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:
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg's newest ride, DarKoaster, is almost ready to launch! North America's first all-indoor straddle coaster will officially open in May, with an exact date to be announced. As the ninth coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, DarKoaster is a family-friendly thrill ride featuring four launches over 2,454 feet of track. Riders will race through the dark on vehicles that look like snowmobiles to evade a supernatural storm.
- Breakfast is returning to Garden Grill Restaurant at EPCOT! Starting June 14, the character dining location will serve an all-you-care-to-enjoy morning meal, in addition to lunch and dinner. Menu items will include cinnamon breakfast loaf, smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, cheesy potato casserole, seasonal fruit, grilled flank steak and, of course, Mickey waffles. Keep hopping back for more details about reservations.
- For the first time, Pride Nite will be joining the Disneyland After Dark event lineup this upcoming June at Disneyland Park. For two nights, June 13 and 15, Pride Nite will include themed entertainment, character greetings, photo opportunities and more to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. The event runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. PT, plus party guests can arrive three hours early. Tickets for the general public go on sale starting April 20.
- Mark your calendars — the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival will kick off July 27 and run through Nov. 18, 2023. Sample international bites and drinks from more than 25 global marketplaces, including returning favorites such as The Fry Basket, Flavors from Fire, India and Spain, alongside new marketplaces debuting in the fall. Plus festival-favorite entertainment, including the Eat to the Beat concert series and Remy's Ratatouille Hide & Squeak, will return. Catch all of the latest updates in our EPCOT Food & Wine Festival guide!
- Disney released a hoppin' new look at Tiana's Bayou Adventure, coming to both Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland Park in late 2024. Mama Odie, the 200-year-old Bayou Fairy Godmother, will make a special appearance during the journey (and the film's actress, Jenifer Lewis, will lend her voice again for the attraction). Other ride elements in store include a new cast of original Disney characters alongside familiar faces, new original music, new Audio-Animatronics and even the scent of beignets in the queue. It was also announced that Disneyland's Splash Mountain will permanently close May 31 (Splash Mountain at Disney World closed in January).
- It's time for one final tour through the ruins of the Lost Continent — Poseidon's Fury will permanently close May 10 in Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort. The walkthrough attraction will perform its last show May 9 to make way for new experiences. Poseidon's Fury opened in 1999, the same year the park opened — so while we're sad to see it go after running for so long, we can't wait to see what's next for this area! Who wants to join us for one last walk through the water tunnel?
- "Rogers: The Musical" has a date for its debut! The one-act, 30-minute musical will start its limited-time run on June 30, showing from Tuesday through Saturday most weeks at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure Park. The musical follows Steve Rogers on his journey of becoming Captain America and leading the Avengers.
- SeaWorld Orlando adds Ne-Yo and Martina McBride as the final two acts for its Seven Seas Concert Series. Ne-Yo will perform May 6 and Martina McBride will close it out on May 7, the event's last day. The Seven Seas Food Festival, including the concerts, can be enjoyed with regular theme park admission.
That’s it for the theme park news this week! Have a great weekend.
Hoppy planning!