NEW OPENINGS 2020
World Builders Attractions Management rounds up 2020’s biggest openings across every sector of the visitor attractions industry THEME PARKS
PLANETARIUMS
Super Nintendo World
Shanghai Planetarium
Universal Studios, Osaka, Japan
Shanghai, China
Opening: Q2 2020
Opening: 2020-2021
A ¥60bn (US$552.6m) investment, Super Nintendo World is scheduled to open ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, meaning at the latest, it will be open to the public by the opening ceremony on 24 July. A similar scale and investment to Universal’s highly-successful Harry Potter attractions, the immersive Mariothemed addition to Universal Studios Japan will feature zones filled with modern rides, interactive areas, shops and restaurants. A Mario Kart ride – top of many Nintendo fans’ wish lists for the attraction has been confirmed, as has a Yoshi’s Adventure ride. Nintendo’s creative team has joined forces with Universal Creative on the project which is being designed to make people feel as though they “are playing inside their favourite Nintendo games”. A second phase of development, expected to open in 2021, will feature a Donkey Kong-inspired area, with additional Nintendo worlds planned for Universal’s parks in Orlando, Hollywood and Singapore.
Set to open late this year or in early 2021, the new Shanghai Planetarium will explore the mysteries of space, celebrate the history of Chinese astronomy and reflect the future ambitions of China’s space exploration programme. It will feature an optical planetarium, a digital sky theatre, an IMAX cinema, a solar telescope, an observatory and a range of galleries. Architects Ennead are behind the design, which will comprise of three buildings: the Oculus, the Inverted Dome and the Sphere. These structures will “act as astronomical instruments, tracking the sun, moon and stars, reminding visitors that our conception of time originates in distant astronomical objects.”
n The attraction will be the world’s largest planetarium when it opens to the public
n The new experience will help guests have a deeper appreciation for the important role sharks serve in the oceans
AQUARIUMS
Georgia Aquarium Atlanta, Georgia, US Opening: Q3 2020
n Super Nintendo World is anticipated to be one of Universal’s biggest draws 38
attractionsmanagement.com
A new US$100m gallery will house a variety of sharks, as the Georgia Aquarium expands to accommodate an increase in visitors. The expansion is a four-storey structure housing a one million sq ft (92,900sq m)
gallery – the aquarium’s seventh and most expensive – to house tiger sharks, hammerheads, sand tigers and silvertips. Boasting a floor-to-ceiling acrylic window, a number of animal interactions are planned. An extension of the aquarium’s conservation and education efforts, the experience “will help guests have a deeper appreciation for the important role sharks serve in the oceans and inspire them to join conservation efforts”. AM 1 2020 ©Cybertrek 2020