ITALY’S FIRST FARM-THEMED AMUSEMENT PARK SET TO OPEN IN 2019

BY GABRIELLE

Luna Farm, the first farm-themed amusement park in Italy, is due to open in Bologna before the end of the year.

The project is being ran by Zamperla group, which already manages two New York attraction icons, Luna Park in Coney Island and Victorian Gardens in Central Park.

Luna Farm is based on the concept created for FICO Eataly World. The site will offer families a fun experience immersed within a farm setting.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a total of 15 themed attractions, including a suspended monorail where guests can board a chicken, a panoramic mill wheel, and a bull-paddock themed bumper car with interactive projections.

Design specialists Team Park Project created the new indoor theme park, where guests will be able to experience the worldwide debut of augmented and interactive reality solutions for amusement rides developed by Z+, a division of the Zamperla group.

There is also a focus on inclusivity and accessibility at the park, areas that Zamperla group has been focusing on for years, developing attractions that are accessible to people with special needs.

Luna Farm occupies an indoor surface of approx. 6,500sq.m and is an 11 million euro investment.

Alberto Zamperla, president of the Zamperla group, commented on the opening of Luna Farm: “We are proud of this partnership with FICO Eataly World because we share the same mission, i.e. promoting the Italian excellence in the world.

“The nature of this cutting-edge project has led us to take it seriously and invest in this collaboration accordingly. Luna Farm arrives at the second year of FICO as a natural evolution of a project that anticipates future trends: FICO offers innovative answers to the changing needs of consumers, where entertainment plays a key role,” said Zamperla.

Oscar Farinetti, founder of Eataly, stated: “When we thought of FICO, we had in mind a huge playful place for children and their families.

“Luna Farm is the natural evolution of our original project. A place appealing to children with attractions and amusement facilities which reconnect us with our roots and traditions.

“Our cooperation with Zamperla, an Italian excellence in the amusement industry worldwide, underlines once more FICO’s attention to promoting an inclusive and accessible tourism,” Farinetti added.

ZAMPERLA SHOWCASES INNOVATIVE NEW RIDES AT IAAPA ASIA 2019

Zamperla, Italian manufacturers of family rides, rollercoasters and other amusement park attractions, presented a raft of innovative new rides and projects during a press conference at this year’s IAAPA Asia.

During 2019, Zamperla Group will deliver more than 200 rides across the world, including four new rides, two of which, the Super Air Race and NubulaZ, are to be installed in Luna Park at Coney Island. Zamperla’s new Z-Max attraction is to be constructed in Finland and the Factory Coaster in China.

The Factory Coaster will propel passengers along a 611-metre track in large vehicles that can accommodate up to 16 guests, reaching maximum speeds of 12.5m/s. This exciting new ride is due to open at Wandu Waxi in the second half of 2019.

With loops, banks, dives and weightlessness, the Super Air Race replicates the sensations and experiences of an acrobatic aeroplane flight. The ride combines a 6rpm central rotation motion with a motor-driven arm rotation to create an exciting combination of acceleration.

The family ride NebulaZ features four arms which rotate in rapid intermeshing orbits. Eight gondolas are located at the end of each arm, flying riders over the top of the ride.

The Z-Max is a new tower ride and is the latest ride to be installed at Finland’s Särkänniemi Amusement Park. The ride features a full column rotation, providing passengers with an incredible vision of space, as they reach heights of 68 metres.

Another leading project Zamperla is involved in this year, is the construction of an indoor theme park known as the Family Entertainment Centre (FEC). The site will be built within FICO, the world’s largest agri-food park located in Bologna, Italy.

FEC is aimed at children and families, who will find themselves immersed in a typical Italian-style farmhouse, but which is occupied with a total of 12 rides instead of farming equipment.

BY GABRIELLE