The first Jumanji themed attraction at Gardaland

Colorful fireworks and the symbolic cutting of a vine appropriately inaugurated Gardaland’s latest launch. “Jumanji - The Adventure” is the first attraction in the world inspired by the adventurous cinematographic saga. 

A long queue of people lined up to try out the experience, which is the result of an international agreement between Sony and the Merlin group that manages Gardaland. It is an attraction with enormous expectations, realized with an investment of over 20 million euro, according to the data provided by the managing director of Merlin, Aldo Maria Vigevani, who after two years of forced delays due to the pandemic, foresees a return "to the visitor numbers of 2019 between this year and 2023".

• Things to do with kids in Rome

In the amusement park in Verona, the first attraction inspired by the film saga opens among stone giants and scary spiders

At the entrance, to welcome visitors to “Jumanji - The Adventure '', a giant hippo jumps out from the imposing facade. Next, there is a mysterious Egyptian temple and you board cars in the shape of an off-road vehicle, which reacts to dangers, obstacles and audio and video effects scattered along the route by rotating on itself and oscillating, simulating the movements of a real off-road vehicle. Along the way you'll encounter the stone giant ready to block adventurers, and gargantuan spiders that descend from above. Seven screens, including two as large as 15 meters wide by 5 meters high, recreate the jungle of Jumanji. For those who want to continue the experience, four entirely Jumanji themed rooms will be available at the Gardaland Hotel. 

Gardaland is the largest and best known amusement park in Italy, founded in 1975 on the shores of Lake Garda in Verona.

• Best day trips from Rome
• Merry Christmas in Italian

Photo credit: PhotoLife_Style / Shutterstock.com