IAAPA Expo Day 2: Innovations & Collaborations

(eap) On the second day of the IAAPA Expo in Orlando, further exciting product innovations, projects, and collaborations from across the leisure industry were presented.

Merlin Entertainments announced investments of more than 90 million US dollars for its Legoland parks in Florida and California. Both parks are scheduled to receive a new family coaster named “Galacticoaster” (ART Engineering) in 2026. For LEGOLAND^® California Resort, an additional themed area is planned, featuring two further space-themed attractions, a meet & greet offering, a merchandise shop, and a food & beverage outlet (see EAP News of 16 July 2025).

Rendering of the Top Gun attraction coming to Las Vegas.

A collaboration between Advent Allen Entertainment and Simtec Systems sees the development of a new thrill ride for the Las Vegas Strip. The “Top Gun”-themed attraction, based on the Paramount Pictures film of the same name, is expected to open in 2028. Sally Dark Rides signed a contract on the exhibition floor for its first “Mini™ Dark Ride”, which is being built at the Doha Quest indoor theme park in Qatar. Vekoma Rides also formally signed its strategic partnership with Mobaro, a provider of maintenance and safety management systems to further optimize safety and maintenance standards. Another partnership was announced by Sub Sea Systems. Together with water ski and wakeboard specialist Rixen Cableway, they presented their new product, “Snorkel Drift”. Visitors are equipped with snorkeling gear and a board and pulled through the water at 0,75 mph (around 1.3 km/h), which is supposed to create a feeling of “flying” underwater.

This is what the indoor water park at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, featuring attractions from WhiteWater West, is supposed to look like.

In the waterpark segment, WhiteWater West presented new projects and attractions coming to life in 2026 and 2027. These include two indoor waterpark developments for the Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells and Spotsylvania County (Virginia), for which the Canadian manufacturer will supply numerous attractions. In addition, five different Endless Surf installations are to be realized in 2026. A strategic partnership with the Australian company Swimplex is also intended to support project implementation in the region. Turkish manufacturer Polin Waterparks provided insights into current product developments and projects in Dubai, Egypt, and Brazil, among others.

Furthermore, Software provider ROLLER released its “Attractions Industry Benchmark Report 2026”, intended to offer operators of leisure and entertainment facilities insights into current industry metrics. The company also presented its AI assistant “ROLLER iQ”, which aims to enable customers to access real-time comparisons with industry benchmarks and better assess their own operational performance relative to competitors.

Additionally, various “EDU Sessions” took place as part of the expo, including a presentation on pricing and revenue strategies by European Young Professionals Marie Weissbach and Peter Gruetzner (see also our article on the topic by Marie Weissbach in EAP 5/2025). ■