If there’s one thing you can be 100 per cent sure of in Orlando each year, it is that there will always be something new and significant to see, do or ride. Nowhere in the world updates and upgrades itself like this city does, and it is as reliable as an England batting collapse (sorry, cricket fans).
Sporting analogies apart, our annual look back at another 12 months in the heart of Central Florida is typically a succession of triumphal openings and new experiences, a cavalcade of the latest technologies and imagination from the theme parks. We’re often bowled over by just how MUCH new stuff there was to see, but 2025 marked a major watershed in those terms, serving up a truly spectacular array of the latest and greatest.
If you were here any time after May 22, you’ll know exactly what we mean. It was an Epic feast. But Universal’s latest full theme park wasn’t the only eye-popping newcomer in town. Not by a long chalk.
It all started back in early May when SeaWorld Orlando unveiled their brr-iffic new attraction, Expedition Odyssey, a “flying theatre” type ride that transported visitors into the heart of the Arctic in vivid style. Combining dynamic motion, state-of-the-art visuals and real-world animal encounters, it offered a first-of-its-kind experience, taking guests on an exhilarating journey through towering glaciers, vast tundra and the icy depths of the Arctic Ocean, encountering some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring wildlife along the way.
Walt Disney World highlighted the summer months with three major additions to their parks. First, we had the return of Ariel in her Disney’s Hollywood Studios location, but as the completely reimagined The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, offering the highlights of The Little Mermaid movie. Staying in the Studios park, we also had a completely new stage show, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, in which Captain Hook, Maleficent and Cruella De Vil urged the audience to select “the most villainous of them all,” which is a clever twist!
The undoubted highlight of all their new entertainment, though came with the July Magic Kingdom Park debut of their first night-time parade since 2016. Disney Starlight: Dream The Night Away proved to be classic Disney imagination and flair, a true cavalcade of twinkling floats, dazzling fibre optics and colourful characters aplenty, including those from Coco, Encanto, Moana and Frozen.
Disney’s EPCOT park wasn’t left out, either, as we were delighted to see the re-opening and complete re-theming of the Test Track ride, also in July. Version 3:0 of this popular attraction features new technology and new scenes, highlighting how driver-less vehicles “see” the world and other futuristic developments.
Another impressive new attraction opened at LEGOLAND Florida in June, where SEA LIFE Florida now offers another neat twist on the aquarium theme with their “Theme park under the sea” motif as the grand finale element of their underwater realm. Fun for all the family, it also makes for a nice place to cool down in the summer heat.
Outside the theme parks we also welcomed some fab new places to eat and drink, none better than Bar Apero at the swanky Conrad Hotel. This super-cool lounge bar is at the heart of the extensive Evermore Resort and makes for a really distinctive night out for couples. Other food-and-drink highlights included the all-new Paddy’s Bar at our Disney Springs favourite of Raglan Road Irish Restaurant & Pub; the sumptuous steakhouse of Bourbon Steak at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort; more Michelin-rated restaurants for the city as a whole; and the advent of the Latin Culinary Trail in Kissimmee, another signpost to Florida’s rich Latin culture – and food!
Of course, much of this paled into insignificance when it came to THE stand-out moment of the year. Universal’s Epic Universe grand opening practically took our breath away as this first full park since 1999 lived up to its grandiose title. We had the full inside track for AttractionTickets.com, along with a look at the food and the Stella Nova Hotel, the first of three sparkling new resorts on the doorstep of the park. We also answered the essential question, ‘Is it really that good?’ in another blog, confirming that, yes, it really was!
We have now had another six months or so to further evaluate this new colossus in the theme park pantheon, and we can only be excited for its future, as it has collected a host of industry awards as well as visitor plaudits. We had to wait fully 26 years for the follow-up to Universal’s Islands of Adventure park, and it was definitely worth the wait. We could happily spend most of a day there just exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic (one of the five “worlds” that make up the park), while even a week there is barely enough to try out all their food and beverage options, especially when you add in the neighbouring Helios Grand Hotel with its epic views of the park.
All in all, 2025 delivered everything that it promised, and quite a bit more. But be sure to catch our next blog, when we’ll look ahead to all the excitement in store in 2026, with more major rides to anticipate!
What was your favourite theme park moment of 2025? Tell us about it on the friendly AttractionTickets.com Community Facebook page, on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.
