Wannado City
Encyclopedia
Wannado City was an indoor role-playing
amusement center
at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida
, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. It was a property of Grupo CIE
. Billed as "where kids can do what they wanna do," it was a child-sized representation of a metropolis
where children aged 2-14 could participate in different careers and other life-like activities. The concept of the theme park was taken from the KidZania
concept, which was brought by Luis Javier Laresgoti five years after the KidZania
concept was taken in 1996. However, Kidzania and Wannado City lost ownership interests in 2004, and when Wannado City opened, both parties went separate ways.
Careers in which the "kidizens" could participate include firefighter, police officer, lawyer, TV reporter, and singer. They could also use issued money, "Wongas", to set up bank accounts.
Wannado City closed on January 2, 2011, due to financial problems.
, The Coca-Cola Bottling Plant
, a Publix
supermarket, the Wannado City Fair
and a permanent circus. Guests were granted 150 Wongas upon their arrival, and were awarded 20 Wongas for each activity. There were also ATMs
where guests would withdraw money or make a deposit at a State Farm
bank, so guests would not have to carry their money around. Children were given "ATM cards" so that they are able to deposit and withdraw more efficiently.
, join the city's fire or police department, the Miami Herald and the Spirit Airlines
Flight Academy. The city also hosts a theater, hospital, movie studio, recording studio, courthouse, bakery, dentistry office, public park, library, mine, and an archaeological
/paleontological
site, among other locations.
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
amusement center
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida
Sunrise, Florida
-Overview:Sunrise is a city in southwestern Broward County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated in 1961 by Norman Johnson – a developer whose World Famous Upside-Down House attracted buyers to what was then a remote area...
, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. It was a property of Grupo CIE
Grupo CIE
Grupo CIE is a Mexican entertainment company. It is leader of Latin American entertainment sector, focusing especially on the markets of Hispanic and Portuguese language, including the Latin market of the United States...
. Billed as "where kids can do what they wanna do," it was a child-sized representation of a metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
where children aged 2-14 could participate in different careers and other life-like activities. The concept of the theme park was taken from the KidZania
Kidzania
KidZania is a Mexican chain of family entertainment centers currently operating in 10 locations allowing children to work in adult jobs and earn currency.-Overview:...
concept, which was brought by Luis Javier Laresgoti five years after the KidZania
Kidzania
KidZania is a Mexican chain of family entertainment centers currently operating in 10 locations allowing children to work in adult jobs and earn currency.-Overview:...
concept was taken in 1996. However, Kidzania and Wannado City lost ownership interests in 2004, and when Wannado City opened, both parties went separate ways.
Careers in which the "kidizens" could participate include firefighter, police officer, lawyer, TV reporter, and singer. They could also use issued money, "Wongas", to set up bank accounts.
Wannado City closed on January 2, 2011, due to financial problems.
Money System
The system are functioned by the idea of participation in different activities, gain capital and spend their earnings in luxurious visits such as the Wonka FactoryThe Willy Wonka Candy Company
The Willy Wonka Candy Company is a brand of candy owned by the Nestle company using licensed materials from Roald Dahl's Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and its two film adaptations for their packaging and marketing. The brand started in 1971, coinciding with the release of the first film adaptation...
, The Coca-Cola Bottling Plant
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
, a Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...
supermarket, the Wannado City Fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
and a permanent circus. Guests were granted 150 Wongas upon their arrival, and were awarded 20 Wongas for each activity. There were also ATMs
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
where guests would withdraw money or make a deposit at a State Farm
State farm
State farm can refer to:*Sovkhoz, a type of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union*Volkseigenes Gut, a type of state-owned farm in East Germany*Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, a type of state-owned farm in People's Republic of Poland...
bank, so guests would not have to carry their money around. Children were given "ATM cards" so that they are able to deposit and withdraw more efficiently.
Careers
The city hosted numerous job occupations available for selection. Children could star in their own television newscastNews broadcasting
News broadcasting is the broadcasting of various news events and other information via television, radio or internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network...
, join the city's fire or police department, the Miami Herald and the Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
Flight Academy. The city also hosts a theater, hospital, movie studio, recording studio, courthouse, bakery, dentistry office, public park, library, mine, and an archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
/paleontological
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
site, among other locations.