Hi there! Welcome to our weekly roundup of the most interesting theme park news around the Walt Disney World Resort, the Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and other theme parks.
Here are this week’s theme park highlights:
![Rivers of Light at Disney's Animal Kingdom]()
"Rivers of Light," the first-ever nighttime show at Disney's Animal Kingdom, will debut April 22. Set on Discovery River in Asia, the show will be led by two storytellers who will call forth animal spiritual guides to lead guests on their journey. Want to know more? Disney will host a live chat Tuesday, March 8, at 1:15 p.m. Eastern with the show's creative team members, Michael Jung and Mark Renfrow.- My favorite news this week is that even more retailers are headed to Disney Springs this summer. Anthropologie, LACOSTE, Under Amour, kate spade new york, Sephora and others will be opening in phases starting May 15.
- Skull Island is rising up at the Universal Orlando Resort. WhatCulture.com has put together a list of the things you need to know about the new King Kong attraction.
![Star Wars Land]()
Disney is set to break ground on its new Star Wars Lands in both Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland next month.- A Hello Kitty store has opened up at Universal Studios Florida inside the space formerly occupied by Lucy: A Tribute.
- Reservations opened earlier this week for a new World of Color dessert party at Disney California Adventure. The party will offer reserved seating in addition to a selection of desserts, all served on china.
![Turtle Talk with Crush]()
New friends from "Finding Dory" are headed to Turtle Talk with Crush in early May. There will be Dory, of course, along with Destiny the whale shark, Bailey the beluga and Hank the septopus.- The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival debuted earlier this week, with Huey, Dewey and Louie topiaries making their topiary debuts. The festival runs through May 30.
- The Mighty St. Patrick's Festival Returns at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant on March 11 to March 17. There will be food, dancing and music, of course!
- Last but not least, you've probably heard that Disney raised ticket prices this past weekend. For a limited time, we're holding ticket prices, so now is the time to purchase!
That’s it for the theme park news this week. Have a great weekend!
Hoppy planning!
If you’re thinking about a trip to Disney World, make sure to check out the other news, tips and information we post to the blog throughout the week. If you’re ready to plan your trip, we recommend you start with our Orlando Planning Guide.
