Italy's Gardaland announced today that its new Jumanji The Adventure dark ride will open April 2. The world's first dark ride themed to the Sony Pictures franchise will feature 12 scenes and multi-motion ride vehicles.
We told you last month about the ride's Stone Giant animatronic, which will be just one of several throughout the ride. Designed by Merlin Magic Making in cooperation with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Jumanji The Adventure will call back to the movies by transporting riders into the parallel dimension of the Jumanji game. Spoilers follow.
"Guests will make their way through the jungle facing dangerous animals and obstacles of all kinds," Gardaland said in its press release today, detailing more of the ride's narrative. "In a race against time, the adventurers' mission will be to return the sacred and precious jewel to the legendary temple and save Jumanji. In particular, they will have to face the animatronics: the huge hippo that takes everyone by surprise when it appears from a swamp, and scary spiders that drop down onto the moving vehicle, as well as the roaring Stone Giant who bursts out of a cave and blocks their way with his hand."
The park also released a video first look at the six-person, multi-motion ride vehicles on which guests will experience the world of Jumanji when the attraction opens this spring.
There will be 12 vehicles on the dark ride, giving it a capacity of "almost 1,000" riders per hour, the park said. Doing the math, that would give the ride a cycle time of about four and a half minutes.
* * *
Want to keep the industry news coming throughout the year? Sign up for our free, three-times-a-week email newsletter
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
If executed right, I feel like this could be the sleeper hit of the year. I’m unlikely to go to Gardaland any time soon, but I’m looking forward to the POVs.
And more hippos at parks should make TH happy.