Theme Parks - Riviera Maya and Nuevo Vallarta
October 11, 2016
Matt Meltzer of Thrillist.com posted an article about the Vidanta Theme Parks in Nuevo Vallarta and Riviera Maya. We have to admit - the architectural renderings are amazing. Vidanta's properties at Nuevo Vallarta and Riviera Maya will certainly draw a lot of attention, and as Matt says in his article, neither place will be a park with slides and tubes. Rather, they appear to be pretty sophisticated!"That’s right, sometime year-after-next you’ll be able to spend your vacation strolling through a daylong Cirque performance, complete with an interactive theater, hydrotherapy circuit, and of course plenty of embedded Cirque performers. “The Park,” as it’s being called, will be located on the Vidanta property, which you may remember as the home to JOYÁ, the world’s first Cirque du Soleil dining experience."
Here is what Matt has to say:
Theme Park - Architect's Rendering - Riviera Maya (Courtesy of Vidanta Riviera Maya)
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IS BUILDING A THEME PARK, AND IT LOOKS INSANE
COURTESY OF VIDANTA RIVIERA MAYA
By MATT MELTZER
@mmeltrez
Have you ever found yourself sitting in the back row under the blue-and-yellow Cirque du Soleil big top and thought to yourself: “The only thing that could make this better would be a three-hour line and $14 hamburgers!” Well, your wait may finally be over in 2018, when the first-ever Cirque de Soleil theme park opens at the Vidanta resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
That’s right, sometime year-after-next you’ll be able to spend your vacation strolling through a daylong Cirque performance, complete with an interactive theater, hydrotherapy circuit, and of course plenty of embedded Cirque performers. “The Park,” as it’s being called, will be located on the Vidanta property, which you may remember as the home to JOYÁ, the world’s first Cirque du Soleil dining experience.
Theme Park - Architect's Rendering - Nuevo Vallarta (Courtesy of Vidanta Riviera Maya)
For now, Vidanta is tight-lipped about what the park will include. But what we do know:

- The Park will fuse Cirque’s immersive entertainment with Vidanta’s luxury vacationing, creating a fantasyland where families can explore and get away from it all.
- It will have three hotels feature a range of components — a mix of interactive theater with water features, VIP hydrotherapy circuit for adults, experiential and interactive entertainment experiences, and embedded CDS actors.
- The park is meant to look like it sprouted up from the ground and will be overwhelmingly lush and green. What you won’t find: plastic tubing, slides, stanchions, etc.
Theme Park - Architect's Rendering - Nuevo Vallarta (Courtesy of Vidanta Riviera Maya)
They're also touting a huge boon for tourism in the area. The park is estimated to draw 1 million visits in the first phase of opening, and an estimated 2.5 million visitors annually to Nuevo Vallarta once fully open. Naturally, the effect on jobs is expected to be significant, as well. Some 50 million people live in the surrounding 300 mile radius from the Nuevo Vallarta development.
The best information released so far, though, might be these mockups of the park, which make it look a little like Mayan ruins interspersed with water features and ADA-approved walkways. And maybe some psychedelic tea.
Theme Park - Architect's Rendering - Riviera Maya (Courtesy of Vidanta Riviera Maya)
No word on what rides might be included, if there will be special house shows, or, most importantly, pricing. But if these drawings are any indication, it's going to be the most spectacular theme park to ever land in Mexico. And, hopefully, the lines won't be too long.
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Matt Meltzer is a staff writer with Thrillist. Follow him on Instagram @meltrez1.