ORLANDO, Fla. — Without a doubt, 2021 was a busy year for Florida theme parks.

While much of the discussion still revolved around the pandemic, the theme parks spent the year debuting new attractions as well as celebrating milestones.

There were so many notable moments this year—Disney World turning 50, Universal Orlando opening VelociCoaster and SeaWorld bringing Howl-O-Scream to Orlando — and as we head into 2022, we decided to take a moment to look back at some of them.

Universal Opens Jurassic World VelociCoaster

One of the most exciting theme park moments this year was Universal’s debut of Jurassic World: VelociCoaster. The thrill ride officially opened to the public in June at Islands of Adventure and was an immediate fan-favorite. Combining the worlds of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World with the thrills of a high-speed roller coaster, VelociCoaster set itself apart from other rides in Central Florida.

Disney World Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Disney World turned 50 this year, and to mark the occasion, the resort kicked off an 18-month long celebration on Oct. 1. The celebration included the debut of new attractions and entertainment such as Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Disney Enchantment, Harmonious, and Beacons of Magic at the park icons. However, some things that were initially set to open in time for the 50th anniversary haven’t yet, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot and Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom. Cosmic Rewind is now set to open in the summer. We’re still waiting for an update on Tron.

SeaWorld Brings Howl-o-Scream to Orlando

For Halloween fans in and around Central Florida, 2021 offered even more ways to enjoy the spooky season. As Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights returned in full force for an anniversary year, SeaWorld Orlando stepped up its horror game with the addition of Howl-O-Scream. The after-hours, more adult-focused event featured haunted houses, scare zones and live shows. And the park plans to bring it back in 2022.

Universal Resumes Work on Epic Universe

Universal is currently working to expand its Orlando resort with a new theme park called Epic Universe. The project, first announced in 2019, was put on hold in early 2020 because of the pandemic. Nearly a year later, Universal announced it had resumed work on the park, which is expected to feature at least four themed lands, including one based on Nintendo characters.

Disney Changes Up “Disney Look”

In April, Disney announced changes to its employee dress code, often referred to as the “Disney look,” in another step toward inclusivity. The updated policy loosened the rules for how workers look while on the job. Some of the changes included visible tattoos, piercings, gender-neutral hairstyles and more. “We want our cast members — and future cast members — to feel a sense of belonging at work,” Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro said at the time.

Several months later, Universal Orlando also updated its employee dress code to be more inclusive.

Universal Raises Starting Wage to $15 an Hour

Universal Orlando raised the starting pay for its workers from $13 an hour to $15 an hour. The increase, which took effect in June, made Universal the first major theme park in Central Florida to offer that base rate.

In October, Disney World raised its base pay to $15 an hour. The wage increase was part of an agreement the resort had made with its union a few years ago to gradually raise pay to that rate by fall 2021.

Theme Parks Make Leadership Changes

The theme parks saw a lot of changes this year, including changes in leadership. In November, Universal announced a number of executive changes in its parks division. Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO of Universal Parks & Resort is retiring in 2022. He will be replaced by Mark Woodbury, who currently serves at president of Universal Creative. A month later, Universal also announced longtime Universal Orlando president Bill Davis would be retiring. He will be replaced by Karen Irwin, who currently runs Universal Studios Hollywood.

Disney also had a leadership shuffle of its own. Susan Arnold was named chair of The Walt Disney Company board of directors, replacing outgoing executive chairman Bob Iger. And over at Walt Disney Imagineering, president Bob Weis stepped down, leaving Barbara Bouza to head the division.

Disney Introduces Genie, Genie+

After first announcing it back in 2019, Disney officially launched its Disney Genie service at the parks this year. Genie is comprised of many parts, including a free planning tool and Genie+, a paid “skip the line” option that replaced the free FastPass+ system. Genie can be hard to explain but just know it’s available through the My Disney Experience app and still includes features like wait times and mobile ordering.

Disney Makes Changes to Jungle Cruise

As part of its push to be more inclusive, Disney in January announced it would be giving one its most popular attractions a makeover. Disney revamped Jungle Cruise at Disney World and Disneyland by removing insensitive cultural depictions and giving both rides an updated storyline. Disney is also set to give its Splash Mountain a makeover, with plans to give the attraction a theme inspired by "The Princess and the Frog."

Peppa Pig Theme Park Comes to Florida

In February it was announced that Florida would be home to the world’s first-ever Peppa Pig theme park. Under construction next to Legoland Florida, Peppa Pig Theme Park will feature rides and attractions based on the popular children’s TV series, including “muddy puddles.” Throughout the year, more details about the park were shared, including when it will open and that it will be a certified autism center when it does.

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