MagicLand opens VR dark ride Gattobaleno Time Machine

Gattobaleno Time Machine
Image by MagicLand

Italian theme park MagicLand (near Rome) has opened its gates for the 2020 season. Opening of the park this season was delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe. With the opening of the park, MagicLand also opens a new dark ride called ‘Gattobaleno Time Machine‘.

A lot has changed in the park for the 2020 season. Until 2019, the park was known as Rainbow MagicLand. Rainbow S.r.l. is an Italian producer of television series, mostly known for Winx Club and Huntik: Secrets & Seekers. A contract regarding IP of Rainbow has ended at the end of 2019 and was not renewed, resulting in most of Rainbow’s IP to be removed from the park, including in the park’s name.

Gattobaleno Time Machine uses the ride system of the former Planeta Winx dark ride. Instead of retheming the complete ride, the ride experience will be formed by Virtual Reality. Normally a VR-ride of this type would not automatically qualify for the database, but the fact that it reuses the dark ride system of Planeta Winx, made it an exception.

The ride uses a suspended dark ride system made by Italian ride manufacturer Gosetto and originally opened in 2011. Huntik 5D, another dark ride in MagicLand with IP of Rainbow, is still listed on the park’s website as operating with its original theme.

Do you have pictures of this ride that you can share? Please upload them to the website or send them to [email protected].