It’s shaping as much as be an thrilling yr for theme parks from coast to coast. We discovered 10 new theme park rides, lands and leisure choices you will not wish to miss this yr.
This checklist contains the prerequisite curler coasters and kiddie rides, together with some shocking additions — similar to Orlando’s first new theme park in 25 years. It does not even point out any of the new sights coming to Disney World in 2025.
Associated: TPG’s 5 prime household trip locations for 2025
Right here is the whole lot new you’ll be able to trip, sing alongside to or “ooh and ahh” at this yr.
Fortieth-anniversary celebration — Dollywood
Dollywood has modified an important deal since its 1986 grand opening. The Pigeon Forge, Tennesee, theme park has all the time provided dwell reveals and sights impressed by Dolly Parton’s mission to supply a spot the place households might have enjoyable collectively.
Associated: An inside take a look at Dollywood’s latest resort, Heartsong Lodge & Resort
To mark the park’s Fortieth season, Dollywood is introducing much more alternatives for households to have enjoyable and make recollections:
- The County Honest space of the park, the place you will discover kid-friendly rides and carnival video games, is getting a refresh.
- A brand new present that mixes fan-favorite music from the park’s 40 seasons will debut Memorial Day weekend.
- A brand new drone present will debut throughout Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer time Celebration.
- A brand new opening ceremony will welcome company initially of every day.
- A brand new storytime, character meet-and-greets and rotation of favourite reveals from all through the years is coming to the Creativeness Playhouse.
- “Heartsong: The Film” shall be remastered and moved to Dreamsong Theater as a part of The Dolly Parton Expertise, which opened in 2024.
Dollywood will open for its Fortieth season March 14.
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New spring competition — Silver Greenback Metropolis
Silver Greenback Metropolis can also be celebrating a milestone anniversary this yr. For the Branson, Missouri, park’s sixty fifth season, Silver Greenback Metropolis is debuting a brand new spring competition and an all-new drone and fireworks present, amongst different experiences.
The Spring Exposition competition will run from April 10 by way of Might 12. It’s going to characteristic demonstrations by grasp gardeners, dance-along performances by Kinfolk Bluegrass Band, a colourful “parasol sky” show, seasonal eats and performances by the brand new Ragtime Piano Showman, the All That percussion dancers from “America’s Received Expertise” and rotating bands enjoying conventional Cajun, Dixieland and polka music.
Through the competition, Silver Greenback Metropolis can even debut the growth of the Plaza space of the park, remodeling it right into a hub for enjoyable and leisure all year long.
From June 7 by way of Aug. 3, Silver Greenback Metropolis will maintain its annual Summer time Celebration. This yr’s occasion will embody a brand new “Wild West Comedy Stunt Present,” Silver Greenback Circus and a drone and fireworks spectacular.
Common Epic Universe — Common Orlando Resort
Common is opening rather more than only a new trip or land this yr — it is opening a whole theme park.
Common Epic Universe can have 5 themed “worlds” with sights, characters and experiences primarily based on well-liked film and recreation franchises. Friends will enter Epic Universe by way of Celestial Park, an astronomy-themed space with peaceable gardens and thrilling sights (like Stardust Racers, a dual-launch coaster that may attain speeds of as much as 62 mph).
Celestial Park will function a hub to the opposite 4 lands, with portals that lead company to every. The opposite lands embody The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, Darkish Universe (a land themed to Common Traditional Monsters), Tremendous Nintendo World and Tips on how to Practice Your Dragon — Isle of Berk.
Associated: Common Epic Universe proclaims 2025 opening date
Together with the park, Common is opening three new lodges. Common Stella Nova Resort will open Jan. 21, and Common Terra Luna Resort will open quickly after on March 25. These each fall into Common’s Prime Worth lodging class, with beginning costs at round $150 per night time.
The park’s flagship resort, Common Helios Grand Lodge, will open with the park Might 22. Helios Grand shall be contained in the park with a non-public entrance to Epic Universe and out-of-this-world views from the resort’s rooftop bar. A number of of the visitor rooms can even overlook the park. Charges for Common Helios Grand Lodge begin at $293 per night time for the standard room.
Common Epic Universe opens Might 22.
Wild Oasis — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Jungle-themed enjoyable will come “roaring” into Busch Gardens this yr with the park’s new Wild Oasis addition. The Wild Oasis realm shall be contained in the Jungala space of Busch Gardens and can characteristic a drop tower trip with state-of-the-art digital and sound results, an interactive water play space, a climbing playground and an animal habitat.
Wild Oasis will open within the spring of 2025.
The Large Dangerous Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge — Busch Gardens Williamsburg
He’ll huff, and he’ll puff and he’ll blow you down 2,500 ft of observe at speeds of as much as 40 mph. The Large Dangerous Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge is Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s all-new family-friendly, inverted curler coaster. (You solely should be 42 inches tall to trip.)
In response to the coaster’s legend, a wolf terrified a Bavarian village many years in the past. Now, 40 years later, the Competition of the Silent Bells honors the city’s fateful previous. However, the city is probably not as protected as you assume, because the wolf returns to hunt his revenge. With a prepare automotive designed to appear like the Large Dangerous Wolf himself, this coaster will ship you careening by way of the park’s Bavarian-themed Oktoberfest land.
The Large Dangerous Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge is scheduled to open someday in 2025.
Sea Life Florida — Legoland Florida Resort
With a theme park, a water park and three resort choices, Legoland Florida is already a brick-tastic vacation spot for preschoolers and their households. This yr, the Central Florida theme park is including an aquarium that may provide much more family-friendly enjoyable.
Associated: First look: We tried out the brand-new Peppa Pig Theme Park in Florida
Sea Life Florida can have greater than 25 displays, together with an interactive contact pool, a number of Florida-specific marine species and a tank designed to resemble an underwater theme park.
Sea Life Florida is scheduled to open someday in 2025.
Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground — Legoland New York Resort
Open since 2021, Legoland New York is the most recent addition to the Legoland theme park lineup. Like all Legoland places, the Goshen, New York, park is geared towards children. This yr, the park is opening a Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground for the youngest Lego followers.
This 13,000-square-foot playground options play areas impressed by the present, together with Peppa’s home and treehouse, Daddy Pig’s crimson automotive and Grandpa Pig’s boat. The play space can even have a puppet theater and Duplo blocks the place children can carry their very own Peppa-inspired creations to life.
Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground is scheduled to open within the spring of 2025.
Arctic flying theater — SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando provides a mixture of sights and marine life displays that make it each enjoyable and academic. The park’s latest attraction, an Arctic flying theater, shall be no totally different. The immersive flight theater will showcase the Arctic’s icy landscapes, frozen waters and the animals who name them house.
Friends will really feel like they’ve really left sunny Florida and entered the tundra as they get an up-close take a look at beluga whales, walruses, orcas and extra. The attraction can have an approachable 39-inch top requirement, making it accessible to children and their households.
The Arctic flying theater is scheduled to open within the spring of 2025.
Rescue Jr — SeaWorld San Antonio
Apart from marine creatures, you will discover a variety of children at SeaWorld San Antonio — and people children want areas to run, leap and in any other case expend their theme park-fueled power. Enter SeaWorld’s latest attraction: Rescue Jr.
This kid-friendly space will characteristic rides and play areas, together with the Seashore Rescue Racer household coaster, the Seabird Swing, the Ocean Quest Specific interactive prepare trip and the Sea Splash water play space. Every rescue-themed attraction will educate children about animal conservation whereas they slide, swing and splash.
Rescue Jr. is scheduled to open within the spring of 2025.
Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise — SeaWorld San Diego
Initially scheduled to open in 2024, Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise shall be an interactive and academic attraction within the Ocean’s Discover space of SeaWorld San Diego. The exhibit can have three themed galleries designed to make company really feel as if they’re immersed in a jellyfish’s mystical underwater world.
Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise can have among the tallest jellyfish cylinders on the earth, together with an 18-foot-tall jellyfish habitat and a 10-foot-tall “residing arch” of jellyfish that company can stroll below. For an extra charge, you’ll be able to improve your jellyfish expertise to incorporate a behind-the-scenes tour.
Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise is scheduled to open within the spring of 2025.
Backside line
From anniversary celebrations to thrill rides to a groundbreaking new theme park, there’s one thing for everybody coming to U.S. theme parks this yr. Perhaps you go to theme parks for sky-high, super-fast coasters; perhaps you like to maintain your ft firmly planted on strong floor to take pleasure in meals, music and atmosphere. Both method, you will have an entire checklist of causes to go to a theme park this yr.
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