There’s a lot of new and interesting rides and attractions which will debut in US theme parks in 2018. Toy Story, Kung Fu Panda and many other popular characters will be a major part of the new additions to the parks.
The Associated Press has a rundown of some of the major new attractions and rides at big theme parks in the US. The new stuff is coming in 2018 and should bring some interesting experiences for fans of the popular characters.
One of the most anticipated new additions is the Toy Story Land. It should open early in the summer of 2018 at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Hollywood Studios just outside Orlando, Florida.
It’s going to be basically a theme park within the theme park. Attractions and restaurants in the 11-acre (4.5-hectare) land will be themed on toys from the “Toy Story” movie series. You will get to ride the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster and check out Woody’s Lunch Box. This is quick-service window serving soda floats and more. Another ride will be Alien Swirling Saucers, where aliens circling in flying saucers pull along rocket ships full of guests. An already existing attraction, Toy Story Mania, will get a third track.
The Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California will also add new stuff. The park will transform Paradise Pier into Pixar Pier during the summer. Rides will include the new Incredicoaster in one of four neighborhoods themed on Pixar stories and characters. The Incredicoaster neighborhood is inspired by “The Incredibles” film. The ride will include character moments, scenes, music and special effects connected to the movie “The Incredibles 2,” which opens in theaters in June, the Associated Press notes.
Universal also has the goods
Universal Orlando Resort opens a new attraction in the spring featuring characters, cars and music from the “Fast & Furious” movies. The Fast & Furious Supercharged attraction will immerse guests in a story involving a high-speed race as they take a bus to an after-race party.
Universal also is opening its sixth onsite hotel, Aventura, in August, with a 16-story glass tower. It has 600 guest rooms including 13 kids’ suites and the first rooftop bar and grill on Universal property.
At Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, DreamWorks Theatre will immerse guests in a multi-sensory adventure featuring Kung Fu Panda. The attraction uses LED lighting and projection mapping, a type of augmented reality that can turn 3-D objects into interactive displays.
This spring Legoland in Florida will open a Virtual Reality roller coaster for kids. The Great Lego Race VR Coaster replaces the park’s Project X roller coaster. It will reimagine the attraction with a new story plus special effects.
Other theme parks also have cool stuff to offer. The Time Traveler ride debuts in the spring at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. It’s billed as the industry’s fastest, steepest and tallest spinning roller coaster. The Time Traveler drops riders at a 90-degree vertical angle followed by three inversions at speeds up to around 50 mph (81 kph), all while spinning. Yikes.
