The future of theme parks in Southern California

Theme park riders wear augmented reality glasses while on the Mario Kart ride

By Kevinisha WalkerMultiplatform Editor, Newsletters

June 15, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Saturday, June 15. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

A look at what’s to come for some SoCal theme parks
COVID cases are rising in L.A. County and California
The best spots to see 58,000 jacaranda trees in L.A. and OC
And here’s today’s e-newspaper

What’s to come at some SoCal theme parks

Animatronic Tiana and friends, including the alligator Louis, serenade guests on a log flume ride.

Maybe it’s because school is out. Perhaps it’s just the weather. Whatever the reason, summer and theme parks go hand in hand.

Luckily for Southern California, theme parks are open year-round and the biggest threat is too much sunshine.

Before it closed down after Hurricane Katrina, Six Flags New Orleans (aka Jazzland) was the place to be during the summer for me and my cousins. It was open for only about five years, but my memories of riding the Mega Zeph and the Zydeco Scream make it seem like I went every summer of my life.

I mostly remember screaming at the top of my lungs on roller coasters. You flipped up, down and around, and before the ride ended a flashing camera snapped a photo of you looking your worst.

Those flashing cameras still exist on rides at various theme parks, but there’s so much more to expect now, from animation to cinema to engineering and game design.

My colleague Todd Martens has written extensively about theme parks in SoCal. In April, he wrote about the cutting-edge robotics to come at Disneyland including droids at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and some of the most lifelike characters ever created in the newly built Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

His story about the future of theme parks inspired me to take a look at what’s to come for SoCal’s parks.

Look forward to bigger and better attractions

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which replaces the racist Splash Mountain ride, debuts at Disney World later this month and at Disneyland later this year.

The 50-foot, soak-inducing drop centers around the power of music and food to bring together people from all walks of life. It’s a drastic tonal shift from Splash Mountain.

“The ride is a joyful celebration,” Todd wrote in his review.

At Universal Studios Hollywood, visitors can expect the park’s first high-speed outdoor roller coaster in 2026, set in the “Fast & Furious” universe.

The ride will feature 360-degree rotating vehicles that move along an elaborate track, creating a sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at furiously fast speeds. Universal hasn’t yet announced a top speed for the ride.

Expect more augmented reality

The first augmented reality attraction landed in the U.S. last year in the form of Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge at Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride places interactivity and playfulness ahead of speed and thrills. Todd claims it’s the best implementation of a game-focused attraction in SoCal.

But the joy and fun of such a ride also comes with some challenges, like bringing games and digital tools into physical spaces. Todd found that Bowser’s Challenge takes a moment to get acclimated to, but it gets better every time you ride it.

Prepare for costly line skipping features and add-ons

Nothing says theme park like waiting in line.

During my first trip to Disneyland, I stood in line for more than an hour for multiple rides. I can’t imagine going much longer than that, but many people do.

Others pay the price to skip the line.

Universal Studios offers one-time front-of-line access for double the admission cost.

At Disneyland, this perk is called Genie+ and typically sells for about $30 per person (on top of the price of admission, which currently starts at $169) to allow faster access to attractions.

Knott’s Berry Farm is taking a different approach to line-cutting: It tells guests to respect the queue or get booted from the park. If you do skip, Knott’s encourages other riders to tattle.

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Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

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The dirty secret of California’s legal weed. An investigation by The Times, in conjunction with cannabis industry newsletter WeedWeek, found alarming levels of pesticides in cannabis products available on dispensary shelves across the state, including some of the most popular brands of vapes and prerolled joints.

More from this investigation

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