It’s already looking like 2023 is shaping up as a good year for roller coaster enthusiasts and thrill ride junkies — so let’s take a look ahead at what’s on tap for next year at theme parks around the globe.
With many projects already underway and others only in the teaser campaign stages, early announcements suggest 2023 will once again be a good year for theme park enthusiasts around the world.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 new theme park attractions for 2023 in the United States — See photos
Consider our Top 10 for 2023 to be an evolving and ever-changing list that we’ll update as new rides and attractions are unveiled and more details become available.
1) Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs will be the centerpiece of the new Arendelle: The World of Frozen themed land coming to Hong Kong Disneyland in the second half of 2023. The Vekoma junior coaster will wind through a man-made hillside much like the popular Seven Dwarfs Mine Train rides.
2) The new $1.2 billion SeaWorld Abu Dhabi marine life theme park in the United Arab Emirates will feature the world’s largest aquarium, two roller coasters and no killer whales — a first for SeaWorld.
3) The $30 million Toutatis launch coaster coming to France’s Parc Asterix features four launches, a 167-foot-tall top hat element and an elaborate theme that draws inspiration from the Celtic god worshiped as a tribal protector.
4) The $26 million Uncharted indoor attraction coming to Spain’s PortAventura theme park will combine the storytelling of a dark ride with the thrill of a multi-launch roller coaster. Riders will step inside the world of the Uncharted video game series and action-adventure film starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg and Antonio Banderas.
5) A wing coaster encircling a jaguar shrine by Switzerland-based ridemaker Bolliger & Mabillard will be the centerpiece of the $19 million World Of Jumanji themed land coming to Chessington World of Adventures in the United Kingdom.
6) Norway’s TusenFryd amusement park will open the $10 million Storm: The Dragon Legend coaster in April. The multi-launch inverted coaster from Germany-based Gerstlauer Amusement Rides features a pair of dive loops and a reverse sidewinder.
7) Toverland in the Netherlands will add four new attractions to the King Arthur-inspired Avalon themed land. The $10 million expansion will include a Gerstlauer SkyFly interactive winged ride, drop tower, car ride and kiddie dragon ride.
8) Canada’s Wonderland will open the world’s first Mondial Avalanche pendulum swing ride called Tundra Twister. The Ontario amusement park will also add Snoopy’s Racing Railway family coaster in 2023.
9) The new Ghibli Park that opened in November will add a Mononoke Village themed land in 2023 and the Valley of Witches area in 2024. The Japanese theme park draws inspiration from the animation studio that created “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “My Neighbor Totoro.”
10) The $250 million Legoland Sichuan theme park opening in China will have two themed hotels and space to add future attractions. About 30 million people live within two hours of the new theme park.
As a bonus, here are the next 10 best new rides for 2023 from around the world:
11) Mission Ferrari special effects coaster by Dynamic Attractions, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates
12) Mythica wing coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard, Germany’s Legoland Deutschland
13) Battlegrounds World Agent video game-style walk-through attraction, South Korea’s Lotte World
14) Jumanji: The Labyrinth jungle maze, Italy’s Gardaland
15) Nerf Mania themed land, Brazil’s Beto Carrero World
16) Vekoma suspended and boomerang coasters, Ireland’s Emerald Park (formerly Tayto Park)
17) Luna boomerang coaster by Vekoma, Sweden’s Liseberg
18) Batman Gotham City Escape launch coaster by Intamin, Spain’s Parque Warner Madrid
19) New Katmandu mini theme park in the Dominican Republic with 4D dark ride, flying theater and Wheel of Infinite Wonder carousel
20) Maurer Rides SkyLoop and Vekoma Suspended coasters, Australia’s Gumbuya World
Any theme park preview like this would be impossible without the help of Screamscape, Roller Coaster Database, Blooloop, WDW News Today, Themeparx and the individual theme parks.