New rides and entertainment coming to your favorite US theme parks in 2025

It’s shaping up to be an exciting year for theme parks from coast to coast. We’ve found 10 new themed rides, worlds and entertainment offerings you won’t want to miss this year.

The list includes the requisite roller coasters and kiddie rides, as well as some surprising additions — like Orlando’s first new theme park in 25 years. It doesn’t even mention any new attractions coming to Disney World in 2025.

Related: TPG’s 5 best family vacation destinations for 2025

Here’s everything new to ride, sing or “ooh and ahh” to this year.

40th anniversary celebration – Dollywood

Dollywood has changed a lot since its grand opening in 1986. The Pigeon Forge, Tennesee, theme park has been offering live shows and attractions inspired by Dolly Parton’s mission to provide a place where families can have fun together.

Related: A look inside Dollywood’s newest resort, Heartsong Lodge & Resort

To mark the park’s 40th season, Dollywood is introducing additional opportunities for families to have fun and make memories:

• The County Fair area of ​​the park, where you’ll find kid-friendly rides and carnival games, is getting a refresh.
• A new program featuring fan-favorite music from the park’s 40 seasons will debut on Memorial Day weekend.
• The new drone program will begin during the Dollywood Mountain Summer Festival.
• A new opening ceremony will welcome visitors at the beginning of each day.
• A new season of stories, reunions and swaps of favorite plays from all ages is coming to Imagination Playhouse.
• “Heartsong: The Movie” will be renamed and moved to the Dreamsong Theater as part of the Dolly Parton Experience, opening in 2024.

Dollywood will open its 40th season on March 15.

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New spring festival – Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City is also celebrating a milestone anniversary this year. For Branson, Missouri, the park’s 65th season, Silver Dollar City is kicking off a new spring festival and a new drone and fireworks show, among other experiences.

The Spring Exposition festival will run from April 10 to May 12. It will include demonstrations by professional farmers, dance performances by the Kinfolk Bluegrass Band, a colorful “parasol sky” display, seasonal food and performances by the new Ragtime Piano Showman, the – All percussionists from “America’s Got Talent” and touring bands playing traditional Cajun, Dixieland and music of the polka.

During the festival, Silver Dollar City will also debut the expansion of the park’s Plaza area, making it a center for year-round fun and entertainment.

From June 7 to Aug. 3, Silver Dollar City will host its annual Summer Celebration. This year’s event will include the “Wild West Comedy Stunt Show,” the Silver Dollar Circus and a drone and fireworks spectacular.

Universal Epic Universe – Universal Orlando Resort

Universal is opening more than just a new ride or stay this year — it’s opening an entire theme park.

Universal Epic Universe will feature five themed “worlds” with attractions, characters and experiences based on popular movies and game shows. Guests will enter the Epic Universe through Celestial Park, a star-themed area with tranquil gardens and fun attractions (like Stardust Racers, a double-launch coaster that can reach speeds of up to 62 mph).

Celestial Park will serve as a hub for four other countries, with portals leading visitors to each. Other lands include The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe (a Universal Classic Monsters-themed world), Super Nintendo World and How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk.

Related: Universal Epic Universe announces 2025 opening date

Along with the park, Universal is opening three new hotels. Universal Stella Nova Resort will open on Jan. 21, and Universal’s Terra Luna Resort will open as soon as March 25. Both fall into Universal’s Prime Value category, with prices starting around $150 per night.

The park’s flagship hotel, Universal Helios Grand Hotel, will open with the park on May 22. Helios Grand will be located inside the park with a private entrance to Epic Universe and out-of-this-world views from the hotel’s rooftop bar. Several guest rooms will also overlook the park. Universal Helios Grand Hotel rates start at $293 per night for a standard room.

Universal Epic Universe opens on May 22.

Wild Oasis – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Jungle-themed entertainment is coming to Busch Gardens this year with the new addition of Wild Oasis park. The Wild Oasis area will be located within the Jungala area at Busch Gardens and will feature a drop tower ride with state-of-the-art digital and sound effects, an interactive water play area, a climbing playground and an animal shelter.

Wild Oasis will open in the spring of 2025.

The Big Bad Wolf: Revenge of the Wolves – Busch Gardens Williamsburg

He’s going to explode, and he’s going to puff and he’s going to blow you down 2,500 feet of track at speeds up to 40 mph. The Big Bad Wolf: Revenge of the Wolves is Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s new family-friendly, modified roller coaster. (You only need to be 42 inches tall to ride.)

According to the legend of the coaster, a wolf terrorized a Bavarian village decades ago. Now, 40 years later, the Silent Bells Festival honors the city’s grim future. But, the city may not be as safe as you think, as the wolf returns to seek revenge. With a train car designed to look like the Big Bad Wolf himself, this coaster will send you careening into the world of a Bavarian-themed Oktoberfest park.

Big Bad Wolf: Revenge of the Wolves is slated to open sometime in 2025.

Sea Life Florida – Legoland Florida Resort

With a theme park, water park and three hotel options, Legoland Florida is already an exciting destination for preschoolers and their families. This year, the Central Florida theme park is adding an aquarium that will provide more family fun.

Related: First look: We tried the brand new Peppa Pig Theme Park in Florida

Sea Life Florida will feature more than 25 exhibits, including an interactive touch pool, several Florida-specific marine animals and a tank designed to resemble an underwater theme park.

Sea Life Florida is scheduled to open sometime in 2025.

Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground — Legoland New York Resort

Open from 2021, Legoland New York is the newest addition to the Legoland theme park lineup. Like all Legoland locations, the park in Goshen, New York, is aimed at children. This year, the park is opening a Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground for young Lego fans.

The 13,000-square-foot play area features play areas inspired by the show, including Peppa’s house and treehouse, Daddy Pig’s red car and Grandpa Pig’s boat. The play area will also feature a puppet theater and Duplo blocks where children can bring their Peppa-inspired creations to life.

The Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground is scheduled to open in the spring of 2025.

Arctic flying theater – SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando offers a combination of attractions and marine life exhibits that make it fun and educational. The park’s newest attraction, the Arctic flying theater, will be no different. An immersive air theater will showcase the Arctic’s frozen landscapes, frozen waters and the animals that call it home.

Guests will feel like they’ve really stepped out of sunny Florida and into the tundra as they get an up-close look at beluga whales, walruses, orcas and more. The attraction will have an accessible height requirement of 39 inches, making it accessible to children and their families.

The Arctic flying theater is scheduled to open in the spring of 2025.

Rescue Jr – SeaWorld San Antonio

Besides the sea creatures, you’ll find lots of kids at SeaWorld San Antonio — and those kids need spaces to run, jump and use their park-generated energy. Enter SeaWorld’s newest attraction: Rescue Jr.

The kid-friendly destination will feature rides and play areas, including the Beach Rescue Racer family coaster, Seabird Swing, Ocean Quest Express interactive train ride and Sea Splash water play area. Each rescue-themed attraction will teach kids about animal conservation while they slide, slide and splash.

Rescue Jr. It is scheduled to open in the spring of 2025.

Treasures of the Sea: The Jellyfish Experience – SeaWorld San Diego

Originally scheduled to open in 2024, Treasures of the Sea: The Jellyfish Experience will be an interactive and educational experience in the Ocean’s Explore area at SeaWorld San Diego. The exhibition will have three themed galleries designed to make visitors feel like they are immersed in the mysterious underwater world of jellyfish.

Treasures of the Sea: The Jellyfish Experience will feature some of the tallest jellyfish cylinders in the world, including an 18-foot jellyfish habitat and a 10-foot-tall jellyfish “living arch” that guests can walk under. For extra money, you can upgrade your jellyfish experience to include a behind-the-scenes tour.

Treasures of the Sea: The Jellyfish Experience is scheduled to open in the spring of 2025.

Bottom line

From anniversary celebrations to thrill rides to a groundbreaking new theme park, there’s something for everyone coming to US theme parks this year. Maybe you visit theme parks for the sky-high, fastest coasters; perhaps you prefer to keep your feet firmly planted on solid ground to enjoy the food, music and ambience. Either way, you have a whole list of reasons to visit a theme park this year.

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