GLENDALE, AZ — The Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale has a new developer, and it's the same company already building next door.
VAI Resort is now the developer, owner, and operator of Mattel Adventure Park, Senior Vice President of Marketing Rian Kirkman confirmed to ABC15. Epic Resort Destinations, led by CEO Glenn Bilbo, is no longer the developer on the project. When ABC15 reached out to Epic Resort Destinations for comment, the email bounced back. Bilbo has not responded to a request for comment.
How we got here
The project dates back to 2020, when it launched under a different name along the 101 freeway in Glendale. It was originally supposed to be completed before Glendale hosted the Super Bowl in 2023 that deadline came and went.
The project rebranded to VAI Resort in 2022 under a new ownership group led by executives from civil construction firm Fisher Industries. Mattel Adventure Park was being developed separately next door by Epic Resort Destinations, with plans to open sometime in 2023.
By 2024, VAI confirmed the project had, in their words, "inevitably experienced some delays," pushing the opening to 2025. That December, a construction worker fell to his death on the site.
Where things stand now
VAI describes the ownership transition as a "seamless" one that did not slow down construction. The company points to visible progress across the sprawling development:
- The amphitheater hotel, its digital screens visible from the 101, is taking shape, with the lobby, steakhouse, and guest rooms under construction
- The 157-room VAI Villas on the east side are nearly structurally complete
- The conference center along the 101 is also nearly structurally complete
VAI says the resort as it stands today is larger than the original development, and the company's focus is doing it right — not fast or cheap.
When will it open?
There is still no confirmed opening date. VAI says it will announce an opening timeline approximately 12 months in advance, and an announcement of some kind is expected in November.
Once complete, VAI promises the project will bring more than 2,500 jobs to Glendale and generate over $2.2 billion in tax revenue for the city and state.
For now, the community continues to wait for what VAI calls "something spectacular."
