“Gardaland is ready to open its gates in complete safety at the end of April, in time for a new and fantastic season packed with fun and fantastic innovations”, declares Mr. Aldo Maria Vigevani, the CEO of Gardaland. “Of course, we are acutely aware of the current situation, but we have complete faith in the safety measures introduced by the Government and the guidelines that will be set out in the next ministerial decree for activity in late spring onward”.
The return of the Gardaland season is essential also in terms of employment security for the 230 permanent employees currently supported by a wage guarantee fund, and over one thousand seasonal workers (taken on by the Park in a normal complete season) as well as for a relaunch of the economy in the region thanks to related industries/companies.
The Garda region Amusement Park looks to the future optimistically as it prepares for the mid-May inauguration of LEGOLAND® Water Park Gardaland, the first LEGOLAND® Water Park in Europe and the first worldwide in a non-branded fun park, which has been awarded an investment of 20 million euros. “We are certain that, considering the international importance of the LEGO® brand, the opening of the LEGOLAND® Water Park at Gardaland will help reinforce our position as a prime fun destination, especially for families”, Mr. Vigevani continues. At the worksite, they are currently finishing the Entrance Gate, which welcomes visitors to the fantastic world of LEGO® bricks, while preparing to fill the pools that are surrounded by towering colourful slides.
But the innovations also involve older and more iconic areas of the Park: “Gardaland has never stopped working and has taken advantage of this period of enforced closure to carry out some intense extra maintenance work, to improve the experience offered by various attractions”, Mr. Vigevani explains.
New tracks have replaced the original ones of Shaman, to improve the experience on the Park’s first rollercoaster, created way back in 1984. Although the path of the rollercoaster is the same, the improvements allow a more fluid ride, smooth and immersive. Also, the support columns have been themed to make the experience even more spectacular. There have also been renovation and decoration projects (strictly with expert craftsmanship) for the scenography of two much-loved children’s attractions – DoremiFarm and FunnyExpress. And, to increase guests' comfort on board Blue Tornado while improving the “flight” experience, the seat has been made more comfortable thanks to special padding for the head restraint and seats.
Finally, the extremely popular attraction Volaplano is ready for guests with a new look: the mini-planes return to “flying” over Fantasy Kingdom and, staying on-theme for 2021, the structure overlooking the departure of the planes will be re-painted in colours that echo the LEGO® world.
While waiting for the all-clear for indoor shows (which include the 2021 introduction of Wonder Woman - The 4D Experience, a special adaptation of the powerful high-tension film enhanced with extraordinary special effects and the use of specific glasses that catapult the viewers into the adventurous world of cinema’s most famous Amazonian), Gardaland is preparing many outdoor shows such as 44 Cats Rock Show, which is back to thrill small children after its huge success last year.
Gardaland also pays utmost attention to Safety. The Protocol laid down last year with an investment of one million euros has proven successful and is again applied in 2021 with the addition of further improvements. Mr. Vigevani states: “The restriction of park entrance numbers and compulsory booking of dates for visits to the park, together with other measures adopted to guarantee social distancing and sanitisation, have all worked so well that no cases of infection between visitors have been registered. This year, we will add further support for access to attractions, and improvement of the QODA App for queue management”.
