PARKLIFE
Parklife
As mentioned, a large part of the park is still devoted to
its original attraction, the miniature buildings and landmarks which create Italy in Miniature, and this area continues to be improved and added to while also remaining one of the most popular elements of the park. But of course it is the new rides and attractions that are currently grabbing all the headlines and creating most of the interest in the revitalised venue. The most recent additions have been the Dragon Coaster
Mine Train, the Regatta King Kong, the Samba Tower Sgulavià and, in 2009, the Surf’s Up and Hydro Lift “Le Rapide di Leonardo.” This latter ride is the fourth version to be built by Zamperla and is attractively themed to fit in with the da Vinci theming model, which is set to become a major element of the park. The Hydro Lift features a vertical lift and spiral descent
and utilises six circular rafts to provide an hourly capacity of 700 riders. It is a superb addition to the park, ideal for the target market and has proved an instant hit with guests since opening last June. Adjacent to the Hydro Lift is another recently introduced
ride, the Mine Train, which weaves in and out of the Zamperla built Log Flume (from 1998) and forms part of the Wild West town themed area which also features several other familiar Zamperla products, including a chuck wagon themed Ferris Wheel, a Crazy Bus, a Kite Flyer and a Jumping Star tower. An impressive Galleon ride also features close by. Elsewhere, a children’s area provides smaller rides for
younger guests, while the Strabilia Expo area features yet more (Zamperla) attractions, all encompassed within a traditional carnival theme. Rides here include a Mega Disk ‘O, a family Waveswinger, the Twister Mountain spinning coaster and the Strabilia Kong, a King Kong themed Regatta ride installed for 2009.
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Away from the mechanical rides, a variety of additional
entertainment is also offered, including live shows of which there are five per day. The most popular are Peter Pan The Musical, with an original score written by Edoardo Bennato, one of the most famous Italian singers, and the Pappagalli Show, a parrot show. Also available, and for an additional cost to the admission
price, are six midway games, a Water Wars water balloon game, bumper boats and the TagaJ, a Tagada/inflatable for younger visitors. Retail outlets are also offered, as are various catering outlets including a main self-service restaurant and nine other, smaller units providing pizza, Panini, ice cream and other snack based products. MinitaliaLeolandia also offers a number of special
events during the season. These include, in May, Mamy Day dedicated to mums and their children and the Giro di Minitalia, a bicycle race across the Italian miniature peninsula, along with HaILEOween, held during the weekends in October when the Far West area becomes haunted and hosts light-hearted ghosts and giant pumpkins. As has been described, MinitaliaLeolandia has been
transformed in the past two years and the future of the park is looking very secure and exciting. More major rides are planned in the coming years, while the complete refurbishment of the Minitalia element also continues apace, with the Borgo Da Vinci and a resort area also to be added by 2015. Located only 25 km from the centre of Milan and with
over seven million people within an hour’s drive of the park, along with the involvement of one of the world’s largest ride manufacturers, MinitaliaLeolandia has plenty to look forward to. The next few years promise much
PARKLIFE
Parklife
Product Report
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