The Michael Jackson theme park that never was, but still could be
Michael Jackson dreamed of a theme park based on the J.M. Barrie story of “Peter Pan,” complete with looping roller coasters, 3-D flight simulators, water rides, stunt shows, dinner theater, nighttime spectaculars and hotels.
The Disney and More blog has the full story of how the dream nearly became reality, including blueprints and concept art from the envisioned project.
In the late 1990s, the King of Pop partnered with Burbank-based Landmark Entertainment Group — the creators of the Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure and the Jurassic Park water ride at Universal Studios Orlando — to draft a plan for Peter Pan’s Neverland theme park.
The concept looks remarkably similar to Disneyland past and present, with all the Peter Pan parts of the park (pirate ship, dark ride, skull rock) amplified and embellished with plenty of pixie dust.
Peter Pan’s Neverland envisioned a grand entrance into Victorian London with replicas of Kensington Gardens, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.
On Neverland Island, reached by boat, there were six themed lands:
* Lost Boys Woods
* Mermaid Lagoon
* Indian Village
* Pixie Kingdom
* Pirate’s Village
* Future Zone
No price tag or location was ever announced for the ambitious project, and the partnership dissolved after a few years.
Which raises the obvious question: Could this theme park ever be built at the Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif.?
Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland. Follow Funland on Twitter and Facebook.
— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer
Image: Concept art of Peter Pan’s Neverland theme park. Credit: Landmark Entertainment Group. Art work courtesy of Disney and More.
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November 5th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
michael wanted to build that park in warsaw/poland, he visited warsaw in may 1997 and already signed some docs with the mayor of warsaw, if you want more news check on youtube just paste
Michael Jackson - Warsaw ‘97 - The Second Visit
November 5th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
more info form youtube
The second visit of Michael Jackson in Warsaw, Poland. Some extracts from TV news about this event.
During various meetings with polish officials, MJ revealed the plans of building ‘Jacksonland’ (a theme park similar to Disneyland) in Poland. MJ was extremely astonished by the previous year’ warmthly welcome (during his HIStory World Tour Warsaw’96), so he decided to erect the park in Warsaw and also buy the Lubiąż castle for his european residence.
Unfortunately the castle was not for sale, and the complicated law regulation caused entertainment project failure.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:09 am
That would be so fitting and as someone who have not returned for a visit to the US since Sept. 11; I would make a trip to Neverland for this theme park. Peter Pan’s Neverland. I would omit the “Never” as it’s a bad omen word. Instead, I would call Peter Pan MJ’s Land.