Hellbent on having fun
2023 preview updates for Anakeesta, Universal Orlando, and Disneyland
Cedar Point and Holiday World announced their 2024 projects today. I’ll be writing about them and publish my article this Thursday.
Most of the new roller coasters and new attractions that were scheduled to debut this year are now open and bringing joy to guests. But not all of them. Let’s take a midsummer’s look at a few park developments that are still in the pipeline. (But not Pipeline: The Surf Coaster. That did open a few weeks back at SeaWorld Orlando.)
Anakeesta, the mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is nearing completion on its Hellbender Mountain Coaster and anticipates rolling it out in the fall. I had a chance to experience Rail Runner, the park’s existing mountain coaster last year. Unlike that ride, which is the country’s only single-rail mountain coaster, the new attraction will be a conventional two-rail thrill machine from Wiegand Sports, the company that makes most of the world’s mountain coasters. I’m expecting to return to the lovely park that is nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains to check it out and pen a ride review.
In 2022, Anakeesta launched the beguiling Astra Lumina, a multimedia nighttime experience in the woods. It is part of an aggressive expansion plan that will include the new Stone Village land, which will feature a bird-themed play and adventure zone along with the Hellbender coaster. The park will also be presenting a new Bear-Varian Fall Festival that will showcase German fare paired with beer and cider from the region’s breweries (and, apparently, be themed to the black bears that are native to the area and can sometimes be seen roaming the grounds). The event will kick off September 9 and run through the end of October.
Universal Studios Florida recently soft-opened Villain-Con Minion Blast, the novel shooter attraction that puts guests on a moving walkway instead of a ride vehicle. Participants vie to become a member of the Vicious 6 by demonstrating their prowess with an “E-Liminator X” blaster. The experience features characters from the Minion franchise voiced by the original actors, including legendary badasses such as Danny Trejo, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. (The name of the latter’s Vicious 6 baddie? Jean Clawed. I kid you not.)
According to Universal, guests have the option of pairing their blasters with the resort’s app, which then enhances the gaming experience. That sounds potentially confusing and needlessly complicated to me. I think interactive attractions should be as intuitive and simple as possible. The less guests have to rely on their phones and just be in the moment at parks, the better. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a cranky, old fart.
Villain-Con Minion Blast as well as the expanded Minion Land will officially open on August 11. I’m planning to have a blast and join the Vicious 6 in their nefarious mission shortly. Be on the lookout for my review.
In other Universal news, the resort recently announced that a new DreamWorks land will be opening in 2024 at Universal Studios Florida. It will feature little kid-centric properties such as Trolls, Kung Fu Panda, and Gabby’s Dollhouse, which are likely to also figure prominently in the micro park that Universal is developing in Texas. Shrek, who was displaced by the Minion Land, will find a new home in the DreamWorks neighborhood as well. The land will replace Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, which included Fievel's Playland and Curious George Goes to Town.
The company teased that the DreamWorks project is “part of a collection of new entertainment experiences” that will debut at the Florida resort in 2024. Hmm. I’ll share more about that as details become available.
The Disneyland Resort, meanwhile, announced that San Fransokyo Square will open August 31 at Disney California Adventure. There are no major attractions coming to the “Big Hero 6”-themed land, but there will be shops, character meetups, and dining spots. Among the mashup menu items will be San Fransokyo-style Street Corn, Pork Wonton Nachos, a Shrimp Katsu Sandwich, and Japanese-style Fluffy Cheesecake.
Will you be heading to any of these parks to check out their new goodies this year (or sometime soon)? Which developments most excite you? Am I, in fact, a cranky, old fart?
Looking forward to your reviews Arthur. Especially that Minions moving walkway thing. I'm dying to know how that works in practice.
As far as the phone stuff, that's a tough balance. I think it's great that app integration can provide new experiences, but at the same time I don't think they should be mandatory. Give the option for people who want to jump through the hoops, but make darn sure the basic experience provides a great time for those who choose not to. I'm also always a little concerned that app integration is just a way to get marketing data off you in the guise of an added experience (does that put me in old paranoid fart territory?) =D
Unfortunately, the single rail mountain coaster was closed when we visited Anakeesta this past May. However, we did enjoy the Astra Lumina nighttime experience very much!