While we usually keep our eyes focused hard on Disney parks around the world and all the latest news coming out of each one, we also keep an eye on the OTHER theme parks around Orlando, because they often all influence each other!
Tron: Ares Overlay
This past week especially, Orlando theme parks have dropped some MAJOR ride news — one announcement that will affect your trip right now, and two that may make you BOOK trips in the future to these parks. This is news you WON’T want to miss!
If you’re planning a trip to Disney World in the next month or so, you need to know that TRON Lightcycle / Run won’t look the same as it has in the past, because it’s gotten a special overlay to celebrate the upcoming new film in the franchise, TRON: Ares!
TRON: Ares overlay!
Instead of the iconic blue you normally see under the awning, now it’s been turned a deep red for the overlay! Additionally, the lightcycle wheels are red as well, and the launch area will also turn red to really enhance the experience.
TRON Lightcycle / Run Launch Room
There’s also NEW music in the attraction, so riding it almost feels like a whole new experience — we highly recommend!
Read more about the overlay here!
But the REAL news this week came from outside the Disney parks. Dollywood has guests VERY excited with the announcement that their new ride coming to the park in 2026 is the first of its kind — and that’s no exaggeration. Arriving in Spring 2026, NightFlight Expedition is a hybrid coaster and whitewater river ride on a journey “to discover the mystery of the legendary Secret Lake.”
©Dollywood
Cora and Jasper Oakley will lead riders on a journey to discover the mystery of the legendary Secret Lake. The ride will feature “remarkable vehicles,” and adventurers can experience four different storylines as they “fly through the Smokies, conquer raging rapids, climb mountain peaks and glide across a shimmering lake.” The four different storylines are Soaring over the Smokies, Climbing a mountainside, Plunging into whitewater rapids, and Navigating a mysterious lake. The ride will be located entirely inside, meaning that it won’t be weather-dependent, and it’ll be a total of 5.5 minutes.
©Dollywood
Dollywood is located in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, so while it’s not IN Orlando, many people who live far from the Southeast United States may choose to travel to Tennessee to visit while they’re on vacation. Or, individuals who are closer to Tennessee than Florida may choose to take a vacation to Dollywood instead of Disney World in 2026, as Disney World will still be in the midst of multiple new additions and ride refurbishments.
Read all about this new attraction here!
SeaWorld Orlando was quick to follow suit, announcing that they ALSO have a new ride coming in 2026. This new dark ride will take you to dizzying depths underneath the sea, and will be called SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep. This ride will be a state-of-the-art submersible and promises to take riders on “an awe-inspiring voyage into the ocean’s most extraordinary realms” guided by the SEA Collective’s Adventure Team.
©SeaWorld Orlando
On this ride, guests will be able to “discover dazzling ecosystems, legendary sea life, and breathtaking stories of resilience and wonder,” and you can check out the trailer for this new attraction below!
Learn more about this exciting new ride here!
We’re always on the lookout for all the latest theme park news, so stay tuned to DFB!
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I love SeaWorld and I loved the tv series SeaQuest so if it’s a fun, interesting, educational ride through the mysterious depths of the earth’s oceans, I’m looking forward to it! If they turn it into a dangerous thrill ride that’s too dark and scary, causing horror and motion sickness then they can keep it. I won’t ride it. I have zero interest in Tron and similar, and I’m surprised Dollywood would announce a ride that sounds dangerous and scary…not safe and fun….especially so soon after the tragedy at Epic! It just doesn’t seem to fit the rest of that park’s atmosphere and down home vibe.