2025-2026 Season Updates: 16+ New Rides Across 9 Parks

2026 Updates: What's New This Year

Updated January 6, 2026 - We're kicking off 2026 with major announcements from parks across the UK and France. Here's what's opening in the coming months:

UK - Spring 2026

Alton Towers: Bluey's Big Play

Opening: Spring 2026 Location: CBeebies Land

The world's first Bluey-themed ride is coming to Alton Towers! This family-friendly attraction brings the beloved Australian animated series to life in CBeebies Land, perfect for the park's youngest visitors.

What families need to know:

• Designed for toddlers and young children
• Located in CBeebies Land alongside other preschool favorites
• Expected to have a low or no height restriction (details TBA)

LEGOLAND Windsor: Minifigure Speedway

Reopening: 2026

The world's first LEGO duelling rollercoaster is returning! Minifigure Speedway races forward and in reverse, delivering unique thrills for the whole family.

What families need to know:

• Accessible from 100cm minimum height
• Twin racing tracks for competitive fun
• One of LEGOLAND's most popular attractions returning after refurbishment

Paultons Park: Valgard - Realm of the Vikings

Opening: May 2026 Investment: £12 million

This legendary new Viking-themed land represents Paultons Park's biggest expansion yet, celebrating Viking heritage with multiple new attractions.

What families need to know:

• Features the park's first inverting coaster: Drakon
• UK's first ART Engineering swing ride: Vild Swing
• Multiple attractions celebrating Viking heritage
• Further details to be announced

France - Spring 2026

Disneyland Paris: World of Frozen

Opening: March 29, 2026 Location: Disney Adventure World (formerly Walt Disney Studios Park)

Step into Arendelle during the Snowflower Festival! This immersive new land brings Disney's Frozen to life with spectacular theming and attractions.

What families need to know:

• Opening alongside park rename to "Disney Adventure World"
• Multiple attractions themed to Frozen
• Minnie's Dream Factory show also debuts (Feb 7 - July 5, 2026)
• Height requirements TBA

Festyland: Valkyrie

Opening: Spring 2026 Location: Normandy (Caen)

Soaring new roller coaster bringing Norse mythology to life with spectacular inversions and high-speed maneuvers. This thrilling addition continues Festyland's Viking zone expansion.

What families need to know:

• Expected to be a medium-thrill coaster
• Complements the park's existing 1066 coaster
• Height requirements TBA

Fraispertuis City: 60th Anniversary Attractions

Opening: 2026 Celebrating: 60 years since 1966

Two new family attractions mark this Wild West park's diamond anniversary:

Fireline Redwood - Family roller coaster Family Drop Tower - Accessible from 1 meter tall

What families need to know:

• Perfect for families seeking accessible thrills
• 1 meter minimum for drop tower means more families can ride together
• Joins existing European record holder Timber Drop (113.1°)

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2025 Season Recap: A Big Year for New Attractions

The 2025 theme park season brought exciting new rides across the UK, France, and UAE. From world-first coaster technology to beloved classic attractions reborn, here's your complete guide to what opened last year.

UK Updates

Alton Towers: Toxicator

Height requirement: 140cm minimum, 195cm maximum

The headline addition for UK theme parks in 2025, Toxicator is the UK's first suspended Top Spin. Standing 78 feet tall on the former Ripsaw site, this HUSS-manufactured thrill machine offers an intense experience where riders face outward with legs dangling as the gondola flips, spins, and holds guests face-down.

What families need to know:

• Age 10+ recommended due to intensity
• Not suitable for those with heart conditions or back problems
• Located in the X-Sector area near Oblivion

Paultons Park: Ghostly Manor

Height requirement: No minimum (suitable for ages 5+)

Paultons Park invested £3.5 million in Ghostly Manor, a new interactive dark ride that opened in May 2025. Families board vehicles equipped with Phantom Phasers to help Dr. Kinley recapture escaped ghosts from his haunted manor.

What families need to know:

• 5-minute experience with pre-show
• Competitive element - track your ghost-catching score
• Perfect for families with younger children who want gentle thrills
• No height restriction makes it accessible to almost everyone

Coming 2026: Paultons has announced Valgard - Realm of the Vikings, a £12 million expansion featuring the park's first inverting coaster (Drakon) and UK's first ART Engineering swing ride (Vild Swing).

Blackpool Pleasure Beach: Three Major Updates

Launch Pad (Reborn)

• Height requirement: 132cm minimum
• The former Ice Blast has been reimagined with enhanced theming while keeping the 210ft shot tower experience at 80+ mph

River Caves (Reimagined)

• Height requirement: 132cm minimum
• After a yearlong closure, this 1905 park classic has been fully refurbished with new scenes and lighting

Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-o-Matic (Updated)

• Height requirement: 90cm with adult, 117cm alone
• New scenes added from the BAFTA award-winning film Vengeance Most Fowl

Coming 2026: The park has announced Aviktas, an £8.72 million Gyro Swing standing 138 feet tall - set to be the UK's tallest of its kind.

France Updates

Parc Astérix: Cétautomatix

Height requirement: 100cm minimum

Cétautomatix opened on August 18, 2025, becoming Europe's first family spinning coaster. Built by Gerstlauer, this is now Parc Astérix's 9th roller coaster, featuring rotating 4-person tanks that spin unpredictably through the course.

What families need to know:

• Located in the Gaul village area
• Perfect stepping stone between family rides and larger coasters
• The relatively low 100cm height requirement opens this to younger riders
• Replaced Nationale 7, which closed to make room for the new attraction

Coming 2026: A new Greek-themed area with additional attractions including a Zamperla Windstarz and family freefall.

Futuroscope: Mission Bermudes

Height requirement: 110cm minimum

Opening June 28, 2025, Mission Bermudes is the world's first "rocking boat" ride - a Mack Rides creation that combines flume and coaster sensations. The 500-metre course features a dramatic 16-metre drop at speeds exceeding 60 km/h, all themed around the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.

What families need to know:

• You will get wet - bring ponchos or change of clothes
• The hybrid water coaster/flume experience is unique worldwide
• Combines well with the park's other water attractions

UAE Updates

Yas Waterworld: Two New Slides

As part of the park's major July 2025 expansion in a new "lost city" themed area:

Bahamut Rage

• Height requirement: 120cm minimum
• Thrilling water slide featuring a dramatic 15-metre drop resulting in a massive splash

Al Daloob

• Height requirement: 110cm minimum
• The region's first barrel twist raft ride, designed for three people with unique spinning sections

What families need to know:

• These additions bring Yas Waterworld's total attractions to 27
• Both slides are in the new themed expansion area
• The 110cm requirement for Al Daloob makes it accessible to many families

Height Requirements Summary

2026 Additions

| Park | New Ride | Min Height | Opening | Type | |------|----------|------------|---------|------| | Alton Towers | Bluey's Big Play | TBA | Spring 2026 | Family | | LEGOLAND Windsor | Minifigure Speedway | 100cm | 2026 | Family | | Paultons Park | Valgard: Drakon | TBA | May 2026 | Thrill | | Paultons Park | Valgard: Vild Swing | TBA | May 2026 | Thrill | | Disneyland Paris | World of Frozen | TBA | March 29, 2026 | Family | | Festyland | Valkyrie | TBA | Spring 2026 | Thrill | | Fraispertuis City | Fireline Redwood | TBA | 2026 | Family | | Fraispertuis City | Family Drop Tower | 100cm | 2026 | Family |

2025 Additions

| Park | New Ride | Min Height | Type | |------|----------|------------|------| | Alton Towers | Toxicator | 140cm | Thrill | | Paultons Park | Ghostly Manor | None | Family | | Blackpool | Launch Pad | 132cm | Thrill | | Blackpool | River Caves | 132cm | Family | | Parc Astérix | Cétautomatix | 100cm | Family | | Futuroscope | Mission Bermudes | 110cm | Family | | Yas Waterworld | Bahamut Rage | 120cm | Thrill | | Yas Waterworld | Al Daloob | 110cm | Family |

Plan Your Visit

All height requirements on Theme Park Height Guide have been updated to reflect these 2025-2026 additions. Use our Height Calculator to see exactly which rides your children can access at each park, or try the Park Comparison Tool to find the best destination for your family's heights.

The 2025-2026 seasons prove that theme parks continue to invest in both thrill-seekers and families - with attractions like Ghostly Manor (no height restriction), Cétautomatix (100cm), and the new Family Drop Tower at Fraispertuis City (100cm) ensuring younger guests have plenty of new experiences too.