Not long ago, the consensus among theme park industry insiders was that we would not see another major theme park built in North America. China was the future of the industry. Maybe the Middle East, too. But North America was built out.
Now, everything has changed. Two new parks from major brands are set to open in the United States within the next few months. At the IAAPA Expo in Orlando last week, we also heard details about another new major new park that is coming to Mexico in 2026. Momentum has shifted, and now theme park fans in the U.S. can look forward to visiting several major new parks without having to fly over an ocean.
The new park in Mexico is VidantaWorld’s BON Luxury Theme Park, which is now in a phased opening for a full debut in 2026. Located at the VidantaWorld resort in Nuevo Vallarta, this new park promises to deliver world-class thrills within a luxury experience that honors the natural beauty of the region. (The “BON” in the park’s name stands for “beauty of nature.”)
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Dutch ride manufacturer Vekoma showed off a train for the park’s Tecuani Beast coaster, which will become Latin America’s first double launch roller coaster when it opens in 2026. The computer animated ride video for Tecuani Beast was my pick for best in show at the convention this year, teasing a 3,930-foot coaster that offers six inversions, including a station fly-through corkscrew, a double roll-over top hat and a top speed of 65 mph.
VidantaWorld’s BON Luxury Theme Park also promises three other Vekoma coasters and an interactive dark ride, as well as North America’s first Inverted Power Coaster from Mack Rides, a model many American theme park fans have been eager to ride.
In the U.S., the biggest new park coming up is Universal Epic Universe, the multi-billion-dollar new gate that opens at Universal Orlando Resort on May 22, 2025. Universal also is expanding to Texas, where it will open Universal Kids Resort north of Dallas in the summer of 2026.
ALSO SEE: First look at Ministry of Magic dark ride coming to Epic Universe
Mattel also is getting into the theme park business in the United States, licensing two indoor Mattel Adventure Parks. The first is now set to open in the VAI Resort in Glendale, Ariz. next year with a second opening in the Kansas City area in 2026.
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Not every announced new park gets built, of course. Developers behind the proposed American Heartland theme park in Oklahoma have delayed their project for at least three years, and I would be more surprised if that park gets built than if it fades away.
This remains a big money business for companies that can afford to invest for success. Many consumers are willing to splurge on the unique experience of an innovative new park. But parks that aspire to compete with Disney and Universal must continue to deliver experiences that people are willing to keep spending big bucks to visit again and again instead of going only when they can get a cheap annual pass.
North America is a proven market, filled with eager theme park fans. Now it is up to the new parks in that market to prove that they can deliver for those fans.