The theme park capital of the world is always expanding and changing, so you can always expect something new when you visit. Whether you’re planning a trip at the beginning of the year or waiting until the summer holidays, there are plenty of reasons to visit Orlando in 2025, from brand-new attractions to refurbished classics, and even a whole new theme park.
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Epic Universe
Of course we can’t talk about 2025 in Orlando without mentioning the main event; the opening of Universal Epic Universe. This is the brand new theme park coming to Universal Orlando Resort, taking their total up to four, officially opening its gates on 22nd May 2025. This park will be made up of five immersive lands - Celestial Park, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe.
Universal is expected to score a major success with their Epic Universe park – especially the Dark Universe ‘land,’ which we absolutely can’t wait to see. This latter promises to be one of the most wildly creative and original ideas for any theme park anywhere, and the main attraction of Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment sounds like a truly amazing experience)
New Universal Hotels
If you want the chance to be one of the first people to stay in a brand-new Universal Orlando Resort hotel, 2025 is the year you should book your stay. For anyone planning a visit at the beginning of the year, Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort open in January and February respectively. If you’re visiting after 22nd May, you can book a stay at Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel, which will place you right at the heart of the action, as this hotel will have its very own entrance to Universal Epic Universe!
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
Disney Starlight
There hasn’t been a nighttime parade at Walt Disney World Resort since the Main Street Electrical Parade finished in 2016, but not for long! A brand new nighttime parade, Disney Starlight, will be coming to Magic Kingdom Park in summer 2025, being brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy. This parade will feature Characters from classic films like Peter Pan, as well as newer films including Frozen and Encanto.
Disney Villains Stage Show
The Disney Villains are taking over Sunset Showcase at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! From summer 2025, you can join Captain Hook, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil in the reflective realm of the Magic Mirror for some fiendish fun. The Disney Villains are also set to get a whole new land in Magic Kingdom Park in the future, but we’ll have to wait a little bit longer to experience that!
Test Track Reimagined
Test Track, presented by Chevrolet, is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment to give guests at EPCOT an even more thrilling and innovative experience in 2025. The updated version of this beloved attraction will still have all the same twists and turns as before, but with all-new onboard technology, scenery, and storytelling.
SeaWorld Orlando
Immersive Flying Experience
A new immersive indoor theatre experience is coming to SeaWorld Orlando in spring 2025. This attraction will take you on a breathtaking journey above snow-capped mountains and glaciers, through the Aurora Borealis, and up close to beluga whales, orcas and more marine life. The show will be a 4.5 minute adventure for the whole family to enjoy, bringing education and excitement together.
Busch Gardens
Wild Oasis
A whole new area known as Wild Oasis will be opening at Busch Gardens in spring 2025, that will have engaging and interactive experiences for guests of all ages. Thrill-seekers can enjoy a drop-tower ride and a high-energy climbing canopy, while younger guests can stay on the ground as they explore a multi-species habitat and water play areas. Plus there’ll be a scavenger hunt exploring the relationships between different species in the rainforest.
LEGOLAND® Florida Resort
SEA LIFE Florida Aquarium
This will be unveiled at LEGOLAND Florida in the spring. Building on the success of the Orlando aquarium at ICON Park, this version will be bigger and bolder. The new attraction will offer an oceanic adventure with more than 3,000 animals representing about 150 species, interactive exhibits and a “Theme Park Under the Sea” finale.
Orlando
There is also a wealth of other new openings that we will be keenly looking forward to next year, especially when you consider the high bar that everyone has to reach in order to be a success in this unique city. Disney and Co set the standard, but Orlando as a whole always rises to the challenge.
Take the Blue Man Group as an ideal example. As we reported back in September, this wacky entertainment group announced their return to Orlando after a four-year Pandemic-enforced hiatus. And, from April 3, 2025, they will be back on stage in a completely new set-up at ICON Park, in their own purpose-built theatre and with new acts to go with some of their tried-and-trusted routines. For anyone who saw their recent UK tour, which included a residency at the London Palladium, there will be even more to enjoy from this wonderfully crazy and wildly entertaining trio.
Likewise, soccer (sorry, football, for our UK folks!) has become a major part of the Orlando entertainment scene, and it will get a major bonus in 2025 as our city will be one of the hosts for FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup tournament across America in June, featuring the best club teams from around the world. There will be six games in Central Florida in all, the first two at Orlando City’s 25,000 capacity Inter&Co Stadium and then the next four at the big 60,000-seat Camping World Stadium. The latter quartet of games will feature one of the main match-ups, between Manchester City and Juventus on June 26, and tickets will be at a premium, so look for them here in advance.
On a more offbeat note, Pickleball has become a BIG hit in the US in recent years, and Orlando will see the latest result of this in the spring. First off, people might be thinking pickle-what? And yes, it IS a thing, and a rapidly expanding one, too. It is a relatively new version of mini tennis that has gained a huge following in America as it is a great community sport that most people can try their hand at, especially seniors. And, when the Hamlin House Paddle & Social Club opens in south downtown, it promises to add an elevated experience for playing and watching, with both indoor and outdoor courts, as well as offering an attractive bar and lounge area for a genuine social experience.
Want to experience all this and more in 2025? Book now for 2025 arrivals, including our Orlando combo tickets that will give you access to up to 13 different parks across Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, and the SeaWorld Parks.
