Newsletter: In the Loop: Theme park attendance, Disney World layoffs and Disneyland merchandise madness
Welcome to another edition of In the Loop, the L.A. Times' theme park newsletter. I’m Funland theme park blogger Brady MacDonald, and this week we take a look at Southern California theme park attendance, the shopping habits of die-hard Disneyland fans and a new roller coaster at a tiny Anaheim amusement park.
Man behind the Mouse
Daniel Miller, who covers the film business for The Times, takes a deep-dive look at the tenure of Disney CEO Robert Iger and his high-risk, high-reward strategy of running the world's largest entertainment firm. Plus, Iger reveals his favorite Disneyland ride.
Ups and downs
Hugo Martin, who covers theme parks for The Times’ Business section, reports that attendance was up 11% last year at Universal Studios Hollywood with the launch of the Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem attraction and down 12% at SeaWorld San Diego in the wake of the “Blackfish” documentary. In a follow-up story, Hugo writes about SeaWorld's attempts to rescue its reputation.
Guests are fastened into their seats in Gru’s laboratory as part of the new Minion Mayhem attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Pint-sized thrills
I review the Rewind Racers roller coaster at the tiny Adventure City amusement park that sits in the shadows of Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. The new ride is the perfect first coaster for pint-sized riders looking for big-kid thrills.
The Rewind Racers shuttle coaster sits on a compact footprint at the tiny Adventure City amusement park.
(Brady MacDonald / Los Angeles Times)
Shopping frenzy
Hugo also follows some self-professed “Disney Freaks” as they drop thousands of dollars in Anaheim on souvenirs celebrating Disneyland’s 60th anniversary. The big prize: a crystal miniature of Sleeping Beauty Castle that costs $37,500.
A crystal miniature of Sleeping Beauty Castle that costs $37,500 is one of the souvenirs of Disneyland’s 60th anniversary.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Speaking of theme park merchandise, Hello Kitty retail shops are coming soon to Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood, according to Times Travel blogger Mary Forgione.
Let it snow, let it go
The Wall Street Journal gets an exclusive look at the storyboards for the Frozen Ever After attraction and reveals new details about the water ride coming to Epcot. Disney combined a “Frozen” overlay with the existing boats and water flume from the Maelstrom ride in the Norway pavilion to cut down on the attraction production time.
Checkered past
Steve Van Doren talks with Times fashion writer Adam Tschorn about Vans' new line of Disney-inspired shoes during an interview at Disneyland. The son of Vans’ co-founder Paul Van Doren recalls his earliest memories of the Anaheim theme park and how the shoe company provided customized footwear in the 1970s for employees working on the monorail and submarine attractions.
The co-branded Young at Heart men’s and women’s collection is anchored by six styles of footwear from the Vans Classics collection and is launching for fall 2015.
(Vans)
Pink slips
The New York Times writes about the layoff of 250 Disney employees who monitored computerized ticket sales, store purchases and hotel reservations at Walt Disney World resort. But before they left, the fired employees had to train their replacements, who had been brought in on temporary visas by an India-based outsourcing firm.
Sea lion sadness
On a sad note, Times San Diego reporter Tony Perry reports on the death of Bubba the sea lion, who was treated at SeaWorld San Diego after being struck with a harpoon-like blade. Bubba was brought to the marine theme park after he was found on a dock in the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard with the blade impaled in his side.
A giant sea lion nicknamed Bubba swims in a recovery pool at SeaWorld San Diego’s animal rescue center May 27 after being impaled by a harpoon-like blade. Bubba later died of his injuries.
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
And finally
Pasadena-based theme park design company Landmark Entertainment is developing virtual reality attractions at locations in China. In layman's terms, writes The Times’ Steven Zeitchik, that means a theme park ride could potentially be accessed in one's living room or at least its thrills simulated to a sufficiently convincing degree.
Still need more theme park news? Check out the Los Angeles Times Funland theme park blog on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Instagram. Also feel free to email me with any feedback on the newsletter.
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