August FUNWORLD: A Special Issue

The August issue of FUNWORLD is out, and it's one of my favorite of the year as it features our annual New Rides and Attractions special section. This is the third year for what we lovingly call around here NRAA, and this time around the brand-new Hard Rock Park takes center stage (as you can tell from the rockin'-out version of the Statue of Liberty on the cover). I spent a few days at HRP earlier this year to report on North America's first major theme park in nearly a decade, and I was most impressed by the park's attention to detail and theming, which I cover in the story.

Also in this special issue, I have a story asking one simple question: "Is this the year of the dark ride?" I talked to several designers of some of this year's most buzzed-about attractions to get the answer. The section also includes a look at new rides and attractions from around the globe, broken up into regions for the first time: North America, Europe, the Middle East, and China/Southeast Asia. Finally, News Editor Keith Miller has a fascinating piece on the pros and cons of moving an entire roller coaster from one park to another, as there were a ton of those this year.

August isn't all about the rides, of course. There are stories that will inform FECs what it takes to run a more energy-efficient facility and how to throw a great Halloween event; one special report examines corporate sponsorships, while another addresses school start dates and the work that's going into maintaining a traditional summer vacation; and Premier Rides' Jim Seay offers up his advice on what can be learned by listening closely to frontline employees.

So as you hit the midpoint of your hectic summer season, be sure to take a trip through this month's FUNWORLD to find out all about what your colleagues are doing. And hopefully by celebrating the best and brightest of the year in rides and attractions, it'll remind you why this industry is so great in the first place.