 | | Lotte World Adventure parade. / Courtesy of Lotte World |
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With May’s Family Month approaching, major theme parks nationwide have refreshed their lineups to give families more reasons to visit. Think beloved character tie-ins, kid-focused programs, and multigenerational experiences designed to delight every age.
 | | Seoul Sky x Star Wars collaboration. / Courtesy of Lotte World |
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Lotte World is leaning into IP collaborations across its Adventure park, Aquarium, and Seoul Sky observatory. At Lotte World Adventure, the MapleStory takeover—branded MapleStory in Lotte World—adds a themed parade and character photo moments so fans can get up close with their favorite avatars. There’s an interactive zone where guests can design MapleStory characters and project them onto a giant media tree. On Magic Island, the new Maple Island Zone spans roughly 600 pyeong (~21,350 sq ft). Three new rides—Stone Express, Arcana Ride, and Eos Tower—bring more variety to the attraction mix. The Maple Store, selling limited-edition merch, is already a must-visit. The Lotte World Aquarium teamed up with Cookie Run for special exhibits; from May 1–10 aquarists will perform underwater waving routines in the main tank. Seoul Sky is offering an immersive Star Wars experience and will stage a large character parade featuring Darth Vader and others on May 4–5 for Star Wars Day.
 | | Ever Kids Club River Trail animal explorers. / Courtesy of Everland |
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Everland will run the Ever Kids Club all month long in May, offering 10 themed programs for 5–8 year-olds focused on animals, cooking, dance, and more. At Panda World, kids can try a zookeeper role-play kit for a hands-on glimpse into panda care. Lost Valley’s River Trail hosts the Little Animal Explorers program where families can spot giraffes, elephants, swans, and other animals. For budding chefs there’s the French Little Chef School. Creative activities include a Kids Art Studio for mural-painting and flower-making, plus a Kids Dance Party where professional instructors teach choreography. New spring additions include Safari World: The Wild and the circus show Wings of Memory. The revamped safari offers a more natural, comfortable habitat to see predators like lions, tigers, and brown bears. The new circus, produced with Elowaze, blends acrobatics, dance, video, music, and special effects into a world-class showcase. Each night at Four Seasons Garden visitors can catch the fireworks spectacle Guardians of Light. Caribbean Bay water park, which opened earlier, will debut the Mega Storm—a water coaster combined with a tornado ride—starting May 1.
 | | RC car race. / Courtesy of Seoul Land |
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Seoul Land is throwing an All Day! All Night! Children’s Day Party from May 1–5 with activities for both kids and grown-ups. During the holiday the Samcheonri-dongsan squid stationery area will host an Alley Boss Competition. Families can test their skills in Speed King, an RC car racing event, and Song King, an interactive stage contest with a retro-futuristic vibe. These family-friendly programs put a modern spin on nostalgic alleyway and arcade culture. Adults can also unwind in Seoul Land’s beer garden—a Seoul Land–style take on the German beer garden—with live music and band performances. Local Gapyeong craft brewer Kramary will run a pop-up zone. Nightly shows and a large fireworks display round out the holiday entertainment; after the fireworks the celebration continues with a mirrorball party set to popular K-pop hits.
 | | NINJAGO performance. / Courtesy of Legoland |
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Legoland is in the middle of its Go Full Ninja season, serving up attractions and experiences inspired by NINJAGO characters and stories. New interactive performances include the Whip Around Dance Party, where guests dance with the hero Sora and ninja dancers to reclaim stolen energy from villains. At the Ceremony of Ninja, kids can be formally inducted as official ninjas. Popular ninja characters also appear throughout the park and at the Legoland Hotel for photo ops. Legoland will host extended hours for night sessions on May 3–4; the park will be open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with fireworks across the park at 8:30 PM. Meanwhile, Merlin Entertainment’s Sea Life COEX Aquarium will launch a collaboration with Janmang Loopy starting May 1.
