If 2010 was the year of Harry Potter and 2011 the year of Legos, then 2012 is the year of Dumbo and minions, of turtles and Goofy, of castles, parades, bowling lanes, miniature and water — water slides, a water show, water spouts, a new water park, and a rainforest.

Most Central Florida theme parks are adding rides and attractions this year. Individually they won’t have the heft of Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter or a whole new park dedicated to Lego bricks. Even Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland expansion, opening in pieces over three years, will lack the drama of an all-at-once spectacle.

But together, all the new and upgraded rides and attractions that will open this year in Tampa, Winter Haven, Orlando and Lake Buena Vista are the equivalent of a small park on their own. They will bring cutting-edge technology, plenty of guest interaction, a whiff of nostalgia and a whole lot of wows to Theme Park Central.

The highlights: The first attractions in the Fantasyland expansion, a ride and a light-and-water show at Universal Studios, a giant bowling alley at Downtown Disney, 36 holes of miniature golf at Universal CityWalk, a new turtle theater and exhibit at SeaWorld, and the rehabilitation of the old Cypress Gardens water park at Legoland.

Here’s a rundown:

DISNEY

The biggest overall change will be at the Magic Kingdom, where castle spires and turrets towering over the construction walls trumpet an expansion that will nearly double the size of Fantasyland, the largest in the park’s 40-year history. But the new and refurbished attractions will open one at a time, so the full effect won’t be seen til the last element is completed in 2014.

The first attraction to open will be half of the new “double Dumbos” in Storybook Circus. Two Dumbo the Flying Elephant rides will operate side by side — the original, refurbished Dumbo will continue rotating counter-clockwise, although in a new spot, while a new, mirror-image Dumbo will go clockwise. The new one will open this spring in Storybook Circus. The older one will open later in the year.

The Great Goofini, an existing junior coaster previously called the Barnstormer, has been re-themed with Goofy as a circus stunt pilot and magician. It will open this spring, along with Fantasyland Station, the re-imagined railroad station that will be the gateway to Storybook Circus.

After that come Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid; the Castle of the Beast, with a restaurant and Maurice’s Cottage; Princess Fairytale Hall, site of meet-and-greets with Cinderella, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, and other Disney princesses; and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster, to open in phases by early 2014.

Also at Disney:

• The Richard Petty Driving Experience in January added the “Exotic Driving Experience,” a new one-mile circuit for Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Audis and Porsches.

• In the Magic Kingdom, an interactive experience, “Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom,” will feature Merlin the magician who will recruit guests as apprentice sorcerers to battle villains with magic spells. This is a role-playing game that will take guests throughout the park, opening later this month.

• Disney is building a two-story, 30-lane bowling alley called Splitsville, with a served-at-the-lane menu (pizza, sushi, sliders). It will open in the fall at Downtown Disney.

UNIVERSAL

Universal Orlando last month announced two new attractions as well as opening dates for several previously announced attractions — and Despicable Me’s minions will have roles in three of them. In chronological order, they are:

• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man will close for a few weeks, then reopen with new technology, an upgraded set, a raft of details not visible with the existing 12-year-old technology, and a cameo appearance by Stan Lee, co-creator of the Spider-Man character, in March at Islands of Adventure.

• Universal’s Superstar Parade, the resort’s first-ever parade not associated with a holiday or special event, will launch this spring, led by Gru of Despicable Me, along with his daughters, minions and his shrink ray gun. The daily parade will also feature Nickelodeon’s Dora and Diego, E.B. From Hop, and SpongeBob SquarePants and the other characters from Bikini Bottom, all accompanied by several hundred street performers.

• This summer at Universal Studios: A new ride, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, set in Gru’s lab, that will turn guests into minions; and Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular, a night-time show that will project classic scenes from Universal Pictures movies ( Frankenstein, Jurassic Park, Jaws, E.T., To Kill a Mockingbird, Despicable Me) on three 30-foot by 30-foot waterfall “screens,” accompanied by spouting fountains and pyrotechnics.

• Universal’s water park, Wet ’n Wild, will open an interactive family play area this summer, with 15 water slides and more than 100 soakers, jets, waterfalls and water cannons.

• Down the road is an expansion of Wizarding World, expected to include a new ride, but Universal has not released a timetable or any details.

SEAWORLD & DISCOVERY COVE

SeaWorld Orlando will open Turtle Trek, a sea turtle exhibit with huge tanks of sea turtles and manatees and a domed 3-D theater with computer-generated 3-D images this spring.

Down the street at SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove, a new swim area called Freshwater Oasis will open this spring at the site formerly occupied by Tropical Reef. The oasis, a freshwater spring in a rainforest, will have marmosets and Asian otters to swim with.

Coming in 2013: A penguin-themed zone called “Antarctica — Empire of the Penguin,” including a ride, shops and restaurants.

BUSCH GARDENS

Busch Gardens has revamped and expanded its Animal Care Center and in January opened it to guests. Surgeries, X-rays and other treatments can take place in full view of guests at the center, which used to be behind the scenes. Guests can also feed some of the animals.

The park opened Iceploration, its biggest ice show ever, last week. The 30-minute show, which follows a pre-teen and his grandfather around the world, involves skaters, puppets, live animals and acrobats.

LEGOLAND

Less than a year after Legoland opened on the site of the former Cypress Gardens, the old Splash Island Water Park will open by the start of the summer season with a wave pool, water slides, lazy river, a play area just for toddlers, and other Lego-themed features. Like the main park, the water play area will be aimed at 2- to 12-year-olds. Admission will be an extra $12.