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A look at exciting new attractions, hotels, restaurants and theme park openings for 2022 and beyond 

OPENING IN 2022

ATTRACTIONS 

Walt Disney World Resort 

Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary celebration, running through all of 2022, brings new experiences to all four theme parks and beyond. Some of the most anticipated experiences for 2022 include: 

  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, EPCOT’s first “other-world” showcase pavilion, is opening in the summer. The family-friendly adventure features a new storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.  

  • “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond” (formerly Finding Nemo: The Musical”) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a reimagined show set in the timeline of the Finding Dory film, opening in 2022.  

  • The “Fantasmic!” nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios returns in 2022, incorporating an all-new sequence featuring live performers, stunts, special effects and more.  

  • An enhanced version of “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” returned to Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage at Magic Kingdom Park in February with sequences inspired by “Frozen,” “Tangled,” and “The Princess and the Frog” – plus a new opening and finale with Mickey Mouse and all his friends in their sparkling, EARidescent fashions.  

  • The new Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade, featuring the most characters of any cavalcade to date including Miguel from “Coco,” Merida, Moana, The Incredibles and more, debuted in early 2022 at Magic Kingdom Park. The Disney “Festival of Fantasy” Parade also returned, featuring dozens of beloved Disney characters and stories. 

  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open a new playset experience and the Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant in Toy Story Land in 2022. The new family-friendly dining experience will feature barbecue fare surrounded by toys, games and playsets, allowing guests to experience first-hand what it feels like to be one of Andy’s honorary toys in a one-of-a-kind rodeo.

SeaWorld Orlando Parks & Entertainment 

  • Ice Breaker, SeaWorld Orlando’s first launch coaster, opened Feb. 18, 2022. Riders will shiver through featuring four launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch with a 93-foot tall spike with 100-degree angle, the steepest vertical drop in Florida. 

  • Aquatica Orlando’s newest water slide, Reef Plunge, opened March 2022. Guests slide through eye-catching translucent cutouts and rings; twist and turn though 330 feet of fiberglass; and zoom past a vibrant array of marine life. Commerson’s dolphins, leopard sharks and a variety of other cold-water fish will be part of the new dynamic habitat. 

LEGOLAND Florida Resort 

  • The world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park opened Feb. 24, 2022 at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. The standalone theme park will feature multiple rides, interactive attractions, fun live shows, themed playscapes and water play areas. 

  • LEGOLAND Florida will open its newest attraction – Pirate River Quest – just in time for the park’s 10th anniversary. The family-friendly treasure hunt adventure will be led by a pirate in search of a lost treasure. Guests will journey through the uncharted waters of the legendary Cypress Gardens and discover the secrets protecting its canals. 

Beyond the Theme Parks

  • Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts opened Jan. 14. The facility achieves an N1 sound rating—the lowest level at which humans can detect sound.  

  • Art2 (“art squared”), an urban park featuring a two-story shipping container structure, is coming to downtown Orlando in spring 2022. The park will incorporate a café, art gallery, stage, seating, digital video walls and a gift shop into the two-story storage container structure. The second floor of the shipping container will include event space for private gatherings. Art2 will also feature an artificial turf courtyard, a concrete patio, picnic tables and hammocks, as well as two food truck spaces.   

  • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will open Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex in March 2022. The new attraction will focus on the present and future of collaborative space exploration, enabling guests to experience the interstellar travel of tomorrow while celebrating what is happening right now within the space program. The 50,000-square-foot, multi-level attraction will feature a showcase of NASA and commercial spacecraft hardware with immersive displays, as well as a “journey” through space, unique launch viewing opportunities and more. 

  • Crayola Experience debuted Crayola’s first fully animated theater show attraction, “Chaos & Creativity.” Introducing new-to-the-world Crayola characters, the show peels back the curtain to show kids the colorful chaos of Crayola Experience. 

  • Orlando Watersports Complex (OWC) will begin a $3.7 million renovation this month. The first phase of the two-phase project, expected to be completed spring 2022, will include a beach along the main stretch of the facility and an all-new beach-front aquapark. 

  • The Serenity Garden at Wekiwa Springs State Park, an all-new, 1-acre garden offering a unique sensory experience for people of all abilities and special needs to encounter nature, broke ground for phase one of its construction. Once complete, the garden will include a water feature, an adult changing facility, accessible parking, a raised boardwalk and a nature center.

DINING & NIGHTLIFE

  • New York Beer Project will feature a gastropub, indoor beer garden, tap room, brewery, sidewalk bistro, as well as three New York City themed event spaces. The brewery is being built to resemble a 1900's indoor beer garden in New York's lower East Side.  

  • Café-Boutique PIANO, a restaurant featuring European cuisine and nightly piano shows, is coming to Winter Park’s Hannibal Square in 2022. The family-run restaurant will feature an antique, one-of-a-kind piano with a musician playing live music. 

  • AVA MediterrAegean, a new Mediterranean restaurant and lounge, opened in February on Winter Park’s Park Avenue. The Greek-inspired menu will feature Mediterranean and Cycladic Islands cuisine and is anchored by chef Keith Bombaugh. The restaurant’s secluded underground lounge features a DJ and progressive cocktail program.

  • Sam and George Coffee Co., a coffee shop with adoptable dogs to cuddle while sipping on coffee, will open in a new space near Kaley Avenue in early 2022.  

  • Pointe Orlando will open two new restaurants including Kavas Tacos & Tequila in spring/summer 2022 and JoJo’s Shake Bar in fall/winter 2022. Kavas features a menu paying tribute to Mexico’s rich culinary history, featuring savory comfort food, fresh tableside experiences, and recipes hand-crafted from the freshest ingredients. 

  • The BANDBOX – Orlando, Central Florida’s first alcohol-free cocktail tasting lounge and package shop, will open in spring 2022 at Ivanhoe Village. The lounge’s menu will feature non-alcoholic (NA) cocktails curated by both in-house and local mixologists; booze-free wines, beers, aperitifs, bitters, shrubs, tonics, CBD sodas both for consumption and for sale; along with vintage and collectible goods. 

  • Waterford Lakes Town Center will welcome new retailers, restaurants and entertainment in 2022 including Dave’s Hot Chicken, Nike Unite, CrunCheese Korean Hot Dogs, The Paper Store, Barro Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey, PopStroke, and White Rabbit Dessert Experience.​
  • Sunshine Diner, a new retro-style diner concept from celebrity Chef Art Smith, will open at Orlando International Airport’s new terminal C in July.
  • Parlay Orlando, a new upscale hybrid sports bar-nightclub, will open downtown featuring over 50 LED TVs, a refined sports atmosphere tied with VIP bottle options and a full service bar and kitchen.
  • Plantees, an all-new vegan restaurant concept, is slated to open this spring in the Mills 50 district featuring 100% plant-based burgers and shakes.
  • Immersion at London House by Chef Rikku Ó'Donnchü, a new boutique restaurant located in members-only club, London House, will open to the public on April 2. The tasting menu-only concept will feature a sensorial dining experience focused on science, climate change, sustainable farming and zero waste, where texture, scents and sounds are as important as taste.
  • Chick’nCone, a global chain specializing in handheld waffles stuffed with fried chicken, will open its first Central Florida location March 2022 in Winter Park. The restaurant, offering a spin on chicken and waffles, features six sauces, freshly made waffle cones and milkshakes.
  • CrunCheese Korean Hot Dog, a Las Vegas-based concept, will open at the Waterford Lakes Town Center this spring, featuring Korean-style hot dogs in various flavors including rice cake, squid ink and the famous potato hot dog rolled in sugar.
  • EDOBOY, Orlando’s first standing sushi bar, will open spring 2022 in the Mills District behind Tori Tori. Founded by Domu and Tori Tori proprietor, Sean “Sonny” Nguyen, the concept will feature an eight-person bar offering a selection of nigiri sushi along with hand roll options.
  • Swirls on the Water, an all-new kiosk located at Disney Springs, opened in March, featuring signature items like DOLE Whip Lime & Habanero Soft-serve Nachos; a 50th Celebration Cone with a DOLE Whip lemon and cookie dough soft serve swirl; a DOLE Whip Flight featuring all six of the featured swirl favors; and a Sangria Float for those over 21.
  • Local Green Orlando, an all-new food truck offering, opened at Disney Springs in March featuring a combination of plant-based, vegetarian and pescatarian dishes, including Monsta shrimp burger, Bubba Sparxx vegan pulled BBQ sandwich and Elote Street Corn.
  • Anqor Lounge, a Ukrainian-owned tearoom and hookah bar offering light bites, opened spring 2022, in the Dellagio Town Center in Dr. Phillips.
  • The Moderne, a new upscale, late-night lounge serving Asian-inspired tapas and craft cocktails, will open in the Mills 50 district this fall. The restaurant, from Maki Hibachi’s Michael Nguyen, will feature an art deco design.
  • Bellhop, a new bar concept from the owners of The Wildflower in Baldwin Park, is slated to open this spring on the first floor of the historic Angebilt Hotel in downtown Orlando. The new bar will be a coffee bar by day and an elevated cocktail lounge by night.

HOTELS & RESORTS

Walt Disney World Resort

  • Walt Disney World opened its immersive Star Wars-themed hotel, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, on March 1, 2022. Guests will "board" the starship Halcyon for an all-inclusive experience that puts them into the immersive world of Star Wars. The hotel will debut as part of the new Disney 360 vacation concept that gives each guest a storyline upon arrival.  

  • Walt Disney World Resort announced plans to build a nature-inspired, mixed-use resort on Bay Lake. Expected to open by 2022, the deluxe resort will include more than 900 hotel rooms and Disney Vacation Club villas themed to complement the property’s natural surroundings. 

  • Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista, the new official Walt Disney World Hotel located in the Disney Springs Resort Area, is set to open October 2022. The new property will feature complimentary hot breakfast, shuttle service to all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks, evening snacks and beverages and more.

Beyond the Theme Parks

  • The Tuscan-inspired, 126-room ette Hotel Orlando opens spring 2022 near Disney World. Focusing on wellness as an alcohol-free property, the hotel offers culinary experiences in partnership with Michelin Star Chef Akira Back, along with The Spa at ette, with services for everyone from the modern minimalist to the unruly naturalist. 

TRANSPORTATION

  • Brightline’s Orlando extension construction is nearly complete and expected to reach substantial completion by the end of 2022. Trains are expected to begin to carry passengers from Miami to Orlando International Airport in early 2023. 

  • The largest construction project in airport history is underway at Orlando International Airport, The South Terminal Complex. Phase one of the $3.82 billion, multi-year project is expected to be substantially completed in the first quarter of 2022.The project will add 15 gates and includes features such as interactive digital media, a state-of-the-art radio frequency baggage system, numerous shops, restaurants, lounge facilities and the Intermodal Terminal Facility (ITF), which is designed to accommodate up to three train systems including the Brightline train with service to Miami. The ITF complex also features the “C” parking garage and the Automated People Mover (APM) Complex with continuous APM tram service to the north terminal complex. 

WHAT’S NEXT: 2023 AND BEYOND 

ATTRACTIONS

Universal Orlando Resort 

  • Universal Orlando Resort announced plans for its fourth Orlando theme park, Epic Universe. The new theme park will feature an entertainment center, hotels, shops, restaurants and more. It will be located within a larger 750-acre site south of Sand Lake Road and east of Universal Boulevard. 

Beyond the theme parks

  • AREA15, an award-winning immersive and experiential art, entertainment, dining and retail district, will debut in the heart of Orlando’s tourism corridor in 2024. Designed for visitors of all ages, the new complex will feature distinctive attractions, interactive art installations and ground-breaking technology, along with an ever-changing roster of concert events and much more.

HOTELS & RESORTS.

Beyond the theme parks 

  • Aloft Lake Nona began construction in early 2022 and will open in fall 2023. Incorporating a bold, vibrant design, the six-story, 205-room hotel will showcase the brand’s signature music programming, lively social scene and the hospitality industry’s latest technology.  

  • Fairmont Orlando, a new Fairmont Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel, is slated to open in early 2025 in the heart of Orlando’s entertainment district. The new seven-story property is expected to include 550 rooms; seven elevated dining experiences, including a specialty Mediterranean restaurant, an upscale steakhouse and gourmet cafe; a 12,000-square-foot spa and wellness center; more than 44,000 square feet of meeting space; and three swimming pools.   

  • The Alfond Inn at Rollins, the award-winning boutique hotel in the heart of historic Winter Park, plans to expand the property. In addition to the renovation of the existing 112 rooms and suites in the hotel, the expansion will include an additional 71 luxury guestrooms and suites, a lobby café, a new spa that will feature seven treatment rooms, a new fitness area and added meeting space. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2023. 

  • Evermore Orlando Resort will be a massive and all-encompassing 10,000-bedroom resort complex. The property is scheduled to open its first phase by the summer of 2023 with Conrad Orlando, following the injection of roughly $1.5 billion in upgrades that includes brand new vacation homes and villas on the 1,110-acre site bordering Walt Disney World. 

  • Sports Illustrated Resort, a new premium and lifestyle resort concept from the Sports Illustrated Brand, is set to open in Orlando in 2024. The new interactive property is expected to include a host of attractions from live action sports and entertainment to quality dining, wellness and relaxation.

NEW WITHIN THE PAST YEAR

ATTRACTIONS

Walt Disney World Resort

  • Disney Enchantment, an all-new nighttime extravaganza at Magic Kingdom Park, featuring captivating Disney music, enhanced lighting, stunning fireworks and immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A. 

  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at Epcot, where guests shrink to the size of Chef Remy and race through Gusteau’s restaurant on a wild adventure. 

  • HarmonioUS, at Epcot, the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park, featuring massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers and more.  

  • Disney KiteTales at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, featuring elaborate kites and windcatchers dancing through the air to the beat of beloved Disney songs.  

  • La Crêperie de Paris, a new restaurant located in the France pavilion at Epcot, offering both table and quick-service options and featuring a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse. 

SeaWorld Orlando Parks & Entertainment 

  • Aquatica Orlando’s Riptide Race, Florida’s first-ever dueling waterslide, opened in spring 2021. Starting atop a 68-foot tower, guests race side-by-side at top speeds, navigating tight loops and accelerations through indoor and outdoor sections. 

  • The Flamingo Mingle at Discovery Cove is a new, exclusive animal experience where guests can feed and learn about flamingos in an outdoor setting.   

Universal Orlando Resort

  • Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Florida’s fastest and tallest launch coaster, opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in June 2021. The ride features intense maneuvers sending riders catapulting up to 70 mph and over 150 feet in the air with the swiftest of prehistoric predators. 

  • DreamWorks Destination, an all-new, interactive character experience, opened in the KidZone area of Universal Studios Florida in 2021. Guests can interact, dance and be photographed with multiple beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation’s hit film franchises, including Trolls, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda – all in one location. 

LEGOLAND Florida Resort 

  • Brickbeard’s Watersports Stunt Show opened in the spring 2021 at LEGOLAND Florida Resort, featuring a new female LEGO® pirate, original music and stunts from wakeboarding to ski pyramids.  

  • LEGO® MYTHICA 4D Journey to Mythica, an all-new 4-D movie, premiered spring 2021. Following the movie, guests can see the creatures of LEGO® MYTHICA come to life as they take part in an AR (Augmented Reality) scavenger hunt in MINILAND U.S.A. to find them! 

Beyond the Theme Parks

  • ICON Park, located on International Drive and home to The Wheel, welcomed an arcade and a selfie museum: 

    • The Museum of Illusions Orlando features optical, photographic, holographic and interactive illusions, perfect for selfies.   

    • In The Game ICON Park is a new family entertainment center and arcade featuring 70 games, virtual reality experiences, themed escape rooms and more. 

  • Wild Florida doubled the size of its Drive-thru Safari Park in summer 2021 to be 170 acres with 4 miles of driving space. With the expansion, the attraction added gemsbok, kudu and springbok to its lineup of 150 animals. 

  • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex unveiled a new, multiple-story experience designed for space explorers ages 2-12. Planet Play is an indoor, interactive activity area that brings space down to earth. 

  • Cirque du Soleil Entertainment’s new show “Drawn to Life” premiered at Disney Springs in November 2021. The show is a combination of Disney animation and awe-inspiring performances including 10 unique acrobatic acts. “Drawn to Life” is the 50th production created by Cirque du Soleil and its premiere coincided with the 50th anniversary celebrations at Walt Disney World Resort.  

DINING & NIGHTLIFE 

  • The largest White Castle in the world opened its first Florida location since the 1960s in Orlando near Walt Disney World in May 2021.  

  • Celebrity chef restaurant Gordan Ramsay Fish & Chips, featuring fried favorites including shrimp, chicken, sausage and a variety of “dirty” chips, opened its first location outside of Las Vegas at ICON Park Orlando in summer 2021. 

  • Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy restaurant opened a new location in Winter Park in late 2021. The restaurant features a drive-thru and outdoor dining space, offering its signature grilled or fried chicken tenders that are served in sandwiches, skewers or salads.   

  • Ole Red, a restaurant by country superstar Blake Shelton, opened at ICON Park and merges southern hospitality, good food and live country music. 

  • Gatsby on Church – a new roaring ’20s-themed club on Church Street in downtown Orlando – opened summer 2021.  

  • The Marketplace at Avalon Park – an 8,000-square-foot food hall concept – opened fall 2021.  

  • Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen opened December 2021 at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. The restaurant, from the Top Chef All-Stars winner, features cuisine inspired by tropical flavors and ingredients from Florida, including native fruits, vegetables, seafood and more. 

  • The Hall on the Yard – located in downtown Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village – is a new full-service food hall delivering nine diverse culinary offerings, five curated event spaces and three premium cocktail bars in an eclectic environment. The food hall opened late 2021. 

  • The Milkhouse, located in the Milk District in downtown Orlando, opened in late-2021. The unique dining space houses some of the most notable Central Florida Food & Beverage brands like Bagel Bruno, Foxtail Coffee Co. and Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream. 

  • Sloppy Joe’s, the legendary Key West saloon, opened at ICON Park in December 2021 and offers live music and island-inspired food and libations.  

  • A new Asian eatery, Saisei Kitchen & Bar, opened September 2021 in Downtown Orlando. 

  • A second location of Light On The Sugar opened in Winter Park in fall 2021 and features scratch-made cream puffs, macarons and crepe cakes with a rotating menu of seasonal flavors of creme brulee, ube cheesecake and matcha.  

HOTELS & RESORTS

Walt Disney World Resort 

  • Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort opened a 14-story, 349-room hotel tower, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, in Fall 2021. The property – just a short walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot – features meeting rooms with rooftop terraces, a restaurant, full-service health club, 90-foot-long pool and more. 

  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort renovated all nine floors of guest rooms in fall 2021. The rooms received a new look inspired by the Disney-Pixar film “The Incredibles,” featuring futuristic and modern custom artwork in guest rooms and guest corridors along with décor elements from the films.  

 

Beyond the Theme Parks 

  • Lake Nona Wave Hotel, opened Dec. 20, and is a leading-edge hotel featuring 216 guest rooms, 16 one-bedroom suites and two penthouse suites. Guests enjoy three restaurants and bars; tech-forward amenities such as voice-automated in-room controls; a focus on holistic wellbeing including access to the world’s first Chopra Mind-Body Zone located at the nearby Lake Nona Performance Club; over 400 pieces of art and a 50,000 sq. foot Sculpture Garden. 

  • For a taste of the Orlando cityscape, AC Hotel Orlando Downtown opened in 2021 with a sleek European-inspired design and the SkyBar Rooftop Terrace with 360° city views.   

  • Cambria Hotel Orlando Airport opened in spring 2021. The five-story, 108-room hotel is located less than two miles from Orlando International Airport.  

About Visit Orlando

Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States and Theme Park Capital of the World®. A not-for-profit trade association that brands, markets and sells the Orlando destination globally, Visit Orlando represents 1,200 member companies comprising every segment of Central Florida’s tourism community.

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