Ask and you shall receive … MINIONS 🍌

Happy Friday, everyone!

Landon here - with another theme park scoop newsletter coming into your inbox.

Remember last week when I said that we didn’t know when the Minion Land at Universal Orlando would be opening? Well … ask … and you shall receive, I guess. 🤣 Not long after I sent out the newsletter to you, I got word that the theme park would be soft opening the new land for park guests.

This week, I stepped onto the all-new Illumination Avenue to see what it was all about and, let me tell you, I loved every second of it. The Minion Café is so colorful and funny. The little details are incredible.

Inside, guests of all ages can enjoy inventive, family-friendly fare featuring nearly 20 items inspired by memorable characters and staples from the Minions franchise. Guests can dine in a number of fun and wacky dining locations including the kitchen, breakroom and dining room. Each room has some special touches that you will love. Click here to see the full menu and prices. ☜

Along with the café, the theme park also opened the Freeze Ray and Pop-A-Nana food and beverage locations, the Bake My Day dessert and retail shop and the Illumination Theater. 📸

Have any of you visited the new Minion Land yet? 🤔 What did you think? Let me know by emailing me at lmcreynolds@wkmg.com.

Tune into next week’s newsletter as I talk about some of my favorite foods!

Flavors of Florida 🍊

This week, I got the chance to preview the upcoming “Flavors of Florida” event coming to Disney Springs.

The annual event celebrates some of the delicious flavors that are grown here in Florida at more than 30 restaurants across the entertainment complex. This year it runs from July 1 through Aug. 13. There are a TON of new food and drinks that have been whipped up for this year’s event, but something else that makes this unique is the new culinary series featuring some of the renowned chefs. During the media event this week, I had the chance to hear from chefs José Andrés and Art Smith. 👨‍🍳

During Tuesday’s culinary demonstration, José Andrés talked about some of his passion behind cooking along with some of his favorite flavors and dishes. He also cooked up one of his favorite dishes: paella! I had the chance to hear Chef Art Smith’s inspiring story and taste some of his cooking at his restaurant Homecomin’. This all-new culinary series is happening at Waterview Park next to the Boathouse.

You will need to register to attend these events. The next one is Wine Bar George on July 7!

😋 Here is a full map for Flavors of Florida.

Summer concerts🎵

How many of you have visited SeaWorld Orlando’s Summer Spectacular yet? The summer celebration immerses guests in exhilarating attractions, animal encounters, delicious food and drinks and a fantastic nighttime spectacular. If that list sounds good - get ready! This week, SeaWorld Orlando announced that it will be adding a summer concert series on Saturdays and Sundays! 🎶 Some big names are scheduled to perform including Rodney Atkins, Jesse McCartney and Maddie & Tae. The best part … it’s all FREE with park admission. I have posted the full concert lineup schedule here. Who is ready to rock out!?

Adults! Don’t forget, before you hit up the concert grab a free beer at the Waterway Grill. 🍻 SeaWorld Orlando pass members get two drinks during their visit.

Zoo and zombie talk 🧟

How many of you listen to podcasts during the week? I love to put them on sometimes on the way home from work.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has a new web series you might want to check out. It’s being called “Wild Encounters.” 🎧 The new series is all about the more than 12,000 animals that call the park home and the animal care experts who take care of them. During the first episode that dropped this week, two animal care specialists talked about some of the animals on the park’s Serengeti Plain. They also talked about the newest baby rhino named Potato. This new web series only builds on the park’s efforts to educate its fans about what’s happening in the park.

Speaking of Busch Gardens - a quick update on its Howl-O-Scream event this fall. How does a zombie Elvis Presley in Sin City sound in a scare zone? 🧟‍♂️ Well … it’s happening. Tickets are now on sale.

Red, White & BOOM! 🎆

If the family is looking for 4th of July plans, look to Legoland Florida Resort. The resort rolled out some exciting details about its Red, White & BOOM! celebration. 🎇 It’s happening for three days and nights, running July 2-4. Guests can enjoy exciting daytime events including dance parties and a scavenger hunt, delicious patriotic food and beverage options and a firework show that has exploding LEGO bricks!

On top of all that, the theme park announced that one of my favorite characters, Shark Suit Guy, 🦈 is coming back for the Summer Block Party! This event is one you can’t miss this summer.

Water drop update 💧

It’s going to be a little longer before many of us get to experience some of the new neighborhoods coming to EPCOT. World Celebration and World Nature are currently behind 👷 construction walls, but Disney Imagineers are pulling back the curtain this week on one all-new attraction. During the walk through experience, “Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana,” guests will learn about the natural water cycle in an engaging way. This week, Imagineers shared two photos showing some of the interactive elements being tested out. 💦 Right now, we know this new experience will be opening to all guests sometime this fall.

It’s all part of EPCOT’s historic transformation.

Adorable additions 😊

Finally this week, I had to share this adorable story about some new additions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. 🐒 The theme park is celebrating the arrival of twin cotton-top tamarin monkeys. These small and critically endangered monkeys are some of the smallest in the world. Walt Disney World said they were born on June 12 and are hanging on as mom and dad swing around the habitat. I posted a few more photos of these two babies in the article. You can find them in their habitat near Creature Comforts (Starbucks) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

That will wrap things up from me this week.

I hope you have a fantastic and safe weekend.

Talk to you all soon -

Landon✌️