Walk time: Tell a story, or else
If there is a single theme to the past week's theme park news, it's the value of storytelling. Jacob Sundstrom and I dive into that in this week's episode of the Theme Park Insider Podcast, which is live now on all major podcast platforms. Or you can watch it here:
Another longtime member of the Theme Park Insider community, Russell Meyer, visited Busch Gardens Williamsburg this week for the park's media day for its refreshed Verbolten: Forbidden Turn roller coaster. (Let's hear it for the "Los Angeles Angels" of theme park attraction names.) Busch Gardens has plussed the story and decoration for this Zierer launch coaster, showing that it's never too late (or too early) to invest in better storytelling on theme park attractions: Busch Gardens makes the right turn with new Verbolten [with on-ride video].
Down the road at Carowinds, the Six Flags park this week revealed its plans for its new-for-2027 attraction, Rip Roarin' Falls. The new WhiteWater flume ride will set several records, but I was taken in more by the cute lil raccoons that have seen their way to take over this abandoned sawmill. Carowinds did not have to create backstory for its new flume ride, but it did, and that has me - and many other TPI readers - excited to see what the park will deliver: Carowinds plans record-setting log flume ride for 2027 [with concept video].
The theme park wizards giveth and they taketh away. Also this week, Hersheypark confirmed that this will be the final season for its Tidal Force shoot the chute ride. So an un-themed, un-decorated, no-story flume ride goes away the same week that another park announces a well-themed and decorated flume? There's a lesson there... and that is our podcast title for the week! Last call for Tidal Force at Hersheypark.
Miral this week officially announced its next two attractions for Warner Bros. World on Yas Island. A new spinner ride called Kryptonite Collider will open in the park next month. But the big news is the next-generation flying roller coaster now under construction both inside and outside of the Sbu Dhabi theme park. Superman Up and Away is set to debut in 2028, as Yas Island adds new attractions in advance of the opening of Disney Abu Dhabi sometime in the next decade: Miral sets two new Superman rides for Warner Bros World.
In addition to the new DC Comics rides, Warner Bros. World is building its new Wizarding World of Harry Potter land, which I expect to open as early as 2029.
This week I also published two new FAQ articles for readers planning visits to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida:
- How to use Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World
- The single solution to shorter waits at Walt Disney World [How to use Single Rider queues]
We have a new trip report on the Discussion Forum this week, too: I went to two Enchanted Parks.
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Thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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