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Mexico’s Shoppertainment With a Splash p. 58 Small Enhancements Making a Big Impact p. 68 MARCH/APRIL 2025 W omen WHO Wow The women shaping the future of attractionsThe future is ours to create. We have too many new attractions this year to show them all in one advert! Exceptional rides, designed to WhiteWater’s exacting standards of quality, reliability, and safety. These original designs will refresh your lineup and delight guests. We’ve got what your ride mix needs, not just what we have to sell. Visit whitewaterwest.com/create/new to see the full lineup. Look at what we’ve created. Helix Twist AquaAdventureNautilusAquaForms + Mini BlasterWall RunnerEngineering the Future Vekoma Rides CEO Anne-Mart Agerbeek reflects on one year of leadership page 42 Pioneers and Powerhouses The women shaping the future of attractions page 48 INSIDE | MARCH/APRIL 2025 58Shoppertainment with a Splash Mexico’s Acuario Michin CMDX brings conservation, education, and recreation to visitors 62Innovation Takes Flight How the San Antonio Zoo prepares for the future W omen who Wow COVER DESIGN: JOSH MILLER2 Funworld | MARCH/APRIL 2025 | IAAPA.org/Funworld O—DANCING IN THE DARK Efteling delivers a virtuoso performance with Danse Macabre … 6 O—DISPATCH … 8 O—REGIONAL UPDATES … 10 O—MOVERS & SHAKERS … 18 O—MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER NEWS … 19 O—PEOPLE OF THE ATTRACTIONS Geoff Thatcher generates buzz … 22 O—IAAPA SAFETY CORNER Creating a compliant and effective training manual … 24 O—THOUGHT LEADERSHIP The president of a Brazilian chocolate company enters the attractions space … 26 O—THE SUSTAINABILITY SPOT How sustainability yields resilience and growth … 27 O—IAAPA RESEARCH … 28 O—TECHNOLOGY How to harness AI-powered chat technologies … 29 MARCH/APRIL 2025 VOLUME XL • ISSUE 2 Funworld is a member benefit of IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry. ASSOCIATION NEWS AND BENEFITS EVENT RECAPS IAAPA FEC Summit 2025 … 32 EVENT PREVIEWS IAAPA APAC Sustainability Summit … 34 IAAPA North America Summit 2025 … 35 Apply for IAAPA Board of Directors … 36 IAAPA News Daily … 36 IAAPA Honors … 37 HOST AN EVENT AT IAAPA HEADQUARTERS … 38 IAAPA FOUNDATION … 39 MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Unlock the Power of IAAPA Member Benefits … 40 CALENDAR … 41 DEPARTMENTS AD INDEX … 70 MIC DROP … 72 ® BUSINESS RESOURCES FUNWORLD’S INDUSTRY INSIGHTS LAUNCH EFTELING INSIDE | MARCH/APRIL 2025 Visit IAAPA.org/News for leading industry news in the IAAPA News Hub. MICHAEL COSTELLO 66Smarter Park Operations68Adding PizzazzDISCOVER MORE! Our team of specialists in concept design, engineering and manufacturing can deliver the most thrilling experience for your guests! Whether you want to create a new family coaster that appeals to children, teens, parents and grandparents, are looking for a new heart- pounding experience to delight thrill seekers or want to develop any other attraction that will make your venue a success! WWW.VEKOMA.COM FAMILY ADVENTURE NEW 2025 - TILT COASTER ‘SIREN’S CURSE’ CEDAR POINT, USA SUSPENDED FAMILY COASTER ‘FLIGHT OF THE WICKED WITCH’ WARNER BROS. MOVIE WORLD, AUSTRALIA FAMILY BOOMERANG RACER ‘KANSAS TWISTER’ WARNER BROS. MOVIE WORLD, AUSTRALIA LICENSED TO THRILL4 Funworld | MARCH/APRIL 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. IAAPA makes no representations or warranties about the accu- racy or suitability of any information or materials in this publication; all such content is provided on an as-is basis. IAAPA hereby disclaims all warranties regarding the contents of this publication, including without limitation all war- ranties of title, non-infringement, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. IAAPA does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse the information, products, or services of any corporation, organization, or person. 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 Senior 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 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 ® Feel the Rush Eureka! Six Flags Over Georgia plans to strike gold with the new Georgia Gold Rusher, slated to debut in mid-March. Designed by Intamin, riders will sit aboard two outward-facing discs that rotate while the ride vehicle creates a splash effect. The ride vehicle will launch between two towers standing 144 feet tall. The investment is part of Six Flags’ renewal of the guest experience that focuses on park décor, storytelling, and enhancements to dining and retail areas. Georgia Gold Rusher will bring the park’s coaster count to 13. SIX FLAGS6 Funworld | MARCH/APRIL 2025 | IAAPA.org/Funworld EFTELING’S DANSE MACABRE RIDE IS A DARKLY THRILLING ADDITION to the Netherlands park’s pantheon of themed attraction greats. After saying goodbye to the beloved Spookslot haunted castle attraction, which opened in 1978, Efteling’s team decided the famously haunting 19th-century melody composed by Camille Saint-Saëns, “Danse Macabre” should be retained to take center stage in Efteling’s latest attraction. “We wanted our visitors to dance to the music,” says lead designer Jeroen Verheij. Danse Macabre is a whirling wonder—an immersive thrill ride that “frightens visitors the Efteling way.” The attraction is a symphony of innova- tive ride and show technologies, spectacular set designs, audio-visual and special effects, and spine-tingling music. Composer René Merkelbach’s new version of “Danse Macabre,” recorded with the largest orchestra in Efteling’s history, envelops guests in its spell. The attraction spins the story of conductor Joseph Charlatan’s orchestra who vanished on Friday the 13th, 1876, after performing “Danse Macabre.” They fell prey to “The Unnameable,” a supernatural cat-like beast that roams the surrounding area. Guests who venture into the imposing, 20-meter- high chapel located in the creepiest part of Efteling will see a paranormal performance. Launch Dancing in the Dark Efteling delivers a virtuoso performance with Danse Macabre by Juliana Gilling THEME PARKS c EFTELING The exterior of the new Danse Macabre at Efteling appears mysterious, shrouding a new ride experience inside.7 IAAPA.org/Funworld | MARCH/APRIL 2025 | Funworld INSIGHT IN FUNWORLD: Learn how to create a compliant and effective training manual. See p. 24. ride. Atmospheric lighting enhances the Danse Macabre building at night. The project took two years to complete and spans 17,000 square meters. Building the major attraction and themed area while the park operated was a demanding task. “A unique ride system comes with challenges, but fortunately all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place,” Verheij says. “Our technicians had to write and invent the manual for this new ride themselves. In addition, programming the ride system in combination with the show experience was a huge job. Every time the ride system was adjusted, the show experience also had to be timed accordingly. Our people spent a lot of hours on that, but the end result is thrilling and beautiful.” Efteling’s team collaborated with Intamin to create a custom ride system with balletic movements that mimics the “Danse Macabre” music. Intamin’s Dynamic Motion Stage technology recreates the waltz’s rises, falls, and twirls. The ride system incor- porates an 18-meter-wide turntable, topped by six choir stalls (each seating 18 guests) that rest on six smaller turntables. The large turntable can rise three meters high, tilt, drop, and spin. The theatrical experience lasts for 3.5 minutes as the music builds to a crescendo inside the elaborately decorated chamber. The ride accommodates 108 passengers and has a theoretical capacity of 1,253 people per hour. Guests must be 1.2 meters tall to ride and the attraction has an advisory age of eight years. Efteling has worked closely with organizations that support disability inclusion to ensure Danse Macabre is as accessible as possible. Visitors with disabilities can experience the waiting route with their companions. The attraction is accessible for wheelchair users who can walk independently when transferring to the ride. If this is not possible, visitors can take their seats in the chapel or move to a different room for an alternative experi- ence. They can enjoy the show’s sounds, visuals, and effects simultaneously, allowing them to share in the excitement. Danse Macabre is set in a fully realized fantasy world, the Huyverwoud Forest. “Efteling has, for the first time, created a deeper thematic experience in hospitality, retail, and entertain- ment in one go,” Verheij says. “We have succeeded in making the entire area completely immersive.” Staff members—in artfully distressed outfits partly made from discarded Efteling uniforms— bring the drama to life. Efteling’s investment in the new themed area totaled around € 35 million. “The whole area around Danse Macabre was designed with great respect for, and inspired by, the old haunted house’s iconic building,” Verheij adds. Eagle-eyed guests will spot Spookslot’s relics, references, and Easter eggs as they are led on a merry dance through the waiting area. They pass forest paths, cloisters, and graveyards, before arriving at the chapel and catacombs for the EFTELING EFTELING “We have succeeded in making the entire area completely immersive.” — Jeroen VerheijNext >