Those and 1,000 other thrills went on display recently at the amusement industry’s international convention in Orlando, Florida.
“People are always looking for what’s new,” said David Mandt, spokesman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. “Think of this as a giant shopping mall for the industry.”
The convention, is expected to draw 25,000 people from 85 countries.
Mandt said some of the rides on display would begin appearing in parks as early as next spring, while the new technology would find its way into more complex attractions that may take several years to fully develop.
In a Google Earth meets Iron Chef experience, the most ostentatious attraction consisted of a table for 22 that is hoisted into the air by crane for meals, business meetings and other sit-down parties.
Guests are secured by six-point harnesses into thrill ride-type seats and served by a chef and waiters working inside the table’s doughnut hole.
The attraction, from Belgian company Dinner in the Sky, can be staged wherever permission can be gained from a landowner, and already has hosted dinners above a golf course, a Formula One racetrack and a cathedral in Europe.
It’s not a cheap thrill: An eight-hour rental will cost at least $12,000, according to company co-founder David Ghysels.
For South African trill seekers, Dinner in the Sky, has just opened a branch in Johannesburg across the road from Monte Casino in Fourways. To find out more about this unique experience go to Dinner in the Sky.