What's New

Attractions

Universal Orlando Resort will open a groundbreaking new attraction summer 2016 at Universal's Islands of Adventure. “Skull Island: Reign of Kong” will honor one of the most monumental figures in movie history, King Kong. Guests will board large vehicles and explore ancient temple structures while encountering hostile natives and fending off unspeakable terrors.

Walt Disney World Resort will open a new “Frozen” ride at Epcot on June 21, called “Frozen Ever After.” The Maelstrom ride, located in the Norway pavilion of the World Showcase, will be renovated into this new attraction based on Disney's popular animated film. The ride will take guests to Arendelle during the kingdom's Winter Festival, featuring favorite characters and music from the film, all with cutting-edge technology.

SeaWorld Orlando is bringing the thrills this year with Mako, a brand new 200-foot-tall coaster opening June 10. Named for one of the ocean's fastest known sharks, it will be Orlando's tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster, reaching speeds of 73 mph as it races along 4,760 feet of steel track. SeaWorld's new hypercoaster will be the centerpiece of the newly themed two-acre plaza. The surrounding realm will be fully shark themed, providing guests with the opportunity to learn about the impact humans have on sharks and why these animals are critical to the environment.

Busch Gardens Tampa will open a new family thrill ride called Cobra's Curse in 2016. This spin coaster will be the only one of its kind in the world, featuring a vertical lift and taking riders on a whirlwind adventure of exciting explorations. Key features of the ride will include an 80-foot snake icon, a trek over the park's Serengeti Plain and the mysteries of an Egyptian archaeological excavation.

Walt Disney World Resort will complete the multi-year transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs. Featuring an eclectic and contemporary mix from Disney and other noteworthy brands, this new expansion will double the number of shops, restaurants and other venues for guests to explore, to more than 150 establishments. New retail tenants include APEX by Sunglass Hut, Art of Shaving, Chapel Hats, Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC, Havaianas, Sanuk and Sound Lion. New venues will continue to join in 2016, such as the World of Coca-Cola Experience, Sephora, Lilly Pulitzer and Vera Bradley.

Walt Disney World Resort will open the newly refurbished and expanded Soarin' attraction at Epcot on June 17. The king-sized simulator ride, originally opened in 2005, let Epcot visitors virtually glide over California scenery. The new Soarin' Around the World will take guests on a journey to far-flung lands, and accommodate more guests with the addition of an extra theater.

Walt Disney World Resort announced updates for Sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris, the popular Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. The ride will be extended for a new nighttime adventure beginning Memorial Day weekend. Guests will travel through the African savanna amid the magically extended orange glow of the setting sun and discover two species new to the attraction: African wild dogs and hyenas. Also coming to Animal Kingdom is an innovative experience unlike anything ever seen in a Disney park, combining live performances, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery. Called “Rivers of Light”, it will come to life on the natural stage of Discovery River this summer.

Walt Disney World Resort welcomes two new Star Wars shows at Hollywood Studios. Debuted in April, a new stage show, “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away,” plays out iconic moments from the film saga with appearances from Star Wars characters like Kylo Ren, Chewbacca and Darth Vader. A nightly celebration, “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular” is coming this summer. It will include fireworks, pyrotechnics, special effects and video projections that will turn the nearby Chinese Theater and other buildings into the twin suns of Tatooine, Starkiller Base and other Star Wars destinations; combined, it will be the most elaborate fireworks display to take place in the history of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

LEGOLAND® Florida Resort premiered “The LEGO® Movie™ 4D A New Adventure” in February. The new 4D animated film features the popular characters from The LEGO® Movie™ and uses elements such as wind, water, smoke and special lighting effects. The larger-than-life experience brings the film's main characters, Emmet and Wyldstyle, back together with their friends for another awesome adventure.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex announced the addition of a new attraction coming in late 2016, called Heroes and Legends. Heroes and Legends will feature the U.S Astronaut Hall of Fame and showcase the heroism of America's early space pioneers by inviting guests to vicariously experience the thrills and dangers of America's earliest missions through high-tech elements and special effects, including simulated holograms and augmented reality.

Crayola Experience will open Rockin' Paper this summer, an all-new attraction that will bring personalized paper creations to life. Guests will start by decorating paper creatures, then watch as they come alive and rock out in a show all of their own, complete with lights and music. Each new set of paper stars will dance to a different song, for a new experience every time.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort will Premiere a new 4D movie this May: "LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS 4D: The Book of Creativity." Characters from the popular LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS series battle forces of evil in this new immersive experience, combining 3D computer animation with "4D," real-world effects that bring the high-tech action bursting off the screen and into the audience.

Dining & Nightlife

The Edison, similar to its sister location in Los Angeles, is the third new venue announced to open at Disney Springs. With a theme that centers around a 1920s-period electric company with live entertainment, classic American food and craft cocktails, the industrial gothic space will have 35-foot ceilings and a number of themed areas

Frontera Cocina, a new Mexican dining concept from Chef Rick Bayless, will open at Disney Springs in June, 2016. Chef Bayless is a six-time James Beard Foundation winner, aiming to showcase the gourmet Mexican cuisine that has made him a culinary legend at Frontera Cocina.

STK Orlando joined the host of new venues at Disney Springs, opened in May. The upscale steakhouse blends two concepts into one—the modern steakhouse and a chic lounge. Unique features include a live DJ, high-energy atmosphere and a sleek environment designed to encourage guests to interact and mingle.

Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine, owned by celebrity Chef Art Smith, is bringing a taste of real Florida to a new restaurant opening in summer 2016 at Disney Springs. The restaurant will showcase the cuisine of Chef Smith, who was born and reared in the town of Jasper, Fla., on the Florida-Georgia border. After 25 years of preparing award-winning meals for celebrities and heads of state, he is making Florida his home once again.

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen will be a full-service restaurant at Universal CityWalk that offers a wide variety of dishes – from all-day-brunch crepes and quiches to unique takes on classic steak, seafood, pasta and more, plus an array of gourmet chocolates and desserts. The restaurant will be themed as a 19th century inspired, Steampunk-era chocolate factory and located near the entrance to Universal's Islands of Adventure. It is expected to open late 2016.

DoveCote in downtown Orlando is the next project for James Beard nominated chefs, James and Julie Petrakis, who also own Winter Park's Ravenous Pig, Cask & Larder and Swine & Sons, expected to open in June. A twist on the Classic French brasserie, Chef Clayton Miller, a past winner of a "Best New Chef" award from Food & Wine magazine, who also worked under Thomas Keller at French Laundry, will oversee the kitchen.

Cask & Larder at Orlando International Airport, another expansion for the Petrakises, will open summer 2016. The airport outpost for the popular Winter Park restaurant that was named one of Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants in America in 2014, will be the first restaurant at the airport to specialize in seasonally driven cuisine and locally sourced ingredients.

Paddlefish, a new dining experience coming to Disney Springs, will open this fall aboard the vessel formerly known as Fulton's Crab House. The refreshed venue comes with a menu to match, featuring an array of composed and contemporary seafood dishes, steaks and more. Guests can look forward to more interactive dining experiences and a new rooftop lounge as well.

Winter Park Distilling Company announced plans for a new facility that combines a craft brewery, taproom and retail showroom at a new location in the City of Winter Park. The “Brewstillery” will be the first-of-its-kind in the State of Florida. It is set to open in 2016, featuring tours on a daily basis.

Hotels and Resorts

Universal Orlando Resort and Loews Hotels & Resorts have announced plans to build the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. It will be the fifth onsite hotel at Universal Orlando Resort, featuring 1,000 rooms and suites with a casual Caribbean theme, built around a lagoon and towering waterfall. The resort is now taking reservations starting July 14.

The Grove Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Hospitality International property, is set to open in fall 2016, just five minutes from Walt Disney World Resort. The hotel will offer 878 rooms, several full-service restaurants, bars, a grab-and-go marketplace and a family-friendly water park.

Sports

Orlando City Soccer Club and National Women's Soccer League welcomed an exciting addition to Orlando's sports teams in 2016: a women's soccer team called the Orlando Pride. The new team plays at Camping World Stadium, but will transition to the new, dedicated soccer stadium when it's completed in 2017.

What's Next

Attractions

Universal Orlando Resort announced plans for a water park opening in 2017, called Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort. The water park will offer innovative, thrilling attractions, peaceful moments of relaxation and an entirely new guest experience. A highly themed, completely immersive environment is planned, inspired by postcard-perfect tropical islands. The new park will be located within Universal Orlando Resort, just south of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort. 

Walt Disney World Resort announced details about the new Avatar-inspired land, set to open in 2017. The expansion, set to be the largest in Animal Kingdom's history, will feature floating mountains, bioluminescent rainforests and a Banshee flying attraction, as well as new after-dark entertainment. Disney Parks also announced plans for two historic themed land expansion, bringing the far, far away galaxy of Star Wars and the colorful world of Toy Story closer to guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Universal Orlando Resort announced a new ride set to open in 2017: “Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon”. The ride will invite guests to join the Tonight Show's studio audience on the ultimate race through the streets—and skies—of New York City, from the deepest subway tunnels to the tallest skyscrapers, with colorful characters, famous landmarks and more from the mind of Jimmy Fallon.

SKYPLEX, a new entertainment complex on I-Drive, is set to break world records by bringing the world's tallest roller coaster to Orlando in 2018. The 570-foot-tall (174-meter) structure will be the tallest in Central Florida, and feature the first Polercoaster, a vertical ride dubbed the Skyscraper, weaving in and around the whole tower on coaster-length tracks. The SKYPLEX tower will also offer views of the city via an observation deck, restaurant and lounge at the top. Additionally, a second ride, called Skyfall, will be will be the world's tallest drop ride once it opens, rising up to 460 feet (140.2 meters) and then dropping riders at 90 miles (144.8 km) an hour.

Downtown Venues

A Multipurpose Soccer Stadium began construction in fall 2014 and is scheduled to open prior to the 2017 Major League Soccer season. The stadium will be located in downtown Orlando in a developing entertainment center a block away from the Amway Center. The stadium will seat 19,500 and serve as home to the Orlando City Lions soccer team.

New Within the Last Year

Attractions

I-Drive 360, a new retail, dining and entertainment complex, opened on International Drive in May2015, featuring a trio of attractions from Merlin Entertainments. The complex is centered by a 400-foot-tall observation wheel called The Orlando Eye, along with Madame Tussauds Orlando and SEA LIFE Aquarium. The project also includes Skeletons: Animals Unveiled! and  a variety of dining and shopping such as Tin Roof, Bar Jour, Cafe du Paris, Sugar Factory, Yard House, Cowgirls and Seafood Republic.

SeaWorld Orlando debuted an all-new show, Clyde & Seamore's Sea Lion High, in April 2015. A hilarious tale, the show is filled with amazing animal behaviors and splashy audience fun. The comedic sea lion duo is joined by mischievous otters, a 2,300 lb. (1043 kg) walrus and a cast of goofy human characters.

Crayola Experience invites guests to embark on an adventure where color, chemistry, and digital technology combine to make a one-of-a-kind family attraction. The venue opened in July 2015 and offers 25 hands-on attractions for the entire family.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort opened a new land called Heartlake City in summer 2015. The expansion includes a horse-themed disc coaster called Mia's Riding Adventure, an interactive show titled 'Friends to the Rescue' and new shops inside Heartlake Mall.

Escapology Orlando brings a new kind of entertainment to I-Drive with its first U.S. location. he attraction challenges guests to be their own heroes in a thrilling game of adventure and mystery. Teams of up to six players are locked in a themed room with just 60 minutes to combine clues, solve puzzles and discover the key to escape. 

The Escape Game Orlando, opened in early 2015, offering exciting modern missions like conducting a heist or stopping a terrorist attack, with only an hour to succeed or fail. Guests have to work together to avoid capture and problem-solve their way to victory.

America's Escape Game opened in 2015 and kicks things up a notch when it comes to thrilling challenges and immersive themed rooms. Some games are harder than others, requiring larger groups to beat the clock and escape plague, mummies or even scarier mysteries.

Hotels and Resorts

LEGOLAND Florida Resort opened the LEGOLAND Florida Resort Hotel in May 2015. The four-story hotel features 152 brightly colored and highly themed rooms and suites, LEGO décor, interactive play areas, a pool and a restaurant.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts brought the brand of Element Hotels to Orlando in July 2015 with Element Orlando North, located across from Orlando Executive Airport and just three miles (4.83 km) from the central business district of downtown Orlando. Built green from the ground up, the hotel features 151 stylish, sustainable rooms, 24-hour fitness center, outdoor swimming pool and a 977-square-foot (91-square-meter) meeting room with state-of-the-art technology.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort completed significant renovations including new amenities for guests throughout the resort including a new pool, spa, lobby, child activity center and the addition of a Trader Sam's Grog Grotto. The hotel also constructed 20 Bungalows on Seven Seas Lagoon and 360 Deluxe Studios. The Bungalows are the first of this type of accommodation at Disney, sleep up to eight guests, and feature a plunge pool with views of fireworks over Magic Kingdom Park.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is getting a $125 million, multi-phased, multi-story upgrade. Renovations for 500 of the 758-room Swan Hotel were completed at the end of 2014. The first phase of the 1,509-room Dolphin Hotel's renovations began in early 2015. All of the renovations are expected to be completed by 2016.

Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista Resort recently completed a $13 million dollar renovation to all 334 suites including upgrading its double beds to queens, creating the new prototype of the entire Embassy Brand. Further renovations include all meeting space, a redesigned open lobby concept, restaurant, pool and spa. The resort features Caribbean-style lodging for business travelers and families alike. 

Dining

Morimoto Asia opened in September 2015 as a one-of-a-kind dining experience in the heart of Disney Springs, formerly Downtown Disney. Created by Chef Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef America fame, it is the Japanese master chef's first-ever pan-Asian restaurant featuring flavors from across the continent.

The BOATHOUSE, an upscale, waterfront dining experience at Disney Springs, opened in April. The restaurant features a gourmet menu featuring steaks, chops, seafood and a raw bar as well as live music and guided tours aboard land and water vehicles.

Mango's Tropical Café, a world-famous venue out of Miami, opened the first Orlando location on I-Drive in late 2015. The new restaurant and nightlife venue will offer exciting live music and shows, dancing, gourmet dining and renowned cocktails, expanding Orlando's growing reputation for incredible nightlife and entertainment.

Baoery Asian Gastropub, a new restaurant in the former location of Cityfish in Thornton Park, opened in fall 2015. This second creation from Executive Chef Greg Richie, of Soco, is an Asian Gastropub, offering a contemporary take on traditional Asian cuisine reimagined as modern American bar food using a progressive culinary approach.

Slate joined the lineup on busy Restaurant Row in 2015, a classic American restaurant featuring wood-grilled cuisine and open-air dining. Chef Dominic Rice is a longtime Florida resident who worked at top restaurants including Jean Georges, Resto and Tipsy Parson in New York City.

Swine & Sons Provisions, a new endeavor from James and Julie Petrakis, chefs/owners of the much-acclaimed restaurants The Ravenous Pig and Cask & Larder, opened in April as their third Winter Park operation. The new venue specializes in takeout charcuterie; butcher sandwiches; seasonally inspired homemade ice creams; signature spices and rubs; scratch-made biscuits; daily pastry offerings and more. 

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House has opened a premium steakhouse on International Drive. Serving hand-cut steaks, chops and fresh seafood, the restaurant offers fine dining accompanied by an extensive wine list and handcrafted cocktails.

Whisper Creek Kitchen opened at JW Marriott Orlando in spring 2015. The restaurant is an extension of Whisper Creek Farm featuring ingredients from the farm and signature craft beer.

North Quarter Tavern (NQT) is a new chef-driven neighborhood tavern that is located in the North Quarter District in Downtown Orlando. The kitchen is under the direction of Chef Matt Wall from Citrus Restaurant, where the concept for NQT was born.

The Whiskey, a new craft burger and cocktail bar, opened in spring 2015 on “Restaurant Row.” The restaurant highlights approximately 100 brands of whiskey from national and international brands, plus craft cocktails and gourmet burgers. Other features include live music Thursday-Sunday and occasional "Food Fights" where local chefs will let their recipes battle it out.

Downtown Venues

Camping World Stadium, formerly the Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium, home to the Buffalo Wild Wings and Russell Athletic bowls, finished renovations in early 2015, rebuilt into a state-of-the-art venue capable of hosting world-class events. Renovations included replacement of the lower bowl, additional fan amenities and club space. The venue is home to the Orlando City Soccer Club until their own stadium is built.

The Orlando Destination

Home to seven of the world's top theme parks, Orlando is the No. 1 family vacation destination, theme park capital of the world, and most visited destination in the United States.  An unparalleled mix of unique experiences create cherished memories for visitors, including legendary theme parks from Disney, Universal and SeaWorld, an array of world-class water parks, entertainment venues, an award-winning food scene, shopping, sports and nightlife. And, with 450 hotels, Orlando offers more lodging options than nearly any other destination in the world, from expansive resorts to uniquely themed hotels. 

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Editor's Note: For additional press information in multiple languages or high-resolution downloadable images, please visit VisitOrlando.com/media.