hen the management of themed park in Europe, all of its • • Warner Bros. International rides and attractions have a strong The rst Recreation Enterprises link with the corporate brand of (WB ) announced in 1994 Warner Bros., and the park advertis­ themed ark in that they would start construction on es itself as "Hollywood in Germany." a movie-based theme park in Bottrop­ From the outside, everything is more Kirchhellen, Germany, the local re­ or less hidden and built low to the Euro e, with sponse to the park was overwhelm­ ground. Strategic landscaping and ingly negative. And there were some fences prohibit a view "to the set," all 0 its · s good reasons. The site WE had select­ with only the Lethal Weapon Pursuit • ed had been the site for two other the­ roller coaster visible from the a attracttons mers, both of which went bankrupt parking lot. soon after their inaugural seasons. WB's management has been able A Tour strongly linked to overcome the problems that Guests enter through the Grand plagued its predecessors, and the Archway, a 45-foot-tall entrance to with the cor orate park, now in its third the park reminiscent of Hollywood season, received more studios. The impressive Fountain of bra amer than 2 million guests Fame, which anchors the entrance last year. In fact, Warn­ plaza, is surrounded by brass plaques er Brothers now ranks of stars who have visited the facility. Bros., among the top three at­ The Bermuda Triangle, a high-tech • tractions in Germany. water ride through an active volcano, In The park is the is found in this area. Guests get close first movie- to a number of pyrotechnic effects ennany." • • I r I

•

• ~

The Fountain of Fame welcomes guests in true Hollywood style.

• and "alien" anima tronics before open the Studio Tour a little bit later e are not ocuslng ending their ride with a splash into during the day. And with our show a lagoon. schedule for the Roxy Theater at Hol­ on s eci ·c rides or Also on the square is The Warner lywood Boulevard (showing Marvin Bros. Studio Tour, the park's longest the Martian in the Third Dimension) show with a duration of 50 minutes. we will try to further enforce a flow The first part is a Tram Tour that back into the front of the park. By takes guests into the back lot of the doing all this we feel that people will park, where, on an area of 12 acres, still come back to the front of the studio complexes are located. the park." After the Studio Tour, guests enter The Studio Commissary, which is the Movie Magic complex where, on modeled after the famous canteen three separate stages, guests are where stars and crew dined at the taken behind the scenes and invited Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, to discover the secrets of audio and Calif., is also in the entrance plaza. visual special effects. Farther down the street is the Because both of these attractions Warner Bros. department store, the are located in the front of the park, it biggest shop at the park, boasting a has led to flow and capacity problems variety of movie and Looney Tunes during the afternoon. The park is in­ related souvenirs. stituting new measures to alleviate Opposite the store is the Roxy this problem. General manager Mark Theater, modeled after the Broadway Germyn explains, "This year we will theater of the same name i.n New

32 N ovembe r 199 8 IAA P A • • n a I r 0 I

York City. The film shown here is the as Coyote's and Roadrunner's train Numerous Looney Thnes animatron­ world's first 3D, 70 millimeter ride. New for this year is the Looney ics can be found along the way. The computer-generated cartoon. The Thnes Park, a spacious green area grand exit lifts boats onto the bridge multigalactic quest with the easily where guests can relax or have a pic­ of a medieval castle and releases recognized helmeted alien is is nic. An interactive play area is also them to a splashing finale. the only ride in the park with a n located nearby. Next to the Looney TUnes Adven­ English spiel, which makes it even One of the primary draws to this ture is the Neverending Story, a river more appealing to non-German­ area is the Looney TUnes Adventure. rapids attraction, built in collabora­ speaking visitors. This water ride takes guests through tion with the Swiss company Inta­ Park management is trying to the deep black forest on a mission to min. The ride transports guests into make Warner Bros. Movie World find and bring back Bugs Bunny to the elaborately themed world of the more accessible to the non-German­ the set of his latest Hollywood shoot. film trilogy. This is one ride that has speaking guest by offering entertain­ ment in other languages such as English and Dutch. For example, the Flinstones Event in late April was done in Dutch because the event co­ incided with Queens Day, a Dutch National Holiday that brought quite a few Dutch guests to the park. "We are quite flexible to adapt to those changes in demographics," says the marketing director, Thomas Wirz. He adds that the park has quite a few Dutch employees and that a basic course of Dutch is given with t h e job training. At the end of Hollywood Boulevard is the Police Academy Stunt Show, one of 1'1'" the park's top

attractions. It features impres­ sive driving and he­ licopter stunts, explo­ sions, and pyrotechnics. The show, with a dura­ tion of about 30 min­ utes, takes place in a 2,900-seat amphithe­ ater, which fills up six times a day. Another area of the park is the Looney Thnes area, featuring 12 rides and at­ tractions for younger guests. Rides include a junior roller coaster by Vekoma themed The Maverick Illusion Show is one of W8's most popular movie-themed live shows.

t' U N W 0 II I, It November 1998 33 International Profile

to be experienced to be appreciated tory Museum, which pays tribute days, but it turned out there were so since spinning boats and the churn­ to the legacy of German filmmaking. many Dutch people in the park that ing water make photography inside The museum features one of it would be very appropriate to host the ride difficult. the world's finest collections, of the whole event in Dutch, which we On the other side of Hollywood cinematographic equipment and a eventually did." During the week Boulevard is Gotham City, home to special film celebrating the best of guests were invited to Yabba Dabba Wayne Manor. Here, guests attend a German movies. Doo all sorts of activities with the private reception with Bruce Wayne Also in the Marienhof area is new members of the Warner Bros. (a .k .a . Batman). Of course, during Lethal Weapon Pursuit, a twin­ family, Fred and Wilma Flinstone, the reception something goes terribly tracked roller coaster with special Barney and Betty Rubble, and Dino wrong and guests soon find them­ effects and a zero-g-roll. The ride the primeval pet. selves aboard a 20-seat flight simula­ features more than 600 tons of steel In July the park held a Batman tor saving the children of Gotham and 2,000 feet of track. Week where audiences were treated City from the fiendish Penguin. to special movie screenings and Other popular shows include the Special Events shows and Mr. Freeze was there to Maverick Illusion Show, a can-can For the 1998 season the park's main help guests cool off. During the last show in the Wild West Saloon, and focus was special events branded days of the season it was time for the Great Gremlin's Adventure where under the umbrella of "Warner Spe­ Halloween, when terrifYing monsters guests are rescued from a gremlin at­ cials." The Flinstones Week, during and other weird creatures tried to tack by television star ALF. the end of April, turned out to be a freeze the blood of even the most The final section is the Marienhof big Dutch party, according to Wirz. hard-boiled visitor. And, of course, area, where guests can visit scenes "We had anticipated a higher atten­ the park was filled with Halloween from popular German television se­ dance from the lowlands during the pumpkins and stuffed to the brim ries and visit the German Film His- week because of the national holi- with other surprises.

34 N ove mb e r 199 8 See us at IAAPA booth #1036 I A A P A International Profile

Competition as an Advantage New for 1999 The park is located in close proximi­ As the park expands to a higher at­ "That is why ty to Centro, a large retail-based tendance level it needs more capacity. entertainment venue near the city of For this reason, three new attrac­ people Oberhausen. The development tions will open at the park in 1999. includes more than 200 shops, a The first will be a $9 million wooden nighttime entertainment center, roller coaster designed by Werner have to and a cinema complex, where Stengel and built by Intamin Roller­ Bugs Bunny plays the host. The coaster Corporation of America, which come to complex also has a Planet Hollywood will be the new anchoring attraction restaurant. Both venues are linked of the western themed section. "The Movie to the park, and they work together woodie fits perfectly with the theming on joint promotions. "We use the and feeling of the western section," changes in society to our advantage," says Germyn. The ride, which will be World; we says Germyn. "If people have the first wooden roller coaster in Ger­ more things to do in your area many, will open in late spring and will are a distinct than just you, they have more feature a 100-foot lift hill, reach reasons to extend their stay and speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, and different experience more reasons to come to your area. have an hourly capacity of around It would be very naive of us to think 1,500 riders. "A woodie is a distinct at­ that we could say come to Bottrop traction for Germany," notes Germyn, which people cannot for the weekend when the "only" "and it is just what we were looking thing to do here is Warner Bros. for as it is appealing to both younger get anywhere else." Movie World." age groups and families." International Profile

assumed his posi­ thing more to deliver-a feeling of tion earlier this Hollywood." year: "We are The park stresses the majority of successful , but its marketing efforts on TV commer­ we have a low cials because Wirz feels that it is the capacity on a big best way to deliver the park. "It is day, so this ex­ film-related," says Wirz. "In our opin­ pansion really ion, TV is the medium that makes alleviates a lot the feeling of the park come across in of that pres­ the best possible way, the feeling is sure." really difficult to capture in print The park de­ media, and also our main target au­ sign replicates dience watches TV quite a lot." For a classic "T" this season the park also used radio layout with commercials for the promotion of spe­ rounds at the cial events taking place throughout end of the "T." the season. The park has The focus for next year's market­ opened a con­ ing campaign will be the new wooden necting road coaster, but it won't dominate the from the park's marketing efforts. ''We want to Marienhof make sure that everybody is aware of area to the the fact that wh en people come to . . ression on audiences. western section Warner Bros. they can get everything Stunt Show makes a fIery Imp that will accommodate they would normally expect from a The police Academy The ride will be the flow when the new wooden park experience and a lot more," says themed to the upcoming Warner coaster will be operating between Wirz. "We are not an Bros. feature film Wild, Wild, West, those sections. American regional park and will feature some original sets "This creates that is well established and decorations from the film. much more of a and survives on repeat But the woodie is not the only ride circular flow with­ business. We do not have to debut next season. The park is in the park," says a target market in which adding a top spin-style attraction Germyn. "Also, the every person of every age themed around the Riddler's Revenge teacup attraction group basically knows 80 in the Gotham City area that is tar- is going to take percent of the product geted at teenagers. Also a teacup- some pressure from inventory by heart. We type attraction will be added to the the Coyote's and need to tell them over Looney Tunes children's area to ap- Roadrunner junior and over again 'this is peal to younger guests. "The comb i- roller coaster which wh at's new this year, nation of those three attractions will be right across check it out,' we need to helps Warner Bros. Movie World get from there, because do so with every radio a wide spread of demographics as we that is an extremely spot, television com­ will have three new attractions ap- popular ride." mercial, and local pealing to three different age groups. news topic on the It also allows us to better Marketing park," says Germyn. accommodate our ''What we are trying to When Wild, Wild, attendance now stress in our market­ West the movie is re­ and our anticipated ing is that we really leased on July 4, the growth in the fu­ are a different theme park will have the ture," says Wirz. park," says Wirz. "We European premiere, Germyn notes are not focusing on spe­ with the obvious link that this was one cific rides or attractions but on the to the attraction. of the chal­ total concept of the park. We not only "Starting this year we also have a \\ -.;===::;, lenges when he have rides and shows, we have some- public relations consultant for the

38 No ve m b e r 1 998 IAAPA The Bermuda Triangle takes riders on a high-tech water ride through an active volcano.

Benelux market," says junior public passes so far because for us it is Germyn s ays one of the chal­ relations manager Caroliene Gotz. very important to get the first-time lenges the park has is recruiting en­ "This has proved to be very helpful," visitors in the first few years." The tertainers, again mainly due to the says Wirz. "The Dutch people are park is open from early April until location of the park. 'We are in Bot­ more looking for fun in their leisure the end of October, operating from trop, not in Dusseldorf, Cologne, time. We know that 35 percent ofthe 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week­ Hollywood, or Orlando. Performers Dutch people go to a theme park days and from 9 a.m . to 9 p.m. dur­ are more rare because there isn't once a year, while only 12-13 per­ ing the peak summer season. traditionally a lot of opportunity in cent of the Gennan people are going this city; another major factor in re­ to a theme park once a year. "Obvi­ Human Resources taining talent is that entertainers ously it is much easier to get Dutch 'We have about a 70 percent rehire like to be on stage, but ours is 100 people into the park than German rate this season; that makes clear acres, which needs some adaptation. people," adds Gotz. "And also when to us we are doing something right," 'We create memories here," says they are in the park, they are more says Germyn. "Each year we Germyn. "That is why people have relaxed than Germans." organize a job fair which is very to come to Movie World; we are a successful; we have a pool of serious distinct experience." Take one has Admission Policy applicants which is more than dou­ been very successful, and the ex­ The park features a pay-one-price ble of what we had last year. How pansion for n ext season should system. Admission is $21 for adults that is to continue remains to be make this park a star. fw and $18 for children ages 4-11. At seen. We are looking for people who Mark Wijman , based in The Netherlands, present the park does not fe ature are enthusiastic. People who have provides marketing and public relations ser­ season passes, but, according to an enjoyment of interacting not vices for amusement parks, theme parks, Wirz, it may introduce them in only with the guests but also with and attractions worldwide that wish to tar­ 1999. "We have not sold sea s on their fellow team-members." get their facility to the European continent.

FUNW OR L D Novem b er 1 998 37