Gardaland

Gardaland Resort


Gardaland's entrance
Location Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy
Coordinates 45°27′16″N 10°42′50″E / 45.45444°N 10.71389°E / 45.45444; 10.71389Coordinates: 45°27′16″N 10°42′50″E / 45.45444°N 10.71389°E / 45.45444; 10.71389
Owner Merlin Entertainments
Opened 19 July 1975
Operating season Spring-Summer & Holidays
Visitors per annum Increase 2.85 million (2015)
Area 26 ha (64 acres) (with Resort 35 ha (86 acres))
Rides
Total 33[1]
Roller coasters 6
Website Official website

Gardaland is an amusement park located in North-Eastern Italy. Opened 19 July 1975, the complex includes Gardaland, Gardaland Sea-Life, and the Gardaland Hotel. It is adjacent to Lake Garda, but does not actually face the water. The entire complex covers an area of 445,000 m2 (4,789,940 sq ft), while the theme park alone measures 200,000 m2 (2,152,782 sq ft). Sporting both traditional attractions and entertainment shows, it attracts nearly 3 million visitors every year.

In June 2005, Gardaland has been ranked fifth in the top ten amusement parks in the world with the best turnover by Forbes Magazine, and according to 2011 data is the eighth in Europe by number of park visitors.

Since October 2006, the park is owned by the British company Merlin Entertainments. Major attractions at the park include Mammut, Jungle Rapids, Fuga Da Atlantide, Blue Tornado, Ramses: Il Risveglio, Raptor and Oblivion: The Black Hole which opened on 28 March 2015.

History

The Castle garden

Built on the eastern shore of Lake Garda at Castelnuovo del Garda, Gardaland opened on 19 July 1975, between Peschiera and Lazise.[2]

It has expanded steadily in both size and attendance, topping 1 million visitors annually for the first time in 1984. By 2007, attendance reached 3 million.[3] Gardaland is now the eighth-most-popular theme park in Europe,[2] and is run and operated by the Merlin Entertainments Group. It has a total of 32 rides, including seven roller coasters and three water rides. The coasters are Blue Tornado, Magic Mountain, Sequoia Adventure, Raptor, Orto Bruco, Mammut and Oblivion: The Black Hole.[3] Fuga da Atlantide is a Shoot the Chute.[4]

Themed areas

The park has a number of themed areas, including Fantasy Kingdom. The Energy area has a number of extreme roller coasters.

Attractions

Note: the following list is incomplete. For a more comprehensive list of all the former and present attractions, see the unofficial site

Roller coasters

Name Picture Type Opened Area Manufacturer Additional information
Blue Tornado Steel sit down inverted coaster 1998 Energy Vekoma The Vekoma SLC (765 m [2,510 ft] Extended with helix) is situated near the entrance of the park, and stands 33.32 m (109 ft 4 in) tall from the ground. The track is 765 m (2,510 ft) long, and the main elements are a rollover, sidewinder and a double in-line twist ending with several high speed helixes close to the ground. Height restriction 1.4m
Magic Mountain Steel sit down coaster 1985 Energy Vekoma Vekoma Double Loop Corkscrew, and is situated on the lower level of the park. The oldest coaster in the park. It stands at 30 m (98 ft 5 in) above the ground and 700 m (2,296 ft 7 in) long. Its main elements are a double loop, double corkscrew and a rising helix. In 2009 the classic Arrow Dynamics trains have been replaced with the new model of Vekoma. Height restriction 1.2m
Sequoia Adventure Steel sit down 2005 Energy S&S Worldwide A sit down wild mouse coaster, the S&S Power Screaming Squirrel, and is situated within the track of Magic Mountain. Sequoia Adventure tands at 30 m (98 ft 5 in) – the same height as Magic Mountain. Riders experience considerable time inverted, and the track turns vertically at a 180° angle a total of 6 times. Height restriction 1.4m
Raptor Wing Coaster 2011 Bolliger & Mabillard Raptor is a prototype Wing Coaster by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. It opened on April 1, 2011. Height restriction 1.4m
Mammut Steel sit down 2008 Vekoma Mammut (Italian for Mammoth) is a steel roller coaster which includes a herd of Mammoth.
Oblivion: The Black Hole Dive Coaster 2015 Bolliger & Mabillard Oblivion: The Black Hole opened on 28 March 2015 and is a dive coaster manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard. Height restriction 1.4m
Kung Fu Panda Master Steel spinning roller coaster 2016 Kung Fu Panda Academy Fabbri Group Family spinning coaster from Fabbri. Opened on 14 May 2016 as part of the Kung Fu Panda Academy area.

Water rides

Name Picture Type Opened Area Manufacturer Additional information
Colorado Boat Log flume 1984 Rio Bravo Log flume themed to the Americas.
Fuga da Atlantide Shoot the Chute 2004 Fuga da Atlantide (Escape from Atlantis), is a Shoot the Chute, the Intamin Super Splash, and is situated near Blue Tornado.[4] The ride begins with a cable lift hill, at the car/boat turns on a shallow helix and plummets down a steep hill with water jets in the track into a pool. The ride progresses to another similar element.
Jungle Rapids 1999 Rapids ride in a small boat, which passes by various Asian scenes.[5]

Dark rides

Name Picture Type Opened Area Manufacturer Additional information
Ramses: il risveglio Dark ride 2009 Ramses: il risveglio (Ramses: The Awakening) formerly La Valle dei Re/The Valley of Kings is Gardaland's first interactive dark ride. The vehicles are omnimover like the Haunted Mansion. The original ride starts during an expedition, then takes riders through burial chambers, tombs with mummies, and a town with explorers partying.
The Spectacular 4D Adventure Cinema 4D 1990
Time Voyager Cinema 4D 2007
I Corsari Dark boat ride 1992 Pirati Enter the pirate ship and take a boat ride underground.

Flat thrill rides

Name Picture Type Opened Area Manufacturer Additional information
Space Vertigo Drop Tower 1998
Flying Island 2000
Magic House Madhouse (ride) 2001 Vekoma

Kids rides

Name Picture Type Opened Area Manufacturer Additional information
Baby Pilota Spinning ride 2000 The cabs rotate and move up and down.
Peter Pan 1986
Mr Ping's Noodle Surprise Teacups 1993 Kung Fu Panda Academy Mack Rides Formerly known as Kaffetassen. Rethemed in 2016 as part of the Kung Fu Panda Academy area.

Other attractions

Name Picture Type Opened Area Manufacturer Additional information
Canyon Creek 2009 Rio Bravo
Sea Life Aquarium Aquarium 2008
Gardaland Theatre Theater 2006 Piazza
Monorotaia Monorail 1990
Food, features

References

  1. ↑ "Gardaland Park Map" (PDF). gardaland.it. Gardaland. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  2. 1 2 (Italian) Grande festa per il trentesimo anniversario di fondazione.
  3. 1 2 Gardaland on rcdb.com
  4. 1 2 Super Splash on intaminworldwide.com
  5. ↑ Jungle Rapids
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