Theme park news: Another Dale Earnhardt coaster, Snow White wins lottery, Hello Kitty attraction, Coney Island closure

A roundup of my theme park Twitter updates for the last week:

POV video: Carowinds announces $23-million Dale Earnhardt-themed Intimidator coaster for spring 2010 with stadium-style seating and T-shaped lap bar.

Universal Studios Orlando unveils eight Halloween Horror Nights mazes: Saw, Wolfman, Chucky, Dracula, Frankenstein, Silver Screams, Leave it To Cleaver and The Spawning. Six scare zones: Lights Camera Hacktion, Cirque Du Freak, Horrorwood Die-In, Apocalypse, Containment, War of Living Dead. (Orlando Attractions)

Disneyland’s Snow White wins $5.2 million lottery jackpot, feels “like Cinderella.” (O.C. Register)

Busch Gardens Tampa adding Sesame Street Safari of Fun for Spring 2010: kiddie coaster, flume ride, carousel, swing ride, water play area. (Orlando Sentinel)

Chucky’s Funhouse to take over House of Horrors attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood during Hollywood Horror Nights 2009.

Taiwanese theme park adding $6 million Hello Kitty attraction for 2010. (Screamscape)

Chessington World of Adventures in UK hires hypnotherapist to help scared parents overcome coaster phobia.

Power outage fears force all-day closure of Chessington World of Adventures in UK. (Screamscape)

Landlord shutters Coney Island’s Dreamland until amusement park operator pays $600,000 back rent. Cyclone and Wonder Wheel still open. Judge’s decision closes Dreamland for the summer.

Concept art: Sum of All Thrills robotic arm simulator opening fall 2009 at Epcot’s Innoventions. (Orlando Attractions)

Dubailand theme park oasis stalls in the desert amid harsh economic realities. (Sun Sentinel)

Legoland parent company to build Sea Life Aquarium in Phoenix for 2010.

High score tips and tricks for Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney’s California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Studios Central)

New book: “Knott’s Berry Farm: The Early Years” with 100 pages of historic photos, profile on Walter Knott. (Around Disney)

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland. Follow Funland on Twitter and Facebook.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer

Image: Dale Earnhardt-themed Intimidator coaster at Carowinds

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 6:27 am by Brady MacDonald and is filed under Africa & Middle East, Asia, California, Celebrity, China, Disney's California Adventure, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, East Coast, Epcot at Walt Disney World, Europe, Family & Kids, Florida, Great Britain, Knott's, Legoland, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Southern States, Theme Parks, Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.