Theme parks 2023: What debuted, what died, what snapped back

Our 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.

Plusses

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).

Plussed

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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