Play-and-Stay Blog

When hearing about the imminent removal of Santa Claus from our shopping centres across the country “to be sensitive to people of other religions”, I couldn’t help but wonder what has happened to this so-called multicultural society. It got me thinking about things - in particular religious things, and what with this being a web-site for fans and visitors of theme parks, I thought that I could tenuously link this story with something about theme parks. And here it is: Religiously orientated parks.

For all the Christians who feel upset and let down by the removal of Santa from the shopping malls in the UK (he is, of course, the real reason Christians celebrate Christmas, right..?) you can now make the trip to The Holy Land Experience in Florida. It is billed on their web-site as Jerusalem in Orlando! with one happy visitor claiming “We love this… It’s a lot safer than going to the middle east.” The park opened in 2006 and took just less than 5 years to build by the well renowned Universal Studios. Customers have the chance to have fun and learn at the same time. With ten different areas of interest covering topics from the bustling Jerusalem Street Markets to the more serene Reflecting Pool, Christians have everything in one enjoyable attraction.

If it seems a little too far to travel, you will soon be able to find that biblical experience in Lancashire. On the 16th December 2007, I read news regarding the implementation of a new ‘theme park’ in the north of the country which would offer youngsters “an alternative” to “binge drinking.” Please don’t be mistaken though folks, non-binge drinkers are also welcome to the new park. Unlike the U.S counterpart, Britain’s park will focus more on Genesis and creation and will feature a film studio within which it hopes to create Christian films and programs promoting holy views on life.

If you were offended by the offering of Father Christmas in your local shopping outlet then you might well have also been offended by the news of a Christian theme park coming to England. Being an equal opportunities company, I thought that maybe I should offer something for a wider audience…

Ganagadham is a the Hindu equivalent, offering thrill seekers the opportunity to learn all about Hindu Mythology in between rides. Admittedly, the park isn’t open yet (the last I heard of it was back in 2005) and it is some distance for UK residents to travel (being located on the bank of the River Ganges), but please rest assured in the knowledge that the creators of the park intend it to be the world’s biggest ever mythological theme park. And when this one is finished? Well, the Hindus will conquer the US with another park in LA.

Now, I would have loved to have finished this blog with news of the Jewish Theme Park, Menorah Mountain, but it appears that it is all one big hoax. Instead, I will leave you all with a picture of everyone’s favourite Christmas character.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 4:25 pm and is filed under Theme Parks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.