Who's ready for the start of the 2023 summer theme park season? Memorial Day provides the traditional kick-off for summer vacation season, and theme parks are getting ready with plenty of new attractions in May to entice visitors this year.
Here are some of the new attractions theme parks can look forward to debuting next month. Attractions marked with an asterisk (*) are media preview days for attractions that have yet to announce an official opening date.
May 6: Wild Mouse and Boardwalk
Cedar Point
This Zamperla Twister anchors Cedar Point's new Boardwalk area, which also includes a new Grand Pavilion, a recreation of the 1888 original that will feature a new restaurant and a waterfront bar with viewing decks of Lake Erie and the park.
May 11*: Pipeline the Surf Coaster
SeaWorld Orlando
Concept image courtesy SeaWorldSeaWorld's flagship park is debuting the first installation of Bolliger & Mabillard's next-generation stand-up roller coaster, themed to giant surfboards. [Update: The coaster opens to all May 27, and to SeaWorld pass members starting on May 12. Dates vary by pass level.]
May 12: Big Bear Mountain
Dollywood
Dollywood's largest-ever single-attraction investment is this $25 million, 3,990-foot, multi-launch Vekoma family coaster in Wildwood Grove.
May 15: Mandrill Mayhem, World of Jumanji
Chessington World of Adventures
Featuring two launches and the park's first inversion, Mandrill Mayhem is a Bolliger & Mabillard wing coaster that shuttles forward and backward. It anchors the new World of Jumanji land at the London-area theme park.
May 19: DarKoaster
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
A four-launch indoor Intamin straddle coaster, DarKoaster run within King Ludwig's abandoned fortress from Busch Gardens' old Curse of DarKastle ride.
May 23: SeaWorld Abu Dhabi
SeaWorld's first theme park outside the United States opens on Yas Island, joining Ferrari World and Warner Bros. World as the third indoor theme park at the resort. Learn more about the park in our Visitor's Guide to the New SeaWorld Yas Island.
May 25*: Fiesta Village
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's is planning to preview its refurbished Fiesta Village land to invited reporters late this month, though that almost certainly will not include the redesigned MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress shuttle loop coaster, which will open at a later date.
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Interested to see the reviews for Big Bear Mountain. Seems like a solid addition to Dollywood.