Dubai Parks and Resorts reopened to visitors on October 7, ending a closure that had run since the end of February. Motiongate Dubai, Real Madrid World, Legoland Dubai Resort and The World of Riverland are all operating again, and the operator has added attractions and live entertainment for the new season.
Riverland, the complex’s dining and entertainment district, now has 14 attractions. The newest are a bowling alley and Lamborghini racing simulators that put visitors behind the wheel on virtual tracks, joining go-karting, archery, axe-throwing and mini golf. Motiongate Dubai is adding shows to its line-up of Hollywood-inspired rides, while Real Madrid World lets guests take penalties, test their football skills and play basketball against friends or other visitors. T-Rex Glamping, the campsite that opened last year with themed tents and animatronic dinosaurs with moving tails, lifelike eyes and dinosaur calls, is back for a second season.
Fernando Eiroa, chief executive of Dubai Holding Entertainment, told The National that planning for every season begins with visitors. When a season ends, the company sits down with customers and asks what could be improved, and their answers feed into decisions on attractions, live entertainment and dining. He said the activities are designed to involve guests physically, and that a night at the dinosaur camp is part of the entertainment itself, with activities that go beyond a day in the parks. “You have to sweat a little bit to enjoy the experience,” he said.
Eiroa said Dubai’s standing as a theme park destination has grown over the past five or six years, adding to its established appeal for hotels, restaurants and hospitality. He compared the emirate’s cluster of parks to Orlando and Los Angeles, where several operators sit side by side, and said expansion in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi gives international visitors more reasons to travel to the UAE. The mix of residents and tourists varies by venue. Roxy Cinemas relies mainly on residents, which Eiroa summed up by saying, “People don’t come to Dubai to go to a cinema.” The View at The Palm draws more overseas tourists, along with residents showing visiting friends and relatives around.
The group is also promoting its Truly Amazing campaign, which bundles Global Village, Dubai Parks and Resorts, The Green Planet, Roxy Cinemas and The View at The Palm so that visitors can combine several destinations in a single trip. Global Village, another part of that bundle, is refreshing its concerts, restaurants and cultural offerings ahead of its own new season.
