PortAventura World

PortAventura World
Slogan Parks & Resort
Location Salou, Catalonia,
Spain
Coordinates 41°05′05″N 1°09′05″E / 41.08472°N 1.15139°E / 41.08472; 1.15139Coordinates: 41°05′05″N 1°09′05″E / 41.08472°N 1.15139°E / 41.08472; 1.15139
Owner InvestIndustrial
General Manager Sergio Feder
Opened May 1, 1995 (1995-05-01)
Previous names Port Aventura
Universal's Port Aventura
Universal Studios PortAventura
PortAventura
Operating season Spring through Winter
Rides
Total 36
Roller coasters 8
Water rides 4
Website

PortAventura World (Catalan pronunciation: [ˌpɔrtəβənˈtuɾə]) is an entertainment resort in the south of Catalonia, in Salou, Tarragona, Spain; on the Costa Daurada. It was built around the PortAventura theme park, which attracts around 4 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in Spain. PortAventura Park is also the 6th most visited theme park in Europe.[1] The resort will include a second theme park, Ferrari Land, from 2017 and also includes PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park and six hotels. It is the biggest resort in the south of Europe. It has two airports within 30 minutes of it, including Reus Airport.[2] There is a train station for PortAventura which has connections to Barcelona and Salou.

It was conceived and built as a joint effort by a Spanish Consortium and Anheuser-Busch (Busch Entertainment Corporation). When some of the Spanish Partners left the consortium the Tussauds Group replaced them as investors, finished the development and became the first operators.[3] In 1997, Universal bought up most shares in the park and the park was rebranded as 'Universal's Port Aventura'. In 2000, two hotels and a water park (Costa Caribe) were constructed, and the resort was further rebranded as 'Universal Mediterranea'. In 2004, NBC Universal (Universal Studios' parent) sold all interest in PortAventura. It is now owned and operated by La Caixa banking group's investment vehicle Criteria, but as of 2005 the Universal name has been dropped from the branding, and the resort was once again named 'PortAventura' (the space in the name is deliberately left out for trademark reasons). In December 2013 KKR [4] picks up 49.9% stake in PortAventura from Investindustrial that still owns 50.1%.

The second theme park, Ferrari Land, is planned to be inaugurated on April 7, 2017.[5]

PortAventura Park

Areas

The park features five theme areas based on civilizations (Mediterrània, Far West, México, China and Polynesia), and one theme area based on Sesame Street, which was opened for the 2011 season of the park.

Mediterrània

Mediterrània is the main entrance area of the park  it features three rides but there are several restaurants and shops reproducing a typical coastal town in Catalonia.

Mediterránea lake with Furius Baco
Attractions
Shows

Far West

Themed as an old wild west town, this area features many western buildings and sculptures. The area boasts nine attractions which makes it the biggest area in the park. Other attractions in this area includes a wild west version of Break Dance ride and Dodgems.

The area is also home to these thrill rides:

México

This area is themed exclusively on pre-Columbian Mexico, Mayan Mexico. It features temples, statues and a Great Piramide that is the entrance to the Gran Teatro Maya, the biggest show zone of the park.

El Diablo-Tren de la Mina in the Mexican area.
Attractions
Shows

China

China is one of the biggest theme lands of the park – The area includes a Chinese buffet called Marco Polo with a good range of dishes available. The main path through the area is themed in the same style as the Great Wall of China.

Dragon Khan and Shambhala from the Great Wall of China recreation in 2012

The rides are:

Shows

Polynesia

Polynesia area.

The Polynesian area is different from the other rides in the park as it is a more laid back area with less thrilling rides. Polynesia is home to two shows and a few attractions. Polynesia is one of the smallest themed areas.

The two main rides in the area are:

SésamoAventura

Magic Fish in the SésamoAventura area.

Themed to the Sesame Street characters, this area is aimed for the younger visitors of the park. It opened for the 2011 season, and it was built between China and Polynesia in former lands of the Polynesia area, maintaining some of its attractions. The investment was around 12 million. PortAventura joined Universal Studios Japan and Busch Gardens with an area dedicated to Sesame Street, being the only theme park in Europe.

It is home to 11 rides including:

The shows: It is also home to two shows and street animation starring Ernie, Bert, Elmo and company.

Ferrari Land

InvestIndustrial and Ferrari signed a deal to build a new area themed to the Italian sports car brand in the PortAventura resort covering 75,000 m2, including new rides, a 250-room hotel, designed by Creative Kingdom Inc. with restaurants, shops and car racing simulators. Ferrari Land will be a new theme park, separate from PortAventura Park. Its entrance will be adjacent to PortAventura Park's main entrance. The Mediterranean theme will be common to both entrances, as Ferrari Land will also be inspired by Italy, including recreations of Venice's Piazza San Marco and Rome's Colosseum. The main ride of Ferrari Land will be a 112 m tall vertical accelerator coaster that will surpass Shambhala: Expedición al Himalaya as the tallest coaster in Europe and will also be the fastest coaster in Europe. The park is expected to open on April 7 2017, after an investment of more than 100 million.[7]


Ferrari Land will be the second amusement centre themed to Ferrari in the world, after Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi.[8]

Rides & Attractions

Roller Coasters

The Tutuki Splash water ride.
Name Manufacturer Speed Height Length Park Section Opened
Shambhala: Expedición al Himalaya Bolliger & Mabillard 83 miles per hour (134 km/h) 249 feet (76 m)05,410 feet (1,650 m) China 2012
Dragon Khan Bolliger & Mabillard 65 miles per hour (105 km/h)148 feet (45 m)04,165 feet (1,269 m) China 1995
Furius Baco Intamin 83.9 miles per hour (135.0 km/h)015 feet (4.6 m)02,789 feet (850 m) Mediterranean 2007
Stampida CCI 46 miles per hour (74 km/h) 084 feet (26 m)03,127 feet (953 m) Far West 1997
Tomahawk CCI 30 miles per hour (48 km/h)044 feet (13 m)01,444 feet (440 m) Far West 1997
El Diablo Arrow Dynamics 37 miles per hour (60 km/h) 054 feet (16 m)03,306 feet (1,008 m) Mexico 1995
Tami-Tami Vekoma 21.7 miles per hour (34.9 km/h)028 feet (8.5 m)00,679 feet (207 m) Sesamo Aventura 1998

Flat Rides

Name Manufacturer Height Speed Length Park Section Opened
Hurakan Condor Intamin 376 feet (115 m) 71.4 miles per hour (114.9 km/h) 00,370 feet (110 m) Mexico 2005

Water Rides

Name Manufacturer Speed Height Length Park Section Opened
Tutuki SplashIntamin35 miles per hour (56 km/h)045 feet (14 m)01,438 feet (438 m) Polynesia 1995
Silver River FlumeMack Rides35 miles per hour (56 km/h)050 feet (15 m)02,260 feet (690 m) Far West 1995
Grand Canyon RapidsIntamin10 miles per hour (16 km/h)02,800 feet (850 m) Far West 1995

Future Rides

Name Manufacturer Height Speed Length Status Park Section Type Year
Acelerador Vertical Intamin 367 feet (112m) 112 miles per hour (180km/h) 200m Under Construction Ferrari Land Roller Coaster 2017
Ferrari Drop S&S Worldwide 180 feet (55m) N/A N/A Under Construction Ferrari Land Drop Ride 2017
Gran Prix N/A N/A N/A 15m Under Construction Ferrari Land Go Karts 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Under Construction Ferrari Land Flying Theatre 2017

PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park

Costa Caribe Aquatic Park Entrance.
Costa Caribe Aquatic Park – La Laguna de Woody.

PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park is a water park which is adjacent to PortAventura Park. It has an area of 50,000 m2, which includes 16 attractions and slides, as well as over 8,500 m2 of water-covered surface area. It is themed to the Caribbean, with beaches, palm trees, and Latin and reggae music, and it also includes shops and restaurants.

Rides

Kids rides

Seasonal events

FiestAventura

During seasonal events like summer nights, Halloween (September–November) and Christmas (November–January), PortAventura Park opens seasonal walkaround rides or shows, including the mazes: [REC], Horror in Penitence, La Selva del Miedo and the nighttime Halloween show Horror en el Lago.

Summer Nights

Resort hotels

The resort features six thematic hotels:

See also

References

  1. Themed Entertainment Association; Economics Research Associates (2013). "Global attractions attendance report" (PDF). AECOM. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. "How to get to PortAventura". portaventura.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  3. "Ray Barratt". blooloop. 2013-08-30. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  4. Type, News (2013-12-06). "KKR picks up 49.9% stake in PortAventura from Investindustrial | AltAssets Private Equity News". Altassets.net. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  5. "Ferrari Land estará separado de PortAventura y creará 150 empleos". La Vanguardia. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  6. Severn Lamb Jupiter model
  7. Clara Blanchar. "Port Aventura invertirá 100 millones en un nuevo parque dedicado a Ferrari". El País. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
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