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:
- It was a big week for Walt Disney World news, with the promise of many new thrills coming later this year! To start off, it was announced that the Disney 100 Celebration will make its way to Disney World in the fall, and EPCOT will serve as the primary location for the big party. This makes toadal sense, as EPCOT's multi-year transformation will wrap up by the end of 2023. This fall, EPCOT is set to receive a new nighttime spectacular that will eventually replace Harmonious, which ends April 2. In the meantime, EPCOT Forever will return as the temporary nighttime fireworks show.
- We also received a new look at CommuniCore Hall, which will be the center of festival offerings and the permanent meet-and-greet location for Mickey and Minnie Mouse at EPCOT. The festival exhibition space will focus on art, live music and food (complete with a demonstration kitchen). We're so curious to see how each festival will use this new space!
- Say hello to Moana, Mirabel and Figment! We'll soon be able to meet some new characters across the Disney World theme parks. Starting April 22 on Animal Kingdom's 25th anniversary, we'll finally know how far Moana will go — she's adventuring out to Discovery Island! Later in the summer, Figment will be available to spark your imagination in person. At Magic Kingdom, Fairytale Garden (which currently houses Merida) will transform into the Family Madrigal's Casita, and Mirabel will start to meet guests in the fall.
- The transformation of Splash Mountain into Tiana's Bayou Adventure is well underway and later this summer, we'll be able to catch a glimpse at the new tiara-topped water tower that will be installed. Tiana's Bayou Adventure's storyline picks up where "The Princess and the Frog" left off. It's still on schedule to debut at Magic Kingdom in 2024.
- Disney Springs will be welcoming two additions in 2023! CORKCICLE is opening its first-ever retail location with a kiosk in Disney Springs later this spring. Then in late 2023, Summer House on the Lake is expected to open, with its California-inspired menu, along with The Cookie Jar, a dessert-focused market.
- If you're looking for some zen during your next trip to Disneyland Resort, you're in luck! Tenaya Stone Spa is introducing new fitness classes and spa treatments. Start your day with a new sunrise yoga experience in Disneyland Park. The exact location may vary depending on the park's schedule, but you might just find yourself doing the warrior pose in the Space Mountain concourse. Or pamper yourself with a Citrus Groves face and body treatment, HydraFacial or California Artisanal poultice massage.
That’s it for the theme park news this week! Have a great weekend.
Hoppy planning!
