Daily Spin 7.20.09

Busch Gardens Tampa has started teasing the theme of their 2009 Howl-O-Scream event. Looks like this year the event will be themed to some sort of dark fashion designer... the website for the event is now live and has a video for you to enjoy.

Morey's Piers has launched a new book that looks back at the past 40 years of the seaside amusement piers' history. They quite literally launched the book at the park when they had David "The Bullet" Smith launch himself out of a giant cannon while holding two copies of the new book. The book is available for purchase at any of Morey's Piers.

Spongebob's 10th birthday has thrown Marriott and Nickelodeon's plan to build up to 20 resorts around the world back into the spotlight. The first property is still planned for San Diego next year, and will feature a 650 room hotel and a significant water park as well. I never really paid attention to news of this development when they announced it but I should have - it looks really nice! No relation to the Nick Hotel in Florida, however.

Looks like plans for a Paramount theme park in Osaka Japan, located on the site of the failed Expoland amusement park, are not dead. New reports have a local investment firm stating they will work with an affiliate of Paramount Studios to develop the park. Curiously, the company that owns the Expoland site says they have received no notification of the plan. Will it happen? You guess is as good as mine!

More Expo 2010 U.S.A. Pavilion news is pouring out now that the country's involvement has been made official. The pavilion will consist of three buildings, the main one will hold a large theatre that will present a 4-D movie experience created by BRC Imagination Arts, a design company with plenty of amazing theme park and world expo design experience.

Cedar Point is celebrating Christmas in July by helping out the Marine Corps' annual Toys for Tots program get an early start this year. Anyone who brings a brand-new toy to the park will receive a discounted admission ticket to the sprawling amusement park. Other activities will take place in the park, and Santa himself will appear to visit with the kiddies. The event runs this upcoming weekend, July 24th through 26th.