Amusement/theme parks have been entertaining families and thrillseekers for generations, evolving over the years to feature newer, smoother and better themed attractions. But some of these parks we know and love today are older than you’d expect- some even date back to the 1840s! Many of the world’s oldest theme parks elaborate histories with remnantsContinue reading “Magic and History: The oldest theme parks around the world”
Tag Archives: theme park history
From Cyberspace to the Desert: history of Chessington’s 5th Dimension and Terror Tomb
Over the past decades Chessington World of Adventures in the UK has been known for it’s immersive, family-friendly experiences, particularly in its earliest years. At this park you can fly through the trees of Transylvania with a vampire, venture into an African safari, and get up close and personal with tigers, but as the WorldContinue reading “From Cyberspace to the Desert: history of Chessington’s 5th Dimension and Terror Tomb”
Rides That Never Left The Drawing Board- Part 2 (Non-Disney)
If you read our previous post on Disney rides and attractions that were designed but never built, you’ll know that many attractions go through a few different drafts of an idea before finally building something. Parks outside of Disney (and maybe Universal) don’t do this as much, generally speaking, but it does still happen fromContinue reading “Rides That Never Left The Drawing Board- Part 2 (Non-Disney)”
Rides That Never Left The Drawing Board- Part 1 (Disney Parks)
It takes years for a new ride or attraction to be constructed, from the initial planning permissions being submitted and approved, to the announcements and teasers, to construction then finally a grand opening. But some rides never get off the ground, with plans being kept in storage or scrapped altogether. Join me in exploring whatContinue reading “Rides That Never Left The Drawing Board- Part 1 (Disney Parks)”
Arrow Masterpieces from Around The World
November 1945 was the beginning of something incredible for the amusement park industry, which then was practically non-existent, other than a few regional parks temporarily closed (that sounds all too familiar!) due to the Second World War. In a small workshop in Northern California, engineers Karl Bacon and Ed Morgan began a machine shop, andContinue reading “Arrow Masterpieces from Around The World”
The Secret Formula: the success and sad removal of Chessington’s Bubbleworks
Throughout the late 80s and early 90s, attraction designers like John Wardley were working hard to bring the American concept of a theme park to the UK, and a lot of the parks we know and love today, Thorpe Park, Chessington, Alton Towers and more, were all being redeveloped or built to fit into thisContinue reading “The Secret Formula: the success and sad removal of Chessington’s Bubbleworks”
The Thorpe Fire of 2000- the event that changed the park forever
The aims, target audience and actions of all theme parks and park companies are largely influenced by past events, some more than others. Sometimes these events will only affect small aspects of the park, such as a ride closing or being rethemed, but occasionally they can change the future of the park and it’s ownersContinue reading “The Thorpe Fire of 2000- the event that changed the park forever”
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