Thursday, June 14, 2007

It’s A Fine Life

Right on the heels of Universal's Islands of Adventure announcing the addition of a Harry Potter-themed area comes—to my knowledge—one of the few theme parks patterned after a literary joint.

This time, it’s Dickens World in Chatham, Kent, UK, which offers the following teaser on its very Spartan website:

“[DW offers] rides and animatronics by RMA, one of the leading UK tectonic specialists in [England]. The experience will [also] feature a Dickensian Shopping Mall, together with a multitude of attractions and rides, including a mix of themed restaurants, bars and a multiplex cinema.

“Dickens World will also have facilities for seasonal variations, particularly over the Christmas period in which the attraction will convert into a Dickensian winter wonderland, replete with snow and other characteristics of a bygone era, complemented by a magnificent water feature which over the festive season changes into a spectacular 'ice fantasia' dominated by “The Spirit of Christmas”…”'Scrooge” and a host of other delightful characters who magically come to life.”

“This and other seasonal events throughout the year an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages.”

Although I’ll likely never visit the park, I have to admit a “Christmas Carol”-themed area of Dickens World is intriguing, as the story is one of my all-time favorites.

Still, with the majority of Dickens’ novels so steeped with the despair, disease, and crushing poverty of life in Victorian London, the park sounds damned depressing. After all, this is an era when finding a clean glass of water was nigh-impossible, labor laws slight, and the odds of kids growing into adulthood were (at best) slim.

I wonder what the park's snack bars will serve? Hardtack with a side of cholera?

Not exactly Walt Disney, is he?

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