Amazing theme parks that never existed including an aquarium with submarine rides in London
EVERY year, we see exciting new theme parks opening all over the world.
In 2020 for example, there will be a Gulliver’s Valley in Yorkshire and Legoland in New York.
However, there are also some amazing theme parks that were never built with locations in Dubai, the US and London.
Some of the incredible plans included mythical beast attractions, flying saucers and bullet trains.
Many of these never took off due to money issues.
Now, has worked with an illustrator to recreate what the theme parks could have looked like and you can see the attractions that could have been.
Six Flags Dubai, UAE
One of the most recent theme parks to be shelved is Six Flags Dubai.
The theme park was originally scheduled to be opened earlier this year.
Plans included six rollercoasters, four aerial rides and a 340m rapids ride.
It would also have been home to the world’s biggest rollercoaster although developers never revealed just what records it would break.
However, earlier this year, it was announced that the attraction was
Thankfully, Dubai has other great theme parks, including Aquaventure Waterpark and Dubai Parks and Resorts.
Beastly Kingdom, Florida
Disney World is one of the most popular theme parks in the world, with six different lands.
Inside Animal Kingdom you’ll find Pandora: The World of Avatar – although this almost became Beastly Kingdom.
The idea behind the attraction was to feature mythical creatures, including
Realms would have “good” creatures and rides, including fields of flowers, Greek temples and a mythical maze called the Quest of the Unicorn where guests would have to find five golden idols to meet the animal.
The “bad” realms would have a dark forest, fallen soldiers and a Dragon Tower attraction with a fire breathing animals and bats.
The land was originally shelved due to budgets.
Disney fans may have spotted a dragon on the Animal Kingdom logo – which is a nod to the never-built land.
Space City USA, Alabama
In the 1960s, an innovative interstellar theme park was put forward – Space City USA.
wanted to “rival Disney World” with a Sci-Fi themed destination.
Guests would be transported to the future with jet cars, flying saucers and a skyway ride.
A time travelling machine would also take guests back to the era of the dinosaurs, the Old South and a moon colony simulation.
A ten-story hotel, restaurants and shops were in the plans as well.
Construction began on Lady Anne lake in 1964, but the project was abandoned three years later, despite some of the buildings and rides already near completion.
The Battersea, London
Despite Battersea Power Station now being a large housing and shopping complex, there were once plans to turn it into .
In the 1980s, the plans were conducted by John Broome, who founded Alton Towers and is the man behind Camel Creek in Cornwall.
Some of the designs included glass elevators up to the glass roofed atrium, a Battersea bullet train (with LCD windows mimicking travelling at light speed) and indoor hot air balloon rides.
Six of the floors would have different entertainment based on continents around the world, featuring exhibits, cinemas and restaurants.
One of the rides, called the Space Probe ride, would propel riders through a glass tube and alongside the riverside.
What made it stand out was the Oceanarium, the largest aquarium in the world, and the biggest ice rink in Europe.
However, a combination of asbestos in the building and the failing building integrity needed to support the structures led to the project being shelved.
Miami Interama, Miami
A science and technology theme park was proposed in the 1960s in Miami.
Interama, short for “” wanted to include elements of both theme parks and science exhibitions built on the bay in North Miami.
There would be four areas – Culture, Sport-Leisure, International and Industrial – to show the lives of the average American.
Plans for a 12,000-seat floating amphitheatre to feature concerts, ballets, water shows and fireworks, alongside art galleries, theatres, museums and a symphony hall were put forward.
A 1,000 foot Tower of Freedom would be the main attraction of the land, which guests would enter by capsules in conveyor belt tubes.
Sports fans would be able to go skiing, golfing, boating or walking through a number of waterways and lagoons.
Despite millions of dollars put into the project, it never took off, and the site today is part of Florida University.
A new 21-storey giga coaster in opening in the US next year, along with a record-breaking dive rollercoaster at Sea World.
Hersheypark have announced their new 2020 expansion includes an exciting ride themed on the famous sweets.
Closer to home, Paultons Park is opening a multi-million pound 1950s land in the UK next year.