It’s a new year once again, which means it’s time for blooloop to predict the top attractions trends for 2025 in a competitive location-based entertainment (LBE) market. Global operators of theme parks, museums, zoos, aquariums, and immersive experiences continue to showcase innovative concepts in the industry, which are enhanced and improved with each passing year.
In 2025, technology will continue to change the attractions business. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a major cross-sector trend at the moment, but specific to the LBE field, immersive technologies are being utilised to provide pioneering experiences. Also, green technologies are being used to develop more sustainable attractions.
As for the rest, visitors today want accessible spaces, family-friendly experiences, themed F&B, and unique overnight stays. More top trends on our list range from conservation in zoos to demand for next-generation cruises.
Several of our attractions trends for 2025 carry over from last year’s list. Keep reading to find out more.
Gaming brands
Gamification has been one of blooloop’s top attractions trends for the past two years and remains key in 2025. This year, however, we’re taking a look at the expansion of gaming brands in LBE spaces. The biggest news in recent months is the new Donkey Kong addition at Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World. The world’s first Donkey Kong Country takes inspiration from the arcade game released by gaming giant Nintendo in 1981.
Highlights in Donkey Kong Country include the Mine Cart Madness coaster. “The new ride attraction, Mine Cart Madness, is a new and innovative coaster design that is not bound by conventional ideas and will offer an unpredictable experience that will make you seemingly jump over gaps,” said Daniel Greer, Universal Creative show producer.
The first Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2021, followed by a second Nintendo expansion at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023. This year, Super Nintendo World (also home to a Donkey Kong-themed zone) will open as part of Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s fourth gate.
Last year also saw the opening of Nintendo’s first-ever museum in Kyoto, Japan. The venue puts Nintendo’s history on view through interactive exhibits. In one area, guests can play Super Mario and Donkey Kong video games on a giant console.
Meanwhile, UK-based attractions operator Merlin Entertainments is working with Minecraft creator Mojang Studios to create LBE experiences based on the video game. To start with, the two companies are investing more than £85 million ($110m) in two new attractions in the UK and US. These will be powered by digital technologies, with guests also able to unlock exclusive in-game content.
Minecraft, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong in LBE
“Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, and this world-first will see fans experience its thrill and creativity in real life, at theme parks and city-centre attractions in leading tourist destinations,” said Scott O’Neil, Merlin’s former CEO.
Little Lion Entertainment, a leading immersive attractions company, is creating a Pac-Man live experience in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment. It will be a playable version of the iconic game and will remain “authentic to the original game while offering a fresh and thrilling twist in bringing this into a fully playable 360-degree digital world”, said Tom Lionetti-Maguire, CEO of Little Lion Entertainment, which is also behind a Tomb Raider live experience.
In February, Disney invested a further $1.5 billion into Epic Games. The entertainment company is working with the video game developer and publisher to create a new “games and entertainment universe” connected to Fortnite.
Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks and experiences segment, said the Epic partnership will enable Disney “to bring together our incredible collection of stories and experiences from across the company for a broad audience in ways we have only dreamed of before”.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence continued to make headlines throughout 2024, and is therefore one of our top attractions trends for 2025. Thanks to advances in AI, the visitor experience is transforming. Companies in the attractions industry are using the technology to streamline operations, enhance interactivity and personalise the guest experience.
Six Flags, for example, is undergoing an AI-driven digital transformation. Features include a new digital concierge powered by generative AI and named Missi Six, as well as “the world’s most comprehensive AI drowning prevention system” at Six Flags water parks.
Chatbots are big news, too. blooloop has one now, and other companies in the industry to launch them include Smeetz, a provider of smart all-in-one ticketing software for leisure and cultural attractions; Convious, a leading eCommerce platform for the leisure industry; and Attractions.io, a leading creator of mobile visitor apps.
Six Flags and Legoland parks are also introducing checkout-free shops. Legoland Windsor’s version utilises Zippin’s AI-powered platform, which itself uses machine learning and sensor fusion technology. Six Flags stores employ Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology. “High-traffic retailers that convert their traditional stores to Zippin technology often see revenue increases of 78 percent or more,” said Krishna Motukuri, CEO and co-founder of Zippin.
Museums are using the technology to provide interactive experiences. Last year, at the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Zoology, guests could have two-way chats with dead animals on display through AI. At Florida’s Dalí Museum, an AI-driven exhibit allows guests to ask the Spanish Surrealist artist questions and receive replies. Bletchley Park in the UK is creating a life-sized AI version of Alan Turing that will provide a new interactive experience.
Elsewhere, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has launched an AI-powered tool called ‘Art Explorer’ that lets users collect and compare artworks in the museum’s collection.
AI in museums, theme parks and water parks
When it comes to tech for good, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland has partnered with an AI startup company to tackle hate speech and antisemitism on social media. The startup, TrollWall AI, specialises in the automatic moderation of comments on social media based on AI models.
AI is also an attraction in its own right. New media artist Refik Anadol is to open the world’s first museum of AI arts, called Dataland, in downtown LA this year. “To have a permanent space for us to develop a new paradigm of what a museum can be, by fusing human imagination with machine intelligence and the most advanced technologies available, is a realization of one of my biggest dreams,” said Anadol.
Finally, entertainment conglomerate Disney has created a business unit to explore the potential use of AI and other emerging technologies across its movie, television and theme park divisions.
In a memo sent to staff in November 2024, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said the “pace and scope of advances in AI and XR are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative endeavors, and our business for years to come – making it critical that Disney explore the exciting opportunities and navigate the potential risks”.
Nature conservation
Conservation efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and protect wildlife are chiefly shown by zoos and aquariums in the business, and are one of the more significant attractions trends in 2025. However, all LBE sites, from theme parks to museums, can incorporate conservation ideas into construction and operations.
Some of the most interesting zoo conservation projects in the past year include an initiative at Drusillas Park in Sussex, UK, which has teamed up with a nature charity to try and freeze a Cambodian binturong to protect the species cryogenically. The charity, Nature’s SAFE, is already supporting more than 30 zoos and wildlife parks across the UK to achieve their conservation goals.
At Blackpool Zoo, also in the UK, the keeper team is using coloured edible glitter to identify the sparkly poo of its female Asian elephants and monitor their reproductive cycles. “This highly intelligent and complex species is endangered in the wild and by collaborating, sharing research, and exchanging ideas, zoos play a crucial role in the global effort to protect and conserve these majestic animals,” said Adam Kenyon, section head at Blackpool Zoo.
UK-based Marwell Wildlife and Ocean Park Hong Kong are also utilising drones. The former is developing drones to monitor endangered species in the wild in partnership with the University of Southampton. Ocean Park Hong Kong‘s conservation foundation is working with scientists to protect local horseshoe crabs through drones and AI.
Drones and AI to monitor endangered species
Philip Riordan, conservation director at Marwell Wildlife, said: “The potential applications of existing technologies for wildlife conservation are already huge and largely untapped.”
Chester Zoo, another UK zoological organisation, has opened a new science centre to fight the global extinction crisis. “Conservation zoos like ours are well aligned to making significant contributions to global international targets to halt and reverse species loss,” said Simon Dowell, conservation science and policy director at Chester Zoo.
Innovative wellness
From yoga classes at the Louvre Museum in Paris to brain biohacking at Jumeirah hotels, immersive or innovative wellness is one of the most exciting attractions trends in 2025. In fact, it’s one of the fastest-growing travel sub-sectors, projected to reach $8.5 trillion by 2027.
Earlier this year at greenloop, Lindsay Madden-Nadeau, senior director of wellness strategy at Red Sea Global, spoke about the use of technology and AI in the wellbeing business. New developments include robotic massage and the Chopra Foundation Institute’s AI-driven virtual wellness assistant.
Madden-Nadeau says: “Demand from new groups of travelers for more personalized, tailored and immersive wellness experiences based on individual preferences is on the rise. In a world where stress and health concerns are more prevalent, the wellness tourism industry must, therefore, embrace innovative practices and technologies to stay relevant and attract a broader audience.”
Therme Group is a pioneer in the field of immersive wellness. Its resorts fuse aquatic attractions and wellbeing treatments with art, nature and technology, providing a unique visitor experience. Highlights range from wave pools and waterslides to immersive digital art and botanical gardens. Therme’s newest site, a £250m wellness resort, is coming to Manchester, UK.
Merging immersive art and wellness
A similar idea is from Meow Wolf co-founder Corvas Brinkerhoff, who’s launching an immersive spa called Submersive in Austin, Texas. Due to open from 2026, the wellness space will feature immersive art, video projections, lasers and AI.
Subversive calls itself a new kind of bathhouse that “takes you beyond relaxation into elevated states of consciousness including awe, wonder, inspiration, transcendence, euphoria, and hyper-presence”.
The new concept is “reinventing the art of bathing” with spaces that “integrate immersive art, neuroscience and social bathing elements to deliver measurable and repeatable state changes”.
The idea came to Brinkerhoff while he was visiting a Japanese-style bathhouse in Santa Fe. “I started getting flooded with images of how immersive art and steam and saunas and cold plunges could be integrated [into a bathhouse],” he told the Fast Company.
Japanese digital art collective teamLab has also been merging art and wellness. One offering is a spa and tea ceremony in the forest. Another, teamLab Reconnect, is an art and sauna exhibition where visitors can experience the works while alternating hot saunas and cold baths. Ultimately, they enter a neurological state called ‘sauna trance’.
Permanent horror
Like last year and the year before, permanent horror experiences are our eeriest addition to the attractions trends roundup for 2025. Spooky attractions need no longer lurk in the shadows until the month of October, as Halloween events and experiences continue to boost sales and terrify guests. Operators are doing research on it, building entire lands dedicated to it, and busily updating their haunted rides and attractions.
Starting with Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s new theme park. The destination opens on 22 May 2025 with an entire land dedicated to Universal’s classic monsters, like Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Highlights include Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, billed as Universal Orlando’s most terrifying attraction to date.
Dark Universe will feature state-of-the-art animatronics. Gregory Hall, assistant director of creative design at Universal Creative, said: “These monsters are scary.”
Disney’s answer to Universal Orlando’s spine-chilling land is one all about its villains. This will offer two new attractions, as well as retail and dining experiences. “In our story, a mysterious spell has been cast, summoning villains from every realm. In this land, heroes don’t come to save the day – and there may not be a happily ever after,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks and experiences division, at D23.
Year-round fear in the attractions business
But back to Universal, which is leading the way when it comes to permanent horror. The company is also launching a year-round horror experience at Area15 called Universal Horror Unleashed. The group’s first-ever permanent horror experience takes inspiration from Halloween Horror Nights at Universal parks and opens in Las Vegas next year.
“Universal’s rich history in the creation of the horror genre drove our desire to bring a year-round horror experience to the incredible entertainment offerings in Las Vegas,” said Page Thompson, president of new ventures at Universal Destinations & Experiences.
John Murdy, creative director of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, previously spoke to blooloop about the burgeoning trend for horror experiences. “It’s high thrills,” he said.
As for hair-raising rides, theme parks introducing classic haunted attractions in 2024 included Europa-Park in Germany and Efteling in the Netherlands. Europa-Park’s Ghost Castle ride got a complete redesign and renovation. Meanwhilem Efteling’s new Danse Macabre ride features a unique ride system by Intamin, a creator of record-breaking amusement rides. Paultons Park in Hampshire, UK is also adding the new Ghostly Manor attraction.
Family coasters
Another growing attractions trend for 2025 is the rise in popularity of family coasters, as opposed to the record breakers. Instead of the tallest, fastest or longest in the world, guests are seemingly seeking family-friendly ride experiences. Disney parks have always offered attractions for the whole family. Recent additions include the Frozen-themed Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs at Hong Kong Disneyland, Tron: Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot.
Universal is opening three family-sized coasters at its new Epic Universe theme park in Orlando in 2025, including a How to Train Your Dragon-themed coaster from Intamin. Another will be based on Donkey Kong, and the third a Mack Rides coaster inspired by Universal’s classic monsters.
Screamscape’s Lance Hart says: “Today’s theme park guests enjoy riding things together. They want a multi-generational ride experience that they can ride with their parents as well as their children”
Two SeaWorld parks opened new family coasters in 2024. These are Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando and Phoenix Rising at Busch Gardens Tampa, both by B&M. Dollywood opened Big Bear Mountain in 2023. That’s by Vekoma Rides, the Dutch roller coaster specialist.
Zamperla, a leading ride manufacturer, is manufacturing a new family launch coaster for 2026 in partnership with Parc Spirou in France. In 2024, the company celebrated both the 25th anniversary of its family coaster system, and the installation of more than 55 family coasters across six continents.
SeaWorld, Drayton and Universal: new family rides
At the right moment in time, Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), a world-leading roller coaster manufacturer, is promoting its versatile Wild Moose family coaster. Inspired by the beloved Wild Mouse coasters, the ride redefines family coasters through RMC’s patented I-Box track technology. Known for its innovative coaster engineering, RMC has tailored this platform to deliver family-friendly thrills with smooth, controlled twists and turns.
In the UK, Drayton Manor added the ‘Gold Rush’ coaster. This is made by Intamin and is one of Europe’s most innovative family coasters. It boasts a multi-experience layout configuration, as well as a lift and launch – a first for Europe and Intamin.
Floating theme parks
Next-generation cruises, or floating theme parks, are a significant attractions trend in the amusement business in 2025. Cruise guests want to see top-deck coasters, robotic thrill rides and aquatic attractions. They expect themed F&B and innovative experiences throughout their voyage.
MSC Cruises, for example, has created the aptly named Cliffhanger swing ride that allows guests to dangle out over the ocean at 50 metres above the water. MSC’s fleet also includes a robotic thrill ride at sea. Ben Wilson, the firm’s head of architecture and concept design, told blooloop:
“I think the lines are becoming more blurred when it comes to attractions and entertainment. Things don’t just belong in one sector or category, which is good as we are all learning from each other’s experience and expertise.”
Following a period of rapid innovation and investment in the cruise industry, 2024’s Cruise Ship Interiors (CSI) Design Expo Americas featured a dedicated zone for attractions and entertainment technology.
Next-generation cruises by MSC, Disney and Royal Caribbean
One such innovation is from Maurer Rides, a leading designer and manufacturer of roller coasters and transport solutions. The company created the innovative Bolt roller coaster for several of Carnival Cruise Line’s ships. Beaudry Interactive, an experiential design and production studio, worked on interactive underwater-themed environments on Carnival’s newest cruise ship.
In January 2024, the world’s largest cruise ship, with the largest water park at sea, set sail from Miami, Florida. Owned by Royal Caribbean Group, Icon of the Seas is a nearly 1,200-foot-long vessel with 20 decks. The $2bn ship also boasts the tallest drop slide at sea and the largest pool at sea. Other highlights include the cruise industry‘s first open free-fall slide, the first family raft slides at sea, and the industry’s first mat-racing duo.
And then there’s Disney, which is developing myriad magical cruise ships. Disney Cruise Line’s vessels provide an immersive experience themed to Disney’s vast collection of stories and characters, including Disney parks IPs. Disney cruise ships offer the AquaMouse water ride, highly themed dining experiences, unique live productions, and various aquatic attractions.
The fleet is currently undergoing a significant expansion to meet growing demand. The project includes the upcoming Disney Treasure, Disney Destiny, and Disney Adventure ships, a new ship to sail from Japan, and four additional vessels.
Fantastic food
Another of blooloop’s top attractions trends for 2025 is fun F&B. In the entertainment business, food and drinks should be themed, curated, or even the main event. If not, the environment should be distinctive or immersive. Most theme parks provide diverse, themed or immersive dining outlets, but in recent years, places like Europa-Park have come up with game-changing concepts, such as Eatrenalin, a media-based multi-sensory restaurant where guests are seated on ride vehicles.
Outside of parks, though, entertainment giants like Sony and Netflix are getting into the LBE and F&B space. Sony’s Wonderverse in Chicago is an entertainment destination with offerings including a 21 Jump Street pop-up bar and a hidden (and haunted) speakeasy-style bar called The Ghost Trap. It also houses immersive experiences based on Sony brands such as Uncharted, Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Bad Boys, and Zombieland.
Streaming company Netflix is doing a similar thing with its Netflix House immersive entertainment venues, the first of which are opening in shopping malls in Texas and Pennsylvania in 2025. These experiential attractions will feature experiences, retail and food based on shows from Bridgerton to Stranger Things.
Immersive dining with Meow Wolf, Europa-Park and Sony
Immersive art experiences can offer F&B themed, too. At Radio Tave, Meow Wolf’s latest exhibition, guests can visit a surreal dive bar in the afterlife called Cowboix Hevvven. Set in the Meow Wolf universe, the honky-tonk establishment is an immersive space with a working restaurant and bar.
“Cowboix Hevvven is a love letter from a Texan dreamer,” said lead artist and creative director Cole Bee Wilson. “It’s a psychedelic space that puts the ‘all’ in y’all and serves as a self-referential, autobiographical take on my Texan imagination. There’s a seat at the bar for all y’all here in Cowboix Hevvven.”
Additionally, established food and grocery brands can take advantage of attractions trends in 2025. Taco Bell, for example, launched an “early retirement community” pop-up experience for the old at heart (aka its members) in 2024. Guests enjoyed “senior-inspired, sun-soaked daytime recreation, retail and dining”.
McDonald’s debuted several experiences based on WcDonald’s, the fast food chain’s fictional depiction in anime and manga. One element was an immersive dining experience in Los Angeles that put guests in the WcDonald’s universe via 360-degree projection mapping and tabletop projections.
Supermarket chain Lidl recently hosted an immersive experience (in complete darkness) for wine enthusiasts in Belfast and Dublin.
Unique hotels
Experiential hotels are one of our biggest attractions trends for 2025. Like F&B, accommodation in the visitor attractions industry should be immersive, themed or unique. Take Disneyland Paris’ transformed Disneyland Hotel, where, in the immersive suites, guests can see a version of Aurora’s dress that changes colour. The innovative dress uses a specially developed fibre optic material that turns from pink to blue.
Disneyland in California replaced an older hotel with the first fully Pixar-themed hotel in the US. This includes a Finding Nemo and Finding Dory-themed splash pad and pool area, a games zone inspired by Pixar’s iconic shorts, and guest rooms with pillows based on the Pixar ball, Pixar lamps, and exclusive art by Pixar Animation Studios artists.
Elsewhere, the Land of Legends theme park in Antalya, Turkey, is opening the country’s first Nickelodeon hotel alongside its new Nickelodeon land. Experiences in Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Antalya will include character dining, an outdoor pool area with a spray area and a space to get slimed.
As for eerie overnight experiences, new offerings in 2024 included themed stays in the UK based on Lovecraftian horror. The experiences from immersive entertainment company Lemon Difficult were set in a 17th-century manor house and merged traditional theatre and escape room games with a boutique hotel experience.
Scary overnight experiences growing in popularity
Ivan Caric, director of Lemon Difficult Studios, said: “It took us a long time to try to provide points of reference for what we do – it’s got some Secret Cinema-style theatre, some Punchdrunk-style escape rooms… but none of those are quite right.
“It’s something new that not only brings great food and drink and a wonderful location but also a crafted immersive experience that is finding fans from across the world.”
One of the most unique overnight experiences of last year was The Static Sea, a hybrid experience that took place online and on Flat Holm Island in the Bristol Channel in September 2024. Ahead of the launch, an online community was built around the story through online films, puzzles and interactive experiences. Guests were chosen via a lottery and visited the uninhabited island for a horror experience like no other.
Ticket winner Lee Tappenden said: “You have to understand the setting of this island and how we felt. You are on a small unknown island. It is pitch black. The characters are lit only by candlelight or lantern. Few resembled humans and many of them were terrifying.”
Nights at iconic locations
Another horror hotel experience is from Peacock and Blumhouse, who teamed up for a stay at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King’s The Shining. Guests could stay in rooms themed to Blumhouse films, drink and play video games at the Blumhouse Bar, and enjoy an after-dark experience with interactive characters, narratives and scares based on the Blumhouse filmography.
Airbnb has been offering overnight and day experiences in many iconic properties, from the Ferrari Museum to the house from Disney and Pixar’s 2009 film Up. Part of Airbnb’s Icons series, locations include a recreation of the X-Mansion, the Musée d’Orsay‘s iconic clock room, Prince‘s Purple Rain house and Delia Deetz’s iconic residence from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).
“Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination – until now,” said Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder and CEO. “As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth.”
The latest Airbnb experience is inspired by Gladiator II and is set to take place at the Colosseum in Rome, even if it has faced criticism from Italian officials.
Accessibility and inclusivity
Like last year, Accessibility remains one of our top attractions trends for 2025, and is a legal requirement in many countries. Organisations are increasingly going above and beyond to provide accessible facilities for everyone, including visitors in wheelchairs, those with sight or hearing impairments, guests with learning difficulties, and neurodivergent visitors.
We won’t talk about accessibility in the attractions field without mentioning Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas – the world’s first theme park designed and built for people with special needs. A new addition for 2026 from Morgan’s is an “ultra-accommodating hotel”. At IAAPA Expo 2024, Morgan’s Wonderland founder and CEO Gordon Hartman launched the Morgan’s Inclusion Institute to share insights on how individuals and businesses can be more inclusive.
“With the launch of Morgan’s Inclusion Institute, we’re extending our mission beyond our ultra-accessible entities to inspire and equip others to foster inclusivity,” said Hartman. “With Morgan’s Wonderland turning 15 in 2025, the valuable insights gained over the years equips us to help spark cultural change by setting a new standard of excellence in accessibility and inclusion.”
Merlin’s Peppa Pig theme parks are accessible too. The parks, currently open in Florida and Germany, are certified autism centres. They also offer accessible rides, entertainment venues and play areas. For example, Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride provides wheelchair-accessible baskets. The third Peppa Pig theme park will debut in Texas in 2025.
Providing accessible experiences for everyone
As above, Peppa Pig theme parks are operated by UK-based Merlin, which is investing in other accessibility projects like sensory rooms and descriptive audio tours. These are being added to Merlin sites in Australia and the US, but the company has many more projects on the go across the globe. In the UK, it offers sign language services for deaf and hard-of-hearing guests.
Another park providing sign language services is Motiongate in Dubai. “With over 11 million deaf individuals in the Middle East alone, this step will pave the way for more organisations to embrace inclusivity, creating a world where everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully experience any entertainment,” said Vitalii Mykhalchuk, CEO of accessible IT company Amsaan.
One more initiative of 2024 was Dogwarts, a partnership between UK charity Guide Dogs and Warner Bros. Studios Tour London to improve accessibility for visitors with visual impairments.
As part of the year-long collaboration, the Harry Potter studio tour has sponsored three guide dogs in training named Harry, Ron and Hermione. The attraction is also introducing new initiatives, such as iPads that can be used to magnify signs and descriptions, and Guide Dogs is providing training resources.
Children’s intellectual property
Among our top attractions trends for 2025 is the rising demand for children’s intellectual property (IP). Attractions for kids aren’t new, but we’re seeing an upward trend for big names like Peppa Pig and Bluey in permanent spaces across the world, and this will continue through 2025. Also, family entertainment companies and media conglomerates like Universal and Mattel are working on innovative branded experiences for young guests, making them trailblazers in attractions trends for 2025.
Speaking of which, construction is underway on Universal’s first-ever family resort, located in Frisco, Texas. Universal Kids Resort will have a themed hotel and a theme park with lands inspired by Universal’s family brands, characters and stories. There will be family-friendly attractions, interactive entertainment, unique merchandise, F&B outlets and character experiences.
“Universal Kids Resort will inspire the unbridled creativity of kids through imagination, discovery and most importantly – play,” said Molly Murphy, president of Universal Creative. “We’re designing the resort so kids and families can feel the thrill of being physically immersed in their most beloved stories and characters.”
Universal Studios Florida also opened its new DreamWorks land in 2024. A colourful world inspired by Shrek, Trolls and Kung Fu Panda, the land is home to rides and attractions, character meet and greets, interactive play areas, and a live show.
New family parks and lands from Universal and Mattel
Mattel, meanwhile, is working with Epic Resort Destinations on two theme park locations in the US. These will include Hot Wheels-themed coasters, a Barbie Beach House, and Thomas & Friends attractions.
“We borrowed a significant amount of money out here [in Arizona], and we are building a magnificent resort. We’re building our second in Kansas City,” Mark Cornell, president of Epic Resort Destinations and Mattel Adventure Park, told blooloop.
“We’ve written a beautiful licensing deal with Mattel, utilizing all of their big toy brands. Even today, my hair stands up when I say that out loud. I feel like I have such a duty as an ambassador of these brands to bring these toys to life in the best possible way.”
Peppa Pig is a global preschool brand with an expanding LBE presence. The IP has a large following in China, boasting more than 10 billion views and a diverse product line accessible at major Chinese retailers. For this reason, Hasbro’s first Peppa Pig outdoor theme park in Asia is being built for Shanghai. Max-Matching Entertainments, a leading developer, investor, and operator of IP-themed location-based entertainment in China, is a local partner on the project.
Greener ride innovation
Sustainability is an urgent issue for the global attractions industry. Greener construction and operations are key trends in the attractions industry, and in 2025, operators, manufacturers and suppliers will continue to respond with innovative solutions.
Intamin is one manufacturer paving the way in the world of sustainable attractions trends for 2025, developing energy-efficient attractions as its clients take more interest in environmental sustainability.
A recent example is Liseberg’s giant Intamin Gyro Swing, a stationary pendulum/swinging ride. This is one of the most popular rides at the park, and features a unique regenerative drive. Electricity is recovered from slowing and stopping the ride at the end of each cycle, then sent back to the local power grid to be reused.
Adrià Benito Pellicer, corporate sustainability engineer at Intamin, told blooloop: “We use the same technology in our Gyro Swing rides built in Denmark and Finland, and in other models such as the Parachute Towers. Regenerative drive systems can also be implemented on roller coasters. The best examples are our Family Launch Coasters and our Hot Racer. Here, we use friction wheels to brake the vehicles at the end of the ride.
“This allows us to recover energy, like a dynamo on a bike.”
Ride Engineers Switzerland (RES) develops, designs, builds, installs, maintains, and supports amusement park rides worldwide. Co-founder and technical director Roman Rothe told blooloop: “[Sustainability] is becoming increasingly important globally, not only in the amusement industry, but I believe our industry is a couple of steps behind others.
“There are many considerations that we all have to look at. For example, with a flume ride, the boats are fibreglass. So, what do you do with those boats after 20, 30, or 40 years? We must find solutions to all these issues and are working on it internally.”
Sustainability at Intamin, RES Rides, Efteling and more
In the US, the Mattel Adventure Parks will house two Hot Wheels-themed coasters, Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride and Twin Mill Racer. The former is an 84-foot-tall family coaster. The latter offers a double loop and two corkscrews. Sustainable technologies have been used to make the rides more efficient, Cornell told blooloop, resulting in “one of the most efficient launching coasters in the world”.
He added: “All of our numbers say that we’re probably using 70 percent less power with this method. That is simply amazing. I want to scream that from the rooftops, to be able to accomplish this level of efficiency.”
Japan’s Studio Ghibli theme park, which is now fully open, celebrates the natural world that inspired the company’s animation. During construction, the team enhanced and preserved any natural areas, and no trees will be cut down to make room for future attractions. The park also limits daily attendance within its themed lands to protect the environment.
New to the park in 2024 were a fleet of My Neighbor Totoro-inspired Catbus electric vehicles (EVs), designed to look and feel like the Catbus from the film.
Theme parks like Efteling in the Netherlands, Disneyland in California, and Universal Studios Hollywood are busy electrifying coal, gas and diesel-hydraulic-powered vehicles. Disneyland’s Autopia is ditching its gas engines, Efteling’s steam trains are being converted from coal to electric, and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Studio Tour is getting rid of its diesel-hydraulic engines.
“As the industry moves toward alternative fuel sources, we have developed a roadmap to electrify this attraction and are evaluating technology that will enable us to convert from gas engines in the next few years,” Disneyland spokesperson Jessica Good told the Los Angeles Times.
Immersive technologies
One of the fastest-growing attractions trends for 2025 is immersive technologies. These include AR, holograms, LED screens, AV tools and projection mapping, used to surround visitors in magical worlds. We expect to see much more from this attractions trend in 2025. Abba Voyage, for example, puts the band on the stage in a whole new way via cutting-edge technology, incredibly immersive lighting, and ABBA’s iconic songs.
The €2.3bn Sphere entertainment venue in Las Vegas (and coming soon to Abu Dhabi) boasts the largest and highest-resolution LED screen, as well as the world’s largest concert-grade audio system.
Epic Universe looks set to be a pioneer in 2025 when it comes to attractions trends. The new park will showcase many immersive technologies. In fact, it’s going to be the “most technologically advanced park we’ve ever done”, says Mark Woodbury, CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences.
Rides and attractions in the Harry Potter land include the Battle at the Ministry ride, billed as one of Universal’s most impressive to date. Expect immersive environments, powerful storytelling, and unique ride technology.
“It will redefine, in my mind, what immersion really is,” said Anisha Vyas Burgos, assistant director of projects at Universal Creative. “It’s so fun, and I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions because I think everyone is going to not even really know what they just experienced and I can’t wait to see what that look is on everyone!”
Universal Epic Universe: attraction to redefine immersion
Here’s what it includes: omnidirectional ride vehicles, a trackless ride system, high-resolution projections and media screens, smoke effects, motion simulation, interactive elements such as wands and wearables, real-time control systems, spatial audio technology, and AR.
Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe will be an interactive zone using innovative technology with groundbreaking rides like Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which merges AR, projection mapping technology and elaborate environments. The new Donkey Kong Country will include a coaster with advanced engineering including dynamic track elements like gaps and splash effects.
The House to Train Your Dragon land at Epic Universe has a family-friendly thrill coaster that simulates flying on a dragon through motion-based technology, and the Dark Universe land will be “electrified” with special effects.
Water parks can utilise immersive technologies, too. Take Aquascope, an innovative €57m water park from French theme park Futuroscope, offering an immersive aquatic experience. Its immersive zones are powered by digital technologies like projection mapping and lighting, as well as choreographed water effects.
Immersive tech in water parks
Universal Rocks, an expert in planning, building and developing themed areas to reproduce the beauty of nature, built the rock scenery for several elements at Aquascope. Moment Factory, the multimedia entertainment studio specialising in the conception and production of immersive environments, also worked on the park’s immersive area.
Rounding out blooloop’s top attractions trends for 2025 is Qiddiya – a multibillion-dollar entertainment destination in Saudi Arabia. It will house more than 400 tourist attractions and experiences, including the Aquarabia water park, Six Flags Qiddiya City, the world’s first Dragon Ball theme park, and a gaming and esports district.
Highlights also include an innovative stadium with state-of-the-art holographic technology and a performing arts centre that will enhance the theatre experience with technologies like VR, AR and AI.
Qiddiya City, the project’s entertainment hub, has partnered with technology company Globant to provide an immersive and digitally connected experience via AI, data analytics and cloud technology. Federico Pienovi, CEO and chief business officer of new markets at Globant, said: “We are not building a smart city; but creating an immersive, digitally connected experience that brings Qiddiya to life in ways that go beyond traditional entertainment.”
