Wannado City, America’s first indoor role-playing theme park, is preparing to open its doors in August at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Florida.
The 140,000sq ft site is aimed at children aged between four and 11 years-old and is designed to allow them to live out their dream careers.
The interactive concept encourages role-playing and features 60 different venues with over 250 careers for children to choose from.
Upon arrival, the visitors will find a fire and police station, hospital, circus, theatre, racetrack, restaurant and a news centre.
Children can then pursue a mini-career from a selection of jobs, including archaeologist, chef, dentist, detective, doctor and newspaper editor.
Each site has a ‘coach’, teaching basic skills and games relating to their choice of profession.
For their work, children will earn Wongas – the official currency of Wannado City. Each career carries a paycheck, which will then be paid into a savings account created in the child’s name for the day. Throughout the day, the children must make decisions how to spend their money, such as whether to buy food or spend it at the dance club.
Luis Javier Laresgoiti, chief creative officer, said: “The idea for this concept was born when I saw how much my daughter loved playing with my office equipment. Toy phones and faxes didn’t do the job – she loved to play with real ones.
“Wannado City offers kids a place where they can let their imaginations take flight and play out their dreams in a reality-based city, created just for them.”
Wannado City will be operated by Wannado Entertainment – a subsidiary of entertainment corporation, CIE – and has appointed Curtis Parks as its general manager.
Parks, who begun his career at Schlitterbarn Waterpark and Resorts in Texas, joins Wannado from the Wet’n Wild waterpark in Las Vegas, where he was general manager.
Jane Cooper, CEO of Wannado, said: “We hope that Curtis’ vast experience in strategic planning and operations will ensure Wannado City to establish the highest standards for our children and parent visitors.”
Wannado Entertainment aims to roll out the Wannado City concept throughout the US. Details: www.wannadocity.com
