New Lands, New Coasters: What’s New for Orlando in 2027?

Quick summary:

2027 brings two headline openings to Orlando:

• Walt Disney World Resort’s all new Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park (with the first-ever Encanto attraction, Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, and a reimagined Indiana Jones™ adventure, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent)
• Universal Studios Florida’s Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster

It’s also a year of change at Universal, with the award-winning Mythos Restaurant closing for good as the Lost Continent makes way for a new land. Universal has also just announced a brand-new indoor coaster for Dark Universe at Epic Universe, with construction already underway. Below, we’ve hand-picked everything confirmed (and a few exciting rumours!) so you can plan your 2027 Orlando holiday with confidence.

Dates and details below are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change. Always check official park websites closer to your travel dates. Our team is on hand if you’d like the latest information before booking.

Prefer to listen?

Season 2 of Jump the Queue, the AttractionTickets.com podcast, kicks off with this very topic. Hosts Amy and Maisy share the new rides, lands and hotels they’re most excited about for 2027, and our Orlando expert Sarah reveals when she’d visit and why.

What’s new in Orlando in 2027?

The two big headline openings in Orlando for 2027

Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The standout opening of the year belongs to Walt Disney World Resort. Tropical Americas is an 11-acre transformation of the former DinoLand U.S.A., built around the fictional village of Pueblo Esperanza.

Inside, families will find Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, the first-ever Encanto attraction at any Disney park - a dark ride that takes guests inside the Madrigal family’s magical Casita the day after Antonio receives his gift of talking to animals. Nearby, the former DINOSAUR ride gets a complete reimagining as Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, an Indiana Jones™ adventure sending guests deep into a Maya temple in search of a mythical creature.

A hand-carved carousel, El Carrusel de los Animalitos, and a sprawling hacienda restaurant will also complete the new land. Disney has announced that the full land, including both the Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions, will open in 2027, though construction progress suggests it may land in the second half of the year rather than spring.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Florida

Universal’s big 2027 debut takes the form of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift - a high-speed outdoor coaster rising on the former Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit site. Riders can board 360-degree spinning vehicles for a launch coaster experience themed to the Fast & Furious films, complete with a dramatic vertical spike that towers over the edge of CityWalk.

It’s officially confirmed for 2027 and is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling additions to the resort in years!

If you’ve visited Universal Orlando Resort recently, you’ll have spotted it already. As our Jump the Queue host Amy says, it has “completely changed the skyline”, and you can see the track from the car park!

A version of Hollywood Drift opened at Universal Studios Hollywood on 16 September 2026, and the Orlando ride has its own track layout, so coaster fans have two fresh experiences to look forward to.

What’s closing in Orlando in 2027?

Big openings always come with a few goodbyes, and 2027 is no exception.

Fast & Furious - Supercharged is closing

Fast & Furious - Supercharged gave its final rides on 16 August 2026, closing a little earlier than first planned to make way for Hollywood Drift. Fast & Furious fans can look forward to the new coaster landing at Universal Studios Florida in 2027.

Say goodbye to Mythos Restaurant

Over at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the Mythos Restaurant is set to close as part of the wider redevelopment of the Lost Continent area. Mythos has long been considered one of the best dining experiences at any theme park anywhere, so this closure will be a talking point among Universal fans!

If a meal at Mythos is on your bucket list, plan your visit sooner rather than later, as Universal hasn’t announced an exact closing date yet. A new signature full-service restaurant is set to open in the former Thunder Falls Terrace in the Jurassic Park area in 2027.

More Universal Orlando updates for 2027

Beyond the headline coaster, Universal has plenty going on across the resort in 2027.

Category 10

Category 10 is a new live music, dining and entertainment venue from country star Luke Combs, joining Universal CityWalk in late 2027. It won’t replace any existing venue, but will simply be added to the choices on offer.

Universal Horror Make-Up Show featuring Blumhouse

A Universal Studios Florida favourite is getting a fresh new look! The Horror Make-Up Show, part of the park since it opened in 1990, will return as Universal Horror Make-Up Show featuring Blumhouse - the production company behind films such as M3GAN, The Black Phone and Five Nights at Freddy’s.

Expect the same mix of movie make-up secrets, special effects and big laughs that made the original such a hit. As Amy says on our podcast, “You don’t need to like big roller coasters. You don’t need to like horror”. Universal hasn’t announced a reopening date yet, so we’ll update this guide as soon as it’s confirmed.

Volcano Bay

Universal’s Volcano Bay will close for its longest refurbishment yet, beginning on 26 October 2026, with a planned reopening on or before 1 April 2027. Universal hasn’t detailed the full scope of the work, so it’s one to watch for further announcements.

A new indoor coaster for Epic Universe

Universal Epic Universe has its first big expansion on the way! Announced on 5 November 2026, a brand-new indoor roller coaster is coming to Dark Universe, on an expansion plot right next to Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.

The ride will tell an all-new Universal Monsters story. Universal hasn’t revealed which monster takes the lead yet, though fan rumours point to the Creature from the Black Lagoon or the Bride of Frankenstein.

Construction is already underway, with Universal promising an opening “in the years ahead”. That points to 2028 or later, so this one is a great reason to plan a return trip!

Lost Continent

Finally, the wider redevelopment of Lost Continent continues, with speculation pointing toward a new land based on Pokémon or The Legend of Zelda. Neither has been confirmed by Universal, so treat this one as a rumour for now rather than a certainty!

More Walt Disney World Resort updates in 2027

Tropical Americas isn’t the only Disney project to watch in 2027.

Disney Lakeshore Lodge

This brand-new 967-room resort on the former River Country site, between Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, is confirmed to open on 1 July 2027. Expect nature-inspired theming, waterfront cabins and boat transport across to Magic Kingdom Park.

Moonglade will be the resort’s lakeside Table-Service restaurant, serving seasonal, locally sourced dishes, with Bay Lake Provisions for Quick-Service meals and Paint Out Point Bar & Grill by the pool. After dinner, Dandelion Terrace offers views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks across Bay Lake.

Our podcast host Maisy drove past the construction site on her latest trip, and it’s coming along fast: “Not only is it massive, it looks incredible already”.

Carousel of Progress

Over at Magic Kingdom Park, the classic Carousel of Progress closed in July 2026 for its biggest update in decades and is due to reopen late spring 2027, though Disney hasn’t confirmed an exact date yet. Every scene is being replaced, moving the story’s timeline forward 60 years.

The family’s journey will now begin in the 1960s with the moon landing, continue through the 1980s and a New Year’s Eve 1999 countdown, and finish with a glimpse of the future. A new opening scene will feature Walt Disney himself, and the much-loved theme song “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” will stay.

The Progress family will also have some famous new voices, with Emmy Award-winner Bryan Cranston as John, the father, and Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis as Sarah, the mother.

Monstropolis (phase one)

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will welcome the first phase of its new Monsters, Inc.-inspired land in 2027. Mike and Sulley will host a brand-new show, Welcome to Monstropolis, in the former MuppetVision 3D theatre, featuring the first song Disney Legend Randy Newman has written for a Disney park.

Hungry monsters (and humans!) can tuck into sushi and ramen at Harryhausen’s, the restaurant from the film, complete with an Audio-Animatronics sushi chef, or grab a slice at Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. New shops will sit alongside. The land’s door coaster will follow in a later phase, and Disney hasn’t confirmed an exact opening date yet.

Beyond 2027

A few big projects are on the horizon beyond 2027 too. Magic Kingdom Park's Villains Land and Piston Peak National Park are both confirmed and visibly under construction, but neither has an opening date yet, and current evidence points to 2028 or later. If you’re planning a trip around either of these, it’s best to set your expectations for 2028 onwards.

SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando’s first suspended dark ride, SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep, was originally planned for 2026, but the park is now reworking the ride’s design and has confirmed a 2027 opening. It’s one to watch for, and we’ll update this guide as soon as SeaWorld shares more.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

At Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Grad Nite is confirmed for 30 April 2027, giving graduating seniors an after-hours celebration with live DJs and unlimited coaster access!

The park’s classic Stanley Falls Flume closed permanently in September 2025, and while a new water ride has been rumoured to replace it, Busch Gardens hasn’t officially confirmed a name, theme or date.

Discovery Cove

Discovery Cove continues to refine its all-inclusive packages, though no specific new attraction has been confirmed for 2027 at the time of writing.

Kennedy Space Center and ICON Park

Away from the main theme parks, two Orlando-area attractions have 2027 projects of their own.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is progressing plans for a new attraction known as “Project Aero”. Planning documents point to a 55,000-square-foot building with show and ride spaces, just south of the Space Shuttle Atlantis building, sparking speculation about an indoor ride. NASA and the Visitor Complex haven’t confirmed a theme or opening date yet.

At ICON Park on International Drive, the Arte Museum is set to bring a multi-sensory digital art experience to the Universal Boulevard side of the park in late 2027, joining Blue Man Group as part of a wider expansion of the entertainment district.

How to prepare for your 2027 Orlando holiday

With so much changing across Orlando in 2027, a little planning goes a long way. Here’s how to make sure your trip lines up with what’s open.

• Tick off Mythos Restaurant while you can. If a meal at Mythos is on your list, build it into an early-2027 visit rather than leaving it to chance, as it will close for good and Universal hasn’t set an exact closing date yet.
• Check Volcano Bay’s reopening date before booking a water park day. The park is scheduled to reopen on or before 1 April 2027 after its longest refurbishment yet, so anyone travelling between January and March should confirm it’s back open before relying on it for their itinerary.
• Don’t assume Tropical Americas will be open from January. Disney has announced 2027, but construction progress points to a second-half opening. If Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto or Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent is the main reason for your trip, a visit later in the year reduces the risk of arriving before it’s ready. We’ll share any timing updates here as soon as Disney confirms them.
• Keep an eye on official channels for the rumoured projects. The new Lost Continent land, Busch Gardens’ Stanley Falls Flume replacement and Kennedy Space Center’s Project Aero are all still unconfirmed. We’ll keep this guide updated as the parks make further announcements.
• Book early for Disney Lakeshore Lodge. Rooms at Disney’s newest Disney Vacation Club resort are now available to book with us, for stays from its 1 July 2027 opening. Demand is likely to be strong, so booking early gives you the best choice of rooms, including Deluxe Studios, 1- and 2-Bedroom Villas, and Club Level rooms with access to The Artist’s Nest rooftop lounge.

Ready to book your 2027 trip to Orlando?

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Last updated: 13 November 2026