2024 has drawn to a close and 2025 is here. In some ways it is the sad and slow part of the year for theme parks with many closed for the season and announcements more sparse. However, winter will soon give way to spring with park opening days and new rides starting around March. This year will also be “epic” with the opening of Epic Universe!

I’ll keep this update more concise and personal as there are other places to read about the big 2024 closures like Kingda Ka or literal daily details of progress at Epic Universe. I’ll focus on two things, my personal past year and the couple of things locally I’m excited about for 2025.

I love my LogRide app as it tracks my park activity effortlessly. This year I visited 20 parks over 22 days, not too bad. Highlights included doing a sweep of the 4 Disney parks, LegoLand in Denmark and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California. I also participated in my first ACE event which was pretty awesome. However, what was more important were the great family memories made. I also know I get some great exercise as parks as LogRide shows me walking 127 miles in them this year! I also appreciated my Vessi shoes a bunch for keeping my feet dry and comfortable. In terms of closures I was sad to see the personal favorite Scorpion at Busch Gardens close, but I’ve heard rumors of it getting new life elsewhere which is quite exciting!

With regard to 2025 I’m really excited about Georgia Surfer opening this spring at my local Six Flags Over Georgia. It will bring a launch and spinning coaster to the park simultaneously with some neat water features. I’m also excited about Water’s Edge at Wild Adventures in Valdosta. That may seem strange to make a “most excited” list at first, but here’s why. Additions like Water’s Edge age well with time as they make theme parks the comfortable and magical places we want to spend time. At its core Water’s Edge is primarily a Ferris wheel relocation with a couple new flat rides, but the totality of the project is creating a beautiful new atmosphere in the middle of the park and is what puts the “theme” in theme park. We want the parks we frequently visit to not only have good rides, but also be a relaxing place to have a meal or a drink with friends too and this addition seeks to do just that.

So what are you most excited about in 2025? No doubt there will be surprises we can’t anticipate yet, both good and bad. Hopefully too manufacturers get a little better luck with 2025 openings than they did last year. Here’s to a safe, happy, fun and healthy 2025!