SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Fun in the sun on the Arizona Boardwalk. For Let ABC15 Know viewer Michael and his family, it's a weekly destination.
"My family have lifetime member passes to Odyssey and Butterfly Wonderland," Michael explained.
When they heard of plans for a new attraction, called Paradise Earth, they jumped at the chance to experience it.
"We paid for our lifetime passes upfront, and then when they broke ground, we were supposed to go back and get our [physical] passes," Michael recalled.
As ABC15 previously reported, the Boardwalk Visitor Center began promoting and offering memberships to "Paradise Earth, A Rainforest Adventure" as early as 2018.
The attraction was billed as the largest indoor rainforest in America and expected to house thousands of free-flying birds, monkeys, sloths, giant land turtles, and exotic plants.
Michael says he waited, but "it never broke ground."
Now, years later, he Let ABC15 Know. Michael wanted to know what's going on? And is he out the money he paid for a membership?
The Paradise Earth website still says it is "opening in Scottsdale." We asked the Arizona Boardwalk about the attraction. They say plans are still on!
In an email, the Arizona Boardwalk explains there was a complete stop for some time during COVID, but the project was restarted in 2022. Those behind the project have been working through the permit process with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community where the attraction will be housed. There is no exact opening date.
What if, like Michael, you're tired of waiting and want a refund? The Arizona Boardwalk tells us refunds are available to anyone who inquires. Michael received a response from Paradise Earth. While a refund is available, they did let him know the cost of lifetime passes would go up as the project moved forward- the choice is his.
If you would like to learn more about the attraction, check out Paradise Earth's website. You can find their contact information if you would like to inquire about a pass or a refund.
Read Arizona Boardwalk's full response from their spokesperson below:
"Thank you for reaching out. Here is an update on Paradise Earth. Please note, we are in constant contact with our Lifetime Members and most of this information was relayed to all of those who purchased a Lifetime Membership for Paradise Earth via an email on March 15, 2024.
Does Arizona Boardwalk still plan on Paradise Earth becoming an attraction? Yes. The development of Paradise Earth has been in progress since 2018, when most people likely purchased their membership. Since then, we have been diligently working through the permit process with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC), where the attraction will be located.
There are four stages of the application and permit process with the SRPMIC. Each stage entails numerous requirements, reviews, and approvals from multiple parties working on behalf of Paradise Earth and the SRPMIC.
Stage 1: Preliminary Application
Stage 2: Conditional Use Permit
Stage 3: Design Review
Stage 4: Construction Permit
Stage 1 was finished in 2019, however once COVID hit in 2020, there was a complete stop of work as people questioned whether large scale attractions would continue to exist. We waited patiently for this time to pass and once the pressures from the pandemic eased in 2022, we restarted the project.
We are now well into Stage 2 and have submitted our Conditional Use Permit to the SRPMIC for review. There was quite a volume of work that went into the submittal, which includes our pursuit of specific permissions to operate a business that involves live animals, water, and other elements that are part of this type of attraction. On a parallel track, our group has been working with Valley architects, engineers, and the city to prepare the land for the new attraction.
What has caused the delays in breaking ground, construction of Paradise Earth? This was answered above.
Is there an opening date if the attraction is still happening? With the permit process taking much longer than expected, we do not have an exact date for opening. We will keep all Lifetime Members updated on the progress.
We understand that it has taken a significant amount of time to arrive at this point - and there is still more work to be performed. AZ Boardwalk still holds tight to our original vision, which is to build this unique, one-of-a-kind attraction where people can witness the amazing natural activities of birds in a spectacular rainforest habitat.
Is there a way for people who purchased memberships to receive a refund? Refunds are available to anyone who inquires."
