The troubled nine-year development of the Kent-based London Resort theme park has reached a major milestone by entering its pre-procurement phase.
The invitation, as published in a press release by London Resort, allows businesses on a local, regional and national level to apply to become a supplier to the major theme park project, taking the long-awaited theme park design closer to becoming a reality.
The plans, worth £2.5bn, would see the Swanscombe site play host to the largest theme park in Europe since the unveiling of Euro Disney Resort (now Disneyland Paris) in 1992.
Assuming a launch in 2024 and that the site matches their ten-year growth figures, the developers have claimed it would at some point surpass Disneyland Paris itself, with its annual visitor numbers planned to increase from 6.5m in 2025 up to 12.5 in 2038.
Entering this phase means that the plans have been accepted for examination by the Government, allowing the resort to court a range of businesses of all sizes to help make the park a reality.
The proposed site has many features, including a water park, convention centre, on-site accommodation as well as space for a second theme park.
As for the rides themselves, the main centrepiece is a dinosaur-themed rollercoaster named Quetzalcoatlus, named after the world’s largest flying animal.
The super-speed rollercoaster can hit speeds of over 70mph, which would make it one of the fastest rides in the UK, alongside Stealth at Thorpe Park, The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, as well as among the fastest rides in Europe.