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.
- We're only a week away from ghoulish fun at Walt Disney World Resort! Beginning Aug. 11, 2023, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will take place at Magic Kingdom Park — bringing Halloween classics, new pop-up parties throughout the park (featuring Max Goof as Powerline Max) and more spooky activities than ever! Popular in previous years, the Seven Dwarfs will return to greet guests this year! Catch characters in their costume-best during Mickey's Boo to You Parade, including classic villains such as Cruella de Vil, the Queen of Hearts and Ursula.
- The highly-anticipated Tiana's Palace restaurant at Disneyland Resort has finally received its marquee, wheelhouse, crown-shaped ornaments and more exterior decor! This majestic New Orleans-style eatery is set to open in place of the French Market restaurant by the end of this year.
- New pint-sized fun is coming to Universal Orlando Resort! Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast officially opens at Universal Studios Florida Aug. 11, 2023. In this zany, interactive attraction, guests can blast their way to total domination, alongside the Minions and the Vicious 6, at Villain-Con. Guests have been able to experience Villain-Con through passholder previews and technical rehearsals for the past couple of weeks.
- Cedar Point is in the process of reimagining and reengineering its Top Thrill Dragster ride. The new version of the coaster at the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park will be called Top Thrill 2 and is expected to open to the public sometime in 2024. The hydraulically launched steel roller coaster will include a unique "rollback" effect that will make guests feel seemingly weightless for an instant, before dropping them backward 420 feet!
- Travel across the solar system for a taste of a new Bantha milk treat! As of Aug. 3, 2023, a new sweet drink is available at the Milk Stand at Disney's Hollywood Studios! The Tenoo Swirl Crunchies Cereal drink consists of blue milk topped with raspberry jelly and mini rainbow crunchy candies.
- It’s more than halfway to the holidays now! From Nov. 10, 2023, through Jan. 7, 2024, Holidays at Disneyland Resort return to spread Christmas cheer and celebrate treasured traditions. During that time, guests can enjoy holiday food offerings, merry decor and magical events — including the Disney Festival of Holidays and Disney ¡Viva Navidad! (to name a few). At Disney California Adventure Park, guests can experience the “World of Color — Season of Light” show, which will highlight the unity and joy of the holiday season.
- Changes are coming to Disney Parks' advance dining reservation systems. In the coming weeks, the Walt Disney World and Disneyland websites (and mobile apps) will display all dining reservation time slots that are available for a selected restaurant or dining location. Currently, guests are only able to see a few available slots that fit their selected timeframe. This will make it significantly easier to book a reservation at a frog-favorite eatery!
- The circle of life continues to move at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! On July 24, 2023, the park welcomed an adorable, baby Mandrill monkey. The baby girl, Saffron — who only weighs about 3 pounds — clings to her mother for comfort in their treetop habitat on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Despite the Mandrills’ tiny size in early life, they can grow up to 25 pounds within a couple of years, making them the largest species of monkeys in the world.
That's it for theme park news this week.
Hoppy planning!
