THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 4, 1995 TAG: 9508020172
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NOREEN FARRELL NICKOLAS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Choices for leisure-time activities in Chesapeake increased last week with the opening of Regal Cinemas' new 95,000-square-foot entertainment complex in Greenbrier.
``It is a one-stop, under-one-roof entertainment facility,'' said Robert Del Moro, vice president of marketing and concession.
Regal Cinemas, with sites at Pembroke and Greenbrier malls, oversees construction of its theaters from Knoxville, Tenn., and has 116 locations east of the Mississippi.
The new facility at the end of Jarman Road behind Crossways Center in Greenbrier is the first of its kind.
Fun Scape, a mini-amusement park that offers refreshments and an array of activities, occupies one end of the Regal Theatres building.
Inside, the winding walkways and Victorian architecture, outlined with blue, yellow and red neon lights, create a lively thoroughfare called Bridge Street.
While strolling the paved pathway, visitors can view a laser light show, purchase candy and trinkets or savor any of the 11 attractions along the way.
Stop and Play, an area created for children 3 to 6 years old, offers a variety of activities under the theme ``Taking all the little things and making them big.''
The Toy Box is a blue-and-lavender playroom, where kids can scribble on a giant notebook, paint and draw at an artist's palette table or play on a giant wooden fire truck, constructing playthings with large plastic building blocks.
All supplies, which are stored in a 9-foot Crayola Crayon Box, are provided, and attendants assist with the activities.
Children are encouraged to perform on stage at the Story Book Theater. Participants learn story lines and wear costumes and makeup. The stories are acted out, and special effects, like thunder and lightning, are added.
``The idea is to get kids involved in creating a show,'' said Rick Roman, director entertainment.
For older children, the Physical Play Area provides a playground of tubes and slides. It takes about 30 minutes to maneuver the unit. Thrill seekers can brave the world's tallest indoor slide - a 24-foot-high, 64-foot-long S-curve.
Another attraction, Game Mania, is a life-size game board on which players, dressed in costumes, are the game pieces.
The facility is equipped with 125 video games, including virtual reality games. There's a Power Sports section where patrons play video golf and improve their batting average at a video batting cage.
The upstairs area features a bumper car ride.
Twin Falls Golf Course will challenge both the novice or golf enthusiast, alike. There are 18 holes set in courses that run through a mountaintop park, and an underground sewer and subway. Colorful fiber-optic clouds hang over the mountain and two rushing waterfalls.
Food vendors at the Bridge Street Eatery include Arby's, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Customers use a computer to place their order, but will pay an attendant at the counter.
Regal Theatres, located at one end of the black-and-white 1950s-style building, is a state-of-the-art movie house with digital stereo sound in all 13 auditoriums, a high-tech projection room and wall-to-wall screens. Upholstered seats with cupholders furnish the theater's auditoriums.
The theater has three concession stands, two in the lobby and a third at the back of the theater. In addition to popcorn, candy and soda fountain drinks, Regal's moviegoers can sip cappuccino, munch on pretzel bites or gobble up ice cream at the theater's cafe.
While waiting for the feature presentation to begin, patrons can preview future shows that run continuously on a wide screen in the foyer.
``We've made our theaters as customer-friendly as possible,'' Del Moro said.
Admission to the main attractions at Fun Scape ranges from $2 to $6. Ticket prices for the cinema range from $4 for shows before 6 p.m. to $6 for evening shows.
Fun Scape's hours are 10 a.m.- 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. by CNB