Thrills and Bigger Shooting: 11 Hotspots Coming to US Theme Parks by 2023

We’re only halfway through January, and 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for America’s theme parks — and we’re not just talking about Disney.

In fact, we found 11 new roller coasters, thrill rides, and water rides opening nationwide, and there’s barely a mention of Disney on the list (although Disney has a lot to do this yearalso).

Related: TPG’s top 10 family vacation destinations for 2023

If you’re ready to feel the breeze through your hair as you plummet down a monstrously high hill or you want to paddle past silly creatures made of oversized Lego bricks, you’ve come to the right place. place.

Here are 11 attractions opening at US theme parks this year that we can’t wait to experience.

Legoland New York Resort — Underwater playground

LegolandNew York reopening for the 2023 season on March 31. Just a few months later, as temperatures rise to more suitable levels for swimming, Legoland will open its newest attraction: a Lego-themed water playground, where families can splash, water slide and beat the heat.

The water playground will feature four waterslides, an interactive water game structure, and a station where you can build and race your very own Lego boat. There’s also a changing area nearby where you can take off your wet swimsuit when you’re ready to head to the park’s land attractions.

Legoland New York’s water playground is scheduled to open this summer.

Legoland Florida Resort – Pirate Quest

Winterhaven, Florida area, now Legoland Florida Resort once home to an amusement park with elaborate botanical gardens, water slides and boating shows on a canal called Cypress Gardens.

Guests can now sail through the same historic canals at Legoland’s newest attraction – though this time they’ll be joined by a gang of ferocious pirates.

Pirate River Quest is an all-ages boat ride (with no minimum height requirement) that takes guests on a journey in search of Captain Redhead’s lost treasure, which was stolen by a pack of monkeys. naughty. Along the way, you’ll encounter a sunken pirate ship, a terrifying Kraken, and other larger-than-life Lego creations.

Pirate River Quest opens on January 12.

Universal Studios Hollywood — Super Nintendo World

Have you ever fantasized about walking through a vertical tunnel and joining Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach in their adventures? Soon, you’ll be able to head to Universal Studios Hollywood in the park’s newest enclave for all things Super Nintendo.

Super Nintendo World the top attraction is Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge (must be 40 inches long to ride). This attraction combines projection mapping and augmented reality with physics puzzle pieces to put riders behind the wheel of real-life Mario Kart racing.

Though the land is only one ride away, Super Nintendo World has more than enough to keep you busy after you race to the finish line and take down the evil Bowser. Across the land, there are interactive challenges where you can collect digital coins and try to get the highest score — think fighting koopas and punching blocks.

To join and interact with the land, you need to purchase a Power Up Band, which you can find in the 1-Up Factory gift shop, along with all the souvenirs and clothing you need to complete the experience. his experience. When all that game leaves you hungry, you can grab a bite at Toadstool Cafe.

Super Nintendo World opens on February 17.

Universal Orlando — Illumination’s villain-baby explosion

What could be better than a Minions themed attraction? Two! Soon after, a brand new attraction dubbed Illumination’s Villain Minion Explosion will participate Universal Orlando Famous Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.

Villain-Con Minion Blast will feature unprecedented ride technology, using motion-based pathing in place of traditional ride-hailing vehicles. Guests will use dynamite to fend off villains as they’re guided along the path, encountering plenty of mischievous minions along the way.

Villain-Con Minion Blast will be located adjacent to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem at Universal Studios Florida, along with a new Minion cafe and other surprises that Universal has yet to announce. Here’s hoping the surprise is the Minion dance party.

Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast is scheduled to hit theaters this summer.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — Serengeti Flyer

When it opens, the Serengeti Flyer will be the world’s tallest and fastest ferris wheel of its kind, reaching a top speed of 68 mph and a maximum height of 135 feet. Riders will soar above zebras, giraffes, and other animals that call the park’s 65-acre Serengeti Plains home.

Riders will experience many negative G moments (you know, the feeling of butterflies in their stomachs) as they sway back and forth on this ultimate two-handed swing ride. The ride will have a minimum height requirement of 48 inches.

The Serengeti Flyer is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg — DarKoaster

Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s newest roller coaster will have guests racing through the dark while trying to escape a cursed castle. DarKoaster is a completely indoor roller coaster ride with sleigh-like rides (you’ll need them to navigate the eerie blizzard raging inside the castle).

DarKoaster is a family-friendly glider with a minimum height requirement of 48 inches and a top speed of 36 mph; It strikes the right balance between tame and thrilling so the whole family can enjoy the ride. If you manage to escape the castle, that is.

DarKoaster is expected to open sometime in 2023.

SeaWorld San Diego — Saving the Arctic

Most of SeaWorld by San Diego The park’s aquatic-themed play attractions and its newest roller coaster are no exception. When it opens, Arctic Rescue will be the longest and fastest coaster on the West Coast. Visitors will ride in snowmobile vehicles as they race through ice and snow to rescue Arctic animals.

Related: SeaWorld welcomes 2023 with water-themed roller coasters at all 3 parks

Once on board, you’ll experience three launches and a top speed of 40 mph, making Arctic Rescue solid in a family-friendly area, though exact altitude claims are yet to be announced. .

Arctic Rescue is scheduled to open in 2023.

SeaWorld Orlando – Pipeline: Roller Coaster

If your two favorite activities are surfing and roller coaster rides, you’re in luck. SeaWorld’s new pipeline: Surf Coaster is a one-of-a-kind “surfing boat” with independent moving vehicles that look like giant surfboards.

Riders will “hang ten” through the roller coaster’s many twists and turns, including five air maneuvers and one “rolling wave” inversion, all of which reach speeds of up to 60 mph.

Pipeline: The Surf Coaster is an extreme thrill ride and it will have a minimum height requirement of 54 inches. If you have young children, there are plenty of adorable animals nearby to keep them entertained.

This roller coaster is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023.

SeaWorld San Antonio — Catapult . Falls

Catapult Falls is a unique combination of roller coaster and conduit game. You will definitely have fun and be even more sure when wet. This ride will be the world’s first premiere roller coaster. it will also have the world’s steepest slide and North America’s only vertical lift in a roller coaster.

Instead of a traditional lift hill, Catapult Falls will transport your raft to the top of a 55-foot hill using an outdoor lift. Once you reach the top, you’ll plunge down and take off on a fast-paced ride. No minimum height requirement has been specified yet.

Catapult Falls is scheduled to open in 2023.

Hersheypark – Wildcat’s Revenge

In 1996, Hersheypark launched Wildcat to the world. Wildcat is a wooden roller coaster named after “The Wild Cat” – Hersheypark’s first roller coaster opened in the 1920s. When Wildcat closed in 2022, Hersheypark hinted that they may have had a plan in place. plan to keep Wildcat’s memory — and suspense — alive.

The plan is for a wood-and-steel roller coaster called Wildcat’s Revenge (minimum 48-inch height requirement). This is not a tame kitty cat. Wildcat’s Revenge will hit 62 mph and climb to 140 feet before plunging down an 82-degree slope and flying through four inversions.

Wildcat’s Revenge is scheduled to open in the summer of 2023.

Dollywood — Big Bear Mountain

One smoke mountain-themed roller coaster is a natural fit for a theme park like Dollywood located in the foothills of Smokies. big bear mountain will take riders on an expedition through the Wildwood Grove area of ​​the park in search of the elusive “Big Bear” that has been spotted in the area.

In a race through the wilderness, you’ll reach top speeds of up to 48 mph and climb to a maximum altitude of 66 feet. The minimum ride height is 39 inches, meaning families can join this treacherous journey together.

Big Bear Mountain is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023.