Orlando has continued to expand and evolve since the pandemic and several new experiences, including a new theme park and an immersive Star Wars hotel are scheduled to open in 2022. Orlando is the perfect destination this year and beyond for travelers looking to reconnect with family and friends through new experiences. Here are some of the new experiences you can look forward to in Orlando in 2022.
THEME PARKS
Walt Disney World Resort:
- Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary celebration brings new experiences to all four theme parks and beyond.
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, a new storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus on the action, and the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.
- “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond,” is a new show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom set in the timeline of the Finding Dory film.
- Typhoon Lagoon : Disney’s original water park reopened in January 2022 after being closed since March 2020.
SeaWorld Orlando Parks & Entertainment:
- In February, Ice Breaker, SeaWorld Orlando’s first launch coaster (features four launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch with a 93-foot-tall spike with 100-degree angle, the steepest vertical drop in Florida).
- Reef Plunge water slide at Aquatica Orlando launches in spring 202 taking guests past a variety of marine life, Commerson’s dolphins, leopard sharks and a variety of other cold-water fish.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort:
- Peppa Pig Theme Park opens Feb. 24, 2022 at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. The theme park will feature multiple rides, interactive attractions, fun live shows, themed playscapes and water play areas.
- Pirate River Quest, a family-friendly treasure hunt adventure, allows guests to journey through the uncharted waters of the legendary Cypress Gardens and discover the secrets protecting its canals, as this all-new story unfolds brick by brick.
Beyond the Parks
- Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts opened Jan. 14, 2022 in downtown Orlando. The facility achieves an N1 sound rating, the lowest level at which humans can detect sound.
- Art² (art squared), an urban park featuring a two-story shipping container structure, is coming to downtown Orlando in spring 2022. The park will incorporate a café, art gallery, stage, seating, digital video walls and a gift shop, as well as an artificial turf courtyard, a concrete patio, picnic tables and hammocks and two food truck spaces.
- The Orlando Slingshot and Orlando Free Fall—two world-record-setting attractions—open in December 2021. The Orlando Slingshot stands at 300 feet, making it the world’s tallest slingshot. The two-tower attraction launches two riders out of an “exploding volcano,” straight up into the sky, reaching speeds of 100 mph. The Orlando Free Fall at ICON Park stands at 430 feet, making it the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower.
- “Cirque du Soleil-Drawn to Life” premiered at Disney Springs in November 2021. The show is a combination of Disney animation and awe-inspiring performances including 10 unique acrobatic acts.
- Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex will open at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in March 2022. The 50,000-square-foot, multi-level attraction will feature a showcase of NASA and commercial spacecraft hardware with immersive displays, as well as a “journey” through space, unique launch viewing opportunities and more.
HOTELS & RESORTS
- Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel at Walt Disney World, will open March 1, 2022. Guests will “board” the starship Halcyon for an all-inclusive experience that puts them into the immersive world of Star Wars.
- ette Hotel Orlando, a hotel focused on wellness, opens spring 2022 near Disney World. The property will be alcohol-free and will offer culinary experiences in partnership with Michelin Star Chef Akira Back, The Spa at ette, with services for everyone from the modern minimalist to the unruly naturalist, will also be available at the new hotel.
- Lake Nona Wave Hotel, a leading-edge hotel featuring 216 guest rooms, 16 one-bedroom suites and two penthouse suites, opened in December 2021. The property has three restaurants and bars; tech-forward amenities such as voice-automated in-room controls; a focus on holistic wellbeing, including access to the world’s first Chopra Mind-Body Zone located at the nearby Lake Nona Performance Club; more than 400 pieces of art and a 50,000-square-foot Sculpture Garden.
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, an newly built 14-story, 349-room hotel tower, at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort opened in fall 2021. The property—just a short walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT—features meeting rooms with rooftop terraces, a restaurant, full-service health club, 90-foot-long pool and more.
NEW RESTAURANTS
- Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen opened December 2021 at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. The restaurant, from the Top Chef All-Stars winner, features cuisine inspired by tropical flavors and ingredients from Florida, including native fruits, vegetables, seafood and more.
- Kavas Tacos & Tequila in spring/summer 2022 and JoJo’s Shake Bar in fall/winter 2022 by Pointe Orlando. Kavas features a menu paying tribute to Mexico’s rich culinary history, featuring savory comfort food, fresh tableside experiences, and recipes hand-crafted from the freshest ingredients.
- Sloppy Joe’s, the legendary Key West saloon, opened at ICON Park in December 2021, offering live music and island-inspired food and drinks.
- New York Beer Project, a brewery built to resemble a 1900s indoor beer garden in New York’s lower East Side, will open in Winter Garden in March 2022 —just a short drive from Disney World. The brewery will feature a gastropub, indoor beer garden, tap room, brewery, sidewalk bistro, as well as three New York City themed event spaces.
- AVA MediterrAegean, a new Mediterranean restaurant and lounge from executive chef Hung Huynh, Top Chef’s Season Three winner, is slated to open early 2022 on Park Avenue in Winter Park.
- Café-Boutique PIANO, a restaurant featuring European cuisine and live nightly piano shows, is coming to Winter Park’s Hannibal Square in 2022.
- The Bandbox-Orlando, Central Florida’s first alcohol-free speakeasy cocktail tasting lounge and collectibles/vintage shop, will open in spring 2022 at Ivanhoe Village in Downtown Orlando.
- The Hall on the Yard, located in downtown Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village, is a new full-service food hall delivering nine diverse culinary offerings, five curated event spaces, and three premium cocktail bars in an eclectic environment.
- 4Roots Farm Campus, an 18-acre urban farm, located in The Packing District, will include classrooms, a community green space, farm-to-table restaurant and more than 49,000 square feet of greenhouses and a diverse range of growing systems focused on innovation, sustainability and education will open in late 2022.
- The Milkhouse, located in downtown Orlando’s Milk District, opened in late 2021. The unique dining space includes some of the most notable Central Florida Food & Beverage brands like Bagel Bruno, Foxtail Coffee Co. and Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream.
AIRPORT EXPANSION
Orlando International Airport (MCO), is the gateway for millions of visitors to Orlando each year. It’s important for Orlando travelers to have an amazing experience at the airport. That is why the South Terminal Complex has undergone a major renovation project. Phase one of the billion dollar, multi-year project is expected to be substantially completed in the first quarter of 2022.The project will add 15 gates and will include interactive digital media, a state-of-the-art radio frequency baggage system, numerous shops, restaurants, lounge facilities and the Intermodal Terminal Facility (ITF), which is designed to accommodate up to three train systems including the Brightline train with service to Miami.
Planning your Orlando Vacation
With so much to experience in Orlando, planning it all from resorts, to theme parks, restaurants, and transportation, can be overwhelming. As a full-service travel agent, I can help you curate all of the elements of a perfect Orlando vacation, Ready to reconnect with loved ones as well as maximize your time, budget, and experience? Contact me for a complimentary consultation so that you can get your vacation planning started.
