New dark rides and show rides for 2024
Now that the new year has started, it is time to take a look at all the exciting new dark rides and show rides that await us this year! Last year, we have seen a large quantity of new rides opening, of which the list can be found here. Let’s now see what 2024 has in store in terms of new dark rides and show rides! Check out the list below.
America
Canada
NEB’s Fun World (Oshawa, Ontario): Unknown. First installation of the Superfly stand-up flying theatre by Triotech. Ride concept and this first installation were announced at the IAAPA Expo in November 2023.
United States of America
Circus Circus Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, Nevada): SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride. New dark ride based on the franchise of SpongeBob SquarePants. This new dark ride is designed by Sally Dark Rides and uses a ride system by ETF Ride Systems in combination with an interactive system by Alterface. The ride has opened on 1 March. Check out our report on the opening.
Adventureland (Altoona, Iowa): Underground. Currently closed for refurbishment, the re-opening of Adventureland’s signature indoor wooden coaster with dark rides scenes is due in 2024 to celebrate the parks 50th anniversary. Re-opening is announced for 18 May.
Disneyland (Anaheim, CA): Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Retheme of the former Splash Mountain semi-dark water ride. The retheme is based on The Princess and the Frog, and was first announced in 2020. Details on the new ride were revealed in 2022. Splash Mountain closed on 31 May 2023, the opening of the rethemed version is exptected in late 2024.
FlyOver Chicago (Chicago, IL): New stand-alone flying theater at Chicago’s Navy Pier, using a ride system by Brogent Technologies. Originally scheduled for 2023, but has opened on 1 March.
Magic Kingdom (Lake Buena Vista, FL): Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Retheme of the former Splash Mountain semi-dark water ride. The retheme is based on The Princess and the Frog, and was first announced in 2020. Details on the new ride were revealed in 2022. Splash Mountain closed on 31 May 2023, the opening of the rethemed version is exptected in late 2024.
Mattel Adventure Park (Glendale, AZ): Barbie Flying Theatre. Toy manufacturer Mattel is building a new theme park in Glendale. One of the major attractions will be a Dynamic Attractions Flying Theatre in a Barbie-theme. Mattel Adventure Park is expected to open late 2024 or in 2025.
Morgan’s Wonderland (San Antonio, TX): 4D Cinema. New motion theatre which is fully accessible for people with disabilities. The ride system is custom designed by SimEx Iwerks. The ride has opened on 11 March.
Silver Dollar City (Branson, MO): Fire in the Hole. New dark roller coaster which is a complete re-imagination of the original Fire in the Hole which was closed by the end of the 2023 season. The new Fire in the Hole was officially opened on 30 March, after a few weeks of soft-openings. Check out our spotlight article with more information on the ride and a comparison between the old and new installation.
Asia
China
11 Skies (Hong Kong): Timeless Flight Hong Kong. Flying Theatre inside the 11 Skies mall at the Hong Kong Airport. The ride system is delivered by Brogent.
Fantawild Heze (Heze, Shandong): New Park. Presumably a new genre of Fantawild parks, but it is yet unknown what theme or rides it will receive. Nevertheless a number of dark rides and show rides might be expected, regarding the other properties by Fantawild Group.
Fantawild Jining (Jining, Shandong): New Park. Presumably an installation of Fantawild’s recent ‘Glorious Orient’ parks, of which the first opened in 2021 in Ganzhou. The park is likely to receive similar dark rides and show rides as that park.
Fantawild Kunming (Kunming, Yunnan): New Parks. Originally announced as a two park resort back in 2017 when the contract was signed – an Oriental Heritage park and a Glorious Orient park.
There was a construction launching ceremony as far back as the end of 2018, but progress has been slow ever since. Nevertheless a number of dark rides and show rides might be expected at both parks, similar to those seen at other properties by the same name.
Fantawild Shangqiu (Shangqiu, Henan): New Park. Presumably a new genre of Fantawild parks, but it is yet unknown what theme or rides it will receive. Nevertheless a number of dark rides and show rides might be expected, regarding the other properties by Fantawild Group.
Oriental Heritage Zhengzhou (Zhengzhou, Henan): New Park. New park by the Fantawild Group in their line of ‘Oriental Heritage’-parks, that will likely contain many of the same dark rides as other parks by the same name. Third park in Fantawild’s Zhengzhou resort, after Fantawild Adventure and Fantawild Dreamland.
Japan
Tokyo DisneySea (Urayasu, Chiba): Fantasy Springs. New theme zone including three distinct sections, themed after Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan, as well as a new hotel. It houses no less than four new dark rides: Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey (similar to the ride that opened in Hong Kong last year); Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival; Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure (featuring motion-based vehicles) and Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies. The zone is announced to open on 6 June.
Universal Studios Japan (Osaka): Mine Cart Madness. New roller coaster with a Donkey Kong theme, which is expected to include dark ride sections. Expansion of the Super Nintendo World that opened in 2021.
Philippines
Pradera Islands Park (Lubao): New Park. This brand-new theme park, designed by Immersive Planet, includes the new dark ride Secret of Arayat. The dark ride is a co-production of Lagotronics Projects, Petro Art Productions and (presumably) Metallbau Emmeln. Details on the ride were revealed in 2022. The opening date is announced to be in 2024.
Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore (Singapore): Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. New installation of the simulator ride that can already be found in all other Universal resorts. Built on a part of the site that used to contain the show building of the dark ride Madagascar: A Crate Adventure (the other part will house Super Nintendo World, scheduled for 2025).
Türkiye
Unknown Location (Istanbul): Unknown. First installation of the Pegasus Flying Theatre by Simworx. More details on exact location and theme are expected soon.
Land of Legends Theme Park (Antalya): Unknown. Second installation of the SpongeBob dark ride that was already planned for Adventuredome (Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.). This new dark ride, based on the SpongBob-franchise, is designed by Sally Dark Rides and uses a ride system by ETF Ride Systems in combination with an interactive system by Alterface. Scheduled to open in late 2024.
Europe
Germany
Europa-Park (Rust): Voltron Nevera. New roller coaster, which was announced in October 2022 to include a dark ride section. Themed around the Croatian inventor Nikola Tesla and located in a new Croatia-themed zone. Opening day is announced for 24 April, with regular visitors being able to ride it from 26 April.
HarzWaldHaus (Bad Harzburg): Unknown. New show ride and the first installation of the Circulum360 ride by Attraktion! Opens in a tourism centre in Bad Harzburg and tells the history of the city. Opening is scheduled in mid-April.
Heide Park Resort (Soltau): Dämonen Gruft. The park started to tease a new attraction in the second half of 2023, but revealed half February that it would be a dark ride. Dämonen Gruft is said to be the most scary attraction of Germany. The ride opened on 29 March, check out our report on the opening.
Lego Discovery Centre Hamburg (Hamburg): Imagination Express. This brand new Lego Discovery Centre will contain the interactive dark ride ‘Imagination Express’, that can be found in multiple Legoland Discovery Centres. Opening date is yet unknown.
Schwaben Park (Kaisersbach): Hans Dampf Auf Weltreise. A new simulator about a train travel, which will utilize AI technology. Built by Aufwind group and announced in January 2024. The ride is set to open in late spring.
This is Germany (Berlin): New stand-alone flying theatre by the operators of This is Holland, announced in September 2022. Part of a real estate development called Fürst, which is expected to open in late 2024.
Tier- und Freizeitpark Thüle (Thüle): Tiki-Tahiti Adventure. Brand new dark ride in Polynesian theme, where guests go on a quest for a treasure in a jungle. Developed turn-key by Aufwind Group. The ride opened on 30 March.
Italy
Cavallino Matto (Castagneto Carducci): Pirati. New semi-dark ride, combining a spinning rafts ride with a pirate-themed dark ride. The ride system by Zamperla was obtained from Miragica. Originally scheduled to open in 2022, but issues with building permits caused a major delay in construction; for now, the park hopes to open the ride in 2024.
Movieland Park (Lazise): We Are Back: Kids from the Future. Retheme of the Android – The Final 3D Battle, a motion simulator. The new theme is loosely based on the Back to the Future-franchise. Opened on 29 March.
Malta
Mercury Towers (San Giljan): Unknown. Flying theatre located inside the new Mercury Tower skyscraper. The 60-minute experience revolves around the history of Malta. The ride system is developed by Simtec Systems, with the experience design by Sarner. The ride was announced in September 2023 and set to open in spring 2024.
Netherlands
Efteling (Kaatsheuvel): Danse Macabre. New type of show ride by Intamin, in which guests are seated on a rotating and tilting platform. Already in January 2022, the park announced the installation of a new spooky ride to replaced their old Spookslot haunted animatronic show. The ride system was eventually revealed in fall 2022. Set to open in fall 2024.
United Kingdom
Cadbury World (Birmingham): Cadbury Chocolate Quest. The chocolate experience, run by Merlin Entertainments, will add a new interactive dark ride to its line up. The attraction will replace their current Cadabra (1997-2024) dark ride. Cadabra closed just a few weeks before the opening of Cadbury Chocolate Quest, which took place on 29 March.
Oakwood Theme Park (Narberth): Unknown. Presented as a new dark ride, though the ride is expected to be a retheme of Spooky 3D. Announced in February 2023, but hardly any news has been heard ever since.
