A NEW theme park being dubbed “the UK’s Disneyland” is set to have a Game of Thrones-style theme.
London Resort bosses have unveiled a new image showing the inside of the park – as well as finally declaring a new opening day after a string of delays.
The £2.5billion project was first announced in 2012, with hopes to have opened by 2019.
But it has been plagued by delays due to the pandemic, disagreements with locals and wildlife protection laws.
In November, part of the area was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to a number of rare species in the area.
But the following month, London Resort boss Py Gerbeau confirmed that works will start next year.
And it was last night revealed that he now plans to fling the gates of the park open to the public in 2025.
Alongside the announcement on the resort’s Twitter account, bosses offered a host of other updates, as well as an artist’s impression of a new part of the venue.
It shows a fire-breathing dragon on top of a giant castle surrounded by turrets in scenes reminiscent of Game of Thrones.
Lava appears to be cascading down the sides of the bricks while arrows jut out of the greenery and crowds gather at the base.
The image was accompanied by a new “work in progress” list for 2021 and the year ahead.
“Update DCO [development consent order] documents, revise opening date to 2025, partner with dynamic and visionary IP brands, continue designing cutting edge unique experiences, appreciate all the support, beware ‘hic sunt dracones’ (among other things). Bring on 2022,” it read.
“Hic sunt dracones”, which means “here be dragons” in Latin, further hinting at what might be to come.
The London Resort has not yet been approved by the government but bosses expect permission to be given later this year after submitting a 25,000-page proposal at the end of 2020.
Once complete, it will be three times larger than any other theme park in the UK – spanning a whopping 535 acres, the equivalent of 136 Wembley Stadiums.
Located between Gravesend and Dartford, Kent, it will also be the biggest brand new theme park investment in Europe since Disneyland Paris in 1992.
Working with BBC Studios, ITV and Paramount, the park will be split into six different themed lands, along with a water park, three hotels and a shopping district.
This includes The Studios, a warehouse district with blockbuster movie features, fairytale land The Woods and King Arthur-themed The Kingdom.
There will also be a futuristic land and a Jungle-themed land.
As part of the last update in December, Gerbeau said there would be no “material changes” to the bid for the theme park to be built, according to Kent Online, with “subtle” design changes to protect the lands near the resort.
He also said that he was working with the government to reduce the impact on the area, to find “common ground”.
Gerbeaud said: “We remain committed to providing the examining authority with the new and updated documents as previously promised.
“We can also confirm, as previously indicated that we will be addressing the full range of issues in relation to time-dependant information being sufficiently current and will, as a matter of normal process in any examination, be supplementing our reports with additional information.”
He also said previously: “To all the naysayers and doom-mongers, the London Resort is going ahead, as planned.”
To all the naysayers and doom-mongers, the London Resort is going ahead, as planned.
Py Gerbeau
Earlier in the year, plans were revealed for one of the lands which would be dedicated to dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures.
Called Base Camp, there will be two rollercoasters, one of which will be the fastest in Europe reaching speeds in excess of 70mph.
The second rollercoaster will be a family ride, with a much more relaxed experience, while a dark ride will use technology to show guests how to interact with dinosaurs while conducting a science mission.
Also at the land will be a 1,500-person live stage show experience and an “active dig site” where guests can try out paleontology by digging for dinosaur fossils, as well as climbing walls and zip lines.
London Resort will eventually be a two-park resort, with the second expected in 2029.
