Legacy Entertainment, a leading theme park and resort design company, is celebrating a series of award wins received for a project development almost five years after it opened to the public.
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park has been dubbed “China’s Best Theme Park” by The Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, the most recent of several honours that have been conferred upon the 73-acre Marine Life Theme Park, which was developed by the entertainment design company Legacy Entertainment, based in California.
“We continue to be thrilled for the success of our friends and partners at Haichang,” says Legacy’s managing director Eric Carnagey who is also one of the firm’s owners. “Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, which is positioned as the chief competitor to Shanghai Disneyland, was realized for less than 15% of the former’s investment. Given this, the park’s many achievements and successes are all the more remarkable.”
“The licensing and successful roll-out of Tsuburaya Productions’ Ultraman intellectual property by Haichang is a huge milestone for the Chinese domestic theme park landscape,” adds Carnagey. “China, the world’s second-largest theme park market, has generally been slow to adopt international IP. Given the undeniable success of Haichang’s Ultraman activations, we expect a fundamental shift to the landscape to play out over the next five years.”
Collecting accolades
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park has received numerous honours over the years, including Best Theme Park from the Chinese Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (CAAPA); Outstanding Themed Land Park, Outstanding Family Entertainment Center, and Outstanding Social Media Famous Tourist Attraction from 2020’s Golden Crown Awards; and 2021’s Most Popular Attraction from The China Cultural Tourism Innovation and Development Forum.
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, which made its debut in November 2018, is a standout project in the portfolio of Legacy Entertainment, an international design firm that has recently seen itself grow into one of the aquarium industry’s most sought-after design firms. At VinWonders Theme Park on Phu Quoc Island, the largest aquarium in Vietnam will open in April 2022. The Legacy-designed Chimelong Marine Science Park, a vast complex that will claim the title of “World’s Largest Indoor Theme Park” upon its opening, is anticipated to open this summer.
Exceeding expectations
Over 3,000,000 people visited Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park annually before the COVID-19 era. The park’s performance consistently exceeded expectations despite the many difficulties the epidemic presented, with a recent increase in visitors being ascribed to the well-liked Ultraman-themed attractions that opened in July 2022. Awards from The Institute for Theme Park Studies in China also praised the experiences, which include a sizable museum, a boutique, and a restaurant.
Legacy Entertainment has also provided an update on ongoing Asian projects, with a range of projects currently under construction and in the design phase.
