magic mountain to open water park : business: fourteen-acre attraction will be dubbed hurricane harbor. tourism officials hail move as vote of confidence in region.

Six Flags Magic Mountain has earned a reputation for a dazzling roller coaster that announced on Thursday plans to open its adjacent water park in early summer next year. The new 14-
The acre park, known as the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, will feature a waterslide and lagoon, as well as restaurants and shops in the jungletype foliage.
Six Flags officials hope that it will charge a separate entrance fee and will be 23-year-
Old theme park with latest industry trends--the two-day attraction.
\"It provides other things to do to make people live longer,\" said industry consultant Harrison Price . \".
\"The water park is a logical addition,\" he said, because the rides of Magic Mountain will give visitors a very \"active\" experience and it will be hot there.
\"The announcement did not mention how much the extra park would cost, and the six flag spokesperson would not provide any estimates other than saying it would be millions of dollars --dollar project.
They say Hurricane ports can attract up to $45 million a year in travel money and offer 250 seasonal jobs to areas hit hard by the January earthquake.
Ironically, the earthquake is the catalyst for this project.
The hurricane port has been on the drawings for almost 10 years and it seems likely to stay there after a severe earthquake damage to the San Clarita Valley.
Although the park itself is relatively damaged, its customer lifeline-
Golden State Highway--was severed.
However, the timely repair of the highway paved the way for park officials to say record attendance this summer.
Executives say the company concluded that if the park could do so well in a year, including natural disasters, it would do better in most other years.
Bob Pittman, chairman of Six Flags Entertainment, said: \"We are impressed by the speed of the state\'s operations . \" Six Flags Entertainment operates theme parks in six cities, including Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas.
\"We also see that the region has experienced rapid growth over the past five years.
New Hotel, new business.
We think it\'s time.
\"The Hurricane Harbor will be built in the northwest corner of Magic Mountain where most of the existing sites are now empty.
After completion, the entire complex will be renamed Six Flags, California.
The new water park, as envisioned by the architectural renderings, will attract guests along a tree-lined path into a village that looks like it is raging by a hurricane.
In fact, these dilapidated buildings will include a restaurant and a swimsuit locker room with lockers.
From there, the sidewalk will result in a variety of rides: * three \"speed slides\" will be from 70-foot tower.
There\'s 400-foot-long inner-tube slides.
* The raft will take guests through a huge wave pool. * A slow-
The moving artificial river will surround the center of the park, where a volcano spews smoke and children can cross the shallow bay in a man-made sea snake and a simulated pirate ship.
Perhaps equally important, designers will work very hard to make guests feel in a tropical setting.
\"In the past, people thought we were just a terrible roller coaster for us,\" Pittman said . \".
\"The water park added a layer to us.
Six Flags executives call this a \"fantasy component \".
Pittman joined the six flags when he was acquired by Time Warner three years ago. he is one of MTV\'s creators and a figure he knows about fantasy.
\"Six Flags have always been the best rides in the business,\" he said . \".
\"Our competitors are in appearance in front of us.
\"As a first step in delivering a new, improved look, Magic Mountain has surrounded its new Batman tour with simulated Gotham City dirty streets and running --down factories.
Kevin Barbi, the designer of the project, will design the Hurricane Harbor.
\"Guests have become more sophisticated over the years and they expect more,\" Barbee said . \".
\"We must create a complete illusion.
\"Construction of the Hurricane Harbor has begun.
It will be open with basically the same goal as Universal Studios assigned to its city walk-
Provide a unique enough attraction, time-
Enough to spend, bring the guests back the next day.
Six Flags, like the world, sell twoday passes.
\"There is a clear trend in these destination attractions,\" Deborah G said . \"
Enders, industry analyst.
\"If you can get people to spend the night, they will spend more money.
According to Pitman, Magic Mountain generates $0. 2 billion a year from outside the region to Southern California.
Affected by Recent riots, fires and earthquakes, tourism officials quickly praised the park\'s expansion as a trusted ticket.
\"You see a large theme park investing heavily in Southern California,\" said Gary Shervin, spokesman for the Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Bureau.
\"The real point from our point of view is that, despite the bad news here, there\'s a big entertainment company that thinks
The long-term growth potential of the market.
\"In the nearby city of Santa Clarita, officials want visitors to spend dollars in restaurants and hotels to get more tangible returns.
Mayor George Pederson decided on Thursday after visiting the construction site of Hurricane Harbor that the water park would be a perfect addition.
\"It\'s too hot,\" said Pederson . \".