Parc Astérix

Parc Astérix is a theme park in France based on the comic book series Asterix by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. With around 2.3 million visitors yearly,[1] Parc Astérix is France's second largest theme park, behind only Disneyland Paris with its 14 million annual visitors.[2]

Parc Astérix
Goudurix roller coaster
LocationPlailly, France
Coordinates49°08′04″N 02°34′13″E
OpenedApril 30, 1989
OwnerCompagnie des Alpes
Attractions
Total41
Roller coasters7
Water rides7
Websitewww.parcasterix.fr

It is especially renowned in France for its large variety of roller coasters; it has begun incorporating rides and themes from historic cultures like the Gauls, the Romans, Ancient Greece and recently Ancient Egypt, but always in the visual style of the societies. It is situated approximately 35 km (22 mi) north of Paris, 32 km (20 mi) from Disneyland Paris and 20 km (12 mi) from the historic Château de Chantilly, in the commune of Plailly, in the department of Oise. Opened in 1989, the park is operated by Compagnie des Alpes.

History

Conception and inauguration
Romus et Rapidus, river rafting ride

Largely funded by the Barclays financial company, with 20 other investors including Compagnie Générale des Eaux, the Havas group, Union des Assurances de Paris and the Picardy region, the park cost 850 million French francs to build and generated 1,200 jobs. The location was chosen due to the transport network: a private interchange connects it with the nearby A1 autoroute and a bus shuttle service connects it with Paris Métro Line 7.[3] Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture, inaugurated the park on 30 April 1989 after two years of work.[4]

The opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992 caused Parc Astérix's attendance to fall 30% and revenue by 19%.[5] However, attendance soon stabilised to around 2 million visitors per year.[6][7]

Recent developments

In October 2005, Parc Astérix ran La Fête des Druides ("The Festival of the Druids"), as a way of "thumbing their noses" at Halloween.[8] In 2007, Parc Astérix opened for the first time during the Christmas holidays.[9] In 2009, for the park's 20th anniversary, it opened during the weekends in September and October and ran a Halloween event called Peur sur le Parc Astérix ("Fear at Parc Astérix").[10][11] In November 2018, the park announced the construction of a new multilaunch roller coaster manufactured by Intamin, to be opened in 2023.[12] In January 2021, the park announced it was closing its dolphin and sea lion aquarium in order to focus on rides and other shows.[13]

Attractions
L'Oxygénarium, river rafting ride

There are many attractions and shows including:

Incidents
  • In July 2004, an 11-year-old boy was hit by lightning at the foot of the Tonnerre de Zeus (Zeus' Thunder). The park had continued operating despite weather warnings.
  • On 5 July 2006, a 6-year-old Belgian child drowned on the ride La Descente du Styx, sucked in by the water pumps used to create the flow in the bottom of the ride's canal.[15] The ride underwent various security measures; it was renamed to Romus et Rapidus in order to cast off the bad memory and unfortunate implications.

See also

References
  1. Abbatescianni, Davide (20 April 2022). "At Cartoon Next, Céleste Surugue shares the secrets behind Asterix's success story". cineuropa. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  2. "Parc Asterix facts". Paris Digest. 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2014-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-03. Retrieved 2013-08-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Roffat, Sébastien (2007). Disney et la France: Les vingt ans d'Euro Disneyland. Paris: Editions L'Harmattan. p. 124. ISBN 978-2-296-02989-7.
  6. "ASTERIX A LA COTE - Le Soir". Archives.lesoir.be. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  8. "Astérix fait un pied de nez à Halloween". Archived from the original on 4 June 2012.
  9. "Le parc Astérix ouvert avant et après Noël". Lefigaro.fr. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  10. Lombardo, Propos recueillis par Anne. ""Le Parc Astérix est ouvert chaque jour pendant les vacances de la Toussaint"". Tourmagazine.fr. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  11. "Astérix fête Halloween". Archived from the original on 4 June 2012.
  12. "New for 2021 Parc Asterix, Intamin Quadruple-Launch Coaster + POV". Amusement Insider | Theme Park News and Rumors. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  13. "France's Asterix park shuts down dolphin show as debate on animal rights starts". RFI. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  14. Roffat, Sébastien (2007). Disney et la France: Les vingt ans d'Euro Disneyland. Paris: Editions L'Harmattan. p. 122. ISBN 978-2-296-02989-7.
  15. "Un garçon de 6 ans se noie au Parc Astérix". Archived from the original on 31 March 2014.
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