But we've got two entire new major parks debuting in 2016, as well. You probably already know about Shanghai Disneyland, so let's take a few moments to introduce you to motiongate Dubai.
Opening in October, motiongate Dubai will be a movie-themed park with franchises from DreamWorks, Lionsgate, and Sony, including The Hunger Games, Underworld, Ghostbusters, Zombieland, The Green Hornet, Hotel Transylvania, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Smurfs, Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon.
The park is the flagship of the new US$2.9 billion Dubai Parks and Resorts in Jebel Ali and will be operated by Parques Reunidos, the Spanish theme park company that runs Kennywood and Lake Compounce in the United States, among many other parks around the world. Given the often, uh, challenging heat in the United Arab Emirates, the majority of motiongate Dubai's attractions will be located indoors, opening some interesting creative theming opportunities for the park's designers.
The park will be divided into five themed lands, with three of the five devoted to the three participating movie studios. Let's take a look at the attraction line-up, starting at the entrance and moving counter-clockwise:
Studio Central
Sony Pictures Studios
Smurfs Village
DreamWorks
Lionsgate
The park will offer nine themed restaurants across the five lands, as well. Here's a preview video tour from the park, with a look at the current status of construction:
In addition to motiongate Dubai, the Dubai Parks and Resorts complex will include two other theme parks: Legoland Dubai and Bollywood Dubai. We'll be writing more about motiongate Dubai in the weeks leading up to its opening.
Previously:
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While Underwolrld and Zombieland haven't really been talked about that much in recent years, they were still popular at one point, so it's kinda understandable. But I don't think Green Hornet was ever popular. I don't think it was that much of a hit at the box office and I don't think the people who actually saw it really liked it that much. So, yeah, I don't really see how they expect this movie to draw in any big crowds.
The US Department of State offers suggestions to help tourists maintain personal safety when traveling to Dubai. Tourists should make sure they have their passport and visa documents in order and make multiple copies in case of theft. They also should locate the US embassy. The State Department suggests that American tourists maintain a low profile and vary travel routes. They also should not take packages or mail from or go anywhere with a stranger. As with any unfamiliar country, travelers need to avoid dark streets and alleys. Before arriving in Dubai, they need to familiarize themselves with local law enforcement in case of an incident.
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Tourists need to respect the customs and people of Dubai. Only restaurants and clubs inside hotels and resorts serve alcohol, and drinking in public is prohibited. Travelers visiting during Ramadan should not eat, drink or smoke during daylight hours. Visitors should not take pictures of military installation or Muslim women, and should ask permission before taking pictures of men.
From the preview, the park looks solid, diversified and fun. It also has a lot of new IP and attractions not available anywhere else. Let's hope it's as good as the video.
Also, Anon, there are two Hunger Games attractions in the Lionsgate section: Capitol Bullet Train and Panem Aerial Tour.
Let the games begin!
So... it's not our thing in America. We're not the target market and Dubai can do very well without us. However, it's a HUGE and growing destination for Europeans (how many football kits have I seen advertising airlines and other businesses in the UAE?) And it's a HUGE market for themed entertainment designers in the U.S. Heck, two of the firms working on this are located within three miles of my house in Southern California.
As for the green hornet attraction, one of the better attractions at disneyworld is dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, based on a movie not many people remember, including me.
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