Florida theme parks 2023: What debuted, what died, what snapped back
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ORLANDO, Fla. — The newsiest single tourism day of 2023 was definitely May 18. That’s the day Walt Disney Co. announced it was pulling the plug on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser as well as the planned $1 billion campus in Lake Nona.
There were many factors at play, including the need for staff reductions, lower demand than anticipated, price point, a back-and-forth with a state official and others. None of those are fun or had an effect on the day-to-day theme park experience.
Those stories probably will have legs into 2024. So let’s stroll through some of this year’s theme park highlights.
Pluses
There was a set of completely fresh experiences.
— At Epcot, more of the long-running transformation of the park debuted, including Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, an interactive garden space; Dreamers Point and its “Walt the Dreamer” statue; and “Luminous the Symphony of Us,” a nighttime spectacular. Epcot also introduced a meet-and-greet area for the Figment character inside ImageWorks.
— Magic Kingdom got futuristic and retro at the same time with Tron Lightcycle / Run roller coaster, a neighbor to Space Mountain. Disney’s Hollywood Studios added the Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant in Toy Story Land.
— SeaWorld Orlando installed the Pipeline roller coaster and the Coral Rescue Center. Turi’s Kid Cove opened at Aquatica water park.
— Universal Studios became ever more yellow with Minion Land, which includes Minion Cafe and Illumination Villain-Con Minion Blast, a moving sidewalk/simulation shooter attraction.
— Legoland Florida introduced Pirate River Quest, a boat ride that incorporated the canals of its historic Cypress Gardens and a stretch of open waters on Lake Eloise. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay added Serengeti Flyer, a boisterous dueling swing ride.
— Gatorland’s new Croc Rock incorporated a rock wall, rope bridge and stretch of zip line over inhabited waters. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex debuted “All Systems Are Go!,” a stage show with “Peanuts” puppets and an Artemis storyline.
— Lonely Dog Orlando, a 360-degree animated adventure with 35 projectors, opened on International Drive.
That’s a slew of new things. Even if they were in side-by-side locations, it would take a whole day to take them all in. And it’s worth noting that the bulk of these are not replacements for previous attractions (Universal’s Shrek 4-D and SeaWorld’s Turtle Trek, among the exceptions).
Enhanced
Not every new notable started from scratch.
— The Hatbox Ghost moved into Haunted Mansion, and a character in a wheelchair became part of “it’s a small world” at Magic Kingdom.
— New topiaries of Princess Tiana and three “Encanto” characters were added at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The park’s Food & Wine Festival introduced a pickle milkshake.
— The Wheel at Icon Park installed the Great Florida Road Trip, an add-on game that included some state history.
— Madame Tussauds added Awkwafina and Harry Styles wax figures.
— Legoland Florida continued its phased rehab of Miniland USA.
— SeaWorld included a silent dance party in its summer festival schedule.
— Pirates Dinner Adventure introduced a companion option called Country Nights Live.
Extra extras
The crowded special events calendar got more congested in 2023 with several first-timers.
— Orlando Science Center reimagined Otronicon and presented its first Spark STEM Fest.
— Universal tried out Taste of Terror, a food-driven, extra-ticket precursor for Halloween Horror Nights.
— Disney’s Hollywood Studios presented another after-hours holiday option with Disney Jollywood Nights.
— Island H2O Water Park added family-foam events, adults-only nights and Holiday Nights, an elaborate lights display.
— Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition on International Drive started offering a “dress-to-impress” Tea Time experience.
Creature features
Animal activities attracted international headlines and eyeballs.
— Gatorland took in a young gator without her top jaw, nursed her to health and named her Jawlene, then welcomed the historic birth of a very rare leucistic alligator. Before all that, the attraction added baby Florida panthers.
— A manatee was transferred from Miami Seaquarium for medical attention at SeaWorld, where three endangered smalltooth sawfish were born earlier.
— A Shetland pony destined for Cinderella carriage duty was born at Disney World. A second-generation elephant and twin tamarin monkeys were born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
— A flamingo chick hatched at Discovery Cove was named Maya via the resort’s Instagram account.
— Give Kids the World Village loaned a triceratops to Universal for placement outside its Jurassic-themed Tribute Store.
— Orlando Science Center featured an exhibit titled “Dogs!”
— A black bear was briefly on the loose at Magic Kingdom.
Operating room
Policies, procedures and processes continued to morph, some of which were in post-pandemic recovery mode.
— At Disney World, sales of new annual passes resumed; prices for its Genie+ planning service went to a park-by-park basis; park-hopping and reservations system were tweaked and will get another twist in January.
— SeaWorld’s extreme weather policy was adapted to include very high temperatures.
— Universal started implementing photo recognition as identification at some locations. Universal Parks & Resorts was renamed Universal Destinations & Experiences. The company announced plans for a kid-oriented park near Dallas and a year-round Halloween experience in Las Vegas. It also said it was in the early stages of considering a new theme park in England. In Orlando, work continued on Epic Universe theme park.
— Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex achieved certified autism center status.
Happy returns
A few old favorites hopped back in the saddle in 2023.
— SeaWorld Orlando brought back its pearl divers near SkyTower.
— Tram service started running at Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
— Pixar Place reopened at Hollywood Studios.
— “Happily Ever After” returned to the skies above Magic Kingdom.
Farewells
Moments of silence, please.
— Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a two-night immersive experience, was shuttered after 19 months of business. No future for the facility, located adjacent to Hollywood Studios, has been announced.
— Poseidon’s Fury, an on-and-off walkthrough show at Islands of Adventure since the park opened in 1999, was shut down. A replacement has not been announced.
— Legoland Florida closed its Flying School coaster, a relic from the Cypress Gardens era. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay ended the run of SandSerpent.
— KidZone, including the Woody Woodpecker-themed coaster, was boarded up and will be replaced by a DreamWorks-themed area at Universal Studios.
— Four nighttime spectaculars were snuffed out: “Cinematic Celebration” at Universal Studios, “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom and “Harmonious” and “Epcot Forever” at Epcot.
— Splash Mountain is no longer making the rounds at Magic Kingdom. The ride is being transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure with a targeted opening of late 2024.
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