Excavators, Prehistoric Mammoths, and Farting Trains—The Ultimate Anti-Traditional Theme Parks

By Rita

When you hear the words “theme park,” your mind likely jumps to Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Snow White, and Monsters Inc.—those globally beloved animated franchises. But these are so last season. Have you noticed how theme parks are now leveraging various technologies to disrupt traditional models and create something entirely new? The United StatesHuffington Post (huffingtonpost)Recently reported on three theme parks that no longer just let you chase cartoon characters for photos, but instead offer more engaging ways to experience a variety of activities.

1. USA & UK: Diggerland (Digging Excavator Theme Park)
The operators come from European excavation machinery companies, making the “excavator” the core theme of this park. Currently, Diggerland has locations across the UK in Kent, Durham, Devon, and Yorkshire, and has recently opened a new site in West Berlin, New Jersey, USA.

▲ Diggerland offers real excavator experiences (Photo /Diggerland Fan Page)

Why is it great? Because kids can put down their toy excavators and live out their dreams here. The heavy-duty vehicles provided include loaders, diggers, and more—all construction equipment redesigned for theme park use, making it fun for the whole family.

From March to October each year, there’s also an annual competition event where these massive machines not only compete against each other but also feature “excavator dance performances,” something you won’t see at most other theme parks.

2. Zhuozhou, China: DreamEast Cultural City
Backed by the Tianyang Holdings Group (SkyOcean), DreamEast is being developed as a cultural mission to showcase 5,000 years of Chinese heritage. From the overall design, the project is extremely ambitious—but it's not open yet, as construction is still underway.

▲ Under-construction DreamEast Cultural City (Photo /Tianyang Holdings Group)

Located in Zhuozhou, a suburb of Beijing, the site is near the important “Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site.” DreamEast Cultural City will be the world’s first theme park themed around “prehistoric civilization,” featuring complete exhibits of woolly mammoths and mastodons, which will be major draws upon opening.

Despite its historical mission, the park doesn’t forget the entertainment factor—it will also have a “LEGO Land” and a “Future World.” In the “Legend World,” Chinese mythology will be interpreted and reimagined, and the park will also incorporate cutting-edge technology, allowing parents and children to explore astronomical experiences.

3. Denmark: Bon Bon Land
Bon Bon Land is one of Denmark’s most popular amusement parks, born from the imagination of a Danish candy company.

▲ Bon Bon Land is one of Denmark’s most popular amusement parks (Photo /BonBon-Land Fan Page)

The entire park is filled with humor, featuring many rides inspired by animal physiology—like vomiting mice, lactating cows, and pooping ants. There’s even a “farting train.”