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New Theme Parks and Resorts - (5/15/08) Dubailand has announced the finalization of the master plan for the Marvel Superhero theme park project. The 4.5 million square foot project will consist of three themed areas: City Centrum, The HUB and The Marvel Academy. The article goes on to mention three of the park’s rides by name: Flying with Spidey, Fantasticar, and X-men: Danger Room, all of which are currently undergoing “offsite trial runs”. In total the park will offer 17 different rides and attractions. The groundbreaking is expected to take place in early 2009 and the park should be ready to open by December 31st, 2012.
  (5/8/08) An article posted to ArabianBusiness.com says that Dubailand is on track to meet its deadline to open Phase One by December 2010, which is supposed to include the new Universal Studios Dubailand opening on December 10th, 2010. It goes on to say that of the 24 major projects in development, all of them should have started construction before the end of this year with six of them already well under way. The estimated total development cost for all of Dubailand is said to be a jaw-dropping $63.9 billion!
  (5/7/08) The large Lego Miniland model of the The Burj Dubai seen in yesterday’s press release is currently on display already at the Arabian Travel Market as seen in these pictures (see below) sent in by a reader.
  (5/6/08) Merlin Entertaiment has announced the creation of Legoland Dubailand this morning and sent out pictures of the first model created at Legoland California for the new park, a Lego version of The Burj Dubai, which upon completion will be the world’s tallest building. The model is made of nearly 140,000 LEGO bricks and took a team of model builders 1,342 hours to research, design and build. This model is the first of many of Dubai’s amazing landmarks LEGOLAND California’s Model Team is building for Miniland Dubai. Legoland Dubailand is scheduled to open by the end of 2011 and will be a 3 million square-foot theme park that features 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions. Merlin Entertainment and Tatweer are also looking at building a number of other possible developments including Legoland themed hotels and other Merlin Entertainment venues.
  (5/2/08) Another new theme park concept has been announced for Dubailand called Freej Dubailand, a 4-million square-foot family entertainment area themed around the characters of Freej, the Middle-East’s most popular 3D animated series. From the description, the “four elderly ladies in Freej” will serve as ambassadors to four distinct lands within the park: Window on UAE, Golden Age of Discovery, Myths & Legends and Land of the Freej, a replica of the neighborhood seen on the series. I believe this is the official website for the show and you can find a short video preview of the series as well.
  (4/21/08) According to this news report, Marvel Entertainment and Tatweer have finalize the design of the new Marvel superhero theme park going into Dubailand. The project will feature characters like Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk and Spider-Man and open by 2012. The deal was originally announced as a partnership between Marvel and Al Ahli Group but Tatweer has stepped in to oversee and develop the project. Al Ahli Group also had previously signed a deal with Nickelodeon, but it’s unclear if that deal has also gone over to Tatweer as well.
  (3/17/08) According to this progress update the Formula 1 Theme Park is on track to open in the third quarter of 2009. It also says that “the following year will see the launch of the first water theme park, Universal Studios and the City of Arabia.” In addition a golf course, Global Village, Dubai Outlet City, Plantation World and the Al Sahara Desert Resort are also expected to open in 2010.
  (3/7/08) Today we’ve got a quick note as to why Six Flags Dubailand will not feature any of the Time Warner characters as well as why Thomas was left out of the mix. First off Thomas is technically part of HIT Entertainment, who just signed their own deal with Dubailand on 2/22/08. Meanwhile Time Warner’s characters (which includes not only the various Warner Bros. properties, but also Looney Tunes and DC Comic characters) are all locked up by another pre-existing deal to build a Warner Bros. theme park in nearby Abu Dhabi.
  (3/5/08) I’ve got a couple of new tidbids on Six Flags Dubailand. According to Screamscape sources the park is looking to open in 2012 right now, though this could easily be pushed back a year depending on how quickly construction can begin. I was also told a surprising fact, that the deal would not include any rights to use Time Warner or DC Comic characters. So this means no Bugs Bunny, no Looney Tunes, no Batman: The Ride, no Superman coasters or drop towers… no Justice League. NADA!
  So this is why the press release only mentioned the newer properties Six Flags has acquired like The Wiggles and Tony Hawk. Funny though… Thomas was not mentioned either. It’s hard enough to imagine a Six Flags parks before Batman was introduced anymore, going back to when the first Batman: The Ride was first introduced back in 1992. But even before that Six Flags was always about Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes, so it’s hard to visualize just what Six Flags Dubailand will look like or even have in the way of Costume Characters at this point.
  (3/4/08) Six Flags has announced a deal with Tatweer (a member of Dubai Holding) to build new Six Flags Theme Parks in the Arab world, starting with Six Flags DUBAILAND. Groundbreaking is set for 2009 and the park is expected to feature attractions themed to The Wiggles, Tony Hawk and original shows and concepts. The deal will also seek to open other new Six Flags branded concepts across the region such as Six Flags branded hotels, restaurants, retail outlets as well as other theme and water parks.
  Tatweer’s other Dubai projects in development include Tiger Woods Dubai, Universal Studios Dubailand, the Dreamworks Animation park, the Hit Entertainment park and the Global Village project.
  It’s interesting to note that the press release keeps calling Six Flags Dubailand “the first Six Flags theme park outside of North America,” since they have apparently forgotten all about the previous managements wild but short run in Europe with parks like Six Flags Belgium and Six Flags Holland. And before everyone gets upset about Six Flags debt levels, keep in mind that Six Flags is likely not paying for any of these parks and instead will likely be paid very well for the rights to use the Six Flags brand names as well as their services in the creation of these new attractions. This can deal can only help Six Flags pay off their debts.
  (2/25/08) A good update on the various Dubiland projects can be found here. It mentions that the focus point of “Phase One” will be the Universal Studios park, Ernie Els Golf Course, Global Village, Dubai Outlet City, Plantation World, the Al Sahara Desert Resort and the Foruma One Theme Park. I believe the idea is to finish most of these by 2010.
  There is also the City of Arabia mall project that is said to be so large it may take your average shopper 20 hours just to walk through it all, which will also include the Restless Planet dinosaur theme park. All said the done City of Arabia will be the largest mall in the world for a short time as it seems there is a bigger project in the works elsewhere.
  They also mention the massive Aqua Dunya waterpark and resort that will include a full scale ship on it’s lake called the Desert Pearl that will be bigger than the QE2. The ship itself will contain a 400 room five-star hotel, a theater and a number of indoor attractions for the theme park. The Desert Pearl is actually the focus of the entire story behind the park, said to be a steam ship built by a boy who grew up fascinated with the sea, traveled the world and then returns to dock the ship in the Oasis where it was covered up by a stand-storm until the Aqua Dynya team discovered it in the desert.
  From the sound of it Dubailand may be divided into various themed “City” areas as it refers to Dubai Sport City which will have several stadiums, a Motor City area where the F1 Theme Park will be located and Dubai Outlets City. Other attractions and areas mentioned include: the Dubai Wheel (giant wheel), Dubai Lifestyle City (residential area), Beauty Land (for the ladies), Golf City (5 courses and villas, one of which I believe will be the Tiger Woods Dubai project), Falcon City of Wonders (more villas with plans to build a bigger version of the Eiffel Tower), a “health farm” and Education City. It seems this may be why the Universal Studios theme park is often referred to as Universal City Dubailand.
  All this is just the start too as countless other projects and expansions are in the works for Phase Two, all of which they want finished by 2020.
  (2/22/08) A deal has been signed with Hit Entertainment to bring a Little Big Club themed park project to Dubailand based on characters like Bob The Builder, Barney and Pingu.
  (1/21/08) According to this article, Tatweer (A Dubia owned real estate company) has signed a deal with Dreamworks Animation to create a Dreamworks branded theme park in Dubailand. Tatweer is main developer of the Dubialand project and is also connect to the previously announced Universal Studios Dubai project as well.
  (12/19/07) According to this article Restless Planet, one of Dubai’s new theme park projects, is set to open in late 2008. This dinosaur themed park attraction will cost $1 billion and use 109 different animatronic dinosaurs. Some of these next-gen dinosaur figures have been designed to be interactive. For example, they mention a a T-Rex with a sensor in it that will allow the beast to target and track guests wearing red as if they were prey.
  (5/8/07) A Screamscape reader was lucky enough to tour the preview center set up for the announcement of the new Universal Studios Dubailand park and sent in a ton of photos of this newest park which shows off a number of attractions, especially the unique looking King Kong coaster, signage for the 8th Voyage of Sinbad stunt show, something tied to Fast & The Furious, a Woody Woodpecker kiddie coaster, and an unknown yellow coaster. It also seems as if the Jurassic Park River Adventure will actually be more of a River Rapids style ride and not the same kind of ride that we’ve seen them build before. Take a look at the pictures and enjoy!