Two years ago, at the IAAPA Expo, it was announced that the world’s tallest roller coaster would be coming to Florida. Last year, it was announced to be coming to Orlando. Today (December 1st, 2015), it was finally approved!
Skyplex is a large retail, dining, and entertainment complex proposed for north International Drive in Orlando. The proposed attraction is set to feature a US Thrill Rides Polercoaster, which is a large roller coaster wrapped around an observation tower, the world’s tallest drop tower, a “Unicoaster” flat ride, a zip-line, and more.
In recent months, the debate over the project became very intense. It began with the FAA approving the massive height of the polercoaster and became heated when one of the recommendation boards in the approval process recommended not to approve the project. This was largely due to the lobbying of a nearby attraction, the Universal Orlando Resort.
In the last few weeks, petitions have gone out for both sides of the argument, pamphlets against the project were sent to Orlando area residents, and the theme park community exploded with supporters and those against the project.
Today, the long anticipated project for several theme park and roller coaster fans was officially heard by the Orange County Commissioners Board.
Several Orlando residents, local businessmen, theme park bloggers, and representatives of Skyplex and Universal spoke. The vast majority of these people were in favor of the project.
Strangely enough, Universal did not seem to do nearly as much lobbying against the project as they recently have, although there was some.
After several hours of listening to speakers, the board members motioned to vote on the project with some limitations which were agreed upon by Skyplex. The most notable of these limitations was a 600 foot height limit.
Eventually, the commissioners voted on the project. The results were unanimous, Skyplex was approved!
Hopefully, the project will break ground soon! Joshua Wallack has said to expect Skyplex to open in 2018, with the Skyscraper rollr coaster and drop tower completed first. The nearby Mango’s nightclub and restaurant, also owned by Wallack, is likely to open sooner. Until then, we’ve got something awesome to look at from the Orlando Eye!
Personally, I couldn’t be more excited for this! The world’s tallest roller coaster is coming to a place I regularly visit, and it’s going to be an Intamin! Almost nothing sounds better!
What do you think of the officially approved Skyplex Orlando project? You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter,Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Also, TP&T is now available on Apple News! Just search “Theme Parks and Travels” in the app, and hit the subscribe button!
In front of millions of viewers on the Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon announced to the world Universal Orlando Resort’s next new attraction, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. With Universal Creative and the Tonight Show team collaborating, this new ride is set to be a fun, immersive, and wild adventure.
The ride will start in Jimmy Fallon’s Studio and then Jimmy will challenge his “audience” to a race. Next thing you know, they will be zooming through New York City. Guests will soar through the streets and skies of Jimmy’s favortie city. They will also pass through the city’s subway tunnels, by characters, skyscrapers, landmarks, and even more. It will be themed around one of the show’s most popular segments, the celebrity races.
They also announced that the ride will feature smells, water effects, smoke, and will take place in 3D. Jimmy Fallon also joked that the ride will have a gift shop that sells $200 T-Shirts.
Unfortunately, to make room for a new ride, an old one has to go. Twister will close on November 2nd to make room for the new attraction. Go get your last rides in everyone!
Dynamic Attractions Flying Theater
Although we are not sure exactly what the ride system will be, it is expected that this ride will be a Dynamic Attractions Flying Theater based on both rumors and the information Universal is giving us. This is the same ride system as Soarin’ at Walt Disney World, but I expect this attraction to use a newer model of this system, which will start guests in a flat theater mode and tilt tem forwards near the screen and into the flying mode.
This attraction has been long rumored and is defintiely expected. I think it will be a pretty good attraction, but I don’t know if Jimmy Fallon will enhance or make the ride experience worse. Only time will tell us how it turns out.
Today, Comcast, the parent company of the Universal Studios resorts, announced their earnings for the third quarter of 2015. Within the report, they included some news about their theme parks. This news is of record attendance and revenue from the parks over the summer!
According to the company, record summer attendance for their parks allowed for a 14.1% increase in revenue in the company’s theme park division. This increase in attendance is likely due to the new Fast and Furious: Supercharged attraction at the Hollywood park and guests flocking to Universal’s Orlando park to visit the recently expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The revenue increased from $786 million last year to $896 million this year for the quarter. This is an incredible amount of growth in one year. Operating cash flow increased 14% for the quarter from $402 million last year to $458 million this year. For the first nine months of the year, theme park revenue also increased from $1.9 billion to $2.3 billion in 2015. This is an increase of 2.9%.
With a high increase in attendance and revenue this year, it will definitely be interesting to see what happens next year with the additions of Skull Island: Reign of Kong in Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in California, and the incredible new B&M flying coaster called The Flying Dinosaur at their Japan park. It will also be interesting to see if they will finally succumb to the demands of the Orlando annual passholders and provide plastic passes with this incredible growth! 🙂
What do you think of Universal’s recent growth? Are you mad that they don’t have plastic passes even with all of this money?Let us know by commenting below! Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
Skyplex Orlando was set to become an incredible retail and entertainment district featuring the world’s tallest roller coaster and the world’s tallest drop tower when it opens in 2018, but recent news today is making this goal more challenging to achieve. Why will this be so hard? The answer, the neighbors of Skyplex Orlando, the Universal Orlando Resort.
With the backing of their parent company Comcast, Universal Orlando Resort fought the developers of the impressive new complex today in front of the Orange County Development Committee. They recommended that the project continue, but with height restrictions. They pointed to complaints from a nearby residential neighborhood while Skyplex’s developers pointed to nearby residents in support of the development. Without the height, the 700 foot tall tower with a 501 foot tall roller coaster would not be the same. The FAA approved the height of the Polercoaster in July.
Skyplex is one of many nearby developments that Universal has opposed recently. The theme park recently filed a lawsuit against the hotels surrounding a lake connected to their waterpark, Wet n’ Wild, because they drain into the lake. In the past, the waterpark had used the lake for recreational activities and shows, but they claim that it is currently un-usable because of the condition of the lake. The waterpark is set to close at the end of 2016, which leads several to believe that they are filing the lawsuit because they want to fill in the lake.
Several members of the theme park community have attributed Universal’s opposition to the project to the fact that the tower will be visible from within the park. It is similar to their complaint at draining into the lake. In my opinion, this is a ridiculous move by Universal Orlando. It prevents the development of another fantastic attraction that would bring people to International Drive and their park. Another problem I have with their opposition is that they used to be the underdogs. Disney developed Hollywood Studios to prevent them from emerging, and they are doing this to prevent Skyplex from emerging. In the past, Disney was portrayed as the “bad guys” for this, but now it seems Universal has done the same. It is definitely a sad day to see Universal doing what they are doing.
What do you think about Universal’s response to the Skyplex development? Let us know by commenting below! Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
As if they weren’t building enough in the coming years, Universal Orlando announced yet another new attraction today. In 2017, Fast and Furious: Supercharged will be speeding into Universal Orlando.
The ride will start as guests enter vehicles, which will be specially designed for this ride. Then, they will embark on a journey with characters from the popular film franchise.
To make room for this new ride, Universal will close Disaster: A Major Motion Picture Starring You on September 8th and Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue on a later date.
Although we don’t know too many details about this ride, we do know that it will feature “an original storyline and incredible ride technology.”
This will be the second Fast and Furious attraction to come to a Universal park. The other Fast and Furious ride is a scene on the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour. It opened earlier in the summer to lackluster reviews. Recently, we visited Universal Studios Hollywood and I would agree with these reviews. It wasn’t particularly exciting, the story was a bit strange, and the animations weren’t the best. I hope that the Universal Orlando attraction will turn out as a better ride.
Most have speculated that this will be an overhaul to the existing Disaster ride or an experience similar to the one in California. I agreed with these thoughts, but then I noticed that Universal is committing a large amount of land to this attraction, which leads me to believe that they will create a more immersive and exciting experience. I would like to see them build is a ride similar to Test Track at Walt Disney World. It is a thrilling and popular experience of driving unique and speedy cars. It would be perfect for Universal Orlando.
In the above images, I show the area this attraction will be located in, the Universal Studios Hollywood attraction, and Epcot’s Test Track attraction from similar heights. The first image shows the current Disaster location, which will be the future location of the Fast and Furious attraction. The second shows the Fast and Furious Studio Tour scene from Universal Studios Hollywood. The third shows Test Track at EPCOT. Based on satellite imagery, the current Fast and Furious attraction is A LOT smaller than the plot of land coming to Universal Orlando. On the other hand, the plot of land in Orlando is similar to the amount of land used by Test Track at Walt Disney World. Based on these images, I am led to believe that a larger and more thrilling Fast and Furious attraction, which may be similar to Test Track, will be coming to Universal Orlando in 2017. I hope that Universal will build a ride similar to Test Track, but there is absolutely no confirmation as to what the attraction will be.
Are you excited for a Fast and Furious attraction to come to Universal Orlando? Do you expect a Test Track attraction or something similar to Hollywood’s attraction? Comment below and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Thank you for visiting Theme Parks and Travels! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below!
Yes, one of the first waterparks, Wet n’ Wild Orlando, which opened in 1977, will close on December 31st, 2016. With the announcement of the Volcano Bay Waterpark, many were expecting Universal, the owners of Wet n’ Wild Orlando, to close the park. The rumors are confirmed. The real question is what will happen to the waterpark?
For the slides, I expect some of them to be used in the Volcano Bay park. I’d expect some of the larger slides to go there, but others to either be dismantled or sent to other waterparks.
For Wet n’ Wild’s Land, which is owned by Universal, the outcome is unknown. Above is the different chunks of land. The red zone is the known land owned by Universal. The green zone is the current parking lot, which is also owned by Universal. The blue area is a spot that I think is owned by Universal, but I’m not completely sure. The easiest possible use of the land of Wet n’ Wild is another hotel. Wet n’ Wild is surprisingly small. It’s much smaller than the Universal hotels. If they fill in part of the water or build a bridge across Universal Boulevard, they could fit in a hotel.
On the other hand, if Universal owns the entire lake, I could see Universal finally building their third park! This would make it large enough I really hope this is a possibility! I could see them heavily using the Nintendo characters within a third park.
There is one thing for sure, if Universal uses this land, these hotels are going to have a fantastic view! Thanks you for visiting Theme Parks and Travels! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below! Also, you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr!
The last couple days brought big announcements for Central Florida’s theme parks. With two MAJOR Sea World parks announcements and a HUGE Universal announcement, the excitement is building up for central Florida’s next few years. In the next two years alone, we already knew of a King Kong ride, the world’s tallest roller coaster, Avatarland, the world’s tallest drop tower, a new Universal hotel, and even more! Now, after all of these amazing attractions, we get three more! Without further to do, here they are:
Sea World Orlando’s Mako Roller Coaster!
In case you haven’t checked Social Media, Sea World Orlando announced what they’d been teasing for a while, the tallest* and fastest roller coaster in Orlando, Mako. Mako is going to be a B&M hypercoaster. It will be 200ft tall and will have a speed of 73mph. Along with Mako, Sea World is also re-designing their Shark themed area of the park to go along with the new roller coaster. The press release is below with more details:
*Until the World’s Tallest roller coaster, Skyscraper, opens at Skyplex on I-Drive
SeaWorld Orlando’s Mako ™ quick facts:
Opening summer 2016, Mako will be the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in Orlando
Mako will be a hypercoaster, designed for speed and relentless “air time”
SeaWorld Orlando will now have a portfolio of five thrill rides: three distinctly different coasters, plus two family coasters.
The 2-acre realm of the park will now be fully themed around sharks: including Mako, Shark Encounter®, Sharks Underwater Grill®, themed gift shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences.
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 27, 2015) – Surfacing summer 2016 at SeaWorld Orlando will be Mako, a 200-foot-tall hypercoaster that will reach 73 mph along 4,760 feet of steel track — nearly a mile long — and leave riders feeling both breathless and weightless. Named for one of the ocean’s fastest known sharks, Mako will be Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster.
“On Mako, you’ll experience what it’s like to be this apex predator, surging through the water at top speed and chasing prey throughout a massive reef,” said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld’s attraction creative director. “It will be a wild mix of fear, thrills and fun.”
Mako’s tight turns and speed are inspired by reality. Mako sharks — also called “blue pointers” — are known for their top speed, making extreme jumps and the ability to quickly change course as they pursue their prey.
The new coaster will become one of the world’s few true hypercoasters, a group of roller coasters known for high speeds and steep drops and hills that create a feeling of weightlessness or “air time.” As the sleek coaster cars crest each hill, riders float, nearly weightless.
Mako is manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, a company renowned among coaster enthusiasts. B&M has built many of the world’s top roller coasters, including SeaWorld’s Manta and Kraken, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s SheiKra.
SeaWorld’s new hypercoaster will be the centerpiece of the newly themed surrounding realm. The two-acre plaza now will be fully shark themed including Mako, Shark Encounter, Sharks Underwater Grill, shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences featuring sharks.
The entire realm is created to make guests feel they’re underwater, part of the group of sharks and toothy animals that have taken over a shipwrecked reef.
In the plaza, guests will learn about the impact humans are having on sharks and why these animals are critical to the environment. Sharks are hunted for their fins — considered a delicacy in certain countries — and thousands are caught accidentally in nets. Several species of sharks are on the verge of extinction.
“It’s this blend of education and thrills, immersing guests in an underwater world, that sets a SeaWorld ride apart from others,” said Morrow.
“Our fans will love how Mako complements our other rides. Kraken is big, monstrous and twisty. Manta is massive and glides smoothly, taking you on a flight like a huge ray. Mako is entirely different. It’s streamlined and fast, just like a mako shark. There’s no wasted motion, it’s all speed and dives.”
Mako uses a unique sound system to enhance the experience, and not just for those on the ride. The full score of Mako can be heard and follows riders out of the station and up the lift hill. Custom surround effects and musical scores fill the realm, changing as the coaster dives through the area.
At night, specialty lights will accent the coaster trains, realm and track, flickering and shimmering, simulating fish being scattered by a mako on the hunt.
Follow the Mako frenzy using the hashtag #NothingFaster. Visit SeaWorldOrlando.com for more information and updates on the new ride.
So, what do you think about Mako? We think this ride will be a great fit for Sea World Orlando and we’re excited for the newest member of the Orlando skyline! Here’s some images of Mako (Courtesy of Sea World):
The new “Shark” area of the park!
The Entrance for Mako.
The 200 foot hypercoaster will travel over the lake!
This concept art is beautiful, this is such a great entrance plaza!
Busch GardEns Tampa’s Cobra’s Curse!
Yes, that’s correct, Sea World Parks is building TWO new roller coasters at their central Florida parks. Busch Gardens Tampa announced Cobra’s Curse, a Mack Rides spinning coaster! Cobra’s Curse will feature an elevator lift and great theming! The press release is below:
Tampa, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Busch Gardens® Tampa puts a spin on family thrills in 2016 with a brand new family thrill ride – Cobra’s Curse. This spin coaster is the only one of its kind in the world, featuring a vertical lift and taking riders on a whirlwind adventure of exciting explorations.
Located in the Egypt area of the park, explorers will come face-to-face with an 80-foot snake icon, trek over the park’s Serengeti Plain® and discover the mysteries of an Egyptian archeological excavation.
“This isn’t your ordinary spin coaster. In true Busch Gardens style, we’re putting a twist on this attraction and taking riders on an unforgettable and exciting journey,” said Busch Gardens Park President Jim Dean. “
“The addition of a family spin coaster complements the selection of thrill rides Busch Gardens offers, and we know it’s an attraction that guests from across the globe will enjoy,” Dean added. “We continue to find new and exciting ways to offer thrills for the entire family, and we know Cobra’s Curse will even further solidify Busch Gardens as Florida’s Thrill Leader.”
Get a sneak peek of Florida’s newest and most exciting family thrill ride on the Busch GardensYouTube channel.
Visit CobrasCurse.com for more information. Or, be the first to know about new events, special deals and future announcements by following the park’s blog at buschgardenstampablog.com, or “Like” the Busch GardensFacebook page and follow @buschgardens on Twitter and Instagram.
What do you think of Cobra’s Curse? This seems like a great addition to Busch Gardens Tampa that will provide family thrills to all!
Here’s the overall image of the ride! Doesn’t it look great?
This giant snake is a large element of theming.
Even the station will be heavily themed!
Here’s a closeup of the Cobra’s Curse elevator lift.
Universal Orlando Resort’s Volcano Bay Waterpark!
Yes, the best of all was saved for last. The waterpark that has been rumored for years is finally coming to Universal Orlando Resort! Universal sent out a surprise tweet this morning with this video in it:
Instantly the “twitterverse” exploded as all of us theme park nerds cheered on Universal! At 11am they finally announced Volcano bay, which will be a revolutionary and innovative waterpark. Here’s the press release:
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Universal Orlando Resort today announced a project of remarkable vision: to bring to life an entirely new water theme park experience. Called Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort, it will join Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure and become the resort’s third incredibly immersive park.
Universal’s Volcano Bay will be a place for the entire family. It will be a whole new generation of experience that reimagines what it means to be a water park.
Imagine a place that offers radically innovative, thrilling attractions, peaceful moments of relaxation and an inspired guest experience that will forever change the perception of water theme parks. It will be set in a highly themed, completely immersive environment inspired by postcard-perfect tropical islands. And it will be the kind of special place that only the Universal team – the same team that has changed the face of Universal Orlando Resort in recent years – can envision and create.
Universal’s Volcano Bay will be located within Universal Orlando Resort, just south of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Work is already underway and more details will be released in the future.
Universal’s Volcano Bay is the next in a series of boldly creative experiences that have opened and will continue to open at Universal Orlando. It began with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade in 2010 and quickly moved to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Springfield, hometown to America’s favorite animated family, The Simpsons, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, eight new venues at Universal CityWalk, the breathtaking Cabana Bay Beach Resort and more. It will include Skull Island: Reign of Kong and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in 2016.
And then – in 2017 – will come Universal’s Volcano Bay.
About Universal Orlando Resort
For 25 years, Universal Orlando Resort has been creating epic vacations for the entire family – incredible experiences that place guests in the heart of powerful stories and adventures. Guests can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, grab a Krusty burger in Springfield, join the ranks of the Minions and so much more.
Universal Orlando’s two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, are home to some of the world’s most exciting and innovative attractions. Its on-site resort hotels, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, and Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort are destinations unto themselves. Its entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk, offers dining and entertainment for every member of the family. And just minutes away is Wet ‘n Wild, a family water park.
Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled 18 new guest experiences in the past five years – powerful attractions, incredible dining opportunities and a dramatically themed hotel. And more is on the way. Coming in 2016 is Universal Orlando’s fifth on-site hotel, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort; and Skull Island: Reign of Kong, a groundbreaking attraction in Islands of Adventure. And in 2017 will come Universal’s Volcano Bay, an entirely new water theme park experience.
WOW, This is awesome! Universal just keeps announcing more and more! This park is going to be a great addition to the Universal lineup! Here’s what we can see from the pictures:
Here’s the Overview of the Volcano themed waterpark!
Based on the concept art, there will be a large wave pool at the base of the Volcano and in the background, you can see a slide tower.
Here’s the ending of a speedy looking slide.
At the top of the volcano, which is according to permits going to be over 200ft tall, will have a HUGE waterslide, which could easily become the world’s tallest!
Also, there appears to be Polynesian themed bungalows in the back.
It’s been an AMAZING week for the Orlando (and Tampa) parks! Two coasters and a Waterpark! How could this get better? What do you think of these new additions to Orlando?Let us know on Social Media! Thanks for reading the blog! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below! Also, you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Tumblr!
Before today’s article, I’d like to let you know on a couple of things from TP&T! First, we will return to writing more articles in the near future! Hopefully we can crank out an article a day (or more) starting next week! Second, we NEED your support on Facebook, we have eight likes on our Facebook Page, while Twitter is doing a lot better! To recap, we will have more articles soon and please go like us on Facebook! Thanks for your support, and now back to your regularly scheduled programming! And yes, today we have DOUBLE the amount of articles than we normally do!
Today, Universal announced what the entire theme park community had been expecting, the return of King Kong to Universal Orlando Resort. King Kong’s Kongfrontation was one of the most beloved rides in Universal Orlando’s history. It occupied the space that currently holds the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster. Many fans of the ride grieved over the closing. Today, it was announced that the classic character will return to Universal Orlando at the Islands of Adventure park in his new ride, “Skull Island: Reign of Kong!”
Here’s a video from Universal that announced the new attraction!
Image-Universal Orlando Resort
Image-Universal Orlando Resort
The ride will be located between the Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park sections of Islands of Adventure. You will head into the rock work temple that is currently under construction and enter into a safari-jeep style vehicle. Then, you will drive throughout Skull Island, see wild creatures, and eventually encounter King Kong himself! Then you will battle with King Kong. Are you excited for this new attraction? Let us know on Social Media!
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Six Flags Great Adventure is by far the best Six Flags park that I’ve been to! It has some great coasters such as El Toro, the airtime filled INTAMIN woodie as seen above, and Nitro, an amazing B&M hypercoaster. They are also home to Kingda Ka (the giant green roller coaster in the background), the world’s tallest roller coaster (until Skyplex comes in 2017) and Zumanjaro, the world’s tallest drop tower (on the front of Kingda Ka, it isn’t in this picture). It’s a great park, but the theming isn’t as good as other parks! I strongly recommend visiting this park!
Universal Studios Orlando is home to rides from The Simpsons, Despicable Me, Harry Potter, and so much more! This is one of my favorite parks! It provides thrills through what has become a decent amount of thrill rides, but I like some other parks just a little bit more. If you are in Orlando, you have to go to Universal!
#8-Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is home to some amazing B&Ms! The one in the video (Scroll Down for Subscription Link) above is The Griffon, their B&M Dive Machine! The park also has Apollo’s Chariot, an awesome B&M hypercoaster, and Verbolten, not a B&M, but a great Zierer ride for the whole family with the only vertical drop on a roller coaster in the United States. This park is a hybrid on theming and thrills, which is what I love in a park. It has some of the best theme park landscaping around!
Busch Gardens loves B&Ms! This park is home to Sheikra, Kumba, and Montu, three amazing and powerful B&Ms! On top of that, they have some INTAMIN glory in the Flying Drop tower Falcon’s Fury, and the ride for everyone to enjoy, Cheetah Hunt! This park has a great Safari, some great coasters, and some good landscaping. The theming is relatively good, like its sister park in Williamsburg. Definitely head over to this park from next time you are in Florida!
#6-Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia
Kings Dominion gets points for being my home park! I love I-305 and Volcano, Oh the INTAMIN glory of this park! You can’t forget a ride on Dominator, the B&M floorless coaster, and of course the classic, Premier Rides built, Flight of Fear. Kings Dominion is not the best park by any means, but it is a great local park, it definitely is the best in the region!
#5-EPCOT at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
EPCOT, or the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow was Walt Disney’s biggest dream. Unfortunately, it was nothing like he planned it to be. He planned it as the sprawling city of the future, with what was actually built as its centerpiece. EPCOT is a permanent world’s fair, not the city of tomorrow. Fortunately for us, EPCOT has some great thrill rides, like Test Track, and some awesome family rides like SOARIN! This park has beautiful theming throughout, and delicious food, especially in the world showcase!
#4-Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
The Magic Kingdom is the most visited theme park on earth for a reason. It is one of the most well themed parks on Earth, with a wide array of classic and modern attractions such as Space Mountain, the Jungle Cruise, It’s a Small World, the Haunted Mansion, The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and countless others! The Magic Kingdom is great for every age, from 1 to 100, the headline park of Walt Disney World is fantastic!
#3-Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the last Disney park on the list, but I want to give an honorable mention to the Animal Kingdom, it needs some more rides to be great. Hollywood Studios is a park in transition, there are so many rides closed in this park. I can’t wait to see what the transition will bring to this park. Even with the closures, this is my favorite Disney park, because it has theming and thrills! From The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the best drop tower that I’ve been on, to Rock n’ Roller Coaster, which has some awesome Aerosmith music, to Toy Story Midway Mania, the fun family shooter, Hollywood Studios is jam packed with some of the best rides in the country! This park is worth your time while you are in Orlando!
#2-Islands of Adventure at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida
I love Islands of Adventure, they have a bit of everything! It is the best place to find thrills and theming combined together! From the Marvel Universe, to Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter, this park has it all! It has some great dark rides like Spiderman and The Forbidden Journey, it has the family friendly Dr. Seuss and Toon Lagoon areas of the park, and three amazing B&M coasters (Dragon Challenge is two roller coasters)! This is by far the best mix of theming and amazing thrills that I know!
The Thrill Capital of the world is home to Millennium Force, the number one roller coaster on earth, Maverick, the insane INTAMIN Blitz, Gatekeeper, an awesome B&M WingRider, and so many more insane coasters! This park pushes the boundaries of roller coasters, they were the ones who started the Coaster Wars! It may not have too much theming, but this is by far my favorite park because of the insane thrills of this glorious park!
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