A Saudi-backed theme park based on the manga series Dragon Ball could be built on the site of the former Mirapolis amusement park in Val-d'Oise, France, which closed 35 years ago in 1991 and has stood vacant since.
Maxime Guény, editor of Parcs & Loisirs Magazine, discussed the project on LCI. He said western Paris has lacked this kind of leisure park and that the project now looks close to being confirmed, calling the Île-de-France region an exceptional population base and the world's top international tourist destination.
Why Mirapolis failed
Guény said Mirapolis, which was a major financial failure in its time, may simply have arrived too early. He said there is room today because a real theme park culture now exists, whereas when Disney arrived around 35 years ago, that culture did not yet exist. He added that Mirapolis came almost too soon, before people were used to visiting theme parks.
The article notes that theme parks in France now draw 70 million visitors a year, generating more than two billion euros in revenue.
