Stanza VI
U.A.E. THEME PARKS
Over the past decade, an incredibly unique theme park ecosystem has emerged in the United Arab Emirates. This stupendously wealthy nation has added more than half-a-dozen high-quality theme parks, all entirely without the involvement of major industry players like Disney or Universal. Developers’ long-term goal is to transform the U.A.E. into a major tourist destination. These theme parks are seen as an investment for the future, to diversify the region’s economy beyond oil.
U.A.E.’s theme parks are spread out between two cities: Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Approximately 180 kilometers separate these cities, so we can consider them part of one large shared theme park market.
There are some common features in U.A.E.’s theme parks and shopping centers. Parks are located almost entirely indoors, which is necessary to protect guests from the extremely harsh desert climate. Typically, only water parks and select attractions such as roller coasters appear outdoors.
The region’s theme parks compete using media IPs. Nearly every non-Disney and non-Universal IP is represented someplace. U.A.E. parks are not limited by the same licensing agreements as in the U.S., so common theme park IPs like Marvel or the Looney Tunes appear in wholly new contexts here.
The region’s major attractions include:
DUBAI
Welcome to one of the most intriguing locations in all of the world. Disregarding theme parks for a second, the Dubai/Abu Dhabi area is mesmerizing when you consider the scale of what has been, and what continues to be built. Every announcement for a skyscraper, island (yes island or islands), complex, theme park, etc. can be best be summarized by what else can they do. For theme parks and related entities, the last 10 years of openings has been mind blowing with
Dubai Parks & Resorts and
IMG Worlds of Adventure headlining those openings. What's interesting though, is that on their own, we aren't quite sure any of them hit the mark, but as a collection of offerings, it's nearly impossible to imagine any other locale around the world topping it in shear scale of what's available and what is to come.
One of the "older" themed options in the area is
Ski Dubai, a 22,500 square meter indoor ski area that offered the worlds first indoor black diamond run. Indoor parks on a smaller scale and attached to malls are very popular locally with
Adventureland,
Dubai Mall Virtual Reality Park and
Hub Zero Dubai highlighting the options. A common offering across all parks locally, these three are mostly simulator/3D/4D based experiences with Adventureland offering a few smaller coaster options.
Global Village, part Epcot World Showcase, part Disney Springs combo is mostly a dining/tourism experience with a number of carnival style rides mixed in.
DUBAI PARKS AND RESORTS
Any discussion of theme parks in Dubai starts and ends with Dubai Parks and Resorts. Like everything in the region, it’s big and bold. Sprawling over nearly 575 acres, this resort complex encompasses not 1, but 3 theme parks (
Motiongate,
Bollywood Parks and
Legoland) that opened in the last three months of 2016 along with other major offerings in
Legoland Water Park,
Riverland Dubai and three distinctly different hotel accommodations. A Six Flags park was even planned for inclusion but recently scrapped!
Legoland, Lego’s 6th venture into the theme park world was originally slated to open in 2011 as a standalone resort but was delayed and eventually incorporated into the Dubai Parks & Resorts complex opening in October of 2016. With the Legoland waterpark next door, the park offers many of the same offerings found at the other Legoland parks around the world. Themed areas include:
Factory,
Lego City,
Imagination,
Kingdoms,
Adventure and
Miniland.
The park itself is a mixture of indoor and outdoor offerings. While none of them are groundbreaking per se, the park is a solid fit for the broader resort with its focus on families with young children. Highlights of the park include the Dragon Coaster, the tallest and fastest attraction in the park that weaves in and out of the castle in Kingdoms; Lost Kingdom Adventure, an indoor laser target attraction and the massive miniland attraction where guest can check out Lego built models of many of the area’s iconic structures.
While short on typical theme park attractions,
Bollywood Parks nonetheless is a visually appealing inclusion in the complex. Opened a month after Legoland, it’s five zones (
Bollywood Blvd,
Mumbai Chowk,
Rustic Ravine,
Royal Plaza, &
Bollywood Film Studios) bring the colors, style and vibrancy of Bollywood to life. Mumbai Disneyland Imagineers will recognize many of the aesthetics and influences that went into that park. Dominated mainly by shows and productions that show off Bollywood, the park still does it’s best to cover all the D’s with 4D and 3D attractions (on top of the multitude of 3D and 4D attractions in other areas of
Dubai Parks) that take you on a Bollywood style adventure.
The last of the parks to open in a 3 month succession in December of 2016,
Motiongate brings the bulk of the normal theme park fare for guests with it's 30 plus attractions including coasters, and embodies the movie studio influence in the Dubai/Abu Dhabi area. Five zones dedicated to
Columbia Pictures,
Smurfs,
Dreamworks,
Lionsgate and
Studio Central fan out on a smallish plot of land that is far from complete. Similar to
Legoland and
Bollywood,
Motiongate presents the park largely outdoors with a number of indoor experiences. 10-12 new attractions are either already under construction or on deck to be added, several of them from the cancelled
Six Flags park, with many high thrill attractions on deck.
Columbia Pictures brings an eclectic mix of IP's ranging from Hotel Transylvania to Green Hornet to Underworld. Attractions range from a Ghostbusters 3D shooter, a Zombieland drop tower and the parks lone water ride, a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs river rapids.
Smurfs Village is obviously themed to, the Smurfs. An uber kid focused area, it brings an interesting mix of attractions that one might find in each of Walt Disney' Worlds four parks with a similar vibe to Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland. Attractions here range from a themed play area, to a junior coaster, stage show and Smurf studios dark ride.
Kung Fu Panda, Shrek & Madagascar, whom you'll also find in
Universal Studios (see the IP messiness?) make up the bulk of the
Dreamworks zone. A nice mixture of flat rides, shows, a dark ride and coasters fill the zone with Madagascar Mad Pursuit, a launched infinity coaster themed to the events from Madagascar 3, being the highlight.
Currently the most lacking of the 4 zones in regards to rides,
Lionsgate is limited to a show, motion simulator and a launched coaster themed to the Hunger Games series. Help is on the horizon though with a John Wick 4D Free Fly coaster and what is being billed as the worlds fastest single car spinning coaster from the film Now You see Me on the way.
Disney MGM Studios fans will enjoy the last of the 5 zones in
Studio Central. From it's New York movie sets to showcasing the behind the scenes of filmmaking and shows, even Supporting Roles Bakery, the area doesn't showcase any major rides, but instead complements the other 4 studio zones within the park
Also on site are
Legoland Waterpark, a standard water park adjacent to the
Legoland park and
Riverland Dubai. Riverland being the shopping, dining, and entertainment area of the larger resort that leads directly into the theme parks around it.
Official park website
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