Excited for a new year of fun and travel? Well, check out these exciting new openings to add to your wanderlust and travel plans.
Concept only. © Disney
Toy Story Land, Walt Disney World Resort, Florida
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is bringing toys to life in Andy’s very own theme-park backyard, opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this summer. Fans of Woody, Buzz and the gang will be able to ride on Slinky’s curly-wurly roller-coaster, spin through orbit on the Alien Swirling Saucers (look out for The Claw!) and play to their heart’s content in the fun-tastic Toy Story Mania. Intrepid explorers will head into the secret world of ‘under Andy’s bed’, where they can use baseballs and cream pies to blast their way through the targets.
For updates on Toy Story Land, visit Disney World
Image courtesy of Six Flags
Six Flags Adventure Parks, Nationwide
The Six Flags theme parks popular adventure parks across the country is introducing not one but 14 new attractions to their impressive collection. From the wet ‘n’ wild Wahoo River to the Typhoon Twister, there will be something for adrenaline junkies and small-ride lovers alike. Splash World Island will be terrific fun for little ones wanting to cool off, while CraZanity takes G-force to the next level. There’s even a Cyborg Spin and Wonder Woman coaster, not to mention the largest loop coaster in the world opening at the Chicago location.
Find out more at Six Flags
Rendering courtesy of LEGOLAND Resort
LEGOLAND California, San Diego
Opening this spring, LEGOLAND Resort will bring the fairytale world of castles and princesses to life at its newest hotel, LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. New attractions will also grace the theme park for LEGO lovers, including the LEGO City Deep Sea Adventure submarine ride. Opening in the summer, kids will ride real submarines designed after the LEGO line of toys and go deep into an ocean world.
Find out more at LEGOLAND California
Rendering courtesy of SeaWorld Orlando
Infinity Falls, SeaWorld Orlando
As SeaWorld moves away from its animal shows following worldwide petitions, the theme parks are evolving into amusement parks with the addition of new and thrill-inducing rides. This summer, SeaWorld Orlando is welcoming Infinity Falls, a family passenger river rapids ride. You’re bound to get wet on this wild ride!
Rendering courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort
The hit movie series, Fast and the Furious, made Vin Diesel the highest-grossing actor of 2017. If your kids have followed the films over the years, now they can get a chance to ride along with the character in high-speed car chases on the new Fast & Furious – Supercharged. The ride will debut this spring with 15 cars from the original films on display throughout the ride.
Find out more at Universal Orlando Resort
Camp Snoopy, Carowinds, North and South Carolina
Situated on the border between North and South Carolina, Carowinds amusement park features 398 acres of rides, attractions and family fun. 2018 sees the opening of the much-awaited Camp Snoopy, with new rides for little ones featuring everyone’s favourite cartoon dog, his owner Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Visitors can hop on board the spinning Woodstock Whirlybirds, bounce around on the all-terrain mud buggies or go wild on the 8000 square foot Beagle Scout Acres adventure playground. Kids can also look forward to rides on the flying Camp Bus, the soaring kite-eating tree and the Peanuts Trailblazer cars.
Find out more about Camp Snoopy
Photo: Warner Bros. World
Warner Bros. World, Abu Dhabi
If you’re ready to travel further afield to enjoy new theme parks, then the new Warner Bros. Theme Park opening in Abu Dhabi this year is perfect for you. The planned indoor entertainment venue features six distinctive immersive lands. Guests will be able to wander through Cartoon Junction, Dynamite Gulch, Metropolis and even Gotham City as they seek out the best rides and attractions that Warner Bros. has to offer. Step back in time to visit the Flintstone family in Bedrock ad check out the prehistoric fun lined up for little ones; just make sure you leave plenty of time to try out each of the 29 rides and entertainment sections of the adventure park. The Warner Bros. theme park is on the man-made Yas Island just off the Abu Dhabi coast, which can be reached by car, boat or plane.
Find out more at WBworld Abu Dhabi
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s exterior © Louvre Abu Dhabi, Photography: Mohamed Somji
The Louvre, Abu Dhabi
Not all fun comes in the form of roller coasters. One of the most anticipated worldwide openings is the second Louvre museum. The famous Paris-based art gallery is so popular that a second museum has opened in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In the pipeline since 2007, when France and the UAE came together to discuss the creation of a new cultural institution, the museum finally opened at the end of 2017. The ethos of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is to represent universality; the things that unite us such as human creativity that transcends countries and cultures. The museum champions the progression of humanity from the prehistoric to the present, reflected in the chronologically ordered galleries. Children in particular can engage with the artworks by following the timeline and discovering how we have changed through history. There is a separate Children’s Museum spread across two floors of the Louvre, hosting family-friendly exhibitions and hands-on workshops for children aged six to twelve.
Find out more about Louvre Abu Dhabi
Rendering courtesy of Heneghan Peng architects
Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt
Hailed as the largest archeological museum in the world, the Grand Egyptian Museum in Egypt will be sited on 50 hectares of land just a mile from the Giza Pyramids. Fifty thousand exhibits are set to be stored at the museum, including the full 5000-item collection from the tomb of Tutankhamun that will be relocated from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The museum is set to be a fun and educational attraction where families can get a hands-on history lesson about one of the world’s most fascinating cultures.
Find out more about Grand Egyptian Museum
Photo courtesy of Visit Copenhagen; Thomas Høyrup Christensen
Winter in Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen
If you can escape next month, Tivoli Gardens amusement park is celebrating its 175th season with it’s first winter celebration from Feb. 2 to 25. The downtown park will open Winter in Tivoli Gardens with an ice-skating rink, shops, and restaurants for the special celebration, and will operate some of its regular-season rides during the event, as well.
Find out more about Tivoli Gardens