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Orlando, Florida
ORLANDO, FLORIDA unforgettable experiences await
Orlando, a destination that has continued to expand and evolve over the past year, welcomes 2022 with a plethora of new experiences, ranging from a brand new theme park and a much-anticipated immersive hotel taking guests to a galaxy “far, far away” to Michelin chef dining options and an acoustically perfect theater. “Travelers in 2022 are prioritizing vacation plans to reconnect with family and friends through new experiences that create unforgettable memories, and Orlando is the perfect destination to do that,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando. “Orlando is ready for an exciting year ahead with openings ranging from a brand new Peppa Pig theme park and acoustically perfect performance hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts to Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary celebration festivities.”
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NEW COMPLIMENTARY, ONE-ON-ONE VACATION PLANNING SERVICES
Visit Orlando has launched year-round, complimentary one-on-planning sessions with vacation experts. Travelers can connect with one of Visit Orlando’s vacation planning experts for advice and guidance on building the perfect itinerary. Make an appointment on VisitOrlando.com and a highly trained vacation planner will coordinate a time to provide personalized insights into everything from accommodations and transportation to dining and entertainment.
NEW THEME PARK THRILLS
Orlando’s theme parks continue to expand in 2022, with much-anticipated expansions and an entirely new theme park.
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary celebration brings new experiences to all four theme parks and beyond. Some of the most anticipated experiences for 2022
The WONDER Remains
The wonder remains in Orlando for the best vacation ever! Enjoy outdoor adventures and seasonal celebrations at our theme parks along with unforgettable fun at our over-the-top resorts. Find hotels for every budget and fun for all ages, there’s no better time to come to Orlando!
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include: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, EPCOT’s first “other-world” showcase pavilion opening in the summer, features a new storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom will open a new show, “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond,” reimagined to be set in the timeline of the Finding Dory
SeaWorld Orlando Parks & Entertainment
Ice Breaker, SeaWorld Orlando’s first launch coaster, opens Feb. 18, 2022. The ride 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. The new Reef Plunge water slide at Aquatica Orlando launches in spring 2022. Guests will zoom past a vibrant array of marine life, Commerson’s dolphins, leopard sharks and a variety of other cold-water fish.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort
The world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park will open Feb. 24, 2022 at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. The standalone 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 THEME PARKS
Steinmetz Hall at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts opened in January in the heart of 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 – opened 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.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Walt Disney World’s immersive Star Wars-themed hotel, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, 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. The Tuscan-inspired, 126-room ette Hotel Orlando opens spring 2022 near Disney World. Focusing on wellness as an alcohol-free property, the hotel offers culinary experiences in partnership with Michelin Star Chef Akira Back, along with The Spa at ette, with services for everyone from the modern minimalist to the unruly naturalist. Lake Nona Wave Hotel, which opened in December 2021, is a leading-edge hotel featuring 216 guest rooms, 16 one-bedroom suites and two penthouse suites. Guests can enjoy 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; over 400 pieces of art and a 50,000 sq. foot Sculpture Garden. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort opened a 14-story, 349-room hotel tower, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, 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. About Visit Orlando Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States and Theme Park Capital of the World®. Find more infor-
