With over 11 million visitors in the last decade, including 1.36 million in FY23, Imagicaa has established itself as a top choice for both families and adventure seekers. Imagicaa caters to a diverse audience, involving attractions that appeal to children, teenagers, and adults alike. Imagicaa provides something for everyone, whether it’s high-adrenaline rides, tranquil water parks, or exciting entertainment shows.
Mr. Dhimant Bakshi, CEO of Imagicaa, speaks to Voyager’s World in an exclusive interview.
What are the various attractions offered by Imagicaa?
Imagicaa offers a wide range of attractions across multiple locations, each with its own unique offerings. Here’s a quick snapshot of how every park provides a distinct experience—from adrenaline-pumping rides and water fun to spiritual journeys—that has revolutionized the Indian entertainment landscape.
Imagicaa Theme Park (Khopoli): An international-class theme park built with Indian sensibilities featuring 26 rides, many of which are India’s many firsts, such as the only floorless rollercoaster Nitro, India’s first dark coaster, Deep Space, Rajasaurus River Adventure, and more. The park is home to 18 unique IP characters/mascots called Stars of Imagicaa, all of whom feature in a visual spectacle every evening called the Grand Imagicaa Parade.
Imagicaa Water Park (Khopoli): This is a Mykonos-themed water park featuring 20 exciting water attractions, including 39 ft. Loopy Woopy, multi-lane Zip Zap Zoom, wave pool, and lazy river cater to families, parties, and thrill-seekers alike.
Imagicaa Snow Park (Khopoli): This 15,000 sq. ft. attraction lets you experience snow year-round in a cool, frosty environment. Featuring thrilling snow activities like snow slides, real snowfall, toboggan rides and more, it’s perfect for all ages.
Novotel Imagicaa (Khopoli): Located adjacent to the Imagicaa parks, this luxurious 287-room key hotel offers spacious rooms, themed accommodations, and scenic views. It’s the perfect retreat with a relaxing pool and dining options, making it ideal for families, blending comfort and adventure.
Imagicaa Arena – Trampoline Park (Khopoli): The latest addition within Imagicaa Theme Park is this ultimate adventure zone. With over 15 exciting attractions, obstacle courses, and foam pits, the place transforms into a glowing neon playground for the last 15 minutes, making it an unforgettable adventure for friends and family!
Wet’nJoy Water and Amusement Park (Lonavala): Nestled in the scenic hills of Lonavala, the park combines thrilling water rides with exciting amusement attractions. From the largest wave pool to high thrill Master Blaster, Free Fall, or the relaxing Lazy River, the water park has it all. The amusement section features family fun to exhilarating rides, ensuring a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.
Wet’nJoy Water Park (Shirdi): Located near the Sai Baba temple, this vibrant water park in Shirdi encompasses fun-filled attractions, perfect for families and visitors looking for refreshing water experiences. Ideal for anyone choosing to visit before or after completing the temple visit.
Sai Teerth Shirdi: A unique spiritual theme park that blends devotion with entertainment by offering immersive experiences that bring the teachings of Sai Baba to life. Park features a 5D experience from an interactive animatronic show to Maharashtra’s biggest laser show, making it a one-of-a-kind attraction.
Aqua Imagicaa (Surat): Amazonian-themed water park located in the heart of Surat that features 16 thrilling water slides from the King Cobra to Freefall and Tribal Twist to the most unique psychedelic attractions, Butterfly Cave, offering a refreshing and fun-filled experience.
How do Imagicaaworld Parks create innovative experiences?
To begin with, Imagicaa is the perfect destination for a digital detox, offering a refreshing escape from screens with immersive, real-world experiences and thrilling attractions nestled in lush greenery.
We also create innovative experiences by offering a mix of large-scale events and immersive experiences that cater to all kinds of visitors and through all seasons. One of the highlights is the Grand Imagicaa Parade, a spectacular display of colourful floats, live performances, and interactive moments that captivate guests of all ages. We also host experiential events like Holi, Imagicaa Anniversary Bash, and New Year’s Eve parties, each designed to provide unique, unforgettable moments.
In addition to these, we celebrate cultural festivities such as Navratri, Oktoberfest, and Christmas, creating themed events that offer a taste of global and local traditions. Movie tie-ups wherein we allow guests to interact live with their favourite actors like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan, Garfield, and others enhance the overall guest experience. For Bhool Bhulaaiya 2, we rebranded the iconic Salimgarh ride at Imagicaa Theme Park with film snippets integrated into the ride film for an elevated yet differentiated experience. For Garfield, we curated special on-ground games to engage and reward guests with movie merchandise.
As an all-season destination, Imagicaa is also ideal for destination weddings with its stunning venues and picturesque backdrops. Possibilities range from proposals to pre-wedding shoots to hosting an entire wedding and everything in between. The park offers expert event planning and customizable themes, encouraging dream weddings to happen within magical settings. With its flexibility and creativity, Imagicaa ensures every wedding is a fun, unforgettable celebration for both the couple and their guests, no matter the season.
Catering to the corporate segments, Imagicaa offers hosts MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), R&R (Rewards & Recognitions), and team offsite activities. With flexible event spaces and access to the park’s attractions, companies can blend productivity with fun, ensuring team-building, conferences, and incentive programs are memorable and engaging.
Can you elaborate further on Imagicaa’s commitment to sustainability and responsible entertainment?
Imagicaa is deeply committed to sustainability and responsible entertainment, incorporating several eco-friendly initiatives across its parks. The company has recently invested in an 8 MWp DC (5.5 MW AC) captive solar plant that powers the Imagicaa and Khopoli parks, significantly reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, the solar panel car parking at Wet’nJoy harnesses clean energy, contributing to sustainable operations while offering shade for guests’ vehicles.
Imagicaa is also championing electric mobility with the installation of EV charging stations, supporting green transportation for guests. On the water conservation front, Imagicaa Park in Khopoli has its own water reservoir, ensuring efficient usage and minimal waste since inception. Moreover, a robust recycling mechanism has always been in place at the Khopoli parks to manage waste responsibly, helping to close the loop on resource consumption and fostering a sustainable future for both the parks and the community.
In line with its sustainability efforts, Novotel Imagicaa has embraced eco-friendly practices, including the introduction of a herb garden that supports its farm-to-table concept, the use of wooden keycards, and the replacement of plastic bottles with glass drinking bottles, all reinforcing the company’s commitment to reducing single-use plastic, thereby consequently reducing environmental impact and carbon footprint.
Are there any expansion plans in place?
Imagicaa is strategically expanding its footprint with some exciting projects in the pipeline whilst maintaining an asset-light model. One of the most immediate projects includes the upcoming 12-acre Aqua Imagicaa Water Park in Indore, scheduled for a summer 2025 launch. This water park is aimed at extending the Aqua Imagicaa brand equity beyond state boundaries with the integration of the brand essence. The company additionally is gearing up for newer projects, including a landmark project on the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, as it entails bringing a new dimension to the waterfront. The 11-acre park will encompass a unique mix of indoor and outdoor attractions, dining, and entertainment experiences that will be effortlessly blended.
The group’s expansion also includes potential projects in Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Goa, and Noida. By leveraging public-private partnerships (PPP), we are aiming to gain long-term land leases at favourable prices with tax benefits. This project pipeline is indeed reflective of Imagicaaworld’s commitment to expanding its footprint by adding either one theme or amusement park every year for the next five years. By creating more diverse and immersive spaces across, we will ensure the brands continue to grow and captivate audiences nationwide.
In the constantly evolving landscape of amusement parks and entertainment, how does Imagicaa plan to stay ahead of the curve?
At Imagicaa, our commitment to creativity and innovation keeps us at the forefront of the entertainment industry. We’re always looking for ways to stay ahead by introducing new experiential ride or show formats and creating immersive experiences. In 2024 itself, we have introduced newer attractions that push the boundaries of excitement and adventure at our parks across locations. As a group, we’re constantly innovating to design experiences that captivate and engage visitors in exciting ways at each of our parks. By bringing in exclusive content, we ensure that every visit feels fresh and different.