There's a new champion for the title of world's largest indoor theme park. Chimelong Spaceship has soft-opened at the Zhuhai Chimelong Resort in China.
The theme here is not some science fiction franchise, but the planet itself. Designed by Los Angeles-based Legacy Entertainment and filling 4,271,783 square feet, Chimelong Spaceship is an aquatic park, built around what is now the world's largest aquarium facility (more than 16.5 million gallons), with the world's largest single aquarium tank.
Unlike the new SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, which opened in May, Chimelong Spaceship features orcas, which will live in the park's 12.4 million gallon main tank, which can generate 10.5-foot waves, making it the world's largest indoor artificial wave.
More than 150,000 marine animals of more than 400 species will be on display at Chimelong Spaceship, the park said. The orcas are part of the Chimelong Spaceship's Whale Universe, one of 15 themed zones in the park. Another themed zone is Coral Secret, which features the world's largest living coral reef exhibit, in 10 specialized tanks of more than 626,000 gallons total.
The park's rides are located in the Universe Paradise, which features China's first real underwater submarine ride, Deep Sea Submarine, as well as a collection of themed carnival rides and play areas. But the highlight in Universe Paradise is the world's largest motion simulator attraction, Bermuda Storm.
That experience accommodates up to 304 riders on a single motion-base platform, watching on what the park is calling the world's largest curved projection screen, at 1,682 square meters.
The theme park is located next to the 1,250-room Chimelong Spaceship Hotel and is part of the same resort as Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, which ranked as one of the world's top 10 most-visited theme parks before the pandemic. For tickets to the new park, starting at US$54, please visit our partner's Chimelong Spaceship tickets page.
Legacy Entertainment has designed multiple other parks in the region, including Shanghai Haicang Ocean Park and Lotte World Adventure Busan in Korea. While Chimelong Spaceship started its soft opening this week, no formal opening date has been announced.
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SCENE: (Robert sits huddled over a computer, clicking the "return" button as he posts what he fears might be the most flame-inducing story in recent TPI history. Or, at least, the most meme-worthy.)
Orcas in China? As they say in this business, "what could possibly go wrong?"
/s
This looks incredible but having been to both the Shanghai and Beijing zoo's I feel really bad about this place. Except for panda's who are taken care of amazingly well almost all other animals at both zoo's looked stressed and not really cared for. Hopefully this place is different but regardless Orca's in a theme park is and always will be a bad idea. :(
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Oh no, orcas? Are they kidding? Absolutely not, for shame on them.