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Among the Chinese companies that run the great majority of theme parks in China, Fantawild is the quickest-expanding one, with more than two dozen full-fledged theme parks and many in development. The newest of their three primary theme park models, Oriental Heritage, employs traditional Chinese cultural material and specifically Chinese folklore and legends for its attractions and shows. The park thus differentiates itself not only from Fangte's previous park models, Adventure and Dreamland, which have often been derivative of other, Western park themes and ride systems, but also from the glocalizing approaches of such Western companies as Disney or Universal. Combining Chinese stories and heritage with new and innovative ride systems, Oriental Heritage also differs markedly from the 'ethnic culture parks' whose performative open-air displays dominated the first boom phase of the theme park in China during the mid-1990s. With its traditional Chinese architectural style, Chinese intellectual property or cultural traditions, and technically ambitious ride systems, the 'high-tech theme park full of stories', as it refers to itself, marks the culmination of Fangte's brand evolution from the imitative Adventure and Dreamland models to the confidently Chinese Oriental Heritage concept, making Fangte a particularly interesting and potentially representative model of where the Chinese theme park industry could be headed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated tympanic temperatures, heart rate variability, as well as finger and foot reaction times in elderly using VR simulations of amusement park attractions. The subjects were 8 elderly people (mean age ± S.D., 75±7 year, range 61–85 year), including four females. A roller coaster, swing ride, and rotating cart were used for the amusement park attractions. Subjects were requested to wear VR headsets, rest for 3 minutes, and then were asked to run through the same virtual amusement ride 3 times in a row, which takes 3 minutes and 30 seconds. After another 3 minutes of resting, the subjects were requested to answer a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ). In addition, PVT and PS-PVT were performed before and after the attraction rides. Results showed that HRV were not significantly different, but time phase change of tympanic temperature showed increasing trend (P=0.095). As the results of SSQ, increasing trend of nausea was observed in roller coaster than rotating cart (P=0.097). The results of PVT and PS-PVT showed that finger reaction time was significantly faster after the swing ride (P=0.023) and foot reaction time was significantly faster after the rotating cart (P=0.034). It is considered that the tympanic temperature increases when VR sickness occurs. Work performance improved after using VR simulations of amusement park attractions. It is suggested that the moving stimulus of VR vehicles improves finger-foot reactivity and activates concentration in elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has long been interest in both the tonic and phasic release of scent across a wide range of entertainment settings. While the presentation of semantically congruent scent has often been used in order to enhance people's immersion in a particular context, other generally less successful attempts have involved the pulsed presentation of a range of scents tied to specific events/scenes. Scents have even been released in the context of the casino to encourage the guests to linger for longer (and spend more), at least according to the results of one controversial study. In this narrative review, I want to take a closer look at the use of scent in a range of both physical and digital environments, highlighting the successes (as in the case of scented theme park rides) and frequent failures (as, seemingly, in the context of scent-enabled video games). While digitally inducing meaningful olfactory sensations is likely to remain a pipe dream for the foreseeable future, the digital control of scent release/delivery provides some limited opportunities to enhance the multisensory experience of entertainment. That said, it remains uncertain whether the general public will necessarily perceive the benefit, and hence be willing to pay for the privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study describes worldwide occurrence of accidents involving amusement rides. The study compiled and classified reports in international media coverage for a one-year period, analysing event type, ride type, operation type, and regional location. Media reports provided limited detail and almost certainly omitted some events but remain the only publicly available data on a global scale. Over the year, 182 accident events were reported, from 38 countries, of which 51 events involved a fatality. Mechanical rides and roller coasters were involved in 87 events. Fixed-site rides (amusement and theme parks), mobile rides, and waterparks were involved with a similar number of cases. The most common event type with fixed-site and mobile rides was ride malfunction (63 cases). In waterparks, drowning or near-miss of drowning was most common (27 cases). Just 11 reports involved improper rider action, 12 involved failure of reasonable action, and 11 involved medical conditions or reactions. Occurrence as a proportion of attendance was highest in Latin America, predominantly involving mechanical non-tracked rides; water attractions predominated in North America. Lower prevalence of malfunctions in North America suggests value of professional development for mechanics and inspectors and strong regulation to promote international safety standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on evolution of both water rides and heightened liability standards. Topics include the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Stokes v. Saltonstall, evolution of amusement parks, and need for the water rides to meet safety standards by the American Society for Testing and Materials. He also discusses similarities and differences between water rides and common carriers.

The article offers the author's insights regarding her experience of exploring the amusement parks located with the Mid-Atlantic coast. The author cites how the parks' location on the edge of the sea contributes to the rapid erosion of the steel and structures. Photographs of several rides, including the Wonder Wheel, Travelogue, and Chesapeake Pirate, are also presented.

The article discusses the development of amusement parks in the U.S., focusing on the technological innovations that led to mechanized and industrialized entertainment. Other topics of the article include the social aspects of amusement parks, the inventors/engineers who developed amusements, such as Gustav Dentzel, Charles W. Parker, and Antonio Maguino, and information on various amusement park rides including carousels, ferris wheels, and roller coasters.

The article offers information for visitors to the borough of Blackpool in Northwest England. Blackpool is known for its resorts, which cater to conferences, tour groups and families, and for its amusement parks and rides. Its tourist attractions include the Blackpool Illuminations and the Blackpool Tower. Information on accommodations and dining facilities are also provided.

Whereas investments in new attractions continue to rise within the theme park industry, knowledge regarding the effects of new attractions on theme park performance and attendance remains scarce. In order to predict the impact of new attractions on the performance of European theme parks, this article presents an Attraction Response Matrix (ARM). The Attraction Response Matrix offers an integrated framework in which research into the effects of new attractions can take place in a systematic manner. The ARM attempts to transform post priori knowledge into a priori knowledge by better understanding the impact of a new attraction and its' mediating causes. The main premise of the ARM is: “in situation A, attraction B will most likely have effect C on target audience D.” By performing research into the relevant effects within certain cells of the ARM and consecutively investigating the relationship between the various cells, a better insight will be gained in the working of new attractions. ARM is based on an extensive ZMET study conducted in The Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study identified and documented a consumer-oriented attribute inventory for evaluating theme parks. Data were collected from 608 Central Florida residents, domestic and international tourists who identified and ranked the level of importance of 41 attributes and park characteristics when visiting a typical theme park. Further analysis of the data using factor analysis identified seven key constructs that summarised important areas of concern when consumers evaluate theme parks. The majority of these factors were related to guest experiences such as (i) entertainment variety and quality; (ii) courtesy, cleanliness, safety and security; (iii) food variety and value for money; (iv) quality of theming and design; (v) availability and variety of family-oriented activities; (vi) quality and variety of rides and attractions; and (vii) pricing and value for money. Implications for theme park owners, operators and marketing executives were discussed in light of the increasing demand for distinctive guest experiences while visiting theme parks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to take into account children's views and perceptions about their playing spaces, as a result of a study of playgrounds, parks and amusement parks in Dhaka City. It is quite evident that the so-called 'play and recreation facilities' provided by the authorities cater for only a fraction of the children in Dhaka City. Girls are almost totally excluded from using these facilities, while boys from high-income families and street children seldom use them. The main reasons for their inaccessibility to most children in Dhaka City are lack of security, poor maintenance and inadequate play facilities and accessories. It is recommended that further studies are undertaken on the existing provision of play spaces for children in order to understand better the impact of such spaces on their well being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study which compared the perceptions experienced by roller coaster passengers at the front and at the back of the train in successive rides. It discusses some measurements and the underlying laws of physics. An overview of the data used in the analysis is given, as well as the key results of the study.

The article presents information on an adaptive approach to virtual queuing. QuickPass (QP) is a virtual queuing system to allow some theme park guests to cut their waiting time by scheduling a ride in advance. Researchers propose innovative QP systems that maximize guest enjoyment. Only a small portion of guests can effectively use QP and a good system maximizes this group subject to the constraints that regular users are not significantly affected and maximum waiting time for QP users is small. This is the basic assumption that makes virtual queuing potentially useful for increasing guest enjoyment. When not in line for a specific ride, guests can enjoy more of the park's attractions, including other rides, food courts, and shopping areas. Queuing theory is a well-researched branch of mathematics, with applications ranging from grocery-store-line models to computer-processing event queues.

This paper uses the design of 'thrill tides' in early twentieth-century American amusement parks to explore the ways in which both gender and distinctions between production and consumption help shape new technologies. It also offers a contribution to the growing literature on the emergence of risk societies by showing how the sensation of being at risk can become commodified. Amusement park operators and ride designers strove to offer the public rides that simultaneously provided both thrills and safety. They were acutely aware that, while many Americans saw accidents in streets and factories as the inevitable cost of progress, they were not willing to tolerate the same risks as consumers. Women were an important part of the audience for these rides. Operators catered to them not by making rides feel physically safer, but rather by making parks socially safer. As the industry developed, designers also created more and more rides that neutralized gender differences between riders by taking into account women's clothing and gendered norms of physical comportment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a solution to the problem of balancing enjoyment and time spent at a theme park using discrete optimization. The authors observed that most of the visitors to the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme parks had trouble in deciding which attractions to experience in the limited time available to them. Also, there were conflicts among small children and their parents about the sites and rides to experience. They found that the problem was similar to that of the famous Traveling Salesperson Problem. An integer programming formulation of the M7 TP on the problem of "fun maximizing " was constructed. A simple tractable model was created based on certain assumptions. Two sets of variables, ride to be visited and the adjacent ride on the tour, were taken. Based on this formulation one could design optimal tours for preschoolers and their parents.

This article looks at Tokyo Disneyland (TDL) from the point of view of its adaptation and consumption. In particular, it will deal with the onstage strategies of TDL as exemplified by three of its attractions: Jungle Cruise, Cinderella's Castle Mystery Tour and Meet the World. Each attraction will receive a detailed analysis in terms of design, script, narrative, and audience reception. These 3 attractions were singled out for several reasons. First, their onstage sophistication: each of these rides has an elaborated script which allows for a discourse analysis--in terms of both language and ideology. Second, each of these attractions has a ride narrative. Furthermore, it is argued that these 3 attractions represent 3 major onstage strategies for adaptation in TDL. Jungle Cruise is the most American of the 3; it is a traditional Disney ride. Cinderella's Castle Mystery Tour, in contrast, is a ride unique to TDL. It is a story of Disney heroes and villains written for and told by the Japanese. It goes even further by illustrating a Disney made in Japan. Finally, Meet the World represents an extreme case of Japanization. A show on Japanese history, it stands for Japan inside Disneyland.