I know its not Disney news but with Knotts Berry Farm so close to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim and the fact that they have one of the best Halloween haunts around, I thought I’d throw this up. Knotts Berry Farm, also known as “Knotts Scary Farm” around Halloween, will have three new haunted mazes during their 38th annual Halloween Haunt.

The goulish festivities will take place on Wednesday through Sunday nights from Sept. 24 through Oct. 31 (except for Sept. 29).

The king of Halloween events will feature 13 mazes scattered throughout the park, with construction currently underway in backstage areas. New for 2010 is as follows:

• Sleepy Hollow Mountain – featuring the headless horseman legend with ghosts, ghouls, witches and goblins (replaces the Pyromaniax theme on the Timber Mountain log ride)

• Virus Z – replicates a small town overrun by infected cannibals, zombies and blood-thirsty corpses (replacing the Quarantine maze in Fiesta Plaza)

• Fallout Shelter - the insane residents haven’t seen the sun since the Atomic Age (replaces the Alien Annihilation 3-D laser-tag maze near Reflection Lake)

Returning from last year are the following mazes:

• Black Widow’s Cavern
• Club Blood
• Cornstalkers
• Dia de los Muertos (in 3-D)
• Lockdown: The Asylum
• Slaughterhouse
• Terror of London
• The Doll Factory
• The Labyrinth
• Uncle Bobo’s Big Top of the Bizarre (in 3-D)

One of the best things about the Haunt is the haunted areas of the park where you never know what is going to pop out at you. Referred to as “scare zones, the haunted areas include The Necropolis, with Victorian Steampunk vampires haunting a city of the dead (replaces The Gauntlet scare zone in Camp Snoopy), Carnevil (in the Boardwalk area), and Ghost Town (in the Wild West area).

Also returning for 2010 is the ever popular “The Hanging” pop-culture comedy revue plus several other eerie and entertaining shows.

Seeing that I haven’t been to a “Haunt” for a few years and also the fact that there are two new coasters at Knotts I have yet to ride, I may very well make plans to attend this year. If you want to go to the best of the best in Halloween attractions, then make plans to attend the 38th Annual Halloween Haunt at Knotts Berry Farm.

Knott’s Berry Farm, famous for the Halloween Haunts held every September/October where the park literally becomes haunted, will unveil four new mazes for their 2009 season. The granddaddy of Halloween events will feature 13 mazes in all scattered throughout the park, with construction currently underway in backstage areas.

New for 2009:

• Uncle Bobo’s Big Top of the Bizarre in 3-D replaces Killer Clown Kollege (under Xcelerator)

• Terror of London featuring Jack the Ripper and Dr. Jekyll replaces 13 Axe Murder Manor (in Mystery Lodge)

• Dia de los Muertos in 3-D featuring a Day of the Dead theme replaces Lost Vegas (at the bumper cars)

• The Asylum updates the existing maze as a high-security penitentiary for the insane (backstage near Ghostrider)

Returning mazes from 2008:

• Alien Annihilation 3-D laser tag
• The Labyrinth
• Slaughterhouse
• Club Blood
• Cornstalkers
• The Doll Factory
• Pyromaniax
• Black Widow’s Cavern
• Quarantine

If you are like me and love haunted houses, Knott’s “Scary” Farm’s Haunt is a must do. It is in fact one of the best “haunted” attraction on the planet. UltimateHaunt.com, a tribute site to the event describes it as such.

Not for the weak at heart, Knott’s Scary Farm is an extreme take on all of the senses. The lighting, fog and music throughout the entire park make it incredibly hard to focus on what lurks in the shadows. To find out what is lurking in the shadows is for only the brave at heart.

The mazes and attractions leave no room to run. You are set bait, put right into the action. Visiting the Haunt is like participating in a first-rate horror film, except you are not quite convinced that it is only a movie – that somehow the actors are the characters and that you are caught right in the middle of it. Knott’s Scary Farm is the most fun you will have being scared.

Although I could not find any information yet, keep a watch on the official Knott’s Berry Farm site for more information.

After learning that Hard Rock Park, the rock n’ roll themed amusement park named after the popular restaurant chain, would close it doors forever, it seems as if the park has found a buyer. A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the sale of the park for $25 million to FPI MB Entertainment. They plan to reopen the park by Memorial Day.

A federal bankruptcy court judge in Delaware, Kevin Carey, called the price adequate and the process rigorous. Several potential buyers emerged in the past week after the bankruptcy trustee recommended the sale be made to FPI. The judge did not allow an auction Tuesday.

“Anyone who wanted the opportunity to bid had it,” he said.

FPI wants to keep the Hard Rock brand but has agreed to destroy any Hard Rock-branded merchandise before the park opens if there is no agreement on extending the license contract, lawyers for the companies said in court. The park’s original owners had paid $2.5 million annually to use the brand.

The judge overruled the objection of Coastal Entertainment, a company out of Finland that said it wanted to bid $25.5 million. Officials with legal and accounting firms involved in the case said it would take at least 10 to 14 days for the company’s funding to come through to the United States, and they could not confirm a claim by the company that it had wired in a down payment of $2.5 million.

Carey said Coastal Entertainment came “to the court too little and too late.”

FPI has said it would take about three months to get the park ready, including adding rides, arranging merchandising and designing new attractions and shows. The new owners include representatives of Baker Leisure Group, an Orlando-based theme park management company that plans to manage the park’s daily operations.

“We’re absolutely thrilled with the bankruptcy court’s decision [Tuesday], and we look forward to opening the park in the May timeframe,” David Wasson, a principal with FPI MB Entertainment, said as he left the hearing Tuesday.

While exact specifics of the deal have yet to be revealed, it is apparently an all cash deal.

There could be changes made to the park even if it does keep the Hard Rock name, but the Baker Leisure Group is working out those details, Duncan said.

He also said people would likely be “happier” with the admission price when it reopens. Tickets last year were $50.

The $400 million Hard Rock Park opened in April of last year and just after one operating season, closed and filed for bankruptcy in September.

Failing to find a buyer, the owners asked a Delaware bankruptcy court in January of this year for permission to liquidate, signaling once and for all that it will not be able to reopen.

However, it seems as though hard Rock park will rock on. What is yet to be determined is if it will continue to be called “Hard Rock Park,” maintain its “rock n’ roll” theming and/or survive in the hands of of new owners.

Although not really “Disney” news any longer, I thought I post the announcement here that Twentieth Century Fox has agreed to co-finance the third movie in the “Chronicles of Narnia” series. Just before Christmas, Disney had decided to no longer partner with Walden Media in the making of the next film in the series – “Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” as well as any future films.

Pending approval of the final script and shooting budget, Fox and Walden Media, which controls the movie rights to C.S. Lewis’ classic children’s books, hope to be begin production on “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” by late summer so it will be ready for holiday 2010 release.

Fox is taking a financial gamble that Disney was unwilling to wage despite helping bankroll the first two films in the “Narnia” family franchise. Walden, owned by entrepreneur Phil Anschutz, was forced to seek a new financial partner on “Dawn Treader” after Disney balked at the cost and opted out.

While the targeted budget of “Dawn Treader” is much lower than that of the last Narnia movie, “Prince Caspian,” which cost $225 million to produce, it’s still a big gamble. Released by Disney last year, the sequel was much less popular than the first “Narnia” movie, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” The sequel grossed $419 million worldwide compared with its 2005 predecessor, which generated $745 million in ticket sales.

At any rate, I am glad to see the series continue on and believe in the long run, Fox will be happy with the investment.

Original story at The L.A. Times.

Failing to find a buyer in a recent quest to find a buyer to take over the failing Hard Rock theme park, owners asked a Delaware bankruptcy court Friday for permission to liquidate, signaling once and for all that it will not be able to reopen.

The park, which said it was worth $400 million when it opened in April, was unable to attract any bidders willing to pay at least $35 million for the park at a December 15 auction, according to court documents. This after Hard Rock Park had closed and filed for bankruptcy protection in September.

“Because the bid and sale process has been unsuccessful thus far, there exists no reasonable prospect of success in the immediate future,” the filing stated. “Regrettably, conversion of [the park's] Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases to cases under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code thus appears to be the only remaining means of allowing the debtors’ assets to be liquidated and potential causes of action to be pursued and monetized for the benefit of creditors.”

Financial documents filed in court show the park made $21.5 million from April 15 through September but that it owes nearly $300 million. Park owners had hoped to bring up to 30,000 people a day during the summer and 3 million people a year through its gates. Apparently that did not happen.

Of particular interest to me is what will become of the par’s five roller coasters. One would assume that another amusement park company might pick tem up to add to their own parks.

Coasters that currently site idle at Hard Park are as follows.

Shake, Rattle & Rollercoaster

This is a simple Vekoma junior family style custom coaster. Could be good for a small family park that is lacking a kiddie coaster in its ride collection.

Slippery When Wet

This family style coaster built by Premier Rides is described as a cross between a bucket-ride and a roller coaster in a wilderness campground setting. It features a steel track, suspended cars and an elevator lift system.

Eagles Life in the Fast Lane

This is a small Vekoma steel sit-down coaster which based on pictures of park models, very closely resembles a standard Vekoma 785m Mine Train. There are differences in the second half of the ride where a few curves and helixes are mirror images of the standard.

Maximum RPM!

Wrapping around a manufacturing plant is a wild ride mechanism where guests take English mini-sports cars – fresh off the assembly line – on a special test spin. Dominating the attraction is an industrial looking Ferris-wheel-type steel structure that lifts cars and riders up into place for their roller coaster ride drop, like a revolver cartridge chamber loads a gun.

Led Zeppelin – The Ride

This is a B&M steel sit-down coaster which is 3738 feet long and 150 feet high at its highest peak. The ride six inversions including a 120′ tall loop, a 95′ tall Cobra Roll, a 75′ tall Zero−G Roll (Camelback) Loop and a Corkscrew (Flat Spin). The coaster reaches speeds of up to 65 mph.

The theming of the ride begins at a huge airship, as if you are stepping onto the cover of Led Zeppelin’s debut album. Once inside, Led Zeppelin music and videos play throughout the queue, leading to a studio area where rockers are treated to a moving, multimedia show before climbing aboard the coaster itself.

The park does have additional rides and attractions that might be a good fit for other parks including several swing-style rides, a carousel and even a 3-D dark ride.

As far as the “Hard Park” name, Hard Rock International, the cafe and casino company, had licensed its brand name to the park for at least $2.5 million annually, but it is now asking a judge to allow the park to turn over various memorabilia and release them from the license agreement.

Also questionable is the continued licesning of the “led Zeppelin” name for the roller coaster associated with it.

It’s always sad to see a park close, especially one that has not even been open for a full year. Local tourism officials and national theme park experts have criticized the park for not advertising enough before its opening. It has also been said the park’s initial $50 ticket price (not including $10 for parking) may have scared off potential visitors.

Related: Book your dream Disney vacation at Expedia.com!

Cedar Fair, the company that owns and operates some of the greatest amusement parks in the world including Knotts Berry Farm and the roller coaster capital of the world, Cedar Point, has announced $62 million in new attractions, roller coasters and family rides to debut in 2009.

The highlight of the 2009 capital program will be Diamondback, a $22 million roller coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard that will rise above the landscape at Kings Island in Cincinnati.

Diamondback will be a true steel serpent, snaking through the midways, slithering between existing attractions and navigating the unique hills and ravines that surround the park. Riders will board open-air trains that feature unobstructed views of the coaster’s track (this is the first time trains of this nature will be used in the U.S.). After cresting the 230-foot-tall lift hill, the trains will dive to the ground and encounter hills, banked turns and generous amounts of “airtime,” adding to the scales of Diamondback’s massive layout. Diamondback will be one of the largest single investments in Kings Island’s 36-year history.

“Diamondback is one of the most exciting and exhilarating additions to Kings Island since its opening in 1972,” said Dick Kinzel, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “This is a unique opportunity to balance Kings Island’s award-winning family attractions with a new level of roller coaster thrill that our guests and dedicated Ride Warriors will enjoy.”

In addition to Diamondback, two additional thrill-inducing animals will stake their claim within the Cedar Fair family of parks in 2009.

Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri will debut of Prowler, a Great Coasters International wooden coaster that will carve a tangled path in the park’s wooded terrain. The two-and-a-half minute high speed chase begins with the ride’s only feature above the trees’ cover, a swooping 85 foot plummet into a ravine. After the spiral plunge, the train rips through a seemingly endless amount of high speed hills and sharply banked turns that hug the wooded land below. With a top speed of 51 mph, riders grasped in the clutches of Prowler carve a path with powerful but smooth changes of direction, speed, and elevation.

Additionally, Carolina Cobra is set to strike at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is a Vekoma steel boomerang-style coaster that is being relocated from Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom and is formerly known as “Head Spin.” It takes riders to the top of a 125-foot-tall lift hill and then releases them, sending the snake-like train through a coil of track with three inversions at speeds of 47 mph. Riders will then travel through the entire course again – in reverse which is why it is referred to as a “boomerang.”

Along with the addition of the new roller coasters at Kings Island, Worlds of Fun and Carowinds, a new wave of fun will lap the shores of the newly-named Soak City Water Park at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. Breakers Bay, a 350,000-gallon wave pool will feature the waves and action of the ocean in a safe environment. Guests will have access to private cabanas, a new bathhouse and new food and merchandise options.

At Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, two new family rides will debut in the Grove section of the park next summer. The Americana Ferris wheel and the El Dorado rotating car ride are sure to help families create new memories.

Finally, several parks will debut a variety of exciting live shows, including a brand-new ice-skating show at Dorney Park, and the expansion of the “All Wheels Extreme” stunt show, featuring BMX-style bikers, skateboarders, gymnasts and in-line skaters, to several properties.

About Cedar Fair:

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: “FUN”) is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Company, which owns and operates eleven amusement parks, six outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels, is one of the largest regional amusement park operators in the world. Its parks are located in Ohio, California, North Carolina, Virginia / District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, and Toronto, Ontario. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, California under a management contract. Cedar Fair’s flagship park, Cedar Point, has been voted the “Best Amusement Park in the World” for eleven consecutive years in a prestigious annual poll conducted by Amusement Today newspaper.

Related: Book your dream Cedar Point vacation at Expedia.com!

Okay I admit that I may opt from time to time to write about news happening in other amusement parks besides Disney, especially if I have personally visited the park. This is one of those times so if you are in a monogamous relationship to Disney parks and Disney only, please forgive me this liberty with the announcement of a new wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Terminator: The Coaster, will be a $10-million Great Coasters International wooden roller coaster scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend 2009.

The 2,850-foot-long coaster with Millennium Flyer trains will include a 100-foot lift, five hills, six banked turns as well as visual and audio effects and a loading station fly-through. The three-minute start-to-finish ride reaches a top speed of 55 mph.

This all-new woodie will be built next to the Déjà Vu looping steel coaster and in the same location as Psyclone, a reviled wooden coaster mercifully torn down in 2007.

Related: Book your dream Disney vacation at Expedia.com!