The first Dragon Ball theme park in the world is slated to challenge Disney World and Universal Studios, according to the ambitious plans.
The Dragon Ball theme park, billed as an experience featuring the main character Akira Toriyama's sweeping shonen manga, would span over 500,000 square meters (5.4 million square feet) and have over 30 rides and attractions.
Official advertisement for the World's Only Dragon Ball Theme Park
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The official press release for the ambitious theme park reads:
The Saudi Arabia-based Qiddiya Investment Company has announced that it will be constructing the World’s only ever Dragon Ball theme park as part of its "Qiddiya" giga project!
The Dragon Ball theme park will boast a whopping size of over 500,000 square meters and feature seven different areas that recreate various iconic locales from the original series, such as Kame House, Capsule Corporation, and Beerus's Planet. At the park, visitors will be able to join an adventure with Goku and pals as they enjoy the world of Dragon Ball, from the very beginning of the anime all the way up through Dragon Ball Super!
This theme park will feature five state-of-the-art rides as part of a lineup of 30+ attractions! And if that wasn't already exciting enough, construction of a 70 meter-high Shenron is also planned, with this landmark containing a large-scale roller coaster inside!
In addition, there will also be fully stocked hotels and restaurants available at the park to enable fans to immerse themselves in the world of Dragon Ball for an entire day of fun.
“It has been a true source of pride for our company to serve as a lead creative consultant for the Dragon Ball Theme Park,” said Cecil D. Magpuri, CEO of Falcon’s Beyond. “Qiddiya Investment Company, Toei Animation and our team hold a shared vision to reimagine the world of entertainment and delight consumers in new, innovative ways. This theme park will do just that.”
Some fans expressed extreme disapproval of Toei's decision to locate the park in Saudi Arabia, which has a long history of violating human rights records, poor treatment of women, and denial of LGBTQ+ rights. Most DBZ fans have expressed dismay that the park was not located in Japan.
Qiddiya is one of Saudi Arabia's megaprojects (rapidly-built manmade cities) and is essential to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to create an ambitious country, a flourishing economy, and a dynamic society.
Qiddiya aims to develop play-based destinations, activities, and projects that will improve the quality of life for both locals and visitors. The first project in Qiddiya will be Qiddiya City, a destination for amusement, sports, and culture that will be open to Saudi citizens, locals, and visitors alike. Qiddiya City will be entirely devoted to play.
Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama recently passed away on March 01. The news was kept private until March 08, after his family had a private funeral ceremony.
In recent days, manga creators and fans around the world have come together to commiserate over Toriyama's untimely passing.