Ferrari World opens to public
The Ferrari World amusement park in Abu Dhabi opened to the public today.
Today the first Ferrari theme park opened in Abu Dhabi, UAE, featuring rides for adults and children dressed up in Maranello red. Ferrari World representatives claim it is the largest indoor amusement park in the world. It sits underneath an more than 2 million square foot red roof with a sleek rectangular design intended to evoke the profile of Ferrari GT cars. The largest Ferrari logo in the world is painted on top of the roof.
The most notable ride is the Formula Rossa, a roller coaster that accelerates to 62 mph in 2 seconds, faster than any Ferrari production car, and reaching a top speed of 150 mph. Passengers are required to wear safety goggles on this coaster.
V12 is possibly the oddest amusement park ride ever conceived, a flume through a representation of the Ferrari 599's 12 cylinder engine. A description on the Ferrari World Web site says, "Hang on as you splash past the churning cylinders and shoot down the differential of the engine towards the exhaust pipe." Sound effects on the ride are intended to simulate the exhaust note of a Ferrari engine.
The park includes a number of rides for children, such as the Junior Grand Prix. In this attraction, kids take the wheel of a scaled-down F1 car, piloting it around a course comprised of straightaways, hairpin turns, and tunnels. Before driving the Junior Grand Prix, children will have to watch a Junior GP training film.
An adult price ticket to the park costs 225 AED, a little more than $60 U.S. at current exchange rates.