Attractions news…
Disney shares special look at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway; Living Museum in the Sea debuts; Disneyland Paris reopens refurbished Autopia; Walt Disney World previews TRON Lightcycles; Tate Britain transformed over Christmas; Kirkman Road extension to Universal’s Epic Universe; Village Roadshow receives takeover bid; Galaxyland powered by Hasbro; Jora Vision developing Pushkin theme park; TIME Studios launching immersive exhibit The March; Disney’s Riviera Resort opens; and an immersive Giant Poo experience.
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Theme parks
Disney has shared a special look at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a new ride-through attraction heading to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. It will be the first Disney ride-through attraction with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Village Roadshow Limited (VRL) has received a takeover bid worth $523 million from private equity firm Pacific Equity Partners (PEP). PEP has made an offer of A$3.90 ($2.68) per ordinary share.
Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall (WEM) and Hasbro announced a licensing agreement to create the first Hasbro theme park in Canada, called ‘Galaxyland powered by Hasbro’.
Disney Vacation Club announced the official opening of Disney’s Riviera Resort at Walt Disney World Resort. The accommodation is inspired by Europe and has more than 300 rooms.
The Orange County (Florida) Commission has voted to approve funding of up to $125 million to help pay for the extension of Kirkman Road to Epic Universe, Universal’s fourth theme par, opening in Orlando in 2023.
Disneyland Paris has reopened the newly refurbished Autopia, with guests feeling like they are experiencing a new attraction. The race car track ride features a new look and feel, and LED lights offer a moving light show.
Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island was named the world’s largest indoor theme park by Guinness World Records. The theme park in the United Arab Emirates spans an area of 1.65 million square feet.
Walt Disney World is giving visitors the chance to preview TRON Lightcycles in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom Park. TRON Lightcycle / Run is a high-tech, coaster-style attraction opening in 2021.
Comcast Corporation has announced that NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke will retire, with Jeff Shell replacing him as NBCUniversal CEO. Burke will take on the role of chairman of NBUniversal before he retires.
Lars Liebst is stepping down as CEO of Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park in Copenhagen, with operator Tivoli A/S launching a succession plan. Liebst will stay on until a successor is named CEO.
Jora Vision has signed a contract to develop a Pushkin theme park in St.Petersburg, Russia. Lukomorye will have three main themed zones.
Museums
Three museums in the UK have been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2020. These are V&A Dundee, the National Museum of Scotland, and St Fagans National Museum of History.
Researchers from the Indiana University Center for Underwater Science have partnered with the government of the Dominican Republic to create a ‘Living Museum in the Sea’ at La Caleta Underwater National Park.
Tate Britain’s façade has been decorated by artist Anne Hardy for the annual winter commission, transforming the gallery into a temple marooned by rising sea levels with tattered banners and tangled lights.
Technology
UK cinema group Cineworld has reached an agreement to acquire Canadian rival Cineplex for $2.1bn. The deal will form one of the world’s largest cinema companies, with more than 11,200 screens globally.
Majid Al Futtaim and Dreamscape Immersive have opened Dreamscape’s first international location at Mall of the Emirates. The retailtainment attraction has three free-roaming virtual reality (VR) experiences.
TIME Studios is launching a new immersive travelling exhibit, ‘The March’, at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago in 2020. The experiential project takes guests on a VR journey to 1963.
Zoos
Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo is inviting guests to ‘stay and play’, as work is now underway on the holiday park expansion. Located next door to the zoo in Pembrokeshire, it will include luxury lodges and showman’s wagons.
Other
Flight School Studio has worked with Poo-Pourri to create a unique and immersive Giant Poo experience, currently touring the US.
