Hey everybody! It’s an exciting time of year for theme park fans, with the return of the annual IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) Expo to Orlando.
We were able to walk the show floor this week, catch exciting reveals, and see some really awesome displays — here are the five coolest things we spotted.
5. Hopping Baby Stegosaurus Animatronic
While walking the floor, we were surprised to see this little critter interacting with passerby. Built by Zigong Sanhe Robot Technology Co. Ltd., this baby stegosaurus utilizes similar “robot dog” technology to that of the Nightlights (Toothless’ babies) in Isle of Berk at Epic Universe. It’s operated by remote control, and is 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) in length.
Enjoy this blurry action shot — camera noise!
This tiny dino could walk over to guests, bring its head up to cameras, wave, and even make bunny hops forward! The tiny jumps were especially cute, and we loved getting to take a moment to see this creation in action.
4. Taiko no Tatsujin Arcade Machine
Bandai Namco attended IAAPA this year, if you’re familiar with them as a video game company, and brought with them one of our favorite arcade machines — Taiko no Tatsujin, the taiko drumming game you can play in arcades and at home on consoles like Nintendo Switch.
As of last year, the arcade machines are now available in English after being Japanese-only for the U.S. We didn’t waste a second taking a chance to play this game in English after having tried it in Japanese at arcades in Orlando. For those wondering, there was only one choice as to what song to play — “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s practically required.
3. The entire Thirteenth Floor Creative Studio booth
If there’s one thing we enjoy in themed experiences, it’s environments that tell a story. The booth for Thirteenth Floor Creative Studio — the minds behind Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, House of Torment, and the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride — was truly immersive. It presented three unique “stories”: a witch’s hut, a carnival caravan, and a futuristic vault populated by robots.
Specifically, the witch’s hut featured an interactive experience in which you choose potions placed around the room to mix together in the cauldron, and see what effects come about as a result. There were three different potion combos to create, with one turning portraits inside the hut of young women old and wrinkly. Another set off pressurized air cannons and lights (dubbed the “Chaos Potion”).
It was so cool to get just a glimpse of the kind of world-building creatives in this industry are capable of… and we’d like to move into that hut and live out in the magical wilderness ASAP.
2. Dom Toretto’s Dodge Charger Ride Vehicle for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift
As Dominic Toretto once said, “It don’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning’s winning.” And we were certainly winning when we got to see this highly anticipated coaster vehicle up close and in person!
Designed by Intamin for Universal Studios Hollywood’s upcoming Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, this Dodge Charger vehicle inspired by Dom Toretto’s in the Fast & Furious franchise will be the lead ride vehicle on the roller coaster. We’ve seen videos of this coaster testing online, and we can’t wait until it opens next year!
1. The Ride Vehicle Reveal for SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep Coming to SeaWorld Orlando
After attending SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas Celebration media event last week, we were excited to see what was up their sleeve for IAAPA. Sure enough, we got a full ride vehicle reveal and demonstration for SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep!
This vehicle, designed by Vekoma, looks like a submarine and can tilt and spin in different directions with riders inside. When it opens next year, SEAQuest will take riders into the heart of the ocean on a “first-of-its-kind” dark ride experience. We’re excited to learn more about this new attraction in the lead-up to its opening!
IAAPA is still going on through today, November 21, 2025. You can check out our vlog from the 2024 expo above for more. Thank you to IAAPA for allowing us to attend this year’s convention!
