Could a new theme park be on its way to Las Vegas? RetroEscapes has been announced by Daniel-Leo Jr., influencer and self-proclaimed “CEO of Las Vegas,” and his father, Daniel-Leo Sr. as a new theme park where guests are transported into rides and lands inspired by the 1950s -1990s. There has been no location, construction date or potential opening date announced as this park is in the early planning stages. The use of portals for “time travel” seems similar to to the portal concept at Epic Universe and the combination of indoor and outdoor is probably a necessity with the hot Las Vegas weather.

The concept art looks pretty robust. You can only make out a couple of rides such as a boat ride and something that looks a lot like Tron, but with neon and light everywhere it seems quite vibrant. Much of the art depicts things like restaurants and bars and many of the attractions may be indoor simulator or dark rides. This is definitely a full theme park and not just a themed experience like say Netflix House as there are distinct lands, a central hub and even plans for a nighttime spectacular. Attractions Magazine has a deep dive into the park with tons of concept art you can check out for more information.

With its “retro” theme, it appears RetroEscapes will attempt to target a slightly older theme park demographic (think “Disney Adult”) which have typically performed better in Las Vegas than family attractions. Normally an announcement like this might be dismissed as just a dream, but the involvement of will be designed by PGAV Destinations, whose previous work include rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot whole parks like SeaWorld Abu Dhabi give it a bunch of credibility.

This would not be the first Vegas theme park. There is currently the indoor Adventuredome at Circus Circus along with hotels like The Strat and New York New York having thrill rides. Universal is also already in Las Vegas with their opening of the permanent Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas at Area 15. There are also several defunct theme parks such as and the Wet ‘n Wild that was right on the strip and the MGM Grand Adventures theme park at the back of the MGM Grand, both closing in the early 2000’s and primarily targeting families and children. Disney is not yet in Las Vegas, but there was a Disney Immersive Animation Experience that ran from 2023-2024.

There have been many theme parks announced that have never come to be, usually because of money, so expectations need to be tempered. With its large tourist population Las Vegas would seem like a good potential market for another park, but it has had a failed water park and outdoor theme park and Adventuredome has been rumored to struggle financially. However, people continue to try as other new themed experiences like the Top Gun Experience at The Strat have also been recently announced. Top Gun and RetroEscapes both appeal to nostalgia, which seems like a safer play in Las Vegas. Perhaps lessons have been learned, especially considering area 15 has been a great success, and with the right location and target demographic RetroEscapes perhaps too can be a success.