Orlando, Florida, USA
November 20th, 2025 – The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA, pron. “I-app-er”) Expo is a firmly established event in the amusement park calendar. Once every year, shortly before Thanksgiving, the global amusement park industry makes a pilgrimage of their own to a convention center in Orlando to trade, innovate, educate, promote and appreciate all things ‘theme park’. Roller coasters, thrill rides, ticketing systems, turnstile technology, animatronics, arcade gaming, water slides…it’s all under one roof. For over a decade, CoasterForce has been privileged to attend to report on the key coaster and thrill ride announcements and attractions. Grab some popcorn and take a look at some of the 2025 highlights.
IAAPA wouldn’t be IAAPA without jostling for prime position amongst the hordes of hungry enthusiasts whilst high on anticipation and the smell of freshly laid carpet, as dudes dressed in smart-casual clothing whip sheets off some kind of ride vehicle. IAAPA 2025 didn’t disappoint.
Mack Rides and Dollywood had the first slot of the event, revealing the ride vehicle for NightFlight Expedition, a coaster, water and dark ride all rolled into one. This unique storytelling attraction will open in Spring 2026.
Next up, Vekoma and Seaworld Orlando didn’t faff about with long speeches, instead opting for a refreshingly short sheet-whip to unveil the vehicle for SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep. Riders will take a deep dive into the mysteries of the sea on an innovative suspended dark ride.
Thankfully, there was no real life bull under the sheet on the B&M booth. Instead, sat a front train for what will be the world’s longest, tallest and fastest Dive Coaster in the world. Tormenta at Six Flags Over Texas will also feature the world’s tallest vertical loop.
S&S revealed RailRyder, a very orange and new version of their Steeplechase coaster type. Other colours will presumably be available including tangerine, apricot and pumpkin.
More sedate and serene than Fast & Furious. Intamin had the vehicle for Universal Studios Hollywood‘s Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift spinning launch coaster casually parked on the show floor. Not a sheet in sight. It looked glorious!
Also present without fanfare but totally cool was Gravity Group’s new train concept. During the daylight it looks wooden, but at night it has hidden paint under the overlay that lights up from an onboard battery.
Zamperla‘s booth and announcements never disappoints. This year, they unveiled a tower ride where riders flap their arms to make the gondolas go up or down. It’s also wheelchair accessible. Wingz will open at Morgan’s Wonderland in 2026.
Zamperla and Lotte World also confirmed the Double Heart coaster, which is “the largest compact triple launch coaster” on the market.
Legoland Florida gave more information about Galaticoaster, their new attraction opening in 2026. Riders will first build their own ride spacecraft out of Lego. This is, obviously, done using touchscreens and other technology, because real life would take ages and be very frustrating trying to find that 2×2 square bit in the right colour. The spacecraft is then rideable in the intergalactic Lego solar system filled with special effects and thrills.
Images supplied by Merlin/Legoland.
Rocky Mountain Construction announced a new Raptor single rail style coaster for Family Kingdom.
Dark ride specialists Sally Dark Rides partnered with two parks to announce rides in the USA and the UAE. First to shed light on their new dark ride was Kings Island, announcing Phantom Theater Opening Nightmare, a modern revamp of the much-loved Boo Blasters’s ride from the 1990’s.
Doha Quest in Qatar will be the proud owner of Guardians of the Hidden Chamber, which is Sally’s first ever Mini Dark Ride.
Image provided by Sally Dark Rides.
Staying indoors, Ernest Yale, Triotech‘s denim-jean-wearing flamboyant founder, put “trio” and “tech” together to introduce three new attractions. ‘Electric Funfair’ is a changeable screen based throw ball game. ‘Krazy Karts’ is a Mario Kart style virtual track based on the building it’s in and will eventually use AR. ‘Energize’ is an interactive room that resembles a mix of a dance pad floor and touchscreen walls.
A non-coaster attraction that gained our attention was a Human Claw Machine where riders are lowered into a prize pit to collect as many objects as they can before the time runs out. The more they collect, the better the prize.
SBF Visa was demonstrating a modern version of the classic Rotor style ride. Zero Gravity has a semitransparent wall, allowing observers to see what the riders are doing. Looks more impressive in a video on CoasterForce’s X feed.
And finally, CoasterForce’s content creators Scott and Jack gave a masterclass IAAPA talk on how to safely and successfully film on rides. We are unapologetically biased, but these guys create the best roller coaster and thrill ride videos you’ll ever see. Check out the CoasterForce YouTube channel to see for yourself.
IAAPA 2025 Expo was a blast. After walking several miles mingling with thousands of attendees and hundreds of exhibitors, it’s time to rest. For further IAAPA discussion, why not participate in the CoasterForce Forum topic or catch some videos on the IAAPA website.
Written by Ian Bell. UK based theme park rollercoaster enthusiast who hates having his photo taken unless it’s by an on-ride camera.