originally posted on 11/17/2022
Day Three of IAAPA is a little quieter than the previous two days: the rush of major announcements appears to be behind us. However, the Expo is still full of excitement along with some surprises. ACE members continued to hold court at the ACE booth on the show floor while other parts of the team covered press releases and provided support to the social media teams. When they weren’t working at the show, ACE members enjoyed the benefits of volunteering – they got to visit the Expo floor and experience all of the free Dippin’ Dots they could eat!
ACE members welcomed all visitors to the booth, including Vekoma, various IAAPA show ambassadors, Ciero Encantoto, Proslides, Kings Dominion, Traders Village, Funland of Fredericksburg, the Funplex and the Holland family who recently purchased Joyland. Our coverage team met with Martin & Vleminckx, Reverchon and Kern Studios. Our social media team connected with many manufacturers and will have special features soon. Every booth visit and interaction with theme park professionals helps ACE continue to reach all corners of the amusement industry; the ACE presence at the Expo is a valuable tool for strengthening relationships with both parks and roller coaster manufacturers.
Today began with Aquatic Development Group announcing its new accessible, adaptive wave machine: EpicSurf. Growing diversity in the sport has led the company to begin democratizing surfing with this exciting innovation by offering a unique adaptive surfing opportunity for people with all ability levels. EpicSurf bridges the gap between longing and opportunity, providing an adaptable surfing experience for all who care to catch a wave.
ICON Park announced a new customized experience for the capsules on the giant wheel. Based on the iconic Florida road trips that framed travel before flight became ubiquitous, the experience, which opens in early 2023, adds a unique camera to each capsule. Riders create their own travel journey as they experience the ride.
Another important announcement came from IAAPA. Working in partnership with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and “European Norm” (EN) leaders, IAAPA shared some new, more cohesive, globally accepted ride and safety standards. This behind-the-scenes change will improve the overall park experience for all guests. It involves a lengthy review and approval process to amend existing standards and create new ones. Once it is rolled out, these unified standards will only enhance guest safety.
These enhancements will leverage the American ASTM manufacturing standards and harmonize with European EN standards. The group met in the summer of 2022 to identify nine priorities for technical requirements. Aligning on these standards will remove obstacles to buying a safe ride in any country.
The day wrapped up with a surprise announcement from Premier Rides: Steel Pier (Atlantic City) is adding two new coasters in 2024 and 2025. Plans include a spinning coaster and a Skyrocket 2 coaster with an enhanced digital signage package.
Premier Rides and Steel Pier made a surprise announcement about their two new coasters scheduled to open in 2024 and 2025. Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.
The day included many a lap on the show floor, where our tired-but-happy team of volunteers connected with people from all parts of the theme park industry and marveled at the new rides, technology and park improvements on display. Many of the ACE members took a turn on the Zamperla Nebulaz ride on the show floor!
Be sure to check out the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram links at the top of this page for ACE's additional coverage of the Expo week activities.
Skyline Attractions' model of their Trail Runner Family Coaster. Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.
Sally Dark Rides' Haunted Hotel will be welcoming its first guests in 2023 at Funtown Splashtown USA. Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.
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