Scott And Carol Present - Thursday At IAAPA

What a big day at IAAPA! It started with an official Request for Proposals information session for prospective partners for the Coney Island Redevelopment Project. Many manufacturers, amusement park professionals, and former park operators were in attendance. Some very strict timelines have been established for this, with a temporary park requested for Memorial Day weekend 2010, and some more permanent attractions ready for the following year. If you want more information, it can be found here. The parcels include the former Astroland Park. The renovated Coney Island is expected to have the same unique energy as in the past, but in a 21st century format. The historic Coney Island Cyclone, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, and the iconic Parachute Jump will remain, although there are no plans to return the Parachute Jump to operational status at this time.

Something really different that will appear in a water park near you is supplied by Polin Water Parks, (www.polin.com.tr). They are introducing enclosed water slide with lighting effects. It uses natural sunlight with translucent places along the pipe that increase the sensation of speed as riders slide down the tube. No moving parts, no power requirements, and it looks nice from the outside also. Enjoy these photos supplied by Polin.

On a totally different subject, midway games, we have Catch a Fish,(www.amusementcorp.com) which uses a RFID chip that determines the winners when the fish is put into the fisherman’s basket, and performs all the bookkeeping functions besides. Everything is operated with a twenty-four volt power line to increase the safety factors, and it is attractively outfitted with LEDs that run off the same power buss. It’s fun, and kids can win a goofy hat to wear throughout the park and advertise the ride throughout the midway.

This unpainted carousel horse shows some of the intricacies that make up the just one animal on the ride. This work was done by Carousel And Carvings, Inc., (www.carouselsandcarvings.com) They make sure that all the tiny details required for an instant classic get done early in the process, taking no short cuts along the way. This finished seahorse shows just how impressive their final product is, and why they have been chosen to restore classic carousels all across the unite States. They can also supply the mechanical requirements for ride refurbishments.

The National Roller Coaster Museum had two more announcements at this years IAAPA show. Steve Martindale, Vice President and General Manager at Six Flags over Texas announced that the original signage, and some pieces replace during rehab have all been donated to the NRCM. These will be used for both preservation, and some of the duplicates will be used for fund raising. The second announcement was made by Mike Denninger, Corporate Director of Rides and Engineering from Worlds of Discovery announced a donation from Busch Gardens Williamsburg of a complete train, the front care from train two, a section of track, and both male and female uniforms from when the ride opened. Many wonderful things have been saved from the scrap yard thanks to these generous donors.

For all the technically oriented readers, here are some close up photos of the new Free Flyer, from s & S Worldwide. The open seating is designed to accentuate the feeling of flight as the coaster glides along the track. The cars have a unique air suspension system to create an especially smooth ride as the cars rotate around the center line of the track. This can be done in either direction. This ride has great capacity for family coaster and won the Best New Product Award for IAAPA 2009.

Tomorrow, more floor coverage as we close the IAAPA show.