It has been one of the busiest weeks of the year for theme park news, with the attractions industry descending on London for IAAPA Expo Europe 2026.
The show brought with it a wave of ride reveals and future projects, but there was plenty happening away from the exhibition floor too. Efteling revealed more about the unusual technology behind Ravenring, Gröna Lund showed off its ambitious new interactive dark ride and Disney introduced a fresh Toy Story 5 addition at Hollywood Studios.
Here are some of the biggest stories from the world of theme parks this week.
IAAPA Expo Europe brings a flood of new ride announcements
IAAPA Expo Europe returned to London this week, taking over Excel London with more than 870 exhibitors showcasing everything from roller coasters and dark rides to water attractions and emerging technology.
The event produced so many new attraction announcements that we have already covered the biggest reveals in a dedicated roundup, including new roller coasters, dark rides and ride concepts heading to parks across Europe.
You can read our full roundup of the biggest new rides revealed at IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 here.
Among the projects generating attention were new attractions from Vekoma, Gravity Group, Zamperla and BoldMove Nation, alongside projects heading to parks including Efteling, Gröna Lund, MagicLand and O'Gliss Park.
Efteling reveals how guests will control Ravenring
One of the more unusual attractions showcased at IAAPA was Ravenring, the new family ride opening at Efteling on 1 December.
Although the ride itself had already been announced, Vekoma used the London event to formally introduce the technology behind it. Ravenring will be the first installation of the manufacturer's new WaveCatcher ride system.
The attraction features 18 suspended two-person vehicles positioned around a rotating central structure. Riders will be able to use an onboard lever to influence how dramatically their vehicle swings, meaning the experience can vary depending on how guests interact with it.
Vekoma calls the technology "Swingfluencer", with riders using timing and rhythm to control their movement.
Ravenring forms part of Efteling's €20 million redevelopment of the Raveleijn area, with €5 million of the investment allocated to the new attraction. The renewed area will also include an entirely new Raveleijn show, refreshed dining and a new shop.
Gröna Lund reveals new technology behind SCORE!
Another attraction worth watching is SCORE!, the new interactive dark ride coming to Gröna Lund in Sweden in 2027.
Vekoma, Jora Vision and Gröna Lund revealed more about the project this week, including the ride vehicles that will carry guests through the park's fictional underground archive.
SCORE! will use six-seat trackless vehicles equipped with a new radar-based positioning system developed by Vekoma. Unlike a conventional dark ride following a fixed track, the vehicles will be able to move more freely through the attraction and their routes can be reprogrammed.
The story takes place beneath Gröna Lund, where forgotten rides, strange inventions and artefacts from more than 140 years of the park's history have supposedly been stored.
Guests will compete to collect items during the experience, turning the attraction into a mixture of dark ride, game and piece of Gröna Lund history.
The project represents an investment of around €18.2 million and is currently expected to open in spring 2027.
Disney introduces Lilypad's Jams at Hollywood Studios
Over at Walt Disney World, Alien Swirling Saucers received an update on 25 September with the launch of Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad's Jams.
Lilypad, the frog-shaped smart tablet introduced in Toy Story 5, has become the attraction's new DJ and now hosts a completely refreshed soundtrack.
The music includes reworked Toy Story favourites alongside original tracks created specifically for the attraction, with styles ranging from pop and country to EDM and alternative rock.
The changes extend beyond the ride itself. Guests passing through Toy Story Land can also interact with Lilypad between songs through puzzles, drawings and other short pieces of entertainment.
It is a relatively small change compared with Disney's larger expansion projects, but it is another example of the company refreshing existing attractions with characters and stories from its newest films.
VidantaWorld's BON gets an October soft opening date
A major new theme park project in Mexico also moved closer to opening this week.
VidantaWorld has confirmed that its Beauty of Nature theme park, better known as BON, will begin a soft opening on 24 October 2026.
The park forms part of the huge VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta resort and is being positioned as what its developer describes as the world's first luxury theme park.
During the initial opening period, access will be limited to guests staying at the resort before a wider public launch planned for April 2027.
BON has been in development for several years and combines rides and entertainment with extensive landscaping, restaurants, water features and resort-style experiences.
October's opening should finally provide a much clearer picture of what the finished destination looks like in operation.
Halloween season arrives across the UK
Back in the UK, theme parks are moving fully into Halloween mode as September comes to an end.
Alton Towers' Scarefest officially began this weekend, with the park extending its opening hours into the evening and bringing back a mixture of scare attractions, entertainment and rides in the dark.
Paultons Park has also revealed the map for its 2026 Halloween Spooktacular, while Halloween events are either underway or approaching at parks across the country.
For UK theme park fans, the next few weeks are likely to be dominated by Halloween before attention begins turning towards Christmas events and the first major announcements for the 2027 season.
What we're watching next
After an unusually announcement-heavy week, the immediate rush of IAAPA news should begin to settle down. The bigger question will be which of the concepts shown in London turn into the attractions everyone is talking about over the next few years.
Ravenring is particularly interesting because we will not have to wait long to see the technology in action, while SCORE! could be one of Europe's more unusual new dark rides when it opens next year.
As always, we'll be keeping an eye on the parks throughout the week for the next big announcement.
