5. LEGOLAND Korea (Chuncheon, Korea)
Image: Merlin Entertainments
Status: Under construction
Opening in: 2017
Yep, it's another LEGOLAND park (Merlin seemingly won't be satisfied until we are all within 15 minutes drive of a LEGOLAND at all times). LEGOLAND Korea will be located on an island in Chuncheon, in northern South Korea's Gangwon province. This puts it around an hour's drive from Seoul, and the setting will certainly be picturesque.
Image: BAUM CM
LEGOLAND Korea will cost around $270 million to construct, with Merlin contributing around a third of the cost and operating the park on behalf of its partners. The local government will fund the construction of a new bridge to the island that hosts the park. Construction is underway, although the discovery of cultural relics during excavation has caused some issues.
By now, we know what to expect from a LEGOLAND park. The standard array of child-friendly attractions will be on offer, along with a Miniland showcasing local and international landmarks recreated using LEGO bricks. If the park is a success, a water park and a hotel are almost certain to follow.
4. Majarat Oman (near Muscat, Oman)
Image: Majarat Oman via Trade Arabia
Status: Under construction
Opening in: 2017
This one is something of an enigma, with very little detailed information having been released. Back in 2013 when Majarat Oman was announced as "the Sultanate's number one tourist destination", we were promised a "state-of-the-art theme park" that would attract at least half a million visitors a year.
Among the attractions would be Oman's first-ever 30-seat balloon ride, "fun rides" and live shows. Four zones would be included: Alien Colony, Fuzzie's World, Space Station and Neptune Water Park. Australia's Sanderson Group, the design firm behind Warner Bros. Movie World, was working on the plans.
Image: Majarat Oman via Construction Week Online
Despite still being referred to as an "indoor theme park", now that construction has begun Majarat Oman appears to be primarily a water park, albeit one that also hosts live shows. The futuristic, alien theme remains, but the capacity is merely "over 1,200 visitors daily". A soft opening date of late 2017 is planned.
3. Shahre Ghese (Tehran, Iran)
Status: Under construction (kinda)
Opening in: 2016
The first ever theme park in Iran was originally due to open in 2015. Shahre Ghese (Story City) has been designed by Canada's Forrec, and its backers claim that it will include rides supplied by major manufacturers including Intamin, Mack Rides and Zamperla - all based in Europe.
Unfortunately, while construction work was started two years ago, photos posted to the excellent themeparx forums appear to show that it has ground to a complete halt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its location, very little is known about the status of the project and why work has stopped. We'll have to wait and see if this one is revived.
2. IMG Worlds of Adventure (Dubai)
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
Status: Under construction
Opening in: 2016
Dubai Parks and Resorts won't be open the only theme park project to debut in 2016 in Dubai, with the much-delayed IMG Worlds of Adventure finally nearing completion.
Back in 2012, Disney-owned Marvel signed a deal with Dubai's IMG Group to open a 350,000 square feet indoor attraction containing retail outlets, restaurants and "interactive entertainment experiences". The original plan was to open in 2014, but funding and construction delays have pushed that back to 2016.
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
Marvel will only be represented in one of the lands at IMG Adventure World. The other three areas will be the Lost Valley, IMG Boulevard and the child-friendly Cartoon Network (based on another set of licenced properties). A 12-screen multiplex cinema will occupy the remainder of the enormous structure.
IMG Boulevard.
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
The entrance zone, IMG Boulevard, will offer a range of restaurant and retail outlets, as well as unspecified "interactive attractions".
Marvel zone.
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
Avengers: Battle of Ultron.
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
The Marvel zone will be headlined by Avengers: Battle of Ultron, which will combine stereoscopic 3D media with realistic physical sets and explosive special effects to depict a battle between the Avengers and Ultron. Elsewhere, concept art shows an Astro Orbitor-style rocket ride for children.
Lost Valley.
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
The Lost Valley, meanwhile, will be home to 69 animatronic dinosaurs, bringing a significant amount of movement to the area. The headline attraction will be Velociraptor, a Mack launch coaster that will fire guests at speeds of up to 62 miles per hour through four inversions.
Cartoon Network.
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
Ben 10 5-D.
Image: IMG Worlds of Adventure
The final area, Cartoon Network, will be headlined by a "5-D" attraction themed around Ben 10. The 240 seat theatre will show a 10-minute original 3-D movie that will see Ben and Rook guide guests for their first day as new recruits, culminating in an epic face-off with evil villain Khyber. Scent, water leg ticklers, air blasts, wind and motion seats will all add to the experience.
IMG Worlds of Adventure's backers are confidently predicting that the complex will welcome more than 20,000 visitors per day, despite the impending competition from the much bigger Dubai Parks and Resorts. Time will tell if the two will complement one another, or if the proximity of a larger rival could take its toll.
1. Shanghai Disneyland (Shanghai, China)
Image: Disney
Status: Under construction
Opening in: 2016
It's been a long, long road to get to this point, but Disney's first theme park in mainland China will finally open to guests in June 2016. Delays and cost overruns have led, some believe, to cutbacks elsewhere in Disney's empire (like the recent widespread Cast Member lay-offs at Walt Disney World), but we'll soon find out if it was all worth it.
Image: Disney
At least for the first few years of its operation, the undoubted centerpiece of the Shanghai Disney Resort will be Shanghai Disneyland Park. Its name suggests that it will closely resemble the other "Magic Kingdom" parks around the world (Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland), adopting the traditional hub-and-spoke design with a central castle and a range of familiar sub-lands. However, there will also be some significant differences between the Chinese park and the existing parks.
Image: Disney
Shanghai Disneyland will feature six lands: Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Adventure Isle, Treasure Cove and Tomorrowland.
Image: Disney
Mickey Avenue will act as the entry area, and will be very different to the usual Main Street, USA. It will be inspired by "the colorful personalities of Mickey Mouse and his pals" and will feature a host of meet-and-greet opportunities.
Image: Disney
The Gardens of Imagination will sit in front of the enormous Enchanted Storybook Castle, and will feature attractions such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Fantasia Carousel. The Garden of the Twelve Friends will see animals of the Chinese Zodiac reimagined as Disney characters.
Image: Disney
Fantasyland will be the largest land. It will host some spectacular rides, including the Voyage to the Crystal Grotto boat ride (which passes through the castle), the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (a clone of the coaster at the Magic Kingdom) and a modernised version of Peter Pan's Flight.
Image: Disney
Roaring Rapids artwork. Image: Disney
Adventure Isle will be dominated by Roaring Mountain, the Soarin' over the Horizon ride (which is also coming to Disney California Adventure and Epcot, to replace the existing Soarin' video) and the Roaring Rapids water ride.
Image: Disney
Treasure Cove will be entirely themed around Pirates of the Caribbean. The headline attraction will be Pirates of the Caribbean - Battle of the Sunken Treasure, a high-tech update of the classic Disneyland ride that will see guests joining in an adventure with Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Davy Jones.
Image: Disney
Image: Disney
Finally, Tomorrowland will feature the Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue shoot-em-up ride and the Tron Lightcycle Power Run roller coaster, as well as the Dumbo-style JetPacks ride. Star Wars Launch Bay will feature a "state-of-the-art cinematic experience" and Marvel Universe will enable guests to meet superheroes and learn how to draw them.
The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. Image: Disney
Elsewhere in the Shanghai Disney resort, Disneytown will be an international dining, retail and entertainment district. The area will boast the Walt Disney Grand Theatre, which will host the first ever Mandarin production of Broadway classic Disney's The Lion King. Two hotels will feature initially - the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel (with 420 rooms) and the Toy Story Hotel (with 800 rooms). Wishing Star Park will be the central area of the resort, featuring gardens, walking trails and a huge lake (contructed at an eye-watering cost of some $41.5 million). The entire resort will be surrounded by a 60-metre wide river, so water is set to be a recurring theme.
Image: Disney
As with its previous overseas resorts in Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong, Disney isn't going it alone on the Shanghai Disney Resort project. Indeed, the resort is set to be majority-owned by the Chinese government, which will take a 57% stake. But the company still has a huge amount invested in the Shanghai resort, and its executives will be holding their breath come June when it finally debuts to the public.
Comments
I really don't like the design of that Shanghai castle. Way too much going on. Too ornate & cutesy. I guess Disney has done research to ensure this castle's design is appealing to Chinese?