SANTA ANA, Calif. — It’s never too early to look ahead at what’s on tap for next year and 2023 is already shaping up as a good year for roller coaster enthusiasts, thrill ride junkies and theme park fans.
Consider our Top 10 for 2023 to be an evolving and ever-changing list of the best new rides and attractions coming to theme parks in the United States in the coming year.
Early announcements suggest 2023 will once again be a good year for theme park enthusiasts. Many parks have already begun construction on this year’s projects while others have only announced plans or launched teaser campaigns.
Here's what to watch for:
1) The Super Nintendo World themed land debuting Feb. 17 at Universal Studios Hollywood will feature the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge augmented reality racing car ride, Toadstool Cafe restaurant and 1Up Factory retail shop.
2) The Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway trackless dark ride imported from Florida will serve as the centerpiece of Disneyland’s reimagined Mickey’s Toontown. The new ride debuts Jan. 27, a few weeks before the March 8 opening of the refreshed land.
3) The Tron Lightcycle Run coming this spring to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida will be a clone of the Shanghai Disneyland motorcycle-style coaster.
4) The Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction opening this summer at Universal Studios Florida puts visitors on a conveyor belt-like motion-based pathway and arms them with an interactive blaster for some video game-style action.
5) The $25 million Big Bear Mountain coaster from Netherlands-based ridemaker Vekoma debuts at Dollywood this spring. The 4,000-foot-long multilaunch coaster will be the Tennessee theme park’s longest.
6) The former Wildcat wooden coaster at Pennsylvania’s Hersheypark gets a Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid makeover for summer 2023. The 3,500-foot-long Wildcat’s Revenge will feature Zero-G stalls and rolls.
7) The Pipeline: The Surf Coaster coming to SeaWorld Orlando in the spring is being billed as the next generation stand-up coaster from Switzerland-based ridemaker Bolliger & Mabillard.
8) The Arctic Rescue snowmobile-themed launch coaster coming to SeaWorld San Diego in spring will take riders on a trek through the frigid tundra without ever leaving sunny Southern California.
9) The DarKoaster: Escape the Storm snowmobile coaster coming to Busch Gardens Williamsburg will take riders through the abandoned fortress of the Virginia theme park’s former Curse of DarKastle dark ride.
10) Primordial is billed as a “one-of-a-kind interactive coaster” built into a massive man-made mountain at the family-owned Lagoon theme park in Utah. The in-house project in development for seven years is set to finally open in 2023.
And here are the next 10 best new rides for 2023 from around the U.S.:
11) ArieForce One coaster by Rocky Mountain Construction, Fun Spot America Atlanta (Georgia)
12) P’Sghetti Bowl dueling single rail coaster by Skyline Attractions, Six Flags Fiesta Texas
13) Zambezi Zinger II hybrid coaster by Great Coasters International, Worlds of Fun (Missouri)
14) Aeronautica Landing themed land with six rides, Carowinds (North Carolina)
15) Catapult Falls launched flume water coaster, SeaWorld San Antonio (Texas)
16) Montezooma: The Forbidden Fortress flywheel launched coaster makeover, Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park)
17) S&S Screamin’ Swing ride called Serengeti Flyer, Busch Gardens Tampa (Florida)
18) Journey of Water Moana-themed land, Epcot (Florida)
19) Adventureland Treehouse makeover inspired by Swiss Family Robinson, Disneyland (Anaheim)
20) Two Hot Wheels-themed coasters by Chance Rides, Mattel Adventure Park (Arizona)
Any theme park preview like this would be impossible to compile without the help of Screamscape, Roller Coaster Database, Blooloop, WDW News Today and ThemeparX.
