If this theme park year were a laundry detergent, it could be marketed as “new and improved.” Some major additions to Central Florida’s attractions have been updates, acquisitions or reimagined rides. As another old slogan used to say: recycling makes sense, right?
At Magic Kingdom, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a makeover of Splash Mountain with new scenery, characters, story and music. The signature splashdown remains. Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Frontierland’s neighbor, modernized its tunes and reopened with a slightly extended name (just add “Musical”).
At Universal Studios, DreamWorks Land opened in the space formerly known as Woody’s KidZone. It includes rides based on “Kung Fu Panda,” “Puss in Boots,” “Trolls” and “Shrek,” as well as “DreamWorks Imagination Celebration,” a musical show with characters and dancers.
SeaWorld Orlando introduced Penguin Trek, a launch coaster that reuses the space of the former Dark Ride Empire of the Penguin and maintains a fairly close (and certainly cold) encounter with the birds.
Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, enclosed the large bowl of a slide and added projections of sea life to create Tassie’s Underwater Twist.
The Orlando Science Center completed its largest expansion with “Life,” which includes a trio of environments – swamp, ocean and rainforest – and their animals. The ground floor footprint is located on the museum’s former NatureWorks/Kids Town territory.
The year featured originals and endings.
Flurry of firsts
• Universal Studios introduced the Mega Movie Parade – think “Ghostbusters,” “Jaws,” “ET” and more, as well as “CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular,” a nighttime show based on blockbusters and using 600 drones. It also opened Wicked: The Experience with merchandise and memorabilia based on the 2024 film.
• Gaylord Palms Resort debuted ice sculptures based on “Elf,” the 2003 Will Ferrell film, for the “Ice” show for the first time anywhere.
• The completion of Epcot’s CommuniCore Hall, a meeting, greeting and dining space, symbolized the conclusion of the park’s long, much-discussed transformation. The space will also host a stage show featuring “Encanto” characters. New topiaries this year for the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival were based on “Coco” figures and Groot, the tree-like character from “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
• Legoland Florida has added Lego Ferrari Build & Race, an exhibit featuring a life-size Ferrari made from 400,000 Lego bricks.
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has added Phoenix Rising, an inverted family roller coaster. It also reopened its SkyRide.
• New, updated cabin models have been installed at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, a Disney Vacation Club offering. DVC’s Island Tower addition at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon, opened in December.
Parting
• Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade, a Magic Kingdom attraction on opening day, closed in June.
• In September, Busch Gardens closed down Tampa Bay Scorpion, a roller coaster that debuted in 1980.
• “Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy” concluded in October at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It will be replaced by the show “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After”.
• Legoland Florida will end its “Brickbeard Watersports Stunt show,” a water ski production with historic roots in Cypress Gardens, at the end of 2024.
News and notes
• Longtime Imagineer Joe Rohde, one of the brains behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom and other park projects, was made an official Disney Legend.
• Madame Tussauds Orland added figures for soccer superstar Lionel Messi, actor Chris Pratt and singers Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Rihanna.
• Merlin introduced an annual pass valid for the Orlando Eye, Madame Tussauds and Sea Life Aquarium, as well as Orlando attractions at Icon Park.
• The Orlando Science Center set a world record for the most paper rockets fired simultaneously. The attempt was in connection with the exhibition ‘The Science of Guinness World Records’, which ends on January 6.
• “Glisten,” an ice skating show, was added to the Disney Jollywood Nights lineup at Hollywood Studios.
• SeaWorld’s Orca Stadium received cosmetic upgrades.
• Orlando-based Ripley Entertainment purchased a set of 45 Olympic torches, bringing its total collection to 116, representing all the Games held since 1936, excluding the 1964 Innsbruck Games. (Ripley says the combined value of the relics exceeds $10 million.)
• Hurricane season disrupted operating hours, forcing closures and cancellations, including sessions of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom.
• Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor water park and resort, opened in Naples.
• The Orlando-based International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions reported record attendance of more than 41,000 at the IAAPA Expo in November.
• Gatorland celebrated its 75th anniversary; SeaWorld celebrated the 60th anniversary of the opening of its first park; Disney’s Hollywood Studios turned 35 years old.
Business reports
•Walt Disney Co. announced a development plan that would invest $17 billion over the next twenty years. It coincides with a “kiss and make-up” moment between Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis after two years of political tensions.
• Ultimately, Disney revealed more details about its plans in Florida, including Magic Kingdom attractions based on “Cars,” a tropical America land at Animal Kingdom and a “Monsters, Inc” area at Hollywood Studios.
• Universal Orlando announced that the Epic Universe theme park would open on May 22, 2025, and shared details about the attractions, which are groups in lands dedicated to ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, Super Nintendo World, Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, classic monsters in Dark Universe and Celestial Park, an entrance with restaurants, shops and attractions.
• In February, SeaWorld Entertainment, the parent company of SeaWorld parks and other attractions, changed its name to United Parks & Resorts.
• After three of his books were placed on a “flagged” list for possible ban from Escambia County schools, Ripley Entertainment offered free copies of his “Dare to Discover” publication to Florida residents. 20,000 copies were given away.
• Barbara Bouza, president of Walt Disney Imagineering, resigned in March. Merlin CEO Scott O’Neil announced his resignation in November.
• Walt Disney World was concerned about abuse and changed the procedures for obtaining disability passes.
• Disney began allowing advance purchases of Lightning Lane, and introduced a new Lightning Lane Premier Pass that allowed buyers to use every express lane within a theme park once in one day.
And always end with animals
• Gatorland inducted three red fox siblings into the Save a Fox Rescue sanctuary, added a Walk of Fame featuring rescued animals and announced a name for its rare leucistic alligator hatched in Gatorland. She is mystical. (Her brother is Mayhem.)
• New arrivals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom include triplet cotton tamarins living on Discovery Island and Bakso, a Sumatran tiger. Corra, a baby elephant, makes his debut on the park’s savannah; Elijah, an okapi; and three lions named Mshango, Zahara and Neema.
• At Epcot, a manatee named Lou and three male dolphins were relocated from the Seas With Nemo & Friends attraction. A new manatee named Inigo has joined the ongoing resident named Lil Joe.
• Discovery Cove opened Flamingo Point, a gathering place for flamingos and day resort guests.
• Among the rescue animals that received attention from SeaWorld were 12 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, a distressed North Carolina manatee and a manatee about to return to Charlotte County, and a Pacific walrus calf found abandoned on beaches near Utquigvik, Alaska.
Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. BlueSky: @themaparksdb. Topic account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.
