Wonder Creatures: BON Luxury Theme Park’s unique entertainment

BON Luxury Theme Park at VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, is set to become one of the world’s most memorable family entertainment destinations. BON stands for the Beauty of Nature. The project will offer an immersive experience that blends Mexico’s rich heritage, natural landscapes, and cutting-edge entertainment.

Grupo Vidanta, a leading developer of luxury resorts and tourism infrastructure in Latin America, has turned to entertainment experts to bring this vision to life. One of them is Balich Wonder Studio, a global entertainment group that creates award-winning ceremonies, brand experiences, immersive shows, and destination experiences. Together, they have created a park that redefines the theme park experience, focusing on luxury, nature, and artistry.

VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta

In October 2024, Grupo Vidanta announced the launch of VidantaWorld. This is a new venture, uniting its tourism and entertainment experiences in Mexico.

Grupo Vidanta already has two VidantaWorld destinations in Mexico. These are VidantaWorld Riviera Maya and VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta, where the BON Luxury Theme Park is being developed next to the BON Park Hotel.

VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta is a 2,000-acre destination marketed as “a luxurious, fantastical world where every day holds endless one-of-a-kind experiences.” In addition to the upcoming theme park, amenities include beaches and pools, world-class cuisine, and golf.

BON Luxury Theme Park

BON Luxury Theme Park is no ordinary theme park; it celebrates the world’s natural beauty. Set against Puerto Vallarta’s coastal landscapes, BON aims to transport guests into a world where nature is the star.

The park features a series of themed zones. Each highlights different aspects of nature, from lush tropical landscapes to water elements. The design showcases Mexico’s vibrant ecosystems while introducing futuristic interactive entertainment and imaginative storytelling elements. It will be home to 23 thrilling attractions, including rides from leading manufacturers such as Vekoma and Intamin. There will also be 25 world-class restaurants and lounges, 16 retail shops and kiosks, and luxury resort hotels.

One of the signature attractions at BON is the Wonder Creatures Lake Show, created by Balich Wonder Studio. This is an enchanting, multi-sensory performance featuring mythical, nature-inspired creatures. Adding to the wonder is the Ferris Wheel of Lights, the world’s first iconic Ferris wheel integrated into a water show. The light displays synchronise with the water and live performances, creating a magical and immersive nighttime experience.

More highlights at the new park include Ludõ, a water-themed dinner show by Cirque du Soleil. Debuting in November 2025, this features a custom theatre with a 360-degree aquatic stage.

Other firms helping to bring this vision to life include P&P Projects and AOA.

Choosing the right partners

Bringing such ambitious entertainment spectacles to life meant choosing the right partners. One of these partners is Balich Wonder Studio, a company known for its expertise in producing immersive events and shows that combine storytelling, cutting-edge technology, and high-level production values.

The two firms share a vision for creating memorable immersive experiences. VidantaWorld doesn’t just focus on traditional theme park attractions but aims to provide guests with unique, multi-sensory experiences that blend luxury, culture, and entertainment. Balich Wonder Studio is a master at delivering large-scale, experiential productions, making it the ideal partner to make this a reality.

Balich Wonder Studio’s history of designing events that deeply engage the audience—such as Olympic ceremonies and cultural festivals—complements Vidanta’s goal of offering unforgettable experiences within its parks. The studio has a proven track record of creating high-profile productions worldwide.

Its expertise in developing large-scale shows with incredible visual effects, choreography, and storytelling is what VidantaWorld needed to elevate its entertainment offerings.

Expertise in immersive performances

Balich’s portfolio includes producing ceremonies for the Olympic Games and various large-scale performances that rely on combining technology and live action. Last year, it produced the family immersive festival ‘Disney: The Castle’ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Another recent success is Viva Vivaldi, The Four Seasons Immersive Concert. This is a unique fusion of classical music and cutting-edge technology designed to redefine the concert experience.

Speaking about the early days of the partnership, Marco Balich, board chairman at Balich Wonder Studio, says: “When Vidanta asked us to create a project for BON Luxury Theme Park, we started from a blank piece of paper.”

From here, the team came up with the idea that, rather than having one big central show, the whole park should be alive with entertainment.

Wonder Creatures

This realisation led the team to the development of Wonder Creatures, a collection of enchanting characters that are at the heart of the park’s entertainment. These characters bring shows at BON Luxury Theme Park to life. The performances occur on the park’s grand central lake, where visitors can witness a fusion of art, technology, and performance.

The shows combine choreographed performances with acrobatics, light displays, and live music. A standout feature is the integration of floating barges. These glide across the water carrying performers in fantastical costumes, creating a magical and immersive spectacle.

One of the park’s most innovative highlights is the iconic Ferris Wheel of Lights. The Ferris wheel is a core element of the lake’s multi-sensory nighttime performances. Spectators are treated to a dazzling display as it lights up, synchronised with water fountains, projections, and soundscapes. This creates an experience unlike anything seen in traditional theme parks.

A commitment to Mexican heritage and sustainability

Vidanta is has a commitment to celebrating and incorporating Mexican culture into its developments, and Balich Wonder Studio’s reputation for weaving cultural elements into their productions aligns perfectly with this goal. It is known for its ability to tell stories that resonate with audiences by drawing from local traditions and histories while also adding a universal, artistic appeal.

Marìa Josè Hernàndez, artistic producer at Balich Wonder Studio, says: “Wonder Creatures are these beings that are inspired by the Alebrijes. Those magical creatures that you can’t really pinpoint what they are. We’ve created almost 275 patterns based on original arts and crafts symbology. Every pattern, colour and detail in these costumes, masks, and props were created from scratch.”

Carlos Navarrete-Patiño, creative director, adds: “To be honest, this whole process started as costumes. Working with Marìa Jose started evolving into families. It started evolving into the concepts of aqua, vento, terra and fuego. What I really wanted to do was create creatures that not only scream ‘Mexico’ but also scream “a new version of Mexico.”

Traditional influences for BON Luxury Theme Park

By working with Balich Wonder Studio, Vidanta ensures that the shows and attractions honour Mexico’s culture and beauty while providing a contemporary, globally appealing experience. This allows VidantaWorld to stand out as a culturally rich theme park, not just a destination for thrills.

Guests will find traditional Mexican art and folklore influences throughout the park, particularly in the architectural elements and themed environments. These reflect the country’s vibrant colours, textures, and landscapes.

In addition, BON places a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability. Both Balich Wonder Studio and Vidanta have worked to ensure that the park’s development preserves the natural beauty of Puerto Vallarta. Sustainable construction practices, eco-friendly technologies, and a focus on conservation are central to BON’s mission to respect and protect its natural surroundings.

Rising to the challenge

For the Balich Wonder Studio team, this chance to create one-of-a-kind experiences for the new BON Luxury Theme Park was an opportunity that they could not miss. The team worked hard to ensure they delivered something truly memorable despite any challenges the project faced along the way.

Mario Arenas, wardrobe supervisor at Balich Wonder Studio, says one challenge was creating content that would last:

“From the moment I started looking for materials and sketching these costumes, I knew it had to be the best. The main challenge we faced was that they would be used over and over for a long time. That made us put a focus on materials and durability.”

Citlalli Caballero, choreographer, adds: “It was a big challenge, allowing the dancers and acrobats to perform with these costumes and these puppets, with props in a way that was still magical. In the end, we had a very diverse cast with a wonderful combination of skills that are needed for creating something unique and special.”

“When you are making a permanent show, the major challenge from a production perspective is developing the relationship with every single person and letting them become the role that’s going to be activating this show,” says Hill, giving his perspective as executive producer.

Entertainment at BON Luxury Theme Park – a unique experience

Reflecting on the project, Balich says: “The six shows that we have done so far have involved among the best professions that we work with. From the lighting design to the music composition to the choreography, to the barge choreography, to the fountain design, to the costume design, everything is meticulous and at a world-class level.”

Navarrete-Patiño adds: “The beauty of these shows is that they only have one function. And that is to create wonder in each and every single one of our guests. It’s peace, it’s happiness, it’s joy, it’s beauty, it’s wonder.”