Issue 1: January/February 2025

“The vision we have had for years is that amusement park visitors will one day have their own VR headsets in their handbags. VR devices the size of sunglasses are already available on the market. If this catches on, then visitors will be able to experience completely customised VR content. They will be able to ride a roller coaster simply for the thrill, or download the VR content they want for the ride directly to their own glasses,” says Prof. Thomas Wagner, co-founder and co-managing director of the German firm of VR Coaster GmbH, describing how he and his team imagine the future of virtual reality in the leisure industry...

Emotion through sound: Creating a unique sound experience in a theme park, zoo or other attraction requires more than just placing speakers and playing music. The right sounds can enhance the immersive experience of visitors and evoke emotions that go beyond the visual experience. Service providers in the music and sound industry have developed some innovative and contemporary approaches and solutions to help operators create the perfect soundscape...

When you think of Florida, the “Sunshine State”, an indoor water park is not something that immediately springs to mind. Florida has not so
far had any indoor water parks worth mentioning, but this has now changed: Great Wolf Lodge Naples, already the 22nd location of the popular water park resort chain Great Wolf Lodge Resorts Inc. and its 21st location in the United States, has opened in southwest Florida.
The resort was built right next to the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Collier County. Around 250 million US dollars has been invested in the project...

Exhibitors at the interbad swimming pool trade fair in Stuttgart and the IAAPA Expo in Orlando – the world’s largest marketplace for the leisure and amusement industry – were satisfied: Trade visitors were extremely keen to invest, meaning that new projects were decided and contracts signed on site. In the current issue of EAP Magazine, we present exciting current developments as well as new products and industry trends that we tracked down at the trade fairs...

Efteling, the Dutch “World of Wonders”, recently opened its new themed area “Huyverwoud” and its eerily beautiful ride attraction “Danse Macabre”. With a total investment of around 35 million euros, a completely new thrill ride experience has been created, whereby a new ride system called Dynamic Motion Stage combined with immersive show technology now offers a goosebump spectacle full of surprises and dark twists... After the guests have taken their seats in choir benches, it's time to dance to Camille Saint-Saëns‘ iconic piece of music “Danse Macabre” from 1875...