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to many of the new rides and the pier is expected to
Jimmy Neutron’s Atomic Flyer by Vekoma
come into its own this summer when the park stays
open until 11 at night, as it did for the opening of
Santa Monica on May 18.
Night-time offer
“Right now we are kicking people out at 6 ‘o’ clock,
that’s the way the German guys have always done it,”
says Muirhead. “Last Halloween we said we’d stay
open and change to the parade until the last hour, and
you know what? Everyone waited for that parade. I
really think we’ve got something very different to
Phantasialand or anyone else around here with that
night-time offer.”
The speed and budget with which Santa Monica Pier
was constructed (the decision was made only in
November and the rides ordered December) meant
there was no chance of incorporating any intellectual
One of the main attractions, spanning the full properties into this particular part of the park. Yet
length of the pier, is Crazy Surf, a Disk ‘O’ Coaster Muirhead is convinced an “IP-based experience” is
Pay to play
from Zamperla, with Stormy Cruise, a Rockin’ Tug from what guests want, and after having come to terms with
the same manufacturer, positioned on the end. To the loosing the Warner Bros brand, he feels the park is
As well adding two new side of the pier, guests can get close to the water, and now in a stronger position.
family areas, Movie Park is maybe even a little splashed, on Pier Patrol, a jet-ski “First of all it was tough decision, what do we do?
offering visitors an exciting ride from Zierer. There’s also a Zamperla fire engine Marry ourselves to one brand? We decided not to do
new game for 2007: ride and a wooden playground for the kids. The new that. I wanted the opportunity to play around with
Desperados. This will be area has even been extended to take in the park’s different themes, and the risk there is that you do not
the first version of the existing Wave Swinger. get the support of the licence holders, but Fox was very
interactive shooting game “When you think of a boardwalk, it’s all about the supportive of us the with Ice Age attraction, Viacom
by Alterface to be operated classic rides,” notes Muirhead – although one rather were ok about coming in and working with us too, and
as a pay attraction. Bill obvious classic was missing at Movie Park until now. now we are working on another attraction with MGM.”
Muirhead of Movie Park “It’s amazing that this park never had a Ferris Wheel; The park has already leaked news of a planned
parent StarParks has no what park doesn’t have Ferris Wheel?” Stargate-branded experience, but Muirhead refuses to
qualms about asking Movie The Santa Monica Wheel, a 20-metre 16-car be drawn on a timescale. The next big investment, he
Parks guests to reach for a construction finished in white, was ordered from the says, could yet turn out to be an overhaul of the
few euros before the reach SBF/Visa Group in Italy, and offers panoramic views of Gremlins building that lies in the middle of the park
for their gun: “If it was just the new surroundings. but has stood redundant since that particular licence
another shooting gallery, we There’s still scope to add to the area too. Something agreement ended. “Either way it will be a movie-based
wouldn’t have put it in. They with a little more height may be added to the end of audiovisual dark ride kind of experience. We know
are particularly sensitive in pier next season and the lake has potential to be used that at the very least we are going to have something
German parks about paid for a stunt show. Lighting packages have been added very special here in 2008.”
attractions, but this is alive,
it’s interactive; it’s an
arcade piece, but at the
Santa Monica Pier
same time it’s more than
that and even a ride. One
of the joys of working with
Roger Houben [of 3DBA,
agent for Alterface] is that
it’s never the same
attraction. You always have
to strike a balance in a park
when it comes to pay
attractions, but I think we’ve
got it about right.”
32 JUNE 2007
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