![Imigradero di Hopi Hari](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Imigradero_di_Hopi_Hari.jpg)
Hopi Hari is a Brazilian theme park located at Km 72 of
Bandeirantes Highway
The ''Bandeirantes'' (), literally "flag-carriers", were slavers, explorers, adventurers, and fortune hunters in early Colonial Brazil. They are largely responsible for Brazil's great expansion westward, far beyond the Tordesillas Line of 1494 ...
,
Vinhedo
Vinhedo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Campinas. The population in 2020 was 80,111 and its area is . It has a population density of 777 inhabitants per square kilometer. The elevatio ...
, in the state of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. It is located 30 km away from
Campinas
Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's population is 1,213,792, making it the fourteenth most populous Brazilian ...
and 72 km away from
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. With 0.76 km
2, it is considered the second largest amusement park in Brazil and it is a part of the tourist complex SerrAzul Full Life. Hopi Hari is a fictitious country - its employees are residents (hópius) - with a "president", capital, national language (Hopês), among other features. Due to the debts of the park in June 2009, the group GP Investments sold the park for a symbolic value to the group HH II PT S/A.
History
Opened on November 27, 1999, Hopi Hari was designed and built by International Theme Park Services Inc., a U.S. company located in Cincinnati, Ohio which based the design of the park on
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park first opened in 1972 by the Taft Broadcasting Company. It was part of a larger effort to move and expan ...
, a theme park also located in Cincinnati. Originally, the park would be called "Playcenter Great Adventure" as it belonged to the Playcenter Group. Due to the Brazilian economic crisis in the 1990s, it was forced to sell while still under construction, as a consequence of the reduction in visitors at Playcenter. The company
GP Investments
GP Investments (also GP Investimentos), is a leading alternative investment firm in Latin America with a strong presence in asset management, principally private equity funds. The firm's shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and trad ...
took over the works, where the park project has undergone several changes, including a name change to "Hopi Hari".
Tourist and Economic importance
While being close to large urban centers like São Paulo and Campinas, the park has an important role for the economy and tourism in the state of São Paulo and Brazil. The park is part of the complex
SerrAzul Full Life which also includes Wet 'n Wild water park, Shopping SerrAzul, the Premium Outlet shopping center, the Quality Resort Hotel and Itupeva SerraAzul Farm subdivision. This complex attracts more than 5 million Brazilian tourists a year (number equal to the amount of foreign tourists to Brazil received in 2008) surpassing even tourist spots known as Christ the Redeemer, one of the Seven Wonders the modern world, and the Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro, which together received only 1.9 million tourists (Brazilian and foreign) in 2008, according to RioTur. The Hopi Hari is responsible for 40% of the total of 5 million tourists - 2 million visitors are welcomed every year by the park. The park hopes to double that amount within 10 years, since it hopes to attract more tourists in agreement with Warner Bros. In 2010, Hopi Hari had a gross revenue of R $103 million, meaning an increase of 25% compared to 2009. Hopi Hari had the biggest increase among parks reporting in previous years, with close to 500,000 additional visitors, driven by a combination of the opening of several major new rides, and very strong economic growth in Brazil.
Warner Bros agreement
In 2011, Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) and Hopi Hari, struck a licensing agreement to bring some of the biggest franchises in the world. Characters from the Justice League, Looney Tunes and Penelope Pitstop were added to the attractions of the park. The characters were added with the goal of bringing a more "Hollywoodian" feel to the park. Some characters used were Tweety, Sylvester, Superman, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Aquaman, Taz, and The Flash. Some areas of the park include Infantasia (Looney Tunes characters and Penelope) and Aribabiba (the Justice League characters). The characters of Sesame Street will now leave the scene. They were part of the park since the inauguration. The "lore" of the fictional country of Hopi-Hari was very attached to the Sesame Street characters after the deal, will be with other Warner Bros properties.
"
..The entry of the Looney Tunes will be based on a new design in which Bugs Bunny is a millionaire with his inventions and moves in with Daffy Duck. Hopi Hari sends an invitation for them to settle at the park. He accepts the invitation, and brings the whole crew to Infantasia; an ideal place for filming. They also bring all the ACME paraphernalia to the park.
After witnessing "all the happiness and joy" that the park offers, the greatest villains decide to invade Hopi Hari, but the goddess Hari calls the Justice League in order to establish the park to prevent the triumph of the villains within the Lore. Aribabiba is in this battle will happen at each attraction. "
Management Issues
Even with the strong economic potential, the park has always faced great difficulties throughout the years due to factors such as mismanagement, constant changes in administration and some accidents. In its early years, the park did not achieve project revenue thus, preventing new investments and the balance of its construction's debts and resulting in the transfer of the business to new owners in 2009. The best performance the park achieved was between 2010 and 2011, with a high audience, which allowed agreements with brands and sponsorships, such as Warner Bros, in addition to the purchase of a
Multi Inversion Roller Coaster from Intamin. Despite the growth, in 2012 the park faced difficulties again after a fatal accident in its free-fall tower. As a result of the accident and sensational media, the park experienced a drop in visitation that triggered more financial issues and security problems. Close to bankruptcy in 2016 and with 700 million reais in debt, the park again changed management, got a recovery agreement with the court and it was forced to sell the unbuilt 10 inversion roller coaster to pay off a creditor. In 2017 the new management team was able to form agreements to revitalize and repair the park's areas and rides which attracted more visitors. In 2018, the recovery agreement was refuted by one of the largest creditors and after several amendment proposals (including the attempt to buy from another group) it was accepted in 2022. In the meantime, the park had a new change in management in 2019 that provoked protests among employees.
Themed areas
''Hopi Hari is divided into five themed areas: Kaminda Mundi, Mistieri, Infantasia, Aribabiba and Wild West.''
Kaminda Mundi ''"Way of the World"''
![Hopi Hari (5975019976)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Hopi_Hari_%285975019976%29.jpg)
''Kaminda Mundi'' (Way Of The World or World Avenue) is located in Southwest of Hopi Hari and occupies an area of 29,000 m
2 (is the first region of the park, just after the entrance). It is a tribute to the people of Hopi Hari, their ancestors and their origins (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, Germany and the Netherlands). Kaminda Mundi has the largest theater in Hopi Hari and a 3D cinema.
Mistieri ''"The Lost Continent"''
''Mistieri'' (Mystery) is in the northwest of the park and occupies an area of 52,000 m
2. The themed area is based on ancient civilizations as
Ancient Egyptians,
Summerians,
Mayas
The Maya peoples () are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical reg ...
,
Incas
The Inca Empire (also Quechuan and Aymaran spelling shift, known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechuan languages, Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) wa ...
and
Aztecs
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
. In this region there is the top spin Ekatomb, an attraction that turns passengers upside down in several different ways, and Vulaviking, a boat that swings until it reaches about 90 degrees to the ground. This area of the park features two roller coasters:
Montezum
Montezum is a wooden roller coaster located in Hopi Hari theme park, in São Paulo, Brazil. The ride is able to exceed and runs through the ride in fifty-eight seconds. It is the only wooden roller coaster operating in South America.
This roller ...
, a wooden roller coaster with 1030m of length that reaches speeds of 103 km/h, and Vurang, another roller coaster inside a pyramid, where the cars turn around their own axis.
Infantasia ''"Fantasyland"''
''Infantasia'' (Fantasyland) is in the central plain of the park and covers an area of 31,000 m
2. It is an area geared toward children, it had been themed around the
Vila Sésamo
''Vila Sésamo'' (formerly known as ''Sésamo'' from 2016 to 2022) is a Brazilian co-production of the first preschool television programme ''Sesame Street''. As of 2009 it airs on TV Rá-Tim-Bum.[Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.] characters. In this region the guest can find attractions such as Kastel di Lendas, where some Brazilian folk stories are told.
Especial notes
*There is a song playing at theKastel di Lendas attraction, here is a short excerpt:
"No Castelo das Lendas sabe o que é que tem?
Alegria e muita diversão também!
Vamos nessa magia é só navegar!
O show, vai começar!"
Aribabiba ''"Living Life with Fun"''
![Katapul](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Katapul.JPG)
''Aribabiba'' is the capital of the fictional country, and occupies an area of 16,000 m
2. Aribabiba means "living life with fun". It is located in the northwest, near Mistieri. In this region there are attractions like Hadikali (Skycoaster), Vambatê (bumper cars), among others. In November 2005 debuted "Chevrolet Mundi," but at the end of the contract with the automaker, the place that has restaurants changed its name to Gran Palaz Burger & Pasta, showing their lunches now owning the Aribabiba names of the attractions.
In 2011 to 2012, Aribabiba received the
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
theme in a 10 years contract with
Warner Bros
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
and
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. In 2019 Hopi Hari announces that they have not renewed the contract with Warner Bros. and with that the area would gain an unprecedented theme respecting the fictitious history of the park. The new theme has not yet been announced by the park.
Especial notes
*Katapul used to operated at
Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...
in England under the name
Thunder Looper
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
, and before that it ran at
Kings Dominion
Kings Dominion is an amusement park located in Doswell, Virginia, north of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 ri ...
and Jolly Roger Amusement Park as "King Kobra".
Wild West
"After a Hopi Hari citizen found gold in Rio Bravo, the news spread attracting North American immigrants." This is the basic story of this area strongly themed as an Old West Town. It has several attractions such as Rio Bravo, Evolution, Ghosti Hotel, as well as shows and other presentations daily.
Former attractions
*Unicirco: Circo of Marcos Frota, who presented a show called GIRO. Taken from the park in 2009. It was located in the region of Infantasia.
*Chevrolet Mundi: Complex where restaurants were located, a motion simulator about Chevrolet brand cars and where it is possible to test drive. Off in 2011, as the Chevrolet did not renew the contract with the park. Currently the restaurant is called Gran Palaz Burger & Pasta, the simulator displays the same Simulákron films, and location of the Test Drive is abandoned.
*Komunikatron: 3D and 4D Simulator telling the story of the phone. Beside, there was also a giant phone. It was off by building the space Hopi Niver. He stayed five years in the park.
*Mining: Located in the Wild West, this attraction for children consisted of a water wheel where they mining gravel. Who more mines, won prizes.
*Aquabum: Aquatic version of the bumper cars, located on Lake of Hopi Hari. It was opened in 2002 and closed a few years later.
![Crazy Wagon (10)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Crazy_Wagon_%2810%29.JPG)
*Wylli Mundi: It was a playground at a giant baby that entertains and teaches children about the importance of health care. Off in 2011 in line with the reforms of Infantasia.
*Crazy Wagon: A big wagon that rotates horizontally, like the Jambalaia, but much larger. His spins are given in clockwise and counterclockwise. It was built by the German factory HUSS Rides that calls those types of ride like "Rainbow".
* Unknown: Popular known as "10i", the newer version of the
Intamin
Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
10-inversion roller coaster that costed $21 million. This ride uses a cable life hill that reaches 20 km/h, and directly goes into a curved drop. Its maximum speed is 85 km/h. Never constructed due to the park's financial issues, it remained in storage until sold, and has since been relocated to
Flamingo Land
Flamingo Land is a theme park, zoo, and resort located in Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1959, it has been owned and operated by the Gibb family since 1978.
History
Flamingo Land Resort was established in 1959 when a cin ...
in England, where it opened as
Sik.
*Tokaia: Gondolas turning to the music and themed with Cat Woman vs Wonder Woman, coming to let people upside down. One model in the world, the
Fabbri
Fabbri is an Italian surname. Notable people with the name include:
* Adriana Bisi Fabbri (1881–1918), Italian painter
* Agenore Fabbri (1911–1998), Italian sculptor and painter
* Alan Fabbri (born 1979), Italian politician
* Alejandro Fabbri ...
Fly Wind model. Currently standing but not operating.
Events
''Throughout the year, Hopi Hari has several seasonal and occasional events:''
Summer at Hopi Hari (''Hopi Verani'')
“Summer at Hopi Hari” takes place from January to March and the season features parades, characters and many live shows. Some editions had themes and Kaminda Mundi usually is the central area of the event.
The themes of the Summer at Hopi Hari
* 2010: ''Alice at Hopi Hari''
* 2011: ''Alice comeback to Hopi Hari''
* 2012: ''Looney Tunes at Hopi Hari''
Hopi Night
Hopi Night is the main second season event that takes place from April to June and brings to Hopi Hari a festival of electronic music with many special effects, fireworks, performances and dancers. Each year is chosen a different theme for the event .
The themes of Hopi Night
* 2009: ''The Mystery of the Pyramid''
* 2010: ''Vampires and Werewolves''
* 2011: ''Eléktron''
* 2012: ''Alien Experience''
* 2014: ''Connect''
* 2015: ''Are You Ready?''
* 2016: ''360°''
* 2018: ''Elements''
* 2019: ''Alunagem''
* 2022: ''Atlantis''
* 2023: ''Hollywood''
Magical Vacations ''(Férias Spetakuláris)''
Magical Vacations, as the "Summer at Hopi Hari", is a season event focused on families with different theme each year. The season Magical Vacations takes place from June to August and features parades, characters, musical performances, daily shows and fireworks.
The themes of Magical Vacations
* 2008: ''Fun Street Night''
* 2009: ''A Thousand and One Days in Hopi Hari''
* 2010: ''Pirates of Neverland''
* 2011: ''The Magic of Dinosaurs''
* 2012: ''The Looney Tunes Show''
* 2018: ''Wild West - Amazing''
* 2019: ''Around the World''
* 2021: ''Alice Back to the Funniest Country in the World''
* 2022: ''Oz - A Journey to the Magical Realm''
Horror Time ''(Hora do Horror)''
Considered the main season of the park, the Horror Time is the halloween event held in August to November at Hopi Hari. The event that explore new horror themes every year features characters usually wandering around at Mistieri, Aribabiba and Wild West, besides performances, live shows, fireworks, special effects. The event starts from 6 pm and liberates access to the special horror themed mazes.
The themes of the Horror Time
* 2002: ''Fear Has Never Been So Real''
* 2003: ''Fear is Back''
* 2004: ''Fear has time''
* 2005: ''The 4 Elements''
* 2006: ''Under the Dominion of Shadows''
* 2007: ''Nightmares''
* 2008: ''7 Games of Fear''
* 2009: ''Circus of Horrors''
* 2010: ''The Wax Museum''
* 2011: ''Epidemic''
* 2012: ''Black Moon''
* 2013: ''Once upon a time - Fables of Evil''
* 2014: ''The Toys Store''
* 2015: ''The City of the Forgotten''
* 2016: ''Horror Gran Hotel''
* 2017: ''Karnak - The Tomb's Curse''
* 2018: ''Sacrificium''
* 2019: ''Apocalypse''
* 2020: ''Horror Drive Tour'' and ''Dark Christmas''
* 2021: ''Déjàvu''
* 2022: ''Alcatraz - Rebellion of Souls''
Hopi Pride
It is the major punctual event that happens in November focused for the
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
community. Since 2022, the event has a summer edition that happens in February.
Magic Christmas (''Natal Magiko'')
The main last season event of Hopi Hari takes place from November to January. Based on Christmas theme, this season attracts families to the park to attend parades and shows.
Shopping and food
There are a number of shops throughout the park, the majority being at the end of each ride.
For food, one can travel to the numerous sandwich shops located throughout the park. For a more interesting eating experience, there are several small restaurants in the park, generally with a different food theme based in the park history.
* ''Doce Mundi:'' a candy shop.
* ''Dog do Hópiu:'' a hot dog food stall.
* Euro Restaurandi: one of the most important restaurant at the park, themed as a bistro with gourmet dishes.
* ''Hango do Guido:'' a fast food restaurant.
* ''Hopi Dog:'' a hot dog food stall.
* Hopi Grill
* ''Hopi Hango:'' a fast food restaurant.
* ''Hopi Vegani:'' a vegan fast food restaurant.
* ''Kafé di Palaz:'' the biggest fast food restaurant at the park and offers some arcade games.
* Kitutis da Hópia
* ''Place de la Glace:'' an ice cream restaurant.
* ''Pizzaria do Chefinho Hari:'' a pizza restaurant.
* Rango Django
* ''Saloon:'' one of the most important restaurant at the park, themed as a wild west saloon with shows and typical dishes.
* Spleshi Snacks
Hopês (Hoplish - Hopi Hari's language)
As an imaginary country, Hopi Hari has also its own language, called ''hopês'' ("Hoplish"). It is a humorous, often childish language mostly based on Portuguese with lexical influence from other languages, chiefly
Papiamento
Papiamento () or Papiamentu (; nl, Papiaments) is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in the Dutch Caribbean. It is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), with official status in Arub ...
,
Bororó,
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, English,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
. Signs throughout the park are printed in both ''hopês'' and Portuguese and there are several places in the park where one can buy the
Michaelis "Hoplish-Portuguese Dictionary" (''Dicionário Hopês-Português'').
Some examples of expressions in the language include:
* ''Tchauí'' – "goodbye" (from ''tchau'')
* ''Danki'' – "thank you"
* ''Oiê'' – "hey, hello" (from ''oi'')
* ''Kuanto ki tikitaki?'' – "what time is it?" (from ''quanto que'' +
tick tack)
* ''Vendinovu'' – "come again" (from ''vem de novo'')
* ''Click click'' – "picture; photograph" (onomatopoeic)
* ''Mi ké hangá!'' – "I'm hungry"
* ''Bon bini'' – "welcome"
* ''Tivi la'' – "I've been there" (from ''estive lá'')
Controversies
On 28 September 2007, Arthur Wolf, a 15-year-old student, suffered an
anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the follow ...
attack while in one of the Hora do Horror' tunnels. Despite being revived after a CRA by the medical team of the park, he died hours later in the hospital.
On 24 February 2012, 14-year-old Gabriella Nichimura died after falling off one of the chairs of the ''
La Tour Eiffel
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
''. The girl fell from a height of 20 meters because she was in a seat which couldn't be utilized and was inactive for many years. Overall, eleven people, including the president of the park were indicted by the Civil Police of São Paulo by culpable homicide. The park was closed for 23 days by the Brazilian Public Ministry for investigations and had to make improvements on the safety of all rides and to reduce the working hours of the employees.
On the afternoon of 24 September 2014, a group of about 50 youngsters, who paid for their tickets, started a
flash rob
A flash rob, also known as a multiple offender crime or flash mob robbery, is an organized form of theft in which a group of participants enter a retail shop or convenience store en masse and steal goods and other items. Typically, store workers a ...
in the interior of the park, causing havoc and leaving six visitors hurt. Dozens of reports of people having their belongings stolen were left on the park's visitor answering service.
On 11 December 2021, a latch on the montezum roller coaster came loose with the attraction in motion. The operators triggered the technical stop in time and there were no injuries.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official SitePark Designer
Companies based in São Paulo (state)
Amusement parks in Brazil
Tourist attractions in São Paulo (state)
1999 establishments in Brazil
Companies listed on B3 (stock exchange)
Amusement parks opened in 1999