Sally Dark Rides has entered a marketing partnership with Cloudco Entertainment to bring a Care Bears™ family dark ride experience to the attractions marketplace.
Introduced in 1982 through consumer products, greeting cards, and later a series of animated television shows and feature films, Care Bears is one of the most popular and endearing children’s properties in the world. Fans of all ages are drawn to the lovable, huggable bears from Care-A-Lot who inspire all to have fun, share, and care.
In this family-friendly dark ride attraction, guests board moving “Cloud Cars” and are immediately immersed in a bright and colorful environment filled with special effects including sounds, scents, themed lighting, hand-crafted set pieces and Care Bears animatronic characters.
“We are incredibly excited at the opportunity to bring the world of Care Bears to life by way of an immersive dark ride attraction. For over four decades, the Care Bears have been a part of our lives through animated series, movies, top-selling toys, and more. With storylines centered around caring, sharing, and treating others with respect – Care Bears is just one of those brands you want to wrap your arms around and hug. With such worldwide popularity from kids and adults alike, we see incredible potential with this nostalgic, huggable, colorful, and inclusive brand. We whole-heartedly believe this family dark ride would be successful in any theme park or entertainment center around the world,” shared Lauren Weaver, VP of Business Development and Marketing at Sally Dark Rides.
The Care Bears first appeared in their own television specials in 1983 and 1984, followed by a long- running animated TV series and the leap to the big screen in 1985-87 with The Care Bears Movie trilogy. Care Bears & Cousins, a Netflix original CGI- animated series, launched in fall 2015.
In 2019, a brand-new look and mission for the Care Bears was introduced in Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, a 48 episode, 2D animated series currently airing in the US on Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and HBO Max via its Cartoonito preschool block. In 2022, the Care Bears celebrated 40 years of sharing and caring through the launch of new consumer products with key retail partners and a range of new toys with Basic Fun.
Weaver continues, “At Sally, we’re always looking for ways to transport guests to new places and new environments, introduce them to their favorite characters, and give them an experience that they would never get at home. We’ve watched the Care Bears for years but never have we thought we could come face-to-face with Funshine Bear or hop from cloud-to-cloud in the magical world of Care-A-Lot. Well, now we can give guests that experience – and what a fun experience it would be.”
