Bitesize Orlando August 2026 – Issue 62

Welcome to a very Disney-centric update this month on account of multiple announcements for all parks thanks to Disney’s D23 fan expo which was held in Anaheim a couple of weeks ago. Before we get into the juicy stuff a quick update on another massive update on the website this month.

Initially, I thought my lastest update was going to take me 6 weeks to 2 months but I’ve managed to get it ready in under a month including creating my own transport map for Universal. Check out my updated and expanded Universal Orlando Resort Overview page, now packed with all the information you need to stay and get around the resort.

Disney gets a lot of attention online because it is so vast, but Universal has expanded beyond recognition in the last 20 years. Getting around the resort is more straight forward that you may be expecting. My new overview page gives you all the important details including free downloads, hotel tiers and locations and a lot more.

Hot off the press at the recent Disney D23 Fan Convention in Anaheim; here are all the headlines, some expected, but also some very nice surprises (if they come to fruition this time!)

The polarising Piston Peak area has been under Construction for a while now in Magic Kingdom. Replacing the beloved Rivers Of America, Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Belle experiences, Cars’ Piston Peak has divided purists who say that Cars has no business being in a wild west themed land. Disney is going all out to prove to them that Piston Peak will fit in, thematically, by releasing some great looking concept art of the area up until now.

Disney used D23 in Anaheim to detail Piston Peak’s attractions, 1 family adventure and the other a state of the art off-road adventure.

Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along

A family attraction starring Mrs Fritter, a school bus and the self proclaimed “Diva Of Demolition” from Cars 3. The attraction will feature a huge school bus Audio-Animatronics figure of Miss Fritter hosting her wildest derby yet.

Ridge Run Rally

Anchoring the Piston Peak area is a brand new off road adventure sending guests on a quest to find the wildest racer in the “wheelderness,” competing for the fastest lap in the west. The race route includes varied terrain before crossing the finish line:

• A climb up Piston Peak itself to an icy, snow-covered mountaintop
• A camelback descent from the summit
• Navigation through an exhilarating geyser field
• A circuit around the Old Tankfull geyser
• A sprint to the finish line where Lightning McQueen and Mater cover the race live on Racing Sports Network

Cars Ridge Run Rally debuts with a completely new ride vehicle designed not to simulate an off-road car, but to actually be one, with guests feeling every bump, dip and rock because the new vehicle’s tyres and suspension are driving over and reacting to the actual terrain.

Adding another layer of interactivity and immersiveness the new vehicles will use a guide wire embedded in the track surface for navigation, while guests can control speed and direction within limits set by the system. Check out the stunning concept art images below. My Headline image this month also features snow capped peaks of Piston Peak.

One noticeable difference from early concept art is the dual track racing element has been dropped in favour of a single vehicle with added controls. Perhaps Disney couldn’t make the racing element work or the plan was too ambitious for the attraction area, we’ll never likely know. One this is fir sure, this attraction looks stunning and if Disney can pull off the bold promises, I can see Ridge Rally Run becoming the number one attraction in Magic Kingdom.

Walt Disney Imagineering President and Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn took to the stage at D23 and officially confirmed that Villains Land will open with 2 attractions plus the usual array of shopping and dining experiences you would expect.

Villains Land (the official name of the new area) will be built around an original storyline using classic Disney villains as its foundation. The storyline centers around a corrupt wishing well in a forbidding forest where an evil wish was made long ago. The villains have been drawn to the forest and the magic that remains of that spell, each having claimed a piece of the forest to build lairs and palaces.

In terms of size and scale, Bruce confirmed they are looking at roughly the same scale as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The area will have 2 e-ticket attractions, a roller coaster and a dark ride.

Maleficent Coaster

Expectations have been set sky high for the land’s roller coaster, which will be themed to Maleficent racing through enchanting briars surrounding her mountaintop fortress. Disney hasn’t confirmed the technical details of the attraction but promises the Imagineers are incorporating elements they have never attempted before in a roller coaster, possibly meaning we could see the first Disney roller coaster with an inversion.

Mirror Realm Dark Ride

The second attraction will be a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror featuring a wide range of Disney’s villains. Set in the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace, the Magic Mirror transports riders into its Mirror Realm — an ethereal space where Disney villains are conjured through a combination of special effects and physical set pieces.

After 20 years (and 7 years on from a previous promise), the classic Spaceship Earth attraction in EPCOT will be getting a major update. The current version focuses on the story of human communication. Disney is looking to broaden that story to one of human connection, a theme the Imagineering team says still fits classic EPCOT storytelling while bringing the ride into the present day and beyond.

Unfortunately, no other details were shared, meaning it could still be in the early phase of development. I, for one, will keep my fingers crossed that we finally get an update that EPCOT is worthy of. The current version falls seriously flat for me compared to the previous version.

During the closing moments of the D23 expo, Neil Patrick Harris popped up on stage to rapturous applause becasue everyone in the auditorium knew what that moment signified. For years, Disney fans have been begging for Dreamfinder to be put back into the beloved Journey Into Imagination with Figment pavilion.

Disney have finally listened and confirmed that Journey Into Imagination will be reimagined and will include both Figment and Dreamfinder once more.

 “I’m so happy to share this news tonight. We know how important this is to you. We’ve heard you, and this is one more way we’re putting you in the center of everything we do.”

Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum

It’s no secret that the current Journey Into Imagination is underperforming, but a re-imagined ride featuring 2 beloved original characters, created originally in 1983, will catapult the attraction up the rankings at EPCOT, plus shift a serious amount of merchandise. No other details were shared, meaning this one is also likely in the early phases of development.

Animal Kingdom gets a small but meaningful update with a surprise announcement that, once again, Disney are listening to fans, and are preparing to fix a years old problem of the problematic yeti animatronic on Expedition Everest.

Originally designed as the big finale of the attraction, the yeti is supposed to lunge at the train as it exits the mountain but the lunging motion caused too much stress to the show building itself and would require extensive downtime to fix; downtime Disney has not yet currently worked into a schedule despite 2 major multi-month closures in the last decade or so.

Since late 2007, yeti has been lit up like a disco with strobe lighting as the ride car passes underneath creating the illusion of movement while staying motionless. Disney hasn’t announced any downtime or how long the attraction could be out of action for but they could be waiting for the Tropical America’s area to open so the closure won’t be as noticeable.

Currently under construction in the former Muppets Courtyard area of Hollywood Studios, Monstropolis has had its opening timeline moved up, partially! The new land will be themed around H.U.M.A.N. Day (Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice).

No specific date has been shared as yet, but opening at some point in 2027, Monstropolis will include the following:

• The Glob Theater — Presenting “Welcome to Monstropolis,” a show hosted by Mike and Sulley featuring familiar faces from the Monsters, Inc. universe
• Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza — A quick-service restaurant themed around college life at Monsters University, celebrating the Alumni Club, student clubs, and sororities and fraternities from the film. This area used to be PizzaRizzo in it’s Muppet life.
• Harryhausen’s — A new table service restaurant transported directly from the Monsters, Inc. film, featuring a menu unlike anything else at Walt Disney World and a new sushi chef Audio-Animatronics figure
• Scareporium — A merchandise shop for human tourists to pick up monstrous souvenirs

There is a big omission from the above list. Construction continues on the new roller coaster, but it is not expected to open with the new land, and possibly not until 2028. The coaster show building is located in a former back-of-house area, so opening the rest of the land when it is ready is a smart move by Disney, bringing new experiences and much-needed capacity back to Hollywood Studios.

One of the first areas to open, Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom has had the most detail shared yet. The new land will replace DinoLand U.S.A. and repurpose and upgrade the existing DINOSAUR! attraction infrastructure to bring Indiana Jones to life in an original storyline built just for Animal Kingdom.

El Carrusel de los Animalitos

A family carousel ride featuring 22 hand-carved animals from both Disney and Pixar stories created by a wood carver local to the fictional storyline.

Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto

The e-Ticket attraction for Tropical Americas will be situated inside Casa Madrigal with a storyline following Antonio on his gift day – the special occasion when he receives his ability to communicate with animals.

The ride vehicles will feel alive reacting to the show scenes around them and be themed to pieces of Casita’s furniture which magically escort you through the rooms of the casita in the main show building. According to the description the ride vehicle could be a customised version of a Zierer Advanced Dark Ride system, an rail guided vehicle capable of pitching, rolling and spinning 360 degrees, similar to Spiderman’s Scoop Vehicles at Islands of Adventure.

The casita itself has been expanded for the attraction and will features rooms that are not shown in the film. Throughout the journey over 50 authentic Colombian animal species are represented.

Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent

The DINOSAUR! replacement attraction will be called Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. In this original storyline you rendezvous with Dr. Jones as he explores a mysterious ancient Maya temple built near a cenote. Local legend holds that the passage leads directly to the Maya Underworld, protected by a serpentine creature called the Tsukán.Things don’t go to plan and riders are pulled through to an underworld with multiple dangers including:

• Monstrous bats
• Giant scorpions
• Fire and flames
• Lots of lovely snakes!

Throughout the experience you will bump into the Tsukán, building to a final confrontation that may well cement your fear of snakes for life according to Imagineer Chris Beatty.

Almost 10 years after it debuted, Disney’s Play Disney Parks app will be closing permanently on September 16th. Originally envisioned as a way for guests to pass the time while waiting in queues for attractions with fun mini games only showing up once you were in close proximity to an attraction.

The app also features quizes and other mini games, including DuckTales World Showcase in EPCOT, which was added in 2022 but has been down for the last several weeks. The problem with Play Disney Parks from day one has been uptake. The majority of visitors don’t know it exists. Another problem constantly being brought up is that people are too heavily tied to their phones during a Disney World trip, something the company has actively acknowledged in a recent earnings call. This app, by definition, adds to that problem while not creating anything meaningful for the minority of visitors, who aren’t looking at social media in the queues in the first place, who know it still exists. The current mini games and adventures such as the Batuu Bounty Hunters, ACE Guide To Pandora and others will be discontinued along with the app.

If you’re a fan of peeking behind the curtain at how they make the magic happen, a new film by acclaimed director Leslie Iwerks is now available on Disney+. in Disney Worldbuilders some of the most influential storytellers reflect on memories and moments that shaped their work, tracing how stories and magical lands and attractions come to life in Disney’s parks.

Candid conversations with Bob Iger, Jon Favereau, Kevin Feige, Josh D’Amaro, James Cameron and more reveal how stories like Avatar, Star Wars, Pixar and Avengers were brought to life in the parks. Check out the short trailer below.

I know we’re still in the middle of summer but the parks are already looking towards Christmas, and I have some good news if you’re heading to Universal Orlando this year. Universal confirmed this month that Christmas will start one week earlier than the presvious 2 years on November 14th.

The resort-wide celebration will also be expanded in Epic Universe which only saw Celestial park and the Wizarding World decorated for the holidays. The Wizarding World will once again feature seasonal lighting and decorations and Celestial Park’s “cosmic winter wonderland” returns in 2026 with twinkling trees and holiday-themed fountain displays throughout the day.

Joining in the celebrations this year, Super Nintendo World and Isle Of Berk will also be decorated for the holidays where “Snoggletog is taking flight this holiday season”. Returning favourites include The Grinch, Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s.

In a bid to expand the popularity of their annual Howl-O-Scream events at all SeaWorld and Busch Gardens properties, United parks has teamed up with Sony Pictures to bring to life 2 popular franchises for the first time.

I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Final Catch will be a brand new haunted house at all SeaWorld US properties. Based on the 1997 movie, visitors will explore recreations of several gruesome movie scenes. Busch Gardens, meanwhile, will open Anaconda: Fear Has No Escape, a new house based on the cult 1997 movie Anaconda. Check out the short Instagram teaser announcements below.

National golf entertainment company, PopStroke, is on course to open it’s largest multi-million dollar venue yet near the Convention Center at 8554 International Drive.

The Tiger Woods co-owned company operates over 20 venues throughout the US but its new Orlando location will be its largest featuring 2 professionally designed 18-hole miniature golf courses. International Drive isn’t exactly short on mini golf experiences so what sets Popstroke apart?

The courses will include a river system, pedestrian bridges and 13-feet high waterfalls. One of the courses will have multiple holes built above the property’s waterfalls. Guests will also play through a cave and alongside a shark and stingray tank.

The courses feature hole in one cameras and an app-based scoring system, plus guests will be able to mobile order food and drink to be delivered anywhere on property. The courses will be equipped with shade trees, cooling fans and misters for when the Orlando weather decides to do what it does best.

The 2-story venue will also feature indoor and outdoor dining spaces, a beer garden, children’s playground and 5 bars. It’s on course to open some time in December, right before the peak convention season starts in January. The pre visualisation released by the company certainly looks impressive and is a step up above other courses you can find on I-Drive. Check out the short video below.

That’s it for this month, thanks for reading; ill be back in September with another update.