GARY GODDARD RETURNS TO THE THEME PARK HE DESIGNED 13 YEARS AGO. PERHAPS IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU ALSO CHECKED OUT ENCHANTED KINGDOM AGAIN

Thirteen years after he created the 17-hectare Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa, Laguna, designer Gary Goddard has once again returned to the theme park he originally imagined.

And he enjoyed every minute of it. During his return visit, he tried the Wheel of Fate, Jungle Log Jam, Kart Trak and the Exodus all-terrain vehicle ride.

“It still lives to my expectations,” said Goddard, the founder of Landmark Entertainment Group and the brilliant mind behind world-class attractions such as The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas, The Sanrio Ginza Gallery in Tokyo and The Star City Casino in Sydney.

“It looks very nice—the colors are bright and the trees surrounding it are beautiful. But, of course, I suggest it would be better if they would make the park larger,” he added.

The Enchanted Kingdom management is listening to his suggestions.

“We are taking into account what Gary suggested to enhance the park,” said Mario Mamon, Enchanted Kingdom’s president and chief executive.

Although Goddard declined to disclose specific plans for the park’s enhancement, the new designs would most likely continue the Western fairy-tale concepts that have proven popular among Enchanted Kingdom parkgoers.

He stressed that while “we always put in respect the idea of culture and tradition in every country,” local designs and concepts are most of the time not fully integrated in his projects.

“When we had a project in China, it is the people who suggested making something different. Their reason: ‘We have museums,’” he cited.

“Theme parks are an escape from reality. It should be more incredible and filled with imagination and fantasy,” added Goddard.

Last year, Enchanted Kingdom welcomed more than 11 million visitors, and this year, it is encouraging visitors from the Visayas and Mindanao to come to the park.

The theme park is also being marketed to capture more foreign tourists, returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and expatriates living in the Philippines.

Goddard is currently developing other theme parks around Asia. His projects include the Looney Tunes Adventure Park, which will debut next year in Hong Kong; an indoor theme park, Transtudio, in Indonesia; and a resort park, Empire of Dreams, in China.

Known for providing an “emotional engagement” in his designs, Goddard gave suggestions on how theme destinations, not only in the Philippines but also in Asia, could further attract visitors in the coming years.

“Going to theme parks is not entirely because of the rides but about creating new experiences with different groups of people,” Goddard said.

“You can extend the stay of people by offering them alternatives and giving people reasons to come back, like musical and theatrical shows and parades,” he added.

That is why Mamon encourages those who haven’t gone back to Enchanted Kingdom for several years to “go back and see the difference.”

Among the attractions that have been added in Santa Rosa’s amusement park are Xtreme Paintball, a laser-tag game; the 4D Discovery Theater; Kart Trak and the Junior Kart Trak; the High Dive; and the Exodus ATV ride.

On top of the thrill rides, Enchanted Kingdom now also holds corporate events like awarding ceremonies, product launches or team-building activities in Eldar’s Tent, a 600-sq-m venue that can accommodate up to 600 guests.

So what’s the future of theme parks? Goddard said theme-park visitors could expect less hassles, thanks to simple tweaks.

“To put away the negatives about theme parks, there must be a trick,” he said. “For instance, riders may program their rides through cell phones to avoid long queuing.”

But the bottom line is delivering happiness.

“Theme parks are about creating memories and shared experience,” he said. “People only need to step in, leave their stresses and have fun.”

Fun revisited

Thirteen years after he created the 17-hectare Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa, Laguna, designer Gary Goddard has once again returned to the theme park he originally imagined.

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