Jun
21
Ode to those Summer family trips – twelve hours in the wood panel station wagon, too many thousand bottles of beer on the wall, and “Mom, he’s touching me!” screams from the back seat – all for the sake of 5.3 days in the quasi hallucinogenic splendor of Disney World. Those were the days…
But these days you can get all of the theme park seen through the vision of Charles Dicken’s novels. At Dicken’s World, an innovative and exciting new 120 million dollar indoor visitor complex in Kent (in the UK), themed around the life, work and times of one of Britain’s best loved authors, Charles Dickens. Dickens World will take visitors on a journey of Dickens lifetime as they step back in time to Dickensian England to experience the highs and lows of urban life complete with sounds and smells.
The Smells? Like no-indoor-plumbing smells? Not to mention diseases of the blistering nature, incestuous misery, and infanticide? Sounds like fun.
“Visitors will feel as though they have returned to one of the most exciting periods of British History to see “The Best and Worst of Times” as they immerse themselves in the imposing architecture and street scenes which are so vividly described in Dickens novels, supported by our cast of characters who bring his world to life.
It will feature Europe’s largest themed dark boat ride, transporting visitors from the depths of London’s sewers through atmospheric streets, courtyards, markets and shops, to a magical flight across the roof tops of London. The ghosts of Ebenezer Scrooge will come back to haunt you in the Haunted House and children can have fun in Fagin’s Den, the children’s play area. A 250 seate theatre provides an up to the minute multi-sensory animatronic performance throughout the day, and a live supper show in the evening.
The courtyard areas allow visitors to wander freely around the Dickens World attraction, soaking up the atmosphere and exploring the streets, alleys, courtyards, dockside, shops and a themed restaurant. Peggoty’s Boat House, a moving platform experience, The School Room: The Dreaded Disciplines of Victorian Education, Crime and Punishment and The Old Curiosity Shoppe complete the experience.
Dickens World is based on a credible and factual account of Charles Dickens works and the world in which he lived. Working with The Dickens Fellowship great attention has been paid to the authenticity of the time, characters and story lines. It offers a new and entertaining way to enjoy Dickens and his characters as well as gaining an understanding of the times and conditions people experienced living in England in the early 19th century. Dickens World has a predicted dwell time of four hours and can offer an exciting and full day out in conjunction with the other facilities on the site. In addition, visitors can take advantage of a number of branded restaurants, cafes and bars, the nearby Royal Historic Dockyard , a factory outlet shopping mall and a nine-screen multiplex movie theater.”