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PortAventura Park

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PortAventura Park is a theme park located in the PortAventura World Resort, 85 km southwest of Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain , in the municipalities of Salou and Vila-seca , on the Costa Daurada . The park opened on 1 May 1995 under the management of the Tussauds Group which had a 40.01% share in the park, La Caixa (33.19%), Anheuser-Busch (19.9%) and FECSA (6.7%). It opened to the general public on 2 May 1995.

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58-656: Anheuser-Busch and Grand Tibidabo, S.A., owners of Tibidabo Amusement Park , in Barcelona, along with other Spanish investors, made plans to build a 'Tibi Gardens' outside of Barcelona, Spain, in the late 1980s. Busch Entertainment announced in November 1992 its joint venture with Grand Tibidabo to build this park with other adjunct developments. It was conceived by Busch Entertainment Corporation . During construction, Grand Tibidabo backed out, and investors from The Tussauds Group , La Caixa and FECSA stepped in. When it happens

116-542: A new ballpark in 2006. Anheuser-Busch signed an agreement to retain the "Busch Stadium" name on the new building through 2025. Up until 2009, Anheuser-Busch was also one of the largest theme park owners/operators in the United States, with ten parks throughout the country through its entertainment division, Busch Entertainment Corporation, including its three SeaWorld locations. The company is now known as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment . Anheuser-Busch Companies

174-473: A Great Piramide that is the entrance to the Gran Teatro Maya, the biggest show zone of the park. Removed attractions include: Themed as an old wild west town, this area features many western buildings and sculptures. The area boasts nine attractions which makes it the biggest area in the park. Other attractions in this area includes a wild west version of Breakdance ride and Dodgems . The area

232-1138: A local brewery; later, the company operated both Budweiser Wuhan International Brewing Company and Harbin Brewery , which Anheuser-Busch fully acquired in 2004. In the United Kingdom, the Budweiser Stag Brewing Company produced and packaged Budweiser at the Stag Brewery in Mortlake . At one time, Anheuser-Busch International also held investments in Grupo Modelo in Mexico Tsingtao Brewery in China; Anheuser-Busch also held investments in Redhook Ale Brewery of Seattle, Washington and Widmer Brothers Brewery of Portland, Oregon . After

290-505: A local pharmacist, and Eberhard Anheuser , a prosperous German-born soap manufacturer. D'Oench was the silent partner in the business until 1869 when he sold his half-interest in the company. From 1860 to 1875, the brewery was known as E. Anheuser & Co., and from 1875 to 1879 as the E. Anheuser Company's Brewing Association. Adolphus Busch , a wholesaler who had immigrated to St. Louis from Germany in 1857, married Eberhard Anheuser's daughter, Lilly, in 1861. Following his service in

348-400: A number far greater than what was used in its own packaging. Similarly, Anheuser-Busch has set short-term goals to reduce energy consumption 5% and increasing use of renewable fuel from 8 to 15% by 2010. Along with these goals, Anheuser-Busch has succeeded in cutting down its water use by 3% since 2002. Its parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev has recently announced a commitment to secure 100% of

406-518: A series of advertisements and marketing giveaways for the company, including bottle openers, calendars, corkscrews , pocketknives, postcards, and prints. Among the most well-known of these giveaways was Custer's Last Fight , a lithograph print of a painting by St. Louis artist Cassilly Adams. As a marketing tactic, Busch distributed thousands of copies of the print to bars in 1896, the same year Anheuser-Busch introduced its new "super-premium" brand, Michelob . Eventually, more than one million copies of

464-415: A year and a half after the deal was completed, attempting to block the deal. On October 7, 2009, parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev announced plans to sell the theme parks division to The Blackstone Group for up to US$ 2.7 billion . In July 2010, a panel decided that the takeover did not violate Anheuser-Busch's agreement with Modelo. On November 18, 2008, the hostile takeover was completed, and

522-408: Is a National Historic Landmark District , and includes three buildings listed as National Historic Landmarks . Public tours of the brewery are offered. The tour takes visitors through the complex where they can see beer being made and packaged in a working part of the brewery. The company keeps a rotation of its famous Budweiser Clydesdales at its headquarters, and visitors to the brewery can observe

580-581: Is aimed for the younger visitors of the park. It opened for the 2011 season, and it was built between China and Polynesia in former lands of the Polynesia area, maintaining some of its attractions. The investment was around € 12 million. PortAventura joined Universal Studios Japan and Busch Gardens with an area dedicated to Sesame Street, being the only theme park in Europe. [1] It is home to 11 rides including: Removed attractions include: The shows: It

638-611: Is also home to these thrill rides: Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC ( / ˈ æ n h aɪ z ər ˈ b ʊ ʃ / AN -hy-zər BUUSH ) is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri . Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ( AB InBev ), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple global brands, notably Budweiser , Michelob , Stella Artois , and Beck's . The company employs over 19,000 people, operates 12 breweries and 9 aluminum can plants in

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696-496: Is also home to two shows and street animation starring Ernie, Bert, Elmo and company. China is the biggest theme land of the park – The area includes a Chinese buffet called Marco Polo with a good range of dishes available. The main path through the area is themed in the same style as the Great Wall of China . Removed attractions include: This area is themed primarily on pre-Columbian Mexico . It features temples, statues and

754-599: Is responsible for the production, importation and distribution of several AB InBev products, including three company-designated global brands, Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Beck's. Other multi-country brands distributed or produced by Anheuser-Busch Companies include Leffe and Hoegaarden, while local brands produced by the company include Bass Pale Ale , Bud Light, Busch Beer , Landshark Lager , Michelob, Michelob Ultra, Natural Light , and Shock Top . The company also produces nonalcoholic beverages, malt liquors (such as King Cobra and Hurricane), and flavored malt beverages (e.g.

812-589: Is the current CEO of AB InBev, the parent company of the U.S. operation, and Brendan Whitworth is the current CEO of the Anheuser-Busch subsidiary. Previous corporate leaders of Anheuser-Busch include: In 2008 Anheuser-Busch was acquired by InBev, and the combined company was renamed Anheuser-Busch InBev. Anheuser-Busch Companies has operated 13 breweries, all located in the United States: The St. Louis brewery , which opened in 1852,

870-579: The American Civil War , Busch began working as a salesman for the Anheuser Brewery. Busch purchased D'Oench's share of the company in 1869, and he assumed the role of company secretary from that time until the death of his father-in-law. Adolphus Busch was the first American brewer to use pasteurization to keep beer fresh; the first to use mechanical refrigeration and refrigerated railroad cars , which he introduced in 1876; and

928-958: The clydesdales in their exercise field and see their places in the carriage house. The brewery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. The landmarked area includes 189 structures spread over 142 acres (57 ha), including many red brick Romanesque ones "with square crenelated towers and elaborate details." The Brew House, built in 1891–1892, is particularly notable for its "multi-storied hop chandeliers, intricate iron-work, and utilization of natural light". Aside from supply operations like brewing and packaging, Anheuser-Busch Companies includes Anheuser-Busch Wholesale Operations Divisions (WOD), Anheuser-Busch Agricultural Operations, Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation, Eagle Packaging, and Busch Properties , which manages subsidiary-owned property. Anheuser Busch owns and operates aluminum can plants (Metal Container Corporation). MCC supplies Anheuser Busch breweries and Pepsi Beverages Group fillers across

986-487: The parent corporation was renamed Anheuser-Busch InBev; Anheuser-Busch became a wholly owned subsidiary of the new corporation, controlled within the North America zone unit of AB InBev. By early 2009, AB InBev "turned a family-led company that spared little expense into one that is focused intently on cost-cutting and profit margins , while rethinking the way it sells beer." AB InBev focused on reducing costs in

1044-424: The " Miss Budweiser " racing hydroplane , and the "Budweiser King" championship top fuel dragster of Kenny Bernstein . Since the acquisition by AB InBev, the company has significantly cut back its advertising, predicated on the belief that "changing demographics and media habits no longer require spending as much on mainstream sports events". In 2007, the company introduced a flavored 12% abv malt liquor under

1102-505: The "Toxic 100", a list of U.S. corporations most responsible for air pollution . The study found that Anheuser–Busch released 1,002,786 kg (2,213,657 lbs) of toxic pollutants annually into the air. This is mainly because large amounts of CO 2 are released during the process of fermentation . Anheuser-Busch has received numerous awards for its efforts to reduce its impact on the environment. In 1995 Anheuser-Busch's Baldwinsville brewery won an award for pollution prevention from

1160-551: The 10 theme parks in Anheuser's Busch Entertainment Unit, which included its three SeaWorld locations, up for sale. Under InBev, Anheuser-Busch also lengthened accounts payable terms, and introduced zero-based budgeting . These changes caused concern from its suppliers when Anheuser-Busch announced it would take 120 days to pay its bills rather than 30 days, taking time to use that money for other purposes. The new payment policy often results in longer periods than 120 days, since

1218-628: The 120 days starts from the end of the month in which the invoice is 'approved' internally, which can be many days/months after an invoice is submitted. InBev signed a 10-year lease on 31,500 square feet of office space on Park Avenue in New York , which led to speculation that they would move Anheuser-Busch InBev North American headquarters from St Louis . In February 2013, a widely publicized lawsuit accused AB InBev of "watering down" products including Budweiser and Michelob. Such beers are intentionally brewed over-strength and then "watered down" to

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1276-503: The 1870s, Adolphus Busch toured Europe and studied the changes in brewing methods which were taking place at the time, particularly the success of pilsner beer, which included a popular Budweiser beer brewed in Budweis . In 1876, Busch took the already well-known name Budweiser and used it for his new beer, even though his product had no connections to the city of Budweis. His company's ability to transport bottled beer made US Budweiser

1334-421: The 2008 acquisition, most international operations were transferred to AB InBev zones where the interests are located. On June 12, 2008, Belgian-Brazilian brewing company InBev announced that it had made a US$ 46 billion offer for the company, which if it was accepted would join two of the world's four largest brewing companies (based on revenue) and create a company brewing three of the highest-grossing beers in

1392-558: The Anheuser-Busch Companies subsidiary and implemented performance-related pay, along with several other changes. They immediately laid off 1,400 employees and 415 contractors, sold Busch Entertainment Corporation, and sold company-owned aircraft . For employees, AB InBev ended perquisites such as executive assistants for senior management, company contributions to the salaried employee pension plan, and company-provided life insurance to retirees; it also reduced

1450-604: The Bacardi Silver family and Tequiza ). On December 22, 2015, it was announced that Anheuser-Busch would purchase Breckenridge Brewery for an undisclosed sum. Prior to its acquisition by InBev, the company was known in the United States for its advertising presence, including a sports marketing division which created advertising material for the Super Bowl and many other sporting events. Budweiser has sponsored horse racing events and motorsports including NASCAR ,

1508-547: The Bavarian Brewery on Carondelet Avenue (later known as South Broadway) between Dorcas and Lynch streets in South St. Louis. Schneider's Brewery expanded in 1856 to a new brewhouse near Eighth and Crittenden streets; however, the following year, financial problems forced the sale of the brewery to various owners during the late 1850s. In 1860, the brewery was purchased on the brink of bankruptcy by William D'Oench,

1566-702: The Gretchen Inn (now known as the Feasting Fox), and the Bevo Mill . As with all breweries in the country, the Temperance movement and eventual Prohibition in the United States dealt a major blow to the company in the 1910s through the 1930s. Some of the products sold by Anheuser-Busch to survive during Prohibition included brewer's yeast, malt extract, ice cream, and Bevo, a nonalcoholic malt beverage, or "near beer". In 1957, Anheuser-Busch became

1624-593: The New York Governor for its use of a "comprehensive, energy-producing pollution-prevention system – bioenergy recovery – to treat wastewater from the brewing process." The brewery also reduced solid waste by nearly 70 percent from 1990 to 1994. In addition, the Baldwinsville brewery found markets for previous "waste" materials used in the fermentation of Anheuser-Busch beers. The Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corp. recycled more than 27 billion cans in 2006,

1682-510: The Rodeo/Breakdance 4 variant; on this model riders must be at least 42 in (110 cm) tall. Breakdances incorporate backdrops, and the provision for sound systems, elaborate light displays, and special effects equipment is made. Controls for these additional systems can easily be routed through the operator's console. Traveling versions of this ride can be disassembled and stowed on two 12 m (40 ft) trailers, one for

1740-455: The St. Louis Cardinals major league baseball club and owned them until March 21, 1996, when the club was sold to a group of private investors. In 1966, Busch Memorial Stadium was paid for and built by the brewery and opened for business; Anheuser-Busch later purchased the stadium in 1981 for $ 53 million and removed the "Memorial" in its name. The stadium was demolished in late 2005 and replaced by

1798-650: The Tussauds Group replaced them as investors, finished the development and became the first operators. The park was renamed 'Port Aventura' and when it opened in 1995 in Salou, Tussauds Group had a 40,01% in the park while La Caixa had 33,19%, Anheuser-Busch had 19,9% and FECSA had 6,7%. In 1995 and 1996, the park hosted 2.7 million visitors, making it the most visited theme park in Spain and the fifth in Europe. In 1997 Port Aventura has received 8 million visitors. In 1998

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1856-578: The US. Suppliers to Anheuser-Busch Companies include Owens-Illinois , which provides glass bottles to several Anheuser-Busch breweries. Anheuser-Busch also owns glass production facilities, such as the former Longhorn Glass, which provides glass for the Houston brewery. Anheuser-Busch Companies delivers its products to retailers through a network of more than 500 independent wholesalers and 13 wholly owned distributors. On February 20, 1953, Anheuser-Busch purchased

1914-410: The United States, and until December 2009, was one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, with ten theme parks through the company's family entertainment division Busch Entertainment Corporation . 38°35′57″N 90°12′52″W  /  38.59917°N 90.21444°W  / 38.59917; -90.21444 In 1852, German American brewer and saloon operator George Schneider opened

1972-545: The area became a resort with the construction of two hotels and a water park. It was named ' Universal Mediterranea '. In 2004, NBCUniversal (Universal Studios' parent) sold all interest in PortAventura. It is owned and operated by La Caixa banking group's investment vehicle Criteria , but as of 2005 the Universal name has been dropped from the branding, and the resort was once again named 'PortAventura' (the space in

2030-451: The brew before the lagering process has ended. This only applies to the beers the company brews itself. Anheuser-Busch became a pioneer for electricity-powered heavy trucks. It ordered hundreds of trucks from Nikola Motor , an Arizona company specialized in the development of hydrogen-fueled engines. Breakdance (ride) Breakdance is an amusement ride designed by Huss Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG in 1985. Upon release,

2088-520: The brewing process or as part of the packaging in any of their range, with the exception of three Michelob products and two Bud Light products, which contain honey and shellfish respectively, and are marketed as such. All other Anheuser-Busch beers are brewed using water, yeast, barley malt, hops, and additional cereal grains. Anheuser-Busch eliminates the need for isinglass finings by settling and removing particles before fermentation. The beechwood aging process also helps to attract and remove yeast from

2146-485: The buyout as InBev felt the offer of $ 65 per share should be considered a reasonable offer in view of the falling stock market. The company had previously filed suit in Delaware , after the rejection of their offer, to ensure that the stockholders could oust Anheuser-Busch's 13 board members. On July 7, 2008, Anheuser-Busch filed a lawsuit against InBev to stop them from soliciting the support of shareholders, stating that

2204-466: The combined board of directors. The all-cash agreement, almost $ 52 billion in total equity, created the world's largest brewer, uniting the maker of Budweiser and Michelob with the producer of Beck's , Stella Artois , Hoegaarden , Leffe , Bass , Labatt and Brahma . The two companies had combined yearly sales of more than $ 36.4 billion, surpassing the current No. 1 brewer, London-based SABMiller . Grupo Modelo took InBev to arbitration for more than

2262-591: The company's offer is an illegal scheme. InBev was also accused of concealing that they do business in Cuba , which might have created additional obstacles to their efforts to operate in the United States. On July 13, 2008, Anheuser-Busch and InBev said they had agreed to a deal, pending shareholder and regulatory approval, for InBev to purchase the American icon at $ 70 per share, creating a new company to be named Anheuser-Busch InBev. Anheuser-Busch would get two seats on

2320-557: The company's purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The brewery also operates an environmental outreach program to encourage recycling, energy conservation, and habitat preservation, as well as to prevent littering and water pollution. For past 18 years Anheuser-Busch employees have participated in "Green Week", which focuses on environmental conservation education for employees and their families. Anheuser-Busch states they do not use animal-derived products, artificial ingredients, additives or preservatives at any stage of

2378-601: The company's refrigerator car operations and achieve vertical integration, Busch established the St. Louis Refrigerator Car Company in 1878, which was charged with building, selling, and leasing refrigerator cars; by 1883, the company owned 200 cars, and by 1888 it owned 850. To serve these cars and switch them in and out of their St. Louis brewery, Anheuser-Busch founded the Manufacturers Railway Company in 1887. The shortline operated until 2011, when Anheuser-Busch sought to shut down operations. During

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2436-471: The end of 2012. When the restructuring was complete, only three senior-level Anheuser-Busch managers remained. InBev auctioned off several large assets in an effort to pay off debt to the banks that financed the merger. It sold Anheuser's 27% stake in China's Tsingtao , sold a few beverage can and lid-making plants to Ball Corporation, and sold its own Korean beer business for $ 1.8 billion to private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts & Co. It put

2494-401: The first national beer brand in the United States, and it was marketed as a "premium" beer. The company was renamed Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association in 1879; in 1880, Adolphus Busch became company president upon Anheuser's death. The Busch family fully controlled the company through the generations until Anheuser-Busch's sale to InBev in 2008. During the 1880s and 1890s, Busch introduced

2552-421: The first to bottle beer extensively. By 1877, the company owned a fleet of 40 refrigerated railroad cars to transport beer. Expanding the company's distribution range led to increased demand for Anheuser products, and the company substantially expanded its facilities in St. Louis during the 1870s. The expansions led production to increase from 31,500 barrels in 1875 to more than 200,000 in 1881. To streamline

2610-444: The hubs rotate in the opposite direction to the platform. The combination of the platform slope, hub movement, and weight displacement within the cars cause them to rock back and forth, the oblique join mount and the motion of the ride allowing the cars to rotate through 360°. Huss recommends that riders be a minimum of 48 in (120 cm) tall with an adult and over 54 in (140 cm) tall to ride alone on all models except for

2668-402: The intended level, creating a product of equal or greater quality. The lawsuit was dismissed. Of Anheuser's top executives, only three remained in their jobs following the acquisition: Dave Peacock as president of the merged company's US division; Gary Rutledge as general counsel for the company's North American business; and Bob Golden, Anheuser's former acquisitions head, as global head of

2726-421: The largest brewer in the United States. In 1981, Anheuser-Busch International, Inc., was established as a subsidiary responsible for the company's international operations and equity investments. Prior to its 2008 acquisition, Anheuser-Busch operated 15 breweries internationally: 14 in China and one in the United Kingdom. In 1997, Chinese production of Anheuser-Busch products began after the company's purchase of

2784-448: The majority of Tussauds Group'shares in the park were sold to Universal and the park was rebranded as 'Universal's Port Aventura', which made it the first Universal Studios Theme Park in Europe. The park was under the management of Universal Studios. The park won a number of prestigious awards, including the 2000 Thea Award for Live Event for Fiestaventura and the 2003 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement for Templo del Fuego. In 2002,

2842-500: The merged company's mergers and acquisitions effort. Anheuser-Busch Companies operates as one of several subsidiaries in the North America zone unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev) and it produces and distributes hundreds of products from the AB InBev portfolio. On October 10, 2016, a $ 100 billion merger between Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller closed. The new company is trading as NewbelcoSABMiller. Michel Doukeris

2900-459: The most successful of these was Bevo , a malt beverage introduced in 1908. After the death of Adolphus Busch in 1913, control of the company passed to his son, August Anheuser Busch Sr. , who continued to combat the rise of prohibitionists. As part of an effort to improve the respectability of drinking, August Busch built three upscale restaurants in St. Louis during the 1910s: the Stork Inn,

2958-606: The name Spykes . It was sold in colorful, 2- ounce bottles. Available flavors included mango , lime , melon and chocolate . It was withdrawn in the same year after criticism from alcohol industry watchdog groups that it was being marketed to underage customers, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau found that the labeling of Spykes was illegal. In 2002, the Political Economy Research Institute ranked Anheuser–Busch 40th among

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3016-420: The name is deliberately left out for trademark reasons). In December 2013 KKR purchased a 49.9% stake in PortAventura from Investindustrial that still owns 50.1%. The park features five theme areas based on civilizations (Mediterrània, Far West, México, China and Polynesia), and one theme area based on Sesame Street , which was opened for the 2011 season of the park. Mediterrània is the main entrance area of

3074-520: The number of company-provided cell phones, taking back 1200 Blackberries; and ended tuition reimbursement, and severance packages . Perks like free tickets to St. Louis Cardinals baseball games and for Busch Gardens were taken away from employees. Anheuser-Busch stopped providing free beer to its employees and visitors to its theme parks. These internal changes accompanied changes in its advertising . These cost-cutting measures rapidly reduced AB InBev's debt from $ 56.6 billion in 2008 to $ 30.1 billion at

3132-558: The park. It features three rides but there are several restaurants and shops reproducing a typical coastal town in Catalonia . The Polynesian area is different from the other rides in the park as it is a more laid back area with less thrilling rides. Polynesia is home to two shows and a few attractions. Polynesia is one of the smallest themed areas. Removed attractions include: Themed to the Sesame Street characters, this area

3190-513: The print were produced, and it became "one of the most popular pieces of artwork in American history." At the turn of the 20th century, Anheuser-Busch continued to expand its production facilities to keep up with demand. In 1905, the company built a new stockhouse in St. Louis, and by 1907 it produced nearly 1.6 million barrels of beer. As demands for the prohibition of alcohol in the United States grew, Anheuser-Busch began producing non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic beverages (known as near beer );

3248-415: The ride design proved to be an instant hit, with HUSS now producing four varying designs, all of which can be acquired in transportable, semi-permanent, or permanent forms. Breakdance consists of a dodecagonal platform with a diameter of 20 meters, upon which are mounted four hubs, each bearing four two-person cars. The entire ride is on an incline of 7.5°. When the ride is activated, the platform rotates,

3306-540: The ride itself, the other carrying the platforms, backdrop, special effects equipment and ticketbox. The success of the design has prompted HUSS to manufacture three additional variants to the Breakdance design. These are: Although officially a different ride and not a variant of Breakdance, after the success of Breakdance HUSS developed the Booster ride, which takes the idea a step further. It did not, however, gain

3364-505: The world, namely Bud Light , Budweiser, and Skol . InBev also stated that the merger would not result in any U.S. brewery closures and they would attempt to retain management and board members from both companies. On June 25, 2008, Anheuser-Busch officially announced that they would reject InBev's offer and provide a restructuring of the company to maintain shareholders and United States World Headquarters in St. Louis. On July 1, 2008, InBev urged Anheuser-Busch shareholders to vote in favor of

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