Resorts World Genting (RWG) officially announced Tuesday that its Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park in Malaysia has finally opened with a soft launch on February 8, 2022.
The company’s Twitter and Facebook accounts featured updates stating “Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park is officially open!”
Parent company Genting Malaysia Bhd’s (GenM) had announced earlier that the park, which was originally conceived under the working name, 20th Century Fox World Malaysia prior to a licensing deal fallout, would indeed open sometime in February with a hoped-for target of the Lunar New Year. Chinese New Year 2022 fell on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, with celebrations ongoing. Festivities will culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 15th.
The Theme Park is situated at Resorts World Genting near Kula Lampur at the Genting Highlands, near Pahang, Malaysia.
The theme park came at a cost of some US$800 million and was part of a much larger 10-year strategic refurb and makeover plan for the integrated casino resort that began road building and construction in 1965 and opened its first hotel in 1971 after gaining a gambling license, long-planned for the mountain top resort at an elevation of 6,000 feet.
Stay at the World’s Largest Hotel
The resort is home to seven hotels including the world’s largest by room count, First World Hotel with over 7,000 rooms. While there is an access road it is now used mainly for administrative and VIP purposes with most visitors reaching the castles in the clouds via a cable car system. One leg of the system is 1.7 miles long and was put into service in 1977 and the other is 2.1 miles long and was built in 1997.
Earlier theme parks included the launch of an indoor amusement center in 1992, the first outdoor park in 1994, and the Arena of Stars in 1998. The concert arena is a 45,000 square feet musical amphitheater but is currently closed due to Covid restrictions.
The theme park was originally intended to be a 20th Century Fox World co-venture but it was rebranded Genting SkyWorlds when The Walt Disney Company bought Twenty-First Century Fox in 2018 and the companies had a falling out on how to move forward. They finally worked out their differences in the summer of 2019 resulting in GenM obtaining a license to use the former Fox intellectual property rights such as Planet of the Apes, Ice Age, Night at the Museum, and other iconic themes.
The theme park covers 26 acres with 26 rides and other major attractions. Operating at half capacity due to COVID restrictions the site can still accommodate as many as 20,000 visitors.
The major shareholder in Genting Berhad seems to be doing well with casino investments even as his cruise ship business has fallen on hard times. RHB Research, Public Investment Bank, and Maybank Investment Bank have issued ‘outperform’ or ‘buy’ calls on GenM stock – all of which was provisional on the opening of the theme park.
Small Selection of Attractions Not Open Yet
Greg Pearn, Vice President, Head – Theme Park Operations, Resorts World Genting said: “Opening a theme park during the pandemic has been a challenge, and whilst every effort has been made to ensure our full offerings are available, a small selection of attractions require a little more time to be complete, something the team is working hard to achieve.”
Anyone thinking about visiting is encouraged to download the Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park mobile app which offers real-time information and a comprehensive guide. Ticket discounts are expected to be available for visits through the end of March for those who schedule their visits far enough in advance.
Exploring the park first virtually will give visitors the lay of the land and help create itineraries as well as show which attractions are open during the soft launch period. The app also features up-to-the-minute wait times for shows, attractions, and rides at the park.
During the soft opening period, complimentary Virtual Queue (VQ) and Photo+ access will be available allowing guests to download and share digital photos without limits or fees.
Source: Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park is officially open, The Edge Markets, February 8, 2022