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By Michael Lopez

No matter how old you are, there's still a part of you that loves hitting up a good old-fashioned theme park. Whether it's the Tea Cups at Disney World or that famous tram from Universal Studios, the rides we grew up with still never disappoint. And this year, several high-profile parks are unveiling new attractions to keep the coaster fans coming.

Over in Anaheim, CA, Disneyland has two new rides tapping into two very different fan bases. Their classic Star Tours simulator has undergone a major upgrade. Based on the massively popular Star Wars franchise, the new Tours features more planets, additional characters, and fresh input from series creator George Lucas.

"[The new Star Tours] is much cleverer," Lucas said. "We now have like 50 places to go. You'd have to ride the ride for at least 100 times in order to get to see it all."

The other big addition to the Disneyland resort is Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at the California Adventure park. Featuring animatronic recreations of nearly every character from The Little Mermaid, the six-minute ride features classic songs and a very expensive recreation of life beneath the waves.

Now if you're in more of an Orlando mood this summer, don't fret. There are plenty of exciting additions to Florida's popular theme park destination too. For one thing, the famous killer whale Shamu has a new "One Ocean" show at SeaWorld featuring fresh tricks and more undersea mammals.

In Tampa FL, Busch Gardens park is debuting a highly-touted new roller coaster called Cheetah Hunt. Sporting 4,429 feet of track, it’s got loops, drops, and speeds that reach up to 60 mph (hence the Cheetah name).

And don't worry all of you east coasters, there are plenty of theme park additions in your region too. New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure is tapping into the comic book craze with two new themed attractions. Fans can now ride a 15-story Green Lantern ride and a wickedly fast Batman-inspired coaster called Escape From Arkham Asylum.

Of course, as we all know, with hot new rides comes extra long lines. So if you're planning on testing out any of these latest attractions, we recommend arriving early and setting aside A LOT of time.

What's your favorite summer theme park? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Busch Gardens, Disneyland, George Lucas, Green Lantern, Hot Stuff, Roller Coasters, SeaWorld, Six Flags, Star Tours, Theme Parks