1. Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Slated to open in late 2010, the first Ferrari theme park will also be the world’s largest indoor park—more than two million square feet. Among other high-octane highlights, expect to find the world’s fastest roller coaster (traveling more than 130 mph at 180 feet through the roof and back) as well as the world’s biggest Ferrari logo—a 200-foot-long rooftop sign. Fans can race each other in Ferrari F430 Spider replicas. (There’s a computer override option for overzealous drivers.)
Whatever your interest or taste for fun, chances are there’s a theme park created with you in mind. And Holy Land aside, many of the odder options are located overseas. From re-created 19th-century Dickensian towns to an imagination of Buddhist heaven, offbeat theme parks offer insights into culture rarely found from hobnobbing with life-size characters or riding a run-of-the-mill Ferris wheel. “Even if you’re seeking out the strange and delicious, theme parks always hold the potential for unique and memorable experiences,” says Gene Jeffers, the executive director of Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), an international organization that represents park creators.
2. Suoi Tien Park, Vietnam
Located on a sacred site, this righteous park is meant to simulate Buddhist heaven. Filled with godlike statues (a one-acre-round giant frog, a 300-ton dragon head), it also features an aquarium, 1,500 crocodiles (symbols of victory) in its Crocodile Kingdom, and a Secrets of the Sorcerers Jungle, where visitors encounter evil ogres, monsters, and larger-than-life scorpions (symbols of transformation). Unicorn Palace (a.k.a. 18 Gates of Hell) may sound innocuous, but the mythic creatures are actually gatekeepers to the underworld. The freezing dungeon-like complex includes screams, murder tableaux, and repentant tourists.