Ferrari signs deal to build theme park in China

[Tomatron]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/ar ... China.html

Ferrari announced Thursday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with two Chinese companies to build a theme park in China.

The non-binding deal with Beijing Automotive and Biac Eternaland Property will, if implemented, see the two Chinese companies licensed to establish the park in a still-to-be-decided Chinese city.

The luxury sportscar maker and Formula One powerhouse already has a theme park on an island near Abu Dhabi and is in the process of constructing another one in Spain.

The parks are one of the ways in which the company is hoping to leverage its luxury brand to generate additional revenues.

The company's sales in China, which represent about five percent of its total worldwide, fell 22 percent in 2015.

 

[Shirofukurou]

Now this is getting a little absurd for Ferrari. You're a car company for Pete sakes...

 

[Pink Cadillac]

tbf Disney was an animation company.
In terms of well known companies branching out into the theme park world, they are often from Film/TV, so its interesting to see it happen from a different industry.

 

[Shirofukurou]

^And Busch Gardens was started by the beer company Anheuser-Busch.

And Dolly Parton and Bobejaan Schoeppen are much better known for their music than the parks named after them.

But I do feel that Ferrari is a little too narrow a subject to base three whole parks on. Disney animation creates beloved stories that can be adapted into great rides, Busch Gardens is'nt themed around beer, and few to no attractions at Dollywood and Bobejaan Land are literally based on songs by their namesakes.

 

[roomraider]

/\ True. However the parks have tended to be very small parks. And they are far enough apart that there is no overlap in expected customer base so they can clone attractions without any issue.

There's a few of other brands that have started parks that fit into the same categories as previously mentioned park chains. Lego and Hello Kitty for example

 

[roomraider]

Came across this this evening on Weibo. Looks like it could be concept art for the new Chinese Ferrari park.

 

[Lofty]

I couldn't be more disinterested in the Ferrari Parks to be fair, it's just not my thing, I have absolutely no interest in cars, or car related narratives.


Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk.

 

[gavin]

You don't have to be interested in the theme to appreciate the rides though.

I couldn't care less about Harry Potter - I read the first 2 books and called it quits - but the rides and areas at Universal are fantastic. I'm not a fan of superheros, either as a genre or a theme, but find a lot of the rides based around them exceptional.

I couldn't give a f**k about cars, but really want to ride Flying Aces, Formula Rossa and Mission Ferrari.

 

[Lofty]

Fair enough, I don't have a massive pull towards any of the parks in terms of a single trip visit and that's just the way I think about it and each to their own.

 

[roomraider]

The advantage of the current ones is that even if you don't want to visit it on its own they are

A) right next to Port Aventura
B) Within an hour of Legoland, IMG World, Bollywood, Motiongate and eventually Six Flags.

So its easy to slip the park into a bigger trip

And if this Chinese one goes to either Beijing or Shenzhen as seems to be expected then there's a metric ton of parks to choose from. Especially with Shenzhen being right next to Hong Kong.

 

[Pink Cadillac]

I think the ferrari parks interest me but don't excite me. It feels very different to what we're normally faced with (as was the Hard Rock Park) and I don't think I get the overall look and feel of these parks until I see more built (I mean I wouldn't have expected to see what they did with Flying aces). I'm intrigued for now.

 

[spicy]

I think it's a strange one as we don't know how much Ferrari themselves actually have to do with these parks and looks like they are going to vary in quality. Seems that the Abu Dhabi company, Port Aventura and now the Chinese companies have just bought the IP?

 

[Pokemaniac]

That's one sleek looking building, though.

Also, I'm intrigued by one more detail in that picure: You clearly see a straight track going out of the building, and a series of bunny hops going back in (or the other way 'round, in which case my excitement is somewhat lowered). It really looks like they're going for a Formula Rossa-style coaster there.

 

[Ben]

The one in Dubai was a bit meh when I went to be fair, but that's cause a lot of the execution of the rides was poor.

They've apparently really improved it though so looking forward to going back.

Plus they built Flying Aces, so. You know this at least should have some sort of Intamin coaster shoved in.