Port Aventura

It already looks like 2012 will prove to be a good year for globetrotting ride enthusiasts as theme parks in Asia, Europe and South America are planning to roll out major new attractions. > Photos: Best new international theme park rides for 2012 Theme parks around the world are preparing a highly anticipated slate for 2012 that includes record-setting roller coasters, one-of-a-kind attractions, pulse-quickening thrill rides and family-friendly themed lands. Since it is still early, I'll update my Top 20 over the coming months as new projects are announced.

It already looks like 2012 will prove to be a good year for globetrotting ride enthusiasts as theme parks in Asia, Europe and South America are planning to roll out major new attractions. > Photos: Best new international theme park rides for 2012 Theme parks around the world are preparing a highly anticipated slate for 2012 that includes record-setting roller coasters, one-of-a-kind attractions, pulse-quickening thrill rides and family-friendly themed lands. Since it is still early, I'll update my Top 20 over the coming months as new projects are announced.

PortAventura theme park in Spain plans to debut a record-setting $35-million mountain climbing-themed roller coaster in spring 2012 featuring a series of camelback hills, pitch-black tunnels and a water element. > Photos: Spain's PortAventura unveils 2012 roller coaster The roller coaster, or " montaña rusa " in Spanish, is expected to be named after the mythical Tibetan kingdom of Shambhala, according to Roller Coaster Database . The Bollinger & Mabillard-built ride will be the tallest (249 feet)

PortAventura theme park in Spain plans to debut a record-setting $35-million mountain climbing-themed roller coaster in spring 2012 featuring a series of camelback hills, pitch-black tunnels and a water element. > Photos: Spain's PortAventura unveils 2012 roller coaster The roller coaster, or " montaña rusa " in Spanish, is expected to be named after the mythical Tibetan kingdom of Shambhala, according to Roller Coaster Database . The Bollinger & Mabillard-built ride will be the tallest (249 feet)

Marking its entry into Europe, Universal Studios' recreation division has made an investment of more than $60 million in Spain's largest theme park. The Port Aventura park--60 miles south of Barcelona--will be renamed Universal's Port Aventura as part of the deal, in which Seagram-owned Universal purchased the 37% stake from Pearson's Tussauds Group Ltd. Universal will share ownership with Caixa, Spain's leading savings bank, and Anheuser-Busch, the American brewer that also owns U.S.

The top 10 theme parks in Europe, based on attendance in 1996: Park: Disneyland Paris Location: Marne la Vallee, France Attractions: Varied attractions and themes Visitors (in millions): 11.7 * Park: Blackpool Pleasure Beach Location: Blackpool, England Attractions: Traditional and high-tech rides Visitors (in millions): 7.5 * Park: Tivoli Gardens Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Attractions: Gardens, rides, concerts, fireworks Visitors (in millions): 3.

* Vertel Corp., Woodland Hills, announced changes in its management structure. Cyrus Irani has been appointed president and chief executive, replacing Bruce Brown, who will remain executive chairman. Irani will oversee all financial and administrative functions. Toni Graham has been appointed vice president, research and development. She will oversee all research and development for the company and will oversee the professional services team. Graham assumes the post vacated by Irani.

Hard-core Harry Potter fans who devoured the books, camped out for the movies and trekked through the theme park now have a new way to relive the boy wizard's adventures. PHOTOS: Making of Harry Potter studio tour Debuting Saturday, the Making of Harry Potter behind-the-scenes tour at theWarner Bros.studios in England will let wizards, mudbloods and muggles pull back the curtain on the movie-making secrets of the most successful film series of all time. Located 20 miles outside of London, the three-hour self-guided tour will take visitors past sets, props, costumes, models and special effects exhibits from the eight "Harry Potter" movies.

The big spender in the theme park industry, Universal Studios, is turning off the cash spigot after the biggest expansion in the company's history as its new French parent reviews the cost of keeping up with rival Walt Disney Co. in the resort business. Vivendi Universal--formed in 2000 with the $31-billion buyout of Universal's Canadian owner, Seagram Co.

Vivendi Universal has stepped up efforts to court investors for its marquee theme park business, as the media giant finds itself under continuing pressure to raise cash. Universal executives have been in talks with private equity groups about investing in the theme parks or expanding their existing stakes, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Barry Diller, in one of his first strategic moves since taking the helm of Vivendi Universal Entertainment this month, has green-lighted an unexpected expansion of the company's theme park business. Despite a severe downturn in tourism and theme park attendance after Sept. 11, Universal Studios soon will announce plans to develop three major new attractions at its theme parks in Hollywood and Orlando, Fla. The attractions, representing an investment of more than $60 million, will be based on the hit animated movies "Shrek" and "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius."

On a cold, gray winter's morning recently, the entrance to the Magic Kingdom was humming. Workers bundled in Snow White-like woolen capes were cheerily welcoming visitors with a bonjour and feeding plastic tickets into purring, clicking turnstiles. "When you're here, you have the impression that you're somewhere else. Not in France, but in another world," marveled Isabelle Lefloch, 32, of Paris, a regular visitor with two young children in tow. "It's wonderful for the kids, of course.