7 NEW Rides Announced for U.S. Theme Parks in 2026

Heading to a theme park in 2026? You might get to check out a NEW ride!

There are SO many new rides announced for next year, and it looks like you’ll have to plan several trips to see them all. Here, we’re rounding up the full list of major rides coming in 2026 — let’s get hyped!

Coming to Dollywood

Starting things out at Dollywood in Tennessee, we’ve got a new ride coming in 2026 that’s supposed to be four rides in one! NightFlight Expedition will offer four distinct experiences: flying over the Smoky Mountains, plunging into whitewater rapids, climbing a mountain, and navigating a mysterious lake.

It’s coming to the Wildwood Grove area of the park, and it’s described as a hybrid roller coaster and whitewater river ride. It’s going to be an entirely indoor ride in a facility that’s the size of four football fields. Wow!

Get All the Info on NightFlight Expedition Here!

Coming to Alton Towers Resort

The first-ever Bluey theme park ride is coming to Alton Towers in the UK in 2026! The ride will be located in the CBeebies Land (their kids’ TV channel) and will open in the spring.

In addition to the ride, Alton Towers Resort guests can also meet Bluey and her family, as well as enjoy a live experience called Big Fun Showtime. Sounds like a blast!

Learn More About This Ride Here!

Coming to Train Routes

Rail Events Incorporated and Warner Bros. Discovery are partnering to bring a unique travel experience — Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Express Adventure. This will be a REAL version of riding the Hogwarts Express onboard a REAL train! You’ll visit Platform 9 3/4 and then board the train, where you can compete in challenges with your Hogwarts house.

The ride looks like it will feature screens to enhance the immersion. Once your ride is complete, you’ll get to try some Butterbeer, and you’ll have the chance to purchase exclusive merchandise. Routes haven’t been announced yet, but the journeys will begin in 2026.

Get All the Hogwarts Express Deets Here!

Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

One of the most iconic rides coming in 2026 is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is a retheme of the current Aerosmith-based ride, and it will feature Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

The ride revamp has been met with mixed reception, but it will open in the summer. It will also feature the first-of-its-kind Muppets animatronic!

Learn More About the Coaster Here!

Coming to SeaWorld Orlando

In 2026 at SeaWorld Orlando, SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep will take families on an “awe-inspiring voyage into the ocean’s most extraordinary realms aboard a “state-of-the-art submersible.”

It will be a suspended dark ride that mimics a submarine journey, themed around an “adventure through dazzling undersea ecosystems” where riders will “encounter extraordinary lifeforms, breathtaking environments, and inspiring stories of the sea.” Sounds incredible!

Check Out the New Ride Details Here!

Coming to Universal Hollywood

At Universal Studios Hollywood, a NEW coaster is opening in 2026, and it’s themed to Fast & Furious. Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is the first-ever high-speed outdoor roller coaster in this park.

Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift construction

The ride will feature “groundbreaking 360-degree rotation of the individual vehicles that creates a seamless sensation of drifting cars as they spin in motion at speeds up to 72 mph.” Sounds like an adrenaline rush!

Coming to Six Flags Over Texas

At Six Flags Over Texas, a new ride is coming in 2026 that frightens us with its name alone — Tormenta: Rampaging Run! It’s going to break six coaster records, as it’s the first “giga-dive coaster” that is more than 300 feet tall.

Its vehicle will carry passengers to a record-breaking height of 309 feet and then drop them down a 95-degree descent that will reach up to 87 mph. Tormenta will also be the world’s longest dive coaster at 4,199 feet. It’s based on the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.