Dezerland Action Park Orlando Opens with Indoor Fun, Museum
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New Mexico refuses to let amusement facilities open, no clear explanation — page 36 INSIDE: Full recap of Florida Week events TM & ©2021 Amusement Today, Inc. PAGE 30-32 March 2021 | Vol. 24 • Issue 12 Digital Edition Dezerland Action Park Orlando opens with indoor fun, museum AT: David Fake Special to Amusement Today Dezerland Action Park Orlando occupies more than 800,000 square feet in the former ORLANDO — After Artegon Marketplace/Festival nearly three years of prepara- Bay Mall at the north end of tion, Dezerland Action Park Orlando's International Drive. Orlando opened to the public AT/DAVID FAKE on December 14, 2020. The park, which occupies more than 800,000 square feet in the former Artegon Marketplace/ Festival Bay Mall, is located on the north end of International Drive in the heart of Orlando’s tourist corridor. The new park is currently operating under a soft opening model, which includes six of the 12+ planned, pay attractions; however, admission and parking are free. The attractions currently included in the soft open- The Pinball Palace provides valued at approximately $6.5 ing the tank, are fully opera- ing include: Arcade Orlando, historic information about the million and multiple Bat tional if you give them gas Bowling Orlando, Jump Start, games along with a tracking Mobiles from the television and a battery. Of course, we The Pinball Palace and The house of world records for the show and an array of the need to keep them that way Orlando Auto Museum. players. movie franchises. so there's no potential short or Arcade Orlando is home Karting Orlando is a two- Sure to be a favorite, and electric spark,” says Sebastian to over 300 redemption, skill, track racing experience in state- possibly the biggest draw to Mochkovsky, co-owner of rhythm, nostalgia, classic pin- of-the-art electric go-karts U.S. When fully open, will the museum, will be the James Dezerland, along with the park’s ball, toddler riding games and manufactured by BIZ Karts, a feature over 18 organized Bond Exhibit and Lounge, and collection’s namesake and video games. Many of which British go-kart manufacturing groupings of vehicles includ- which is nearing completion. curator, Michael Dezer. were acquired from the now company in operation since ing Cars of the Stars, the Bat When open, the exhibit will Dezer, an Israeli immi- defunct Sega Republic park 1994 in London England, and Cave, Cuba Libre and Main house the world’s largest col- grant, came to the U.S. in (Dubai Mall, UAE), which operating a Florida division Street USA, and the Military lection of James Bond memo- 1962 and worked in advertis- operated from 2009-2017. serving the United States, Pavilion, just to name a few. rabilia. The exhibit and lounge ing while he attended night Bowling Orlando is a Canada and Mexico markets The Orlando Auto will include a full-size Russian school before creating his own 12-lane boutique bowling since 2017. Karting Orlando’s Museum is any auto enthusi- tank and jet, as well as feature typesetting business. He then experience with exciting light- two tracks include the Pro ast’s dream, because not only the two 1964 Aston Martin began investing in New York ing, large screen projection Track, which at 1,500 feet is the can guests view the vehicles, DB5s, which remains the most City real estate and found- televisions, and full bar and longest indoor go-kart track in they can also buy them, as iconic and recognizable of the ed Dezer Properties. In the restaurant service. Florida and reserved for rac- some of the museum’s highest Bond vehicles. These originals 1980s, Dezer purchased sev- Jump Start has 20,000 ers over 58 inches in height, quality classic and collector made their first appearance eral oceanfront lots in Miami square feet of fun, adventure and the Cadet Track, a shorter cars are also for sale. in the film Goldfinger; one and developed over a billion and excitement including tram- track (500 feet) reserved for There are approximately of those in the collection is dollars in properties. Dezer poline courts, dodge ball, super racers over 48 inches in height. 2000 vehicles in the collection. a custom, one-of-a-kind stunt has had a lifelong affinity for slam basketball and three The Orlando Auto There are about 130 of those model, tricked out with Bond automobiles and motor vehi- rooms to host private parties. Museum is Orlando’s larg- vehicles displayed throughout effects, including disguised, cles, spurred by the purchase The Pinball Palace fea- est museum of any kind and the park, outside of the actual retractable machine guns, of a Vespa at age 16. tures over 150 pinball games home to the Dezer Collection. museum, where there is no a flipping license plate, and In 2012 Dezer opened The from manufacturers such as It is also the largest and most charge to view the vehicles. smokescreen capabilities. Miami Auto Museum at the Data East, Gottleib, Bally, engaging private collection of Highlights of the collection “The majority of the vehi- Sega, Stern, and Williams. automobiles/vehicles in the include several Aston Martins cles in the collection, includ- 4See ORLANDO, page 6 AMUSEMENT VIEWS PARKS & FAIRS WATER PARKS BUSINESS SAFETY CLASSIFIEDS Page 4 Pages 7-24 Pages 25-29 Pages 30-37 Pages 38-45 Page 46 Get the most up-to-date industry news from AmusementToday.com! 2 AMUSEMENT TODAY March 2021 March 2021 AMUSEMENT TODAY 3 New Looping Coaster! 4 AMUSEMENT TODAY March 2021 AMUSEMENT VIEWS AT NOTEBOOK: John W.C. Robinson, [email protected] FLINT’S VIEW: Bubba Flint One year later... It's hard to believe it's been a year since everything seemed to get turned on its ear. I still remember my flight home from New Orleans, after attending Amusement Expo 2020, and distributing our Amusement Today's March 2020 issue. By the time my plane had landed, Disneyland announced Robinson it's closure, Dollywood had canceled its media day, and local FECs had started to announce their own temporary closure. Admittedly, I was full of hope and thought all this would be over in a matter of weeks. Not the first time in my life I've been wrong. However, I was right about something. When I got home, I wrote a column for AT's April 2020 issue regarding the pandemic. I wrote with great confidence that our industry, though stunned, would survive this sudden change because this industry has not only always adapated, but it has also always come together — as a family — when needed. Looking back on the past year, that's exactly what happened. IAAPA has worked with the federal government to help get financial aid programs for the attractions industry. INDUSTRY VOICE: Jonah Sandler, owner, Scene75 Entertainment Centers NEAAPA worked with local governments to help get area An equal and opposite reaction parks open for guests, including finally acheiving the green light to open attractions in the state of New York (see Newton’s Third Law of Motion relates rationale behind their decisions explained to the physical interaction of two objects. well enough to the public to earn buy-in? story, page 46). Suppliers developed new products and But I often contemplate the essence of In Ohio, our four Scene75 locations techniques to help attractions maintain sanitary conditions. this law in connection with many other were closed by government mandate last Parks shared knowledge with their competitors to help aspects of my life. As relates to Scene75 March, a scenario similar to what many of prepare them for the hurdles of opening within a pandemic. Entertainment, I tell my teammates that it us experienced across the country. When Most recently, major theme parks are working with is not only our immediate action or deci- the mandate was ultimately lifted, it was local governments to become mass vaccination sites and sion that we must evaluate, but also, it is Sandler replaced with a government imposed 10 help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to the populace (see the ensuing — often unintended — conse- p.m. curfew. Did the local government, story, page 44). In essence, parks are working to ensure quences that require deep deliberation. in making this decision, fully evaluate the hidden their guests are ready to spin the turnstiles again in 2021. As managers and leaders, it is our duty to consequences of trying to force people into staying Even though we're nearing the light at the end of the determine the latent consequences of our deci- home at night? First hand, on an hour-by-hour basis tunnel, the struggle is not over. The outdoor and traveling sions. And then, once identified (always in part leading up to the curfew, I saw more congestion, and never in full), it is on us to determine if we more traffic, more crowds in multiple kind of estab- amusement industry continues to battle fair cancellations, believe that the intended course of action still lishments and even more guests at times in venues postponements and downsizing. The state of New Mexico remains the appropriate path to pursue. like ours, due to the condensed hours of operation. has offered no information for the opening of any kind of As the pandemic tore through our world, I And as the curfew hour approached, a mass exodus family amusement facility (indoor or outdoor), while still wondered if our government leaders truly con- which lead to immense social distancing challenges. greenlighting the opening of local gyms and strip bars (see templated the unintended consequences of their As we look back at 2020 and try to rebuild, if story, page 36).