Merlin Entertainments recently held the opening ceremony for Europe’s first PEPPA PIG Park in Günzburg, Germany, located next to the LEGOLAND® Deutschland Resort. The brand-new attraction is Europe’s first standalone PEPPA PIG Park and builds on Merlin’s relationship with toy and game company Hasbro. The launch follows the opening of the PEPPA PIG Theme Park in Florida, U.S., in 2022, with a third location set to open in Dallas, Texas, in the U.S. later this year.
This is Merlin’s 10th implementation of the PEPPA PIG license across the company’s global attractions, which has included theme parks, PEPPA PIG World of Play experiences as well as smaller themed worlds in theme parks such as Heide Park and Gardaland in Italy.
The new PEPPA PIG Park in Germany, which launches on the 20th anniversary of the PEPPA PIG brand in 2024, also sees the beloved characters from the TV show come to life in LEGO® DUPLO form for the first time in a theme park experience, bringing to life the newly announced LEGO DUPLO PEPPA PIG sets that celebrate iconic scenes and characters from the preschool animated television series.
Merlin has invested around 30 million euro (US$ 32.6 million) in the attraction, which features five fully accessible rides, seven themed playgrounds, bespoke performance shows tailored specifically for the young PEPPA PIG fans as well as a range of themed PEPPA PIG food and treats. The Merlin theme park designers at Merlin Magic Making (MMM) have created the “oinktastic” adventure for families and little ones, with the opportunity to ride in Daddy Pig’s red car, visit the iconic yellow house on the green hill, and ride on the cuddly dino belonging to Peppa’s little brother George.
To mark the unveiling of the new theme park, Scott O’Neil, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, joined Matt Proulx, Hasbro’s Senior Vice President for Global Experiences, Partnerships and Music, and Manuela Stone, Divisional Director of LEGOLAND Deutschland Resort and Managing Director of the PEPPA PIG Park, in a ceremony to offer exclusive insights into the new 1.6-hectare (nearly 4-acre) park site ahead of the official opening. Also present were kindergarten children from the region along with their families, who got to experience the five toddler-sized rides and seven themed playgrounds first. The brand-new PEPPA PIG Park in Günzburg officially kicked off its first season on May 19 with an official unveiling.
O’Neil said: “We are humbled to be continually entrusted to bring to life the world’s most renowned brands into branded entertainment destinations. Hasbro’s PEPPA PIG and her loving family coming to Günzburg, Germany, is our opportunity to bring joy, create connections and make memories for families with young children throughout Europe. We are grateful for Manuela Stone and her incredible team of memory makers, Hasbro for their partnership, and the passion and confidence in Merlin that the children, friends, and families who bring this park to life through play and laughter have bestowed us with. Our fun with PEPPA PIG and the iconic brand continues to grow from strength to strength as we develop and open new PEPPA PIG formats, from city-center attractions like PEPPA PIG World of Play, to theme parks like the PEPPA PIG Park in Germany, Florida and soon to be opened Dallas, Texas, location.”
Attending children alongside honored guests O’Neil, Stone, and Proulx, took their first ride on the new rollercoaster in Daddy Pig’s red car as part of the opening ceremony for the new PEPPA PIG Park in Bavarian Günzburg.
The park attractions have been carefully developed to be age-appropriate and specifically tailored to the needs of little ones, ensuring that the whole family can look forward to a variety of experiences. This includes the first rollercoaster ride for toddlers over 95 cm tall accompanied by their parents. Mrs. Rabbit’s Diner offers a wide selection of dishes while refreshments are available at the milkshake stand.
Stone said: “We are delighted to be a part of the global powerhouse that is Merlin Entertainments and appreciate the continued support and investment in growing and elevating our resort. The PEPPA PIG Park is a wonderful new attraction for our guests and the Günzburg region. Just a few weeks ago, I stood right here amid a construction site wearing a pink construction helmet. The teams involved in the construction, whether external or internal, have worked hard so that we can open this wonderful attraction for preschool children and their families in time for the start of the Pentecost holidays. Thank you all for your effort. A unique, wonderful world has been created here, looking as if you’ve jumped right into the popular series.”
Guests can also enjoy a bespoke cinema, family-friendly dining options, and a stage with shows and meet and greets with the well-loved characters. Peppa’s balloon ride takes even the smallest visitors high up: the whole family can enjoy a beautiful view of the PEPPA PIG Park without any height restrictions. Even 2-year-olds who are at least 86 cm tall can ride on colorful dinos, and from 95 cm in height, the lively round in Peppa’s iconic red car becomes the very first rollercoaster experience.
A major highlight for creative building fun is the new world-first LEGO® DUPLO® PEPPA PIG Play Zone.
Stone added: “Not only is our PEPPA PIG Park the only independent PEPPA PIG Park in Europe, but we are also proud to say that we exclusively have the LEGO DUPLO PEPPA PIG Play Zone. Integrated into this wonderful, colorful Peppa world, the children here have the opportunity to be wonderfully creative. Peppa goes on a boat trip with Grandpa Pig, celebrates a birthday, or plays outdoors in the treehouse with George — each child will have their own experiences with PEPPA PIG here.”
Proulx commented: “With the theme parks, children can immerse themselves in the world of their favorite piggy and thus experience their adventures together with her. What they see in the series, and play with at home with the toys, suddenly stands life-sized next to them and becomes tangible and experiential. It’s wonderful to see, through our cooperation with Merlin Entertainments, how our brand PEPPA PIG is brought to life worldwide in the attractions. Seeing how much fun the kids have here is great for me.”
