You know those celebration buttons you get at theme parks?
This week’s newsletter is pinned with one.
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Hello, theme park followers, it’s Haley back in your inbox. The weather has been hot in Central Florida, as is the theme park news.
We’ve got Halloween announcements and tributes to moms.
Walt Disney World
The addax family
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a must-do attraction is the Kilimanjaro Safaris. The animals make for a different experience every time. What some may not realize is that you can also access a savanna view of animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Later this month, a new member of the addax herd is likely to make his big debut on the savanna. In March, Juniper gave birth to her very first calf. Julien’s birth marks a huge milestone for Walt Disney World as the species of antelope is critically endangered in the wild. Both Juniper and Julien are ambassadors for their counterparts in the wild.
Juniper’s journey to motherhood is also a milestone in itself for the care team
Click here to see why Juniper’s story defies the odds.
👻 Earliest-ever Not-So-Scary
We’ve barely dipped our toes in the summer theme park season at Walt Disney World, but come August, happy Halloween fans will materialize at Magic Kingdom.
Disney shared new details, event dates and pricing for this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. We’ll have new character costumes, a new parade time, more villains and the party is starting even earlier.
But perhaps the biggest news of all? We’ve got Bruno!
Discovery Cove
More animals to discover
For those familiar with Discovery Cove, the first image that may pop in your head is a dolphin, as the all-inclusive luxury resort is known for its dolphin swim experience.
Now, guests can upgrade their day so it includes more animals.
Developed as an add-on to the popular Signature Dolphin Experience, the all-new Ultimate Animal Experience allows guests to spend a half-day alongside a Discovery Cove zoological expert and get up close and personal with a variety of animals.
Click here for details as well as pricing.
Since we’re talking Discovery Cove, we’ve got an Insider contest for you to consider. We’re giving away a family four-pack of tickets that includes the Flamingo Mingle.
Sounds like a great gift for mom.
Sea Life Orlando
It’s a mer-May
Sea Life Orlando’s aquarium is the perfect little family outing, especially on hot summer-like days as all the fun takes place indoors with air conditioning.
Mom, kids and everyone may want to plan a visit this month as the aquarium is hosting mermaid dives on weekends.
On land, guests can snap photos and chat with a mermaid in a magical meet-and-greet experience. Guests are also encouraged to dress in their finest maritime attire.
Gatorland
🐊 Mystic and Mayhem have a new home
Just in time for Gatorland’s 75th annual celebration this month, two celebrities have a proper place to greet guests.
In a news release sent this week, Gatorland officials said that Mystic the Leucistic alligator and her normal-colored brother — nicknamed “Mayhem” — are being kept in a $50,000 specially-built habitat which is being used to protect their skin and help them grow.
Distinct from albino alligators, which are characterized by pink eyes and complete pigment loss, rare Leucistic alligators exhibit white coloration with patches or splotches of normal color on their skin.
Mother’s Day has become the mother of all brunch days, it seems. If you’d like to treat mom on a day out, we’ve got a list of freebies, brunches markets and more.
You can’t go wrong with celebrating mom at the attractions. If you’re considering a Disney restaurant, the resort recently updated its dining reservation system.
If you venture to the parks, keep our PinIt! feature in mind. We have an In The Loop channel and a Mother’s Day category under the Holidays channel.
As always, feel free to keep me in the loop with what’s new through my email or reach out to me on my X or Instagram.