Finland: Angry Birds theme parks planned at three hotels
The Angry Birds, the Bad Piggies, the eggs — you know the game-on drill. But what if you use your hands and feet instead of a smartphone app to move to the next level? That’s the idea behind Angry Birds activity parks planned at three hotels in Finland — and they’re not your typical amusement parks.
“There will be different kinds of activities for children as well as for grown-ups,” Iiro Rossi of Holiday Club Resorts wrote in an email. “There will be climbing, sliding, crawling, parkour, jumping, scoring, driving, playing, you name it. One thing missing are traditional rides usually seen in amusement parks.”
Whoa, no rides? Can the Finns whose battling birds redefined the mobile app gaming world redefine theme parks too? Maybe, but the only way to find out would be to go to Finland, which is exactly what they’re hoping for.
“We need more travelers besides from the neighboring areas Russia, Sweden and Norway,” Holiday Club CEO Vesa Tengman said in a statement announcing the parks. “Currently we are able, by using only Finnish power, to produce experiences which attract not only local but also international travelers.”
Concepts for the interactive parks will be rolled out during the International Assn. of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo 2012 on Nov. 12 to 16 in Orlando, Fla.
Plans call for opening Angry Birds indoor activity parks at hotels in Kuusamon Tropiikki by Christmas, in Saariselka in Februrary, and a third in Lappeenranta next fall. The family-oriented parks will be open year-round, and all will be at least three times bigger than the Angry Birds Land that opened in April in Sarkanniemi, about two hours north of Helsinki.
A fourth park under construction at Vuokatti adds freestyle skateboarding and BMX biking as well as other sports besides the Angry Birds park. The projects bring together three Finnish companies: game giant Rovio Entertainment, Lappset playground and equipment company and Holiday Club Resorts.
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