The sun is setting on a show’s residency at the Sunset Showcase at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Greetings friends. It’s Haley, here with a dose of theme park news.
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The “Cars” franchise hits differently when you’re a parent. I took my little rookie racer to see Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy in what will be his first and only time. At 10 months old, he was locked in on Lightning and the rest of the crew.
The show will take its final lap on Oct. 7 as the entertainment showplace will undergo a wicked transformation.
Click here to see what Disney is envisioning for its villains.
Of course, Disney has a whole other attraction planned for “Cars” as a portion of Frontierland in Magic Kingdom is set to be reimagined.
ICON Park
A pirate’s sea life 🏴☠️
With October officially upon us, you don’t have to look far for a Halloween event in Central Florida.
Pirates are dropping anchor at Sea Life Orlando Aquarium. Included with admission, “Pirates of the Haunted Sea” brings trick-or-treating, educational stations and an exclusive meet-and-greet with Captain Sebastian.
What’s Halloween without pumpkin carving? At Sea Life, it’s being done underwater.
For more information, click here.
Legoland Florida Resort
Signed, steeled, delivered 🐠
Construction for a second SEA LIFE aquarium in Central Florida is underway and some guests at Legoland Florida Resort will have their name permanently attached to it.
A beam-signing event raised over $1,400 as guests signed the last piece for the building that will house the aquarium.
SEA LIFE Florida is set to open in early 2025. It will include over two dozen exhibits, some of which will have animals native to Florida.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Seeking help after Helene 🐬
Tampa Bay’s little world-famous aquarium suffered a setback from Hurricane Helene.
According to posts on its social media channels, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium experienced over 4 feet of flooding during the storm that damaged important equipment.
The aquarium had to move some animals around and remains closed while teams assess damage.
To help with animal care and recovery efforts, the non-profit set up a Hurricane Helene Recovery Fund so people can make donations.
Universal Orlando
Eye-catching entrances 🌎
People love to learn about what’s in the works at theme parks. No detail is too small.
With the additions of DreamWorks Land, a Jurassic World-inspired roller coaster, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions in recent years, it appears Universal Orlando thought their signs out front needed an upgrade.
The resort recently filed a permit for new digital entry signs.
I included the rendering of the “Jurassic World” sign above. The other three designs can be found here.
Island H20 Water Park
Can’t see Taylor Swift in concert? Just add water 🎤💦
Taylor Swift brings her Eras Tour to Florida one more time and for those who can’t make it to Miami later this month, Island H20 is throwing a Splash Bash.
There will also be a foam party, a costume contest, and plenty of Instagram-worthy photo spots. The Taylor Swift hits will be playing throughout the evening.
October means spooky SZN. Scare up some fun with events all over Central Florida, from theme park festivals to haunted houses and trails, which can be found in the News 6 Halloween Guide.
If you find yourself going to any of the Halloween events in Central Florida, post photos to our PinIt! page. There’s an “In The Loop” channel.
Feel free to keep me in the loop through my email or reach out to me on my X or Instagram.
I’ll see you next week.