Theme Park News in a Nutshell - November 19th 2022

• This week is the  annual IAAPA Expo in Orlando, which as always features roller coaster train reveals for a number of US parks. The trains shown include Arctic Rescue from SeaWorld San Diego, Big Bear Mountain for Dollywood, Wildcat's Revenge at Hersheypark, and Pipeline The Surf Coaster for SeaWorld Orlando.

• The 2023 Thea Awards were also head in conjunction with this expo, with Universal Beijing picking up 3 major awards.

• Major US parks also kicked off their Christmas celebrations this week.

• Disneyland resort has announced that Mickey's Toontown will reopen at Disneyland on March 8, 2023.

• Disneyland also briefly reopened Magic Key Pass sales this week, for just one day before closing sales again.

• Din Djarin and Grogu have started appearing at Disneyland's version of Galaxy's Edge this week.

• Alberto Zamperla, the head of the Zamperla group, has passed away this week at the age of 71.

• Dubai Parks and Resorts has announced it has reached a deal to build a theme park based on football club Real Madrid, which will include rides and a museum.

• Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments has appointed former NBA executive Scott O'Neil as the company's new CEO

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - November 12th 2022

 • Sea World Australia have announced an opening date for their two new Rides. Wooden coaster Leviathan and swing ride Trident will open December 2nd, finally completing the New Atlantis land.

• Hurricane Nicole Closed all the major Florida Theme Parks this week.

• Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi have announced they are planning to open a Harry Potter-themed land in the coming years, the first non-Universal Harry Potter land since Universal acquired the licence for theme parks.

• Disneyland is adding the Swiss Family Robinson back to Adventureland, where the currently closed Tarzan Treehouse is going to be reimagined as the "Adventureland Treehouse inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson". 

• Universal Hollywood have announced two show closures this week, with Universal's Animal Actors and the Special Effects Show to close on January 8, 2023 "to make way for a future attraction." This future attraction is strongly rumoured to be a Fast and the Furious coaster.

• Canada's Playland Amusement Park has signed a deal with Zamperla to a Lightning LSM Coaster, which will be Canada's fastest launch coaster when it opens in 2024.

• Legoland California have announced they are going to add San Diego to their Miniland for Spring 2023.

• Disney Imagineering Legend Alice Davis has passed away at age 93 this week.

• In financial news: Disney's theme parks segment reported $7.4 billion in revenue in the final quarter of its 2022 fiscal year, up 36% from the same period one year ago. Six Flags had a significant attendance drops resulting in a 21% decline in revenue for the quarter, from $638 million in 2021 to $505 million in 2022. Sea World and Busch Gardens had a very slight attendance bump, but increased guest spending, as SeaWorld post total revenues of $565.2 million for the quarter, up 8.4%.

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - November 5th 2022

• Universal Orlando has announced that a major reimagining is happening to it's Woody Woodpecker KidZone land. The resort announce that the last operating day for Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, Fieval's Playland, Curious George Goes to Town, and meet & greets for Shrek and Donkey and Dreamworkd Destination will be January 15th 2023. It was confirmed that the Animal Actors show and E.T. the Adventure will not close at this time.

• Legoland Florida's new pirate ride will open on January 12, 2023 after the planned opening was delayed by Hurricane Ian.

• Fantasmic! has reopened at Walt Disney World.

• On the last night of this year's HHN, Universal has Announced 'Chucky' for 2023 Halloween Horror Nights on both coasts.

• Efteling have shared details of the ride vehicle for it's 2024 haunted house attraction Danse Macabre, which will feature a first of it's kind Intamin ride system, with a giant rotating motionbase with six vehicles each able to rotate on top of it.

• Disney imagineering has shared some shots of the new World of Frozen land opening at Hong Kong Disneyland next year.