|
Industry News:
---- THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS ----
(9/8/2026) The Influence of Sound on Attraction Design
(9/3/2026) How Can Parks Prepare For The Arrival of Gen Z and Gen Alpha
(8/23/2026) Mattel Wonder Waterpark Update for Orlando Site
(8/20/2026) New Jumanji Experience Is Coming to VR
(8/19/2026) Marriott Working With Wellness Experts For New Attraction Concept
(8/13/2026) Where Are The 24 Best Flying Theaters In The World?
(8/1/2026) How a Surge in Children's IP Brands Are Reshaping The Attractions Industry
Theme Park Attendance Reports - (10/28/2025) The official “TEA Global Experience Index 2024” report has been released on the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) website, which contains the detailed attendance reports about the world’s global attractions industry that you wont want to miss. It breaks things down by attraction type (parks, museums, waterparks, etc) as well as by global region.
It should be noted that unlike the editions from the previous year that were created as a collaboration between TEA and AECOM, it appears AECOM is no longer involved. You can still download the 2021 to 2023 editions from the same link as above where you will find the 2024 edition, and if you want to download and archive previous years editions, you can also download the 2006 to 2022 editions over at AECOM’s website as well.
 General News - (9/3/2026) Theme parks are always changing and evolving... and not just the list of rides and attractions. They also change to match the needs and expectations of the guests who are visiting. These days the world is changing so rapidly, it led me to wonder just what Generation X and Alpha are expecting from parks and attractions going forward and how designers are scrambling to meet these new challenges. Jump on over to Blooloop this week to read the full article.
(8/13/2026) After seeing just how many new additions have come over the past six years, I thought it was well past time to update the list of the Best Flying Theaters you can find around the world today with Blooloop. Over the past several years, it was worth noting how many new attractions are being added to locations other than theme parks, such as museums, nature parks and just general stand-alone versions. The entire genre of the attraction is also shifting… as a good number are no longer just about taking a gentle scenic flight, but instead are getting into some very high action elements from alien invasions to being thrown into the middle of a literal war of titans with Godzilla.
Follow the link to read about the 24 Best in the World and see if you're favorite made the cut this time around.
(7/30/2026) Once designed as a simple one-tier experience, Theme Parks have been leaning heavily into the creation and offering of Premium Experience tiers, from VIP tours and Seating, Lounges, Premium Parking, and so much more. Take a dive into the details about this trend and where I think it should be going in the future in my latest article posted over at Blooloop this week!
(7/23/2026) Everywhere you look today, someone is talking about AI being used for one new task or another. Viral art and animated video clips? Sure! Horribly written news articles… yep… I’ve seen a ton of those too. Giving self-help suggestions to anyone who asks ChatGPT for help? Unfortunately… I’ve seen that done too…
But I’ve been trying to dip deeper than that, talking to a few people who have also studied just exactly what AI is really good at doing as the TOOL that it was designed to be. So keeping that in mind… my latest article published over at Blooloop this week takes a deep dive in the tech world of AI to discover the best ways it can be used to help the theme park industry, both as an internal tool for the parks as well as how it can be used to enhance the guest experience the right way.
(7/18/2026) For those interested, the Golden Ticket Awards 2026 will take place in the Austin, Texas area between Sept. 11 and Sept. 12, with the event split between the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock and new COTAland theme park in Austin. Registration to attend has now been opened.
(7/17/2026) Pophouse, the company behind the ABBA Voyage hologram show, has now acquired “a stake in the publishing and master music rights, and the name, image and likeness rights, of Iron Maiden.” This new partnership will allow Iron Maiden to move forward with “new creative projects” that will connect with both existing and new fans.
Pophouse is also working with other artists, including KISS, Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner.
(7/14/2026) Back in 2020 I set about to create a list of the world's best themed attractions, but then something great happened. Over the past 6 years attraction designers around the world have really stepped up to create so many more new and utterly fantastic mind blowing attractions that I felt it was time to update that list to show off the 26 World's Best Themed Attractions to the readers of Blooloop. Be sure to check out the list to see where your favorite ranks... or to see if it fell off the list.
(7/2/2026) This is shaping up to be a very interesting year for the waterpark segment. Normally North America is home to the majority of major new projects, but not so much this year as the international markets have stepped up in 2026 and are behind a ton of huge new projects! Follow the link over to Blooloop to read the full article about the top new waterpark additions for 2026!
(6/27/2026) Are you ready for the rise of the "Quiet Celebration"? More parks than ever will put on aerial drone shows this year... some adding them in addition to fireworks, while some are using them as a cleaner and quieter replacement for your typical fireworks sky show. SeaWorld San Diego is even being forced into an all drone show replacement for their former fireworks show due to a settlement with local environmentalist groups.
How do you feel about this? Better for the planet, or just a sign that the future of night sky entertainment is finally coming into its own? Head on over to Blooloop to read more about this rising industry trend.
(6/11/2026) In early 2020 I created a list of what I felt were the 14 top themed roller coasters of the decade, and I think that they really set the bar high enough that thus far in the 2020's, we've already seen so many more highly themed rides opened at theme parks around the world! So today I invite you to visit blooloop to take a look at the Best Themed Roller Coasters of the 2020's... so far...
(6/5/2026) Six Flags America is now closed... and as we face the pending closure of California's Great America at the end of the 2027 season, this week I thought it would be great to take a look back at what caused the demise of 7 other theme parks that were open for decades, only to suddenly fail and shut down for good, forever leaving a hole in their respective communities. Read the full article over at Blooloop this week.
(5/20/2026) While we often see success stories about different theme parks from around the world, today it is time to remember some of the biggest losers. Today I go into detail about the eight biggest theme park flops that took place in the US, parks that lost it all due to serious miscalculations, mismanagement, high ambition, or just from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Give the list a read through and see if you can think of any others that should have also been included in the list.
(5/13/2026) A couple of weeks ago I was pondering how Six Flags appeared to be shedding some of their smaller market properties in order to focus on their larger properties, including those that could grow to include hotels and turn into more of a resort experience. This week however, I take a look at the opposite end of the industry spectrum as we are seeing a huge rise in Micro, Mini and so-called Boutique Park experiences and attractions.
So while the giant park resorts continue to grow bigger… they also require a larger time and money investment. As a result, I think we’re seeing a huge rise in smaller attractions that can be seen in a weekend, a single day or even in just an hour or two. Follow the link to read all the details about this growing attraction trend.
(4/27/2026) Big amusement news from Washington DC this week as the Smithsonian Carousel has returned to the National Mall. The classic 1947 Allan Herschell carousel has a bit of history to it as well, having started out as the Gwynn Oak carousel from Baltimore before being relocated to the National Mall in 1981. In Gwynn Oak the carousel played a prominent role to mark the end of segregation at the park on the same day that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech just 40 miles away in the capital on Aug. 28, 1963.
The carousel ran as a private attraction through to the end of 2022 when the Smithsonian purchased the carousel and closed it in early 2023 to begin a three-year renovation project, in order to reopen it in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
(4/3/2026) With the introduction of the new autonomous Olaf character at Disney Adventure World, I believe we may have just crossed an invisible technology threshold that could change the way theme parks operate forever. Mixing this with cutting edge AI technology and data processing, we can now change the theme park experience forever from a passive one where the guest is only an observer into an active and remembered participant in a never ending story.
Follow the link to see what I envision the future could be like.
(3/21/2026) Pophouse, the company founded by ABBA singer Bjorn Ulvaeus, and ultimately responsible for the beloved hologram style ABBA VOYAGE show in London has been making a number of very interesting moves lately.
In 2024 Pophouse made headlines when it was announced that KISS had sold their entire music catalog, brand name and their likenesses to them. Other headlines at the time placed JOCOUP Creative (founded by former Universal Creative execs) were working with them all on how to essentially immortalize KISS in similar fashion to ABBA VOYAGE following their retirement from live performances.
Jump ahead to the present day and it seems Pophouse has now worked out a deal with BMG to become the majority stakeholder in “the music and interests of the catalogue” of the late Tina Turner, including name, image and likeness rights. According to Pophouse, this is being done to produce “a series of creative projects to celebrate Tina Turner’s remarkable music and persona and secure her legacy as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
On top of this, the article also mentions that prior to this Pophouse had also struck a similar deal to acquire Cyndi Lauper’s music catalog as well. So while we only have ABBA VOYAGE today, it seems that Pophouse is working to ensure that many famous musical performers will be able to use technology in order to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
For example, this could be a great way to bring back acts like Daft Punk, who had chosen to break up and so their separate ways, much to the disappointment of their fans. So I’m looking forward to seeing where this new technology and creative pathways will take us and which other music icons might take an interest in this route.
Internet Finds - (9/8/2026) A great article about the influence sound has on attractions and the visitor experience in general has been posted to blooloop this week. Follow the link to check it out!
(8/20/2026) A new Jumanji experience is coming to Zero Latency VR centers around the world just before the end of the year. Look for the new Jumanji: The Lost Levels experience to launch on December 4, 2026.
(8/19/2026) Many years ago Marriott jumped into the theme park industry and created two theme parks of their own back in 1976: Marriott’s Great America in Santa Clara, California and a second one shortly after just North of Chicago in Illinois. Then Marriott decided to get out of the business, with the Illinois one getting sold and being renamed as Six Flags Great America while the California park went through a series of owners and names, going from Great America to Paramount’s Great America and then into California’s Great America. Ironally, following the merger of Cedar Fair and Six Flags, they are both now under the same ownership once again.
But… would you believe that Marriott may be getting into the attraction’s business once again all these decades later? Though instead of offering experienced based on speed, inversions and high altitude plunges, they’re now looking for you to slow down and experience new forms of health and relaxation.
To this end, Marriott is now joining forces with Therme Group to explore new concepts they can bring to life to promote the future of “wellness” within the travel and hospitality industry. The idea right now is to introduce the “Therme” concept to Marriott Bonvoy members and promote travel packages to Marriott resorts that would also offered connected experiences to nearby Therme destinations.
(8/1/2026) A great new article has been posted over at blooloop this week detailing how a huge influx of children’s IP brands are beginning to reshape the attractions industry, as seen from the launch of everything from Bluey at Disney, Universal’s Kids Resort, Peppa Pig stand alone parks, and kid-centric additions from Minecraft to Paw Patrol.
(7/18/2026) It was reported that Disney Legend and theme park creative mind, Don Iwerks, passed away last week at the age of 96. Iwerks expertise was in the use of film camera and projection systems, which he used working for Walt Disney starting in the 1950, following in the footsteps of his father, Ub Iwerks.
Don Iwerks had a hand in the creation of a number of well known theme park innovations, including Disney’s 360º Circle-Vision camera system, 3D systems and even built the projection system used for Star Tours. After 35 years with Disney, Don branched off to form his own company, “Iwerks”, in 1986 who was a pioneer in designing and installing 3D/4D Theater attractions and the smaller Turbo Tour motion simulator seats systems, as well as working with IMAX to create the unique triology of attractions that premiered within the Luxor casino in Las Vegas. Iwerks was acquired by SimEx in 2001 and they folded their products together to form SimEx-Iwerks, which is still very active today in the world of theme parks and innovative attractions.
(7/16/2026) One troubling item for theme parks and ride manufactures to navigate these days involves the issues of trade tariffs, as hardware is shipped from one country to another to build the thrill rides and attractions we call love. The issue of tariffs has been something constantly in flux since the US introduced new trade tariffs rules last year. Blooloop has created an in-depth report with the latest information to help us understand how this new trade process is having a major effect on the industry all around the world.
(7/12/2026) Now this is easily the most unique piece of theme park merchandise we’ve seen in a long time! To celebrate International Themed Smell Day, professional theme park scent consultant Liam R. Findlay has officially launched a quirky new card game titled Theme Park Smells!
Designed in a classic "Top Trumps" battle style, the game immortalizes the exact, iconic aromas used by major attractions worldwide to create immersion. The cards feature custom, non-AI illustrations representing legendary scents ranging from Disney’s popcorn carts and Spaceship Earth’s burning Rome aroma, to Pirates of the Caribbean water, Universal fog, and even Alton Towers' Wicker Man woodsmoke. The game ranks cards across categories like Potency, Appeal, and "Stench"—yes, there is a card for Journey Into Imagination's infamous skunk blast! It's a hilarious, highly nostalgic trip down memory lane for die-hard ride enthusiasts.
(7/8/2026) Blooloop has posted a great article about how the Disney theme parks often serve as a “launchpad” for those who may have started there early in life as a temporary college age job, only to take their experience and the lessons learned with them out into the world into an assortment of major careers paths.
 (7/4/2026) The nominations page for the 2026 Blooloop 50 Immersive Influencer List is now open.
(7/3/2026) Nominations are now open for the 2026 Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer list!
(7/2/2026) Nominations are now open for the blooloop 50 Museum Influencer List 2026 and blooloop 50 Zoo & Aquarium Influencer Lists 2026.
(6/10/2026) In a disgusting bit of news, it seems that someone (or a loose organization of people) has been sending out a large number of bomb threats, targeting various US Zoo and animal attractions this week.
Gatorland in Orlando was forced to close on June 9th after receiving a bomb threat, and responded by evacuating the park and bringing in the local Sheriff's Office to perform a security sweep of the property.
Similar reports have also come in over the past month as hoax calls have come up at the San Francisco Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, as well as Zoo’s across Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, four Zoos in Ohio and more.
(6/5/2026) While there are countless inventions and new marvels introduced over the history the world, there are a select few that we can look back at and say that these particular technical innovations reshaped the world in one way or another. Inventions so radical, that they quite literally led to complete changes to our way of life on a daily basis.
The wheel… the printing press… the light bulb… the gas powered automobile… the airplane… GPS… the personal computer… the internet and others. Today we find ourselves on the cusp of the next big change with the introduction of AI toolsets to the general public. While the concept of “AI” isn’t quite what old sci-fi authors used to believe it could be (or not yet at least) what we are seeing are incredibly powerful digital tools able to perform some amazing feats through the processing of vast amounts of data.
As such, virtually every industry is currently looking into exactly what the best use of AI could be for them going forward. This includes the theme park and attractions industry, as they look into ways to use the technology to enhance their offerings, the way business is done, and even how to can be used to create new and innovative storytelling. Jump on over to Blooloop this week for a look at how AI is being looked at in order to transform the industry, and why the use of AI must come along with some good old fashioned human powered oversight and guidance for needed error corrections.
(6/2/2026) A couple of big industry news items have come to light this week here that may be a sign of some big changes taking place. For starters, it was announced in May that Utah’s Intermountain Lift has been purchased by Polargy, a company known for the manufacturing of data center infrastructure. Now, while Intermountain Lift is more known in amusement industry circles for their work in building thrill rides for a number of different ride designers, ranging over the years from Vekoma to S&S to Premier Rides, Chance, Setpoint and ART Engineering to name a few. However… thrill rides are not the only business that Intermountain Lift has been involved with, having been involved with the creation of steel infrastructure for a number of industrial plants and structural projects that range from stadiums to casinos. And yes… they’ve worked on data centers as well. Polargy on the other hand… well,it looks like they just do Data Centers and are looking to grow their efforts, because last month they not only purchased Intermountain Lift, but also another company named Forge Ranks who also creates structures and supplies needed to build Data Centers. So… I guess the question is, will Intermountain Lift still dabble in thrill rides or anything else under their new owners?
The other bit of news is going to upset a lot of roller coaster fans out there. According to some posts on social media, Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio, known for being the sole fabrication plant in the world for B&M roller coaster track and supports, is now said to have shut down in the past few weeks. I don’t know if this is a complete closure or a partial one, as the word being spread around is that B&M decided to end their contract with them to produce the track, and most of what we’ve heard about the place of the years, it seems like production for B&M had become the site’s main source of work and income. So if B&M has taken their work elsewhere… then the Ohio plant may have had no choice but to close if they didn’t have any other work.
According to another FB post, the last project that went out the door from Clermont Steel Fabricators was the track for Tormenta at Six Flags over Texas. So I guess the next question is… if Clermont isn’t making B&M’s track anymore, who is making the next generation of coasters for them? The only clue lies in another random FB post, where a former employee implies that the work “went to Hungary”. Hungary is where Stakotra Manufacturing is located, a company already known in the industry for their own coaster fabrication work, creating various projects for Intamin, Zamperla and Zierer over the years.
Now I don’t know for sure if this is where the future B&M work may be going, but the landscape is changing it seems. Changes that will affect project price points, as well as putting the quality of one manufacturing process plant over another under the microscope.
(5/30/2026) In a bit of unfortunate news, yet another large FEC attraction is shutting their doors. This has been a disturbing trend that has been on the rise ever since the pandemic, with one location after another being shut down. The cause is a little different in each case, but as always, it comes down to money. Either the attractions are being forced out because the don't’ own the land they sit on and their leases are not being renewed in order to sell the site to a new developer, or many accumulated too much debt trying to survive during the COVID years. Others have just simply fallen out of favor and have been unable to keep up with the times and upgrade their offerings at a reasonable price.
This latest victim was Splash City Adventure (formerly Sam’s Fun City) in tourist heavy Pensacola, Florida. The FEC actually closed down towards the end of 2025 and many hoped that it would find a new owner to bring it back to life. Unfortunately, this will not be the case, as a local “Mega Church” known as the Destiny Worship Center with multiple sites around the region has decided to buy the property for $2.75 million.
(5/14/2026) The Blade Runner IP has officially been licensed for a new project from Behaviour Interactive and PHI Studio to create an XR experience that will launch at several locations across North America in 2027. The goal is to create an incredible new “multisensory experience” that will blend the physical and virtual worlds into one.
The timing is interesting, as it will also take place at the same general time that Amazon Prime is expected to release their new Blade Runner 2099 original series. This will be a new live-action limited 6-episode series that serves as a follow-up to Blade Runner 2049 that is currently in production starring Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer.
(5/9/2026) Star Tours (and Star Wars in general) fans, you will want to check out a new non-commercial fan film inspired by the Disney Parks attraction. According to the creation, “This project was developed over several years as a passion-driven production, aiming to faithfully recreate the atmosphere, emotion, and sense of adventure that defined the original attraction experience for generations of park guests.”
“I was incredibly fortunate to have the support and involvement of key creative figures connected to the legacy of Disney Parks, including former Disney Imagineers Tony Baxter and Tim Delaney, whose work has deeply influenced the spirit of the project.”
The film is titled, “Star Tours: Last Launch” and can be found in English and French through the official website, with the short-films being posted for everyone to watch on YouTube. In short, this fan-film “combines practical filmmaking, visual effects, and cinematic storytelling” inspired by the Star Wars universe and Star Tours attraction lore.
According to the official description, “As the Empire extends its power across the galaxy, an encrypted communication between the intergalactic travel agency Star Tours and the rebellion is intercepted, threatening the cover of the rebel alliance.”
And honestly… if for no other reason, you’ll want to watch this as soon as possible, just in case Disney decides to send the lawyers out with Takedown requests. I’ve embedded the English version below, but follow this link to the official website to find the French version if you need it or want to learn more about how it was made!
(5/2/2026) Blooloop has posted a fascinating read this week, with an article about the process of designing and creating a dark ride. They go further in depth with the concept by speaking with five industry leaders in the process, hailing from Efteling, ETF Ride Systems, Alterface, Jora Vision and Europa-Park. Early design choices have a huge overall affect on the rest of the attraction design, including choices about the technical nature of the ride system as well as what role the guests are to take in the experience itself. For example, a slow journey where the guests are mostly passive passengers watching the story unfold may allow for a more causal or slower moving ride system, while a more high-action story or an interactive guest component may require a ride system able to react and move at a higher rate of speed. Then the whole overall footprint available for the attraction will also set physical limits that can not be easily changed, setting limitations in place that must be worked around to achieve the goal of the intended attraction concept.
(4/18/2026) A quick shout-out of congrats to Blooloop and Editor Bea Mitchell for being ranked the #4 “most-cited journalist by AI engines globally”. AI has come a long way since the early days when errors were frequent, and a lot of this has to do with teaching the AI engines how find and use correct and trusted news sources for their query responses.
So a big congrats to the Blooloop team on this achievement for being the top source for theme park and attraction industry news!
(3/11/2026) Not long ago I was trying to speculate as to why La Ronde was being operated by a new company from Kieren Burke, La Ronde Operations, Inc, rather than fall under Burke’s existing Premier Parks, LLC like the other parks Burke manages for EPR Properties. After all, Premier Parks operates several parks in Canada already.
Now according to the tweet below, it seems that the new La Ronde Operations, Inc company is also taking over the operations of Premier’s other Canadian properties including the Valcartier resort in Quebec, Calypso Park and Wet ‘n’ Wild Toronto.
The author does speculate that perhaps Premier Parks may be suffering from some issues of their own after announcing the upcoming shutdown of Wild Waves in Washington, and selling off their operational contract to run Pacific Park in Santa Monica. And we know Premier Parks gave up on running the Arkansas Twister wooden coaster at Magic Springs, but confirmed they were going to just leave it standing, as we can only assume they didn’t want to pay for demolition and removal. Oh... and Premier Parks did just sign a brand new lease-back deal with EPR in December 2025 for the Ocean Breeze park that they formerly owned... but are now just leasing it back from EPR in exchange for cash.
So now it appears that they are lumping all their Canadian assets under the new La Ronde Operations company. So I’m not sure what this says about the future of “Premier Parks, LLC” or the parks and attractions currently remaining under that banner. I believe only a few are actually owned by Premier Parks while most are simply run by Premier for other owners, such as EPR Properties.
Anyone know more?
(1/19/2026) Would you believe that a deal is apparently in the works to bring another SPHERE performance venue to the US? And would you believe me if I said it was going to the Maryland’s National Harbor area just outside Washington DC?
As strange as it sounds, apparently this is the real deal, however there will be one major change made to this second Sphere venue… instead of holding nearly 20,000 people for a concert performance, this new second Sphere will be smaller, with only about a 6,000 person capacity.
The Sphere Entertainment group is hoping to create a network of Sphere venues across the world, with another large Sphere said to be in the works for Abu Dhabi as well right now.
IAAPA - (7/9/2026) The annual IAAPA Expo 2026 in Orlando taking place from Nov. 17 - 20th will be bigger than ever this year. According to IAAPA the trade show floor will expand over from the typical main North / South building to also into the Orange County Convention Center’s West Concourse this year.
This is huge, as I recall first visiting IAAPA in Orlando back before the North/South building was completed and IAAPA was contained entirely within the complex’s original building, now known as the West Concourse. So if you thought you had to walk a lot just to see IAAPA Expo in Orlando in the past… you might want to bring a more comfortable set of shoes this year, because IAAPA will be bigger than ever as it expands to take over virtually the entire complex.
(3/10/2026) IAAPA released an important update earlier today regarding the IAAPA Expo Middle East event that was slated to take place in Abu Dhabi (UAE) from April 3-5th, 2026. According to the post:, “IAAPA has been closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East as recent events continue to unfold. The safety and well-being of IAAPA members, exhibitors, attendees, partners, and colleagues remains the association’s highest priority.”
“After careful consideration, the IAAPA Board of Directors met Tuesday and confirmed that IAAPA Expo Middle East will not move forward as planned. The decision followed extensive discussions with key stakeholders, including the IAAPA EMEA Regional Advisory Board, the IAAPA EMEA Manufacturers & Suppliers Committee, the feedback of the MENALAC Board of Directors, exhibitors, speakers, and local members.”
““This was not an easy decision,” said Jakob Wahl, President and CEO of IAAPA. “We recognize the time, investment, and commitment of our members and partners dedicated to what would have been the inaugural IAAPA Expo Middle East. We are grateful for their support and understanding as we prioritize the safety and best interests of our global community.””
The look forward to hopefully bringing the community together again at next year’s planned relaunch of the IAAPA Expo Middle East event, slated to take place April 12-15, 2027 in Abu Dhabi.
LEGACY ENTERTAINMENT - (3/10/2025) Legacy Entertainment reports that they are now working with Taman Safari, an owner of nine parks and four safari resorts across Indonesia. The deal will see Legacy create a new master plan as well as the design of some next-generation experiences and attractions, with a focus on updating the chain’s original park, Taman Safari Bogor.
The park opened in 1986 and while it has grown over the years, the growth was done rapidly to fit the growing needs of the park, but without an overall “unifying vision” to tie all the experiences together. The goal will be to implement next-generation designs to the Safari attraction with new storytelling that will “put the spotlight back on the animals at Taman Safari Bogor.”
More details are expected to be announced later this year.
(6/3/2024) Legacy Entertainment has been announced as the lead designer for the upcoming Beijing Haichang Ocean Park. The new marine themed park was first announced back in 2023 and is now expected to open in 2027, drawing an estimated 3.5 million visitors annually. Operated by the Haichang Ocean Park group, the park is intended to ‘strengthen the Beijing Sub-Central Cultural Tourism Zone, already home to Universal Studios Beijing.”
Over the last decade, the Legacy Entertainment team has been responsible for the design of several of the world’s most celebrated Aquariums and Oceanariums. Among these are The Sea Shell at VinWonders Phu Quoc in Vietnam, and the recently-opened Chimelong Spaceship, which currently holds seven world records. Legacy has previously collaborated with Haichang on the design of their flagship park in Shanghai. The 5 billion RMB park, which opened in 2018, has received a wide array of awards and accolades since its debut in 2018, including being named “China’s Best Theme Park” by numerous organizations.
 MATTEL - (8/23/2026) A local news update on the planned Mattel themed water park project says that the scope of the project has now been expanded to cover more than 13 acres with a 95,000 sqft indoor waterpark that will feature a retractable roof, a water slide towers up to 100 feet in height and a separate 45,000 sqft entertainment building. You might want to dis-regard many of the visuals show in the news broadcast however, as they chose to post a number of pieces of concept artwork pieces of the stalled Mattel Adventure Park project and roller coasters in Arizona, which is not connected in any way to the Mattel themed waterpark project.
(5/20/2026) When the Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark concept was announced, it was said that they were working on plans for five different US locations. This started with Orlando, and then two more were announced for Bellevue, Nebraska and Bradley, Illinois.
Today we now have details released for a 4th location, coming to Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, located along the busy I-95 freeway corridor, just a few miles south of the Virginia state line. Personally, I find the location a little odd, as that general area of North Carolina is a bit barren compared to other areas within the state. Of course, those more populated areas usually already have their own waterparks, so I guess the idea was to try a location that was kind of in the middle of several more populated areas, with Richmond, VA to the north, Raleigh/Durham to the west, NC’s Outer Banks area to the east and placed like Fayetteville and Wilmington located far to the south.
This latest announcement comes from the Carida Capital Group, who also announced plans the open the Weldon Mills Resort in Roanoke Rapids in 2029. They list the Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark as the resort’s crowning jewel, being designed in partnership with Martin Aquatic and American Resort Management and I-Dentity Group. The Weldon Mills Resort is the forthcoming evolution of the Weldon Mills brand, which currently includes the Weldon Mills Theatre, the Carolina Crossroads Amphitheatre, Carolina Crossroads Motorsports, and the six-time award-winning Weldon Mills Distillery.
(1/15/2026) Reports indicate that the proposed Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark project in Orlando is looking at building on an 11-acre site at 15845 State Road 535, aka: the south end of Apopka Vineland Rd, just south side of where it passes under the 417 Toll Road, just past the Lake Buena Vista Factory Outlet Stores. Follow the link to see the site in Google Maps.
(12/17/2025) According to an official update from Mattel’s Global Corporate Communications division sent to Screamscape, they have provided us with the locations of the first three Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks. Previously only a plan to build a location in Orlando was announced during IAAPA last month, but Mattel has now confirmed two more locations: Bellevue, NE and Bradley, IL.
Bellevue, Nebraska is located on the southern side of Omaha, and about a 2.5 hour drive north from Kansas City, Missouri or 2 hours west from Des Moines, Iowa, or just under 3 hours south from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. So the area is serviceable by several larger population centers.
Bradley, Illinois is located a little over an hour south of Chicago, about 2.5 hours from Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Springfield, and just under 4 hours drive from St. Louis.
“Mattel Indoor Waterparks will be immersive aquatic destinations in the U.S. that bring Mattel’s iconic brands, like Barbie, Hot Wheels and many more to life as thrilling water-based attractions for all ages. The waterparks will be developed in partnership with aquatic design firm Martin Aquatic, waterpark management firm American Resort Management, and developer I-dentity Group.”
National Roller Coaster Museum - (3/29/2026) Amusement Today offers a fantastic look at a fully restored Iron Wolf lead car from the former Six Flags Great America roller coaster, which was the first official ride ever built by B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard). When the coaster was retired, the National Roller Coaster Museum and archives received one of the cars and through anonymous funding by two contributors, the car was restored to feature its original look, color scheme and logo. Even the restraints on the display car have been restored back to original colors and condition… so no belt restraint.
While the museum itself isn’t ready for daily operations, they are hosting a number of special events throughout the year where you can gain access and get a guided tour of the huge collection they have ready to display! Currently they have the follow events on their schedule:
ACE Post-Spring Con Event - May 18, 2026
Back to the Museum - July 18, 2026
Night at the Roller Coaster Museum - Oct. 9, 2026
Follow the link for more information and to find out how you can attend.
NEON / Victory Hill - (12/7/2025) NEON is bringing their touring Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold attraction to the UK’s Battersea Power Station starting on February 28, 2026. NEON’s Ramses attractions has been touring the globe over the past few years with stops in Paris, San Francisco, Sydney and Tokyo.
TAIT - (3/8/2026) According to Blooloop, TAIT has now acquired Silent House Group, “an Emmy Award-winning production studio and creative agency that designs and produces large-scale events.” According to the article, TAIT and Silent House Group have been partners together for many years across many productions, including Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, Backstreet Boys Sphere Residency production in Las Vegas, as well as productions from Tyler the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Jonas Brothers and more. So the new deal will now put all these production groups now under the TAIT house banner for better integration.
Warner Brothers Discovery - (2/28/2026) For those who keep a careful eye on who owns what IP, the slate of mergers and purchases going on in Hollywood over the past several years has been a bit like keeping focus after getting off a spinning thrill ride and feeling a bit dizzy.
Disney buys 20th Century Fox, Amazon buys MGM, Discovery buys Warner Bros, Skydance buys Paramount, and that was before the bidding war started between Netflix and Skydance/Paramount to try and gobble up the struggling Discovery/Warner Bros combo. We now appear to have a winning in the bidding war, as Netflix has officially dropped out after opting not to match Skydance’s latest purchase offer to take over the WB film studio, the HBO Max streaming platform, and a whole collection of cable channels which includes CNN, Cartoon Network, Showtime and more. The estimated purchase price is around $77 Billion and upon taking over WB’s delt, the total Skydance deal will be for over $110 Billion. Keep in mind that Paramount also had to pay Netflix a $2.8 billion “Break-Up” fee, just to walk away from the deal that they once essentially had locked-in.
Not a bad pay-day for Netflix if you ask me… though by walking away they are allowing for the creation of a third mega streaming service competitor. Prior to this merger, Netflix was reported as having about 325 million subscribers, followed by Disney’s combined HULU and DIsney+ sum of 196 million. HBO Max was in third place with 132 million followed by Paramount+ with 79 million, but eventually those two are going to merge together once this deal is done, which makes for 211 million subscribers, putting them over Disney’s current numbers. The deal is interesting from a Netflix point of view, as it will effectively freeze any major development from HBO MAX and Paramount+ until after the merger is complete, and then it will be on like Donkey Kong between Skydance and Disney to battle for the #2 spot while Netflix can just watch and keep doing what they do best from the top of the mountain.
Now, if course the Department of Justice is going to have to sign off on this merger, and that alone could be a huge ask, as this is yet another deal that is going to merge a lot of players together under one roof, creating more of a monopoly situation between a small number of companies who will ultimately have control over the media and entertainment landscape going forward. Based on the approvals of all the previous mergers however, the current political climate has been fairly uninterested in stopping these kinds of deals thus far, so we’ll have to wait and see, and then determine what kind of fallout may take place within the theme park universe.
|
