Funworld November 2011

by Jane Di Leo

When Divertido Family Adventure Park (formerly Perimagico) opened its doors in 1996 in the northern part of Mexico City, it quickly became the much-talked-about entertainment venue in Latin America. Though it directly competed with Six Flags and Feria Chapultepec, two large parks within the Mexico City area, what set Divertido Family Adventure Park apart was its indoor location. “It was a 12,000-square-meter (39,370-square-foot) park with rides from roller coasters to bumper cars,” says Richard Kuri Aziz, director of new and special projects for Divertido owner MOY. “It was unlike anything people in Mexico City had ever seen before.”

Flocks of visitors came from all over the Mexico City metropolitan area—and Mexico itself—to Centro Comercial Perinorte, the mall in which Divertido Family Adventure Park is located, to check out the hottest attractions. Though the park did not brand itself based on a specific theme, taking visitors on an adventure was the name of the game, Kuri Aziz says.

Fast-forward to January 2011, 15 years after the park originally opened. By this time, Divertido Family Adventure Park, which had become a metropolitan mainstay, was ready to break out of its shell and try something new. “It had been the same park with the same rides for so many years, so we felt it needed to be updated, renewed,” Kuri Aziz says. Instead of completely remaking and revamping a successful operation, however, management decided to get creative and amplify the indoor concept by taking the adventure outside.

Adventures for the Whole Family
The owners of Divertido Family Adventure Park purchased land outside the Centro Comercial Perinorte mall and added an 8,000-square-meter (2-acre) adventure game area that allows patrons—from children to adults—to test their athletic skills and fulfill their need for thrills.

For adults and older children, highlights include a bicycle ride that allows participants to pedal around a 360-degree ring; it is similar to the circus acts of old, only this time you don’t have to be a clown to hop on. Divertido boasts a “Spin Board,” which looks like a snowboard attached to a ring, on which you ride in a full 360-degree circle while also spinning. There is even the “Double Extreme” obstacle course (think “American Gladiators,” the late ’80s/early ’90s hit TV show that featured jousting and other athletic competitions), which awaits those looking for a daring, off-the-ground adventure. The course takes participants through sky-high obstacles, such as balance beams and rope challenges, with a partner—and, of course, plenty of safety equipment. For children who need to burn energy, the Mega Spider Zone offers a roped cagelike area for kids to climb in, allowing mom and dad to take a breather. For those kids who want a taste of what the grownups have, a climbing wall built for kids is also available to try.

Indoor Oddities
Along with the new outdoor offerings, Divertido Family Adventure Park also added an unusual set of attractions indoors: mirror mazes. To date, the park has four new mirror mazes designed by the world-famous maze expert Adrian Fisher. “We wanted to construct an entire attraction made up entirely of mirror mazes, which is something that is familiar and popular within the Mexican culture,” Kuri Aziz says. The Fisher mazes, however, are unique to Mexico, as they are the first constructed within the country. The maze themes range from a pirate adventure, with a life-size pirate look-alike on site, to a sweet candy-themed adventure, complete with lollipops and gumdrops. The other two mazes are centered on King Tut’s Egyptian domain and the coral reef.

The new additions to Divertido ramp up its offerings to 42 mechanical and extreme games; it also allows patrons to go from indoor rides to outdoor games, changing the overall environment of the park. “A child might want to try the climbing wall and then want to go back in to ride the roller coaster,” Kuri Aziz says. “This creates a new sensation for the visitor. Each area is different, but both offer entertainment and fun.”

Recipe for Success
Within the first few months of operation (the addition opened in July 2011, with the official inauguration held in September), Divertido Family Adventure Park has seen a surge of visitors. In years leading up to the park’s renewal, the average attendance was 200,000 per year. With the new addition, however, park officials expect to see up to 400,000 people visit within the first year alone. “Thanks to the new addition, we are expecting to see double the amount of visitors, but what is more important is that the visitors we do get are staying longer at the park,” Kuri Aziz says. “They are spending the whole day there—seven to nine hours— enjoying all of the new games.”

The surge of visitors to the park is not only helping Divertido Family Adventure Park, it is also helping the local economy, Kuri Aziz says. “The Perinorte mall and all of its stores were supportive of our growth, and it has paid off in the form of more foot traffic for retailers.”

Good Value
Part of what has helped draw people in, along with the new-and-improved entertainment areas, is the MXN$99 price tag (approximately US$10), which includes everything except the Euro bungee and aqua ball attractions. “Most places you go, you have to pay separate for the extreme games and rides, but here it is all included, making it easy and affordable for people to come,” Kuri Aziz says.

When asked if there are more plans for expansion or additional improvements in the near future, Kuri Aziz says the park plans to concentrate on its newest adventures to make sure it is meeting the needs of its guests. “For the near future, we will continue to improve on what we have now. That is the immediate plan.”

New York City-based freelance writer Jane Di Leowrites for city, regional, and national magazines, including Women’s Health and Delta Sky Magazine. E-mail: janedileo@hotmail.com.