[toc]Las Vegas’ Rio Casino attempted to make a Brazilian casino theme successful. However, it now seems somewhat tacky and antiquated. Despite this, Steve Wynn is not deterred and is drawing inspiration from Carnivale for his new Vegas attraction.
During Wynn Resorts’s quarterly earnings call, new details were disclosed about the planned $1.5 billion Paradise Park project. Besides the Carnivale theme, there are some quite extravagant plans for entertainment which are novel for Las Vegas.
Lagoon will host nightly Carnivale parade
The Paradise Park project will be situated behind the Wynn and Encore casinos on the Strip, currently the location of The Wynn Golf Club. The golf club will cease operations on Dec. 22, with construction for the new project commencing on Jan. 3 of the following year.
From the outset, it was evident that a massive man-made lagoon would be the focal point of the project. The latest information sheds light on how the lagoon will feature in some of the entertainment aspects.
Wynn is fully embracing the Carnivale theme by hosting a nightly parade featuring lagoon floats and fireworks. But, unlike Disneyland where spectators merely watch the spectacle from the sidelines, at Wynn, you have the opportunity to ride the floats and actively participate in the action.
In the call, Wynn further explained the idea:
Every night, right after dark, an audio-visual parade will feature 10-12 floats. This parade, although a musical and visual spectacle, is not the Rose Bowl parade. Instead, it offers a much edgier experience, with massive animated figures of spiders with spider webs, King Kong, and the devil, all standing 25 to 30 feet tall.
It’s fantastic that 10 or 12 individuals can participate in the parade by paying to ride on the floats. These self-driven floats are capable of descending ramps on wheels and navigating through water using their propulsion systems.
Other plans include zip lines, carousel
Believing that a giant float representing the devil himself is outrageous, merely scratches the surface of the available entertainment options.
Wynn mentioned several other components, including:
- A grand carousel, equipped with a central bar and Pullman cars, floating on the lagoon.
- Bumper cars wired with LED
- Lagoon surrounded by zip lines
To clarify for those who are tracking, none of these components are related to gambling. Moreover, the company has no intentions of increasing its casino presence in Las Vegas.
Instead, Wynn intends for this venue to be family-friendly, targeting those looking for a resort experience rather than a gambling destination.
The project will also feature a 47-story hotel with over 1,500 rooms as part of its plan. Indoor-outdoor convention space will also be included in the property.
Given Wynn’s track record in Las Vegas, it seems that Paradise Park is on track to outperform the Rio.
