Strap in for the ride that 2025 looks to be

THEME PARK INSIDER

Disneyland has hinted at bringing back the “Paint the Night” parade in 2025. The fan-favorite Hong Kong Disneyland import came to Anaheim in 2015 for the main park’s 60th anniversary. Jeff Gritchen — staff photographer

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After this week’s election, I will wager that many of you will be ready to put 2024 behind us. So allow me to offer several diversions for theme park fans to look forward to in 2025.

First up is Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. Walt’s original park turns 70 on July 17, but the resort will kick off its celebration long before that. Disney has not revealed much beyond a logo for the event, but fans should expect the biggest celebration since the park’s 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration 10 years ago.

One thing the resort has teased to debut is the return of its “Paint the Night” parade. The fan-favorite Hong Kong Disneyland import opened at Disneyland for that 60th anniversary celebration in 2015 before moving to Disney California Adventure for a summer in 2018.

Next year also will bring a new resident to Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House. For the first time, Disney will produce an audio-animatronic figure of its founder, Walt Disney. The company announced at the D23 event in August that the new figure will star in “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” opening next year and sharing the theater with “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.”

Over at Knott’s Berry Farm, next year should bring the opening of the park’s rebuilt Montezooma roller coaster. The park originally announced the rebuild of its 1978 Schwarzkopf flywheel shuttle loop to open in 2023 as Montezooma’s Revenge — The Forbidden Fortress. That got delayed, but now the park has announced a return of the classic coaster next year.

Elsewhere around the country, Walt Disney World will debut a new nighttime parade at the Magic Kingdom, “Disney Starlight.” Magic Kingdom has not had a nighttime parade since its version of the Main Street Electrical Parade closed in 2016, and it hasn’t had any new parade debut since “Festival of Fantasy” opened in 2014.

Roller coasters fans will get to welcome two new tilt-track coasters in 2025. Imagine coming to the end of the track at the top of the lift hill, only to have your train stop and the track underneath you tilt forward to reveal and connect with the rest of the coaster. Put your faith in engineering on Circuit Breaker at Cotaland in Austin, Texas, and Siren’s Curse at Cedar Point in Ohio when those thrill rides open next year.

By far the biggest thing to look forward to next year will be the May 22 opening of Universal Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida. The biggest new theme park to open in the United States since Disney California Adventure in 2001, Epic Universe promises to shake up the industry. The park will feature Orlando’s expanded Super Nintendo World as well as lands themed to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, “How to Train Your Dragon” and Universal’s classic monsters.

First looks at the park’s monster animatronics have wowed fans online, and its new Stardust Racers is an early favorite to be the best new coaster of the year. All around the country, 2025 promises to be a great year for theme park fans, and I cannot wait for it to get started.

Robert Niles covers the themed entertainment industry as the editor of ThemeParkInsider.com.