Theme Park News in a Nutshell - October 22nd 2022

• Disney has rolled out a new game at galaxy’s edge called Battu Bounty Hunters using the MagicBand+ which has only just arrived at Disneyland resort.

• Disneyland Resort is bringing out new meet and greets and new food to celebrate the release of Black Panther Wakanda forever.

• November 3rd will be the reopening date of Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Disney world.

• Imagineer Bob Weis is retiring from Walt Disney Imagineering.

• Sea World Orlando have officially announced their new stand up coaster for 2023, which is to be called Pipeline: The Surf Coaster.

• Two cedar fair parks Carowinds and Kings dominion are moving to year round operations at the start of next year

• A new Adventure Port land is coming to Kings Island. The new land will include two new rides as well as a refresh for Kings Island's Adventure Express Arrow Dynamics mine train roller coaster.

• Universal Orlando have announced the dates for next years Mardi Gras event from February 4 through April 16.

• Universal has applied for a patent titled “System and Methods to Hold and Charge a Personal Electronic Device on a Ride Vehicle” 

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - October 15th 2022

Here is this week's News:

• The TEA/AECOM Theme Index for estimated theme park attendance for 2021 is out, with the big winner being Universal Orlando who has significant gains on the Walt Disney World parks.

• Disney reportedly is developing a movie based on its Society of Explorers and Adventurers theme park franchise with Ryan Reynolds company Maximum Wffort producing. 

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios has confirmed that “Fantasmic!” performances will begin once again at the theme park this November

• Monsieur Paul will return to Walt Disney World's Epcot on Tuesday, October 18

• Disney is getting MagicBands from October 26.

• Disneyland Resort has increased ticket prices this week, for some tickets by 12%.

• Holiday World in Indiana is going to announce their 2023 addition via drone during their Halloween in the Sky Drone show.

• Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen will open in early 2023 on Universal Studios Hollywood's CityWalk.

• This park is also rumoured to be getting a new coaster called Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift, which is believed to run up and down the hill next to the Starway escalator .

• The worlds tallest Screamin Swing ride is coming to Busch Gardens Tampa next year and it’s going to be called Serengeti Flyer

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - October 8th 2022

This week's Theme Park News:

• Disneyland resort is bringing back guided tours with the new tours the Walt's Main Street Story Tour and the Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour starting in the next few months.

• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway will open January 27, 2023, kicking off The Walt Disney Company's 100 Years of Wonder anniversary celebration at the Disneyland Resort.

• Their new shows Wonderous Journeys and World of Color - One will also open end of January 

• Icon Orlando has confirmed that it is removing the Orlando FreeFall ride which caused the death of a 14 year old boy in March.

• After losing two nights of Halloween Horror Nights to Hurricane Ian last week, Universal Orlando is adding two more nights to this year's schedule: Tuesday, October 11, and Monday, October 24.

• Here in Australia, Monopoly Dreams, a new indoor themed attraction is coming to Melbourne by the end of 2022

• Tokyo Disney resort has announced plans to keep attendance down, with data suggesting that the resort can be more profitable with lower guest numbers. The Japan times stated the resort is aiming for only 26 million visitors by 2024, well short of their pre-pandemic record of 35.5 million.

• It’s been reported that Legoland Korea has defaulted on their business loan this week, though it’s unclear what this will mean for the park.

• Epcot celebrated its 40th anniversary in the wake of Hurricane Ian, which was mostly only notable due to anniversary merchandise.

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - October 1st 2022

This week's Theme Park News

• Hurricane Ian hit the hit the south of the United States this week causing lots of damage, especially in Florida. All the major Orlando parks were shut for two days with Walt Disney World starting a phased reopening on Friday. Universal Orlando suffered severe flooding, with images showing the hulk coaster partially submerged and damage to the Jurrassic Park river adventure.

• SeaWorld San Diego has confirmed its new roller coaster for 2023 - Arctic Rescue, a snow mobile themed triple-launch terrain coaster from Intamin.

• Sea World San Antonio has announced its adding a world first launched log flume called Catapult Falls in 2023.

• Pennsylvanian theme park Kennywood had a shooting at their Halloween event this week, with 3 people shot in the legs, while several others were injured in the mass panic event that followed. The park is reviewing their safety protocols.

• Knotts is changing its chaperone policy for Scary farm, increasing the child to chaperone ratio to 5 to 1, and announcing free tickets for Chaperones.

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - September 17th 2022

This week's News:

• At D23 Disney announced that Disneyland resort is getting the return of the Magic Happens parade and the debut of two new night-time spectaculars, World of Color: One and Wondrous Journeys. 

• Disneyland will also getting Hulk at Avengers campus and Din djarin and grogu are coming to Galaxy’s Edge.

• The new version Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway coming to Disneyland in early 2023, will be modified from the Florida original with a more detailed queue.

• Some more details were announced for the new ride in Avengers campus, which will bring the multiverse to Avengers Campus, as it is set in a universe where Thanos won.

• He also announced Paradise Pier Hotel at Disneyland will be renamed the Pixar Place Hotel.

• At WDW next year the Magic Kingdom, Happily Ever After is returning, and the Hatbox Ghost is coming to the Haunted Mansion. And next week Character breakfasts return to Magic Kingdom with Pooh and friends returning to Crystal palace on the 22nd.

• At Epcot next year will bring Moana Journey of Water walk-through attraction opening, as well as a figment meet and greet. And a new lagoon show is in development.

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• Universal Parks & Resorts announced that it is merging its Universal Brand Development business with the Universal Parks & Resorts Merchandise Group to create its new Universal Products & Experiences division

• Studio Ghibli Park in Japan have released video from inside the park for the first time. The park opens in phases starting later in the year.

• An avatar immersive exhibition is coming to Shanghai Disneyland on th 22nd

• Disney Files Patent for Augmented Reality Ride Without Glasses

• This week it was announced that Construction of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is 90% complete and the new theme park is set to open next year.

• Columbia Pictures' first fully-branded park will open on October 11 in Thailand. Columbia Pictures Aquaverse will be a redesign and rebrand for Amazon Falls' Cartoon Network Amazone water park, which opened in 2014

• The Tokyo Disney Resort is selling frozen versions of two popular theme park food items for home delivery through its official mobile app. Fans can buy Mickey-shaped bacon and pineapple pizzas and Mickey shaped churros.

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - Sep 10th 2022

All the Theme Park News that I can fit in a minute. • The D23 expo has kicked off in Anaheim, with the first news being the re-announcing of the e-ticket ride for Disney California Adventure’s Avenger’s Campus. • The parks and experiences pavilion featured models of Disneyland’s new ToonTown and Tiana’s Bayou adventure. We got to see ride vehicles for the 4 new rides at Tokyo DisneySea’s upcoming fantasy springs and 2 ride vehicles For Hong Kong’s upcoming Frozen land. And the ride vehicle for the zootopia ride coming to Shanghai. • At Universal Orlando we’ve seen two new trademark applications believed to be related to Epic Universe with Universal's Stella Nova Resort and Universal's Terra Luna Resort. • Cedar Point has announced it has retired Top Thrill Dragster "as you know it." • Busch Gardens Williamsburg have announced a new coaster called the DarKoaster which is is taking its theme from their former dark ride Curse of DarKastle which closed in 2017. • Universal Hollywood have brought Pizza Fries to their Halloween Horror Nights this year for the first time.

Theme Park News in a Nutshell - September 2nd 2022

Here is this week's news:

• Halloween celebrations have kicked off at Disneyland resort on Friday, as did universals Halloween Horror Nights. 

• A new “Disney Vacation Club Star View Station" will open at Disneyland in the first half of 2023 up stairs at the old America sings building in Tomorrowland.

• Merlin have announced Europe's 4th Legoland with Legoland Belgium to be located in Charleroi, just south of Brussels. Th target for opening is 2027.

• The revenge of the mummy has soft opened at Universal Orlando after it’s extended maintenance.

• Animation Tests Start at Universal studios Hollywood’s Super Nintendo World

• Dreamworld in Australia is running its Spring County fair event again this year from September 17th.