Biggest New Rides Coming to Theme Parks Across United States in 2024
Theme park fans have plenty to be excited about in the coming years. Most notable is Universal Orlando Resort's brand-new park, Epic Universe, set to open in 2025.
When completed, Epic Universe brings more than fifty new attractions and experiences to the resort for guests to enjoy. It has been several years since a brand-new theme park of this size and scale opened, so all eyes are on Universal in the coming months.
While Universal's brand new theme park is still more than a year out from opening, there is plenty to be excited about. A full lineup of significant changes is on deck for theme parks in 2024, not just in Orlando, Florida, but across the country. These changes include Tiana's Bayou Adventure, set to open in the summer of 2024 at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. A similar version of the ride will also open at Disneyland Resort later in the year.
Whether families vacation in Florida, California, or closer to home, there are new attractions to see this year. Experts share the excitement, highlighting the biggest events theme park enthusiasts look forward to this year.
Disney To Open New Ride on Both Coasts
All eyes are on Tiana's Bayou Adventure, opening at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in 2024. The ride will exist in the former location of Splash Mountain, which permanently closed last year. Tiana's Bayou Adventure is inspired by the Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog, with the story of the ride taking place after the movie's events.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure is the most significant event on Disney Parks' 2024 calendars. Sarah Gilliland, founder of On The Road with Sarah and Travel Editor for Wealth of Geeks, notes theme park fans, “are buzzing about the transformation. I can't wait to see how the rides are similar and different at Disney World and Disneyland.”
The Princess and the Frog was released in 2009, making it a more modern Disney story to bring to its theme park fans. Scott Mcconkey, nationally syndicated travel writer and founder of Miles with Mcconkey, shares his family's excitement for the attraction, saying, “We love the idea of a classic log flume ride based on the film The Princess and the Frog. It has tremendous potential to become a new favorite attraction for families. Plus, we get to see more of Tiana's story.”
While Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open at Magic Kingdom this summer, other Disney World theme parks will also see updates in 2024. EPCOT has undergone significant construction over the past several years, with the work's final phases ending this year. The final phase, which includes the Communicore Hall and Plaza, will hopefully open later this year and can be found near the park's main entrance.
Lindsay Brookshier, content director of Mickey Visit and Disney Dose, shares, “The completion of the center of EPCOT will also be a great milestone for Walt Disney World. The new festival center should help to bring new life to this area that has been behind construction walls for so long.”
Regional Theme Parks Keep Up With New Attractions
Major theme parks like Disney World and Universal Orlando are just some places delivering new attractions this year. Across America, smaller regional parks continue to bring new experiences to their guests. In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Dollywood will open The Dolly Parton Experience in 2024. The walk-through attraction explores Dolly Parton's life and legacy.
The attraction is just one of the multiple new offerings guests will encounter during a 2024 visit to Dollywood. The resort recently completed and opened its second hotel, Dollywood's Heartsong Lodge and Resort.
Gilliland adds that Dollywood sits among her top theme park destinations thanks to its frequent influx of new entertainment and festivals. She shares how Dollywood is an excellent option for families, adding, “Dollywood is also incredibly affordable compared to Disney Parks. They up their game each year with new festivals, food, and entertainment.” Gilliland highlights Dollywood's Sweet Summer Nights drone and fireworks show, added in 2022.
Further west, Dollywood's sister theme park, Silver Dollar City, is also ramping up a busy lineup for 2024. Located in Branson, Missouri, the theme park has spent the last year building an upgraded version of its classic indoor roller coaster, Fire In the Hole. The original version of the ride first opened in 1972 and completed its historic run at the theme park last year. When finished, the new version will be the largest indoor roller coaster in the Midwest.
The new Fire In the Hole, which cost Silver Dollar City $30 million to build, will be part of a newly incorporated Fire District, a land within the theme park that also features new dining and shopping opportunities.