Theme Parks Made 5 NEW Announcements This Week

The 2025 International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo was this week in Orlando, and there’s a lot we need to talk about.

The Expo ran November 17th–21st, and it delivered looks at brand-new ride technology and concepts. Some exciting theme park attractions are on the horizon thanks to these announcements — let’s take a look at what’s to come!

Galacticcoaster — Legoland Florida

We’re starting with an all-new rollercoaster coming to Legoland Florida called the Galacticcoaster! The indoor family thrill ride, reaching speeds up to 40 mph, is set to debut in early 2026, and will feature the ability to personalize your ride — such as the nose, tail, wings and color — of your spacecraft. Rob Smith, chief operating officer of Merlin Entertainments Group, said that this will be achieved with RFID technology in a wristband.

There are said to be more than 620 combinations of the vehicles. Guests will be able to let their imaginations run wild, as you can give your aircraft things like hamburger wings, crab claws, or a dragon tail. This week, Legoland introduced us to  Space Creature, a character that will appear in the attraction. The storyline of the ride involves passengers helping to avoid the “asteroid of probable destruction.”

SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep — SeaWorld Orlando

Taking a look at what’s coming to SeaWorld Orlando, it was announced recently that the park would be getting a ‘first-of-its-kind’ suspended dark ride called SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep. This week, SeaWorld revealed the submersible-style ride vehicle guests will board.

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SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep is set to open in 2026 and will be a part of a newly expanded area of the park.

Six Flags Over Texas previewed its new Tormenta Running Rampage. Tormenta is a new, ground-breaking roller coaster set to break SIX records, and will be the first “giga-dive coaster” that is more than 300 feet tall. A giga-dive coaster is one that stands between 300 feet and 399 feet tall and features a vertical drop.

It’s said that the vehicle brings guests to a record-breaking height of 309 feet, making it the world’s tallest dive roller coaster. After that, guests will drop down a 95-degree descent, at up to 87 mph. Yep, making it the fastest dive coaster in the world as well. On top of all that, the coaster will also be the world’s longest dive coaster at 4,199 feet. The highest…the fastest…the longest!

Dollywood is adding NightFlight Expedition in 2026. This ride will be a “first-of-its-kind” experience. It’s essentially four rides in one — as you’ll fly over the Smoky Mountains, plunge into whitewater rapids, climb a mountain, and navigate a mysterious lake.

The ride will be a hybrid roller coaster AND a river ride. The ride is completely indoors in a 44,000 square foot facility, with a track length of nearly a quarter of a mile, and a maximum speed of 29 mph. Check out the trailer!

Lastly, we got a first look at the ride vehicle for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. The new coaster will be located at Universal Studios Hollywood and is set to open in 2026. It will be the first-ever high-speed outdoor roller coaster in the park. 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.”

There’s a lot of exciting stuff coming, and we can’t wait to try it all — although the Tormento might be too much for us! For more theme park news and updates, make sure to follow us at AllEars.

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

What ride are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments!

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