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query=Asia&type=continent Hong Kong Disneyland country: Hong Kong, Asia

I love Hong Kong Disneyland. There are no thrills, no ghost trains, no flume rides and apart from 'Space Mountain', which is a cheap version of itself, no roller coasters. BUT the potential of Disney's Hong Kong venture is huge! The resort is nestled between two mountains and the sea, the most beautiful setting of any Disney park in the world, and plenty of space is left for expansion. Current rumor: a new and wilder version of the beloved dark flume ride 'Pirates of the...
Disney Sea country: Japan, Asia

Disney Sea is the best theme park in the world. There might be people who would argue with me about that, but I will defend my position of 2008: this is it! Its the peak of theme park history. The One. The Best. The park was originally planned for California, but later scrapped and built right next to the incredibly busy Tokyo Disneyland Park. Let me tell you my reasons for calling it the best theme park in the world: Mount Prometheus: an awesomely...
Universal Studios Japan country: Japan, Asia

This one is my favorite Universal Studios theme park so far: the incredibly friendly Japanese staff, the tremendously slaphappy Japanese visitors and the entire feel of this park, inaugurated in 2001, are terrific. Everything is a bit more meticulous and advanced than in the American Universal theme parks. You will find here: Jurassic Park - The Ride: a wild flume ride through Jurassic Park jungle packed with vegetarian dinosaurs (appearing first) and meat-eaters...
Tokyo Disneyland country: Japan, Asia

I have never seen visitors as happy as in this theme park. The Japanese really embrace their Disneyland and have made it the busiest theme park on earth. This overwhelming passion everywhere will make you forgive a 100-minute queue for a 3-minute Fantasyland ride. Japans amazing Disneyland comprises updated and predominantly better versions of all the popular rides in the two American Disney parks. Particularly outstanding: 'Winnie the Poohs Honey Hunt',...
Everland country: South Korea, Asia

Everland is one of the world's most successful theme parks with regard to crowd levels, on a par with the Disneyland and Universal Studios parks. I don't know why. The park has a nice setting in between forest-covered mountains and contains all the standard

theme park features like roller coasters, water rides, themed villages, flower shows and animals, but there's nothing distinctive which makes this Samsung-owned venture deserve its outstanding success. When...
Happy Valley Beijing country: China, Asia

When I entered Happy Valley Beijing the first time, my attention immediately drifted towards the obvious borrowings from Disney parks. Disney Sea, Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland itself have all left heavy traces here. According to my review standards, the theme park lost one star straight away. However, everything which came after was surprisingly impressive. The state-of-the-art roller coasters, flume rides and park structure made for a great day. The...
Shanghai Disneyland country: China, Asia

You really need a vivid imagination to picture a Disneyland park near Chuansha town. At present the area is a stretch of countryside halfway between Shanghais Pudong International Airport and Shanghai city consisting of wetlands, woods, meadows and streams. My assistant and I talked to locals in the quaint bicycle-filled streets of Qigan village and Zhaohang village and they are all very familiar with the Disneyland brand. Some say they have been eagerly anticipating...
Paramount Movie Park Korea country: South Korea, Asia

The first Paramount Movie Park will grace the soil of South Korea, far away from its native Los Angeles. A Titanic ride is expected here and a reproduction of the iconic Paramount Pictures Mountain is planned as the centerpiece for the park. The Ground Breaking Ceremony took place in November 2008; however, as of February 2009, there is only an announcement fence surrounding a parking lot. But I love this fence. Paramount Movie Park. Magic. The big question is...
Universal Studios Korea country: South Korea, Asia

Upon returning to Hwaseong, my local helpers and I had the good fortune to bump into a hobby pilot who was just fixing his private airplane. A few minutes later we took off over the eastern part of the yet-to-be-developed Songsang Green City that will eventually turn into the Universal Studios Korea resort. Construction hasn't commenced yet, but there are rumors that this might happen as early as spring 2010 in time to complete for the announced spring 2013 opening date...
Universal Studios Beijing country: China, Asia

The plans for a Beijing Universal Studios theme park were announced just hours after I had already booked my flight to China. I instantly went to inspect the future site in the south-eastern suburbs of Beijing. Universal Studios Osaka, Seoul and now Beijing? It looks like there will be a (welcome) overdose of Jurassic Park rides in North East Asia. The locals in the villages of the Tongzhou district (the proposed location of the park) were very warm-hearted and friendly but...
Ocean Park country: Hong Kong, Asia

Hong Kong's 1977-inaugurated Ocean Park has found itself in direct competition with Hong Kong Disneyland since its opening in 2005, but has managed to hold its own against its worldfamous neighbor. In their current states the two parks complement each other very well: while Disney boasts better design and attention to detail, Ocean Park has the wilder rides, the bigger space and worth-seeing animal exhibits. The roller coasters and the through-the-forest flume ride feel...
Happy Valley Sheshan country: China, Asia

When I visited Happy Valley Sheshan, it was still under construction. The park's five major roller coasters (most of them Swiss-engineered) and other state-of-the-art attractions stick out so contrastingly from the surrounding tranquil countryside of Shanghai's South-Western suburbs, that it looks like a giant alien spaceship landed here and left half of its futuristic equipment upon departure. Thanks to Louis, Louis and Christine for granting me a preview of...
Fishermans Wharf Macau country: Macau, Asia

I was lured to Fisherman's Wharf Macau by one of the most cleverly constructed theme park websites I've seen to date. When I arrived on scene, I was suprised that there were actually more humans on the website than in the place itself, which was deserted apart from the two employees standing in front of the Military Camp. This US-Arabia-clash-themed paintball zone starring Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Jesus Christ is one of the most politically incorrect and comically...
Happy Valley Chengdu country: China, Asia

I was really unlucky with the drab weather conditions on the day of my visit to the 2009-opened Happy Valley theme park in Chengdu, therefore my photos turned out a little depressing. However, a closer look behind the smog unveils brand-new roller coasters (the red one manufactured by Switzerland's Intamin is the best), flume rides, river rapid rides and other stateof-the-art happiness-inducing rotators. Happy Valley Beijing looks more attractive and the new Happy Valley...

Caribbean Bay country: South Korea, Asia

Caribbean Bay is the water park sister to Korea's immensely popular Everland theme park next door. On the day of my visit, it was heavily overcrowded with ecstatic locals in search of relief from the oppressive summer heat. It is packed with state-of-the-art thrills like undulating water coasters, u-shaped vertical tube slides, challenging surf ride pools and an exciting wavepool - all set against a backdrop of endless forest. I recommend dodging the crowds by visiting this...
Chime Long Paradise country: China, Asia

Guangzhou's Chime Long Paradise resembles a showroom for the latest coasters and thrill rides manufactured in Europe and North America. Splash Battle, a Waterworld-inspired (though not very original) stunt show, a great dive roller coaster (that pauses just before a vertical drop, letting you peer into your screaming destiny), the first motorbike-shaped launch coaster in Asia and a ten-inversion roller coaster with its record breaking number of corkscrews make...
Chime Long Waterpark country: China, Asia

What did residents of Hong Kong tell me when asked about Guangzhou? 'It's where all the pollution comes from!' 'Forget it, it's just an industrial place!' 'People are rude over there and they don't know how to eat!' I spend a day with clear skies and slap-happy, curious and friendly Chinese visitors and staff in Guangzhou's Chime Long Water Park the next day. Brand-new water slides manufactured by Canadian WhiteWaterWest make the Mainland yell: a funnelshaped Tornado...
MGM Studio Park Korea country: South Korea, Asia

Announced a couple of years ago with rumored locations in Busan or Jeju Island, the world's only MGM Studio Park will eventually be located on Seoul's Incheon airport island, north-west of the runways in a development area called IBC-II (International Business Centre 2). Thanks to Yoon 'korea2002' from Skyscrapercity.com (pictured left) for guiding me to the exact location! Flat, wide, reclaimed land greeted me there with no sign of MGM or theme-park construction yet,...
Lotte World country: South Korea, Asia

I outlined in 'The guy and his idea' section what I think about copy-and-paste theme parks. Lotte World's castle and theme park logo inflict a mixture of pain and nausea on The Theme Park Guy; it's probably not possible to copy more obviously from Disney. Consequently, the rides are hybrids of Disneyland's 'Indiana Jones', Universal Studios' 'Mummy Ride' and Sea World's

'Journey to Atlantis'. For those not blessed to have experienced the originals, Lotte World offers...
Window of the World country: China, Asia

As you can see from the header photo above, the Disneyesque Snow White dwarfs at the entrance to this hybrid theme-park/outdoor-exhibition seem to have a severe drug problem: try focusing on the eyes of the second one from the left and you may start to feel dizzy (like me, I have a hard time writing these lines). 'Window of the World', located in Maniland China a few miles north of Hong Kong, offers miniature model replicas of the world's most famous landmarks...
Happy Valley Shenzhen country: China, Asia

The oldest of the four Happy Valley parks (Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, being the other three) consists of the usual Disneyland borrowings and is the poorest of the family. My personal highlight was the river rapids ride featuring super-cold, high-pressure water jets hitting people's faces with such force that it resembles more a war scene than a family outing. The buttons to release the water jets are pressed by slap-happy fellow Chinese onlookers and what you...
Pyongyang fun fairs country: North Korea, Asia

You buy a very expensive entry ticket that includes all the rides, there is just one way in and out, you only walk on dedicated paths, you are constantly monitored, you never get to see the backlot, the crew sleeps on site and the whole thing shuts down at night. What's that? A theme park? Yes and no, it's North Korea! I went there in October 2010 to take a look at the three major fun fairs that decorate its desolate capital Pyongyang: Mangyongdae, Taesongsan and...
Seorak Waterpia country: South Korea, Asia

According to a 2010 press release from Canadian slide manufacturer White Water West the largest and most thrilling waterslide in the world' just opened in South Korea. The slide is evocatively named The Abyss' and The Theme Park Guy was duly bound to don his hat and head over to investigate. To find it I had to travel to Sokcho, a rather remote holiday town 4hour's drive from Seoul on the Eastern coast of South Korea. There, the bombastic funnel shaped slide...
Happy Valley Wuhan country: China, Asia

Industrial, smoggy Wuhan - that's the location of China's upcoming, fifth Happy Valley theme park. I find these amusement parks are fantastic for the locals. They surprise with brand-new coasters and quality rides, manufactured by the best suppliers around the world. And the Happy Valley' brand gets better with each new park - the predecessors being located in Shenzhen, Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. Creating fun places with peace-inducing landscaping outside...