Thursday, March 28, 2024

Making Macau Family Friendly

ABOVE: The DC Comics Super Hero Raceway lets kids drive miniature sports cars through the streets of
Metropolis alongside their favorite superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash. Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Fun Zone

Thinkwell Group collaborates with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to
bring Warner Bros. Fun Zone to Studio City Macau

by InPark editorial staff

[quote]Brand new rides let kids play alongside their favorite cartoon characters.”[/quote]

[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]T[/dropcap]he touting of Macau as Asia’s newest entertainment capital is supported by the recent opening of Studio City, the massive Hollywood-inspired, cinema-themed, casino-resort complex developed by Melco Crown Entertainment. The resort features a 1,600-room hotel, casino, more than 30 dining destinations, world-class retail, and new themed rides and attractions.

There’s plenty of themed entertainment designed with families in mind at Studio City Macau. Thinkwell Group, a longtime partner of Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), was commissioned to design and produce the new family entertainment center, Warner Bros. Fun Zone.

“The Warner Bros. Family Fun Zone featured in Studio City Macau was a close collaboration with Melco Crown Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products to bring many favorite Warner Bros. characters and DC Comics Super Heroes to kids and families for an unforgettable, immersive play experience,” said Kelly Ryner, President of Thinkwell Asia.

Working with Melco Crown Entertainment and WBCP, Thinkwell Group was responsible for designing and producing the new, 40,000-square-foot facility, which features popular Warner Bros. animated characters, including Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and iconic DC Comics Super Hero characters. There’s an interactive dark ride, several activity zones, customizable venues for children’s parties, a themed restaurant, and a new Warner Bros. Studio Store retail shop.

The Looney Tunes Bounce-O-Matic offers a thrilling dual free-fall experience for kids alongside their favorite Looney Tunes characters.

Brand new rides let kids play alongside their favorite cartoon characters. Warner Bros. Hypercade is an interactive ride that features iconic DC Comics Super Heroes and Looney Tunes characters together in the same ride experience for the first time. In this 4D adventure designed to thrill, kids help beloved characters and heroes defeat comic book enemies and archvillains.  Six immersive scenes transport guests from a bucolic countryside setting to outer space; from the streets of Gotham City into the skies of Metropolis, journeying through interactive show scenes rich with special effects.

The Looney Tunes Bounce-O-Matic offers a dual free-fall adventure for kids with characters like Tweety, Daffy Duck, and Bugs Bunny. The DC Comics Super Hero Raceway allows kids to drive miniature sports cars outfitted with DC Comics Super Hero emblems while navigating the streets of Metropolis. Here, kids will drive around a blacklight-illuminated course and venture into Villain’s Alley where they come face-to-face with larger-than-life Super-Villains such as The Joker, Bane, and Catwoman.

Complementing the rides are immersive play opportunities for all ages, again featuring favorite Warner Bros. characters.  Small children and toddlers can discover the Tom and Jerry Picnic Playground, which includes a space to explore and crawl through a miniature forest of soft play-and-climb equipment.  For older kids, the DC Comics Super Hero Action Arena is an ideal place to climb, jump, and swing around a giant play structure.  For a relaxing alternative, kids can visit the Cartoon Club where they can watch their favorite characters on the big screen in a comfortable theater setting.

Each room, ride, and play zone inside Warner Bros. Fun Zone also includes a range of media developed and produced by Thinkwell, along with WBCP, including KidQuest, which offers a series of gesture-based, interactive video games. Kids are sent along a journey throughout the facility where they discover a new game experience at one of five different KidQuest game stations where they can play and interact with Warner Bros. characters and DC Comics Super Heroes.

With a rapidly growing team in Beijing as well as offices in Los Angeles and Dubai, Thinkwell continues to seek out new opportunities to create and develop entertainment venues. In addition to the above described project, Thinkwell has designed two recently opened indoor theme parks in the northern Chinese city of Harbin, expanding the company’s foothold in the region’s entertainment markets.

“We are optimistic that Thinkwell will continue to expand in Asia as more intellectual property owners explore alternative platforms to reach new audiences,” said Kelly Ryner. • • •

Joe Kleiman
Joe Kleimanhttp://wwww.themedreality.com
Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. Joe previously served as News Editor and has remained a contributing author to InPark Magazine since 2011. HIs writing has also appeared in Sound & Communications, LF Examiner, Jim Hill Media, The Planetarian, Behind the Thrills, and MiceChat His blog, ThemedReality.com takes an unconventional look at the attractions industry. Follow on twitter @ThemesRenewed Joe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, dog, and a ghost.

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