Hi there! Welcome to our weekly roundup of the most interesting theme park news around the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and other theme parks.
This week’s theme park highlights:
Disney made news this week when it debuted the Made With Magic product line, an evolution of its Glow with the Show ears. The ear hat technology that allowed guests to light up in sync with its shows has expanded to a Minnie Mouse headband, Mickey Mouse glove and a Sorcerer Mickey light-up wand. All of the Made With Magic items will interact with the experiences inside the Disney Parks, regardless of where they were purchased. Look for the Made With Magic items to start arriving in late October through early December.
Get ready to Move It! Shake it! Dance and Play It!, because the brand new street party that performs daily debuts at Magic Kingdom this afternoon.- Probably not surprising to all of you muggles, but the Universal Orlando® Resort's The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ - Diagon Alley™ helped give Comcast Corps.' third quarter revenue a 18.7 percent increase over the previous year.
- SeaWorld Orlando has launched a photo card program called PhotoKey that allows guests to access digital pictures of them taken around the parks. Photographers shoot the pictures at various locations throughout the park, which can then be accessed and shared instantly online with a mobile app. The photo service costs $60 per day.
Wandering Oaken's Trading Post & Frozen Snowground has a new location inside Disney's Hollywood Studios. The "Frozen" wonderland, which is here to stay through the holidays, can be found on Streets of America near Studio Catering Co.
We've gotten another look at one of the most-anticipated Disney product launches (at least for me). Starting Nov. 3, you can find the 16 Disney Parks-specific PANDORA Jewelry items, including the Mickey sorcerer hat charm, at the parks or in the online store.- "Sid the Science Kid" is coming to SeaWorld Orlando for one day only. The stage version of the PBS show will be held at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. this Sunday in the Nautilus Theater.
As Halloween draws nearer, the Disney Parks Blog shared the story behind the Halloween Tree at Disneyland Park. The dazzling, decorated tree near the Golden Horseshoe Saloon was inspired by Ray Bradbury's 1872 novel "The Halloween Tree and was dedicated to the author on Halloween night in 2007. Bradbury was a Disney fan and even helped many attractions at Disney World and Disneyland such as Spaceship Earth at Epcot.
That’s it for the theme park news this week. Have a great weekend!
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 planning pages.
