Orlando’s best new theme park attractions
Orlando has sunshine, golf courses, great restaurants and craft beer, but it’s undoubtedly best known for its numerous world class theme parks. Heading to Florida soon? We take a look at some of the latest attractions to put on your to-do list…
Epcot – Frozen Ever After
Three years after its release, Disney’s animated film Frozen remains as popular as ever, and in summer 2016 a new Frozen-themed dark water ride opened in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort. Frozen Ever After is a family-friendly attraction at the Norway pavilion for kids and adults of all ages and any height, which transports riders on an atmospheric boat trip through Arendelle kingdom, finishing up at Queen Elsa’s magical ice palace.
Islands of Adventure – Skull Island: Reign of Kong
Opened in summer 2016, Skull Island: Reign of Kong is a multi-sensory King Kong-themed attraction located at Islands of Adventure theme park at Universal Orlando Resort. Wearing 3D glasses, visitors board the 8th Wonder Expedition truck for an immersive ride through spooky Skull Island, a dark and mysterious environment filled with skeletons, skulls and seriously scary creatures. The experience combines awe-inspiring animatronics – including a three storey high King Kong – with epic battle scenes and gigantic 3D screens.
Universal Orlando Resort – Volcano Bay
Volcano Bay is the latest theme park addition to Universal Orlando Resort, and is set to open in summer 2017. This tropical island themed water park will feature a 200 foot faux volcano as its centrepiece, and will also include a multidirectional wave pool with sandy beaches, a winding river through hidden caves, and the Ko’okiri Body Plunge: a 70 degree, 125 foot slide through the centre of the volcano.
Animal Kingdom – Pandora: The World of AVATAR
Based on the exoplanetary moon Pandora from James Cameron’s Avatar film franchise, the new Pandora – The World of AVATAR attraction is slated to open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in early 2017. The new land is a collaboration with the Oscar winning team behind the movie, and will feature jaw dropping floating mountains, a glittering nighttime jungle of bioluminescent plants, and a new attraction called AVATAR Flight of Passage that will allow visitors to simulate flight with banshees, the small bird-like predators native to Pandora.
Written by Maxine Sheppard
