Fictional towns inspired by the UK have become popular over the years with another London-inspired set being added to one European theme park. Known for attracting a host of tourists and thrillseekers thanks to its Hollywood inspired sets, the Italian theme park recently opened its doors to its take on British life.
Recent pictures of the London section of the Movieland theme park, which is found in Lake Garda, have been making the rounds on social media. But an image showing iconic sights on the set of an old-fashioned telephone box, Victorian-style street lights and the popular British staple, a fish and chips shop, sparked an array of reactions on social media.
One British tourist, who recently visited Movieland, posted the snapshot of Little London on Reddit asking if the recreated streets of UK’s capital city were accurate. Using the handle, @r/CasualUK, the Brit asked social media users if they believed the Italian theme park nailed it with an array of colourful answers coming back.
Alongside the Little London picture, the post included a caption which read: “The park’s name is Movieland on Garda Lake, not huge but has some unique rides, this ‘area’ is actually just the facade of a new attraction that will open in June.
“I hope they will add more little particulars before the opening!”
Answering the original question, one Reddit user wrote: “If by ‘nailed it’ you mean ‘put a few very stereotypical things that are such a small part of UK culture and mainly based around what people from overseas think about London’ then yes, they nailed it.”
Alongside Reddit users’ strong opinions on the Italian park’s depictions of the UK, users also spotted a few inaccuracies after taking a closer look at the photograph.
One user remarked that the Union Jack in the picture was in fact “upside down” with another eagle-eyed user said: “Front number plates are white,” in reference to the black cab.
One user jokingly declared that for a truly authentic London street image shops like “A Spar, a Games Workshop and a Cash Converters” should be more present.
Others pointed out how the designers of the London-inspired town at least got the weather correct with one writing: “There’s a family of tourists wearing rain ponchos. That’s pretty accurate.”
Meanwhile theme park lovers are gearing up after Universal UK officially got the go-ahead.
Universal Studios will be set in Bedfordshire and there will be exhilarating rides on offer. The site will include a large-scale resort complex with a theme park, hotel, retail and dining areas.
According to the Guardian, the new UK Universal Studios is expected to be a major tourist attraction, providing a significant economic boost for the country.
The park will be officially opened in 2031 and James Bond, Paddington and Lord of the Rings will be featured at the park, according to the BBC, although this has not yet been confirmed.
