Mattel, the toy company behind Barbie, Hot Wheels, and more is getting its own theme park in Glendale, AZ next year. The Mattel Adventure Park will be the first-ever theme park featuring attractions based on these iconic properties and will be a part of the larger VAI resort, which is also under construction
The new theme park will sit on 161,000 square feet of indoor space on a 9-acre plot adjacent to the resort area. Construction is well underway and is progressing quickly as the park races to meet its 2024 opening date. You can keep up with the project via a construction livestream here.
When complete, the Mattel Adventure will include over a dozen attractions for guests of all ages, including flat rides, roller coasters, and more. Here are the attractions that have been announced so far for this new theme park.
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Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer: A Hyper GTX coaster with inversions
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Hot Wheels Boneshaker: The Ultimate Ride: A family coaster
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An unspecified number of flat rides featuring the Thomas the Tank Engine characters in a special indoor land focused on this property specifically
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Thomas and Friends Adventure Train Treasure Hunt: A train ride that will feature a life-size Thomas the tank engine.
- Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots miniature golf course
- A life-sized Pictionary game board
- Climbing structure featuring giant UNO cards
- Masters of the Universe laser tag arena that will take place inside a replica Castle Greyskull
- Barbie Beach House attraction with flying theater ride, similar to Soarin’ Around the World at EPCOT.
- The Barbie Dream Closet Experience, featuring hologram technology that will put guests in the middle of Barbie’s world.
- Barbie Rooftop area where guests can order pink drinks and snacks themed to the iconic doll line.
Though the theme park was originally slated to open this year, supply chain issues and other unspecified delays have caused the project to be pushed back until 2024. An exact opening date will be revealed in the coming months as work continues to progress.
The VAI Resort will also open alongside the Mattel Adventure Park, and will have an outdoor concert venue, four hotel towers with more than 1,100 rooms and suites and 12 restaurants on site. When completed it will be the biggest resort in the state.
Ticket prices for the Mattel Adventure Park have yet to be announced, but considering its small footprint and kid-focused attractions, it seems likely that this will be a more budget-friendly option for guests.
“Step into the action-packed world of Mattel Adventure Park, the only place where you can get behind the wheel of a lightning-fast Hot Wheels go-kart, join Thomas & Friends on a treasure hunt journey, or enjoy a signature pink beverage on the third-story rooftop of The Barbie Beach House,” the VAI Resort website says.
More information and specifics about this new theme park will likely be announced before the end of the year as we get closer to its opening date.
