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Merlin and Minecraft: The Blockbuster Attractions to Come p. 6 Craft Beer “Taps” into Attractions p. 70 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE The Technology Driving Attractions • Using Facial Recognition for Admission • Drones Soar Overhead • Protecting Guest DataCover Story | page 52 Game On in the Big Easy How an independent FEC beat the odds—and thrives COVER DESIGN: JOSH MILLER INSIDE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 58DRONES LIGHT UP THE SKY Elevating the art of storytelling • Shaping U.S. drone policy … 63 64FACIAL RECOGNITION Attractions move beyond barcodes to facial recognition GAME ON SOCIAL HUB PB&J2 Funworld | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 | IAAPA.org/Funworld O—INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Merlin and Minecraft: Building New Worlds … 6 O—DISPATCH … 8 O—REGIONAL UPDATES … 10 O—MOVERS & SHAKERS … 20 O—WHAT’S NEW Wave Surfing and Roller Coasting … 21 O—IN MEMORIAM … 22 O—PEOPLE OF THE ATTRACTIONS June Ward’s sweet career in the Ozarks … 24 O—IAAPA SAFETY CORNER Valleyfair plays host to aerial rescue drills … 25 O—THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Extreme Legacy’s New CEO … 26 O—THE SUSTAINABILITY SPOT How EXP learned to place sustainability at the forefront of new projects … 27 O—IAAPA RESEARCH … 28 O—TECHNOLOGY Navigating the Conversational AI Landscape … 29 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 VOLUME XL • ISSUE 1 Funworld is a member benefit of IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry. ASSOCIATION NEWS AND BENEFITS EXPOS & EVENTS IAAPA Expo Sets Records in Orlando … 32 LEGENDS: A Hall of Fame Celebratory Affair ... 34 From the Floor ... 36 IAAPA Meetup: Knott’s Berry Scary Farm … 38 EVENT PREVIEWS IAAPA FEC Summit 2025 … 40 IAAPA Middle East Trade Summit 2025 … 42 IAAPA Summit: Lat-Am, Carib 2025 … 44 MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Unlock the Power of IAAPA Member Benefits … 46 SAFETY & ACCESSIBILITY EMEA Whitepapers on Safety and Accessibility … 47 IAAPA GOVERNANCE UPDATE New Leaders Elected to IAAPA Global Board … 48 CALENDAR … 50 DEPARTMENTS AD INDEX … 74 MIC DROP … 76 ® BUSINESS RESOURCES NEW SECTION! FUNWORLD’S INDUSTRY INSIGHTS LAUNCH VALLEYFAIR INSIDE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 Visit IAAPA.org/News for leading industry news in the IAAPA News Hub. KING’S ISLAND 68CYBERSECURITY: Protecting Guest Data 70BREWING PARTNERSHIPS303-447-0512 sales@eldowalls.com actiontowers.com Fun for the Whole Family Future-Proof Modular Design Any Facility Indoors or Out Simply Different by Eldorado Climbing KINETIX Action Towers The Future of Fun Climbing4 Funworld | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 | IAAPA.org/Funworld Rope Drop Funworld (ISSN 08923752; mailed in Canada under IPM #0902179) is published bimonthly by IAAPA, 4155 West Taft Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32837; phone: +1 321-319-7600. Periodicals postage paid at Orlando, FL, and additional offices. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization have not changed during the preceding 12 months. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Funworld, 4155 West Taft Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32837. ©2025 IAAPA. No material or part thereof may be reproduced or printed without the written consent of IAAPA. Ride-along may be enclosed. DISCLAIMER. 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IAAPA shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, claim, or otherwise, whether an action in contract or tort and further shall not be liable for any lost profits, or direct, indirect, special, punitive, or consequential damages of any kind (including without limitation attorneys’ fees and expenses). 4155 West Taft Vineland Road | Orlando, FL 32837 USA +1 321-319-7600 Funworld Magazine Team Director, Global Editorial and Digital Content Scott Fais SFais@IAAPA.org Managing Editor, Funworld Magazine Michael Costello MCostello@IAAPA.org Associate Editor, Funworld Magazine Avery Matteo AMatteo@IAAPA.org Contributing Editor Juliana Gilling julianagilling@gmail.com Manager, Global Advertising Sales Julie Rice-Witherell JRiceWitherell@IAAPA.org Production Manager Michelle Wandres MWandres@IAAPA.org Contact us for advertising info at +1 703-299-5755 or email at Advertising@IAAPA.org IAAPA.org/FunworldIAAPA.org IAAPA Chairman of the Board Massimiliano Freddi IAAPA President and CEO Jakob Wahl IAAPA Executive Vice President and Chief Membership Officer Storm Tussey Director of Global Communications Eryka Washington Perry IAAPA Asia Pacific Vice President and Executive Director Jack Chan IAAPA Europe, Middle East, Africa Executive Director and Vice President Peter van der Schans IAAPA Latin America, Caribbean Vice President and Executive Director Paulina Reyes IAAPA North America Vice President and Executive Director Michael Shelton ® Build It ... And They Will Come Silver Dollar City shares with IAAPA News Phase I of a $500 million, 10-year expansion anchored by a 262-room hotel with vistas overlooking the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake. Learn what’s ahead for the theme park. MICHAEL COSTELLOyour best sliding fun ever. www.neveplast.it fun all year round neveplast artificial snow fun LEADER WITH OVER 2500 INSTALLATIONS WORLDWIDE. Since 1998, we have been producing and installing patented sports and recreational slopes with artificial surfaces, assisting customers in creating turnkey projects tailored to their specific needs. TUBBY is our flagship solution for year-round sliding fun.6 Funworld | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 | IAAPA.org/Funworld ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR VIDEO GAMES, Minecraft, is coming to attractions owned by Merlin Entertainments. Leaders at Merlin and Microsoft first shared the groundbreaking news at IAAPA Expo 2024 in November. The global strategic partnership between Merlin and Microsoft- owned Mojang Studios, Minecraft’s creator, is an intellectual property (IP) deal offering infinite world-building possibilities. “We’d been talking for a long time and looking to find ways to work together,” Paul Moreton, Merlin’s chief development officer, explains. Two years ago, the stars aligned when Minecraft decided to explore location-based entertainment opportunities to connect with its fan base. “We’re really excited about this partnership,” says Kayleen Walters, vice president of franchise development for gaming at Microsoft. “One of our strategies is to create more touchpoints for people to interact with the game, and immersive experiences are a great way to bring adventures to life.” Merlin will initially invest more than £85 million in the first two Minecraft-themed attractions, which will debut in the United States and the United Kingdom between 2026 and 2027, with more locations possibly popping up in the future. “We want to bring Minecraft adventures to many more Merlin destinations,” Moreton tells Funworld. Launch Merlin and Minecraft: Building New Worlds Milestone partnership will power physical and digital realms by Juliana Gilling INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY c In this rendering, Merlin Entertainments showcases what an entry portal to a Minecraft attraction could look like. TM & И MOJANG AB7 IAAPA.org/Funworld | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 | Funworld Minecraft Village rendering shows slides, a climbing structure, and characters that will make memorable selfie spots. Fans will be able to enjoy this exclusive game content after they leave Merlin’s real-world Minecraft adventures. “This will provide the public with exciting new ways to interact with our parks and attrac- tions. Merlin guests should expect to see more of this in future across the portfolio,” Moreton says. The growth implications are thrilling. “What’s exciting about this partnership is the potential to scale this across our business so everything is possible at this point!” Moreton says. “Like the game, Minecraft adventures can be on any scale—and our ambition is to see these being brought forward within resort theme parks, as second gates, and as part of wider clusters of [Merlin’s] Gateway attractions. We have already taken this approach with Peppa Pig and anticipate doing the same with Minecraft.” So, might this deal pave the way for future collaborations between Microsoft games and Merlin attractions? “Never say never!” Moreton says. For now, the partners are crafting an immersive, intuitive playground, bridg- ing the gap between the virtual and real worlds, and offering guests a brilliant adventure that stays true to Minecraft’s spirit. Creating Theme Park Attractions Minecraft has a wide reach. It is the best-selling video game of all time, with more than 300 million Minecrafters worldwide and 141 million monthly users. Minecraft videos have topped 1.3 tril- lion views on YouTube and 35% of children aged 5-17 play in the Minecraft sandbox. “A Minecraft Movie,” starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, is expected to become a box-office hit in 2025. “We are always looking for partners we can scale with globally and create different formats. Minecraft is the perfect fit given its highly engaged community in every country and territory globally. The brand is big and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” says Moreton. The partners will fuse the digital Minecraft game with the real world to create something extraordinary and unique for fans and visitors. “We call it ‘cross-reality’—Minecraft adventures made real, with digital elements and touchpoints to unlock exclusive in-game content. There will be world-first concepts, with guests able to eat, sleep, ride, and shop Minecraft,” Moreton shares. Merlin promises new formats for Minecraft-themed accom- modations, walk-through attractions, worlds (including rides) in existing theme parks, retail, and food and beverage offerings. “This is just the start. We expect the vision to evolve as we look at new ways to bring Minecraft to life across the Merlin estate.” A Symbiotic Relationship Minecraft is all about creativity, freedom, community, and interac- tivity. Translating that IP into real-life, immersive, and controlla- ble attractions is proving a rewarding challenge. “Thinking about how we gamify the real world and replicate the creativity of the game has been the most exciting part of our development think- ing,” Moreton says. “The idea is that the landscape is alive, and you can interact with and impact what’s happening around you. We will bring the game to park, and then the park back to game.” FUNWORLD VIDEO Funworld speaks exclusively to Kayleen Walters, vice president of franchise development for gaming at Microsoft. Watch the video interview at IAAPA. org/Minecraft “We are always looking for partners we can scale with globally and create different formats.” — Paul Moreton TM & И MOJANG ABNext >