Best known for his comedy partnership with Matt Lucas on Little Britain and as a judge on the ITV show Britain's Got Talent, David Walliams has also become a successful children's author, selling more than 33 million copies of his works worldwide.
Adapted into Christmas specials, TV series, musicals and more, Walliam's works are now set to enter the world of attractions, with a new addition coming to the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, UK.
"I've been working with Alton Towers on a brand new ride inspired by my children's books," the author says.
Set to open in Q2 2020, Walliams has been working with HarperCollins Children's Books and Merlin Magic Making on the project for the last two years. The development will centre around Alton Towers' existing Cloud Cuckoo Land area, complementing the existing CBeebies Land, which opened in 2014.
Known as The World of Walliams, the addition will feature a "ground-breaking, unique headline attraction", as a number of attractions and characters, which will be brought to life across the theme park and within the wider resort’s hotels. The new ride is already under construction, with work starting earlier this year.
Walliams wrote his first children's book in 2008 and has since gone on to publish 12 kids' novels, as well as a number of collections of short stories and picture books. In 2018, he was named the UK's best selling author for the second year.
Among Walliams' most popular titles are The Boy in the Dress, Gangsta Granny, Mr Stink and The World's Worst Children. All of these titles and more could be part of the attraction, though Alton Towers is remaining tight-lipped about what will actually feature.
"It’s a huge thrill for some of my favourite characters to be getting their own attractions at Alton Towers," says Walliams. "I can’t wait to experience them for myself, and from all the work that has gone in, I think people are going to love it. All will be revealed next year."
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Interview: Yves Pépin
A man whose spectaculars have been
witnessed by billions, Yves Pépin
speaks about his trail-blazing career
Rides: Supersonic
We take a look at some of the most
significant ride openings around the world
Preview: Rulantica Rising
Germany’s top theme park is about to
launch a €180m addition with the opening of its long-awaited second
gate. Attractions Management looks
at Rulantica and how the new
waterpark addition is taking shape
Theme Parks: Parisian Magic
Daniel Delcourt and David Wilson
share more about Disney’s €2bn
expansion of Disneyland Paris
Promotional feature: Simworx Ltd
CEO, Terry Monkton, takes
us through the development of two unique projects, from conception to creation
Waterparks: Water World
Debrecen in Hungary is gaining an iconic
new addition – a US$30.1m waterpark
Promotional feature: WhiteWater
WhiteWater’s Una deBoer tells us
how the company maintains elite safety standards
in waterparks and the steps operators can take
to improve safety across the entire industry
Operations: Disaster Management
What can be learned from the experiences
of those unfortunate operators who have
had to react when disaster strikes?
Exhibitions: World Tour
Kath Hudson looks at the potential of the
pop-up and touring exhibition market
Best known for his comedy partnership with Matt Lucas on Little Britain and as a judge on the ITV show Britain's Got Talent, David Walliams has also become a successful children's author, selling more than 33 million copies of his works worldwide.
Adapted into Christmas specials, TV series, musicals and more, Walliam's works are now set to enter the world of attractions, with a new addition coming to the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, UK.
"I've been working with Alton Towers on a brand new ride inspired by my children's books," the author says.
Set to open in Q2 2020, Walliams has been working with HarperCollins Children's Books and Merlin Magic Making on the project for the last two years. The development will centre around Alton Towers' existing Cloud Cuckoo Land area, complementing the existing CBeebies Land, which opened in 2014.
Known as The World of Walliams, the addition will feature a "ground-breaking, unique headline attraction", as a number of attractions and characters, which will be brought to life across the theme park and within the wider resort’s hotels. The new ride is already under construction, with work starting earlier this year.
Walliams wrote his first children's book in 2008 and has since gone on to publish 12 kids' novels, as well as a number of collections of short stories and picture books. In 2018, he was named the UK's best selling author for the second year.
Among Walliams' most popular titles are The Boy in the Dress, Gangsta Granny, Mr Stink and The World's Worst Children. All of these titles and more could be part of the attraction, though Alton Towers is remaining tight-lipped about what will actually feature.
"It’s a huge thrill for some of my favourite characters to be getting their own attractions at Alton Towers," says Walliams. "I can’t wait to experience them for myself, and from all the work that has gone in, I think people are going to love it. All will be revealed next year."
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Interview: Yves Pépin
A man whose spectaculars have been
witnessed by billions, Yves Pépin
speaks about his trail-blazing career
Rides: Supersonic
We take a look at some of the most
significant ride openings around the world
Preview: Rulantica Rising
Germany’s top theme park is about to
launch a €180m addition with the opening of its long-awaited second
gate. Attractions Management looks
at Rulantica and how the new
waterpark addition is taking shape
Theme Parks: Parisian Magic
Daniel Delcourt and David Wilson
share more about Disney’s €2bn
expansion of Disneyland Paris
Promotional feature: Simworx Ltd
CEO, Terry Monkton, takes
us through the development of two unique projects, from conception to creation
Waterparks: Water World
Debrecen in Hungary is gaining an iconic
new addition – a US$30.1m waterpark
Promotional feature: WhiteWater
WhiteWater’s Una deBoer tells us
how the company maintains elite safety standards
in waterparks and the steps operators can take
to improve safety across the entire industry
Operations: Disaster Management
What can be learned from the experiences
of those unfortunate operators who have
had to react when disaster strikes?
Exhibitions: World Tour
Kath Hudson looks at the potential of the
pop-up and touring exhibition market
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
+ More news
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