International concept designer and animatronic and special effect manufacturer Themesparx has created some lovely new scenes, static and animatronic characters for the Tractor Ride at Sundown Adventureland.
Working with Mrs Rhodes and her daughter Gaynor Corr of Sundown Adventureland, Themesparx created the initial concept designs for the refurbishment of the ride and then manufactured the final products at their factory in Dodworth, Barnsley.
The relationship between Themsparx and Sundown Adventureland first began when they were asked to create the animatronic Captain Sandy.
There has been great interest in the characters particularly for the theming of adventure golf courses. The characters are made from GRP and polyurethane and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor sites.
Matthew Kitchen-Dunn, the managing director of Themesparx, has years of experience in the attractions industry, having worked for 28 years in the family business in Huddersfield, which started by supplying Christmas decorations and Santa’s grottos to shopping malls before moving into theme park ride design, theming, animatronics and special effects.
In the past eighteen months Themesparx has designed and installed theming, animatronics and special effects at Alton Towers (In the Night Garden); Chessington World of Adventures (Scorpion Express) and Kongeparken Theme Park, Norway (Little Fergie Tractor Ride which won a THEA Award in November 2014).
The company has also seen a great deal of interest in its new innovation “Infinity Ride”, a fully customisable mapped dark ride which was introduced to the theme park world at the EURO Attractions Show in Berlin and at IAAPA Orlando, the home of Disney, in autumn last year.