Bear Grylls Adventure is inspired by the survivalist’s high-adrenaline experiences, past expeditions and training / PHOTOS: MATT ALEXANDER
Ever thought about a visitor attraction where one moment you’re scuba diving metres underwater and the next you’re simulating a skydive?
Celebrity survivalist Bear Grylls – who’s famous for starring in TV shows where he’s stranded far from anywhere and must make his way back to civilisation – is partnering with Merlin Entertainments on an attraction concept to “bring adventure to millions”.
Bear Grylls Adventure will be split into five zones, each offering a different set of activities based on high-adrenaline experiences and inspired by Grylls’ past expeditions, such as scaling Everest, traversing deserts and jungles, and training as an SAS reservist.
Targeting the burgeoning adventure-based experiences market, the first £20m Bear Grylls Adventure will be located at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in the UK, and cover an 8,000sqm area. The Merlin Magic Making team is theming the attraction as an immersive wilderness, made all the more convincing by the addition of a real-life Chinook helicopter, light aircraft, army vehicles and Grylls’ own survival equipment.
“I wanted to create a large-scale attraction so you don’t have to travel the world to get a real taste of adventure,” says Grylls. “The adventure park is all based on experiences that have shaped my life, pushed me to my limits and so often taken me far out of my comfort zone.
“My late father – a friend, commando and climber – is my inspiration. He taught me to survive and climb. He showed me it was OK to have big dreams and that to fail a few times is essential to success.”
“It was such a logical next step to bring adventure indoors and to millions of people. The Bear Grylls Adventure will test the skills, strength and nerve of the most intrepid thrillseeker, and you can hone some of the core mental and physical skills for adventure at our Basecamp.”
Dive, fly, climb The attraction will be staffed by trained “adrenaline advisors” and split up into five areas – Dive, Fly, Climb, High Ropes and Basecamp – and it’s going to be hands-on.
In the Dive zone, professional divers lead an underwater experience in a 886-cubic-metre tank. Guests do not need any previous experience and can choose between snorkelling or scuba diving, with equipment provided. “Underwater adventures can be the most exciting. The key is being calm under pressure and prepared for the unexpected,” says Grylls.
In the Fly zone, trained experts teach skydiving skills inside a giant wind tunnel, with the chance to experience a freefall three times as long as an average skydive.
The Climb zone allows users to choose a route inspired by famous terrains, such as El Capitain in Yosemite National Park and the bouldering areas of Fontainebleau, France. Guests of all abilities can have a go. “It’s about helping you find the courage and tenacity to conquer your fears.”
The High Ropes section sees visitors zipline from the Chinook before taking on a multi-level ropes course, billed as military standard and “the toughest in Europe”.
Lastly, Basecamp is the heart of the attraction, made up of four mental, physical, group and individual challenges designed to teach the core skills needed for survival in the wild. Look out for an escape room and face-your-fears challenge.
Global rollout Grylls sums up the experience in his own inimitable style: “Courage is about finding a way through the fear, not denying the fear. The more we do that’s difficult, the more empowered we become to tackle the big obstacles in our lives.”
“This is all about developing that ‘never-give-up spirit’. To build courage, determination and resourcefulness, we have to experience challenges that stretch us,” he says. “That’s what we do at Bear Grylls Adventure in spades.”
Merlin expects to then take the product overseas in a major rollout and has an exclusive deal with Bear Grylls Ventures until 2026, which could be extended as new Bear Grylls attractions open worldwide.
“Bear Grylls is a truly international brand,” says Merlin CEO Nick Varney. “As well as earning recognition in Europe, he is extremely big in the US and in China, which are the two big markets we’re focusing on.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2018 issue 1
Industry Opinion: Waterparks
More water leisure operators are investing in becoming more accessible, writes WWA's Aleatha Ezra
Industry Opinion: Zoos & Aquariums
Species survival expert Bill Robichaud shares the trials of the saola and what zoos are doing to save this near-extinct creature
Interview: Bob White
Bob White, COO of Village Roadshow, on
weathering a dip in attendance and keeping
his eyes on investment and expansion
Inclusivity: Open to All
Kath Hudson reports on some inspiring
initiatives to help include people who
face physical, social or economic
obstacles to visiting attractions
Heritage: Lofty Ideals
Westminster Abbey is getting an attic
conversion of sorts. We found out more
Waterparks: Under the Weather
Meet the team who helped bring
Epic Waters to fruition – an undercover
Texas waterpark on an epic scale
Profile: Andreas Andersen
IAAPA’s new chair Andreas Andersen sat
down with Tom Anstey to talk about industry
growth, sustainability – and queueing
Theme Parks: Think Big
Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen reveals
details of the park’s €200m expansion
Themed design: The Story Builders
Disney’s Joe Rohde and Scott Trowbridge
and Universal’s Thierry Coup reveal the
secrets of their trade – well, some of them!
Bear Grylls Adventure is inspired by the survivalist’s high-adrenaline experiences, past expeditions and training / PHOTOS: MATT ALEXANDER
Ever thought about a visitor attraction where one moment you’re scuba diving metres underwater and the next you’re simulating a skydive?
Celebrity survivalist Bear Grylls – who’s famous for starring in TV shows where he’s stranded far from anywhere and must make his way back to civilisation – is partnering with Merlin Entertainments on an attraction concept to “bring adventure to millions”.
Bear Grylls Adventure will be split into five zones, each offering a different set of activities based on high-adrenaline experiences and inspired by Grylls’ past expeditions, such as scaling Everest, traversing deserts and jungles, and training as an SAS reservist.
Targeting the burgeoning adventure-based experiences market, the first £20m Bear Grylls Adventure will be located at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in the UK, and cover an 8,000sqm area. The Merlin Magic Making team is theming the attraction as an immersive wilderness, made all the more convincing by the addition of a real-life Chinook helicopter, light aircraft, army vehicles and Grylls’ own survival equipment.
“I wanted to create a large-scale attraction so you don’t have to travel the world to get a real taste of adventure,” says Grylls. “The adventure park is all based on experiences that have shaped my life, pushed me to my limits and so often taken me far out of my comfort zone.
“My late father – a friend, commando and climber – is my inspiration. He taught me to survive and climb. He showed me it was OK to have big dreams and that to fail a few times is essential to success.”
“It was such a logical next step to bring adventure indoors and to millions of people. The Bear Grylls Adventure will test the skills, strength and nerve of the most intrepid thrillseeker, and you can hone some of the core mental and physical skills for adventure at our Basecamp.”
Dive, fly, climb The attraction will be staffed by trained “adrenaline advisors” and split up into five areas – Dive, Fly, Climb, High Ropes and Basecamp – and it’s going to be hands-on.
In the Dive zone, professional divers lead an underwater experience in a 886-cubic-metre tank. Guests do not need any previous experience and can choose between snorkelling or scuba diving, with equipment provided. “Underwater adventures can be the most exciting. The key is being calm under pressure and prepared for the unexpected,” says Grylls.
In the Fly zone, trained experts teach skydiving skills inside a giant wind tunnel, with the chance to experience a freefall three times as long as an average skydive.
The Climb zone allows users to choose a route inspired by famous terrains, such as El Capitain in Yosemite National Park and the bouldering areas of Fontainebleau, France. Guests of all abilities can have a go. “It’s about helping you find the courage and tenacity to conquer your fears.”
The High Ropes section sees visitors zipline from the Chinook before taking on a multi-level ropes course, billed as military standard and “the toughest in Europe”.
Lastly, Basecamp is the heart of the attraction, made up of four mental, physical, group and individual challenges designed to teach the core skills needed for survival in the wild. Look out for an escape room and face-your-fears challenge.
Global rollout Grylls sums up the experience in his own inimitable style: “Courage is about finding a way through the fear, not denying the fear. The more we do that’s difficult, the more empowered we become to tackle the big obstacles in our lives.”
“This is all about developing that ‘never-give-up spirit’. To build courage, determination and resourcefulness, we have to experience challenges that stretch us,” he says. “That’s what we do at Bear Grylls Adventure in spades.”
Merlin expects to then take the product overseas in a major rollout and has an exclusive deal with Bear Grylls Ventures until 2026, which could be extended as new Bear Grylls attractions open worldwide.
“Bear Grylls is a truly international brand,” says Merlin CEO Nick Varney. “As well as earning recognition in Europe, he is extremely big in the US and in China, which are the two big markets we’re focusing on.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2018 issue 1
Industry Opinion: Waterparks
More water leisure operators are investing in becoming more accessible, writes WWA's Aleatha Ezra
Industry Opinion: Zoos & Aquariums
Species survival expert Bill Robichaud shares the trials of the saola and what zoos are doing to save this near-extinct creature
Interview: Bob White
Bob White, COO of Village Roadshow, on
weathering a dip in attendance and keeping
his eyes on investment and expansion
Inclusivity: Open to All
Kath Hudson reports on some inspiring
initiatives to help include people who
face physical, social or economic
obstacles to visiting attractions
Heritage: Lofty Ideals
Westminster Abbey is getting an attic
conversion of sorts. We found out more
Waterparks: Under the Weather
Meet the team who helped bring
Epic Waters to fruition – an undercover
Texas waterpark on an epic scale
Profile: Andreas Andersen
IAAPA’s new chair Andreas Andersen sat
down with Tom Anstey to talk about industry
growth, sustainability – and queueing
Theme Parks: Think Big
Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen reveals
details of the park’s €200m expansion
Themed design: The Story Builders
Disney’s Joe Rohde and Scott Trowbridge
and Universal’s Thierry Coup reveal the
secrets of their trade – well, some of them!
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
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.
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