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Encyclopedia > Merlin Entertainments

Merlin Entertainments is the biggest attractions operator in Europe and currently the second largest operating globally after Disney.


Head quartered in Poole, Dorset Merlin Entertainments operates over 50 attractions in ten European countries, the United States of America, China and Hong Kong. Its success to date has been underpinned by strong partnership arrangements with both public and private sectors, with organisations as diverse as Disney and the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Incorporated in 2004[1]Merlin Entertainments is majority owned by private equity company Blackstone Group. Poole is a coastal town, port and tourist destination, situated on the shores of the English Channel, in the ceremonial county of Dorset in southern England. ... Dorset (pronounced DOR-sit or [dɔ.sət], and sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the south-west of England, on the English Channel coast. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Blackstone Group L.P. is a prominent private equity and investment management firm founded in 1985 by Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman. ...


In March 2007, Merlin Entertainments agreed to buy The Tussauds Group for £1Bn. Merlin Entertainments and Tussauds together attracted 30 million visitors during 2006 and employ more than 13,000 staff. After the acquisition, Dubai International Capital will hold 20% of Merlin Entertainment.[2] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Tussauds Group is now a part of Merlin Entertainments, the worlds second largest leisure group, second only to Disney. ... Dubai International Capital Dubai International Capital (DIC) was established in October 2004 as the international investment arm of Dubai Holding. ...


As of May 22, 2007[3] the merger with Tussauds has been completed. The Tussauds Group as a separate entity has ceased to exist, with control of its attractions, including Madame Tussauds, the British Airways London Eye, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park passing to Merlin. Madame Tussauds and the London Planetarium. ... For the 1930s airline of similar name, see British Airways Ltd. ... The London Eye at twilight The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is an observation wheel that completed construction in 1999 and opened to the public in March, 2000. ... Alton Towers is the United Kingdoms most famous theme park. ... Thorpe Parks rides and attractions from across the lake. ...


On 17 July 2007, Merlin sold the freeholds of the original Tussauds Group attractions: Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle and Madame Tussauds to private investor Nick Leslau and his investment firm Prestbury[4]. As of 18 July 2007, the attractions are now owned by Leslau but continue to be operated by Merlin, leasing each back on a renewable 35-year lease. Alton Towers is the United Kingdoms most famous theme park. ... Thorpe Parks rides and attractions from across the lake. ... Chessington World of Adventures is a family theme park and zoo located in South-West London, England. ... The east front of Warwick Castle as painted by Canaletto in 1752. ... Madame Tussauds and the London Planetarium. ...


Negotiations have recently reopened into the repurchase of Spain's PortAventura resort, which was built by Tussauds in 1994-5 and operated until 1998, when it was sold to Universal Studios. It has since been resold to Spanish banking group La Caixa, who it is believed are keen to enter consultation with Merlin for the resort. It has recently become part of the Merlin Annual Pass. PortAventura is a theme park in the holiday resort of Salou, Catalonia, Spain, on the Costa Dorada (Gold Coast). It is 1 hour from Barcelona and has 2 airports within 30 minutes of it. ...

Contents

Brands

Resort Theme Parks

  • Gardaland - the biggest theme park in Italy, with 40 rides, 10 major shows, a 247-room hotel spread over more than 60 acres
  • Alton Towers - the UK's largest theme park, with over 50 rides, 2 hotels, a water park, conference centre and spa
  • Chessington World of Adventures - family-orientated theme park located near London, over 50 rides, 6 major shows, a zoo and a brand new Holiday Inn Safari Lodge Hotel
  • Thorpe Park - The UK's second-largest theme park, with over 40 rides and attractions.
  • Heide Park - Germany's second-largest theme park, with over 50 rides and attractions, 9 major shows, dolphin displays and a brand new hotel

Magic Mountain Image:Gardaland 06 66. ... Alton Towers is the United Kingdoms most famous theme park. ... Chessington World of Adventures is a family theme park and zoo located in South-West London, England. ... Thorpe Parks rides and attractions from across the lake. ... Heide-Park is a theme park in Soltau, Lower Saxony. ...

Midway City Attractions

Madame Tussauds and the London Planetarium. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... Nickname: Motto: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig (Valiant, Determined, Compassionate) Location of Amsterdam Coordinates: , Country Netherlands Province North Holland Government  - Mayor Job Cohen (PvdA)  - Aldermen Lodewijk Asscher Hennah Buyne Carolien Gehrels Tjeerd Herrema Maarten van Poelgeest Marijke Vos  - Secretary Erik Gerritsen Area [1][2]  - City 219 km²  (84. ... Shanghai (Chinese: ; pinyin:  ; Wu (Long-short): ZÃ¥nhae; Shanghainese (IPA): ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the Peoples Republic of China and the ninth largest in the world. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... ... Sea Life Centres are a chain of sealife themed attractions. ... Castle of the Sleeping Beauty in Disneyland Park Disneyland Resort Paris is a theme park in Marne-la-Vallée, near Paris. ... Dresden (Sorbian: Drježdźany; etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Czech: ) is the capital city of the German Federal Free State of Saxony. ... This article is about the city in Germany. ... The National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham, England is an aquarium with over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life. ... Birmingham (pron. ... Hanover (German: , IPA: ), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ... The entrance of Legoland Deutschland. ... Front entrance of the London Dungeon. ... Edinburgh (() pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second largest city. ... The York Dungeon is a tourist attraction run by the same company as the London Dungeon and having a similar theme of gory exhibits. ... Location Coordinates Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE6 First Mayor Ole von Beust (CDU) Governing party CDU Votes in Bundesrat 3 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  755 km² (292 sq mi) Population 1,754,317 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 2,324 /km² (6,018... The Amsterdam Dungeon follows a similar format to the London Dungeon, York Dungeon, Edinburgh Dungeon and Hamburg Dungeon which are owned and operated by the UK based Merlin entertainments corporation and attempts to show history through an interactive adventure. ... Cornwall (pronounced ; Cornish: ) is a county in south-west England, United Kingdom, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar and Devon. ... Hunstanton is a large seaside town in Norfolk, England, facing The Wash. ... For other uses, see Oban (disambiguation). ... The esplanade with the Thermae Palace, the former Royal Residence and the casino For other uses, see Ostend (disambiguation). ... The east front of Warwick Castle as painted by Canaletto in 1752. ... The London Eye seen from Westminster Bridge with the London Aquarium to the right The British Airways London Eye, sometimes called the Millennium Wheel (Coordinates: , ), is the first-built and largest observation wheel in the world (a type of or evolution on the Ferris wheel), and has been since its...

LEGOLAND Parks

The entrance of Legoland Deutschland. ... Lego Group is a family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark and best known for the manufacture of Lego-brand toys. ... Legoland Billund, the original Legoland park, opened in 1968 in Billund, Denmark. ... Model of Trafalgar Square within Legoland Windsor. ... Windsor (IPA: usually , but also ) is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Legoland California is the third LEGOLAND park, that is located in Carlsbad, California. ... the traditional English name for the city and spa Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic Carlsbad, California Carlsbad, New Mexico, with Carlsbad Caverns National Park nearby Carlsbad, Texas ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Legoland Deutschland is a LEGOLAND park. ... Günzburg is a Große Kreisstadt and capital of the district of Günzburg in Swabia, Bavaria. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

Hotels

Merlin owns and operates four hotels across Europe:

  • Alton Towers Hotel, Staffordshire, England
  • Splash Landings Hotel, Staffordshire, England
  • Hotel Legoland, Billund, Denmark
  • Port Royal Hotel, Soltau, Germany

In addition, the group owns and operates the Alton Towers Conference Centre and Spa at the Alton Towers Resort, and owns the freehold of the Holiday Inn Chessington, which, for operational purposes, is operated by Holiday Inn. Holiday Inn is a brand name applied to hotels within the InterContinental Hotels Group. ...


Contact details

  • Telephone: +44 (0)1202 666900
  • Facsimile: +44 (0)1202 661303
  • eMail: info@merlinentertainments.biz
  • Registered office: Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd, 3 Market Close, Poole, BH15 1NQ
  • UK Registered Company No.: 5022287

References

  1. ^ http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/c3f662b9e595ee7da930bf177a896ac0/compdetails
  2. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6419019.stm
  3. ^ http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/en/press/new_force.aspx
  4. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6902797.stm

External links

 

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