From sharing a moment, getting a lifelong-memorable snap shot with favourite cartoon characters like Micky Mouse, Donald Duck and Tom & Jerry to the fastest, crazy and heart pounding rides on roller coasters and having a glimpse of animals can swing anybody’s mood to high degrees. Theme parks around the world are not only entertaining centres for the tourists and locals with the latest rides and food courts but are also generators of huge revenues. With the passage of time, theme parks have consolidated their presence and consequently they attract huge crowds throughout the year. It’s not just youngsters who prefer going to theme parks. Even parents and grandparents like visiting these places for they want to miss out on anything which gets them charged up and rejuvenated. Due to this very reason, theme parks have become favourite tourist destinations.
The oldest amusement park opened in Klampenborg, Denmark in 1583 is called Bakken. Since late 90s, the theme park industry has evolved to a global phenomenon, with development of everything from large, worldwide theme parks to countless smaller ventures. There are various global companies that are into theme park ventures. They include Disney Land, Merlin Entertainment, Cedar Fair, Universal Studios and Six Flags, which have all offered the new mode of entertainment to people so as to make them get the maximum enjoyment out of life.
World’s best theme parks
Some of the best theme parks around the world are as follows.
Disney Land California Adventure Park, California: This theme park combines the magic of Disney with the best that California has to offer. Once you enter the gates of Disney California Adventure, you are transported to the land of promise, opportunity and glamour. From Grizzly Peak (an icon at Disney's California Adventure Park) to a white knuckled roller coaster, the sights and sounds are inspired by the rich history of this majestic state. Guest of Disney California Adventure can ‘soar’ high above the pacific coastline, bobbing along white water rapids, tumbling down an elevator shaft or simply savour a glass of wine from the Napa Valley.
Heidi Park, Germany: This is North Germany's largest theme park. Besides 40 rides, the park is home to the world's tallest drop tower, ‘Scream’, as well as ‘Colossus’, which is one of the steepest wooden roller coasters in the world. The Heide Park complex includes a 440-bed holiday centre with Caribbean style huts. A resort hotel, The Port Royal, is also there in this park.
Coney Island (Astroland Amusement Park) Brooklyn, New York: This amusement park built at Coney Island offers loads of charm and family fun. For the thrill seekers, a ride on the world famous ‘Cyclone’ is a must. This ride boasts of six turns and nine drops within its one hundred second turn on the tracks. The Oceanside boardwalk at Coney Island is a salty three miles long and hosts a slew of outdoor cafes, restaurants and shops, not to mention Nathan's, the famous eatery known for its world-class hotdogs and French fries. One can even visit the circus sideshow or the aquarium for wildlife conser.
Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan Ontario:
Located just north of Toronto, Canada's premier park has over two hundred attractions and sixty five rides including ‘Mighty Canadian Minebuster’, the longest wooden roller coaster in Canada and the country's first inverted roller coaster, ‘Top Gun’. Included in the park is ‘Splashworks’ water park that boasts of water slides, wave pools, wading pools and a tube ride-down ‘The Lazy River’. Canada's Wonderland is a great place for kids and includes ‘Nickelodeon Central’ and ‘Hanna Barbera Land’, where kids can hang with heroes like Dora and Scooby Doo. This park offers a handful of restaurants and live shows to add to the excitement.
Park Asterix, Plailly France: This theme park has a pair of very scary roller coasters. ‘Tonnerre de Zeus’ in this park is a wooden coaster that turns its riders upside down and whirls them with several double loops. Another one is ‘Goudurix’, a nine hundred and fifty meter-long ride that flips upside down seven times. In addition to the coasters, this park has Roman and Greek zones as well as an old style Paris boulevard, which is full of street performers to entertain the masses.
Six Flags Magic Mountain, California: This amusement park offers many rides and attractions including ‘Fright Fest’, a monster coaster shrouded in darkness and Tatsu’, the fastest flying coaster in America amongst many others. The world famous ‘Goliath’ is a three minute ride that drops riders two hundred and twenty five feet at eighty-five miles per hour. Located twenty minutes north of Hollywood, Six Flags is heaven for the roller coaster lovers.
Huis Ten Bosch, Nagasaki, Japan: Huis Ten Bosch was designed to restructure a 17th century Dutch village. With its views of Kyushu's finest bay area, Huis Ten Bosch includes a resort, many shops and restaurants. One of the special attractions in this park includes ‘Horizon Adventure" where a virtual flood hits a tiny Dutch town, dousing it with eight hundred towns of water and hosts ‘Astro Gebouw’, a live astrology show.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, England: This amusement park can be called a capital of roller costers. Blackpool includes ‘Valhalla’, a coaster that hurtles its riders through pitch black at high speeds, leaving everybody thus breathless. Another coster on the offering is ‘Infusion’, the first suspended looping coaster. It has plenty of attractions for children as well as live entertainment including ‘Hot Ice’, a dancing on ice show, which adds real thrill.
Universal Resort and Island of Adventure, Orlando: This Universal theme park is a combination of two spectacular theme parks. From high-speed roller coasters to whimsical children’s rides to groundbreaking 3-D attractions, Islands of Adventure is where once-in-a-lifetime experiences happen every day. There's even more excitement on the horizon with the announcement of the Harry Potter, ‘theme park within a theme park’ coming to Islands of Adventure. Fans will be immersed in the adventures of the world’s most popular wizard in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, scheduled to open in 2009.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia: This theme park is known for its nausea-inducing roller coasters. The ‘Apollo's Chariot’ ride has nine drops, the first plunging 210 ft (or 21 stories). The park is divided into nine European ‘hamlets’ that celebrate English, Scottish, German and Italian culture. Since Virginia is too cold for zebras and elephants, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has Jack Hann's Wild Reserve, where guests can spot wolves and lorikeets.
Retail at theme parks
Theme parks come among the greatest crowd pullers. As they offer interesting and entertaining activities for everyone irrespective of age group, they do witness heavy rush throughout the year. From the latest inflatable machines, roller coasters, joy rides, water rides, family rides, rotating wheels and vending machines to the latest electronic games, simulation gadgetry and fast food courts, theme parks offer everything that not only attracts kids or teenagers but also adults including elderly persons. Theme parks have even led to the growth of tourism sector. One can say that, today, theme parks have become favourite picnic spots for families, which are looking forward to leisure and get rid of hectic day-to-day schedule. Disney remained the top chain with 116.5 million visitors worldwide last year, followed by Merlin Entertainment with 32.1 million visitors. Universal drew 26.4 million visitors, followed by Six Flags with 24.9 million and Busch with 22.3 million. Cedar Fair came in the sixth place, with 22.1 million visitors in 2007. This industry directly or indirectly provides employment opportunity to 1.5 lakh people globally. To attract more and more customers, theme parks are coming up with new and innovative ways or facilities like group passes, annual passes and seasonal passes.
Big theme parks also make the provision of resorts, hotels, shops, food courts, entertainment etc. Besides fun with family members or friends in theme parks, one can shop for favourite costumes, books, toys, games and DVDs of the latest movies. Theme parks have dedicated space for shopping centres and through these, they generate significant revenues. Along with providing ultimate lodging and shopping experience for the tourists, theme parks directly help in the growth of tourism industry and hotel industry. As theme parks also provide hotel bookings for tourists, they directly help the tourism industry and hotel industry.
Revenues
A slowdown in global economy has pushed many business establishments into neck deep crisis. However, theme parks are still able to generate huge profits. Disney's profits have risen 22 per cent despite slowdown in the economy. Disney earned $1.13 billion (£0.6 billion or approximately Rs 45.2 billion) in the three months ended 29 March 2008, compared with $931million (approximately Rs 37.24 billion) a year earlier. Six Flags registered a growth of 35 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 and its total revenues went up to approximately $68 million (approximately Rs 27.02 billon). Cedar Fair Entertainment Company witnessed 35 per cent increase in its net revenues which went up to $40.4 million (approximately Rs 1.62 billion) in first quarter 2008 from $30.0 million (approximately Rs 1.2 billion in 2007.
The companies into theme parks are leaving no stone unturned to provide ultimate holiday experience to people. They are coming up with innovative and uniquely conceptualised theme park ideas in different parts of the world. With more and more people opting for international holiday tours, theme park industry is indubitably to grow by leaps and bounds.
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