April Fool’s Day has arrived, and with it comes the usual “fake news!”, the bane of Donald Trump’s life.
Among our top picks this year is a report that Kent’s London Resort will be a theme park for pensioners, as well as Mall of America’s announcement that it is rebranding the Log Chute attraction as the Kenny Loggins Chute.
KentOnline penned an “artful piece of fakery” that claimed the London Resort had joined forces with BritBox to create a theme park for pensioners with a Fawlty Towers-themed haunted house, The Sweeney-themed ride, and Last of the Summer Wine roller coaster.
Mall of America’s Kenny Loggins Chute
Elsewhere, Mall of America in Bloomington announced the rebranding of the Log Chute attraction to the Kenny Loggins Chute, inspired by American musician, singer and songwriter Kenny Loggins.
Mall of America said the ride “will officially enter the danger zone and take on a whole new look, feel, and sound that is sure to have riders cutting loose and kicking off their Sunday shoes”.
“Embarking on a project like this has been a dream come true,” said Chris Grap, vice president of experiential for Mall of America.
“Kenny Loggins is arguably the most iconic voice of the ’80s soundtrack, and we can’t wait to bring that to the forefront in our newly designed Log Chute. The team at Mall of America is excited to usher in a new era that’s sure to make a splash!”
M25 is ALVA’s newest member
In addition, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) announced its newest member, the M25. “We are delighted to welcome our newest member, the M25 London orbital motorway,” ALVA wrote on Twitter.
“The M25 is a major road encircling most of Greater London,” ALVA added. “The 117-mile motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest, giving pleasure to millions of visitors every day.”
Drayton Manor teases Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Drayton Manor also took a swipe at Blackpool Pleasure Beach for charging an additional £15 or £25 for a ride on ENSŌ, which is available on one of the ICON coaster’s three trains.
“Introducing the world’s first extreme Disk’o Coaster,” Drayton Manor tweeted. “Looking for a more intense experience on our brand new ride, Thor?”
“Simply add £2 to the coin slot in your seat, and prepare for double the spins,” the park wrote. “Scream if you want to go faster!”
HOLOGATE ‘celebrates’ 100th anniversary
HOLOGATE, a global leader in turnkey compact multiplayer VR systems, celebrated its 100th anniversary on 1 April 2022. In a LinkedIn post, CEO and founder Leif Petersen, revealed that his great grandfather, Erik Ole Petersen, founded the company on 1 April 1922 after inventing the HOLOSCOPE. Petersen said this “was based on the cast iron, hand cranked ‘flip book’ that was viewed through a viewer with a hood at the top and typically found in arcades, parlors, and movie theaters”.
“My great grandfather came up with the idea to solder four HOLOSCOPEs together to create one compact unit. He would then ask each player to start and turn the cranks exactly in synchronization to create a social ‘flip book’ experience. Thus, the first multi-user shared immersive experience was born,” Petersen wrote.
Image: The London Resort
