The Super 6
www.parkworld-online.com
It’s a brand-new year, with brand new opportunities. Ever evolving, the attractions industry continues to move at pace. Tom Anstey has some favourites as he shares his ‘Super 6’ for projects opening their doors in 2026.
E
very new year brings with it a fresh wave of ambition across the attractions industry, but 2026 already feels like something
more. Investment is accelerating, operators are thinking bigger and bolder, and global markets are leaning heavily into immersive worlds, powerful IP, advanced ride systems and increasingly sophisticated guest experiences. Around the world, developers, parks and destinations are creating hype like we’ve never seen before. Looking at what’s coming, the class of 2026 is
stacked with projects that expand excellence. So how do you narrow it down? If you look at just rollercoasters, you can
list more than 100 set to open in 2026. If you look at new parks, I could list 20 off the top of my head opening in the year, even more if you think about park expansion. None of this even mentions waterparks, which are set to open on both land and at sea. There are so many developments worth
watching but six in particular rise above the rest for me. Here are my picks for the year ahead: the Super 6 of 2026.
6: Belantis/Park Asterix Germany I’d be remiss not to start here. I’ve already gone into depth on why I think the expansion of a small village in Gaul will mark a major change for Europe’s theme park sector. The Asterix IP is huge and in my opinion somewhat undervalued. Expanding on a well-established theme park in France to the acquisition and transformation of an existing one in Germany, this is the first step to Asterix taking over the continent. Truthfully, this might have been higher on my
18
5: Universal Kids Resort There are plenty of parks for children, from Peppa Pig to CBeebies Land to Legoland. But Universal Kids Resort in Texas is something altogether different. This is not simply a family park - it is a major themed destination built from the ground up specifically for children, but with the same ambition, polish and creative depth Universal brings to its flagship properties. For me, this is what makes it so compelling.
list but to start, the changes are relatively small. The transformation of Belantis - now under the ownership of Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) - sees a new Idéfix-themed area opening as early as March. While it’s not too far away from opening, not
much has been revealed about this new area of the park. All we really know is that the themed zone will introduce families - particularly younger visitors - to the world of Astérix through the pet of his companion Obelix - Idéfix (known as Dogmatix in English print). Much like the Roman Empire that tried to dethrone the Magic Potion-wielding warrior, Asterix’s rise could be swift. This is the blueprint and 2026 represents the start of that movement - and it all starts with the little dog Idéfix.
Most children’s areas in theme parks are carved out of a wider offering designed primarily for adults and teens. Expense has not been spared to create an experience that will wow younger guests and their families. Minions, Shrek, Trolls, SpongeBob, Puss in
Boots, even some less threatening dinosaurs from Jurassic World will be present at the park, which will be anchored by a central hub offering interactive play spaces and rest-and-relaxation lawns, as well as an immersive retail experience, where visitors can purchase themed merchandise and meet characters. Thinking back to my own childhood park visits,
there wasn’t really much on offer at the major parks (though shout out to the Flying Fish still in operation at Thorpe Park). Most of the park simply wasn’t built for me - or anyone who fell under the height restriction. Now imagine being that kid coming into a park where everything is for you with the added bonus that it’s had the eye of an elite park builder in Universal working on it from scratch. This park will surpass Peppa Pig. It will surpass
CBeebies Land. It will even surpass Legoland - which is no small feat. The fact it sits at number five on this list shows just how strong 2026 is shaping up to be.
WINTER 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
