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Attractions news 08.03.20: Tyra Banks’ ModelLand | Dream Island | Studio Ghibli | Doctor Who

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blooloop briefing attractions news tyra banks modelland

Attractions news…

In the news this week: Dream Island has officially opened in Moscow; Tyra Banks’ beauty theme park ModelLand is set to open in Santa Monica; Grupo Xcaret is opening its latest adventure attraction in Yucatán; Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Disney’s first ride-through attraction featuring Mickey and Minnie, has opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; The V&A‘s exhibition, Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, will display Disney concept art and Tim Burton costumes; BBC Studios and Escape Hunt have created a new escape room called ‘Doctor Who: A Dalek Awakens’; The Aquarium of the Pacific will host performing arts productions; 2020 Disney Accelerator is launched; AI: More than Human is set for the World Museum in Liverpool; and Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art’s new exhibit will display items from the Studio Ghibli theme park.

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Theme park

modelland tyra banks
Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks’ beauty theme park ModelLand is set to launch at Macerich’s Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica on May 1. The supermodel-themed experiential attraction will feature interactive entertainment and special events.

Dream Island has officially opened in Moscow, Russia. Europe’s largest indoor theme park features nine areas with rides, attractions, shops, and F&B. Zones include Fairy Tale Village, Smurfs Village, Hotel Transylvania, and Hello Kitty.

Disney shared a first look at the set of Drawn to Life, the new Cirque du Soleil production coming to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort. Drawn to Life has an international cast of 65 artists and debuts in April 2020.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It is Disney’s first ride-through attraction featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and features cutting-edge technology and trackless vehicles.

KidZania celebrated its 20th anniversary with the reopening of KidZania Santa Fe in Mexico City, Mexico. It underwent an extensive remodelling process and now boasts new role-playing activities.

Tivoli Gardens’ board of directors has appointed Susanne Mørch Koch as the new CEO of Tivoli A/S. She replaces Lars Liebst, concluding the succession process announced in December 2019.

Grupo Xcaret has launched a new attraction, Underground Expedition, at Xplor Park. The adventure park in Cancún and Riviera Maya offers guests a journey where they can admire impressive stalactite formations inside caves.

Grupo Xcaret is also set to open its latest attraction in Yucatán. The $50 million Xibalbá will include a tour of eight natural cenotes and is scheduled to open on December 12, 2020. It will be Grupo Xcaret’s biggest project yet.

Movie Park Germany announced new attractions for its 2020 season, including an interactive laser walkthrough and two new rides. The theme park is also set to invest in infrastructure, retail and F&B.

Brands

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter
Warner Bros/Lumsden

Fantawild has teamed up with ON Kids & Family and ZAG to develop animated brand Miraculous in China. This will include location-based entertainment (LBE) as well as licensed merchandise in China.

Lumsden Design has won an award for its retail concept at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. The company redesigned the retail experience and created new restaurants.

BBC Studios and Escape Hunt have created a new Doctor Who escape room, called ‘Doctor Who: A Dalek Awakens’. The attraction debuts at Escape Hunt Reading and Birmingham Resorts World in March 2020.

Museums

alice in wonderland concept art disney
Disney

The Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibit will display items from Ghibli Park, a Studio Ghibli theme park opening in Japan. The exhibition is set to showcase the Ghibli Park items one last time before its opening in 2022.

AI: More than Human is debuting at the World Museum in Liverpool in summer 2020. The exhibition has immersive artworks and scientific developments, as well as opportunities for visitors to interact.

The V&A‘s landmark exhibition for 2020, called Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, will display Walt Disney concept art and Tim Burton costumes for the first time in the UK. The otherworldly experience will boast immersive environments.

Technology

aquarium of the pacific
Aquarium of the Pacific

The Walt Disney Company is looking for growth-stage startups who can ‘dream big’ in the fields of entertainment and tech for the 2020 Disney Accelerator. The accelerator is now accepting applications for the three-month programme.

The Aquarium of the Pacific will host performing arts productions in the state-of-the-art Honda Pacific Visions Theater, starting in spring 2020. Performances will use the theatre’s audio, visual and multi-sensory technology.

blooloop V-Expo

blooloop expo online event

Blooloop is delighted to announce its first online expo for the visitor attractions business, the blooloop V-Expo. Our fully digital event will run during wc 12 October 2020 and will feature the exhibitor and networking features of an expo IRL, accessible from your desktop or mobile.

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Bea Mitchell

Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 10 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.

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