Duo of major theme park projects from Pico Play coming to Australia in December

Versions of this article appears at Planet Attractions.

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Pico Play, a leading company in the planning, design, development and construction of world-class themed attractions and entertainment, has worked on a duo of major projects to open in Queensland, Australia, this December, with the Wizard of Oz coming to Warner Bros Movie World, while the new Jungle Rush rollercoaster is set to open at Dreamworld.

The first collaboration between Warner Bros Movie World and Pico Play, the new Wizard of Oz-themed land will feature some iconic elements of the IP, including flying monkeys, the Wicked Witch’s castle, the Emerald City, Dorothy’s Kansas farm, and the Yellow Brick Road itself. At its heart, the themed land includes two Vekoma rollercoasters alongside a selection of themed rides and immersive visitor experiences.

Fabricated at Pico Play’s fabrication plant in Johor, Malaysia, a group of 95 artists and engineers have worked to craft the lands and realms from the famous 1939 film, including the streets of Emerald City and the forests of the Wicked Witch of the West.

According to Pico Play, its use of Glass-Reinforced Concrete (GRC) has been crucial to the development of the new area. Developed by the firm in Australia, the advanced material enabled the Pico Play design team able to create sophisticated designs, forms, and textures for the land.

“We want to offer guests more than just a rollercoaster ride,” said Darren McLean, executive director of Pico Play. “The experience is more than the ride itself. There’s a story, there are characters and there’s excitement, anticipation and entertainment leading up to the rides.”

Meanwhile at Dreamworld, Jungle Rush is the operator’s largest-ever investment into a single attraction, with Pico Play helping to create the ancient temple the Vekoma ride is themed around.

Serving as the star attraction in the park’s new Rivertown land, the ride is Vekoma’s first switchback coaster model, with the attraction featuring the world’s first inclined turntable, different track paths and the ability to travel both forwards and in reverse.

Working out of Pico Play’s fabrication facility in Hai Duong, Vietnam, more than 75 artists, sculptors, engineers and production workers have worked on the manufacture of the ride’s temple.

In its creation, Pico Play has manufactured 520 pre-cast GRC panels to build the structure, with the company also sourcing an ex-military dual-engine propellor plane, which will be placed as though it has crash-landed into the themed area.

“We’ve taken the concept and developed detailed designs through to fabrication drawings and then, of course, the fabrication itself at our Vietnam facility,” said McLean.

“In addition to the physical theming and show sets, we’re also developing a custom soundtrack and developing lighting, storytelling and animatronics to deliver a seamless, integrated and exhilarating experience.”

Rivertown is the final piece of an AU$55m (US$37.2m, €33.7m, £28.3m) capital investment, including the AU$35m (US$23m, €21.2m, £18.2m) investment into Jungle Rush, that has seen the overhaul of existing areas in the park and the construction of entirely new attractions.

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