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:
Originally scheduled to end Sept. 1, the Frozen Summer Fun Live event at Disney's Hollywood Studios will run through September 28, albeit with a slight schedule tweak. After Sept. 1, the fireworks will be presented only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Undoubtedly many of you are hoping Disney extends Frozen Summer Fun beyond that for your upcoming trips, and it will be interesting to see what comes next.- Speaking hypothetically about what comes next, Mouse Planet looks at the future of Maelstrom and how a "Frozen" attraction might fit in to Norway. Keep in mind that nothing has been officially announced as of yet, and it's not certain that a "Frozen" attraction will happen.
- For "Star Wars" fans, Disney CEO Bob Iger brought welcomed news during his earnings conference this week with the promise of a much more significant "Star Wars" presence in the parks.
- Alien vs. Predator is coming to Halloween Horror Nights at both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood this fall. The creatures from both films will go head to head with each other in one fantastic house!
Don't know if you have caught any of the trailers for the upcoming Disney flik "Big Hero 6," but we did at "Planes: Fire & Rescue" and "Guardians of the Galaxy." It looks cute. Tad is already sold. In what is a good sign for the film, its two leads, Hiro and his buddy Baymax, will be headed to Disney World and Disneyland this fall.- It's been open for a month, but the Hogwarts Express has already had a milestone - one million passengers!
For Haunted Mansion fans, limited edition pins and other merchandise is headed to Disneyland as the attraction celebrates its 45 anniversary. Judging by the comments on this post, there is going to be fierce competition for these ghostly goodies.- It's your last chance to see "Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island" at SeaWorld Orlando. The long-running show featuring the two popular sea lions and plenty of hijinks will run through Aug. 10. A replacement is expected to be announced later this fall.
- Colossus is ending on a high note. The wooden coaster that has been a fixture at Six Flags Magic Mountain since 1978 will see its last day of operation Aug. 16. On Monday, 24 roller coaster enthusiasts were invited to ride Colossus for 36 hours straight, with the 6 who made it 'til the very end winning an annual VIP pass to the park.
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.
