Quick summary:
2027 brings two headline openings to Orlando:
- Walt Disney World Resort’s all new Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (with a first-ever Encanto attraction and a reimagined Indiana Jones™ adventure)
- Universal Studios Florida’s Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster
It’s also a big year for goodbyes, with Universal’s Fast & Furious - Supercharged and the award-winning Mythos Restaurant both closing for good. 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.
At a glance - what’s new in Orlando in 2027?
Attraction / Update | Park | Status | Expect timing |
|---|---|---|---|
Tropical Americas land (new Encanto attraction, Indiana Jones adventure and carousel) | Disney’s Animal Kingdom | Confirmed | 2027 - likely the second-half of the year |
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift (new outdoor roller coaster) | Universal Studios Florida | Confirmed | 2027 |
Fast & Furious – Supercharged (existing ride closes for good) | Universal Studios Florida | Confirmed | 2027 |
Mythos Restaurant (award-winning sit-down restaurant closes) | Universal Islands of Adventure | Confirmed | 2027 |
Disney Lakeshore Lodge (new 967-room Disney Vacation Club resort) | Walt Disney World Resort | Confirmed | Summer 2027 |
Carousel of Progress (classic attraction reopens with new scenes) | Disney’s Magic Kingdom | Confirmed | 2027 |
Category 10 (new live music, dining and entertainment venue) | Universal CityWalk | Confirmed | Late 2027 |
Volcano Bay (water park reopens after refurbishment) | Universal Volcano Bay | Confirmed | By 24 March 2027 |
Arte Museum (new multi-sensory digital art experience) | ICON Park | Confirmed | Late 2027 |
Grad Nite (after-hours graduation celebration event) | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Confirmed | 30 April 2027 |
New Lost Continent land (replacing existing area; Pokémon or Zelda theming rumoured) | Universal Islands of Adventure | Rumoured | TBC |
New water ride (rumoured replacement for the closed Stanley Falls Flume) | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Rumoured | 2027 or 2028 |
Project Aero (new large-scale attraction, still in development) | Kennedy Space Center | Unconfirmed | TBC |
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 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 into an Indiana Jones™ adventure, sending guests deep into a Maya temple in search of a mythical creature.
A hand-carved carousel and a sprawling hacienda restaurant will also complete the new land. Disney has officially confirmed a 2027 opening, though the pace of construction 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!
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 will permanently close at Universal Studios Florida to make way for Hollywood Drift. An exact closing date hasn’t been announced yet, but Universal has confirmed it will happen sometime during 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, it’s worth planning your visit sooner rather than later.
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.
Volcano Bay
Universal’s Volcano Bay will close for its longest refurbishment yet, beginning in October 2026 and reopening by 24 March 2027. Universal hasn’t detailed the full scope of the work, so it’s one to watch for further announcements.
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 Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness, is confirmed to open in summer 2027. Expect nature-inspired theming, waterfront cabins, a Princess and the Frog-themed restaurant and boat transport across to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
Carousel of Progress
Over at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, the classic Carousel of Progress will close in July 2026 for a refresh and is due to reopen in 2027 with a new introductory scene and an updated finale, while keeping the much-loved theme song intact.
Beyond 2027
It’s worth flagging what’s not arriving in 2027 too. Disney’s Magic Kingdom’s Villains Land and Piston Peak (Cars Land), along with Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ upcoming Monstropolis, are all confirmed projects and visibly under construction, but current evidence points to openings in 2028 or later.
If you’re planning a trip around any of these, it’s best to set your expectations for 2028 onwards rather than 2027.
SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando’s first suspended dark ride, SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep, was originally targeted for 2026. If it hasn’t opened by the time you’re reading this, it’s one to watch closely for a possible move into 2027.
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”. Permitting documents point to a sizable new building, and speculation includes the possibility of an indoor ride, but 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 actually open.
- Tick off Mythos Restaurant and Fast & Furious - Supercharged while you can. If a meal at Mythos or a spin on Fast & Furious - Supercharged is on your list, it’s worth building into an early-2027 visit rather than leaving to chance, since both will close for good. No official closing date has been set yet.
- Check Volcano Bay’s reopening date before booking a water park day. The park is scheduled to reopen by 24 March 2027 after its longest refurbishment yet, so anyone travelling in January or February 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 confirmed 2027, but construction progress points to a second-half opening. If the new Encanto ride or Indiana Jones adventure is the main reason for your trip, a visit later in the year reduces the risk of arriving before it’s ready.
- 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 ahead for Disney Lakeshore Lodge. As Disney’s newest Disney Vacation Club resort, demand for the summer 2027 opening is likely to be strong, particularly for the new waterfront Lake Houses. We’ll keep you posted on when it becomes available at AttractionTickets.com.
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