Attractions news…
The opening date and attractions for Legoland Water Park Gardaland were revealed; Sands Resorts Macao announced the new opening date of teamLab SuperNature Macao; Disneyland unveiled more parade floats for Magic Happens; Futuroscope to launch first roller coaster, €20 million Objectif Mars, in March 2020; Universal Beijing Resort released an update on its construction progress; Dream Island revealed the characters for meet-and-greet opportunities; new details emerged about £37 million Gulliver’s Valley Resort; Secret Cinema has teamed up with Walt Disney Studios; revenue for Harry Potter stores; £85m tourist attraction dubbed ‘D-Day Land’; Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation wheel; The Secret Life of Pets in Universal Studios Hollywood‘s new ride.
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Museums
The Natural History Museum has declared a planetary emergency, launching a new strategy in response to the challenges facing the planet. The attraction will create new galleries, exhibitions and events.
V&A Dundee had an economic impact of £75 million across Scotland in its first year of opening. This exceeds the earlier prediction of £23m to Scotland. The figure was boosted by an increase in visitor numbers.
Sands Resorts Macao unveiled the new opening date of teamLab SuperNature Macao. It is now scheduled to open at the Venetian Macao in March 2020. The attraction will be an interactive, digital-only experience.
Theme parks
New details have emerged about Gulliver’s Valley Resort, a £37 million theme park resort in South Yorkshire, set to open in spring 2020. Zones include Lost World, Western World, Smugglers Wharf, Toy Land and Lilliput Land.
Dream Island unveiled the characters in its themed zones for meet-and-greet opportunities. These include Smurfs, Hello Kitty, Dracula, Mowgli, Baloo, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Futuroscope is preparing to launch its first roller coaster, named ‘Objectif Mars’, in March 2020. Futuroscope has invested nearly €20 million in the state-of-the-art ride, its biggest investment since the park was created.
Disneyland Resort shared another sneak peek of the upcoming Magic Happens parade, also unveiling more parade floats inspired by Cinderella, The Sword in the Stone and The Princess and the Frog.
Plans to create an £85 million tourist attraction dubbed ‘D-Day Land’ depicting the Normandy landings in northern France have sparked outrage. Critics warn that it should not be “allowed to become Disneyland”.
Universal Beijing Resort has released an update on its construction progress, recruitment process and technological innovation. The upcoming theme park resort is scheduled to complete construction in 2020.
The Secret Life of Pets cast will reprise their roles in the new ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. Stars voicing the attraction include Tiffany Haddish, Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart and Steve Coogan.
Miral CEO Mohamed Al Zaabi is not ruling out investing in more theme parks on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Al Zaabi has also revealed that Yas Island is 55 percent complete and that the next attraction will be SeaWorld.
Compagnie des Alpes has posted “dynamic growth” in Q1, with Leisure Parks reaping the rewards of strategic investment and initiatives. Q1 results showed Leisure Park sales increasing by 16.1 percent.
Brands
Harry Potter stores generated more than $26m of revenue during a 15-month period across 2018 and 2019. There are HP stores at Heathrow, Gatwick and King’s Cross, while the first official flagship is heading to NYC.
Secret Cinema has teamed up with Walt Disney Studios to adapt Disney films as immersive experiences set within secret worlds. The first show is scheduled to premiere in London later in 2020.
Attractions
Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation wheel, is opening this year to coincide with Expo 2020 Dubai. The attraction at Meraas’ Bluewaters Island has a height of 250 metres and can carry up to 1,900 passengers at a time.
KidZania is taking its innovative family entertainment centres to the Mecca Mall in Amman, Jordan. The $10 million edutainment attraction will cover an area of 5,000 square metres when it opens.
The Florida Aquarium has announced an expansion and enhancement project. As part of its 25th anniversary, the aquarium will invest in exhibit enhancement, infrastructure expansion and events.
The attractions and areas of Legoland Water Park Gardaland were unveiled, as was the official opening date, which is scheduled for May 2020. It will feature waterslides, rafts, swimming pools and Duplo and Lego bricks.
