Adrenaline junkies have a new item for their bucket list: the Bollywood Skyflyer.
At 460 feet (140 meters) tall – the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza – the new sky-high ride edges the previous record-holder by just 10 feet.
Unveiled last week at Bollywood Parks Dubai, it set a new world record for the tallest swing ride, knocking the 450-foot-tall Orlando Starflyer out of the top-spot.
The Bollywood Skyflyer is made up of 421 tons of steel, took 600 days to build and a further 120 days to install, says Milton D’Souza, general manager of the popular theme park.
Nine new attractions
Bollywood Parks Dubai was forced to close for several months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of three theme parks that make up Dubai Parks and Resorts, Bollywood Parks Dubai reopened on January 21 with nine new rides — including the record-breaking Bollywood Skyflyer.
The other new attractions in the Bollywood-themed park include a 180-foot (55-meter) Ferris wheel, a Mumbai-taxi-themed rollercoaster and a free-fall “rocket” drop tower, which will “bring to life the vibrant culture of India,” says D’Souza.
Like many businesses, the park used the closure as an opportunity to expand and modernize its offerings.
“We used the time to create and build a brand-new area in the park that we call the Mela Zone, which is home to the majority of the nine new rides at Bollywood Parks Dubai,” D’Souza tells CNN.
In 2019, Dubai Parks and Resorts attracted 2.6 million visitors. D’Souza hopes the “revamp” will encourage more guests to visit the park in the future as Dubai becomes more popular as a tourist destination.
More record-breaking rides
Bollywood Parks is set to break more records in 2021, says D’Souza. Later this year, the park plans to open the Bombay Express — the region’s first and only wooden rollercoaster.
Meanwhile, beyond Dubai Parks and Resorts, Ain Dubai is set to take the title of world’s tallest Ferris wheel when it opens later in 2021 at Bluewaters Island. Standing 688 feet (210 meters) tall, Ain Dubai will steal the title from the 550-foot High Roller in Las Vegas.