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:
- Hundreds of plant-based dining options are coming to Disney Parks! All-new dishes at both quick- and table-service restaurants will be made from plant-based ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, and will leave out dairy, animal meat, eggs and honey. Disney World Resort will launch over 400 plant-based options in early October, including Steamed Asian Dumplings from Le Cellier at Epcot and Plant-Based Cashew Cheesecake from California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Plant-based offerings will be noted on Disney Parks menus with a green leaf icon, so keep an eye out! Don't fret, Disneyland froggies — plant-based options will arrive at Disneyland Resort in spring 2020.
- Disney Parks Blog gave a first listen to the all-new arrangement for Epcot's new nighttime spectacular, "Epcot Forever." While the arrangement is new, you may recognize a few classic Epcot tunes, including "One Little Spark" and "Tomorrow's Child." "Epcot Forever" will premiere Oct. 1, and Disney Parks Blog will be live streaming its debut! And if you aren't already following your favorite frogs on Instagram @ThemeParkFrog, be sure to hop to it, as we'll be sending updates from the premiere! Ribbit!
- On Sept. 29, Disney's Skyliner transportation system will be open to the public! If you've hopped to Disney World lately, you've likely seen the gondolas moving across the skies ... and now, they're ready for guests! Whee!
- Holiday Kitchen details (and Holiday Cookie Stroll offerings!) have been released for Epcot International Festival of the Holidays! Among the new offerings this year, guests can enjoy Canadian Wild Rice and Ham Soup with a Pretzel Roll at the Yukon Holiday Kitchen, or Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes at the L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen. (You can see all of the delicious deets in our Guide to Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.) Did you know you can purchase a Cookie Stroll Cookie Jar at one of the World Showcase Holiday Markets? Who doesn't love cookies to-go?!
- Speaking of frogtastic Epcot festivals, dates have been announced for next year's International Festival of the Arts and International Flower and Garden Festival. The Epcot International Festival of the Arts will be returning for its fourth year from Jan. 17 through Feb. 24, 2020, while the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival will bloom from March 4 through June 1, 2020. Meanwhile, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, featured in the video above, is hoppening now through Nov. 23 ... and we've made a list of the must-have dishes so that you don't miss a bite during your next visit! Drool.
- A new full-service spa is coming to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel! Tenaya Stone Spa, offering full body treatments, facials, massage and salon services, will open in spring 2020. (Sign Mommy Frog up!)
- Neil Patrick Harris is ready to take viewers to a galaxy far, far away ... Batuu! Freeform will air a special, two-hour behind-the-scenes look at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney World Resort on Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. EDT. Psst ... we hear there's even going to be a sneak peek of the upcoming Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction!
- Priah Ferguson, aka Erica Sinclair from Netflix's "Stranger Things," visited the Stranger Things house at Hollywood Horror Nights in Orlando. Clearly, Priah is just as fearless as Erica.
That’s it for the theme park news this week! Have a great weekend.
Hoppy planning!
