Even the pandemic, it seems, hasn’t been able to slow Orlando down. The Central Florida city has continued to expand and evolve over the past year and in 2022 welcomes 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,” plus Michelin chef dining options and an acoustically perfect theatre.

“Travellers 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,” says Visit Orlando president and CEO Casandra Matej. “Orlando is ready for an exciting year 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.”

Here is a just a small sampling of what’s at hand:

NEW 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 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 opened in February. The ride features four launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch with a 28-m.-tall spike with 100-degree angle, the steepest vertical drop in Florida.
• The new Reef Plunge water slide at Aquatica Orlando launches in spring. 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 recently opened 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. 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 90 m., 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 160 kph. The Orlando Free Fall at ICON Park stands at 130 m., 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. The 4,600 sq.-m., 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, opened March 1. Guests “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 this spring 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, 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 massive Sculpture Garden.

• Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort opened a 14-story, 349-room hotel tower, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, last Fall. 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, 27-m.-long pool and more.

NEW ON THE MENU

Tourism Corridor

• Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen opened December 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.

• Pointe Orlando will open two new restaurants including Kavas Tacos & Tequila in spring/summer and JoJo’s Shake Bar later in the year. Kavas features a menu paying tribute to Mexico’s rich culinary history, featuring savoury 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, offering live music and island-inspired food and libations.

Local Neighborhoods

• New York Beer Project, built to resemble a 1900’s indoor beer garden in New York’s lower East Side, will open March in Winter Garden – 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, is slated to open in 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 vintage shop, will open in spring 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.

• The Milkhouse, located in the Milk District in downtown Orlando, opened in late 2021. The unique dining space houses some of the most notable Central Florida Food & Beverage brands like Bagel Bruno, Foxtail Coffee Co. and Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream.

MAJOR AIRPORT EXPANSION

The largest construction project in airport history is underway at Orlando International Airport, The South Terminal Complex. Phase one of the US$3.82 billion, multi-year project is expected to be substantially completed in the first quarter of 2022. The project will add 15 gates and includes features such as 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.