As it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, Italy's Gardaland Resort is set to unveil its newest attraction: Animal Treasure Island in April.

This innovative addition to the park will be the first of its kind within the Merlin Entertainments group, offering visitors an immersive adventure through a newly developed park area.

Gardaland is renowned for its thrilling rides and attractions and will be the exclusive location for the debut of Animal Treasure Island, which is part of a broader international rollout plan by Merlin Entertainments.

The park’s CEO, Sabrina de Carvalho, said: “We are proud that Merlin has chosen Italy and Gardaland for the launch of Animal Treasure Island.

“It will be a new and immersive experience that is suitable for everyone, characterised by an adventurous spirit and a fascinating, awe-inspiring setting.”

With an investment of approximately £10m, Animal Treasure Island promises to be an unforgettable addition to Gardaland’s extensive array of attractions. The immersive water-based dark ride, which spans over 6,000 square metres, takes guests on a thrilling underground adventure filled with twenty captivating and highly engaging scenes.

Combining storytelling, cutting-edge technology, and creative set design, this experience will transport visitors into a mysterious world of treasure hunts, brave heroes, and daring villains.

The story of Animal Treasure Island is built around timeless themes such as the struggle between good and evil, offering guests an emotional journey through a dynamic narrative full of twists and turns.

The adventure will be brought to life by a cast of original characters designed by Merlin's studios. These characters will play key roles in drawing visitors into the story, adding depth to the experience and enhancing the sense of immersion. 

de Carvalho, added: “We are sure that our visitors will appreciate this new iconic experience. Animal Treasure Island will be a world exclusive, available for the first time at Gardaland from April!"

Mollie Page, Creative Producer at Merlin Magic Making added: "The creation of Animal Treasure Island is the result of meticulous work by the Merlin Magic Making creative team, composed of concept artists, digital designers and storytellers. 

"The inspiration came from the need to renew an existing attraction, transforming it into something completely new. A key aspect was the creation of a cast of unique characters, a task that required more than a year of collaboration with industry specialists to define every detail and ensure that the characters were memorable and able to create a connection with the audience.”

Gardaland is the No. 1 Amusement Park in Italy, the longest-running in the country, and one of the largest in Europe.

The Amusement Park is organised in themed areas that conjure up the worlds of history and geography, space and fantasy.
All rides at Gardaland Park offer a special combination of adventure, dream and fantasy, and the great variety of rides makes it suitable for young children and teenagers with rides for everyone.

Little ones will enjoy Peppa Pig Land,Prezzemolo Land and Fantasy Kingdom. Adrenaline junkies will love rides like Oblivion, Blue Tornado and Raptor.

Admission ticket to Gardaland Park - Season 2025 start at 49 euros (£40) for  a one day park ticket for the 2025 season.
Verona Villafranca airport is only a few kilometres away from Gardaland Park.

British Airways, Jet2, TUI, easyJet and Ryanair all fly to Verona from UK airports.

For information about staying at the theme park in one of the Gardaland Hotels visit www.gardaland.it/en/our-hotels/our-themed-hotels/gardaland-hotel/