The Tom Anstey Column
www.parkworld-online.com
Six Flags Qiddiya
Red Light? Green Light!
As we dive deeper into 2025, the theme park industry is experiencing a remarkable boom. Park World’s new columnist, Tom Anstey, explains.
ith the global attraction market generating billions annually for major players like Disney and Universal, not to mention the countless other companies around the world contributing to this vast economic ecosystem, it's no wonder investors are eager to stake their claim Given the widespread interest in theme parks, water parks, hybrid attractions, and beyond, you can look almost anywhere in the world and find plans for significant new developments. But in such a competitive and profitable market, not every ambitious project makes it to the finish line. So, which ventures are moving forward? Which are on hold? And which ones have faded into the background?
W
Red Light, Green Light (with a few yellow lights thrown in) to see how the major park projects of 2025 are shaping up.
Red light: The London Resort A £3.5bn project that never was, the final nail in the coffin of the London Resort came in January when a judge ordered the firm behind the development to be wound up.
First envisioned in 2012 as a competitor to Disney, the resort project encountered numerous challenges from the very beginning. One of the most significant setbacks occurred in 2021, when much of the Swanscombe Peninsula was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England. This designation severely restricted development due to the presence of protected species and plants, including a rare type of spider.
The proposed 372-acre site in Kent would have been
diverse entertainment offerings.
London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), the developer behind the ambitious project, now finds itself
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in a High Court dispute with Paramount Pictures over unpaid debts. At one point, Paramount, alongside partners such as the BBC, ITV, Aardman, and the British Film Institute, had agreed to lend their brands and intellectual properties to the park and its attractions.
Yellow light: Universal Studios United Kingdom
The avid UK theme park enthusiast need not fret over the demise of the London Resort project, however, because Universal has seemingly decided to have another go at the European market, with plans in the works for Universal Studios United Kingdom. Not yet confirmed but certainly in the works, Universal is eyeing a 476-acre site at Kempston Hardwick in Bedfordshire, purchased by its parent company, Comcast, in 2023. This year-round substantial number of indoor attractions, designed to accommodate the UK's cooler climate.
FEBRUARY 2025
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