Fun family playgrounds for the Lunar New Year holiday: Everland vs. Lotte World

With the Lunar New Year holiday starting on the 14th, theme parks and resorts across the country are busy getting ready to welcome visitors. If you do not have any special plans, spending a day at a nearby theme park or resort with family, relatives, or a partner can be a great way to enjoy the break. Let’s first take a look at Korea’s leading theme parks, Everland and Lotte World.

■ Everland: "Receive good fortune at the Fortune Market"
Everland’s main program for this Lunar New Year is the month-long "Fortune Market" running throughout February. The festival focuses on New Year’s fortune-telling content such as saju (four pillars) and tarot, which have recently become popular among the MZ generation. It is designed as a space where visitors can share good luck and positive energy for the year ahead.
During the holiday, visitors to Everland will be greeted at the main gate by staff dressed in hanbok offering New Year’s wishes. Inside the park, there is a photo zone featuring Everland characters "Lenny & Friends" riding a red horse symbolizing the Year of the Red Horse, providing a perfect spot for commemorative photos.
At the main experience area of the Fortune Market, the Festival Contents Zone, visitors can receive free fortune-telling consultations from saju and tarot experts. Unique programs such as flower divination by "Flower Wind Dr. Lee," zodiac sign–based fortune draws, bad-luck-banishing experiences, and crystal ball readings further heighten the New Year atmosphere.

There will also be spaces where guests can experience the atmosphere of traditional holidays. At Carnival Square, a folk game experience zone will operate every day during the holiday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Here, visitors of all ages can freely enjoy a variety of traditional games such as yutnori, tuho, ttakji, stone-tossing games, and jegichagi.
Holiday-themed merchandise and food will add to the festive mood. At the Fortune Market, guests who purchase luck-themed items such as lucky pouches or hanbok panda dolls will receive commemorative coins, which can be collected and exchanged for random talismans or badges. Restaurants will serve a range of rice cake soups, including rice cake soup with pork back ribs and colorful garnishes, spicy rice cake soup with beef jeon and small rice cakes, rice cake soup in spicy seafood broth, and rice cake and dumpling soup with dried pollack, allowing visitors to enjoy traditional holiday dishes.
Events featuring animals and good fortune are also drawing attention. During the Animal Talk sessions led by professional zookeepers, there will be a giveaway of fortune cookies. At Tiger Valley, the first 2,026 participating guests during the Lunar New Year period will receive a special Korean tiger badge.
Healing content is also available for those looking to unwind from holiday fatigue. At Winter Spa Cabi next to Everland, visitors can relax in warm spa facilities. Until the 27th, Everland guests can enjoy same-day free admission to Caribbean Bay through the "Ever to Cabi" benefit.

■ Lotte World: "Enjoy K-holiday content to the fullest"
Lotte World has prepared hands-on "K-holiday" content across its venues, including Adventure, the aquarium, and Seoul Sky, so visitors can fully immerse themselves in the Lunar New Year atmosphere.
Lotte World Adventure will highlight the charm and flavors of a "K-holiday" to create a festive mood. From the 14th to the 18th, Lotty and Lorry dressed in hanbok will greet visitors at the main gate every morning at 10:00 a.m. in a special New Year’s greeting event, and separate photo times with the characters will also be offered.
The winter season festival featuring the popular animation IP "Princess Catch! Teenieping" will continue as well. At 5:00 p.m. every day, the "Catch! Teenieping Parade" will take place along the first-floor parade route, where Teenieping characters and a themed bus will appear and interact directly with the audience. In addition, the "Smile with Catch! Teenieping" photo time will be held twice a day, giving visitors the chance to take pictures with the characters.
The Lotte World Folk Museum will also expand its traditional experience programs during the Lunar New Year holiday. From the 14th to the 18th, folk game activities such as tuho, yut-based fortune-telling, spinning-plate performances, and ttakji will be held throughout the museum. At Wondeokmun Hall in the Goryeo Room, visitors can take part in "Blessings Are Coming," a workshop to make dried pollack talismans to ward off bad luck, while at Three Kingdoms Hall, the "Fill It with Blessings" program will invite guests to fill lucky pouches with grains.

Lotte World Aquarium will also launch special Lunar New Year programs starting on the 13th. At the sea lion tank, there will be two special ecology sessions a day featuring sea lions performing deep traditional bows. In the main tank, aquarists dressed in hanbok will deliver New Year’s messages accompanied by traditional Korean music.
Through the 18th, the aquarium will also run the "Baby Penguin on the Way to a Health Checkup" program. Visitors can see penguins up close as they ride in a dedicated stroller, and a K-Snowman figure dressed in hanbok will be installed in the penguin tank to add a playful touch.
Meanwhile, Seoul Sky, the observatory at Lotte World Tower, is set to host special traditional music busking performances for the holiday, drawing anticipation. From the 16th to the 18th, performances will take place daily at 6:00 p.m. on the Sky Deck on the 118th floor of Lotte World Tower, featuring the fusion gugak group Wullim on the 16th and K-Sori on the 17th and 18th.

jsm64@fnnews.com Jung Soon-min Reporter