Industry News:

---- THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS ----

(9/17/20) Liseberg Says 2020 Applause Award To Be Delayed Until IAAPA 2021 (MORE...)

(9/7/20) How Will Halloween Be In a COVID World? (MORE...)

BREAKING (9/4/20) IAAPA EXPO 2020 CANCELED

(8/30/20) Last Chance To Nominate For 2020 BlooLoop 50 (MORE...)

(8/25/20) Carnival Cruise Lines Confirms Second BOLT Coaster (MORE...)

(8/17/20) Carnival Cruise Lines Posts New BOLT Coaster Preview Video (MORE...)

(8/5/20) Could Video Games Be the Next Great Source of IP? (MORE...)

(8/3/20) Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge Occulus Quest Update (MORE...)

2019 Park Attendance Reports - (7/17/20) The official TEA/AECOM 2019 Theme Park Attraction Attendance Report has been released. Without surprise, the most attended theme park in the world last year was the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, bringing in 20,963,000 guests, up .5% from the previous year. Just behind is Disneyland with 18,666,000 guests, who also experiences no growth from the previous year. I have to admit that park does shock me, as Disneyland kicked off the 2019 summer by opening Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The usual assortment of Disney and Universal theme parks make up the rest of the top 10, with one exception, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom ranking in at #8 with 11,736,000 guests last year, up 8.4% from 2018. The only park in the Top 10 to see a drop in attendance was actually Shanghai Disneyland at the #10 spot, going down 5% to 11,210,000 guests.

You can download your PDF copy here.



(5/23/19) The 2018 TEA/AECOM Global Attractions Attendance Report is now available for download.



(5/13/19) BlooLoop has added a great new resource, a report showing off the various annual attendance numbers in 2018 for Europe’s Top 20 theme parks. According to the report Disneyland Paris broke the 10 million barrier, despite the fire Europa Park had another amazing year, along with good season increases for Gardaland, Parque Warner and Heide Park and much more.



Other previous year’s attendance reports can also be found at the following links:

Download the 2017 Report



Download the 2014 Report

Download the 2013 Report

Download the 2012 Report

Download the 2011 Report

Download the 2010 Report

Download the 2009 Report

Download the 2008 Report

Download the 2007 Report

Download the 2006 Report

General News - (9/7/20) Labor Day is here in America, which means that the summer season is now officially coming to a close and marking what should be the start of the Halloween season.

What SHOULD BE the start of the Halloween season… with haunted theme park events, haunted houses, spooky theme park fun for the kids, costume purchases, preparations for a night of Trick-or-Treating and so on…

In a normal world at least, all this would be starting but this is 2020 and our Halloween season is going to be impacted heavily this year, with many activities you may have taken for granted previously having now been canceled. In this week’s report for BlooLoop I take a look at the state themed entertainment during this Halloween season along with some new innovating trends rising to keep the spirit of the season alive.



(8/30/20) This is your last chance to nominate someone for the 2020 BlooLoop 50 Theme Park Influencer List, as nominations will come to a close on August 31. BlooLoop has also announced the list of judges for this year’s Blooloop 50, which is now set to be announced at the BlooLoop V-Expo taking place October 13-15, 2020.



(8/5/20) Could Video Games be the next great source of theme park IP? In Part 2 of my article series on the future of Theme Park IP concepts, I dig into the concept of video games as themed entertainment IP, crossovers with streaming services projects and more.



(7/29/20) The world of popular IP (Intellectual Property) is always an interesting one, especially when creating a new themed attraction. But with studio consolidation, and the ever-growing problem of sequel-itus, where is the next big theme park IP going to come from? Follow the link over to BlooLoop to read my latest article.



(7/17/20) Now that we’re over half-way through the summer season, and only recently have select theme parks began to reopen, I began to look ahead and ponder what our future might be holding for us next. Then it hit me… who can say with any proof that 2021 will be any easier than 2020 has been? The trends I’m seeing so far for 2020 are not the best, as parks and attractions struggle to find their footing in this COVID world. Make the jump over to BlooLoop to read more about my latest thoughts of where we are, and where we may be headed.



(6/18/20) Thinking things over, I believe the time is right for theme parks to take a long look in the mirror and think of how they can reinvent themselves for the future. The pause and new standards being set in place in our current world due to COVID-19 have given us all reason to rethink everything. Better still, to realize just how we can improve things, long-term, for the better. I think it’s time to reinvent the theme park experience, in my latest article posted over at BlooLoop this week. Give it a read and see if you agree with some of the concepts I suggest.

And if not, I’d love to hear what you might propose instead.



(5/25/20) I decided to take a look at the Pros and Cons to several new procedures being put into place at many theme parks as they begin to reopen. Keep in mind that no matter how you feel about what is being asked of you, the bottom line is that you must obey the rules of the park when you visit. Their Park, Their Rules, Their Property and as always, you are a guest. Please give the article a read to see what may work, and what might not in my latest piece for BlooLoop.



(4/30/20) Looking to the future I came to a realization. For the past several years theme parks have been heavily focused on marketing themselves to entire family groups, from the young to the old. They’ve even gone so far as designing a majority of the new attractions and special events aimed specifically at luring in the demographics at the extreme ends of the age groups. New parades, nostalgic throw-back rides, winter holiday festivals, and more.

But you know what? Going forward, theme parks will need to reset and refocus their new big capital projects to go after their old primary audience… the thrill seekers. Go big, go high, go fast… because I think adrenaline junkies are going to be their primary audience for the next few years. Make the jump over to read my latest article posted today to BlooLoop to see why I believe that parks and attractions need to reset and refocus their efforts.



(4/23/20) For the last few weeks I’ve been pondering just how much the Coronavirus may change the attractions industry forever. I’m not just talking about the attractions themselves, but how we as a people may also be changed forever going forward. Make the jump over to BlooLoop to read my latest thoughts on the deeper impact of the pandemic that may stick with us.



(4/19/20) So what’s going on with attractions in Asia? Over the last several weeks we had heard about many attractions across China, Japan and other Asian regions starting to reopen as a sign that normalcy was returning. In a comprehensive update, BlooLoop reports that many attractions that had opened were forced to close again after the local governments reported seeing a rise in the number of newly infected citizens and put into place new sweeping closure orders. Some have just closed attractions in certain regions where infection rates are higher, others have just put more limitations in place, such as closing just indoor attractions.

I have to believe that many are looking to Shanghai Disney for the possible answer about when it may be time to reopen. So far Disney has taken a phased approach and been able to reopen their resorts, parking areas and the DisneyTown retail and dining area near the park, but have yet to reopen the actual theme park. Universal Studios Singapore is another one to watch, as Singapore felt their restrictions kept the Coronavirus spread under control to the point that the theme park resort was allowed to stay open until April 6th. At that time, a rise in new cases prompted their government to shut everything down through to May 4th to get a better gauge on the situation. Other park’s I’m keeping an eye on also include Disney and Universal in Japan, as well as Hong Kong Disneyland, as once these attractions that were closer to the origin of the virus begin to reopen, I think we can start to get a better grasp of how the situation may need to be handled in Europe and North America.



(4/18/20) After a month of being closed, lets take a look into what changes will be likely to happen at American theme parks once they are allowed to reopen in my latest article published by BlooLoop. This includes ideas about what may need to change at theme parks as well as waterparks, and how the industry will have to be focused on “rebuilding trust” rather than profits.



(4/7/20) After being hammered at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, a good number of theme park stock prices began to rise on Monday with most peaking Tuesday morning and then lowering a bit throughout the afternoon. This was observed with Six Flags (SIX), Cedar Fair (FUN), Seaworld Parks (SEAS) and Disney (DIS). I’m no analyst, but it is a bit comforting to see some market support for the main industry players right now as a sign the market may seem to feel that investing in theme parks is a good risk right now in a business model that should recover.



(4/5/20) For our European readers, if you are looking for a page listing the status of several popular European theme parks all on one page, along with when these parks might reopen, then BlooLoop has you covered. The article also talks a bit more about how the parks are handling the Coronavirus pandemic, the financial impact of the virus, and how the impact of it all may reshape the European park market going forward.



(3/24/20) This week we take a look back at the series of events that have turned the themed entertainment world upside down in our latest article for BlooLoop. This includes our intiial thoughts about possible ways the typical theme park experience may have to be changed after the parks reopen, or at least for the next several months until the COVID-19 fades to a memory. Will we see outdoor only attractions for awhile? Reduced seating on all rides to help spread people out? What about possible virtual queues for everything to prevent waiting in crowded lines? It could all happen…



(3/15/20) A few days ago I reported that Alain Littaye of the Disney & More blog had reportedly passed away, but we did not know how or why at the time. One of our sources got in contact Didier Ghez, Alain’s co-author of the book “Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality” who was able to pass on a few extra details. According to Didier, he had been in touch with Alain’s sister who had informed him that Alain had died from a heart attack on March 12, 2020.

(3/13/20) While I don’t have any personal information to share, the word on the internet is that Alain Littaye, the owner behind the Disney & More website as well as author of the book, “Disneyland Paris - Sketch to Reality” has passed away. I do not know how, when or where it happened, but the last few times I spoke with Alain I know he had been living in Thailand for some time now. The last email I received from him was on March 3rd, which was also the last day he updated his site.

If anyone comes across more information about exactly what happened to Alain, please do let me know.



Internet Fun - (8/3/20) A video about the new Occulus Quest VR experience themed to Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge themed world has been posted by ILMxLAB.



CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE - (8/25/20) Carnival Cruise Line has announced that their second “Excel” class ship will launch in 2022 and be named the Carnival Celebration. The Celebration will be the sister ship to the new Mardi Gras launching in 2021, and while it will be stationed to embark from Miami, it will also share many of the same features that the Mardi Gras will offer. This specifically includes a second BOLT coaster, which will be the first roller coaster style ride at sea when it premiers on the Mardi Gras is 2021. In addition to a clone of Bolt, the Celebration is also promised to offer some new and unique features that will be created just for the Celebration.



(8/17/20) Carnival Cruise Lines has posted a new preview video about the new BOLT coaster that will be offered on the new Mardi Gras when she launches.



Cirque Du Soleil - (3/26/20) Things are not looking good for Cirque du Soleil right now. According to Reuters the company is exploring various debt restructuring options, including bankruptcy, after they were forced to cancel all shows globally due to the Coronavirus pandemic. According to this article the company is in a bit of a cash crunch at the moment while owing about $900 million in debt.



(3/15/20) If you were planning to visit a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas or anywhere else in the world during this period of attraction closures, your options will now be limited. Cirque du Soleil, who also owns the Blue Man Group shows, has announced that they are suspending operations for their shows starting today until at least the end of the month. This shuts down all shows globally, including the numerous shows in Las Vegas: “O” at the Bellagio, “KA” at MGM Grand, “The Beatles LOVE” at the Mirage, “Mystere” at T.I., “Zumanity” at New York-New York, and “Michael Jackson ONE” at Mandalay Bay. As previously noted, “R.U.N.” at Luxor ended their run already on March 8th.

Cityneon / Victory Hill - (7/1/20) Cityneon Group / Victory Hill Exhibitions who has numerous walk-through attractions around the globe themed to popular film IPs (such as The Avengers, Jurassic World, Transformers and Hunger Games) have announced that they have signed the licensing rights to create new attractions themed to James Cameron’s AVATAR films. Cityneon will be working with Disney Location-Based Experiences, James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment in order to bring these new experiences to life for audiences worldwide.

This move comes just as the first of several planned sequels to the original film is set to be released by the end of 2021. The first planned AVATAR exhibit is planned to open somewhere in Las Vegas sometime in 2021, ahead of the next film’s release. They are also planning to create a state-of-the-art touring exhibition that will “feature numerous interactive, multi-sensory segments where guests can explore the fascinating wonders of Pandora”.

IAAPA - (9/17/20) Liseberg has sent out an official notice that the ceremony for the 2020 Applause Award will now be postponed until 2021. The award was planned to be given out during the IAAPA Expo 2020 in Orlando, which was officially canceled earlier this month due to COVID-19.

‘It is of course with a heavy heart, that we postpone this anniversary edition of the Applause Award, but we look forward to presenting the award to one of the three world-class finalists on November 16, 2021’, says Andreas Veilstrup Andersen, CEO and President at Liseberg.



(9/4/20) According to an official statement from IAAPA CEO, Hal McEvoy, the IAAPA Expo 2020 event in Orlando this November has been officially canceled.



"We recognize this year there are many challenges facing our members from around the world. Together with input from members, exhibitors, the IAAPA Board of Directors and our team, we have decided to cancel IAAPA Expo 2020 due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. The continuing barriers to international and domestic travel coupled with the evolving guidance on mass gatherings, and members’ needing to focus on their businesses helped lead to this decision.



Now, more than ever, we know it’s important for you to stay connected with your colleagues and peers. With that in mind, we are currently planning an exciting, new event, IAAPA Expo: Virtual Education Conference, which will take place Nov. 16-18. Registration details and the full program, which will include 25 sessions and two keynote presentations, focused on current industry needs and issues, will be available soon at IAAPA.org.



If you have already registered or planned to be part of IAAPA Expo, thank you for your support. We will be in touch with you in the coming days about your registration refund and virtual options.



As we look to the future, the IAAPA Team remains optimistic and steadfast in our commitment to serve and support you during these challenging times. Please feel free to contact us at any time if we can assist you in any way."

Royal Caribbean - (10/31/19) Care to learn more about how Royal Caribbean spend $250 million to transform the cruise line’s private Banaha island into an all new and very exclusive attraction? BlooLoop has posted a rather lengthy and detailed interview with Royal Caribbean’s Chris Perry, VP of Private Destinations about the development of the all new exclusive port for the Royal Caribbean fleet that is taking guests by storm. Even better… it seems there is even more fun on the way to Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay in the near future as well as the creation of other surprise destinations in the future.

UBISOFT - (5/24/20) Ubisoft is launching a new VR Escape Room attraction concept, this one themed to the Prince of Persia game series to be called, “Prince of Persia: The Dagger of Time”. This latest offering will join Ubisoft’s other two VR Escape attractions: Assassin’s Creed: Escape the Lost Pyramid and Beyond Medusa’s Gate.

Village Roadshow - (5/20/20) According to Deadline, Village Roadshow is entered into exclusive takeover talks with BGH Capital, following an offer from the private equity firm to buy Village Roadshow for $465 million. Apparently this latest bid is lower than one offered by BGH Capital in 2019, though there are some interesting terms of the current BGH offer which can raise the price if Village Roadshow is able to open their various theme parks (SeaWorld of Australia, Warner Bros. MovieWorld and others) before the deal is finalized.

The VOID - (3/18/20) Even though groups at The Void locations are limited to four players at a time, The Void has announced that effective immediately through to March 31, 2020 all “owner and operated” locations will be closed.

