After a year in which “experiences” were largely virtual, the market for licensed in-person events is staging a comeback across theme parks, escape rooms, cafes and other venues.

That’s not to say the experiential business was fully sidelined in 2020. But theme parks operated with limited capacities and many high-profile projects were postponed until this year and beyond as companies focused more on securing their balance sheets and less on launching new attractions.

Adding new attractions
With the return of consumers to countless venues and rides have come plans to introduce new ones.

For example, Six Flags Entertainment’s Magic Mountain, Valencia, CA, this week announced plans for a “Wonder Woman Flight of Courage” in 2022 that’s being called the world’s longest (3,300 feet) and tallest (131 feet) single-rail coaster in the park’s DC Universe area. The coaster is second under the Wonder Woman brand, following “Wonder Woman: Golden Lasso” that opened at Six Flags Fiesta Texas In San Antonio in 2018. In Japan, the Seibu-en Amusement in May launched the first permanent Godzilla-themed dark ride: “Godzilla the Ride: Great Kaiju Decisive Battle” as part of Legendary Entertainment’s move to further license out its portfolio.

‘Good insurance policies’
“The parks recognize the effect of the pandemic will continue for some time” so they are leaning more heavily on licensed IP or unique rides “as good insurance policies,” said Jim Seay, President of Premiere Rides. Parkgoers “expect there will be something new every year. They came back this year because they missed the parks, but next year they want something new and exciting.”

To satisfy those demands “you need to be able to talk about the tallest (ride) or an IP that consumers need to hear about to start thinking ‘when am I going back to the park to experience that?’”

Among other developments:

• Crayola is embarking on an outbound licensing program for its Crayola Experience installations with plans to expand it globally in 25,000-30,000 or 60,000-sq.-ft. sizes, depending on the markets and locations, says Warren Schorr, VP of Business Development and Global Licensing. Crayola will meet with licensees and introduce the concept at the upcoming IAPPA Expo ( 16-19)  in Orlando, FL. The program marks a change from a company-owned format that has opened in five locations since launching in Easton, PA in 2013 as a conversion from a Crayola Factory store. The first of the licensed Crayola Experiences will open in 2023.

“We will still provide the same structure as a franchise program, but this allows us to be flexible with our partners on size, scale and iconography” and allows the stores to be tailored to local markets, says Schorr.  Still to be determined is whether the licenses will be granted for regions, countries or markets and locations can be either mall-based or freestanding, says Schorr.

“The reason to scale now is that we have proved it [Crayola Experience] out and up; until now, it has been a ‘lets make certain this works,’” says Schorr. “ We would have started earlier had there not been Covid, but now we see a path to a post-covid environment. Between those two things, now is the time to aggressively pursue this.”

In addition, Crayola will launch two smaller (15,000 sq. ft.) touring (six months-one year) attractions — the family-oriented Magic of Color and adult-targeted Art House, the first of which will open in late 2022.

• Universal Studios is deepening its theme park agreement with Nintendo with plans to add Pokemon rides to its Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, which opened in March. There also are plans to add a Donkey Kong area by 2024 and to bring a version of Super Nintendo World to Universal parks in Hollywood, CA and Orlando, FL.
• Egan Escape Productions has opened a Blair Witch escape room in Las Vegas under a licensing agreement with Lionsgate Entertainment. The “Escape Blair Witch” room is Egan’s second in Las Vegas following a “Saw” version that opened in 2018.
• The Leomandia park in Italy will open 9,500-sq.-meter section based on Acamar Film’s “Bing” in 2023 and featuring interactive play areas, live shows and restaurants.
• After a year in which its developer Triple Five struggled through bankruptcy, New Jersey’s American Dream mall is readying new licensed attractions. In the coming months, “Game Room Powered by Hasbro” and Skip Barber Racing’s indoor go-kart experience will open — the latter bearing the name of the founder of a famed race track and driving school in Lakeville, CT. Those attractions follow Nickelodeon Universe, DreamWorks Water Park, a Legoland Discovery Center and an Angry Birds mini-golf course.
• A first-of-its-kind Mattel Adventure Park featuring, among other things, a Hot Wheels rollercoaster, will open in late 2022 at Crystal Lagoons Island Resort in Glendale, AZ.