The second le el of cerv certification focuses on your ability to logically analyze information and make sound decisions within Professional the attractions industrrryy. CertifiediedtifCer CERTIFIEDCERTIFIED ATTRACTIONSAATTRATTRACTIONS EXECUTIVE Attractions The highes ac ement fvhiet f tement witor ehose e indusindusensivxth trryy ience, yxpere ou can hone your ability t de a svo trattratelop egic Executive f yvision comor panour .ypan

IAAPPAA Certiﬁcation will not only impro e yvy our career by increasing your professional skills and d abilityy,, but will also create meaningful connections as y ne ortwou k with other professionals in the program. OU DESERY VE IT!

Foror more informationinfF information and tot getg started,seo artt ed, contactconttar act [email protected]@IAAPPPAA.org or visit www.IAAPA.org/certiﬁcation.www.IAAPPAA.org/cer.or tiﬁcation. Last Shot

Pictured Pis a rendering of Six Flags Magic Mountain’s new “Green Lantern” coaster, which will debut this year. To read new Six Flags CEO Jim Reid- Anderson’s thoughts on innovation in the industry and much more, turn to p. 20. SIX FLAGS SIX

What’s Next in Funworld…

TIVOLI GARDENS TIVOLI The 2011 Holiday Issue In this special edition of Funworld, discover trends and best practices from around the world, including: • Halloween trends • The appeal of icy attractions • Tips for hosting cold-weather events outside • And much more! AUTOMATION FOR AMUSEMENT RIDE

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