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Blackpool Pleasure Beach, one of the most popular amusement parks in the UK, will open in 2013 a new dark ride themed with Wallace and Gromit, the two famous animated characters created by British director Nick Park. The investment announced for this novelty is £5.25 million, or about €6.7 million.
The ride, whose manufacturer and main suppliers haven't been revealed yet, has been named Thrill-O-Matic. It will take visitors on a journey of 4 minutes in the heart of the crazy world of inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit through a dozen scenes inspired by some of their short films (A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Matter of Loaf and Death). The project is developed in collaboration with Nick Park and the animation studio Aardman that produces the adventures of these characters in plasticine since their debuts.
Thrill-O-Matic replaces another dark ride, Gold Mine, which closed at the end of the 2011 season after 40 years of operations. Work has already started and special hoardings featuring Wallace and Gromit have been installed to inform visitors. We also note that a shop will be present at the exit of the ride.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach managing director Amanda Thompson said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Wallace & Gromit to Pleasure Beach. Thrill-O-Matic represents a significant investment in the park and we know the characters will be a huge hit with the families who come and visit Pleasure Beach. Wallace & Gromit are national treasures and to have them here re-affirms our commitment to attracting families back to the resort for what we hope will be A Grand Day Out!”
Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit, said: “We are really enjoying working with the Pleasure Beach team on this new ride and new format for Wallace and Gromit and can’t wait to get started on building all the props and set pieces.”
Located in the popular tourist seaside town of Blackpool in northwest England on the shores of the Irish Sea, Blackpool Pleasure Beach is the property since 4 generations of the Thompson family which also owns other attractions and a hotel grouped together in Pleasure Beach Resort.
Last year, the park invested more than £10 million (about €12.7 million) for the creation of a new themed area for children in partnership with Nickelodeon. Nine new rides, including the first Mack Rides Twist'n'Splash were built around the characters of the famous television series of SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, The Fairly OddParents or Avatar: The Last Airbender. In 2012, the park has focused on renovations and new shows.
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Our Theme Park Supplier's News of the Week is a round-up of the latest news relative to companies supplying the theme park industry around the world. This weekly report covers topics such as corporate announcements, financial ...
The NewsParcs' Theme Park Supplier's News of the Week is a round-up of the latest news relative to companies supplying the theme park industry around the world. This weekly report covers topics such as corporate announcements, ...
Our Industry Roundup is a summary of the latest major news related to the theme park industry worldwide. We report news specifically on operators, owners, trade associations and related organizations, including trends, attendance...