The Best New Rides and Attractions To Catch in Orlando This Summer

New must-dos in the City Beautiful

From the Magic Kingdom to Kennedy Space Center, there are a whole host of new rides, exhibitions and shows to suit every kind of adventurer visiting Orlando and its surroundings this summer. Read on as we take you on a tour of what to look out for.

Tron Lightcycle Run, Magic Kingdom, Disney World

Disney World’s big spring launch has been much delayed due to the pandemic but finally opened for riders in April. You board lightcycles for a high-octane sprint around a twisting, turning track in a mock race based on the cult Tron films. It’s a very different kind of ride experience being locked horizontally onto a roller coaster and it’s definitely worth trying to get up front if you can.

Tron Lightcycle Run, Magic Kingdom, Disney World

The ride gets off to a very adrenaline-pumping start with some drops, and although the pace lets up towards the end and it’s all over very rapidly it’s definitely a Magic Kingdom must-do. At the moment you’ll either need to enter the lottery of a virtual queue for a chance to ride, or if the park’s busy you might need to pay for the privilege via a Lightning Lane pass.

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Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, Kennedy Space Center

The Artemis programme has given Kennedy Space Center a (moon) shot in the arm and has led to the opening of a brand new exhibition area called Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex. It features a variety of exhibits relating to more recent space exploration and what the future of space travel could look like.

Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, Kennedy Space Center

Also within this new complex is a new virtual reality experience simulating future journeys into deep space. Spaceport KSC offers four rides – Cosmic Wonders, Daring Explorers, Red Planet and Uncharted Worlds – to very different worlds we might one day be exploring. As well as the thrill of space flight there’s also plenty of information on why we’re venturing into these parts of the universe. Strap in for a spin to new horizons.

Country Nights Live dinner show, Pirates Dinner Adventure complex

Orlando loves a dinner show and this one combines country music with a menu of homespun favourites including crispy fried chicken, country-style pork ribs, mashed potato and cornbread. The energetic singers and dancers rattle through such liquor-soaked classics as Jolene, Fake ID, Friends In Low Places, and the inevitable 9 To 5.

Country Nights Live dinner show

You can also be a part of the show once you’ve had your fill of dinner. We had three generations up on stage joining the line and releasing their inner cowboy and cowgirl. It’s a lot of fun delivered by a troupe who know how to make sure everyone has a good time.

All Systems Are Go! Kennedy Space Center

Two American icons have teamed up at Kennedy Space Center as the Peanuts crew star in a charming live puppet show twice daily. Snoopy has had the call to join the Artemis programme and so heads to Kennedy for his NASA training. Needless to say, comedy ensues…

All Systems Are Go! Kennedy Space Center

It’s a gentle, enchanting show that will particularly engage younger children, although anyone with a love of the comic strip favourites will enjoy it. Look out for Marcie finding her vocation at Kennedy. You’re unlikely to leave without being touched by both the show and its message about following your dreams.

Happily Ever After, Magic Kingdom, Disney World

The Magic Kingdom’s firework finale is back after a break for the belated 50th anniversary Disney World celebrations. Cinderella Castle once again provides a stunning setting for an all-singing, all-lighting extravaganza.

Happily Ever After, Magic Kingdom, Disney World

As essential to your visit as any of the rides or other attractions, the revived Happily Ever After also includes projections down the walls of Main Street USA to really immerse you in the magic. Get in front of Cinderella's Castle early to bag a prime spot.

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, EPCOT, Disney World

EPCOT has slowly been evolving from education to entertainment and this first spin on a Marvel franchise is its highest-octane offering yet. We know this one isn’t so new but for now you still have to use the virtual queue system to ride it unless you want to pay out extra for a Lightning Lane slot. If you manage to bag a slot then prepare for a loud, wild ride totally in keeping with the film series. It’s a roller coaster but not as you might know it…

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, EPCOT, Disney World

Without giving too much away, the ride takes you in every direction while a story plays out, not that you’ll be able to keep track of it with the music pumping and your heart thumping. It’s far and away the star of the show at EPCOT and you should do whatever you can to get a slot during your visit.

EPCOT Forever, EPCOT, Disney World

Another night-time extravaganza making a return to Disney World, EPCOT Forever celebrates the history of the park with a medley of the music of its past accompanied by lasers and fireworks over the World Showcase Lagoon.

EPCOT Forever, EPCOT, Disney World

It’s certainly a memorable way to round off your day at the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow and you’ll find the songs get lodged in your brain (the Universe of Energy always does it for me) long after you’ve left the park gates.

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