Prepare for competing “interactive experiences” at Tysons Corner Center this winter, when the year of Mattel will continue with the worldwide debut of its Hot Wheels Champion Experience.
After making its mark on the summer box office with Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” the toy company will venture into immersive entertainment with a 16,000-square-foot exhibit and play area based on its 55-year-old model cars and race tracks.
The experience will open on Dec. 8, around the same time that the retailer Camp will unveil a new, permanent store and temporary “Encanto”-themed display at the mall.
Hot Wheels tickets are set to go on sale at noon this Thursday (Oct. 5), but those who sign up for a priority list can get access to presale tickets and pricing a day early.
“We aim to bring Hot Wheels to life in an entirely new way,” Julie Freeland, Mattel’s senior director of global location-based entertainment, said. “By combining technology, immersive design, and the unrivaled thrill of Hot Wheels, this attraction will ignite the imagination of fans and families alike.”
To develop the attraction, Mattel partnered with the traveling entertainment company SEE Touring Exhibitions, which will use an XSpace technology platform that provides immersive video projections and combines physical and digital elements to control sound, light, video and “personalized interaction,” according to a press release.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Mattel and our esteemed partners on this groundbreaking project,” SEE Touring Exhibitions CEO Martin Biallas said. “Hot Wheels has been an inspiration to countless individuals across multiple generations, and this attraction will give fans the opportunity to dive into the world of Hot Wheels in a way they’ve never experienced before. We can’t wait to see the excitement and thrill it brings to visitors.”
Here’s more from the press release on what to expect from the Hot Wheels Champion Experience:
Hot Wheels fans of all ages will ignite their challenger spirit in this immersive experience that combines exhilarating physical and virtual interactions. Visitors will imagine, create, and experience Hot Wheels like never before and without headsets, goggles, or other equipment. Using the latest 3D multimedia projection technology, guests at Hot Wheels Champion Experience can accept the challenge and become:
- Hot Wheels Designers: Use creativity to design their own digital Hot Wheels car, watching it come to life on an interactive screen
- Tracker Builders: Build a custom Hot Wheels City inside an interactive Augmented Reality room
- Ultimate Heroes: Defeat monsters and creatures taking over Hot Wheels City
- Speed Machines: Race against the competition using physical body movements to digitally drive Hot Wheels cars
- Smash Champs: Stunt and compete as Monster Trucks on a monster-sized projection, dodging any hazards that come their way
- Virtual Drivers: An Augmented Reality experience, allowing guests to see themselves driving a Hot Wheels car
- Epic Winners: Pose on the winner’s podium, celebrating your accomplishments to become a Hot Wheels Champion
- Hot Wheels Central will also allow guests to track performance and collect digital memorabilia, videos, and tokens gathered during the experience, extending the fun past the event!
The attraction will be on the mall’s second floor next to Barnes & Nobles, a space previously filled by this summer’s Dr. Seuss Experience. It will stay at Tysons Corner Center for a limited time before moving to other locations.
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