What’s Next for Orlando in 2024?

On the verge of a whole New Year in our favourite holiday destination, we always like to take stock and look ahead to ask what we can expect in the next 12 months. And the answer is – a lot!

In typical Orlando fashion, there will be new attractions and experiences right across this part of Central Florida, and it should be another spectacular 12 months in the Theme Park Capital of the World.

We like to say that Orlando is the city that never stands still, and that will definitely be the case in 2024 as Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and LEGOLAND Florida all unveil new rides and attractions.

So, with a lot to look forward to, here’s what we can expect – and what you can start anticipating on your next Florida holiday!

Walt Disney World

Regular Disney-goers will know that the EPCOT park has been in an ongoing state of construction for fully five years, but all that will finally come to an end in the New Year, and it should be well worth waiting for.

The complete transformation of the former Future World area will be complete when the all-new World Celebration joins World Nature and World Discovery as the three areas of this first section of the park.

We have already seen the walk-through Journey of Water Inspired by Moana just two months ago, completing the World Nature area, and the construction boards should come down around the central section in January, including the signature Dreamer’s Point statue featuring Walt Disney and Festival Gardens, which are designed to be a defining feature of the park as they change from one festival season to another.

Other new features will be Communicore Hall and Communicore Plaza, offering live music venues, exhibition space, show kitchens and other interactive elements, including the big character meet-and-greet of Mickey & Friends.

Over at the Magic Kingdom, Frontierland will see the arrival of the completely re-themed Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (the old Splash Mountain, which was closed in January this year). While using the existing flume and track, the ride will now be a celebration of Princess Tiana and her Louisiana roots, with a journey through the mysterious Bayou culminating in a steep drop into a big party for the people of New Orleans.

The only debut date Disney has indicated so far is that the ride will open “in late 2024,” but our hope is that it could be earlier than that, perhaps by late summer

There are also three highly tempting new restaurants on the horizon to add to our Disney dining pleasure! At Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort, look out for the Cake Bake Shop, a specialist patisserie that will also serve savoury meals for lunch and dinner, while the Summer House on the Lake (garden-fresh foods and local ingredients) and Eet by Maneet Chauhan, Disney’s first Indian restaurant, will both grace the Disney Springs area next summer.

Universal Orlando

Over at Orlando’s other big resort development, Universal’s big news for next year will be all about the new DreamWorks Land, which will replace the former Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone area of children’s attractions.

Only the ET Adventure ride and Animal Actors On Location show remained open when most of the KidZone was shut down earlier this year and a dramatic new land was promised in its place.

Details of the DreamWorks area have been thin on the ground since the announcement last July, but we can expect a mix of rides and character experiences, especially with younger visitors in mind.

Advance rumours suggest that the former Woody’s Nuthouse Coaster will be re-themed for the Trolls (as the Trollercoaster!), while the area previously given over to Barney the Purple Dinosaur will be transformed into an elaborate meet-and-greet experience with the likes of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, the Madagascar gang and Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse.

More details are certain to leak out in the New Year, so be sure to have our blog bookmarked for future news.

SeaWorld & Busch Gardens

As we already know, both of these go-ahead parks have announced major new rides for 2024, albeit they will both replace previously existing attractions.

At Orlando’s SeaWorld park, get ready for a new family coaster experience in the form of Penguin Trek, a fast-launch roller-coaster (the park’s EIGHTH coaster) that mimics a fast-turning snow-mobile ride over more than 3,000ft of track.

It will replace the former Empire of the Penguin ride and also conclude in the chilly confines of the park’s penguin habitat. It will have a height requirement of only 42 inches, and you can see more about it on this SeaWorld video.

Phoenix Rising will be the latest offering from Busch Gardens, taking the place of two former rides – the Sand Serpent ‘crazy mouse’ coaster, and the old Phoenix swinging boat ride, which hadn’t seen any action for five years in the Pantopia area of the park.

The new ride will be a family-friendly suspended coaster that hits a top speed of 44mph and reaches out over the Serengeti Plain before dropping into a series of fast-paced twists and turns at low level through Pantopia. With a height restriction of just 42 inches, it is another that should thrill most children (and grown-ups!).

LEGOLAND

It will be race time at the new LEGO Ferrari Build & Race Experience opening in spring 2024 at LEGOLAND Florida. According to the press release, guests will be able to see a life-sized LEGO Ferrari and create their own race car in interactive play zones before testing it on three extreme tracks. Then, they can digitally build and race on a virtual track to the finish line. Younger drivers can design their own Ferrari with bigger bricks in the DUPLO build zone.

Guests will also be able to explore the undersea wonders of SEA LIFE Florida Resort, a brand-new aquarium that will open in the autumn. This family-friendly exhibit, borrowing from the expertise of the Sea Life attraction at ICON Park, will offer a diverse range of marine life, captivating exhibits and oceanic exploration, culminating in a compelling seascape.

All in all, it’s an impressive line-up of new attractions for the new year, and you can be sure there will be more as the year progresses.

What are you most looking forward to in 2024? Give us your thoughts on our Facebook, X and Instagram pages… and don’t forget to interact with us on Pinterest and now TikTok too!