DESTINATIONS WHAT’S NEW | THEME PARKS & ATTRACTIONS
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Paw Patrol room, Land of Legends, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts, Turkey; Efteling Grand Hotel, Netherlands; Minion Land at Universal Studios Singapore; play area at Land of Legends PICTURES: Disney Enterprises; Resorts World Sentosa
open in Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort, will transport guests to the Nordic wonderland of Arendelle, complete with Elsa’s Ice Palace, Arendelle Village and Scandi-style shops and food outlets.
Meanwhile, the biggest-ever expansion of Magic Kingdom is underway at Florida’s Walt Disney World. A new Cars-themed land within Frontierland is set to bring Route 66’s Radiator Springs to life, featuring two new attractions. A much-anticipated Villains Land is also in the
works, promising a dark twist on classic Disney storytelling. The foreboding attraction will focus on 13 major Disney villains, from Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty to Aladdin’s enemy Jafar. In the meantime, new night-time parade Disney Starlight is coming to Magic Kingdom this year. Looking further ahead, the ‘house of mouse’ also plans to introduce Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, an area themed on hit film franchise Monsters, Inc. This will be followed in 2027 by a Tropical Americas area in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, inspired by the misty equatorial highlands and dusty plains depicted in Encanto. Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, Busch
Gardens Tampa Bay is soon to open a Wild Oasis zone aimed at younger visitors.
travelweekly.co.uk Kelly Borrill, product and marketing manager, MagicBreaks exper expert ASK THE
“The next 12 months are going to be exciting for this sector, with Universal Orlando opening Epic Universe in May, and Disneyland Paris set to debut its long-awaited World of Frozen in 2026. At MagicBreaks, we continue to see strong demand for Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, but it’s exciting to see growing interest in theme park holidays to destinations such as Efteling in the Netherlands and PortAventura World in Spain. My biggest tip is to broaden your audience: theme park holidays aren’t just for families. There’s a market for couples, groups of friends and even solo travellers, so tailoring your approach to target different demographics can make all the difference.”
Little ones will be able to explore a new multi-species habitat featuring an array of colourful birds and cute capybaras.
STAY AND PLAY Every great theme park trip needs a good hotel to rest your head afterwards and several new options are opening this year. In Antalya, Turkey, the Land of Legends park launched Nickelodeon Land earlier this month, complete with three fun-filled areas and a Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts property. Colourful and themed rooms are inspired by popular Nickelodeon shows including
SpongeBob SquarePants, Paw Patrol, Dora the Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, plus there are interactive play areas and character dining as part of the Club Nick kids’ club. Land of Legends managing director Semih Elbaba says: “Guests staying at all Rixos properties in Antalya have complimentary, unlimited access to the theme park – taking away the additional cost of park admission.” Over in the Netherlands, the folklore-inspired
Efteling park will open its first hotel within the park on August 1. The fairytale-esque Efteling Grand Hotel will feature two restaurants, including ²
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