Thrill seekers are a demanding bunch – they always have their eye on the next big thing. Thankfully, each year sees the opening of new attractions offering bigger, better, faster and scarier distractions to ensure their needs are met.
Last year was particularly fine, with high profile openings such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando (see Joanna Booth’s review of the Forbidden Journey ride) and Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, an indoor theme park with attractions like Formula Rossa, billed as the world’s fastest roller coaster.
Another park to fling open its doors last year was Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore whose latest big-bang ride debuted last month. Battlestar Galactica, named after the TV show and billed as the world’s tallest duelling roller coaster, sees riders seated in two separate coasters – one seated on the track, one suspended below it – which proceed to ‘duel’ for space, on occasions passing within a whisker of each other during the 90-second ride.
Dubai also continues to add attractions. New for 2011 are two slides at Jumeirah’s Wild Wadi Waterpark, called Tantrum Alley and Burj Surj, offering high-octane watery thrills and spills.
Over at Dubai’s massive Mirdif City Centre shopping mall, the new Aqua Play features a range of watery pursuits while Playnation has a variety of diversions for different ages, principally an indoor skydiving attraction, i-Fly Dubai; an interactive football attraction for five-year-olds and up, called Soccer Circus Dubai; and a bowling centre, Yalla! Bowling.
Back in Europe, German attraction Europa-Park, which reopens on April 9, has taken a more sedate approach with its new enchanted forest area by the main lake and a child-friendly gondola trip to Italy, Piccolo Mondo, which transports visitors past famous cities such as Pisa, Venice and Florence.
Launching for the May half-term, its Volo da Vinci ride will enable visitors to hover above the park’s Italian-themed area. Having road tested the new attractions, visitors can refuel in the new 250-seat self-service restaurant, Generation.
The force should be strong at Legoland in Billund, Denmark this year, where a new interactive Star Wars attraction opens on April 2. Located in the Miniland area it will feature Lego brick depictions of famous scenes from the movie franchise. A similar Star Wars exhibit will debut in the Miniland at Legoland in Carlsbad, California on March 31.
Other new developments at the park include the Lego Hero Factory attraction, which opened in the Imagination Zone last month; the relaunched Police and Fire Academy ride, opening April 12; and Splash Zoo, a zoo-themed area for toddlers in the Legoland Water Park. Plus, at the park’s SeaLife Aquarium, a new interactive exhibit called Octopus Garden opens in May, replacing the Sharks Revealed exhibit that opened in 2008.
Staying in California, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia has a new child-friendly ride, Roadrunner Express, although all eyes are on its new ‘fourth dimension’ coaster. Launching ahead of the new movie ‘starring’ the DC Comics character of the same name, riders on the Green Lantern sit either side of the track in seats that spin around during the ride.
And SeaWorld San Diego has a new attraction called Turtle Reef. Designed to educate visitors about turtles and their endangered environments, elements include a 300,000-gallon aquarium, complete with underwater viewing window, and Riptide Rescue, a boat ride for ‘tweens’.
Over in Las Vegas, construction of what its backers claim is the world’s first indoor ballooning attraction starts in May. Located just off the main strip, Parabounce Vegas, which should be fit for service in late 2011/early 2012, will take up to 20 flyers at a time into the air. Each person is strapped to a 22ft-wide helium balloon, to engage in something akin to an aerial game of dodgems. Quality.
Heading further east, having been saved from the developers’ axe a few years back, New York’s historic Coney Island amusement zone is staging a comeback. Luna Park, which replaced the iconic Astropark a few years back, reopens for the season next month with a new Scream Zone, featuring two new rides, the Soaring Eagle roller coaster and the family-friendly Steeplechase Horses Coaster.
Domestic thrills
Closer to home, young’uns are in for a treat with the opening of Peppa Pig World at Hampshire’s Paultons Park on April 9. The new attraction, based on the popular children’s TV show, features seven rides, animated attractions, and a Muddy Puddles water play area. When that all gets too much, visitors can kick back in Daddy Pig’s Big Tummy Cafe.
Drayton Manor has a new child-friendly ride, Ben 10: Ultimate Mission. Based on the TV character Ben 10, the new ‘Junior Boomerang’-style coaster will hurtle riders forwards for part of the ride before propelling them backwards for the finale, at times experiencing G-force three. More sedate additions include a new cartoon in its 4D cinema featuring the cartoon characters Daffy Duck and Marvin the Martian. The 150-room Drayton Manor Hotel opens in August.
Other new rides for 2011 include Thorpe Park’s Storm Surge. Theme park aficionados may recognise the exhilarating water ride as it was formerly based at the now-defunct Cypress Gardens park in Florida.
At Chessington World of Adventures’ new sealife attraction Azteca visitors can eyeball sharks, rays and more as they swim around a sunken lost world.
Wannabe pirates should make a beeline for Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire. The park’s new Skeleton Cove area features five new rides. With names like the Flying Cutlass, Skull Rock and the Pirate Swinger, swashbuckling thrills and spills should never be too far away.
Blackpool is set to get its own Madame Tussauds when the attraction opens its doors on April 21 on the Promenade.
Sample product
DFDS Seaways’ new Mini Cruise & Hotel Breaks brochure features a range of options for plastic brick fans. Its three-night Legoland & Esbjerg Mini Cruise includes a day at the famous park. Priced from £123 based on four sharing, departing Harwich on May 1 and October 23.
Book it: 0871 522 9955, DFDS agent site
Dertour has two-day breaks to Germany’s Europa-Park starting from £135 per adult and £105 per child, including park entrance fee and one night in a four star hotel.
Book it: 020 7290 1111, Dertour agent site
Superbreak has packages at Thorpe Park starting at £155 per family of four staying one night at the Holiday Inn Express Slough, with breakfast and including a one-day entry ticket to the park.
Book it: 0871 221 4444, Superbreak agent site
