Whew! You'd better cinch up your safety belts. It's going to be a wild ride this year at North American theme parks and amusement parks. I've been covering the industry for a long time, and I can't recall a more exciting season of major new attractions,
new roller coasters, new thrill rides, and other assorted new goodies. (And looking into the future, the deluge of incedible
new rides is set to continue for the next few years. But we're getting ahead of ourselves; let's focus on
this year's incredible new stuff.)
Highlights include Cars Land at Disney's California Adventure, a lavish ode to the popular Pixar films that is the highlight of the final phase of expansion at Disneyland's second park. There will be a whole lotta screaming going on at Canada's Wonderland, Hersheypark, Six Flags Great Adventure, and other parks that will be debuting diabolical, innovative, and otherwise face-melting new coasters. Universal Studios Hollywood will introduce an ultra-sophisticated ride based on the Transformers film and toy franchise, while its sister park in Orlando will welcome a move ride themed to Despicable Me.
I don't know about you, but my head is spinning from all the news, and we've yet to board one of the disorienting coasters rolling out int 2012. And those are just some of the highlights. Read on to discover what's on the way at your local park and what parks you might want to include in your vacation plans for 2012.
The Ride Guide is arranged alphabetically by US state. Canada follows at the end.
- This page includes what's new for the 2011 season at theme parks from Arkansas to Massachusetts.
- The next page includes what's new for the 2011 season at theme parks from Michigan to Wisconsin plus Canada.
ALABAMA
Find Alabama Theme Parks ARIZONA
Find Arizona Theme Parks ARKANSAS
Find Arkansas Theme Parks CALIFORNIA
California Theme Parks 2012 Ride Guide In addition to Cars Land at Disney California Adventure and the Transformers ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, there will be major new Golden State coasters at SeaWorld San Diego and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, and things are looking up at Six Flags Magic Mountain with the world's tallest drop tower ride set to debut.
COLORADO
Find Colorado Theme Parks CONNECTICUT
Lake Compounce Bristol, CT
Riptide Racer The Splash Harbor water park is set to expand with the opening of a new four-lane racing slide.
Quassy Amusement Park
Middlebury, CT
Tea Cups
After rolling out the highly acclaimed roller coaster, Wooden Warrior, in 2011, the small park will introduce a new spinning tea cups ride in 2012.
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DELAWARE
Find Delaware Theme Parks FLORIDA
Florida Theme Parks 2012 Ride Guide Most of the new attractions that are planned for the
Fantasyland expansion at Disney World's Magic Kingdom won't open until 2013, but there will be some new goodies to discover in 2012 -- as well as the
Let the Memories Begin and
One More Disney Day events. In addition to the Despicable Me movie ride, Universal Orlando will also spiff up its groundbreaking Spider-Man attraction in 2012. Opened towards the end of 2011, Legoland Florida will augment its already-successful park with a separate-gate water park. SeaWorld Orlando has a new 3-D film and exhibit about turtles, while its second park, Discovery Cove will welcome a new interactive animal adventure. Get the lowdown in the
Florida Ride Guide.
GEORGIA
Six Flags Over Georgia Austell (near Atlanta), GA
New shows At the time this was written, Six Flags was promising "new shows" without any further details. This is another park we might want to grant a pass in 2012 since it launched
Dare Devil Dive, a new coaster, last year.
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IDAHO
Find Idaho Theme Parks ILLINOIS
Six Flags Great America Gurnee, IL
X-Flight X-Flight is one of two "wing coasters" debuting in 2012 (
Dollywood in Tennessee will welcome the other one). Its innovative seating will offer a new ride experience. You can learn more about the new coaster at the
X-Flight overview.
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INDIANA
Holiday World Santa Claus, Indiana
Mammoth The little park that could will do it again in 2012. After building
Wildebeest, the world's longest water coaster in 2010, Holiday World will break its own record with the new world's longest water coaster,
Mammoth.
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IOWA
Adventureland Altoona, Iowa
Breaker Beach Adventure Bay water park will get a new wave pool.
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KANSAS
Both of the state's parks, Joyland and Wild West World (which lasted less than one season), are closed.
KENTUCKY
Find Kentucky Theme Parks LOUISIANA
Dixie Landin' Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Aqua Loop The Blue Bayou water park will get four new water slides that will deliver near vertical loops.
Find More Louisiana Theme Parks MAINE
Funtown Splashtown U.S.A. Saco, Maine
Six water slides The Spalshtown water park will get six new water slides, one of which the park is calling a "flatline" loop.
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MARYLAND
Six Flags America Mitchellville, MD (near Washington, D.C.)
Apocalypse The
standup coaster coming to Maryland is a recycled ride from Six Flags' Illinois park.
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MASSACHUSETTS
Six Flags New England Agawam, MA (near Springfield, MA and Hartford, CT)
Goliath Speaking of recycled Six Flags coasters (see above), the massive
shuttle coaster making its way to Massachusetts originally thrilled riders at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California.
Find More Massachusetts Theme Parks
Next Page: The 2012 Season Ride Guide continues with parks from Michigan to Wisconsin plus Canada.
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