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Immersive Theme Parks Where You're the Main Character
Newsweek
|July 15 - 22, 2022 (Double Issue)
"Theme park" usually conjures up images of roller coasters, but rides aren't the main attraction at these quirky spots.
Instead, visitors embark on immersive experiences; whether that means role-playing characters in a yearlong Renaissance world or physically plunging into crocodile-filled tanks. Unusual amusement parks are on trend-Saudi Arabia has plans to open an "extreme park" on an oil rig in the Arabian Gulf in 2025. Read on to learn how parks around the world are giving visitors the chance to escape reality.
01 Evermore
PLEASANT GROVE, UTAH
37 The main attractions at this theme park aren't rides there aren't any but, instead, trained actors who play fantasy characters. A yearlong Renaissance fair, Evermore invites visitors to join a guild, learn characters' backstories and role-play their own, while participating in various tasks and quests.
02 Parque Xcaret
CANCÚN, MEXICO
This park is named for the nearby archaeological site, Xcaret, formerly a Mayan settlement. Rather than man-made roller coasters, the theme park uses the natural environment to give visitors thrills. Swim with nurse sharks and explore underground rivers and caverns, then in the evening, catch a live performance depicting Mayan culture.
03 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
This story is from the July 15 - 22, 2022 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek.
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