Now entering the chat about water park after-hours — Volcano Bay.
Hello reader. It’s Haley, the voice of In the Loop: Theme Parks Scoops.
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Just when the weather will start to feel more summerlike in Central Florida, Universal Orlando Resort will kick off Universal Volcano Bay Nights.
This is the first nighttime event the water park has had since its May 2017 opening, as it appears this type of exclusive experience has become more popular.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon has H20 Glow and Aquatica has hosted AquaGlow. Island H20 even had a Taylor Swift-themed party that dipped into the evening hours last year.
Universal Volcano Bay Nights will be offered on select Saturday nights this spring and tickets are now on sale.
SeaWorld Orlando
More coasters, new twist 🎢
SeaWorld Orlando is taking its Seven Seas Food Festival to new heights.
Coasters After Dark: Seven Seas Edition is a twist on the popular after-hours event. Guests can ride eight of SeaWorld Orlando’s most thrilling attractions under the stars with reduced wait times.
The new batch of Coasters After Dark is happening on select nights in March and April, spread out for spring break.
SEA LIFE
“Theme Park Under the Sea” 🪸
Legoland Florida is getting a little bigger!
SEA LIFE Florida will have a unique theme not found in any other SEA LIFE aquarium. I’ve seen how the new aquarium has been taking shape during some previous visits. It’s conveniently located just steps from the Legoland Hotel and park entrance.
Click here, to see when the aquarium will open.
Walt Disney World
Ditching the virtual queue 📱
All good things must come to an end, at least that’s how I feel about Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind removing its virtual queue.
Disney introduced the virtual queue system when Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened in 2019. Every new ride since has had one.
Cosmic Rewind had a good run with the virtual queue, nearly three years. Meanwhile, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — which opened last summer — is also moving to standby.
Both attractions will be available via standby queue or Lightning Lane. The last day to experience them via the virtual queue is coming soon.
Green light for ‘Cars’ 🚗
When Disney announced that a “Cars”-themed land would be coming to Frontierland, overall, it came as quite a surprise. And if you’ve been meaning to get in one last Liberty Square Riverboat or log raft ride on the Rivers of America, time is winding down.
There hasn’t been a closure date announced, but Disney did get the go-ahead to remove its Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island as part of its largest upcoming expansion at Magic Kingdom.
Jellyrolls out 🎹
Also leaving Walt Disney World soon — Jellyrolls.
After a nearly 30-year reign on Disney’s Boardwalk, the dueling piano bar will close its doors.
No word yet on where it will relocate. If you’ve never experienced Jellyrolls, you might want to consider the “Final Farewell to the Boardwalk” party
New Disney Springs entertainment 🕹️
Remember the NBA Experience at Disney Springs? Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a slam dunk despite having decent fanfare when it opened in 2019. The pandemic didn’t help either.
Five years after the NBA experience’s closure, there appears to be a replacement for that space. Level99 — a first-of-its-kind entertainment venue — offers over 50 physical and mental challenges.
We’ll see how this kind of gaming venue fares compared to previous ones. R.I.P. DisneyQuest and the Void.
Ye royal run 👑
The runDisney Princess Half Marathon weekend is off and running.
It will once again be a busy weekend at Walt Disney World, specifically EPCOT. There will be runners plus it’s the final weekend of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts.
If you’ve been meaning to check off a racing event on your Disney to-do list, the next registration that opens is for the 2026 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Not only does registration fill up fast, but the date is fast approaching.
Fun Spot America
For one night only — a drone show 🚀
Fun Spot America is looking to enhance guest experiences, and putting on a nighttime spectacular is a good start.
During a one-night-only drone show at its Orlando location, guests can look forward to a patriotic display of dazzling lights.
The show will also be accompanied by an exclusive musical soundtrack.
I am off all next week, there will be much to share on theme parks when I return.
If you have any theme park news or rumors, connect to me by email or reach out to me on my X or Instagram.
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