Warner Village Theme Parks
Encyclopedia
Village Roadshow Theme Parks is a collection of divisions of Village Roadshow Limited
which operate theme parks and attractions in Australia
, New Zealand
and the United States of America. Village Roadshow Theme Parks is made up local Australian theme parks as well as Village Roadshow Theme Parks USA Inc
. The Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd
was formerly part of Village Roadshow Theme Parks, however, it sold in 2011 to Merlin Entertainments
.
and Village Roadshow until Village took full ownership of the group in 2006. Time Warner continues to provide a licence to the Warner Bros.
brand.
The group also owns the Sea World Resort, located next to the Sea World
theme park. Previously known as Sea World Nara Resort (opened in 1988 as a joint venture between the then-owners of Sea World and the Japan-based Nara Group, Village also moved to take full ownership of the resort in 2006, resulting in the name change.
In 2008, Sydney Attractions Group was purchased by Village Roadshow after months of discussions. This included the acquisition of Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower and Sydney Wildlife World.
In 2009, the company expanded by purchasing Oceanworld Manly in Australia, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in New Zealand as well as Wet'n'Wild Hawaii and Wet'n'Wild Phoenix in the United States.
In September 2010, Village Roadshow announced that they would be expanding the Wet'n'Wild chain by opening a water park
in Sydney
. In December 2010, they announced that they would sell approximately $115 million worth of assets to Merlin Entertainments
. The sale will include Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Oceanworld Manly, Sydney Tower, Hamilton Island Wildlife Park and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World. On 3 March 2011, the deal was finalised.
dinner and show package featuring many Australian animals, songs and bush tucker. The show is located between Warner Bros. Movie World and Wet'n'Wild Water World at Oxenford
on the Gold Coast
in Australia.
and emus. The farm tour also includes several shows which feature the making of billy tea, a stock horse
demonstration and a boomerang
throwing demonstration.
, oceanarium
, and theme park located on the Gold Coast
, Queensland
, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The park also offers accommodation at an adjacent resort, helicopter flights, whale watching tours, calm-water cruises and children's books.
related theme park on the Gold Coast in Australia. Opening on 3 June 1991, the park contains various movie-themed rides and attractions ranging from motion simulators to roller coasters and slow river rides. In addition, costumed character performers also patrol the park, giving visitors the chance to take photos with them. These include Batman
, Austin Powers, Marilyn Monroe
, Scooby Doo, The Mystery Inc. Gang and various Looney Tunes
characters.
an water park
, located in the Oahu city Kapolei. Opening in May 1999, the park occupies 25 acres (10.1 ha) of land and has 25 rides and attractions. It was the first overseas acquisition of Village Roadshow.
, Arizona
in the United States. It opened its doors to the public 1 July 2009 after Village Roadshow invested over US$30 million in the park. The park features over 30 rides on approximately 35 acres (14.2 ha) of land making it the largest theme park in the state.
, New South Wales
, Australia
. Announced on 11 September 2010, the proposal includes 3 pools, 16 water slides and 2 children's areas on a 25 hectares (61.8 acre) site. The A$
80 million park is set to be one of the top ten water parks in the world.
in Queensland, Australia. Guests will be able to view a large collection of native Australian animals including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, crocodiles, wombats, Tasmanian devils, frilled necked lizards and various reptiles.
in Auckland
, New Zealand
, which was the brainchild of renowned New Zealand
marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton.
Wharf in Sydney
, Australia. It features aquariums including sharks, giant stingrays, sea turtles and other marine life. Oceanworld also allows guests to take part in Shark Dive Xtreme, where they can swim with sharks.
The aquarium originally opened in 1965, as Marineland. It was refurbished and reopened in 1989 as Underwater world. It was purchased and renovated by Coral World International, and re-opened as Oceanworld in 1992. After its renovation, the aquarium boasted the longest aquarium tunnel in the world, at 110 metres (361 ft). It was sold to the Sydney Aquarium Company (Darling Harbour) in 1999 to be operated as a branch of the Sydney Aquarium.
located in the city of Sydney, New South Wales
, Australia. It is located on the eastern (city
) side of Darling Harbour to the north of the Pyrmont Bridge
. It contains a large variety of Australian aquatic life, displaying more than 650 species
comprising more than 6,000 individual fish
and other sea and water creatures from most of Australia's water habitats
.
. The tower is also home to the Skywalk (where guests can walk around the top of the building outdoors) and OzTrek (a virtual reality
ride).
grasslands and a rainforest
.
Village Roadshow Limited
Village Roadshow Limited is an Australian media company with interests in cinema, theme parks, film production and distribution. The company is a publicly listed entity on the Australian Securities Exchange...
which operate theme parks and attractions in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the United States of America. Village Roadshow Theme Parks is made up local Australian theme parks as well as Village Roadshow Theme Parks USA Inc
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
. The Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
was formerly part of Village Roadshow Theme Parks, however, it sold in 2011 to Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd is a British operator of amusement parks and other attractions. It is the largest such company in Europe, and globally the second largest after Walt Disney Parks and Resorts....
.
History
The theme park division of Village Roadshow was originally a joint venture between Time WarnerTime Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
and Village Roadshow until Village took full ownership of the group in 2006. Time Warner continues to provide a licence to the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
brand.
The group also owns the Sea World Resort, located next to the Sea World
Sea World
Sea World is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and theme park located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The...
theme park. Previously known as Sea World Nara Resort (opened in 1988 as a joint venture between the then-owners of Sea World and the Japan-based Nara Group, Village also moved to take full ownership of the resort in 2006, resulting in the name change.
In 2008, Sydney Attractions Group was purchased by Village Roadshow after months of discussions. This included the acquisition of Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower and Sydney Wildlife World.
In 2009, the company expanded by purchasing Oceanworld Manly in Australia, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in New Zealand as well as Wet'n'Wild Hawaii and Wet'n'Wild Phoenix in the United States.
In September 2010, Village Roadshow announced that they would be expanding the Wet'n'Wild chain by opening a water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. In December 2010, they announced that they would sell approximately $115 million worth of assets to Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd is a British operator of amusement parks and other attractions. It is the largest such company in Europe, and globally the second largest after Walt Disney Parks and Resorts....
. The sale will include Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Oceanworld Manly, Sydney Tower, Hamilton Island Wildlife Park and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World. On 3 March 2011, the deal was finalised.
Australian Outback Spectacular
Australian Outback Spectacular is an AustralianaAustraliana
Australiana is an item of historical or cultural interest of Australian origins. Australiana often borrows from Australian Aboriginal culture, or the stereotypical Australian culture of the early 1900s....
dinner and show package featuring many Australian animals, songs and bush tucker. The show is located between Warner Bros. Movie World and Wet'n'Wild Water World at Oxenford
Oxenford, Queensland
Oxenford is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Oxenford had a population of 9,007.The suburb is bordered to the north by the Coomera River; the Pacific Motorway forms the eastern boundary. The western edge of the suburb is also bordered by the Coomera River,...
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in Australia.
Paradise Country
Paradise Country is an Australian Farm experience where guests are shown a variety of Australian animals including koalas, kangaroosKangaROOS
KangaROOS are an American brand of sneaker originally produced from 1979 through the 1980s, with a later revival that continues in present. They were notable for having a small zippered pocket on the side of the shoe, large enough for a small amount of loose change, keys, or more recently,...
and emus. The farm tour also includes several shows which feature the making of billy tea, a stock horse
Stock horse
A Stock horse is a horse of a type that is well suited for working with livestock, particularly cattle. Such horses are riding horsescharacterized by agility, quickness, and powerful hindquarters...
demonstration and a boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
throwing demonstration.
Sea World
Sea World is a marine mammal parkMarine mammal park
A marine mammal park is a commercial theme park or aquarium where marine mammals such as dolphins, beluga whales and sea lions are kept within water tanks and displayed to the public in special shows. A marine mammal park is more elaborate than a dolphinarium, because it also features other marine...
, oceanarium
Oceanarium
An oceanarium can be either a marine mammal park, such as Marineland of Florida, or a large-scale aquarium, such as the Lisbon Oceanarium, presenting an ocean habitat with marine animals, especially large ocean dwellers such as sharks.- Marine mammal parks :...
, and theme park located on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The park also offers accommodation at an adjacent resort, helicopter flights, whale watching tours, calm-water cruises and children's books.
Warner Bros. Movie World
Warner Bros. Movie World is a popular movieFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
related theme park on the Gold Coast in Australia. Opening on 3 June 1991, the park contains various movie-themed rides and attractions ranging from motion simulators to roller coasters and slow river rides. In addition, costumed character performers also patrol the park, giving visitors the chance to take photos with them. These include Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Austin Powers, Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, Scooby Doo, The Mystery Inc. Gang and various Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
characters.
Wet'n'Wild Hawaii
Wet'n'Wild Hawaii is a HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
, located in the Oahu city Kapolei. Opening in May 1999, the park occupies 25 acres (10.1 ha) of land and has 25 rides and attractions. It was the first overseas acquisition of Village Roadshow.
Wet'n'Wild Phoenix
Wet'n'Wild Phoenix is a water park located in PhoneixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in the United States. It opened its doors to the public 1 July 2009 after Village Roadshow invested over US$30 million in the park. The park features over 30 rides on approximately 35 acres (14.2 ha) of land making it the largest theme park in the state.
Wet'n'Wild Water World
Wet'n'Wild Water World is a large water park situated in the suburb of Oxenford on the Gold Coast in Australia. The park is Australia's largest waterpark and the third largest waterpark in the world. While the park remains open all year, all pools and slides are heated during winter.Wet'n'Wild Sydney
Wet'n'Wild Sydney is a proposed water park to be located in ProspectProspect, New South Wales
Prospect is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Prospect is located 32 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Announced on 11 September 2010, the proposal includes 3 pools, 16 water slides and 2 children's areas on a 25 hectares (61.8 acre) site. The A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
80 million park is set to be one of the top ten water parks in the world.
Hamilton Island Wildlife Park
Hamilton Island Wildlife Park is a small wildlife park situated on Hamilton IslandHamilton Island
Hamilton Island may refer to:* Hamilton Island , Australia** Hamilton Island Race Week, keelboat regatta** Great Barrier Reef Airport, formerly Hamilton Island Airport* Hamilton Island , Canada...
in Queensland, Australia. Guests will be able to view a large collection of native Australian animals including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, crocodiles, wombats, Tasmanian devils, frilled necked lizards and various reptiles.
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World is a public aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, which was the brainchild of renowned New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton.
Oceanworld Manly
Oceanworld Manly is located just 200 metres (656.2 ft) from ManlyManly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
Wharf in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia. It features aquariums including sharks, giant stingrays, sea turtles and other marine life. Oceanworld also allows guests to take part in Shark Dive Xtreme, where they can swim with sharks.
The aquarium originally opened in 1965, as Marineland. It was refurbished and reopened in 1989 as Underwater world. It was purchased and renovated by Coral World International, and re-opened as Oceanworld in 1992. After its renovation, the aquarium boasted the longest aquarium tunnel in the world, at 110 metres (361 ft). It was sold to the Sydney Aquarium Company (Darling Harbour) in 1999 to be operated as a branch of the Sydney Aquarium.
Sydney Aquarium
Sydney Aquarium is a public aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
located in the city of Sydney, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia. It is located on the eastern (city
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
) side of Darling Harbour to the north of the Pyrmont Bridge
Pyrmont Bridge
The Pyrmont Bridge is a swing bridge over Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia.-History and description:The first Pyrmont Bridge was opened on 17 March 1858, and was a wooden pile bridge with a iron centre swing span...
. It contains a large variety of Australian aquatic life, displaying more than 650 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
comprising more than 6,000 individual fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and other sea and water creatures from most of Australia's water habitats
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
.
Sydney Tower
Sydney Tower is Sydney's tallest free-standing structure which is home to the second tallest observation tower in the Southern HemisphereSouthern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. The tower is also home to the Skywalk (where guests can walk around the top of the building outdoors) and OzTrek (a virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
ride).
Sydney Wildlife World
Sydney Wildlife World is a wildlife park in the centre of the city of Sydney, Australia. Officially opened in September 2006, it is located on the city side of the Darling Harbour leisure and retail precinct, next to Sydney Aquarium. The wildlife park features a wide collection of animals including butterflies, invertebrates, reptiles, koalas as well as specifically designed habitats including semi-aridSemi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
grasslands and a rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
.