What's New at Theme Parks and Amusement Parks?

Fans of one of the most beloved series of books and films will be able to visit J.K. Rowling's fanciful lands and characters when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter comes to Universal Orlando in spring 2010.

When most people volunteer for a good cause, they generally aren't looking for any kind of reward. But hey, getting something in return for volunteering is always appreciated, right? And when that something is a day at a Disney theme park, with passes going for as much as $79, well that's really appreciated. That's exactly what Disney is doing for 2010 with its Give a Day, Get a Disney Day promotion. If you're ready to start helping out so you can help yourself to a free Disney theme park ticket, here's what you need to know.

The transformed park will include a new entry plaza, a new Cars Land, new attractions, a new nighttime spectacular, and more.

A major expansion at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida will more than double the size of Fantasyland. With two phases scheduled to open in 2012 and 2013, the land will offer richer, more immersive experiences and will introduce a wider array of characters. Instead of simple meet-and-greets, the new mini-lands will envelop guests in the worlds of Disney's classic films and get them involved in hands-on adventures.

For its 15th coaster, Kings Dominion is looking up for inspiration. Way up. 305 feet up, to be exact. That's the incredible height that the "Giga-Coaster" will soar when it debuts in April 2010. Kings Dominion is also looking up to the heavens to racing car legend Dale Earnhardt, whose nickname, the Intimidator, will grace the ride.

Kennywood's wonderful collection of roller coasters includes its classic Jazz-age woodies, Racer, Thunderbolt, and Jack Rabbit, the latter of which dates back to 1921. For its seventh thrill machine, however, the park will be going decidedly New Age. Set to debut in May 2010, the high-tech Sky Rocket will use Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) technology to launch passengers from 0 to 50 mph in 3 seconds.

It won't go quite as fast as the speed demons driven by racing car legend, Dale Earnhardt, but the new coaster coming to Carowinds that bears his nickname, the Intimidator, will race at speeds up to 80 mph. The hypercoaster will also soar 232 feet in the air and offer loads of airtime.

There may not be the bounty of new rides and attractions that parks have debuted in other seasons, but in these austere times, there are nonetheless a bunch of new coasters, shows, and other goodies to discover at parks. Find the new fun that awaits in the Ride Guide '09.

Indiana's Holiday World will boast a record-breaker in 2010 when it unleashes Wildebeest, the industry's longest water coaster, at its adjacent Splashin' Safari water park. How long? With 1710 feet, or one-third mile of track, Wildebeest will deliver a two-and-a-half minute ride featuring uphill surges powered by magnetically charged linear induction motors.

Cedar Point bills itself as the Roller Coaster Capital of the World. With 17 thrill machines (more than any other park), it's hard to argue with the self-proclaimed designation. After hinting that coaster number 18 may have been on the way for the 2010 season, Cedar Point announced that it would instead be building a shoot-the-chutes water ride. But this is no ordinary splashdown ride. The $10.5-million Shoot the Rapids will feature two lift hills and two huge splashdowns. And one of the hills will feature a coaster-worthy drop.