CHILDREN today might be surprised to learn there was previously a Ferris wheel in Trinidad – a temporary structure and the main attraction at Coney Island when it visited Port of Spain in the early to mid-2000s.

For many children and teens back then, Coney Island’s Ferris wheel was the pinnacle of entertainment at a time when cinemas and arcades dominated the market.

MovieTowne owner Derek Chin knew what he was doing when he decided to install a Ferris wheel, the dinosaur theme park and various other attractions at its Carousel Park, Invader’s Bay, starting about a decade ago. The 18.2-metre-high Ferris wheel, his latest addition to the park, was launched last Friday, with an endorsement from Minister of Trade Paula Gopee-Scoon, who praised Chin and others like him for playing their part in diversifying the economy and spreading joy to families.

Chin never alluded to the once-popular Coney Island, but an amateur survey he did years ago when children came to his cinema. He said they affirmed his belief in the need for more entertainment at the complex.

“I said, ‘You know, this might be a nice little idea. Let me venture into that,’” Chin told Business Day.

And so, the park began to develop in the limited space available between MovieTowne and the Marriott hotel.

[caption id="attachment_1070117" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The entrance to the Carousel Park at MovieTowne, Port of Spain. - Faith Ayoung[/caption]

Initially, the land between the two buildings was converted to a car park, Chin said, after the overgrown empty land there became a security concern for patrons of MovieTowne and the Marriott.

“So we put in lights, put in security, cleaned it up and fixed it up nicely.”

But because it required maintenance and staffing, Chin said it also needed something to bring in revenue, and opted first for a carousel.

It did very well, said Chin.

“It paid its way to the extent that we expanded it into other rides, as you've seen over the years, like the tree swing. We have a mini train. And everything was created for young kids and teenagers.”

[caption id="attachment_1070118" align="alignnone" width="683"] MovieTowne owner Derek Chin. - Jeff Mayers[/caption]

All the rides are certified by engineers, Chin said, and each has its own technician to oversee operations at all times. The rides vary in cost. A ride on the Ferris wheel, which lasts about four and a half minutes, is priced at $60, which Chin said is unmatched at other locations when converted to US currency.

A visit to Dino World was reduced from $100 to $80, which Chin said was “excellent value.”

MovieTowne, he said, has revolutionised entertainment.

“People didn't have a park like this anywhere in the country. It has all the amenities, and we maintained it very carefully."

A few years after installing the carousel, MovieTowne built Dino-World, where lifelike dinosaur models move and make animalistic sounds.

“I've seen it in Universal (Studios). I've seen it in Toronto. I said, maybe we can do something in a smaller version.