Attractions Review 2019: December
It has been another momentous year in the attractions industry, and Attractions Management has been there reporting the big news, good and bad, all the way. After yesterday's look at the events of November 2019, today we move on to December 2019, considering some of the biggest stories that made the headlines this month.
Disney's Star Wars attraction portfolio expanded with the opening of a new ride in Florida, and in Seattle there was approval for funding towards a new aquarium pavilion. In the UK, astronaut Tim Peake called for more government funding for science attractions.
Rise of the Resistance ride opens
In the last month of 2019, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Located in the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge area of the park, Rise of the Resistance is a trackless dark ride and motion simulator, billed as one of the "most ambitious attractions ever created for a Disney Park". It features a heavily-themed, immersive queue line that brings riders face-to-face with Rey, BB8 and Kylo Ren before the ride has even begun.
After boarding an eight-seater vehicle, guests find themselves trapped on a First Order ship, at the centre of an epic battle between The Resistance and the First Order. To escape riders must travel through a series of elaborately designed sets, encountering druids, stormtroopers and Kylo Ren as they make their way through.
Seattle Aquarium funding
Construction of a new pavilion at the Seattle Aquarium moved closer, after the city council approved a US$34m (€30.7m, £25.8m) contribution towards the project.
The US$113m (€102m, £85.8m) 50,000sq ft (15,240sq m) Ocean Pavilion development will see a 325,000-gallon martini glass-shaped tank built to house sharks, stingrays, and schooling and reef fish from the South Pacific's Coral Triangle area.
The project will be part of a wider redevelopment of the Seattle waterfront that aims to triple the number of visitors to Seattle's downtown piers and increase attendance at the aquarium. With construction scheduled to start in 2021, Ocean Pavilion is expected to take two years to complete.
Astronaut Peake urges science funding
British astronaut Tim Peake has urged the UK government to invest more in science, education and research and development.
Since 1994, players of the UK National Lottery have raised more than £596m (€703m, $780m) for science-related projects, and speaking at an event celebrating the National Lottery's 25th birthday, Peake told the PA news agency that lottery funding enables children to visit science centres and museums for free, encouraging an interest in these subjects that could lead to them working in a scientific field.
"It's played a significant part in furthering science and education over the past 25 years and this can be seen in abundance through these attractions," said Peake. "I think slowly that the government is realising what our future is, whether it's around autonomous vehicles, whether it's around quantum computing, artificial intelligence, potential future energy sources such as nuclear fusion."
Check back with Attractions Management tomorrow for a look ahead to some of the top attractions set to open in 2020
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Disney's Hollywood Studios Orlando Florida Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Seattle Seattle Aquarium Tim Peake
Funding approved for LMN Architects-designed shark pavilion at Seattle Aquarium
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens at Disney World
Astronaut Tim Peake calls for more investment in science
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
