I've been keeping a log of all contests I have entered this year.

One of the coolest features of 3D VIA is the ability to integrate high quality 3D models within Word and PowerPoint documents, which is as easy as dragging and dropping the 3D XML file into the Office document. This also enables users to view interactive, real-time 3D applications in a Web browser or stream them from a website.


What does this mean for the amusement park industry? These tools can be a great resource for ride design and would enable more efficient communication...

I will be raising money by trying to ride Gemini at Cedar Point for 10 hours on August 26th! Give Kids The World Village is a non-profit resort for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Your pledge will help provide these special families with a cost-free magical vacation. Each year over 6,500 children from all 50 states and around the world experience the Village. With your support, we can make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Please donate at this site....

With the economy in a deep recession amusement parks are going to have to do what they can to save money. This includes not building expensive, mega-attractions. However, major new rides still need to be built in order to keep guests coming back year after year. This is the perfect scenario for more parks to start building what I like to call two-for-one rides: two separate attractions that share the same structure. The two major reasons for doing this is to try and save money as well as space....

Soft drinks play an important role in amusement park economics. Soft drink sales are the backbone of many amusement parks’ bottom lines. They are almost pure profit. The soda itself comes down to a few pennies per cup, the cups are usually a few cents above that, and the amount of labor to pour a soda is still pretty cheap. I've heard it said one time that soft drinks are usually the profit margin for all of Disney. They pay all their expenses out of everything else and soft drinks are the extra....