While 2020 brought theme park delays, closures, and cancellations (not to mention all new health and safety protocols), 2021 is shaping up to be considerably brighter for Florida’s biggest tourist draws. From new thrill rides to awe-inspiring entertainment, all of the Sunshine State’s major theme parks have new attractions planned for 2021.
The Best New Attractions Coming to Florida’s Theme Parks in 2021
Coaster enthusiasts will flip (literally) for the bigger, better, faster rides at Universal Orlando, Busch Gardens, and SeaWorld Orlando, and kids of all ages will love the family-friendly rides and shows planned for Walt Disney World and LEGOLAND Florida. Here are all the officially confirmed new attractions you have to look forward to at Florida’s theme parks in 2021.
- Editor’s note: You’re probably wondering about the opening date for the highly anticipated Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser overnight experience at Walt Disney World Resort. Nothing has been officially announced, but a 2021 debut remains a possibility. Keep an eye out for news in our theme parks column, Please Remain Seated, for updates.
Walt Disney World – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (Epcot)
Based on the popular Disney animated feature Ratatouille, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a trackless family-friendly ride in the dark where guests will get to experience Gusteau’s restaurant from a rat’s perspective.
After boarding rat-shaped ride vehicles, guests will zip through Gusteau’s kitchen and dining areas on a zany culinary adventure. A similar attraction has been open at Disneyland Paris since 2014 and it’s expected that the Orlando version will be largely similar.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is scheduled to debut in Epcot’s France pavilion at the Walt Disney World Resort sometime in 2021.
Walt Disney World – Harmonious (Epcot)
After a 20-year run, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth had its final performance on September 30, 2019, and was replaced with an interim show called Epcot Forever.
Harmonious is now scheduled to premiere in 2021 and is poised to be “one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney park.” An exact date has yet to be announced, but the project recently reached a huge milestone with the installation of the first of many floating set pieces that will produce colorful lights, lasers, fountains, and pyrotechnics.
Disney hasn’t revealed the full storyline of this epic new show, but it is being touted as a “celebration of Disney music and images, reimagined by diverse cultural musicians and artists from around the world.” Cue the tears!
Universal Orlando – Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Height Requirement: 51”
Get ready for a new species of coaster! The Jurassic World VelociCoaster has been not-so-secretly under construction at Universal Orlando for more than a year, and the park announced late last year that the coaster would open summer of 2021. This dino-themed rollercoaster will be Florida’s fastest and tallest launch coaster, reaching speeds of up to 70 MPH and a height of more than 150 feet at its tallest point.
As if that weren’t enough, the VeolciCoaster will also take riders through an over-water 360-degree barrel roll, a zero-gravity inverted stall, an 80-degree drop, and 12 total seconds of airtime, all with only a lap restraint keeping you in your seat.
Along with the opening announcement, Universal released a teaser video with a sneak peek at the ride vehicles and some of the coaster’s mind-blowing maneuvers. The ride begins in the Velociraptor paddock and lets riders “feel the rush of the hunt” while embarking on a high-speed race with a pack of speedy raptors. (It’s still not clear if we’ll be running with the raptors or from them.)
Busch Gardens – Iron Gwazi Rollercoaster
Height Requirement: 48”
Iron Gwazi is a reimagining of Busch Gardens’ dueling wooden coaster, Gwazi, that ran from 1999 to 2015. Elements of the original wooden coaster are being integrated into the new ride, but the track is made from steel, offering a much smoother ride.
Iron Gwazi’s layout has been completely reimagined, making it the tallest hybrid coaster in the country, as well as the fastest and steepest in the entire world. Featuring three inversions and 12 airtime hills, and hitting speeds of up to 76 miles per hour, Iron Gwazi rounds out a stable of thrilling coasters at Busch Gardens. The ride is currently scheduled to open in spring 2021.
SeaWorld Orlando – Ice Breaker
Height Requirement: 48”
Ice Breaker is scheduled to open in spring 2021 and will be SeaWorld Orlando’s first ever launch coaster. With four launches, this multi-directional launch coaster sends riders forward and backward, including a reverse launch into a 93-foot-tall spike with a 100-degree angle, Florida’s steepest beyond vertical drop.
Located near the park’s Wild Arctic animal habitat, the ride is themed to the icy snow-covered Arctic, and is part of a partnership with the Alaska SeaLife Center. As part of the collaboration, it’s likely the queue area may contain an educational component on conservation and the inhabitants of the Arctic.
Located near the park’s Wild Arctic animal habitat, the ride is themed to the icy snow-covered Arctic, and is part of a partnership with the Alaska SeaLife Center. As part of the collaboration, it’s likely the queue area may contain an educational component on conservation and the inhabitants of the Arctic.
LEGOLAND Florida – New Experiences For the Park’s 10th Birthday
LEGOLAND Florida will celebrate its milestone 10th birthday on October 15, 2021, but guests can party all year long with a long list of new attractions and entertainment offerings. Brickbeard’s Watersports Stunt Show will debut on February 12, featuring a crew of aspiring buccaneers executing breathtaking wakeboarding and skiing stunts.
In spring 2021, the park will be premiering a brand new 4-D movie in the LEGOLAND Fun Town Theater and a new LEGO building experience with real Master Model Builders. Later in the year, the park will also open a new stage show and, of course, host a big birthday party complete with a LEGO birthday cake.
