Central Florida and Orlando each continue to grow and attract new generations of guests.
Here’s a look at what’s coming in 2023 in Central Florida and Orlando theme parks, new resorts and beyond.
Walt Disney World Resort
Based on the Disney sci-fi film TRON: Legacy, TRON Lightcycle / Run will open at Magic Kingdom Park in spring and take guests across a world without horizons in a high-stakes race in their very own Lightcycle.
Magic Kingdom Park’s updated nighttime spectacular will feature the return “Happily Ever After.”
Journey of Water, inspired by Moana, opening late 2023 within World Nature at EPCOT, allows guests to explore and engage with water as it travels from the skies to the oceans and back again.
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal’s Great Movie Escape at Universal CityWalk is an escape room experience inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s blockbuster films Jurassic World and Back to the Future.
Opening this summer inside a new Minion land at Universal Studios Florida, Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast will be a game-based adventure where guests encounter immersive environments, nefarious villains and mischievous Minions from Illumination’s blockbuster films.
SeaWorld Orlando Parks & Entertainment
Debuting spring at SeaWorld Orlando, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster will be the world’s first “Surf Coaster” offering immersive design elements, including a dynamic surfing launch and “wave jumping” motions.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort (Winter Haven)
LEGOLAND Florida’s family-friendly treasure hunt adventure – Pirate River Quest – will take guests through the uncharted waters of the legendary Cypress Gardens to discover the secrets protecting its canals starting early 2023.
HOTELS/RESORTS
Central Florida and Orlando are constantly adding hotels and resorts. For example, Conrad Orlando is expected to open this fall with 433 rooms, 40,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, a tranquil spa, numerous dining options and signature rooftop experience. The hotel will be the first phase of the ambitious Evermore Orlando Resort, a massive 10,000-bedroom resort complex, site of the former Villas of Grand Cypress Resort in the Lake Buena Vista corridor of Orlando..
Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando — Disney SpringsArea, the newest official Walt Disney Partner Hotel, will be completed in the spring with 604 guestrooms, resort-style pool, splash pad, extensive marketplace and dining, complimentary hot breakfast and evening snacks, shuttle service to all four Walt Disney World® Resort theme parks and more.
Opening in winter and located in the International Drive Resort area, Cambria Hotel Orlando Universal Blvd is a 118-room property offering amenities including rooftop pool and lounge, state-of-the-art fitness center, and sophisticated Veer Kitchen & Bar restaurant.
Opening this fall, Aloft Lake Nona will be a six-story, 205-room music-themed property featuring a 10,000 square-foot conference center and full-service restaurant.
Visitors staying at Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando will experience new additions – suc as the upscale Altira Rooftop Pool Lounge – and reimagined guest rooms and spaces, including the property’s signature restaurant, The Boheme, and the Bösendorfer Lounge.
Award-winning boutique hotel The Alfond Inn at Rollins near downtown Orlando will complete renovations of 112 existing rooms/suites and add 71 luxury guestrooms and suites, meeting space and lobby café this summer. A new spa will feature seven treatment rooms and fitness area.
DINING/NIGHTLIFE
The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers, an Indiana-based table service restaurant and bakery, will open a new location at Disney’s BoardWalk in Walt Disney World Resort in 2023, savory and sweet options and afternoon tea service in a whimsical atmosphere.
Brew Theory Marketplace, an all-new food hall coming to Apopka summer, will feature a full liquor bar, Brew Theory taproom, a beer garden and more.
Opening early 2023 in the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Rosa Mexicano will feature a menu showcasing a contemporary interpretation of authentic Mexican cuisine and an extensive beverage program with more than 100 varieties of tequila and agave-based spirits.
Pointe Orlando has two new restaurant additions. KAVAS Tacos + Tequila, a concept by the owners of Tapa Toro and Taverna Opa, pays tribute to Mexico’s rich culinary history, with fresh tableside experiences and recipes hand-crafted from the freshest ingredients.
JoJo’s ShakeBAR, offers a modern diner experience featuring incredibly desserts, milkshakes and smashburgers.
ARTS & CULTURE
Orlando Fringe will open “Fringe ArtSpace,” a year-round performing arts venue this month in downtown Orlando. The 9,100 square foot space will include two performing theater spaces offering a mix of performances and pop-up events.
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will open Judson’s this fall, a music room offering intimate cabaret-style seating for live performances. Judson’s joins Steinmetz Hall, Walt Disney Theater and Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater as the fourth performance space in the $613 million, nine-acre venue.
Photo: Pirate River Quest at Legoland Florida