Gardaland Explained

Gardaland Resort
Location:Castelnuovo del Garda
Location2:Italy
Status:Operating
Visitors:1.350.000 (2020)
Season:Spring-Summer & Holidays
Area:260000m2
Rides:37[1]
Coasters:7
Water Rides:3
Owner:Merlin Entertainments
Coordinates:45.4544°N 10.7139°W

Gardaland Resort is an amusement park resort located in northeastern Italy. Opened on 19 July 1975, the resort includes Gardaland Park, Gardaland Sea-Life, Legoland Waterpark, Gardaland Hotel, Adventure Hotel and Magic Hotel. It is adjacent to Lake Garda. The entire complex covers an area of 445000m2, while the amusement park alone measures 200000m2. Sporting both traditional attractions and entertainment shows, it attracts nearly 3 million visitors every year.

In June 2005, Gardaland was ranked fifth in Forbes Magazine's list of the top ten amusement parks in the world, with the best turnover. According to 2011 data, is the eighth in Europe by the number of park visitors.

Since October 2006, the park has been owned by the British company Merlin Entertainments. Major attractions at the park include Mammut, Jungle Rapids, Fuga Da Atlantide, Shaman, Blue Tornado, Raptor and which opened on 28 March 2015.[2] The park's mascot, Prezzemolo, was popular in the Italian licensing market during the 1990s and the 2000s.

History

Built on the eastern shore of Lake Garda at Castelnuovo del Garda, Gardaland opened on 19 July 1975, between Peschiera and Lazise.[3]

It has expanded steadily in both size and attendance, topping 1 million visitors annually for the first time in 1984. By 2007, attendance reached 3 million. Gardaland is now the eighth-most-popular theme park in Europe,[3] and is run and operated by the Merlin Entertainments Group. It has a total of 32 rides, including 7 roller coasters and 3 water rides. The roller coasters are Blue Tornado, Shaman, Ortobruco Tour, Raptor, Kung Fu Panda Master, Mammut and Oblivion: The Black Hole.[4] Fuga da Atlantide is a Shoot the Chute.[5]

The park opened a ride based on the Jumanji film franchise called Jumanji - The Adventure for the 2022 season, featuring a large animatronic figure.[6]

Themed areas

Name ! class="unsortable" Picture !Additional information
align=center Fantasy Kingdom align=center align=centre Fantasy themed area featuring a variety of family rides.
align=center Rio Bravo align=center align=centre Western themed street.
align=center Kung Fu Panda Academy align=center An area based on Kung Fu Panda with family rides.
align=center Peppa Pig Land align=center align=centre A small Peppa Pig themed area with younger rides just by the main entrance.
align=center Prezzemolo Land align=center align=centre Medieval themed area featuring a variety of family rides, a restaurant & a playground.

Attractions

Roller coasters

Name ! class="unsortable" Picture !Type OpenedArea Manufacturer ! class="unsortable" Additional information
align=center align=center align=center 1998 align=center - The Vekoma SLC (765m (2,510feet) extended with helix) is situated near the entrance of the park, and stands 109feet tall from the ground. The track is 2510feet long, and the main elements are a rollover, sidewinder and a double in-line twist ending with several high speed helixes close to the ground. The minimum height restriction is 1.4 metres.
align=center align=center align=center 1985 align=center - Vekoma Double Loop Corkscrew, and is situated on the lower level of the park. The oldest coaster in the park. It stands at 98feet above the ground and 2296feet long. Its main elements are a double loop, double corkscrew and a rising helix. In 2009 the classic Arrow Dynamics trains have been replaced with the new model of Vekoma. The minimum height restriction is 1.2 metres. In the 2017 season the ride was rethemed and renamed as 'SHAMAN' and featured a Virtual Reality experience. The VR was removed prior to the 2018 season.
align=center align=center align=center 2011 align=center - Raptor is the prototype Wing Coaster by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. It opened on 1 April 2011. The minimum height restriction is 1.4 metres.
align=center align=center align=center 2008 align=center - Mammut (Italian for Mammoth) is a steel roller coaster which includes a herd of mammoth.
align=center align=center align=center 2015 align=center - Oblivion: The Black Hole opened on 28 March 2015 and is a dive coaster manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard. It's based on the prototype dive coaster at Alton Towers which is called 'Oblivion'! The minimum height restriction is 1.4 metres.
align=center Kung Fu Panda Master align=center align=center 2016 align=center Kung Fu Panda Academy align=center Family spinning coaster from Fabbri. Opened on 14 May 2016 as part of the Kung Fu Panda Academy area.
align=center Ortobruco Tour align=center align=center 1990 align=center - Ortobruco Tour is a Family Caterpillar Coaster from Pinfari and opened in 1990.

Water rides

NamePicture Type Opened Area Manufacturer Additional information
Colorado Boat 1984-Mack Rides Log flume themed to the Americas.
Fuga da Atlantide 2004-Intamin Fuga da Atlantide (Escape from Atlantis), is a Shoot the Chute, the Intamin Super Splash, and is situated near Blue Tornado. The ride begins with a cable lift hill, then the car/boat turns on a shallow helix and plummets down a steep drop on a track with water jets into a pool. The ride progresses to another similar element.
Jungle Rapids 1999-Intamin Rapids ride which passes by various Asian scenes.[7]

Dark rides

Name ! class="unsortable" Picture !Type Opened Manufacturer ! class="unsortable" Additional information
align=center - The Adventure align=center align=center 2022
align=center I Corsari: la vendetta del fantasma (The Corsairs: the ghost's revenge) align=center Dark boat ridealign=center 1992Intamin

Flat thrill rides

Name PictureTypeOpenedAreaManufacturerAdditional information
align=center Space Vertigo align=center 1998 align=center - Intamin A drop tower.
align=center Magic House align=center 2001Fantasy Kingdom align=center A mad house built underground.

Family rides

Name ! class="unsortable" Picture !Type OpenedArea Manufacturer ! class="unsortable" Additional information
align=center Wolf Legend Drop’n Twist Tower align=center 2024 align=center - SBF Visa GroupFamily based drop tower ride located on the site of the former Sequoia Magic Loop.
align=center Flying Island Flying Island align=center 2000 align=center - IntaminAn observation tower offering panoramic views across the park and Lake Garda.
align=center Baby Pilota align=center Spinning ride align=center 2000Prezzemolo Landalign=center - The planes rotate and move up and down.
align=center Peter Pan align=center Spinning ride1986- Mack RidesFast spinning family ride.
Monorotaia 1990- Mack Rides Monorail with views across the bottom section of the park.
align=center Mr Ping's Noodle Surprise align=center align=center 2016 (1993)Kung Fu Panda Academy align=center Formerly known as Kaffetassen. Rethemed in 2016 as part of the Kung Fu Panda Academy area.
align=centre Il Trenino di Nonno Pig align=centre Junior train ride align=centre 2018 Peppa Pig Land align=centre I.E Park Children's train ride.
align=centre La Mongolfiera di Peppa Pig align=centre Balloon ride 2018 Peppa Pig Land align=centre I.E Park Balloon ride with scenic views.
align=centre L'Isola dei Pirati align=centre Junior boat ride align=centre 2018 Peppa Pig Land align=centre I.E Park Spinning boat ride.
align=centre La Casa di Peppa Pig align=centre Walk-through attraction align=centre 2018 Peppa Pig Land align=centre A walkthrough where you go through Peppa Pig's house.

Other attractions

Name Picture Type OpenedArea Manufacturer Additional information
Sea Life Aquarium 2008- Located outside the park at the back of the car park. Upcharge.
Gardaland TheatreTheatre 2006- Theatre that houses various shows over the years.
Jumanji - The LabyrinthMirror walk-through maze 2023- A walkthrough mirror labyrinth attraction themed to Jumanji. It's an upcharge attraction.
Il Bosco degli GnomiWalk-through attraction 2023Rio Bravo A gnome walkthrough.

Gallery

Food and features

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gardaland Park Map . Gardaland . May 16, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150426075849/https://www.gardaland.it/docs/Guida_parco_2015.pdf . 2015-04-26 .
  2. Web site: Best Theme Parks in Europe . 2023-12-05 . Simify . en.
  3. Web site: Grande festa per il trentesimo anniversario di fondazione . Gardaland . it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090514030025/http://www.gardaland.it/news/News.php?id=137&lingua=it . 2009-05-14 .
  4. Web site: Gardaland . Roller Coaster DataBase.
  5. Web site: Super Splash . Intamin Amusement Rides . en . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120906035531/http://www.intaminworldwide.com/amusement/WaterRides/Super+Splash/tabid/139/ProductNumber/Super+Splash/language/de-DE/Default.aspx . 2012-09-06 .
  6. Web site: 2021-12-15. Gardaland unveils huge animatronic created for new Jumanji ride. 2021-12-15. Blooloop. en-GB.
  7. Web site: Jungle Rapids . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20160919130626/https://www.gardaland.it/en/our-rides/adventure/jungle-rapids . 2016-09-19 . dead.