Attractions roundup: KSC scores high, Buzz says bye, Shark Week (sigh)

[Disney4me]

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has landed near the very top of the 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards for “best of the best things to do.” In fact, it was the highest-ranking U.S. attraction.

The visitor complex, based in Brevard County, was listed at No. 3 worldwide, trailing only Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, and the famed Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Runners-up on the U.S. attractions list were the Empire State Building, Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, New York’s Central Park and then two more Florida entries: Stetson Mansion in DeLand and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.

That’s heady company.

“We’re thrilled that families and explorers alike are embracing the journey we offer our visitors, from past missions to future frontiers,” Therrin Protze, chief operating officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, said in a news release.

The best of the best is awarded to places that earn a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period, the Tripadvisor website says. Out of its 8 million listings, less than 1% achieve the “best of best” label.

Perhaps more jarring to the citizens of the Theme Park Capital of the World, is the standing of Magic Kingdom, considered the most visited theme park in the world. It ranked 16th on the global list for amusement parks and water parks.

Walt Disney World’s original park finished behind attractions in United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Germany, France, Malaysia, two in Singapore, three in United Kingdom, three in Brazil plus Dollywood of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The global list is topped by Ferrari World Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

The only other Central Florida attraction on that list was Disney’s Hollywood Studios at No. 21.

Ripley’s Crazy Golf will tee off at Icon Park

On the USA-only list, there are Universal’s Islands of Adventure at No. 5, followed by the Fun Spot America attraction in Kissimmee in sixth. Other Florida finishers were Universal Studios (No. 8) and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (No. 12).

Legoland Florida is listed at No. 8 among “family-friendly” travel activities in the U.S. (No. 18 on the global list).

The Tripadvisor writeup for Kennedy Space Center lauded its Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, the Rocket Garden, the IMAX theater and the possibility of meeting an astronaut. The visitor complex recently added the Gantry at LC-39 – which includes a test-fire simulator, an interactive rocket-build exercise, the Earth Information Center and views of launch pads – to its standard bus tour.

Kennedy Space Center opens The Gantry at LC-39 attractions

The Travelers’ Choice Awards have several more listings, including categories for water sports, day cruises, food & drink, nature & outdoors, cultural & historic and bucket-list experiences. To browse through these, go to tripadvisor.com.

Attractions news, nuggets

• Sunday is the last day to experience Magic Kingdom’s Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin attraction before it goes into refurbishment until sometime in 2026, Disney says. Planned improvements include updated ride vehicles with hand-held blasters, a new robot character named Buddy and better clarity between lasers and targets. The ride debuted in 1998. More info: disneyparksblog.com.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin soon will be receiving updates, including new hand-held blasters, targets and robot character. (Walt Disney Co.)

• Orange County Regional History Center’s monthly Lunch & Learn will feature “Untold Stories of Orlando Collected,” the exhibit marking the city’s first 150 years, Friday at noon. On Saturday, the museum’s History Alive promotion will include activities that spotlight highlights of the history center, including exhibit creation, archival preparation and artifact labeling. More info: thehistorycenter.org.

• Sea Life Orlando Aquarium marks Shark Week through Sunday. Activities include educational stations about the shark species seen at the International Drive attraction. More info: visitsealife.com/orlando,

• Universal Orlando celebrates Passholder Appreciation Days from Aug. 15 through Sept. 30. Benefits include giveaway magnets; discounts on Express Passes and food and beverage; extended hours in the UOAP Lounge; and limited-time menu offerings across Universal property. (The two-day Passholder Nights event is fully booked already.). More info: universalorlando.com.

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has opened its Wild Oasis section, a rainforest-inspired, kid-friendly realm, to visitors. The theme park also hosts its Bier Fest, Brews & BBQ event on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 31. More info: buschgardens.com/tampa.

Enchanted Falls is a watery part of the new Wild Oasis realm at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park. (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)

• Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens will have free admission for children throughout August. The deal is one visitor, age 12 and younger, free per paying adult. The offer is only available at the gate. More info: centralfloridazoo.org.

• Dezerland Park, located on the north end of International Drive, has added Princess Pamper Spa, which gives makeovers, fashion shows and kid-friendly spa treatments, for ages 3-13 plus Orlando’s Best Old Time Photos with vintage costumes (cowboys, flappers, etc.). More info: dezerlandparkorlando.com.

• Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition has revamped its Titanic Kids Adventure Tour – The Cat, the Bear & the Boat. The scavenger hunt delves into the ship’s design, innovation and artifacts. It’s designed for ages 5-11, and adult supervision is required. The tour is held Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. More info: titanicorlando.com.

• Sandbox VR, an attraction with headsets and full-body motion capture for immersive gaming, is now open at Pointe Orlando. More info: sandboxvr.com/orlando.

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. BlueSky: @themeparksdb. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.

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