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:
- Remember back in January when Disney's Animal Kingdom announced the arrival of a new baby Masai giraffe calf (and some lucky Kilimanjaro Safari riders got to witness his birth)? Well, after a few months in a backstage habitat with mama Mara, Jabari has made his official debut on the savanna! The "little" guy now stands at seven feet tall, and his name means "brave one" in Swahili. While it's the animal care team that is typically given the honor of naming baby animals, this time, it was the safari drivers who got to choose due to their important role in keeping guests calm during Jabari's birth. You can join in the celebration for Jabari at Disney's Animal Kingdom with some frogtastic, limited-time, in-park offerings. Grab a cupcake at Tamu Tamu in Africa featuring a photo of Jabari and Mara, get your face painted like a giraffe outside of the entrance to the safaris in Harambe or strike a pose with a birth announcement prop from a Photo Imaging photographer at the entrance to the Harambe bridge. Of course, you can also hop on the Kilimanjaro Safari to try to get a glimpse of Jabari with the entire giraffe tower on the savanna, too!
- Got a tadpole that wants to swim like Ariel? Hoppy news! Reservations will be available shortly for Mermaid School at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Mermaids (and mermen) ages 4 and up can enjoy an hour-long tutorial, where they'll learn to swim in a pool just like they do under the sea (complete with a tail that you can purchase to bring home)! The class is $50 plus tax, and will take place at 8 a.m. at the Art of Animation Resort on Sundays and Thursdays, Caribbean Beach Resort on Wednesdays and Fridays and Beach and Yacht Club Resorts on Tuesdays and Saturdays. You can call 407-WDW-PLAY to make a reservation to splash on in!
- The full trailer for "Avengers: Endgame" is here (with a special cameo from our new friend, Captain Marvel). "Avengers: Endgame" will hit theaters April 26.
- It's been a busy week for Captain Marvel! When she wasn't out saving the galaxy, we caught her as she flew in to make her Disneyland debut. Check out the all of the details in the video below.
- Draco Malfoy himself has made even more exciting announcements regarding Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort! The new Wizarding World coaster, set to open June 13, will take guests both frontwards AND backwards, at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. It looks toadally epic, and we can't wait!
- Have you seen an elephant fly? Now you can fly right along with Dumbo! Spirit airlines has unveiled a Dumbo-themed jet at Orlando International Airport in honor of the live-action Disney film of the same name, which will be soaring into theaters on March 29.
- Disney has also released a new trailer for "Aladdin," this time giving us a more in-depth look at Genie (without nearly as much blue!) and a taste of some of the musical numbers that will be included in the live-action film, in theaters May 24. What do you think? Which of this spring's live-action films has you the most excited?
- Got a rumbly in your tumbly? New all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets are now available at the Whispering Canyon Café at the Wilderness Lodge Resort in Walt Disney World! Offerings only include dinner at this time, but breakfast options will be available beginning March 26. There's even a vegan option (filled with maple-chipotle BBQ jackfruit, spicy vegan sausage, mustard-glazed beefless tip, and herb-brushed trick’n chick’n, pictured above), too! All skillets come with an assortment of sides such as coleslaw, sautéed green beans, buttered corn, oven-roasted carrots, charred peppers, BBQ cauliflower, Yukon gold mashed potatoes and fresh cornbread with honey butter (perfect for honey enthusiasts like Winnie the Pooh). Yum!
- Disney World raised their gate prices for peak times in 2019. We're holding our current admission prices as long as we can! We've got a limited number of our best Walt Disney World ticket prices prices of the year left. If you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World this year, jump over and grab 'em while you can!
That’s it for the theme park news this week! Have a great weekend.
Hoppy planning!
