Cartoon Network Hotel & Resort to Open in Pennsylvania
Cartoon Network and Palace Entertainment have partnered to create The Cartoon Network Hotel & Resort, a premier family lodging experience in Central Pennsylvania.
The network’s first hotel will feature 165 rooms and immerse guests in the animation and antics of characters from shows such as Adventure Time, We Bare Bears, and The Powerpuff Girls. Through a combination of character animation and creative technology, the property will offer different ways to experience the animated worlds of Cartoon Network from the moment of arrival.
The nine-acre destination will feature an interactive lobby, a resort-style pool and water play zone, an outdoor amphitheater with an oversized movie screen, lawn games, fire pits and more.
The experience continues inside, where each guest room and suite will feature interchangeable show theming that can be customized around children’s preferences. Additional features will include an indoor pool, game room, kids play area, and Cartoon Network store.
The Cartoon Network Hotel & Resort is centrally located along the Route 30 commercial stretch in Lancaster County and is just steps from the castle doors of Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park.
“With just the right mix of technology, design and animation, we’re aiming to bring our characters to life in a way that we haven’t seen done before,” says Christina Miller, president Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang. “We can’t wait to be part of many family vacations with the ultimate Cartoon Network experience.”
Palace Entertainment currently owns and operates more than 20 amusement parks, water parks, and family entertainment centers across the U.S. and Australia. The Cartoon Network Hotel & Resort will be the first hotel of its kind and Palace’s first time partnering with an international brand on a lodging property.
The resort is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2019.
ASTRA Marketplace 2019 Offers New Dedicated Space for First-Timer Exhibitors
A dedicated space for small manufacturers who are first-time ASTRA exhibitors will be featured at the upcoming American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) Marketplace & Academy in June 2019. Named New Player’s Park, the pavilion will offer eligible manufacturers an affordable way to introduce their products and allow retailers to browse for new toys they haven’t seen before.
“ASTRA’s Marketplace is all about finding those unique products that differentiate your store,” says Kimberly Mosley, President of ASTRA. “Our exhibit floor is known for the innovative toys and play materials retailers can source there. When we support emerging manufacturers, it helps them grow so we continue to see creative new products that ultimately make ASTRA stores a destination for shoppers.”
New Player’s Park will be strategically located on the exhibit floor. Park Players will have access to a new exhibitor on-boarding program which includes first-time exhibitor training. The area will be supported by pre-meeting and onsite promotions, a dedicated web page listing participating companies, and signage directing attendees to New Player’s Park.
Applications for space in New Player’s Park are now being accepted from ASTRA members and will open to non-members in mid-November this year.
ASTRA’s 2019 Marketplace & Academy will be held June 9–12, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Attendee registration will open in early December.