Sequoia Magic Loop at Gardaland

While Foresta Incantata is more of an attraction than a ride, Gardaland has also added a thrilling roller coaster called Sequoia Magic Loop. Its name stems from the oddity of the coaster tracks, which seemingly disappear right in front of you. Your ride cart will get moved and spun in a way that will remind you of luggage at Baggage Claims. It’s equal parts unsettling and stimulating.

Sesame Street: Street Mission at Port Aventura

Since 1995, theme park tourists have flocked to the Costa Daurada aka Golden Coast of Spain to visit Port Aventura. This place was once a Universal Studios property, but it’s actually been better run as an independent. To wit, Street Mission is a dark ride where guests work with Detective Grover to piece together the clues for a mystery. Your inner child will squeal with delight as you navigate Sesame Street to solve the puzzle!

Soarin': Fantastic Flight at Tokyo DisneySea

A couple of the attractions listed here aren’t open yet, but all of them will be by the end of the summer. As an example, the official opening date is July 23rd for Tokyo Disneyland’s exclusive version of Soarin’. While this ride is based on Soarin’ Around the World, it’ll have the expected Tokyo DisneySea spin, which is to say that its theming will be sublime. Park officials already unveiled the ride building; it’s Fantastic Flight Museum, and you’ll want to watch the included video. It ties into the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.)!

Speedy Beetle at Luna Park Melbourne

Image: Luna Park MelbourneMelbourne, Australia, is home to one of the oldest amusement parks on the planet. Luna Park debuted in 1912 and has continuously operated for more than 100 years. Park officials don’t rest on the storied laurels of Luna Park, though.

Lindsay Fox loved visited the place when he was a child in the 1940s and purchased it in 2005 to restore it to glory. He frequently updates it to achieve that goal, and Speedy Beetle is the latest new project. It’s a spinning children’s coaster that’s technically the “oldest” ride on this list. The construction team managed to get it working in time for Christmas week of 2018, but I’m including it since I love talking about Luna Park Melbourne.

Untamed - Walibi Holland

Biddinghuizen, Netherlands, is the location of Holland’s Walibi park. Yes, it’s owned by the same people that operate Walibi Belgium. A consortium called Compagnie des Alpes runs several theme parks and ski resorts in Europe. To keep each of their properties fresh and unique, they add new attractions on a near-annual basis.

Untamed is Walibi Holland’s major enhancement for the year. Formerly the Robin Hood wooden roller coaster, Untamed is a hybrid steel/wood coaster with a massive 80-degree drop. Park officials brag that it has five inversions and a total of 14 different air-time hops during the ride experience. And the gorgeous landscape provides a serene backdrop through all of the coaster’s twists and turns.

For theme park tourists, a European vacation with a Walibi theme park focus is a wonderful idea.