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:
- Surfside Inn and Suites, Universal Orlando's newest hotel, will open its doors on June 27! The hotel will be part of the complex collectively known as the Endless Summer Resort; its sister hotel, Dockside Inn and Suites, will open in May 2020. The Endless Summer Resort will bring Universal Orlando's total room count to 9,000. That's a lot of space for theme park frogs!
- The "Toy Story 4" trailer and poster have rolled in, giving viewers a look at the road trip in store with some old friends such as Woody and Bo Peep, plus a few new faces. "Toy Story 4" hits theaters on June 21.
- Potion Purple? Check. Millennial Pink? Check. Ready to add even more dazzling Disney colors to your collection? Hoppy news! Spring will bring Dapper Yellow and Briar Rose Gold to the Disney Parks! Dapper Yellow spirit jerseys will be available at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort on March 22. The Briar Rose Gold collection of merchandise, including ears, spirit jerseys and tumblers, will be available at both parks in April. (Pssst ... Disneyland even gave a sneak peek of spirit jerseys for your pup!)
- Ready to save the world with your favorite Marvel heroes? Disney has released a tiny taste of the immersive, interactive experiences coming to Disney California Adventure park at Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris — including an opportunity to join your favorite heroes in action and to experience what it's like to use super abilities. To set the stage, Disney is expanding their story universe by creating a new organization, the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (WEB). Founded by Tony Stark, WEB aims to bring together the world's best and brightest to aid in developing advancements in super-powered technology (starting with Spider Man's suit). Tad is more than ready to suit up!
- There are some new faces around Disney's Hollywood Studios! The Disney World park has installed new signs in the parking lot, with each section named after a character guests can encounter within Hollywood Studios: Mickey, Minnie, Jessie, Buzz, Olaf and BB-8. Two new bus loops have also been added to the park. The transportation additions are part of ongoing improvements in preparation for the opening of new features such as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Disney Skyliner transportation system and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway ride, all slated to open in 2019 at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
- Great news, animal lovers! Disney Word has announced that Rafiki's Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom will be re-opening this summer. While its grand re-opening date has not been released just yet, we are toadally excited to hop back for some live animal meet-and-greets!
- Happy 55th anniversary, SeaWorld San Diego! Since March 21, 1964, SeaWorld's flagship location in San Diego has been visited by over 170 million guests. You can join in the anniversary celebration through March 24 with special food deals, music by the Sea Street Band and limited-edition collectibles.
That’s it for the theme park news this week! Have a great weekend.
Hoppy planning!