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Theme park investment stories

Theme park investment

The theme park industry is notoriously challenging and demands near-constant reinvestment to remain viable.

Developing new theme parks requires significant investment. When Merlin Entertainments began the construction of three new LEGOLAND parks in China, in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Sichuan, it invested over $2 billion. Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabi, a contract worth SR3.75 billion ($1 billion) was awarded to Bouygues Bâtiment International (BBI) and Saudi Almabani General Contractors to construct the new theme park Six Flags Qiddiya, which is the country’s giga-projects being developed for Saudi’s Vision 2030.

To ensure the ongoing success of a theme park, operators must make continued investments in new attractions, rides and experiences.

In 2023, Disney announced plans to spend $60 billion on its parks, experiences and products division over the following 10 years, to significantly stimulate growth.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said: “Throughout our history, we’ve created enormous growth by investing the right amount of capital into the right projects at the right moment. We are planning to turbocharge our growth yet again with a robust amount of strategic investment in this business.”

Rides are a significant factor for theme park investment. The development of a major new roller coaster can take many years and represents a major financial commitment. For example, Primordial, an interactive dark coaster at Lagoon Amusement Park in Utah, took seven years to complete.

Seasonal attractions, such as festive and Hallowe’en attractions, are also attracting notable investment from theme park operators. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood has proven so successful that it has led to the development of a year-round horror attraction at Area 15 in Las Vegas.

Aside from attractions, it is also key for theme parks to invest in environmentally responsible approaches. Porto Boega in Portugal, for example, is being built on an island and the theme park must invest in appropriate intervention and management to safeguard this space.

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