Massive new theme park opens in Turkey

Theme park fans have a new destination to add to their bucket lists – Ankara in Turkey.

The new Wonderland Eurasia has officially opened, boasting over 2,000 attractions, making it more than three times the size of Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was there to open the park last Wednesday, where he bragged that the new, 1.3-million-square-meter park “isn’t just a symbol of pride for Ankara, but all of Turkey”.

The park consists of 26 major rides, including 14 roller coasters, and a whopping 2,117 smaller attractions. There are also several stages for concerts, a “Digital Dark Ride”, a 75-meter tower ride, and a 20,000-square-meter “dinosaur jungle” area that has a 70-meter animatronic T-rex.

The park cost a massive $256-million (R3.7-billion) to build and took six years to complete, leaving many to wonder if it is even possible to recoup the expenses.

Erdogan insisted that the new park will bring in R127.8-million a year in revenue, and the park’s general manager, Cem Uzan, believes that it will attract 5 million visitors in its first year.

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