February 1, 2006
Ripley Entertainment to Open Waterpark Resort, Predicts Robust Business Growth in 2006
February 2006 (Orlando, FL) - Ripley Entertainment, coming off a record 2005, will continue to expand in 2006, Ripley President Bob Masterson told managers and franchisees at its 35th annual company conference in early February.
The entertainment company plans on opening at least two more Ripley's Believe It or Not! odditoriums and through its Canadian entity will be making its official entry into the hospitality industry with the opening of Great Wolf Lodge, an all-suite indoor water-park resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Masterson predicts that the number of people visiting Ripley facilities in 2006 will grow 10% over 2005 numbers.
The new four-story, 406-room all-suites Northwood's-themed Great Wolf Lodge includes a sprawling 103,000-square-foot water park, one of the largest in North America. A water-lover's dream-come-true, the park will feature 13 slides, four activity and play pools, three family and adult whirlpools, a giant wave pool, a lazy river and a four-story interactive water-fort playground. The park's thousands of gallons of heated water will remain a comfortable 84 degrees F (29C) year-round.
Following the opening of the lodge and waterpark, work will begin on Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, a 120,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility situated adjacent to the lodge, on 25-acres overlooking the Niagara Gorge. Tentatively scheduled to open in early 2008, the world-class aquarium will eventually serve as the company's flagship property.
Other attractions scheduled to open in 2006 are Ripley's Believe It or Not! odditorium in Panama City Beach and Ripley's Believe It or Not! odditorium in Williamsburg, Va., both slated for early summer premiers.
"I'm very optimistic and excited about 2006 for our company," said Masterson. "Opening Great Wolf Lodge is a major step for us into both the hotel and waterpark business. It's a natural progression for our 87-year-old entertainment company. We specialize in providing fun - one ticket at a time."
Following in the Footsteps of 2005
It was a record year in 2005 for Ripley Entertainment, as more than 12 million people visited the company's 50-plus attractions in 10 countries, making the quirky Orlando-based corporation the ninth largest entertainment company in the world.
This year's expansion continues a pattern of aggressive growth that saw the company open four new attractions in 2005 - Louis Tussaud's Waxworks in Niagara Falls, Ripley's Believe It or Not! odditorium in Kuwait City, a Guinness World Records attraction in Tokyo, and the hugely successful Ripley's Old MacDonald's Farm Mini-Golf and Super Fun Zone in Sevierville, Tenn.
In 2005, the company also introduced Ripley's Believe It or Not! Roadshow, a traveling exhibit designed to share odd and unusual artifacts from the Ripley collection with people across North America. And late last year, Paramount Pictures announced plans to produce a major motion picture based on the life of Robert Ripley.
In publishing, the bestseller, "Ripley's Believe It or Not! Planet Eccentric," garnered widespread media attention as did the first-ever "Ripley's Believe It or Not! Baseball Media Guide," delivered to influential baseball journalists and broadcasters throughout the United States. The globally syndicated "Believe It or Not!" TV series thrives in worldwide syndication and continues to attract a new generation of Ripley fans.
About Ripley Entertainment
Ripley Entertainment, Inc. (www.ripleys.com) is a leading global attractions company with annual attendance of more than 12 million guests. In addition to its 50-plus attractions, the Orlando-based company has publishing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated comic strip.
Media Contact:
Ripley Entertainment
Tim O'Brien
Tel: 615-646-7465
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