Mirabilandia is a very big italain funpark, situated in Savio (fraction of Ravenna) & in the vicinities of the ‘Pineta di Classe’ along the Adriatic highway. The park also gives name to the locality itself (“Loc Mirabilandia”) legally recognised by the council of Ravenna. the surface is of 750.000 sqm, of which 300.000 taken up by the park, 100.000 by the waterpark & the rest from parking or expansion areas.
The park normally remains open from April till October.
Mirabilandia, is the actual biggest italian themepark by surface extension & is divided into 2 main zones: Themepark (subdivided into 7 areas) & aquatic park (opened in 2003). The themepark is rich in greenery & inside it can be found, mechanical attractions, aquatic, & thematic, & also shows are taken place too.
The aquatic park hosts pools, slides & artificial beaches. An extra supplement must be paid to have access from the themepark.
The whole structure develops around 3 small lakes, one central & 2 secondary, where various types of birds lay their nests.
The original site was an Oasis of Nature, that is why from the beginning of the ’90sit was contested from various environmental associations. Hence the care shown towards the the animal & vegetable species got the park its go ahead from the ministry of environment.
The structure rising from a contstruction area & not obstacling any country views is immediately seen from kilometres thanks to the height of its main attractions which are also symbols of the park.
Original structure & history
The structure, inaugurated the 8th July 1992, was thought of in the end of the ’80s.
Different from other similar italian & european realities that in the beginning of the ’90s were already operational for already a few decades, & that developed gradually originally starting from a little area exclusively dedicated to children, Mirabilandia was immediately thought of as a big area (of big dimensions for the italian standard) and that was intendedmainly for a young-adoloscent audience.
The type of planning was the same as that of the Disney parks: around the main lake, attractions, shops, restaurants, cinema, theatres & arenas meant to host a large number of people.
But the park did not obtain the success that was thought of, infact it resulted being over dimensione. Infact the attractions which were woth notice, with which the park debutted in 1992 are only 2 now: “Sierra Tonante” & “Rio Bravo”, respectively are: the wooden rollercoaster (at that time a rarity in Europe) 6 the aquatic park which led through rapids on rubber dinghies (till than the only 1 in Italy). Notwithstanding the park being advertised as a new national tourist attraction year after year, the number of visitors decreased instead of increased & in 1996 the society who manages the park risked bankrupcy.
This was to the fact of management mistakes of promotional level such as choosing the type of medium – low attractions (basic lunapark attractions) that did not manage to give the park national revelation.
In 1997 the park changed management. The new management mainly German (already owner of Phatasialand park in Germany) invested in new attractions & relaunched the parks image.
In 2006 the management of the park was passed on to a Spanish company experts in the entertainment sector, owner of other similar structures not only situated in Europe but also in other continents.
Little after the Spanish society decides to resell all its structures of which also Mirabilandia & in the month of January 2007 the british Group Candover subentered in the management of the park. Since than the majority of the ownership of the park is british.
From the first change of management (1997) till today the park has year after year registered a high increase of Attractions & visitors, which at the moment round up to 2 million per year.
Although being already born as a big structure in 1992 it is a significant fact that there were already interests for expansion: in 1999 & 2000 new surfaces were built to host new attractions & in 2003 the new aquatic area (“Mirabilandia Beach”) built on the outside of the park was opened. The creation of an aquatic area of which a fact of contradiction in comparison with other Italian and European parks: instead of increasing the number of mechanical & thematic atttractions, preferred to build an aquatic area when the national territory & surroundings are already rich in them. However this choice did not reveal itself to be a sad one, given the immediated necessity for more expansion in 2004 when the aquatic area was doubled in size & new structures were added such as slides & half pipe.
However the themepark’s recent expansions, have compromised in the circular idea of rotation to attractions, creating confusuion to the visitor. Infact the new attractions placed from 1999 onwards do not seem to form part of a happy position & most of all seem to be out of place from the original planning.