My 15 Favorite New Theme Park Attractions of the Decade
“Those benches can be a bit dodgy!”
This might be the least popular sort of list to make when looking back at the best of the 2010s, but as a major theme park nerd, it only makes sense that this is how I begin my slate of countdowns.
The past ten years have seen some pretty impressive growth for some of the biggest theme parks in the United States, especially when you consider that no new resorts or theme parks opened between Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal Orlando.
However, I do have to concede that my experience has been limited to Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Six Flags New England this decade. I’m perfectly content with this as I love visiting all three of them and am grateful for whenever I get the chance to do so. But I just wanted to make it clear that that is why the only items on this list are from one of those three parks.
I also want to say that attractions are not the only new things that theme parks in the 2010s had to offer. Disney opened a plethora of new lands, including New Fantasyland, Toy Story Land, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Universal made a big splash with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, both in terms of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. You don’t even need to go on any rides to enjoy yourself to the fullest in these lands. Get a LeFou’s Brew from Gaston’s Tavern or a hot Butterbeer from The Three Broomsticks or a Mystic Portal Punch from Woody’s Lunchbox. Trust me. It’ll be just as fun.
With that being said, I have one more caveat. I have not yet experienced Galaxy’s Edge. It looks great, but the crowds make my face turn into the grimace emoji and I think I’m going to wait just a little bit longer before I eventually venture over into a galaxy far, far away.
Without further ado, here is my personal ranking of the fifteen best new theme park attractions of the decade!
15. Flight of the Hippogriff
The first roller coaster at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is definitely geared towards the younger crowds, gave us a look at Hagrid’s pocket of Hogwarts before Dueling Dragons ever shut down. It’s a short ride, but fun and it provides great views of Hogsmeade along the way. Just make sure your lap bar is pushed all the way down as I’ve run into some trouble with that in the past for this attraction.
14. Goliath
The only Six Flags New England entry on this list is the only new attraction I rode from them. (I’m not counting the Gotham City Gauntlet because that hurt like a motherfucker.) In an era where Six Flags seems almost hellbent against introducing rides based on DC superheroes not named Batman, here comes Goliath, which is based on nothing. I guess, if they’re going to ignore the rest of the Justice League, then they might as well come up with something original. And even if this is a bit derivative of Flashback (not named after The Flash, though? Why, Six Flags?), it still makes for a fun, adrenaline-pumping time.
13. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Obviously this is not a ride, but it is still an extremely well-done attraction. Located at the Hyperion Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (where American Idol used to have a show), two hilarious historians from Arendelle take the crowd on a journey through the story of Frozen. Along the way we are encouraged to sing along before the show concludes with snow falling from the ceiling, in the form of bubbles. It’s a ton of fun! And the formula worked so well that Disney is instituting it for a new sing-along show themed to Beauty and the Beast. Coming to a France pavilion near you.
12. Transformers: The Ride 3D
I saw the first Transformers movie with Shia LaBeouf over a decade ago and I didn’t really have any idea what was going on. With that being the extent of my Transformers experience, I definitely had no idea what was going on with this ride. Characters are flying every which way, the word “allspark” keeps getting shouted at you, and the lap bar can barely contain the herky-jerky movements. At the end of it though, when you’ve had a lot of fun anyway, Optimus Prime sits you down and tells you how proud of you he is. This makes him your new father.
11. Na’vi River Journey
It’s definitely the second fiddle attraction in Pandora, the Animal Kingdom land based on Avatar, but I was blown away by how immersive Na’vi River Journey was in its theming. Audio-animatronics are also getting scarily realistic. The Na’vi creature in this ride is an example of that. But check out this Belle animatronic that is coming soon overseas.
We are living in the future.
10. Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
People will tell you that this just swipes the exact same format from The Simpsons Ride. And they’d be right. But that does not make it any less fun. You definitely have to like, or at least tolerate, Jimmy Fallon to get any sort of pleasure from this ride. He’s one of my favorites so I definitely had the time of my life in the ride, which also deftly recreated 30 Rock, one of my favorite places in the world. The time spent in the virtual queue with Hashtag the Panda and the Ragtime Gals is arguably the best part of the whole experience, too.
9. Hogwarts Express
It’s not as much of an attraction as some of the others in this list, but it is still one of the best rides you’ll ever take. Complete with Platform 9 3/4, the Hogwarts Express transports you from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade and vice versa. But it’s such a fully realized idea from the books and the movies that it can be hard to contain your excitement to actually be experiencing a magical train. It’s also so awesome to watch the faces of Harry Potter fans when they see it for the first time. The only downside is the fake Hermione Granger voice you hear while in your cabin. That’s not Emma Watson!
8. Slinky Dog Dash
One of the most recent attractions I’ve experienced at Walt Disney World, Slinky Dog Dash is the defining icon of Toy Story Land. Since Slink was always one of my favorite characters from the popular Pixar franchise, I was happy to see him take center stage. Fortunately, the ride is a lot of fun, too, with a lot of tricks up its sleeve. There’s one special surprise that I would not dare give away, as well. You have to see it for yourself to experience it in all its glory.
7. Frozen Ever After
I know that the Maelstrom die-hards might come at me for this hot take, but I don’t care. Frozen Ever After is delightful and I feel way more inclined to ride it than I ever did when it was the Maelstrom. The Maelstrom was fine, if not a bit unremarkable and I think nostalgia is clouding the minds of people who oppose this ride. Unveiling new facial mapping technology and infusing the ride with the great music of Frozen made for a perfect first-ride experience for me and for many of my family members, who count it among their favorite Epcot attractions.
6. Escape from Gringotts
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was released, many Harry Potter fans were quick to notice that the carts leading the trio and the goblins down into the vaults of Gringotts would make for a perfect roller coaster. Three years later, this was made into a reality. It’s an incredible experience that takes the gorgeous themes of the first park and attraction to the next level. The many stops and starts once momentum finally begins are what ding it for me, however.
5. Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
One of the flagship attractions of the New Fantasyland expansion announced by Disney at the tail end of the previous decade, Under the Sea is definitely a throwback to some of the more traditional dark rides that defined Disney parks for decades. When the movie is as strong as The Little Mermaid, however, this is perfectly fine. With some of the best music in any Disney movie and a number of iconic scenes, the ride is a fun-filled musical adventure in the same vein of many of Disney’s most famous Fantasyland offerings. Plus, that blast of cool air as you venture down underwater is still one of the best feelings on a humid Orlando day.
4. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
It’s not the fastest or the tallest or the roughest roller coaster in Disney. But it is certainly a roller coaster that is all its own. In fact, the smoothness is part of why I love it so much. There’s not a single bump on the ride and the way you glide over the track is an inordinately satisfying feeling. Additionally, the individual mine carts sway with the motion of your entire vehicle, providing another sensation that you just cannot get from Big Thunder Mountain. Throw in some retro love for Snow White’s Scary Adventures and a jaw-dropping dark ride section in the middle of the attraction and you’ve got an all-time Disney gem.
3. Flight of Passage
I imagine this particular Disney attraction would be number one on a lot of lists. And for good reason, too. As of right now, it is the closest any of us will ever get to flying. Every detail was thought through when designing this attraction and it shows. From the way it smells through certain sections of the experience to the way it feels when the banshee breathes and its nostrils flex, the moments are unparalleled in theme park lore. Definitely try to get a Fastpass, though, because the attraction will be dominated by its 180-minute wait times.
2. Soarin’ Around the World
And I also recognize that this particular selection could send many of my Disney-oriented friends into a tizzy. But I remember going on Soarin’ with my family and thinking about how amazing it would be if they took Soarin’ to the rest of the world. Don’t get me wrong, I love the trip through California. I just thought the format and style and design were all so perfectly tailored for a trip across many of the world’s most iconic sights. So I was very pleased when it was announced that this was exactly what Epcot planned to do. The smell of jasmine at the Taj Mahal and the water on the beaches of Fiji are lovely. The ending at Epcot is a delight. And the gasps from first-time riders still give me goosebumps when they soar over the Sydney Opera House, Mount Everest, and more. It’s an experience like none other. And on top of it all, they kept the hilarious Patrick Warburton introduction!
Nice work, pal.
1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
I think this has to be number one. With as big a phenomenon as Harry Potter was, the anticipation for its first foray into theme park territory was high. And the entire area not only met this hype, but the ride absolutely obliterated it out of the stratosphere. The technology was brand new and never before seen at Universal and all riders were treated to something that was truly magical. With the beloved cast enshrined for all-time at their Hogwarts ages, the ride is primed to become a timeless classic forever. Even though I close my eyes when we enter the portion starring Aragog and the spiders, I still couldn’t think of any attraction that topped this in the decade. And it opened all the way back in 2010! It’s perfect and exactly what any Harry Potter fan could have possibly wanted. I’m quite grateful we have this in the world.
It was an amazing decade to be a theme park nerd and it’s getting better all the time!
