THE BALLOON MAN

Gondolania formally opens door to public

Circus performers at the the opening of Gondolania at the Villagio Mall By Ross JacksonQatar--gulf-times.com The official opening of the Gondolania indoor theme park in the Villaggio Mall took place yesterday with a parade of 25 international circus performers. Gondolania officials unveiled their roller coaster’s unique sound and light show that is synchronized with the ride. A sequence of different sound and light shows will take place during the three-minute ride, creating a spectacular ambience throughout the park. The indoor park features a variety of rides and attractions including a spinning roller coaster that takes riders almost to the ceiling before plunging 19m underground, the only 4D cinema in the country, a bowling alley, a go-kart circuit, a ‘drop tower’, bumper cars, carousel, a Ferris wheel, a kiddie train, video arcade and party rooms. The park also offers restaurants, cafés and a food court, as well as merchandise shops throughout the theme park. The 22,000sq m park had a series of soft openings for a full year, as only some of the attractions were in place. The residents of Qatar have been able to use each section as it became available. According to Fun Fair Company CEO Michael Koborsi, the park represents a $40mn investment and is showing a profit just one year since the first rides opened. The company behind Gondolania claims that the park currently attracts 3,000 to 5,000 people a day during the week and around 12,000 people on weekends. Koborsi doesn’t plan to stop there as more attractions are in the pipeline, including a yet bigger and go-kart circuit and Tagadesko, a spinning giant musical wheel.