United States Mattel Adventure Park Arizona — Project 2027 (?): Park Debut

[Zachary]

Somehow we ended up with a thread for the Kansas City location, but not the original Glendale, AZ location.

Mattel Adventure Park Glendale was originally set to open in 2024, but marketing has been modified at some point recently to switch that 2024 date to a "Coming Soon"—presumably translating to a 2025 opening at this point.

Official park website:

Mattel Adventure Park | Glendale, AZ

www.matteladventurepark.com

Mattel Adventure Park set for 2024 opening featuring first-of-its-kind Hot Wheels Bone Shaker Rollercoaster

GLENDALE, Ariz., August 7, 2023 – Pulse-pounding Hot Wheels rollercoasters and a life-size Barbie Beach House™ are just a few of the attractions underway at Mattel Adventure Park™, which will become Arizona’s first fully themed indoor/outdoor amusement park upon opening in 2024.

Set to open just south of State Farm Stadium in Glendale at VAI Resort, Mattel Adventure Park will welcome guests 365 days a year, serving as a year-round Arizona entertainment destination showcasing the full spectrum of the iconic toymaker’s expansive portfolio of brands. The uniquely designed, massive, 9-acre park combines inspiration from Mattel, Epic Resort Destinations, and other industry-leading partners in amusements and entertainment. Substantially indoors, the park’s attractions load and unload inside a fully air-conditioned space, making the park a comfortable, family-friendly destination at any time of year.

Mattel Adventure Park includes two fully themed Hot Wheels rollercoasters - Hot Wheels Bone Shaker™: The Ultimate Ride and the Hot Wheels Twin Mill™ Racer. Designed to delight kids and adults of all ages, the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker themed ride will be the first-ever family coaster to feature the famous hot rod’s skull design that climbs 84 feet in the air, while the double-looping Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer guarantees a serious adrenaline boost for guests seeking an even higher-octane experience. The Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer features a double loop and two corkscrews, qualifying it as the first coaster of its kind in Arizona.

"Mattel Adventure Park is an amazing opportunity to bring our beloved brands to life," said Julie Freeland, Senior Director of Global Location Based Entertainment at Mattel. “Construction is underway and substantial progress has been made on what will give fans of all ages a day of thrills and nostalgia. We’re especially excited for families to experience the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker rollercoaster – a dream come true for any Hot Wheels fan.”

“Mattel Adventure Park features a unique and strategic year-round indoor/outdoor design providing acres of air-conditioned space to ensure a cool guest experience all summer long here in the heat of Arizona,” said Mark Cornell, President at Epic Resort Destinations. “Our Attractions Development team are simply redefining the entertainment channel by bringing Mattel’s powerhouse, evergreen brands to life like never before. This hand-picked, gifted team continues to find truly innovative ways to create pioneering attractions that are certain to bring continuous fun for the whole family.”

While these and other Hot Wheels-themed attractions promise full-throttle fun for race enthusiasts of all ages, there is also plenty in store for park guests from other favorite Mattel brands, including:

Thomas & Friends: World of Sodor™, featuring seven family-friendly experiential attractions and rides including dedicated indoor play space for little adventurers.
A full-scale Barbie Beach House where Barbie fans can get a closer look inside Barbie’s iconic closet in the Barbie Dream Closet Experience™, which uses hologram technology to bring Barbie to life before guests’ eyes. The attraction also includes a rooftop bar and restaurant that hosts expansive views of the property.

Masters of the Universe™ fans can fight for Eternia in a massive, 4,500 square-foot laser tag arena in the likeness of the iconic Castle Grayskull fortress.

A mini golf experience featuring nine holes inspired by Magic 8 Ball™, Pictionary™ and other beloved Mattel games, as well as a larger-than-life custom climb UNO™ structure that delivers nostalgia and adventure for all ages.

“Watching the excitement build as these mega attractions are being installed in Glendale has been tremendous, and we promise, you’ve never seen a park quite like this one,” continued Cornell. “Stay tuned for 2024 opening updates, and check out our live construction cam for a sneak peek at a few of our rollercoasters that all load in a cool air-conditioned space. You can actually see the Bone Shaker family rollercoaster lift climb through the roof, peaking at a height of 84 feet for a ride of a lifetime!”

Be the first to see a sneak peek of Hot Wheels Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride roller coaster up close and personal only at Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party™ at Desert Diamond Arena August 19 and 20!

Stay up to date with all the happenings at Mattel Adventure Park by following their social channels:

Mattel Adventure Park | Glendale AZ

Mattel Adventure Park, Glendale, Arizona. 4,151 likes · 29 talking about this · 106 were here. ALL FOR PLAY. PLAY FOR ALL.

www.facebook.com

@matteladventureparkaz on Instagram

For more information about Mattel Adventure Park, visit MattelAdventurePark.com.

About Epic Resort Destinations

EPIC is a resort destinations developer specializing in Intellectual Property driven resorts and location-based entertainment. We are guest obsessed and, on a mission, to create, develop, and operate world-class destinations and attractions that are extraordinary, safe, and fun places where epic memories are created and shared. Our unique blend of family-friendly fun is created by combining time-proven “wind in your face” themed rides, globally iconic brands with multigenerational emotional resonance, and immersive theatrical experiences featuring original media content.

About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Monster High® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming and digital experiences, music, and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us online at mattel.com.

Media Contact:
The Encore Agency (On Behalf of Epic Resort Destinations)

Jenn Joseph
602-329-8040
Jenn@TheEncoreAgency.com

Mattel
Casey McDonald
Casey.McDonald@Mattel.com

 

[paintervision]

Here's a good look at the progress:

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[Deleted User 13503]

I'm really excited to see what Twin Mill Racer will be like.

 

[wasteman]

The developer Glen Bilbo has left the Arizona project (although he's still behind the Kansas project), it's now being managed by VAI Resorts. The head of VAI resorts is saying that they intend on announcing an opening date 9-12 months ahead, so a 2026 opening is officially off the table (if that wasn't already obvious).

OP is also saying that Twin Mill Racers track hasn't been completed because part of the layout is designed to go on land that they don't own, and apparently the owner of that land is refusing to sell it to the park.

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[Zachary]

OP is also saying that Twin Mill Racers track hasn't been completed because part of the layout is designed to go on land that they don't own, and apparently the owner of that land is refusing to sell it to the park.

I'd love to see a citation for this. If true, purchasing a coaster when you don't even own the right to build on all of the land it was designed for is next level stupidity. Would explain this super odd-looking sudden termination of work on the layout visible in this video:

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I assume whoever owns that billboard is the holdup?

 

[GASM]

I have absolutely heard that the billboard is the holdup before. Can’t recall where, but I’ll try to figure it out if I get some downtime at work today.

 

[CoasterMac]

Going off a quick parcel view on Maricopa County assessor's site, it appears Vai Resorts LLC owns both pieces of land in question:



It seems like the ride would stay entirely on the large parcel, so it would track that the billboard itself is the issue- at least for this ride's construction, nevermind the rest of the place... regardless, what a ridiculous situation.

 

[KrillAtTheDriveThrough]

Yeah, think its that the billboard cant be removed for whatever reason, which is not that much better. You started work on a coaster, let alone the track placement, without making sure the object in the coasters lign of sight could be removed????? Lol lmao

 

[Magic-Man]

Even if the billboard is keeping them from completing one of the coasters, what's stopping them from opening up the rest of the park? Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[harry580]

that billboard don't fool me, because I still see the coaster

 

[michaellynn4]

They 100% egotistically thought "eh, it'll be fine, we'll figure out a solution" and just went right on building that anyway. What a shitshow.

 

[warfelg]

They 100% egotistically thought "eh, it'll be fine, we'll figure out a solution" and just went right on building that anyway. What a shitshow.

I’m generally a YIMBY but I wish more planning boards would take up the stance of “F-off” to places that think they can just do what they want.

That being said, I think that Glendale should step in and help broker a deal. I’ve done that before of broker lease of space the builder needed along with a “non-use” payment.

 

[MisterToro]

Could this be an issue with Via's that they would be able to relocate the sign, but Glendale taking the stance that if they remove the sign they can't rebuild it somewhere else without seeking approval from scratch (and won't easily get said approval)? At least in Virginia, we have a lot of defunct sign posts that stand for years because they may some day need to be grandfathered in for a specific location.

Or it could be that some entity has a long-term lease on the sign and won't allow the lease to be broken for a reasonable cost.

Either way, this should have been handled pretty early AND this shouldn't hold up the opening of the park. Something else is afoot here.

 

[warfelg]

Could this be an issue with Via's that they would be able to relocate the sign, but Glendale taking the stance that if they remove the sign they can't rebuild it somewhere else without seeking approval from scratch (and won't easily get said approval)? At least in Virginia, we have a lot of defunct sign posts that stand for years because they may some day need to be grandfathered in for a specific location.

Or it could be that some entity has a long-term lease on the sign and won't allow the lease to be broken for a reasonable cost.

Either way, this should have been handled pretty early AND this shouldn't hold up the opening of the park. Something else is afoot here.

I think at this point it’s effectively a spite house.

Developers of the park likely assumed this was a done deal that the land would be given to them. Owner of the sliver of land and the billboard likely held out for more than it was worth. And now they are stuck in this little battle of the developer assuming they would access to a spot and the owner of the land not wanting to sell from principle.

I think the end result should be Glendale offers an exemption on the billboard location, gets the developer to lease the land from the owner with a no-sale clause for however many years and a clause to only sell to the park, and the park is responsible to pay for non-use of the billboard for a fraction of the rate (like 50-70% of market rate just so the owner of the land isn’t tempted to leave it unused on purpose).

 

[MisterToro]

And now they are stuck in this little battle of the developer assuming they would access to a spot and the owner of the land not wanting to sell from principle.

I was under the impression from CoasterMac's post above (#7) that Vai Resorts already owns the land. We just don't know if a preexisting sign lease was attached to it.

 

[Zachary]

I was under the impression from CoasterMac's post above (#7) that Vai Resorts already owns the land. We just don't know if a preexisting sign lease was attached to it.

This. I imagine billboards work sorta like cell towers where companies lease/purchase some sort of easement on part of a plot of land vs purchasing the land outright?

 

[warfelg]

This. I imagine billboards work sorta like cell towers where companies lease/purchase some sort of easement on part of a plot of land vs purchasing the land outright?

Not always but usually:

Billboard Laws and Regulation | Scenic America

Scenic America is the only national nonprofit that helps citizens safeguard the scenic qualities of America’s roadways, countryside, towns, and cities.

www.scenic.org

This is another good one explaining what happens with billboard leases when the land is sold:

Selling Land With a Billboard or Cell Tower Lease: What Happens to the Lease When You Sell?

Can you sell land that has an active billboard ground lease or cell tower lease on it? Usually yes — the lease typically runs with the land and binds the buyer, and a cash buyer takes it as-is. Here's how it works.

www.jerezland.com

Long story short - what happens is usually baked into the contract of land sale.

I honestly didn’t take that statement as the land was sold unless I misread it horribly. But the article made it seem like the issue was the property line more with where the building stopped.