Theme park news: Legoland water park, Real Madrid theme park, Wizarding World DVD extras, Neverland negotiations

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

* Legoland California to open a separate-admission, 5.5-acre water park by summer 2010. (L.A. Times)

* Built in 1927 and rebuilt in 1948 and 1994, Comet coaster at Great Escape in New York gets American Coaster Enthusiasts landmark designation. (Screamscape)

* DVD extras on “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” movie to include short feature on Wizarding World themed land at Universal Studios Orlando. (Orlando Sentinel)

* Report: Michael Jackson’s family negotiating to open Neverland as a Graceland-like amusement park by Christmas. (New York Post)

* Disney: No plans to use Marvel characters in Orlando parks, no concerns about brand confusion with Universal Studios. (Orlando Sentinel)

* Kennywood to restore Old Mill theme to 108-year-old boat ride by 2011, removing outdated Garfield theme. (News Plus Notes)

* Adventure Park USA in Maryland to open water park in 2010 — if it raises $2 million from season pass sales.

* Effort underway to restore a dilapidated Disneyland rail car, Walt’s favorite at the park. (MiceAge)

* CSI: The Experience interactive exhibit opens at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. (Screamscape)

* Unconscious driver crashes car into Pharaoh’s Fury ride at DelGrosso’s amusement park in Pennsylvania. (Screamscape)

* Real Madrid theme park in the works at soccer practice facility in Madrid, plus two more parks in Beijing and Miami.

* New Navy Pier AeroBalloon takes riders 350 feet up in the air over Chicago. (Screamscape)

* Holy Land theme park in Orlando to offer free admission on Oct. 6 to maintain tax-exempt church status. (Orlando Sentinel)

* Video: Spin yourself like a propeller as many times as you want on this insane German theme park ride. (Screamscape)

* Beautiful documentary video of Six Flags New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina damage closed the park.

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

Photo: Nicolas Cage, star of the “National Treasure” films (Disney) and “Ghost Rider” (Marvel), at the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 5:58 am by Brady MacDonald and is filed under Asia, Business Travel, California, Celebrity, Chicago, China, Deals, Disneyland, East Coast, Europe, Family & Kids, Florida, Germany, Islands of Adventure, Las Vegas, Legoland, Magic Kingdom, Midwestern States, New Orleans & Louisiana, New York, Orange County, San Diego, Southern States, Theme Parks, Universal Studios Florida, Water Parks. 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.