'Rides are answer for Dome'

For the 6.5 million people who visited first time round, the blurb may sound strikingly familiar.

It will be a "breathtaking experience of cultural entertainment", a celebration of "humanity's epic journey", and a "unique mix of imagination and entertainment". The latest plan for the empty shell of the Millennium Dome, however, claims to add a vital extra concept - fun.

Backed by one of Britain's leading leisure industry figures, Timeport UK is a £185million scheme that would see the Dome reopen as an unashamedly "Disneyfied" attraction. Just like its predecessor, it would be a theme park with journeys through time, space, the human body, and Britain's history. The key to success, according to co-creator Peter Elford, is disarmingly simple - all you need is a few good rides.

"In a nutshell, the problem with the Millennium Dome was that they didn't want it to be Disneylike, so they didn't have any good rides," he said.

"It called itself the Millennium Experience, but at the end of the day it was no such thing. You need emotional experiences for good theme parks, and rides are the only thing that can really do that."

The general idea is similar to Disney's Epcot centre, where the wonders of science, nature and the human condition are explained at several times ordinary g-force. The Stardust Odyssey, for example, charts the development of the universe from cosmic dust to present day via a "white knuckle tower drop descent", while the Island Adventure showcases the "turbulent history" of the British people with the help of a soaking from a half-hour water ride.

Within the centre of the Dome there would be a plaza of street theatre, pavement cafes, restaurants and function suites, along with a Paradise Island where visitors could wine, dine and swim in a simulated beach environment. Trees, fountains and waterways would abound throughout, and an aerial monorail would skirt the edge.

The scheme is still at the "feasibility" stage but Mr Elford predicts it could draw in 4-5 million visitors a year, create up to 3,000 jobs, and have a turnover of around £100million annually. It will, however, have to compete with numerous other bids including a theme park based on BBC programmes, a biomedical research centre and a £125 million sports centre.

Heading the project is a man who knows all about having fun in artificial surroundings. Former Alton Towers marketing director Peter Moore is best known for his success as boss of Center Parcs, the undercover holiday camps where guests are insulated from the hostilities of the British weather in a number of large covered Pleasure Domes. After leaving Center Parcs last year, he became the Government's Tourism Tsar, chairing a task force into the regeneration of seaside resorts.

Mr Elford, a film production executive who has worked on such films as the Long Good Friday and Never Say Never Again, added: "The problem is that England does not have any highpowered leisure companies like Warners Brothers or Disney. Things have to be either museums or fairgrounds, whereas an intelligent theme is in between."