Pirate River Quest at Legoland Florida Resort. Image courtesy of Legoland Florida Resort.
February 23, 2023
New rides, lands, and other adventures are debuting at theme parks across the country in 2023.
From the world's first "surfing" roller coaster to a 135-foot-tall swing that soars over giraffes and zebras, we look at 17 of the most exciting new experiences coming to U.S. theme parks this year—and how you can enjoy them for less with discounts from AAA Tickets.
Walt Disney World Resort
Orlando, Florida
Opens April 4, 2023
Ever wanted to ride your very own Lightcycle? Soon you'll be able to in the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. Based on the 1982 and 2010 TRON films, this roller coaster will be among the fastest coasters at any Disney theme park in the world. Each rider will straddle their own Lightcycle as they race to be the first team through all 8 Energy Gates—or risk permanent deletion.
Universal Orlando Resort
Orlando, Florida
Opens summer 2023
Guests at Universal Orlando will soon get to see how good they are at being bad. Villain-Con Minion Blast is an upcoming interactive blaster attraction in the new Minion Land that invites you to see how much mayhem you can cause. Step onto a motion-based pathway, hit the right targets on the attraction's state-of-the-art screens, and you just might find yourself rewarded with a spot as the newest villain on the notorious Vicious 6 supervillain team.
Universal Studios Hollywood
Los Angeles, California
Open
Ever wondered what it's like to be inside a video game? Now you can find out at Universal Studios Hollywood's new Super Nintendo World. Collect coins, fling fireballs from your fingertips, battle Koopas and Goombas, and take on Bowser in a real-life Mario Kart race—all while competing with other visitors for a high score. We look at how it works and ways to make the most of your visit to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Disneyland Resort
Anaheim, California
Open
This ride in Mickey's Toontown, the first to feature Mickey and Minnie Mouse, is a love letter to classic Disney animation. Mickey and Minnie invite you to the "prem-ear" of their latest cartoon at the El CapiTOON Theater, but a relaxing ride aboard Goofy's train goes off the rails and takes passengers through a smorgasbord of animated scenes. The ride queue also doubles as an exhibit celebrating the nearly 100-year career of Mickey Mouse.
Disneyland Resort
Anaheim, California
Open throughout 2023
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, Disneyland will be taking part in the Disney100 celebration with special limited-time attractions around the resort. This includes an all-new World of Color – ONE nighttime spectacular, the first to feature content from Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, the Avengers, and Star Wars together. The Magic Happens parade also makes a return, and the park will be adorned with special platinum decorations and statues to mark the occasion.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Tampa, Florida
Open
Guests soar 135 feet in the air and reach speeds up to 68 mph aboard this new pendulum swing, currently the tallest and fastest "Screamin' Swing" ride in the world. While suspended weightless at the end of each swing, take in the giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and other African animals of Busch Gardens' Serengeti Plain.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Opens spring 2023
This new roller coaster will be housed entirely inside Busch Gardens Williamsburg's imposing DarKastle, the former home of the Curse of DarKastle ride. Picking up where that story left off, the coaster invites riders aboard snowmobiles to explore the former home of the mad King Ludwig. A supernatural blizzard has set in, and riders will speed through 4 different accelerated launches as they navigate the storm. A 48-inch height requirement means more of the family can come aboard this ride.
SeaWorld San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
Opens summer 2023
Catapult Falls, the first-ever launched flume coaster, will combine the high speeds, acceleration, and drops of a roller coaster with the cooling splashes of a log flume ride. It will also feature the only vertical lift on a flume ride in North America, which will raise riders 55 feet in the air ahead of a 53-degree plunge at 37 mph. According to SeaWorld, the angle makes it the world’s steepest drop on a flume ride.
SeaWorld Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Opens spring 2023
The world's first-ever surfing roller coaster, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster will let riders experience the thrill of riding the waves while standing aboard a giant articulated surfboard. Free-floating chest restraints will allow riders to rise and fall with the motion of the board, just like in surfing, and speeds up to 60 mph will recreate the rush of shooting through a crashing pipeline.
SeaWorld San Diego
San Diego, California
Opens spring 2023
SeaWorld is billing this new roller coaster as the "fastest and longest straddle coaster on the West Coast." The ride will begin in the Wild Arctic exhibit, home to beluga whales, walruses, and seals. Riders will each board their own snowmobile and race through progressively faster acceleration launches, reaching speeds of 40 mph.
Hersheypark
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Opens summer 2023
Hersheypark's longtime Wildcat wooden roller coaster will be reborn this summer as Wildcat's Revenge, a hybrid coaster adding a new steel track to the iconic wooden framework. Riders will drop from a 140-foot hill at speeds up to 62 mph. The new track adds 4 upside-down inversions, including the world's longest "underflip," a segment where riders climb into a 270-degree corkscrew before diving off to one side.
Dollywood
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Opens spring 2023
This coaster stretches across 6 rolling acres of Dollywood's Wildwood Grove area and will feature multiple launch zones, tight carousel turns, and even a pass behind a waterfall. You'll be hot on the heels of Big Bear, a legendary but elusive bear said to live in the Great Smoky Mountains, and audio throughout the ride will tell the story. With a height requirement of just 39 inches, it's a family-friendly adventure, too.
Legoland California Resort
Carlsbad, California
Open
Brand new to Legoland California in 2023 is the Lego Ninjago Training Camp. It has play areas for kids of all ages to climb up high and spot invaders, spin down slides to battle imaginary dragons, and go on endless adventures in a giant play ship. Parents can join in the fun or take a break on the shaded benches in this fully fenced play area.
RELATED: What to do & see at Legoland California Resort by age range
Legoland Florida Resort
Winter Haven, Florida
Open
Sail around the historic canals of the former Cypress Gardens, Florida's first theme park, in pursuit of Captain Redbeard's lost gold. Along the way, your free-floating boat expedition will encounter Lego creatures such as spiders, colorful birds, troublesome monkeys, and even a massive kraken. The family-friendly adventure is equal parts Lego story and tour of the lush botanical gardens on Lake Eloise.
Legoland New York Resort
Goshen, New York
Opens Memorial Day Weekend 2023
Legoland New York Resort's new Water Playground area is opening just in time for the start of summer over Memorial Day weekend. The new oasis will feature waterslides, a cascading waterfall splash with 318 gallons of water, and an area to build your own Lego boat to float and race. The playground will also have a changing area for families.
Knott's Berry Farm
Buena Park, California
Opens summer 2023
As part of a larger renovation of the Fiesta Village area, Knott's is renovating the former Montezooma's Revenge coaster into MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress. Visitors will find themselves in possession of Montezuma's legendary golden treasure, but how can they escape his fortress? A high-speed launch station slinging coasters at 55 mph may be the only way out, so be sure to hold on tight.
Cedar Point
Sandusky, Ohio
Opens 2023
Cedar Point got its start in the late 1800s welcoming visitors to enjoy the lakeshore, so it's fitting that the park's latest expansion will be The Boardwalk. The brand-new beach resort-themed area will include a new Grand Pavilion with dining options and a view of the lake, and decorations meant to evoke the 153-year history of the park. Also included will be the Wild Mouse, a new roller coaster with teacup cars that rotate 360 degrees while careening around a topsy-turvy track.
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