6 New Theme Parks to Challenge Port Aventura

[Alastair]

Terra Mitica didn't have sufficient investment to really put it on the map in the style of this proposed "Barcelona World" or even Port Aventura. It's kind of like the Fantasy Island of Spain - an SLC and a ZacSpin as the main attractions don't exactly attract people specifically to go there specifically for the park.

The theming at Terra Mitica is some of the most impressive I've ever seen. Not only in terms of scale but also the quality of the materials used. The Greek temples have pediments made of real marble and much of the Egypt area is finished in real sandstone. The infrastructure getting to and from the park is also second to none. No shortage of money went into the park, they just didn't splash out on the rides when it opened. In a way, it's understandable. If you're building 20-30 brand new rides in one go, it's hard to justify buying the best that money can buy.

That's exactly my point though - when it came to building a signature ride they just didn't have the money. Most people don't go to theme parks because of the theming; as a matter of fact many people won't know a thing about the theming until they're at the park. What they really needed was a couple of big coasters that they could make a fuss about and people would see and want to go there to ride.

 

[CGM]

Well when the park first opened, I don't think it was a case of not being able to afford a larger signature coaster. I think they just assumed that the park in its original guise would be enough to pull in the punters as the location seemed so lucrative. In a way, Magnus Colossus has always been their signature coaster. It's terrible but it doesn't half look impressive.

I would say it was more a case of a lot of money spent in the wrong places rather than overall lack of money.