|
Flamingo Land is a theme park, zoo, and resort located in North Yorkshire, England. ==History== Flamingo Land Resort was established in 1959 when a cinema entrepreneur, Edwin Pentland Hick, sold his cinema chain and used the funds to purchase a bankrupt country club to use the land for a zoo.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.flamingopics.co.uk/history-of-flamingo-land/ )〕 The site, which occupied nine acres, was initially called ''The Yorkshire Zoological Gardens''. A colony of flamingos were among the first animals to be housed on site.〔 In 1963, the gardens became home to the UK's first captive bottlenose dolphins - one of whom was given the name Sooty after the children's TV puppet. During the 1960s a small funfair began to be held on the site. In 1965 the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange as ''Associated Pleasure Parks'' and, in 1968, the park was renamed to Flamingo Park Zoo. In the 1970s, amusement rides had become a permanent fixture of the park along with the zoo, becoming the first site in Europe to combine the attractions in one location. The park was losing money by 1974 and underwent a major revamp when it was renamed Flamingo Land. More emphasis was placed on the "day out" experience - with fairground rides, a haunted castle, model railway and a jungle cruise raft ride on the lake. Despite a more professional marketing approach which saw regular guest appearances by celebrities and stars of the day (including the racehorse Red Rum), Flamingo Land continued to lose money. The owners, Scotia Leisure Ltd., sold the site in 1978 to Robert Gibb - himself a former director at Scotia leisure. He put a team in place to develop the complex as a national, rather than local, tourist attraction, including investing in amusement rides. Many staff were made redundant with most re-engaged on seasonal contracts. The rides Bullet and Thunder Mountain were constructed in 1991.〔 In 1995 Robert Gibb died in a car accident and his son Gordon Gibb, only 18 at the time, and his two sisters, Vicky and Melanie, took over the running of the park.〔 ==Attractions== Some of the major attractions at Flamingo Land include:〔 〕 * ''Hero'' - Suspended Flying Coaster new for 2013 in Metropolis area of the park. The ride was declared SBNO on 22 May 2015 when a piece of foot rail came loose and struck riders, but re-opened after a thin safety net was added under the track where it passes over the queue. * ''Pterodactyl'' – A Zamperla Vertical Swing installed in 2012 in the new Prime evil land – adapted to 'Dino-Stone Park' for the 2013 season. * ''Mumbo Jumbo'' – Opened in Summer 2009, this roller coaster was recognised at the time by the Guinness World Records as having the steepest drop. * ''Flip Flop'' – Suspended over an artificial lake and features two large ship funnels on either side of the station. * ''Kumali'' – Installed 2006, this is a Suspended Looping Coaster. * ''Navigator'' – Installed 2005, it was the first 'Mega' "Disk 'O'" type of ride ever to be built. * ''Velocity'' – was constructed in 2005, replacing the Thunder Mountain attraction. It was built by Vekoma, a manufacturer based in the Netherlands. The ride was the first booster bike ride in the United Kingdom, and is the tallest and fastest of its type in the world. It is estimated to have cost around UK£7 million. Velocity features a unique restraint design created specifically for Flamingo Land Resort. This leaves your upper body to move freely. * ''Cliffhanger'' – Opened in 2002, this is the first and tallest S&S Combo Tower in the United Kingdom. Also on the site is a gym, a leisure centre, a spa, a golf course and a large collection of log cabins and static caravans. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Flamingo Land Resort」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|