Why should Playland have all the fun?
From Universal to Disney, B.C. needs more theme parks
Despite B.C.’s wide territory, Playland is the only theme park in the region. (Robert Linsdell/Flickr)
The first day of summer in Vancouver isn’t the summer solstice, but the day Playland opens its doors for the season.
As one of B.C.’s few amusement parks, Playland is a summer staple. However, the park, which originally opened as Happyland in 1926, is a very old attraction. Playland’s iconic wooden roller-coaster is nearly 68-years-old.
The province has room for many more attractions — including blockbuster theme parks.
Universal Studios
Vancouver is known as Hollywood North for a reason, and a Universal park would be the perfect addition.
Universal Studios is expanding across the world, with its recent announcement of the Universal United Kingdom Resort. It’s set to open in 2031 and become Universal’s first major theme park destination in the U.K.
Also, many Universal parks have a Super Nintendo World. Given Nintendo’s Canadian headquarters is in Burnaby, it might be a reach, but it’s a reasonable location to open up shop.
Video game theme park
There are not many theme parks based on video games, apart from Super Nintendo World and various Pokémon parks over the years. However, a theme park based around a large video game franchise would be fun to see and explore.
PokéPark has seen many iterations over the years, but the first-ever permanent outdoor Pokémon attraction, PokéPark KANTO, opened in Tokyo this year.
Pokémon is a globally renowned franchise, and a location in Vancouver would be a sight to see. The city held a Pokémon regional championship last year too.
In 2024, Disney invested $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games, best known for its Fortnite game. Disney has many theme parks across the world and could integrate or create an attraction based solely on Fortnite.
DisneySea
If there’s one theme park I’d like to see more of everywhere, and possibly along the British Columbia coastline, is DisneySea.
This theme park is different from the many, global Disneyland locations and Walt Disney World in Florida. DisneySea is inspired by the myths and legends of the sea and features thrilling rides.
The only DisneySea location is in Japan. B.C. is known for its nature, but especially for its views and massive coastline that guards the Pacific Ocean. A DisneySea park could be the perfect attraction that amplifies our local, scenic beauty.
While B.C. has plenty of fun to experience, why object to more theme parks?
