What’s New at Action City: New Arcade Games, Trampoline Park Upgrades, and Expansion Updates
What’s New at Action City?
There’s a lot happening at Action City right now.
New arcade games are hitting the floor, the trampoline park has gotten some major upgrades, and construction is underway on our 50,000-square-foot expansion. So for this episode of Fun Intended, I headed down to Action City to talk with someone who gets to be right in the middle of all of it.
Hunter is the General Manager of Action City, which means, as he puts it, he gets to run pretty much all the fun. We talked about how he went from working in the trampoline park while he was in high school to running Action City, some of the newest games and attractions, what guests are asking about the expansion, and what he thinks people might be sleeping on when they visit.
From the Trampoline Park to General Manager
Hunter has been at Metropolis for a little over four years, and his story is another great example of how much opportunity there can be to grow here.
He started working in the trampoline park while he was still in high school. Once he turned 18, he trained on the go-kart track, spent some time working in the kitchen, moved into a supervisor role and eventually became Assistant General Manager while attending college.
Today, he’s running Action City.
And there really isn’t a typical day.
Some days are spent behind the scenes working on payroll, reports and scheduling. Other days he’s putting new arcade games on the floor or working directly in the park to make sure everything is running the way it should.
His favorite part is pretty simple: seeing families come in, have a great time and leave smiling.
New Games Are Hitting the Arcade
If you’ve been in Action City recently, you may have noticed things moving around.
That’s because we’ve been adding a lot of new games.
One of the latest is Pump It Up, a dance game similar to Dance Dance Revolution. There’s also Perfect Pump, where players try to stop a gas pump at exactly the right dollar amount to win tickets. And then there’s Slush Rush, which involves filling cups as quickly as possible and happens to be my current favorite.
Hunter officially said on the podcast that I might be the best at it here, so I’m considering that settled.
We’ve also added several new crane games, while some existing attractions are getting updates. Flash Pads, for example, can now accommodate up to eight players.
Hunter says one of the games people might overlook is the Spider-Man coin pusher, especially if you’re trying to rack up tickets. And, of course, you can never really go wrong with Skee-Ball.
Some classics stick around for a reason.
The Trampoline Park Got an Upgrade Too
The arcade isn’t the only part of Action City getting something new. We made several changes to the trampoline park this summer, including transforming the old basketball area into a larger Multi-Sport Court. And before anyone panics: you can still play basketball.
We learned very quickly on social media that people take their trampoline basketball seriously.
The new court also opens up opportunities for soccer and volleyball. We added Trigger Track, where two people can race through obstacles, along with a Traverse Wall, Freestyle and Arrow Strike 2.
One thing Hunter likes about the newer attractions is that they give more guests a chance to participate. Trigger Track, for example, still creates that race-through-the-obstacles experience but is approachable for more people than some of the previous Ninja Warrior-style challenges.
And There’s a Lot More Coming
Of course, it’s difficult to talk about Action City right now without talking about the expansion. We’re adding approximately 50,000 square feet to the building, and while construction is pretty hard to miss, Action City is still operating as usual.
Hunter said one of the most fun parts has been talking to guests who ask what’s happening and watching their reactions when they hear what’s coming. One of the biggest questions is about the go-karts.
Yes, the current track will eventually change.
No, we are absolutely not getting rid of go-karts.
They’re moving into the expansion, and Hunter says the new track is one of the things guests seem most excited about.
He’s personally looking forward to the new Spin Coaster. Our team had a chance to ride one while visiting Iowa, and even though it’s designed to be approachable for younger riders, the adults had plenty of fun on it too.
There was one other expansion feature Hunter admitted he’s pretty excited about: everyone getting offices.
When you spend your days running Action City in the middle of a massive expansion, sometimes it’s the little things.
If You Have One Hour at Action City…
We ended the episode with a quick lightning round. If Hunter only had one hour at Action City, he’d head to the trampoline park first. But if he had to choose between the arcade, trampolines and go-karts overall, he’d pick the arcade.
He thinks he could beat me at Flash Pads, and I’m not arguing with him about that one. His best arcade game might be Down the Clown, while Billy Crash apparently gives him a little more trouble. But if someone is coming to Action City for the very first time, his recommendation is easy:
Ride the go-karts.
There’s also one thing Hunter thinks more people should know about: Action City memberships.
If you visit regularly, the membership can pay for itself quickly. And if you get one now, it’s good for an entire year, meaning you’ll still have it as all of the new expansion attractions begin opening.
There’s already a lot that’s new at Action City.
And we’re just getting started.
Hear the Full Conversation
Hear Hunter talk about the newest Action City attractions, his favorite arcade games, what it’s like running the park during construction and what he’s most excited about in the expansion.
Listen to Episode 9 of Fun Intended
Come See What’s New at Action City
Check out the arcade, trampoline park, go-karts and everything else happening at Action City, including the latest games and attractions already open today.
