Mattel Adventure Park featuring Barbie and Hot Wheels announces opening date
Whether it was playing with Barbie in her pink Dreamhouse, racing Hot Wheels down a track or protecting Castle Grayskull from the evil Skeletor, generations of children have grown up with Mattel. Soon, those worlds — and more — will come to life at Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona.
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Representatives for Mattel Adventure Park announced the park is slated for a 2024 opening. Mattel Adventure Park will be open year-round with both indoor and outdoor attractions. Even the outdoor rides will load and unload inside fully air-conditioned spaces, ensuring families stay cool and comfortable at the park no matter what time of year they visit.
"Mattel Adventure Park features a unique and strategic year-round indoor and outdoor design providing acres of air-conditioned space to ensure a cool guest experience all summer long here in the heat of Arizona," Mark Cornell, president at Epic Resort Destinations, said in a press release. "Our attractions development team are simply redefining the entertainment channel by bringing Mattel's powerhouse, evergreen brands to life like never before," he added.
The 9-acre theme park will be at Glendale's Vai Resort, also on track to open in 2024. Spanning 60 acres, Vai Resort will be the largest resort in Arizona, and Mattel Adventure Park is just one of many family-friendly entertainment offerings that will be on hand.
In addition to the opening date, representatives shared details on some of the attractions guests will be able to experience at Mattel Adventure Park. The park will have not one but two Hot Wheels-themed roller coasters — Hot Wheels Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride and the Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer.
Hot Wheels Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride is a family-friendly coaster that will climb to a maximum height of 84 feet and will be the first coaster to feature the classic Hot Wheels hot rod skull design. The Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer will take guests through a double loop and two corkscrews for thrill-seekers.
"Mattel Adventure Park is an amazing opportunity to bring our beloved brands to life," Julie Freeland, senior director of global location-based entertainment at Mattel, said in the press release. "Construction is underway, and substantial progress has been made on what will give fans of all ages a day of thrills and nostalgia. We're especially excited for families to experience the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker rollercoaster — a dream come true for any Hot Wheels fan," she added.
Many other iconic Mattel brands will be represented throughout the park.
There will be an entire land themed to "Thomas & Friends," including rides and an indoor play space for young children; other attractions will include a life-size Barbie Beach House with a rooftop bar and restaurant, a minigolf course inspired by classic Mattel games like Magic 8 Ball and Pictionary, an Uno-themed climbing structure and a Masters of the Universe-themed laser tag arena.
Mattel Adventure Park is the latest in a trend toward smaller family-friendly parks across the U.S. Along with similar parks, Mattel Adventure Park has a smaller footprint than some theme parks.
Related: Universal is opening a new kid-friendly theme park in ... Texas
Whereas you need multiple days (and a big budget) to tackle a major destination theme park such as Disney World and Univeral Orlando Resort, you can typically experience these smaller "micro-parks" in one day, leaving time in your itinerary to visit other area attractions during your vacation.
Stay tuned to TPG for updates on Mattel Adventure Park. You can also tune in to the live construction camera on the park's website and follow Mattel Adventure Park on Instagram and Facebook.
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