Credit: Inside the MagicBarbie will soon make her theme park debut, welcoming Guests into an interactive, immersive experience, complete with pink drinks and more!
The world is going wild over Barbie thanks to her upcoming movie, Barbie (2023), featuring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Will Farrell, Michael Cera, and other talented actors and actresses. The film — which caused a world shortage during its production — has flooded the world with the most amazing and weirdest marketing campaigns and collaborations, including the reopening of Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse in partnership with Airbnb — though this time, Ken’s hosting.
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While the film has recently received intense backlash accusing it of promoting an alleged “hidden gay agenda” and sparked debate online with its international marketing, Director Greta Gerwig’s upcoming movie is expected to have a smashing opening weekend, aiming for $80M-$100M in the box office, with presales bigger than Walt Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2023).
And if taking over media and merchandise worldwide wasn’t enough, this Barbie could take over Mickey Mouse’s top spot in the theme park industry as a new project continues its development.
Earlier this year, Mattel announced the development of an all-new theme park inspired by some of the most popular franchises in its brand portfolio, including Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends, and, of course, Barbie.
Mattel Adventure Park had an impressive reception among fans eager to experience the double-looping launch coaster inspired by Hot Wheels, the life-size recreation of Castle Grayskull from Masters of the Universe that will house a state-of-the-art laser tag experience, and the immersive Barbie Beach House, which will allow Guests to enjoy a signature pink beverage on the third story rooftop.
While Mattel has not announced plans to expand on its theme park developments, the success the company — and many of us — expects from the upcoming Barbie movie could open the gates for Mattel to become a significant competitor in the theme park and entertainment industry, possibly reaching and even exceeding standards set out by Disney and Universal theme parks.
Disney is currently the leader in the theme park industry, with Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort welcoming millions of Guests every year; and the company’s international Parks, including Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disney Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, also seeing significant Guest traffic daily.
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However, some of the latest decisions and announcements by The Walt Disney Company have left Guests underwhelmed, with many claiming that Disney has a long way to go to regain its pristine reputation.
This could also allow Mattel to gain on Mickey Mouse by providing new theme park experiences for fans. And who knows? Maybe Barbie could overthrow Mickey as the new queen of the theme park industry.
However, this remains pure speculation, as Mattel has not announced additional plans for other theme park locations. Inside the Magic will keep you updated on the latest theme park and entertainment news.
Mattel Adventure Park is scheduled to open in 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. You can click here to check on the theme park’s progress through the live construction cam Mattel set up on the site.
Are you excited about Mattel Adventure Park’s opening? Would you like to see Mattel enter the theme park competition with more locations? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments below!