Studio Ghibli Delays Opening New Theme Park
Studio Ghibli announced plans a few years back to launch its own theme park, and it won't be much longer before the area opens in full. In fact, part of the park will open later this year following COVID-19 delays, and there are more parts of the theme park to come. However, it seems one of its most-anticipated portions is delaying its debut, but Ghibli Park is making the move for good reason.
The update comes from Ghibli Park itself as the park is still being constructed near Nagoya. After opening part of the park to fans earlier this year, its executives have confirmed one portion of the area will not be opening on time. It turns out the area dedicated to Howl's Moving Castle is delaying its opening but for good reason.
For those who don't know, Howl's Moving Castle was meant to be celebrated in an area of the park called Witch's Valley. The film will be brought to life alongside pieces of Kiki's Delivery Service, but now, Witch's Valley is being opened later than planned. This is due to construction concerns as Studio Ghibli insists this area adhere to certain architectural techniques canon to its actual films.
READ MORE: Studio Ghibli and Royal Shakespeare Company to Produce My Neighbor Totoro Play | Studio Ghibli Theme Park Shares First Reservation Details | Studio Ghibli Addresses Kiki's Delivery Service's Most Controversial Moment
After all, Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service heavily lean into European architecture. As such, the builders at Ghibli Park have been told to use traditional materials and techniques to recreate places from the films for the park. This type of construction will take longer to finish than modern projects, and the park's planners also admit the materials needed to build Witch's Valley are hard to come by. The team will need hardwoods like ash, oak, and zelkova to complete the project. And as such, Witch's Valley will open in March 2024 rather than Fall 2023.
What do you make of this latest theme park update? Do you plan on visiting Studio Ghibli's new tourist destination? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.