Hey Thrill Seekers,
So 2019 was a good year for our beloved theme parks in Florida but in my opinion 2020 is going to be even bigger and better!
2019 bought us Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios containing 2 great attractions – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It also bought us the amazing Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure. SeaWorld bought us Sesame Street Land which is tonnes of fun (and i got to meet Abby Cadabby!) and we also got Lego Movie World at Legoland Florida!
Let’s take a look at what 2020 has in store for us… (this is in no way in order of favourtism… or is it.. đ )
Iron Gwazi – Busch Gardens – opening Spring 2020
Eeeeeeeeekkkk i CANNOT WAIT for this to open in spring!! Gwazi was a brilliant ride but Iron Gwazi sounds even better. Iron Gwazi is âgoing to be the best roller coaster in Florida,â says Jonathan Smith â director of rides and engineering. âWeâre building what could be one of the best coasters in the entire world.â
Iron Gwazi will have a tallest point of 206 feet, a 91 degree drop and a top speed of a whopping 76 mph!! Which is faster than Mako may i add! It will be the tallest and fastest coaster in the Sunshine State.
Iron Gwazi is being converted from an old twin-track to a single-track design â by Rocky Mountain Construction who also made Steel Vengeance (which Iron Gwazi will now overtake, by 1 foot, to be the tallest hybrid) are a hugely popular and many fan favourite lists include Rocky Mountain coasters.
Ice Breaker – SeaWorld – opening Spring 2020
Ice Breaker is coming to SeaWorld this spring, it’s going to be one hell of a thrilling coaster judging by the info we have…
Using linear synchronous motors, the unique coaster will feature a quadruple launch. After leaving the station, the trains will enter a track switch that will move them laterally into the launch section. They will first magnetically launch backwards, then forward, then backward, and finally forward with enough momentum to hit the rideâs top speed of 52 mph and make it out of the launch area. â USA Today
âPassengers will experience airtime (both forward and backward) while they are launchingâ on SeaWorld Orlandoâs new Ice Breaker roller coaster, ride director Jonathan Smith says. âAirtime going backwards is unique.â -SeaWorld Parks.
Ice Breakerâs riders will navigate a 93-foot spike at 100 degrees, a full 10 degrees beyond vertical. They will also encounter an 80-foot top hat-shaped element that Smith says will be loaded with airtime. The coaster will be an âunusual, crazy, fun and thrilling experience,â he adds.
Riptide Race – Aquatica – opening TBC
Experience Floridaâs first dueling racer, Riptide Race. Grab a friend and race through high speed tunnels as you see your opponents side by side and face to face. Who will reach the finish line first?Starting from the top of the 68â tower, riders will grab their rafts as they enter side-by-side racing lanes. Each racing lane can hold two riders per raft and feature low walls, ensuring you will always have eyes and ears on your competition. Dueling face-to-face, racers will navigate through tight loops and accelerations through indoor and outdoor sections. Itâs a race to the finish through nearly 650â of slide.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Hollywood Studios – opening 4th March 2020
Mickey and Minnieâs Runaway Railway is a brand-new attraction unique to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyâs Hollywood Studiosâand the first ride at any Disney park that stars Mickey Mouse and friends.
he darling duo are taking a leisurely drive to a picnic in their sporty roadsterâwith Engineer Goofyâs train following merrily along. Plot twistâyou get to go, too! Climb aboard a runaway railway and embark on a whirlwind ride through a world where the rules of physics donât apply. Prepare for unexpected twists, slapstick gags and mind-boggling transformations at every turn, as Mickey and Minnie try to save the day.
Thereâs no telling where this train is heading! This is an adventure for Mickey and Minnie fans of all ages
The Bourne Stuntacular – Universal Studios – opening spring 2020
The Bourne Stuntacular, an all-new live-action stunt show, will debut at Universal Studios Florida. Based on Universal Picturesâ blockbuster Bourne film franchise, this cutting-edge, edge-of-your-seat live show will blur the lines between stage and cinema in a hybrid form of entertainment that has never been seen before.
The Bourne Stuntacular will follow Jason Bourne around the globe as sinister characters pursue him. This action-packed show will feature thrilling chase scenes, punishing fistfights, death-defying leaps and danger at every turn.
And it will all happen right in front of you with live performers, interactive props and an immense LED screen â making it impossible to determine where the live-action ends and the screen begins.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – Epcot – opening summer 2020
Walt Disney Imagineering is hard at work developing a new attraction for the parkâs France pavilion, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, planned to open in summer 2020. Based on Disney and Pixarâs hit film, âRatatouille,â this family-friendly attraction will invite you to shrink down to the scale of a rat for a culinary adventure with Chef Remy.
Youâll race across Gusteauâs kitchen floor aboard special trackless ride vehicles, which you can see in the image at the top of this post â just released today â as Disney Imagineers work on bringing this attraction to life.Â
Beauty and the Beast sing along- Epcot – opening January 17th 2020
âBeauty and the Beast Sing-Alongâ in the France pavilion is directed and produced by Don Hahn, producer of the animated and live-action âBeauty and the Beastâ films, and invites guests to participate in a twist on a tale as old as time. It also features narration from Angela Lansbury, who played Mrs. Potts in the original film. The new sing-along will run in rotation with âImpressions de France,â which will receive an upgrade to 4K projection.
Cirque du Soleil Drawn to Life – Disney Springs – 17th April 2020
This new show follows the story of Julie, a courageous and determined girl who discovers an unexpected gift left by her late father: an unfinished animation piece. Guided by a surprising pencil, she embarks on an inspiring quest sprinkled with her Disney childhood memories. Through this journey, she will learn to imagine new possibilities and animate the story of her future.
Cirque du Soleil Drawn to Life will transport guests into the world of Disney animation in Cirque du Soleilâs signature style. This entirely new experience will wow Walt Disney World guests and Cirque du Soleil fans, both young and old, while bringing timeless Disney stories to life in an unforgettable new way.
It will open for previews on March 20, 2020, and officially premiere on April 17, 2020
Which one are you looking forward to the most??
Smiles included,
Abby