GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS NAMES WARNER BROS WORLD ABU DHABI WORLD’S LARGEST INDOOR THEME PARK

BY GABRIELLE

The Guinness World Records has named Warner Bros Abu Dhabi the largest indoor theme park in the world.

The huge indoor theme park extends an area of 1.65 million sq. ft. and features well-known Warner Bros’ franchise characters from the likes of DC Comics and Looney Tunes. The park comprises of six immersive lands – Gotham City, DC’s Metropolis, Bedrock, Cartoon Junction, Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros Plaza.

World Abu Dhabi is located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and is the world’s first Warner Bros- themed indoor theme park.

Don Strickler, general manager of Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, spoke about the Guinness World Record honour: “We are incredibly excited to receive yet another accolade on behalf of our world-class theme park that has captured the hearts of countless guests since opening.

“The record title for the world’s largest indoor theme park is one that we are delighted to carry, as it only underscores the breadth of excitement and adventures that await guests at this truly one-of-a-kind attraction,” Strickler added.

Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi opened in July 2018. The indoor theme park is home to more than 28 innovative rides, interactive family attractions, and themed places to dine and shop for merchandise.

A RAFT OF NEW ATTRACTIONS ARE COMING TO DISNEY’S EPCOT THEME PARK

BY GABRIELLE

A total of six new attractions are to be installed at Epcot theme park in Florida to coincide with the site’s forthcoming 40th anniversary.

The theme park is to undergo a significant makeover, including the arrival of new attractions inspired by Pixar and Disney characters.

One of the attractions is centred on Mary Poppins floating on her magic umbrella. There will also be a pavilion devoted to the Guardians of the Galaxy. Ratatouille’s Remy will bring Pixar’s version of Paris to the park’s France pavilion.

The Epcot transformation is to include the building of four unique districts – World Showcase, World Nature, World Celebration and World Discovery. The makeover will be the biggest transformation a Disney theme park has ever undergone.

Michael Hundgen, Walt Disney Imagineering’s executive producer, described the new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction, located at the World Showcase pavilion: “You will step into a pavilion sponsored by the Xandar planet. You’ll get to learn about the origins of Xandar, their culture and their people.”

Melissa Valiquette, Epcot general manager, commented about the new fictional planet attraction: “It’s really going to change the face of our park. It’s our first out-of-this-world pavilion.”

PUSHKIN THEME PARK TO BE CREATED IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

BY GABRIELLE

A new Pushkin-centred theme park called Lukomorye is to be built in St. Petersburg, Russia, by Jora Vision, a leader in the design and production of themed attractions.

A contract has been signed to develop the theme park, based on the legendary Russia poet, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. For more than 200 years, Pushkin has been inspiring generations of children and adults and is widely considered to be the founder of modern Russian literature.

Lukomorye will comprise of an imagery land of fairy tales and adventure, providing guests with an immersive experience,

St. Petersburg’s Hotel Natali, named after the wife of Pushkin, will be developed to house the immersive theme park featuring Russian folklore and tradition, while bringing Pushkin’s fantasy stories to life.

A 17,000 sq. mt. indoor area will comprise of three main zones – a palace, a city and a harbour. There will also be a large outdoor area with three main zones – the swan lake, a fairy tale forest and a ‘Jarmarka’, a Russian fun fair market.

Floris van Eeden, project architect at Jora Vision, commented on the St. Petersburg theme park: “We started this project a year ago with a pre-master planning study. This early-stage study is an accessible new service that we offer to our clients, in which we provide an attractions selection, creative concepts and basic park planning, combined with a critical analysis of the project’s feasibility.

“By outlining important starting points of the business plan based on research of the local culture, competition and catchment area, together with calculations of the investment, we carefully balance all ingredients in close collaboration with the client team.

“This way we ensure a solid framework of starting points for a feasible plan that will stand the test of time. But moreover actually, we experience this early process as a great way to really get to know the client team and to be able to better understand what the project needs to become successful,” continued Eeden.

NEW DINOSAUR ATTRACTION ANNOUNCED BY MK THEMED ATTRACTIONS

BY GABRIELLE

Danish theming experts MK Themed Attractions has announced it has a new themed concept that’s ready to be installed at amusement parks that’s centred on real-sized dinosaurs.

The dinosaurs are made to look real and include 5.5 metre-high brachiosaurus, velociraptors, various sized T-Rex heads and other dinosaurs, which can be projected onto walls, entrances and other places to create an exciting, immersive experience for guests.

The dinosaurs have been created by MK Themed Attractions’ highly skilled team of sculptors, designers and painters.

The dinosaur concept is a good choice for theme park operators and FECs wanting to create a themed area without having to invest heavily in expensive design costs.

Lars Nielson, themed attractions specialists at MK Themed Attractions, spoke of  the company’s extensive portfolio of detailed concepts: “Our portfolio of concepts has exploded over the last couple of years, from having mostly Halloween and Christmas decoration we now also have real pirates, food and tons of animals including this brand new and highly details Dinosaur concept ready to be installed.”

HUSS OPENS NEW SKY TOWER ATTRACTION AT CHANGSHA OCT WINDOW OF THE WORLD

BY GABRIELLE

Huss Park Attractions, a leader in the development, manufacture and sale of amusement rides throughout the world, has opened a new Sky Tower attraction at Changsha OCT Window of the World in China.

The 120m-high Sky Tower gondola takes visitors on a journey to heights of up to 80m where they can enjoy panoramic views of the park below. The iconic new attraction in what is the largest theme park in central China, officially opened in October 2019.

The 12m-diameter cabin can accommodate up to 70 passengers, with no age restrictions. The air-conditioned cabins feature an audio system, which plays as the gondola ascends and descends around a full 360-degree circle.

Mirko J. Schulze, CEO of Huss, commented on the opening of the new attraction: “OCT is a loyal, long-standing customer of Huss Park Attractions and we enjoy an excellent relationship with the company.

“We are very happy to have opened the Sky Tower at Changsha OCT Window of the World which provides the park with a stunning new landmark attraction suitable for all guests. It is the latest in a long line of Sky Tower installations around the world and I am sure it will enjoy much success at the park.”

Huss Park Attractions has installed Sky Tower variations around the world, the first of which was in 1987.

DETAILS UNVEILED ABOUT TOKYO DISNEYLAND’S 2020 EXPANSION

BY GABRIELLE

Oriental Land Company, owners of Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Japan, has unveiled details about the expansion of the theme park. Additional rides, attractions and facilities will be launched at the Toontown, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland areas.

Fantasyland will see the arrival of a trackless dark ride called the Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, alongside new dining facilities and shops. A Fantasy Forest Theatre will also open in the land, hosting performances of the new stage show, ‘Mickey’s Magical Music World.’ The theatre will be the first indoor theatre to open at Tokyo Disneyland.

A spinning ride called The Happy Ride with Baymax will open in Tomorrowland. The attraction will be the world’s first rotating ride that is themed on Walt Disney’s animated superhero film, Big Hero 6. Opening next to The Happy Ride with Baymax will be a cosmic-themed shop, specialising in popcorn.

In Toontown, Minnie Mouse will have her own dedicated character spot, with the opening of Minnie’s Style Studio. Minnie will meet visitors at the studio, wearing her latest fashion designs.

The new arrivals at Tokyo Disneyland are due to launch in April 2020.

CEDAR POINT TO OPEN NEW BOAT RIDE IN 2020

 BY GABRIELLE

Cedar Point, the 364-acre amusement park in Ohio, has announced it will launch a new attraction in 2020, a boat ride known as the Snake River Expedition.

In what will be the amusement park’s 150th anniversary, the boat ride will involve guests boarding scientifically designed riverboats and travelling along the Snake River that surrounds Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island.

Interacting with real-life actors and animatronic machines, guests will embark on a secret mission. Led by a member of Trapper Dan’s crew, visitors will smuggle treasure into safe waters.

The new attraction is resonant of Cedar Point’s paddle boat and Western Cruise rides of the past.

Colleen Brady, Cedar Point’s director of park operations, commented: “We have really cool boats that were built specifically for Cedar Point. We got a little bit of history, a little bit of new. The best thing about these boats is that everyone can ride them.”

The park’s vice president and general manager, Jason McClure, said Cedar Point could not mark its 150th anniversary without a new ride. “We wanted a ride that complimented our history and engaged the whole family together with Cedar Point,” said McClure.

DISNEY REVEALS NAME AND PREMIERE DATE OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW AT DISNEY SPRINGS

BY GABRIELLE

Disney, together with Cirque du Soleil, has announced the name and debut date of the new Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs.

The show is named Drawn to Life and will premiere at Walt Disney World Resort’s Disney Springs in April 2020.

Drawn to Life is written and directed by Michael Laprise and Fabrice Becker. The production is put together through a partnership between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering.

Drawn to Life tells the story of a girl named Julie, who embarks on a journey guided by an unfinished animation object which helps Julie imagine new possibilities and animate her future. The production will boast an international cast of more than 65 artists.

Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil said: “For Cirque du Soleil, this is a beautiful way of celebrating Disney’s legacy in the art of animation.

“This new and exciting production is most certainly the best way to highlight the privileged relationship we have with our colleagues at Walt Disney World and our joint commitment to continually bring audiences new experiences that surpass their expectations,” said Lamarre.

Joshua D’Amaro, president of Walt Disney World Resort, commented: “In creating this show, we’ve brought to life an extraordinary new entertainment experience for the whole family.

“It blends all the heart, humour and joy of Disney storytelling with new acrobatic performances and effects never before seen in a Cirque du Soleil production.”

Previews of Drawn to Life will take place on March 20, 2020 and the production will officially premiere on April 17, 2020.

DISCOVERY DESTINATIONS TEAMS UP WITH HOLOVIS TO PROVIDE BESPOKE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

BY GABRIELLE

Discovery Destinations, delivers of location-based entertainment, has set up a strategic partnership with technology experience designer Holovis, in a bid to take immersive experiences to the next level.

The collaboration is designed to bring new dimensions into the multisensory and immersive environments, as a means of informing, inspiring and entertaining guests through memorable experiences.

As Christine Wacker, vice president of Discovery describes: “Through our partnership with Holovis we are aiming to engage all five senses to deliver sensational experiences that have never been done before with our content.

“The immersive environments will feature surround, seamless and all-encompassing visuals, spatial audio, SFX including gentle winds and mists, scent to complement the scenes and a fully themed menu, enabling guests to go on spectacular journeys around the world and enjoy authentic cuisine in these stunning environments.

“This will make the experiences even more powerful and ultimately memorable. Our guests will be very excited to partake in these events,” continued Wacker.

Holovis will be working on delivering bespoke, turnkey and scalable technical solutions for the likes of themed entertainment spaces, live shows, hotels, exhibitions and cruise ships. The tailored solutions will combine complex AV, emerging technologies and intuitive interactivity.

Heidi Pinchal, business development at Holovis, spoke about the aims of the new immersive technology: “We will also be looking at ways to extend andnhance the experience even further utilising our proprietary software suites such as HoloTrac.

“Guests are identified through a powerful attribute recognition engine and their personalised adventures are driven through modules including gesture and object recognition. This allows for frictionless and intuitive interaction with the space to enjoy nonlinear narratives and experiences.

“By putting them in control of their own adventure they can influence the virtual world around them for experiences that are different every time depending on their interests, mood and how they choose to engage,” added Pinchal.

FOSUN TOURISM GROUP UNVEILS NEW ‘FOLIDAY TOWN’ TOURIST DESTINATION

BY GABRIELLE

Fosun Tourism Group (FOLIDAY) has unveiled details of a new tourism destination known as FOLIDAY Town.

The family-orientated entertainment destination follows the launch of Fosun Tourism Group’s Atlantis Sanya, the luxury resort on the beach island of Hainan that opened in 2018.

It is believed that the FOLIDAY Town brand, ‘FOLIDAY Town Taicing’ will cover an area of 1 sq. km, with a construction area of 1.5m sq. mt.

The project will be built by the global design and architecture firm, Gensler. The modern holiday destination town will comprise of an Alps Ice World, FOLIDAY Sports Park, Club Med Joyview City Resort Hotel and a European-style commercial street.