Japan gets ‘Power Up’ wristbands
Super Nintendo World in Japan is designed to make you feel like you’re living a real-life video game as Universal reveals its answer to the Disney MagicBand.
Universal showcased “Power Up Bands”, its latest technology that can link to a special smartphone app and help visitors interact with the park, said Universal senior vice president Thierry Coup, the mastermind behind Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and other attractions at Universal theme parks.
“It’s truly one of the most innovative experiences we have ever created at Universal,” said Coup, speaking to Japanese media recently.
Universal shared the video of Coup’s presentation on social media, getting thousands of likes.
Just like in a Mario video game, visitors will be seeking coins — digital ones — around the land.
No official opening date has been set for Super Nintendo World, which is expected to open this summer in Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.
Nintendo and Universal fans are watching with interest as Universal also builds its third Orlando gate, Epic Universe, which is set to open in 2023. Universal hasn’t revealed many details, including the ride themes or if Power Up Bands will appear there too.
Theme park injury report
An 89-year-old woman who had a pre-existing medical condition briefly passed out after riding the Space Mountain roller coaster last month, according to a new state report detailing theme park-goers’ injuries.
Space Mountain, which celebrates its 45th birthday this week, only goes 28 mph but takes visitors on a sometimes bumpier ride into the disorientating darkness.
Florida’s biggest theme parks selfdisclose if visitors were sick or hurt on rides and spent at least 24 hours in the hospital. It’s part of an agreement with the state since Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Legoland and Busch Gardens aren’t monitored by state safety inspectors.
The report released recently gives brief descriptions of incidents from October to December .
Twice in October, two Disney World visitors who both had pre-existing medical conditions said they felt sick after riding Star Tours, a simulator ride at Hollywood Studios. A 39-year-old woman “felt dizzy and had trouble with equilibrium” on Oct. 5 while a 66-year-old man felt sick Oct. 8.
On Halloween, a 46-year-old woman felt “severe head pain” and threw up after riding Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, the Aerosmith-themed attraction at Hollywood Studios.
Universal reported two people having problems on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. A 57-year-old woman had motion sickness on Nov. 3 while a 78-year-old man suffered a knee injury on Dec. 26.
The report doesn’t expand into deeper details about what happened or document what kind of pre-existing medical conditions people had.
SeaWorld Orlando and Legoland Florida did not report any incidents.
SeaWorld attendance is up
The Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment is off to a good start in 2020.
The company expects to announce a 2% attendance increase for the final quarter of 2019, which included the holiday season, according to a recent SEC filing. The 2% jump is compared to the previous 2018 quarter.
“Many of our parks had some particularly strong attendance days, including some record days, which is exciting and we look forward to a productive 2020,” Serge Rivera wrote in an employee Jan. 7 memo that was included in the filing.
SeaWorld has not announced when it will release its fourth-quarter earnings, although last year the company gave the financial update in late February. Comcast, which owns Universal parks, is expected to release its earnings Jan. 23 while Walt Disney Co. follows suit Feb. 4.
Despite the company’s leadership instability, SeaWorld stock has been steadily increasing in recent months. It has recently traded nearly $35 a share, up almost $10 from October. Earlier this month, SeaWorld Orlando launched a new, more educational killer whale show at its parks.