fun parks
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Baghdad Disneyland Style
By rocky | April 25, 2008
Well the streets might be just as safe as LA but that isn’t stopping the US based company U3’s plan to turn the old Baghdad Zoo into a Disney style theme park in Iraq’s capital. The Times has reported today that the park is going to be a huge US style adventure park with rides, concert theater, museum and will cost in the vicinity of $500 million to construct. Before the US invasion the Baghdad Zoo was one of the city’s more popular attractions but many of the animals died and many more were abandoned or stolen for food. The Zoo is slowly opening with bears, lions and ostriches already on show, a huge skate park is the next thing to open sometime around June. The C3 Company is using a development company which has worked closely with Disney so some pretty amazing things are planned and it is hoped that this park is only the start of making Baghdad a much more happier place for it’s young and families.
Topics: Animals, Middle East, fun parks | No Comments »
All aboard the Dollywood Express
By rocky | March 16, 2008
In the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee USA at Pigeon Forge lies one of America’s best family theme parks, Dollywood. Owned by country music superstar Dolly Parton the family friendly park has over 125 acres of rides and attractions, shops, dining and a whole array of music and entertainment. One of the highlights of the park is the magnificent Dollywood Express steam train. This authentic 110 ton coal fired steam engine takes visitors on an amazing five mile journey through the foothills of the great Smokey Mountains and into the adjoining farmland. Here visitors can see some of the USA’s most scenic countryside and even see a critter or two. For visitors planning a trip to Dollywood in the warmer months you better plan a couple more days because Dollywood’s Splash County theme park has just opened next door to Dollywood and is becoming one of the region’s biggest hits.
Topics: Americas, fun parks | No Comments »
A shopping mall as big as a small country
By rocky | March 6, 2008
Imagine a shopping mall as big as a small country, well the West Edmonton Mall in Canada is bigger than Vatican City- hows that. It’s huge with over 350,000 square metres of shopping and entertainment. The huge complex employs around 23,000 people and has anything up to 150,000 people shopping, dining or having fun there every day. Along with over 800 shops the centre has a monstrous entertainment zone which would rival any theme park with an icerink, waterpark with wave pool and huge waterslides. An aquarium which is home to sea lions, and a submarine ride which had more submarines than the Canadian Navy until recently. Roller coasters, golf, theatres, a casino and even a replica of Christopher Columbus’s ship the Santa Maria. There even a huge nightclub and restaurant district called Bourbon street which has comedy clubs, rib houses, bars and some great pizza. There’s a China town and even a flash new Europa Boulevard which sells the latest European fashion- and I must mention the flock of pink flamingos, the shooting range and the cinemas. The place is just amazing. You need at least 2 days if not an entire week to really absorb the place and you probably need just as long to find your car in the 20,000 car carpark. There are plans to make the place even bigger, they are not to happy about being knocked off as the biggest by a new centre in Dubai and another huge place being built in Beijing. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Americas, Food, Hotels, Must see, fun parks | No Comments »
Jurrasic Park the Ride
By rocky | March 3, 2008
Stephen Spielberg’s classic film Jurassic Park still holds the title of one of the world’s biggest grossing films of all time. In Florida, California and in Osaka Japan Jurassic Park has come to life in the form of a spectacular theme park adventure ride. Jump aboard a boat and travel 65 million years back in time and come face to face with some of the most amazing creatures that have ever walked this earth including the a scary encounter with a giant T Rex before dropping 85 feet down a waterfall. Universal Studios is going through a worldwide expansion and new parks are planned for Dubai, Singapore and South Korea it is hoped this great attraction will also be seen there soon.
Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Americas, Asia, Middle East, fun parks | No Comments »
Plenty of trolls and a fairytale palace
By rocky | February 22, 2008
Hunderfossen Park in Norway’s Lillehammer is fun for all ages with over 50 activities and attractions. One of the highlights is Troll Park where a huge Troll guards the activities including Norwegian themed water rides and other amusement rides. The park also features and Eldorado which features a petting zoo, car rides for the young and even a gold digging area. There is a great 4D theatre experience based around Petra the bug and her creepy beetle friends and for the bigger kids some great rafting attractions. The centre of the park has a huge fairytale palace set in a magic forest where traditional Norwegian folk stories are told here you can meet the Hunderfossen king and queen and plenty of trolls. Kids love it!
Topics: Europe, fun parks | No Comments »
Don’t spew off the Stratosphere
By wattsy | February 5, 2008
Las Vegas’ Stratosphere is the tallest free standing structure in Nevada at at 350m high its home to 3 thrill rides for those that have no issues with vertigo. The Big Shot is the highest ride in the world and shoots people up and down the towers mast. Insanity the Ride, opened in 2005, is the second highest ride in the world and dangles people over the edge while spinning them forcing them up and looking down to the ground. XSCREAM is the third highest ride in the world and it is like a rollacoster car that travels a short distance and gives you the feeling its going to keep going straight over the edge. A rollacoster once wound its way around the tower but was removed in 2005 to make way for Insanity the ride. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: USA, Youtube of the week, fun parks | No Comments »
Lousy amusement park and dirty old man shop
By rocky | January 29, 2008
We have done a lot of great amusement park stories like Disney, Seaworld and zoos and stuff so we thought it was about time we told you about a really crap one. This one’s called South of the Border and its on US interstate 95 in South Carolina. It’s called South of the Border not because its Mexican like Pedro it’s poncho and sombrero wearing mascot it’s because its just over the border from North Carolina. The attraction if we should call it that features a gas station and road house restaurant, a motel and a small amusement park and some shopping but we will come to that a bit later.
The whole complex is a bit kitsch and tongue in cheek, the owners really must know its bad, and having a bit of fun, everyone does, but they do a pretty good job promoting it for what it is- crap. It is well worth a look if traveling down Interstate 95, but don’t spend the day getting there, there are so many other things to do. And as for the shopping there, well they sell fireworks and adult items- as you would expect- not sure if you could buy guns and liquor there but I’d expect so. For the newly weds they have some lovely hotel rooms too, $99 gets you married, a night in an “heir-conditioned” honeymoon suite champagne and even breaky the next morning for both of you if you are still together, probably good if your trailer park isn’t romantic enough for the big night.
Topics: Americas, Hotels, Kitsch Stuff, Must see, USA, fun parks | 1 Comment »
A giant dome and a mouse for a mascot
By rocky | January 28, 2008
Well lets set this up first, we have found a theme park, the mascot is a mouse, the centerpiece of the park is a giant silver dome, there’s attractions representing different countries of the world and plenty of rides and fun for all. Well you have probably guessed where I’m talking of, well you are wrong, its not in the heart of Florida its in Germany! Europa Park is a park in Rust which is in the south western part of Germany between Freiburg and Strasbourg. The park is home to nine rollercoasters, some great shows including a very popular gladiator show, a 4d cinema and has a few other familiar attractions like jungle rafts, a Mississippi steamer and even a dwarf city and fairy tale alley. It still sounds a bit familiar doesn’t it, but there’s more- there’s a puppet boat ride, a ghost castle ride, even a pirate boat ride and they have a monorail and a castle too. The park is Europe’s second most popular park, guess what is the most popular, it has a mouse and pretty much most of the above- it’s just outside of Paris.
Topics: Europe, fun parks | No Comments »
Dinosaurs in Dubai
By rocky | January 25, 2008
I’m sure you all remember Jurassic Park where dinosaurs roamed a theme park to the amusement of visitors, well guess what its coming true in Dubai, well nearly. Restless Planet opens later this year and over billion dollars is going to build an amazing theme park with robotic dinosaurs roaming the park. The are going to be nearly 40 different types of dinosaur and they are going to be so technically advanced they will be able to sense visitors and fully interact with them. As well as dinosaurs there will be places for kids to do a fossil dig and the park will double as an entertainment park and also a very useful educational tool. The park will also feature volcanoes and landscapes which were around at the time of the dinosaur. Designers are working closely with the National History Museum in London and the makers of the amazing Walking with Dinosaurs TV show and arena event to pull of this spectacular theme park and ensure it is as real as possible. Restless planet will be the jewel of the huge City of Arabia project which will also feature the worlds largest shopping centre and housing for 35000 people and huge office development. It will basically form a new suburb and be is biggest entertainment development in the world, and is on the blocks next to the Burj Dubai which is now the world’s tallest building out dwalfing anything in the world.
Topics: Animals, Middle East, fun parks | No Comments »
Snow Caps in Florida
By rocky | January 20, 2008
Right in the centre of Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida there are snow capped peaks (well plastic snow) and an adventure water park like no other. Blizzard Beach is one of Disney’s water parks and it is a great place to get away from the big theme parks for a day and enjoy some sun, surf and snow. The park is set up like a ski resort complete with huge ski-jump which is actually a breathtaking waterslide and there are chair lifts, toboggan rides and the 90 ft Mount Gushmore slope. There’s a surf beach and even some freezing ice caves to explore on the Cross Country Creek which circles the park. There’s plenty of places for food and of course those Disney souvenirs and even a Polar Pub for the grown ups to enjoy a few quiet beers while the kids are playing. When planning your Disney adventure to Orlando factor in an extra day to enjoy Blizzard Beach.
Topics: Americas, USA, fun parks | No Comments »