In celebration of 25 years, Lotte World Adventure theme park is holding its special “Let’s Dream” nightly parade, the world’s first multimedia show and parade.

The parade took approximately two years to organize and produce, and the newly launched, highly technical and LED light-filled character floats look as though they came straight out of a child’s dream.

With an investment of around 15 billion won ($14.58 million), Lotte World Adventure organizers said they pulled out all the stops for its 25th anniversary parade that features an electronic aerial balloon show, flying lanterns, flamboyant costumes, fireworks and much more. The parade’s production crew worked side-by-side with a renowned international team that included members such as Benoit Jutras, music director for Cirque du Soleil, and Michael Curry, theatrical designer for “The Lion King” on Broadway. 

The Lotte World theme park is divided into two sections: the “Magic Island” outdoor park and the “Adventure” indoor park. The parade runs for approximately 30 minutes, however it does not stretch across the entirety of the park; rather just circles around the ice rink in the indoor Adventure portion.

Despite the relatively small space in which the nightly parade operates, there are 20 lavish floats and approximately 150 actors who participate in the show every night. Prior to each show, eight lucky children are also randomly selected to participate in the parade and ride along atop some of the floats.

As one of the world’s largest indoor theme parks, Lotte World in Seoul’s Songpa-gu attracts around 6 million visitors annually. The city amusement park offers more than 40 ride attractions including the classic bumper cars and swinging pirate ship. However, two of the park’s most popular rides are the Gyro Drop ― a heart-clutching 70-meter drop ride ― and the Gyro Swing, a tornado-like 360-spin ride.

For those visitors who are not so keen on thrill-seeking roller coasters, Lotte World also has a large ice rink, open from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., as well as a traditional folk museum, which is a popular destination for many international visitors.

Lotte World Adventure is open daily with the indoor “Adventure” park open from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and the “Magic Island” outdoor park open from 9:30 to 10 p.m. The nightly “Let’s Dream” parade starts at 8:30 p.m. For more information on ticket prices, visit www.lotteworld.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)