The previous few years have seen main progress for U.S. theme parks — and we’re not simply speaking about curler coasters rising to record-breaking heights. Theme parks throughout the nation have been including new lands, rides and sights to make your visits much more enjoyable and thrilling.
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We discovered 11 new theme park rides and lands you will not need to miss this yr, not together with any of the brand new sights coming to Disney World in 2024. Whether or not you’re in search of kid-friendly rides or terrifyingly tall coasters, right here is all the things new you may expertise at U.S. theme parks across the nation this yr.
Penguin Trek — SeaWorld Orlando
With eight curler coasters, SeaWorld Orlando is already house to extra coasters than some other theme park in Orlando. Penguin Trek, the park’s latest experience, will deliver that whole to 9.
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Penguin Trek is a family-friendly launch coaster that can ship riders on an icy rescue mission by Antarctica. The experience autos on this indoor-outdoor coaster are designed to appear to be snowmobiles. With a minimal peak requirement of 42 inches and a high velocity of solely 43 mph, this can be a coaster that households can get pleasure from collectively.
On the finish of the experience, you may exit into the park’s real-life penguin habitat, the place you may get an up-close take a look at the lovely animals you “saved” whereas in your Antarctic rescue mission.
Penguin Trek is scheduled to open someday in 2024.
Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise — SeaWorld San Diego
Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise will likely be an interactive and academic attraction within the Ocean’s Discover space of SeaWorld San Diego. The exhibit could have three themed galleries designed to make friends really feel as if they’re immersed in a jellyfish’s mystical underwater world.
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Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise could have a number of the tallest jellyfish cylinders on the earth, together with an 18-foot-tall jellyfish habitat and a 10-foot-tall “dwelling arch” of jellyfish that friends can stroll beneath. For an extra price, you may improve your jellyfish expertise to incorporate a behind-the-scenes tour.
Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Expertise is scheduled to open someday in 2024.
Catapult Falls — SeaWorld San Antonio
Catapult Falls would be the world’s first launched flume coaster when it opens this yr. It’s going to additionally maintain the file for the world’s steepest drop in a flume experience and North America’s solely flume coaster with a vertical raise.
Catapult Falls will likely be a cross between a curler coaster and a water flume experience, with an open-air elevator that can transport your raft to the highest of a 55-foot-tall hill earlier than you come splashing down. SeaWorld San Antonio has not but introduced a minimal peak requirement for this attraction.
Catapult Falls is scheduled to open someday in 2024.
Sea Life Florida — Legoland Florida Resort
Sea Life Florida will likely be a family-friendly aquarium at Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven, Florida. Company will have the ability to observe marine life in a set of immersive, interactive reveals.
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Merlin Entertainments, which operates Sea Life aquariums and Lego-themed parks and sights the world over, has not but launched particulars on precisely which animals or sights will likely be included. If it operates equally to different Sea Life aquariums, it’s doubtless that entry will both be included together with your Legoland admission or out there as a mixture ticket.
Sea Life Florida is scheduled to open in fall 2024.
Dino Valley — Legoland California Resort
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Company can even play paleontologist within the interactive Dino Dig space and meet all-new Lego characters. Like all Legoland sights, these rides and experiences are geared towards youngsters ages 2 by 12 and their households.
Dino Valley is scheduled to open in spring 2024.
Phoenix Rising — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens already has a well-balanced mixture of thrill rides and those who enchantment to households. Phoenix Rising, the Tampa park’s latest attraction and tenth curler coaster, will toe the road between the 2. This suspended curler coaster will soar above the park at speeds of as much as 44 mph.
The peak requirement for Phoenix Rising is a family-friendly 42 inches.
Phoenix Rising is scheduled to open in spring 2024.
DreamWorks land — Common Orlando Resort
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The land will substitute the KidZone space of the park, which featured sights like a Woody Woodpecker coaster for teenagers and a Curious George play space. Common hasn’t but launched particulars on sights for the brand new land, however we all know there will likely be rides, character meet-and-greets and interactive play areas geared towards younger youngsters.
Common’s DreamWorks-themed land is scheduled to open someday in 2024.
Camp Snoopy — Knott’s Berry Farm
The reimagined Camp Snoopy could have a brand new household coaster referred to as Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Tornado Coaster and a Beagle Categorical practice experience, amongst different sights. In fact, favourite “Peanuts” characters like Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, Pigpen, Sally and Marcie will meet friends all through the land all day lengthy.
Camp Snoopy is scheduled to open in summer time 2024.
The Dolly Parton Expertise — Dollywood
Yow will discover nods to Dolly Parton’s life and music everywhere in the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennesee, however this yr, Dollywood will open an attraction that lays out each element of Parton’s inspiration, profession and signature fashion.
Housed throughout a number of buildings, the Dolly Parton Expertise will likely be an interactive, multisensory attraction that tells the story of Parton’s life by her musical and charitable achievements, household keepsakes and extra.
The Dolly Parton Expertise is scheduled to open someday in 2024.
Hearth within the Gap — Silver Greenback Metropolis
Hearth within the Gap has been probably the most well-liked — and distinctive — sights at Silver Greenback Metropolis for the reason that experience opened in 1972. It was one of many world’s first indoor curler coasters and instructed a heart-pounding story of a city that was burnt to the bottom by vigilantes referred to as Baldknobbers and the volunteer firefighters (that is you) that stepped in to save lots of the city.
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The experience closed on the finish of the park’s 2023 season to make room for an up to date model of Hearth within the Gap set to open in a newly constructed constructing within the Hearth District part of the park. The experience could have new and improved variations of well-known present scenes and characters (together with these massive, unhealthy Baldknobbers), together with an up to date experience expertise and particular results that can protect what makes this attraction so particular whereas enhancing the experience total.
Hearth within the Gap is scheduled to open in spring 2024.
Good Gravy — Vacation World
Using in a gravy boat previous an enormous rolling pin and thru a can of cranberry sauce might sound like a dream you had after wolfing down an enormous Thanksgiving dinner and mendacity again in your grandpa’s recliner, however we are able to guarantee you it’s a very actual curler coaster referred to as Good Gravy at Vacation World in Santa Claus, Indiana.
Every land at Vacation World is themed to a distinct vacation, and Good Gravy will likely be within the Thanksgiving part of the park. Good Gravy would be the park’s first household coaster, with a minimal peak requirement of 38 inches and a high velocity of 37 mph.
Good Gravy is scheduled to open in Might 2024.
Backside line
From animal experiences to thrill rides to household enjoyable, there’s one thing for everybody coming to U.S. theme parks this yr — and we won’t wait to see all of them.
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