food IS a theme park
Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle recently spoke at the Orlando Business Journal‘s annual Power Breakfast and shared quite a bit about the parks, Cast Members, and the upcoming opening of Universal’s Epic Universe.
Magic Kingdom
Luckily, Vahle doesn’t seem too concerned about the impact of Epic Universe on Disney World.
It’s a good time to be a theme park fan because new theme parks seem to be opening EVERYWHERE. First, Universal Orlando is gearing up to open its third park, Epic Universe, in May.
©Nick Jr.
Universal is also opening up a new horror experience in Las Vegas in August, as well as Universal Kids Resort in Texas in 2026. Well, ANOTHER new theme park JUST opened in Fort Worth, Texas, and it’s the Peppa Pig Theme Park — yep, your kids are going to LOVE it. We’ve got ALL the details on this new park, so keep reading!
Universal has BIG plans for the future of its theme parks. That includes the grand opening of its third theme park at Universal Orlando, Epic Universe.
©Universal
Additionally, Universal is creating a theme park for kids and families in Texas called Universal Kids Resort. PLUS, Universal is opening a huge horror-themed attraction in Las Vegas (and tickets are on sale now). Well, we have a hint that Universal COULD be working on bringing something HUGE to its theme parks: Wicked. Yep, now that the movie is a bonafide hit, Universal could bring a permanent Wicked addition to its parks, according to comments made by Mark Woodbury, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences when speaking with the New York Times.
Universal Studios hasn’t just been busy with completing its new Epic Universe park at Universal Orlando.
©Universal
Universal is also busy building other experiences across the country, including a new year-round horror experience in Las Vegas. We’ve also previously reported that Universal was building a kids-oriented theme park in Frisco, Texas, and now we’ve got more details about that theme park, as well as its opening timeline: 2026. [Read more…]
There is no question about it, the Orlando theme parks can get pretty unbearable during the hot summer months. While the average highs during the summer months are in the low 90s, the heat index can make the temperature feel like it is well over 100 degrees.
Magic Kingdom
Combine the high heat with lots of walking around and pushing your body to see and do as much as possible, you can probably see how the heat can have a negative consequence for theme parks.
Are you planning a trip to Disney World?
Magic Kingdom
There’s a lot to think about. You’ll need to figure out a budget. Then, you’ll need to figure out where you want to stay and which park tickets you need. After that, you’ll have to figure out transportation. But you might not be thinking about something else: what to do on your first day in Disney World. Here’s the thing: if you get to Disney World EARLY in the day, you might just want to hit the parks ASAP, and we’ve got a Disney World rule that could make that a whole lot easier.
When you visit Disney World, there are official rules that you have to follow.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
For example, there are very specific rules about wearing costumes in the parks, particularly for adults. There are rules about what you can and can’t bring into the parks when you visit. There are also some unspoken rules that are, more or less, common sense. However, there is one rule, but it’s kind of weird — and well, this rule could be Disney just lying to you.
This week, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the path of Hurricane Milton.
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The storm made landfall in Florida last night and many businesses and tourist destinations were closed in preparation for the bad weather. Among those locations that closed was Universal Orlando, but they’ve now released information about reopening.
Disney World has updated its closures for Hurricane Milton!
Cinderella Castle during Hurricane Helene
Disney World has already begun a phased closing of its theme parks today, October 9th, with Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs closing at 2PM. Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom both closed at 1PM.
We’ve been keeping an eye on Hurricane Milton as it soon makes landfall in Florida.
©NHC
The storm is currently passing through the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 4 storm — after holding as a Category 5 for most of Monday. A significant portion of the state is under a hurricane warning with many major theme parks expected to close ahead of the storm — which now includes SeaWorld Orlando.
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