by James Coulter
2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Central Florida theme parks, from a whole new immersive park celebrating its grand opening to several newer attractions being created for other parks. Here’s a breakdown of everything new coming this year.
#1: Epic Universe (Universal Orlando Resort)
Undoubtedly, the biggest development in theme parks will be the grand opening of Universal Orlando’s newest theme park, Epic Universe.
Located 12 miles from the main Universal Orlando Resort, this innovative 750-acre park will be home to five immersive lands themed to Nintendo, Harry Potter, How to Train Your Dragon, and the Universal Monsters. The park is scheduled to open to make its grand debut on May 22, 2025.
Perhaps the most awaited of these lands will be Super Nintendo World, which will feature attractions based on the Super Mario Bros. video game franchise, including the state-of-the-art Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, as well as interactive features throughout the game-themed land.
Another highly-anticipated land will be Dark Universe, themed after the classic Universal Monsters franchise. The main attraction will be Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, a state-of-the-art attraction utilizing Kuka robocoaster technology like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Islands of Adventure.
#2: Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World)
The Magic Kingdom is set to make its evenings more magical as millions of glimmering shimmering lights will cast a spell of light and color with the park’s new nighttime attraction, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away.
Set to premiere this summer, this will be the first nighttime parade to perform at the park since the Main Street Electrical Parade ended nearly a decade ago. The new parade will utilize a blend of innovative lighting techniques and whimsical custom fabrics to bring to life scenes from popular Disney films like Moana, Encanto, Peter Pan, and so much more.
Opening later this year will be the Pirates of the Caribbean Tavern. The new themed bar and eatery will open in Adventureland right next door to the namesake attraction. Guests of all ages can expect to enjoy a diverse menu of grogs and grub that will allow them to eat like pirates.
#3: EPCOT (Walt Disney World)
A new take on an old favorite will be set to open later this summer with the newly refurbished Test Track. The refurbished attraction will feature a new storyline and queue inspired by the former World of Motion attraction, with an emphasis on the past, present, and future of transportation. The attraction’s exterior and ride vehicles will also receive a cutting-edge facelift to better reflect the future of Future World.
Meanwhile, a new lounge will be opening over at Spaceship Earth later this spring. Located at the former Siemens corporate lounge, the new Spaceship Earth Lounge will offer guests a panoramic view of the World Celebration, especially at night during the evening’s fireworks and light show. Moreover, its overall theme and aesthetics will celebrate the history of Spaceship Earth and EPCOT.
#4: Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Walt Disney World)
While guests will have to wait years for Disney to open its new Villain-themed land in Magic Kingdom, they can celebrate the bad guys they love to hate with a new live show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Opening later this summer, and replacing Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy at Sunset Showcase Theater, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After will be a musical celebration of Disney’s most notorious villains. The show will be hosted by the Magic Mirror from Snow White and feature dozens of villain characters, with special performances by Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent.
Another show opening this summer will be The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. The replacement for the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the newly-reimagined stage show will feature innovative effects to help bring the music and scenes from the animated classic to life.
#5: Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Walt Disney World)
The bad news is that Animal Kingdom has officially called the exterminator with the closing of its opening day attraction It’s Tough To Be a Bug in the Tree of Life. The good news is that the location will be home to a new show inspired by the hit animated film Zootopia.
Set to debut later this winter, Zootopia: Better Together will be a new 4D show set in the fictional furry world of Zootopia. Join Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they give guests a tour of the animal metropolis, which will feature 4D effects and even an animatronic figure of the chubby cop Clawhauser.
#6: SeaWorld Orlando
Set out on an expedition to the frosty tundra of the Arctic with SeaWorld’s newest immersive Arctic Theater Experience. Set to open this spring, this attraction will be a fully immersive flying theater experience with cutting-edge visuals and dynamic special effects. Soar over icy
landscapes and dive deep beneath the frozen waters as you explore the Arctic’s icy environment and wildlife.
#7: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Little explorers will have an entirely new interactive realm to explore and play in when Busch Gardens opens Wild Oasis later this spring. In this immersive, kid-friendly land, small guests can climb through a four-level climbing structure, splash around a splash pad, take a dive down a 35-foot drop tower, and be able to see and interact inside a multispecies habitat filled with capybaras, giant anteaters, squirrel monkeys, and tropical birds.
#8: LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Don’t worry, Polk County residents. New and exciting things are coming to your own backyard at LEGOLAND Florida Resort in Winter Haven.
The biggest new attraction will be Sea Life Florida. Opening on May 23, this underwater-themed attraction will allow guests to see more than 3,000 animals in approximately 150,000 gallons of water. This aquarium-style attraction will include 25 interactive exhibits including a freshwater gallery, a stingray bay, and an invertebrate touch pool. LEGOLAND will celebrate the attraction’s opening with a park-wide scavenger hunt of LEGO sea creatures.
For guests staying overnight, the LEGOLAND Resort Hotel will feature new rooms and suites themed to LEGO DUPLO, LEGO NINJAGO, and LEGO Friends. These rooms will be available to book later this year.
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Question: What new attraction are you looking forward to the most this year? Which one are you most excited for? Leave your answer in the comments on Facebook.
