The debut of Mattel Adventure Park has now been pushed back to 2024, the Glendale, Arizona theme park announced Monday.
Planned alongside the 1,200-room VAI Resort, Mattel Adventure Park was originally set to open in 2022 and was later pushed back to a first quarter 2023 opening. The nine-acre park is said to be “substantially indoors,” according to the new press release, with attractions load and unloading in air conditioned-spaces. (The Phoenix area just recorded its hottest month ever with an average temperature of 102.7 degrees.)
The new press release covered previously-announced attractions for the park featuring Mattel brands, including two Hot Wheels-themed roller coasters: Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride and the Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer. The latter will be the second-ever Hyper GT-X coaster model built by Chance Rides (the other being Lightning Run at Kentucky Kingdom) and will feature three inversions, the most of any coaster in Arizona.
“Mattel Adventure Park is an amazing opportunity to bring our beloved brands to life,” said Julie Freeland, senior director of global location-based entertainment at Mattel. “Construction is underway and substantial progress has been made on what will give fans of all ages a day of thrills and nostalgia.”
Beyond the two coasters, the park will feature a kids area themed around the Thomas & Friends franchise, a 4,500-square-foot laser tag arena housed in Castle Greyskull from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and a mini-golf course focused on Mattel games such as Pictionary and UNO.
The revitalized Barbie brand will also be featured in the park with a hologram-driven “Barbie Dream Closet Experience” and a rooftop bar and restaurant housed in what the press release called a “full-scale Barbie Beach House.”
At least one previously-revealed attraction may be axed, as the press release makes no mention of the Soarin’-style flying theater ride that was also planned for the Barbie area.