We all have those special childhood memories of some of our favorite toys. Whether they were waiting for us under the Christmas tree, or we got them for that special birthday. Some toys, though, span generations, like Barbie, American Girl, Star Wars, and Mickey Mouse. Those are the ones that last and sometimes become even more popular.
Now, the company that brought some of those iconic toys to life is planning on bringing some competition to the two biggest players in the theme park industry. Toy Maker, Mattel, has announced a new theme park opening soon in Glendale, Arizona.
For decades, Disney stood alone atop the theme park game. But then, in the 1990s, Disney got competition in its backyard with the opening of Universal Studios Orlando to go along with Universal Studios Hollywood, which is just an hour from Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Mattel wants to challenge both Disney and Universal by bringing classics to life in a whole new way.
Mattel makes some of the most popular childhood toys and hopes that bringing those properties to life will attract Guests to its new Park. What the toy maker is looking to leverage its intellectual properties to get Guests in the door and keep them coming back, the way Disney does with Marvel, Star Wars, and its animated films and the way Universal does with Harry Potter.
While Mattel’s toys don’t have the same cult following as Star Wars and Harry Potter, the toy maker hopes the pull of nostalgia and new thrill rides will bring Guests to their massive new Park. The project is more than just a new theme park. It will include a shopping and dining area similar to Disney Springs and Universal’s CityWalk. There will also be a hotel and concert venue on site.
The main attraction of this new Park will be the Barbie Beach House, which will feature a ride, the Barbie dream closet, and an interactive experience with a hologram Barbie. Other attractions include He-Man’s Castle Grayskull, Hot Wheels Roller Coaster, and rides based on American Girl dolls, Pictionary, Thomas the Tank Engine, and UNO. Mattel hopes that by bringing these iconic brands to life, it can compete in the already crowded theme park market.
The new Resort is being built in Glendale, Arizona, next door to State Farm Stadium, which just hosted the Superbowl. The location poses problems as the average temperature in July is 107 degrees. This has forced Mattel to build most attractions with both indoor and outdoor sections to ensure. Guests can use them year-round.
This new Resort should not significantly affect Disney’s Orlando business, but could siphon Guests from the southwest headed to Disneyland. The Park is expected to open by the end of 2023.
Disney Fanatic will keep you updated as this story develops.
