Has BGW always been a “theme park?”

[Shane]

This thread really has nothing to do with Port Adventura, but Port Adventura was actually was completely designed by the Busch Entertainment from the ground up.

@VonDerrick , I think we might be on the same page, but your post wasn't very clear to me. But as far as I know, Tussaud's (Merlin) got involved after the park was already under construction. Universal only got involved a few years later after the park was already finished and open. I am fairly certain that had the Spanish investors never pulled out and Tussaud's never got involved the park would have been operated by BEC. Now there is no way to know if SEAS would still operating the park to this day, the park would have been another Busch Gardens (though maybe not in name).

It is very clear by the park's layout, hamlet/land choices, choice of ride manufacturers, and style of themeing that this park was designed and created by a 90's era BEC with a very similar aesthetic to the projects they were creating during the same time in the US such as Killarney at BGW. This explains the similarities you see @CastleOSullivan. I'd even say that Dragon Khan is Kumba's true sister coaster.

 

[Icer]

What exactly was the park originally? Today it would probably classify as an amusement park, a few years ago a theme park, and before that it was literally grouped under the title adventure park.

By Wikipedia definition, an adventure park is a rope course where guests attempt to go through these courses that are designed to help guests travel from tree to tree.

I have a hard time the park was an actual adventure park, but please weigh in with your thoughts. What was the park? It has always been a park for sure, but what type of park was it?

Back to this, I honestly would still consider BGW a theme park, when you compare it to most other parks out there. It has the same structure of theming as Disney parks, though it is a bit harder to do since it isn't based on creative properties, more so trying to take advantage of culture. The park itself has a broad theme with hamlets separating the theme, and attractions that mainly do go along with the theme, with a constant effort to do so.

Parks like Cedar Fair and Six Flags are hardcore amusement parks. BGW is even more theme focused than BGT in all honestly, but i guess that is because ti is easier to split up and theme Europe then it is to do with Africa.

 

[greengiant]

The head engineer for Busch Parks at the time, Tampa and BGW, was also the head engineer for the Port Adventura park.

 

[VonDerrick]

This thread really has nothing to do with Port Adventura, but Port Adventura was actually was completely designed by the Busch Entertainment from the ground up.

replying to the post above mine about other properties with some history

@VonDerrick , I think we might be on the same page, but your post wasn't very clear to me. But as far as I know, Tussaud's (Merlin) got involved after the park was already under construction. Universal only got involved a few years later after the park was already finished and open. I am fairly certain that had the Spanish investors never pulled out and Tussaud's never got involved the park would have been operated by BEC. Now there is no way to know if SEAS would still operating the park to this day, the park would have been another Busch Gardens (though maybe not in name).

source is wikipedia, so could very well be wrong

 

[VonDerrick]

It was conceived and built as a joint effort by a Spanish Consortium and Anheuser-Busch (Busch Entertainment Corporation). When some of the Spanish Partners left the consortium the Tussauds Group replaced them as investors, finished the development and became the first operators.[3] In 1997, Universal bought up most shares in the park and the park was rebranded as 'Universal's Port Aventura', which made it the first Universal Studios Theme Park in Europe. In 2000, two hotels and a water park (Costa Caribe) were constructed, and the resort was further rebranded as 'Universal Mediterranea'. In 2004, NBC Universal (Universal Studios' parent) sold all interest in PortAventura. It is now owned and operated by La Caixa banking group's investment vehicle Criteria, but as of 2005 the Universal name has been dropped from the branding, and the resort was once again named 'PortAventura' (the space in the name is deliberately left out for trademark reasons). In December 2013 KKR [4] picks up 49.9% stake in PortAventura from Investindustrial that still owns 50.1%.

via Wikipedia