2025 is here. Time to take a look forward at all the exciting new dark rides and show rides that await us this upcoming year! Last year, we saw a large quantity of new rides opening, the list of which can be found here. Let’s now see what 2025 has in store in terms of new dark rides and show rides! Check out the list below.
America
Canada
Table Rock Centre (Niagara Falls, Ontario): Niagara Takes Flight. A new flying theatre will rise, right next to world famous Niagara Falls. The theatre will be located in the Table Rock Center, a visitor centre of the Falls. The ride will consist of Brogent Technologies‘ o-Ride. Niagara Takes Flight will open on 29 August.
Mexico
Aztlán Parque Urbano (Mexico-City): Vuela México Por el Mundo. Aztlán Parque Urbano is opening the first flying theatre by Brogent Technologies in Latin America. The attraction opened on 11 April.
United States of America
Mattel Adventure Park Arizona (Glendale, AZ): Barbie Flying Theatre. Toy manufacturer Mattel is building its very first theme park in Glendale, Arizona. Among a ride line-up of roller coasters and flat rides is a flying theatre by Dynamic Attractions themed to Barbie. A second Mattel Adventure Park will open in Kansas City in 2026, containing the same Flying Theatre.
Niagara Amusement Park (Grand Island, NY): Flying Witch. Niagara Amusement Park is adding its first dark ride. The park has aquired the old Flying Witch from Playland (Rye, NY) and reopened the ride at the beginning of Niagara Amusement Park’s new season on 25 May.
SeaWorld Orlando (Orlando, FL): Expedition Odyssey. SeaWorld Orlando is adding a flying theatre. The ride will be located in the show building of the former Wild Arctic-simulator and will become the second installation of Mack Rides‘ Airrific. Expedition Odyssey has opened on 9 May.
Universal Epic Universe (Orlando, FL): This year, Universal will open their highly anticipated new Orlando theme park: Epic Universe. The park will contain four (semi-)dark rides, divided over several themed zones: In Orlando’s third chapter of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Ministry of Magic, guests can experience Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, come eye to eye with Frankenstein and other monsters in Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment in Dark Universe or join fan favourite game characters in Super Nintendo World with Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge and Donkey Kong’s Mine-Cart Madness. Universal Epic Universe held previews since April, and officially opened the park on 22 May.
Walt Disney World – EPCOT (Lake Buena Vista, FL): Test Track. EPCOT will reopen its popular Test Track attraction after a refurbishment of more than a year. Scenes have been altered and enhanced. The new version will officially open on 22 July, with previews expected to begin earlier.
Asia
China
Legoland Shanghai (Zhujiajiao, Shanghai): Merlin Entertainments will open the first Legolands in China this year. Legoland Shanghai will contain two Legoland-classics: Dragon, a version of the Dragen semi-dark ride, a new installation of the Ninjago-dark ride and a brand new semi-dark ride in a Monkie Kid-theme. Legoland Shanghai opened its gates on 31 May, with an official opening ceremony scheduled in July.
Legoland Shenzhen (Shenzhen, Guangdong): Not much is known about the other Legoland park, Legoland Shenzhen, yet. So far, only a Lego Factory-ride has been confirmed.
Fantawild Huai’an (Huai’an, Jiangsu): New Park. Located directly opposite their Glorious Orient park in Huai’an, this park looks to share similar visuals to the two recent Boonie Bear Bay parks that have opened in Taizhou and Ningbo as well as Boonie Bear Land in Yichun which opened last year. This is likely to contain at least one dark ride and show ride, based on the other properties from Fantawild.
Japan
Kijima Kogen Park (Beppu): XD Dark Ride. The Japanese amusement park opened a new 16-seat interactive theatre by Triotech. The attraction opened on 1 March.
Philippines
Pradera Islands Park (Lubao): Secret of Arayat. Pradera Islands Park is a new theme park of which the opening has been delayed several times. The park opened in April of this year, but without its signature dark ride Secret of Arayat. It is expected to open later this year.
Saudi-Arabia
Six Flags Qiddiya City (Qiddiya City): Six Flags is opening a brand new theme park in Saudi-Arabia: Six Flags Qiddiya City. The park will contain two signature dark rides: Enchanted Greenhouse, by Jora Vision, ETF Ride Systems and Alterface and Into the Deep by Triotech.
Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore (Singapore): Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. Universal Studios Singapore has opened the fifth installation of the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem-simulator ride. Current versions can be found in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan and Beijing. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem opened on 14 February.
Türkiye
Land of Legends (Antalya): SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride & Star Trek: Wild Galaxy. Turkish theme park Land of Legends is adding a new Nickelodeon-themed zone. The zone will get a SpongeBob Squarepants interactive dark ride and a simulator attraction, based off the Star Trek: Prodigy-animated series. SpongeBob’s Crazy Canival Ride will mark the second installation of Sally Dark Rides‘ interactive SpongeBob-rides, after the first one opened last year at Circus Circus Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV – U.S.A.). The new land and SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride opened on 1 March (read our report here). Wild Galaxy opened some time later.
Europe
This section had Mission Bermudes listed as new for 2025. The attraction opened on 28 June, but it did not contain the expected dark ride section and therefor did not qualify for an entry in the database.
France
Grand Aquarium de Saint-Malo (Saint-Malo): Expédition Nautibus. In collaboration with BoldMove Nation, the popular Aquarium in West France refurbished and rethemed their former Nautibus submarine dark ride. The new experience incorporates the Triotech-built Abyssal Descender as a pre-show. The new imagined version opened in February.
Germany
Europa-Park (Rust): Grand Prix EDventure. Europa-Park has opened a new attraction on the former location of Journey to Rulantica. The new interactive show ride features the park’s mascots Ed and Edna and is be based on a new forthcoming feature animation film Grand Prix of Europe (2025). Grand Prix EDventure is a large version of the GamePlay Theater that was developed by Mack Rides and Lagotronics Projects. Ride opened on March 22 (read our report here).
Holiday-Park (Haßloch): Schlümpfe Abenteuer. Holiday-Park will be opening a new dark ride in the theme of the Smurfs. The ride is a retheme of the former Burg Falkenstein dark ride that closed in 2022. The attraction has opened on 28 June.
Lego Discovery Centre Hamburg (Hamburg): Imagination Express. A new Lego Discovery Centre will open in the (also new) Westfield Mall in Hamburg. The centre will contain the Imagination Express, an interactive dark ride that can be found in multiple Discovery Centres. The centre is awaiting the opening of the mall, that got delayed from 2024 to 2025. It eventually opened on 13 June.
This section had the new simulator of Movie Park Germany listed as new for 2025. The park however announced the retheme of Lost Temple will not open this year.
Ravensburger Spieleland (Meckenbeuren): Unknown (Scotland Yard). Ravensburger Spieleland is a small theme park by toy/games manufacturer Ravensburger. The park is collaborating once again with Aufwind Group to create a new semi-dark ride, based on the Scotland Yard board game.
Italy
Gardaland (Castelnuovo del Garda): Animal Treasure Island. Last summer, Gardaland closed their beloved classic dark ride Corsari: La Vendetta del Fantasma. In 2025, the park has opened a retheme of the ride, called Animal Treasure Island. The attraction opened on 12 April.
MagicLand (Valmontone): Magic Winx. MagicLand has reopened their Winx-dark ride (formally called Planeta Winx) this year. It closed in 2019 and was turned into a VR-dark ride called Gattoboleno Time Machine. All scenes remained in tact in the dark ride and for the 2025 season, the park decided to reopen it in its former glory.
Movieland Park (Lazise): K6 – The Royal Intelligence Agency. The park has rethemed their former U-571 Submarine Simulator to a Kingsmen inspired attraction. It opened on 1 June.
Netherlands
Duinrell (Wassenaar): Duinrell Express. This new semi-dark ride will replace the Minitrein. The troll animatronics previously seen on the ride will reappear in this new version.
Madurodam (Den Haag): Windjager. Miniature town Madurodam will be opening a dark ride as part of a new park expansion, marking the first mechanical attraction for the park.
Portlantis (Rotterdam): Helios Experience. Portlantis is a brand new experience centre for the Rotterdam harbour, one of the largest harbours in the world. It contains a Simworx-built flight simulator that takes guests on a flight over the harbour. The centre opened on 22 March, with the Helios Experience opening a couple weeks later.
United Kingdom
Botton’s Pleasure Beach (Skegness): Jurassic Resurrection. The beach side amusement park surprised with the opening of a new dinosaur themed dark ride. It seems like it has opened in April.
Paultons Park (Romsey): Ghostly Manor. Paultons Park will be opening a new show ride for 2025 in the building of the former 4D Cinema. Ghostly Manor will be a small variant on the GamePlay Theater by Mack Rides and Lagotronics Project. The ride was designed in collaboration with Leisure Expert Group and will feature theming by Themics Philippines. Ride has opened on 17 May.
