MackMedia is expanding its interactive and digital offerings at Europa-Park with a Paddington VR ride.
Hot on the heels of the release of the film Paddington 2, Europa-Park is upping its Paddington offering across the park in Rust, southwestern Germany. The Paddington Bear licensing deal was announced in October.
The popular bear will greet visitors at the Alpenexpress Coastiality ride. Riders will wear Samsung Gear virtual reality (VR) glasses on the innovative ride. It is a cooperation between VR Coaster, Mack Rides, MackMedia and Samsung. They will find then themselves on a classic red London double decker bus, racing through London to score points. Paddington runs behind, trying to catch up. During the ride they will be fully immersed in the MackMedia animation, even influencing the ride via their head movements.
This new VR ride extends the immersive experience of Gameloft’s Paddington Run which launched earlier this autumn. The game is available on iOS and Android. It throws gamers into a headlong race through London to collect marmalade and beat challenges. MackMedia developed the new ride alongside Gameloft’s development studios.
Paddington VR and Paddington on Ice
Paddington is also making his presence known in other areas of the park. He takes his place in the English-themed area, opposite the Globe Theatre. A Paddington shop is also included.
In addition, next summer a new family ice show will be staged, with accident-prone Paddington taking centre stage. The 30-minute interactive show will be featured in the Greek-themed area of the park. It will include many iconic Paddington features – especially marmalade sandwiches, the small bear’s favourite food.
If Paddington doesn’t appeal, there are other 360° sequences from MackMedia available on the Alpenexpress ride. Visitors can enjoy a wild ride in a mine cart with Europa-Park’s mascot, Ed Euromaus. There are also beautiful flying sequences offered, sending guests soaring over snow-covered mountains and cosy villages. All experiences are perfectly synchronized to the track layout.
