Good Friday morning, everyone! Landon here with your latest theme park newsletter coming down the tracks.
I’m starting this week at Universal Orlando Resort. Have you all heard about this limited-time Blumhouse photo experience that the park recently opened? It’s located next to Fat Tuesday and CityWalk’s Rising Star.
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It’s just one more to reason to visit the resort during the Halloween season! Get ready to step into some of studio’s scariest films, with photo 📸 backdrops from movies like “Megan,” “The Black Phone”📞 and the all-new “Five Nights at Freddy’s” and “Exorcist: Believer.” 👻 I checked it out this week, along with the Dead Coconut Club. Be sure and get one of their specialty drinks if you have time.🍹Both of these experiences are open during select times.
Don’t forget, Halloween Horror Nights runs through Nov. 4. 🎃 News 6 Insiders have the chance right now to win two HHN tickets WITH EXPRESS! 😮 It’s free to sign up to become an Insider. The contest runs through Oct. 23. Speaking of Horror Nights - have you heard about the year-around experience that Universal is taking a stab at? We have a name!
🦕 Food & drink delights
Just when I think I can talk about Halloween, the theme parks throw a surprise with some holiday announcements. If you’re hungry this morning then I’m sorry for this next story.🤭
This one has me very excited to talk about. Walt Disney World this week shared the foodie guide to its upcoming Jollywood Nights event coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The holiday event kicks off next month and it’s bringing some all-new entertainment to Tinseltown. One show that I’m really excited to see is a musical variety show featuring Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. It will take place at the Theater of the Stars. Anyway – enough about the event – let’s talk about the FOOD! 😋
The event will have everything! From a delicious looking holiday turkey popover to a zero-proof gingerbread spritzer. One thing that had everyone talking this week was a cookie inspired by one green dinosaur at the theme park. What do you think? Anything on the must-try list?? 🍽️🎅
Tickets for Jollywood Nights are NOW ON SALE! In case you’re interested, here are some of the other holiday festivities coming to Walt Disney World this year.
Feeling grinchy 🎁
Let’s stay with the holiday season for a couple more stories – hang with me.
🎄 Over at Universal Orlando, they shared the holiday lineup of events coming next month. Universal will be a hub of holiday entertainment, merging classic festive traditions with pop culture icons to craft what leaders call a one-of-a-kind holiday experience. Guests will once again get the chance to see the “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle,” Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s and the mean one himself, the Grinch! 💚 Bring him an onion … I hear he likes them.
CityWalk and many of Universal Orlando’s resort hotels will also have its own holiday celebrations! For those seeking extra holiday experiences, 🎁 Universal Orlando is now offering a range of add-on options, including the Universal’s Holiday Tour and the “The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast” – I definitely recommend! It’s a ton of fun.
Good grief..❄️
I don’t know about you, but I have had my AC turned off all week. The temperatures in Central Florida have been glorious – but nothing prepared me for Thursday morning. 🥶🥶🥶
I stepped into a balmy 9-degree 🌡️ room to bring you this next story. I got a first look at Gaylord Palms Resort’s upcoming “ICE!” attraction. Beginning Nov. 17, guests will walk through the animated feature “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and see statues depicting Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and so many others that are carved out of 2 million pounds of ice. This week, the Chinese carvers, who bring this all to life, were flown into Central Florida. Resort staff were there to greet them! “ICE” is just a piece of some of the holiday events planned. I will say it’s going to be fantastic when finished. Click here to learn more about tickets, information and making a reservation.
Historic arrival 🐠
Heading over to SeaWorld Orlando, the park is celebrating 🥳 a truly incredible accomplishment. 🦈 In May, animal care experts were checking in on their female smalltooth 🪚🐠 sawfish when they noticed she was pregnant! A couple months later, she gave birth to three pups, two females and one male. The entire team was shocked about the birth. SeaWorld is now the second park in the world to have a smalltooth sawfish give birth, and the only park in the country to house these type of fish. I ventured out there to see the small pups, which are currently in isolation, away from mom, because she could, in fact, hurt them.
The big question they’re asking, why did two smalltooth sawfish, who have been at the park since the 80′s suddenly have pups? Was it the updated lighting? Water quality? 🤨
🌊 Smalltooth sawfish are endandangered and protected. You can find them in shallow waters in the Atlantic. They’re known for their saw-like snouts that they use to sift and attack prey. SeaWorld Orlando tells me that it is not sure where the pups will end up since this pregnancy was a surprise. I’m told SeaWorld Orlando annual passholders will get the chance to see them up close in the near future.
New entry 🧑🚀
The next time you’re at Kennedy Space Center you’ll spot a GIANT new display. The visitor complex just pulled back the curtain on a huge LED screen this week.
Leaders say the display tells the story of NASA: past, present and future. The graphics look incredible and appear as though they’re flying off the screen. 🚀
Smaller thrills 🎡
🤖 Meet Disney’s newest creations that had fans going wild for one day only
🍲 Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic returning with new foods, themed areas
🦖 Walk among the dinosaurs: Jurassic Quest takes over Orange County Convention Center
🐘 Zoo Boo Bash returns to Central Florida Zoo this weekend
I think that will wrap things up from me this week!
I hope you all have a fun and safe weekend. I’ll see you all again real soon!
-Landon✍️