What the future of SoCal theme parks looks like (2024)

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Saturday, June 15. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

• A look at what’s to come for some SoCal theme parks
• COVID cases are rising in L.A. County and California
• The best spots to see 58,000 jacaranda trees in L.A. and OC
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

What’s to come at some SoCal theme parks

The climatic scene of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a Mardi Gras celebration.

(Olga Thompson / Disney)

Maybe it’s because school is out. Perhaps it’s just the weather. Whatever the reason, summer and theme parks go hand in hand.

Luckily for Southern California, theme parks are open year-round and the biggest threat is too much sunshine.

Before it closed down after Hurricane Katrina, Six Flags New Orleans (aka Jazzland) was the place to be during the summer for me and my cousins. It was open for only about five years, but my memories of riding the Mega Zeph and the Zydeco Scream make it seem like I went every summer of my life.

I mostly remember screaming at the top of my lungs on roller coasters. You flipped up, down and around, and before the ride ended a flashing camera snapped a photo of you looking your worst.

Those flashing cameras still exist on rides at various theme parks, but there’s so much more to expect now, from animation to cinema to engineering and game design.

My colleague Todd Martens has written extensively about theme parks in SoCal. In April, he wrote about the cutting-edge robotics to come at Disneyland including droids at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and some of the most lifelike characters ever created in the newly built Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

His story about the future of theme parks inspired me to take a look at what’s to come for SoCal’s parks.

Look forward to bigger and better attractions

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which replaces the racist Splash Mountain ride, debuts at Disney World later this month and at Disneyland later this year.

The 50-foot, soak-inducing drop centers around the power of music and food to bring together people from all walks of life. It’s a drastic tonal shift from Splash Mountain.

“The ride is a joyful celebration,” Todd wrote in his review.

At Universal Studios Hollywood, visitors can expect the park’s first high-speed outdoor roller coaster in 2026, set in the “Fast & Furious” universe.

The ride will feature 360-degree rotating vehicles that move along an elaborate track, creating a sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at furiously fast speeds. Universal hasn’t yet announced a top speed for the ride.

Expect more augmented reality

The first augmented reality attraction landed in the U.S. last year in the form of Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge at Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride places interactivity and playfulness ahead of speed and thrills. Todd claims it’s the best implementation of a game-focused attraction in SoCal.

But the joy and fun of such a ride also comes with some challenges, like bringing games and digital tools into physical spaces. Todd found that Bowser’s Challenge takes a moment to get acclimated to, but it gets better every time you ride it.

Prepare for costly line skipping features and add-ons

Nothing says theme park like waiting in line.

During my first trip to Disneyland, I stood in line for more than an hour for multiple rides. I can’t imagine going much longer than that, but many people do.

Others pay the price to skip the line.

Universal Studios offers one-time front-of-line access for double the admission cost.

At Disneyland, this perk is called Genie+ and typically sells for about $30 per person (on top of the price of admission, which currently starts at $169) to allow faster access to attractions.

Knott’s Berry Farm is taking a different approach to line-cutting: It tells guests to respect the queue or get booted from the park. If you do skip, Knott’s encourages other riders to tattle.

Read more of our theme park coverage:

• Dine at a table that moves you from room to room? A look at the future of theme parks
• Every ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, ranked
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s joyous debut proves it was time for stale Splash Mountain to go
• Knott’s Berry Farm encourages customers to snitch on line-jumpers, vows to kick cutters out

The week’s biggest stories

Housing and homelessness

• Hundreds of children live on Skid Row. Can L.A. do more for them?
• This California city is letting owners sell ADUs as starter homes. Will it be a housing revolution?
• New rental developments are changing the American Dream of suburban homeownership.
• Southern California prices are at a record high. Could relief be on the way?

Politics

• The Supreme Court strikes down ban on rapid-fire ‘bump stocks’ like those used in Las Vegas mass shooting.
• Israel and Hamas at odds over cease-fire pact details as international pressure builds.

Rebecca Grossman trial

• Rebecca Grossman gets 15 years to life for murder of boys killed in crosswalk.
• Dead boys’ mother feels a ‘stab in the heart’ after Rebecca Grossman avoids toughest sentence.
• Hunter Biden is found guilty of three felony charges in gun case.
• Biden brings up ‘Dad’ a lot. Trump, not so much.

Hollywood slowdown

• With Hollywood shedding jobs, here is help for coping with the slowdown.
• Hollywood slowdown takes mental health toll as TV, movie jobs scarce. ‘It wears on me.’
• How can film and TV workers cope with Hollywood slowdown? Financial experts offer tips.
• Financial aid is available for film and TV workers struggling post-strike. Here’s where to look.

More big stories

• Jerry West, Lakers legend and architect of ‘Showtime’ era, dies at 86.
• A California beach is the most polluted seen in a new study. People are ‘getting sick left and right.’
• COVID cases are rising in L.A. County and California as new subvariants make mark.
• Cameras were rolling when a chopper killed an actor and two kids. Was A-list director to blame?
• Amboy, population 0 — a Mojave Desert ghost town and Americana icon fights to survive.
• George Lopez walkout prompts apology from central California casino: ‘Quite a shock.’
• A string of earthquakes rattles L.A.: Are they telling us something bigger?
• Modern death cafes are very much alive in L.A. Inside the radical movement.
• As streaming becomes more expensive, Tubi cashes in on the value of free.

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Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

(Photo illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; Photos via SC Labs, Getty Images)

The dirty secret of California’s legal weed. An investigation by The Times, in conjunction with cannabis industry newsletter WeedWeek, found alarming levels of pesticides in cannabis products available on dispensary shelves across the state, including some of the most popular brands of vapes and prerolled joints.

More from this investigation

• How we tested for pesticides.
• Contaminated weed in you.
• When good weed goes bad.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your weekend

Jacarandas in bloom in Long Beach on May 28.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• 🌳 The best spots to see 58,000 jacaranda trees in L.A. and OC.
• 🥾Four breezy L.A. hikes to beat the heat wave.

Staying in

• 🎦 The 12 greatest movies from the shuttering Participant Media.
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for sizzling ginger scallion sauce with pan-seared tofu.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

Nick Cannon insures his testicl*s for how much? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor

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