April Fools’ Day is the one day of the year when even theme parks get in on the fun. From wild new ride announcements to fake merchandise, parks and other outlets have been pulling out all the stops to prank their guests. Let’s look at some of the best from April 1, 2024…
Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe I-4 Expansion
Universal took a hilarious poke at Orlando’s infamous traffic by announcing a new land in its yet-to-be-opened Epic Universe park that would be situated directly inside the I-4 median. It even featured a portal ride!
BREAKING: New concept art for the next portal just dropped!
— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) April 1, 2024
Immerse yourself in the world of standstill traffic with unbelievable sights of the eye-sore and unpredictable merging lanes that make you say "huh?" in the world of I4 — The Daily Commute. #AverageUniverse pic.twitter.com/PwU5oeytBU
Wonderland’s Wonder Mountain Hotel
Canada’s Wonderland promised a unique hotel stay inside their iconic Wonder Mountain artificial landmark.
Happy April Fools’ Day!! https://t.co/XxEMHBJxq2
— Canada's Wonderland (@WonderlandNews) April 1, 2024
Six Flags’ Million Dollar Park-Wide Shade
Six Flags Fiesta Texas teased a massive shade structure to cover the entire park for just one million dollars, poking fun at the often brutal heat in Texas.
🚨JUST ANNOUNCED at #SixFlagsFiestaTexas! Ready for non-stop fun without the sunburn? By 2025, the WHOLE park gets a million-dollar shade makeover! Keep cool, keep riding More thrilling details soon, check today's date! 😉 pic.twitter.com/EoXOBODgEE
— Six Flags Fiesta Texas (@SF_FiestaTexas) April 1, 2024
Holiday World GravyShades Crayon Collection
Holiday World introduced a new GravyShades Crayon Collection that lets you color with “the rich and warm shades of gravy.” Taking the joke to the next level, the park even created a video:
Theme Park Magazine Jokes
April 1 is also huge for Theme Park Magazine, which spends much time creating elaborate pranks. Last year’s prank on Universal Studios opening a dinosaur petting zoo went viral and remains the most-read article ever in Theme Park Magazine. Here’s what Theme Park Magazine did this year:
Epic Universe Unveils Willy Wonka Experience: WonkyVision
Epic Universe announced a new themed experience in its Celestial Land, WonkyVision: The Authentic Experience. The experience tries to recreate the viral Willy’s Chocolate Experience in Glasgow, Scotland, earlier this year.
Guardians of the Galaxy Ride to Close for Galactic Residences
Disneyland Resort has announced that it is closing Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout to make way for a retheming of the building into Disney Vacation Club residences. The residences will maintain a Guardians of the Galaxy theme (complete with elevator thrills) and incorporate the projection systems used at Galactic Starcruiser for the windows.
Do you know of a theme park-related April Fool joke we missed? If so, let us know about it in the comments.
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