It's been another momentous year in the attractions industry, and Attractions Management has been there reporting the big news, good and bad, all the way. After yesterday's look at the events of April 2019, today we move on to May 2019, considering some of the biggest stories that made the headlines that month.

Heading towards the middle of the year, there was news from Japan of a start on constructing a new expansion to the Tokyo DisneySea attraction, and the opening of a private island getaway for cruise line passengers in the Bahamas. Meanwhile, children's edutainment operator KidZania took its first steps in establishing a US presence.

Disney breaks ground in Japan

In May, Attractions Management reported that Disney and The Oriental Land Company had broken ground on Fantasy Springs, the newest port coming to Tokyo DisneySea.

Featuring distinct areas themed around Disney's Tangled, Frozen and Peter Pan IPs, the ¥250bn (US$2.28bn, €2.05bn, £1.74bn) expansion is the largest in Tokyo Disney Resort's history, with a deluxe hotel also included in the plans.

Set to open in 2022, guests entering Fantasy Springs will discover Anna and Elsa's kingdom of Arendelle in Frozen, the forest and tower where Rapunzel lives in Tangled, and Neverland, the home of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys.

Within Neverland there will be two attractions: one that flies guests over the jungles of Neverland into a battle with Captain Hook and his crew; and a second that immerses guests in an oversized Pixie Hollow, where Tinker Bell and her fairy friends live.

Perfect Day debuts

Cruise line Royal Caribbean International began a phased opening of its first "Perfect Day" private island in the Bahamas in May 2019, which was expected to be followed by a series of bespoke destinations under development worldwide.

Called Perfect Day at CocoCay, the US$250m (€224m, £191m) location features a waterpark as its main attraction, with the development anchored by North America’s tallest waterslide.

Thrill Waterpark, the island’s centrepiece is made up of 13 slides – the most slides found in any waterpark in the Caribbean – as well as the region’s largest wave pool and a kid-friendly obstacle course.

While the tallest slide, Daredevil’s Peak, stands at 135ft (41.1m) tall, a fixed helium balloon taking visitors 450ft (137.2m) up in the air offers the highest views in the Caribbean.

US expansion begins for KidZania

KidZania – the children's edutainment centre operator – announced plans in May 2019 to expand its global reach by creating its first centres in the US. The first would open in Dallas, Texas, in November 2019, and another three cities ‒ New York, Chicago and Los Angeles ‒ are set to follow through to 2021.

KidZania's offering is a kid-sized city, where children can play a variety of real-life roles in realistic simulations. Role-play professions include firefighter, journalist, chef and surgeon. KidZania says the experience allows children to "learn about the world of work while building real-life skills like financial literacy, teamwork and problem solving".

Check back with Attractions Management tomorrow for a look back at the highlights from June