Exciting new reasons to visit Orlando in 2017

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by Conrad - 19 December 2016

Orlando has long been a magnet for visitors to Florida. With one of the world’s highest concentrations of theme parks and other attractions, it makes for an action-packed holiday that the whole family will love. And with a number of great new rides and parks due to open in 2017, it promises to be the best year ever to visit. So sort out your flights and accommodation, arrange your car hire at Orlando Airport and get ready to have your time of your lives at all, or any, of these new arrivals for 2017.

 

Universal Orlando Volcano Bay

You’ll never visit a water park quite like Universal’s Volcano Bay, the newest addition to the Universal Resort Orlando. Drawing inspiration from stunning locations worldwide the centrepiece of the park is the 200 foot volcano Krakatau. By day it’s home to three thrill-filled, fast-plunging water slides and by night the water is magically transformed into flowing lava. The park covers 28 acres in all, so rest assured there are slides and rides to suit everyone, not just the thrill seekers.

 

Sea World Kraken VR

The Kraken is a mythical sea serpent that is said to have terrified sailors the world over – and it’s also one of the main rides at Orlando’s Sea World. With the upcoming addition of virtual reality technology it’ll send the park hurtling into the 21st century and beyond. So when you climb on board you’ll also be given the option to wear a VR headset. It looks set to transform an already thrilling ride into a totally immersive experience, in which you’ll travel deep under the waves listening to music that’s been specially composed to accompany the experience.

 

Pandora – The World of Avatar

Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, so it’s no surprise that Disney has created a beautiful addition to their Animal Kingdom theme park. As fans of the film will know, Pandora was the beautiful planet threatened with destruction in the 2009 film, and Disney has recreated its beautiful surroundings here on Earth with features including floating mountains, a bioluminescent forest and even the Na’vi river. But the real highlight is going on an aerial Banshee ride for a bird’s eye view of the idyllic land.

 

LEGO NINJAGO® World

To tie in with the hugely successful range of ninja-inspired LEGO kits, along with the upcoming film starring Jackie Chan, LEGOLAND Florida will soon introduce this fun and fantastical look at the world of all things martial arts. Pay a visit for an immersive ride where you can discover your inner ninja, and even “blast” lightning, fire and ice with your bare hands. 

 

Star Wars Land

The finer details – including when it’s due to open - are still shrouded in mystery, but Disney is also hard at work developing Star Wars Land at their Orlando Hollywood Studios. The only rides announced so far to celebrate the iconic film franchise have been the chance to fly the Millennium Falcon, and another in which you find yourself in the middle of a space battle between the two factions set to face off in the new trilogy of films. Fans of the Star Wars franchise can expect something pretty spectacular when it does open.

 

With all these new additions to the already stellar line-up of parks and attractions, it certainly seems like Orlando’s securing its position as the family entertainment capital of the world – so make sure it’s in your travel plans for 2017.