It’s that time of year. With most seasonal parks now closed, let’s set our sights on what lies ahead and run down the ten most anticipated 2026 coasters rolling out in the U.S. There are some real corkers, some rides that will open (or not) at brand new parks, holdovers that were previously announced, and more on the way. Let’s get to ‘em.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood in California
It won’t be the first time that Universal has incorporated the mega Fast and Furious franchise into its parks, but it appears that they are finally going to stick the landing with Hollywood Drift. At 72 mph, it will be the fastest coaster at any Universal park and will surely make Dom Toretto proud. Designed and built by Intamin (which has crushed it for Universal with coasters such as Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure), it will feature ride vehicles that will look like Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger and will be able to rotate 360 degrees to simulate the barely-in-control, high-speed drifting that he and his F&F family can’t seem to get enough of. Taking advantage of the extreme elevation changes at the studios, the coaster will start on the park’s upper lot and wind over and around the very (very!) long Starway escalators that connect to its lower lot. In the U.S. race for 2026 coaster goodness, this would seem to be the ride to beat.
Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas
The world’s tallest (a dizzying 309 feet) and fastest (a hairy 87 mph) dive coaster is on its way to Texas, where everything is bigger. When the original Six Flags park welcomes Tormenta Rampaging Run to its midway next year, it will also shatter other records, including a 179-foot-tall vertical loop, the world’s tallest on any coaster. Park fans know the drill with dive coasters: Extra-wide, floorless cars climb a lift hill, dangle precariously over the edge of an abyss for a few heart-stopping moments, and then dive down a scream-worthy drop–in this case a 285-foot descent at a beyond-vertical 95 degrees. Other elements will include an obligatory Immelmann roll; at 218 feet tall, it will be the world’s highest.
Circuit Breaker at COTALAND in Texas
This one is a bit of a cheat. Circuit Breaker actually opened a few weeks ago, but it has only been available to ride as part of special events. It will officially debut with the rest of the park when COTALAND opens in 2026 (assuming it does; COTALAND has been delayed a number of times, but the Circuit of the Americas park looks to be, um, actually on track for next year.) It isn’t as tall or as fast as Siren’s Curse, which debuted at Cedar Point last year. But like that Vekoma Tilt Coaster, it sends a trainload of passengers onto a section of track that improbably teeters forward like a one-way seesaw until it’s angled at 90 degrees. It then connects with the rest of the track and releases the train and its passengers onto a course that includes four inversions.
Palindrome at COTALAND in Texas
Long-time ATPers know that I’ve been touting Palindrome for a number of years, because it was supposed to open in 2023 (and then 2024 and 2025). The Circuit Breaker companion will be a Gerstlauer Shuttle Infinity Coaster that will climb 95 feet, drop at a beyond-vertical angle (a Gerstlauer staple), rev up to 51 mph, tackle two inversions, and come to a halt on a vertical spike. Palindrome will then roll backwards and repeat the course in reverse–hence, its name.
Unknown at Family Kingdom Amusement Park in South Carolina
The Myrtle Beach seaside park recently revealed that it would be opening a custom single-rail Raptor coaster next year. At 100 feet tall and with a top speed of 50 mph, it will likely be similar to Rocky Mountain Coasters’ single-rail prototype that it built for Six Flags Fiesta Texas (and that I had the honor of being the first to ride). Given Family Kingdom’s small footprint, the new attraction will probably be a compact ride and not have the more sprawling layout of Raptor coasters such as Wonder Woman Flight of Courage at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer at Mattel Adventure Park in Arizona
Like COTALAND, Mattel Adventure Park was supposed to open in 2023, when COVID-19 still loomed large. And like the Texas park, it then announced that its turnstiles would start clicking every year after that. Will the toy-themed park actually welcome gusts in 2026? Beats me. But if it does, its featured coaster will be Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer, which will launch from 0 to 50 mph, rise 116 feet, and deliver four inversions.
Quantum Accelerator at Six Flags New England in Massachusetts
Delayed from last year, the New England park is now set to debut Quantum Accelerator for the 2026 season. Passengers will straddle the seats on the motorbike-like ride vehicles and accelerate to 45 mph on the Intamin tire-launched coaster. Quantum Accelerator will feature both Old West and steampunk design influences.
Galacticoaster at Legoland California and Legoland Florida
You may notice that there are nine entries on my 2026 top-ten most anticipated U.S. coasters list. That’s because Legoland will be opening two identical coasters, one each at its Florida and California parks. The indoor Galacticoasters will incorporate a space mission theme. Since this is Legoland, the rides themselves likely won’t be too thrilling (details and stats have not been released). Then again, Space Mountain at Florida’s Magic Kingdom maxes out at a surprisingly puny 27 mph. To be manufactured by ART Engineering of Germany, the coasters will probably be similar to Snoopy’s Racing Railway, which opened this year at Carowinds. That ride uses a tire launch system and hits 31 mph (take that Space Mountain). Expect some cute intergalactic themeing on the Legoland coasters.
Unknown at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California
Shrouded in mystery, Six Flags has only revealed that its newest ride (which will bring its coaster count to 20–more than any other park in the world) will be “a first-of-its-kind coaster in North America.” Rumor has it that Vekoma will be building a “Thrill Glider,” a new model that will combine motorbike-style cars with a suspended ride system. Unless this will be a themed indoor attraction built around flying motorbikes, the Thrill Glider concept makes no sense to me. The project has been delayed and may not open till late 2026 or some time in 2027.
Which 2026 U.S. coaster are you most anticipating?