Five Most Expensive Theme Park Attractions Ever Built
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For most, the theme park experience is fun, memorable and maybe a bit scary if you’re afraid of heights or spinning. Visitors are there for the thrill and entertainment – something you don’t experience every day.
It’s easy to overlook the time, science, precision and money that goes into building theme park rides but in fact, some of your most memorable theme park experiences came with a hefty price tag.
Check out the top five most expensive theme park rides in the world. Perhaps no surprise to those who have visited, all five can be found in Disney or Universal theme parks. Clearly, the imagination, innovation and complexity mega-theme parks offer can’t be matched.
Ratatouille: Disney Paris, France
The sheer size issues designers faced added quite a bit to the estimated $120-$150 million it took to build the ride in which guests “shrink” to the size of Remy the rat from the Disney film. If visitors are tiny, that means everything else is huge. Another reason the ride cost more than most is the trackless system that allows the cars to rotate 360 degrees. According to Theme Park Tourist, Disney Imagineers say they have invented an entirely new system for the popular attraction.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Islands of Adventure, Florida
Estimated at $150 million for the $200 million Harry Potter expansion project, the Forbidden Journey ride takes guests on a wild journey over Hogwarts, through a quidditch match, in a duel with dragons, giant spiders, and dementors. The technology behind the ride is the costliest. Seats are mounted on top of a robotic arm that can move vertically, horizontally and even upside-down giving viewers the physical feeling to match what their watching on the 3D screen.
Fans of Harry Potter will also look forward to new film segments with the original actors and actresses throughout the ride, giving the experience an extra special touch.
Radiator Springs Racers: Disney’s California Adventure, California
Located in Disneyland Resorts second theme park and a result of a major park redesign, Cars Land opened in 2012, delivering Radiator Springs and a host of fun rides. By far, Radiator Springs Racers is most popular and cost $200 million to create. In a recent list of ‘Test Track’ style rides, the electric cars race side by side through dark tunnels and appearances from your favorite Cars characters.
The cost was worth it, as California Adventure has substantially grown in ticket sales and guest approval since the opening of Cars Land.
Tower of Terror: Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Florida
One of the most mechanically complex rides ever built according to Theme Park Voice, the Tower of Terror cost $140 million to build and is Hollywood Studios’ main attraction. The ride was so popular, a total of four were made and placed in other Disney parks across the globe.
If you’re not familiar, the popular ride features an episode of “The Twilight Zone”, spooky music, and a vertical drop on a “malfunctioning elevator”. The technology behind creating an elevator designed to drop on cue safely can cost a pretty penny, but the popularity of the ride, makes each penny seem worth it.
The Tower of Terror ride in Disney’s Paris Park was nearly $240 million to build. With some improvements and redesign of the Florida original, Disney was ready to begin their building process when they discovered France regulations required steel frame for a building of its height – a huge cost to Disney but in the end, serves as Disney Paris’ flagship ride.
Test Track: Disney’s Epcot, Florida
The original Test Track was built for an estimated $300 million. The cost continued to rise as the complicated system caused designers to redesign multiple times. According to RTT News, the electronic model used in Test Track required 29 cars to increase capacity for the lack of rides available at the time. Disney wanted to create a ride that would move people through quickly, excite those looking for a rollercoaster-like experience, and replace some of the slower, older rides at the theme park. Each car holds six people and sends them through the gamut of tests seen at a vehicle testing facility; hot and cold rooms, brakes, and of course, speed. Visitors zoom out of the building at 65 mph, making it the fastest ride Disney had created to date.
Coming in at approximately $100 million includes Universal Studios’ ‘Jurassic Park’, Universal’s Islands of Adventure Park’s ‘The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman’, Disney Animal Kingdom’s ‘Expedition Everest’, Disney’s Epcot ‘Mission: Space’ and Disneyland Tokyo’s ‘Pooh’s Hunny Hunt’.
Sources: Theme Park Tourist, Theme Park Voice, RTT News
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