Visitors on Main Street US at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California. — AP ORLANDO, Florida — The first phases of a reimagined Fantasyland at Florida's Walt Disney World, a Disneyland attraction in California based on the “Cars” movies, and Universal Studios Hollywood's new Transformers ride top the list of new attractions at theme parks across the country in 2012. And thrill ride enthusiasts won't be disappointed, with at least 20 new roller coasters debuting at parks from Maryland to California. Disney says the renovation and new construction at Fantasyland inside the Magic Kingdom in Florida is the largest expansion project in the park's 40-year history, doubling the size of the current Fantasyland. Part of it — including one of what will eventually be dueling Dumbo rides and the rethemed Barnstormer family roller coaster — opened in April. Much of the construction is still in the middle stages, but Disney says most of the new elements will be open in time for the winter holidays this year, with the rest opening later. It's going to include new “attract-areas” — immersive mini-parks that include attractions, restaurants and retail — built around the stories of “Snow White” and “Beauty and Beast,” as well as a new dark ride based on the adventures of “The Little Mermaid.” Replacing Snow White's Scary Adventures in Fantasyland will be Princess Fairytale Hall, where visitors will be able to interact with all the Disney princesses. “The opportunity to greatly expand and relaunch Fantasyland, which has been largely unchanged since 1972, is just a huge opportunity,” Tom Staggs, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts, told The Associated Press earlier this year. “Every time I go down and look at the progress in construction I get more excited about it.” Industry consultant Dennis Speigel said the Fantasyland expansion with detail-oriented areas immersing guests in Disney-themed worlds is expected to pay dividends for years, much like the hugely successful Harry Potter mini-park at Universal Orlando, where visitors feel like they've been dropped right into meticulously decorated movie sets. “It's a big deal,” Speigel, president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services, said of the Fantasyland project. “It's the largest expansion ever in the history of the park. The last number we heard is that it's approaching $500 million. ... Parks have realized it takes more than a Space Mountain by itself or one ride and attraction. It has to have a combination of all the elements now.” In June, Disneyland California Adventure is opening Cars Land, replicating the town of Radiator Springs from the movies, including a race-course ride and two other new little-kid-friendly attractions. Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles is expected to debut the new Transformers ride — a dark ride with motion-simulator vehicles inspired by the science fiction action film — on Friday. On May 8, Universal Orlando introduced a daily interactive character parade and nighttime pyrotechnics show celebrating Universal's 100 years of making movies. A new 3-D ride based on the “Despicable Me” movie will open at Universal Orlando sometime this summer.
