Bitesize Orlando April 2024 – Issue 34

Welcome to Bitesize Orlando April 2024 edition. As usual, when I have an extended period out of the country with limited internet, the news has flowed thick and fast this past couple of weeks. This month’s catchup brings you news of extended attraction closures at Disney World and Universal plus a sneak peak at 2 of Universal’s newest hotels and lots more in between. Let’s dive straight into the good stuff.

As I have been travelling around Central America these past few weeks, I have used the time for a long overdue refresh of my Attraction Tick Lists and Attraction Height Requirements downloads.

These handy guides allow you to plan your trip effectively before you arrive in Orlando by downloading and filling out what you would like to do and what you would rather skip so you can maximise your time making memories on holiday without standing in needless queues.

Updated versions are available to download now on each theme park overview page and include 2025’s newest attractions. As my free downloads have increased exponentially since I started the website, I want to reduce friction for you navigating the site. One of May’s priorities is a new downloads page that will make it easy to download every planning resource you will need to have the best trip without having to visit every page on the site. Happy planning!

During an invitation-only event at Disney’s Imagineering Headquarters in Glendale California, Disney World Portfolio VP Michael Hungden confirmed that plans are indeed moving ahead with Magic Kingdom’s biggest-ever expansion “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain”. There are still no firm details about what this multi-year project will include but we should know more about the size of it once Disney files the mandatory Water Management Permit, which should be any day now.

Separately, Principal Landscape Designer at WDI, Neal Emery, shared a brief Instagram video showing his team taking a field trip to the Yucatan peninsula (coincidentally where I have been writing this month’s newsletter over the past couple of weeks) to draw inspiration about Animal Kingdom’s biggest ever expansion and re-imagining, the Tropical Americas area is set to take over and expand what is now “Dinoland U.S.A.” into separate mini-areas collectively titled Tropical Americas.

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A post shared by Walt Disney Imagineering (@waltdisneyimagineering)

The Water Management Permit for the Tropical Americas expansion has already been filed. Disney Imagineering trailers will be moving in behind the scenes to serve as the project’s hub while building work is taking place.

Nothing has been confirmed for this expansion either but it is strongly rumoured that an Encanto area (see Casa Madrigal in the video above) will be added, possibly where Triceratop Spin once stood. DINOSAUR likely will be converted into an Indiana Jones attraction which makes sense from a business and visitor standpoint. Indiana Jones has better audience awareness than an obscure largely ignored animation from 2000 plus “DINOSAUR” and “Indiana Jones Adventure” in Disneyland share an almost identical ride system but Indiana Jones is a superior attraction in every way. Expect a ‘plussed’ version of the attraction, not a straight copy seeing all the new technology available to Disney now compared to when the original Indy attraction opened in 1995.

The multi-year-long “reimagining” of EPCOT’s former Future World area will be complete in a few short weeks when the CommuniCore Hall & CommuniCore Plaza area will open to the public on June 10th.

CommuniCore Hall and the adjoining outdoor plaza area and stage is the final section of what was Innoventions and Future World. They will join “Journey Of Water Inspired By Moana” and “Dreamers Point” bringing this phased reimagining to life.

But construction walls will only be down for a week because Disney has announced that Test Track will close for a multi-month-long reimagining the following week. More on that below.

In news that made the headlines on our shores, Disney is overhauling its ‘Disability Access Service’ for disabled guests visiting Disney World and Disneyland.

“Disney is dedicated to providing a great experience for all our guests, including those with disabilities, which is why we’re so committed to delivering a wide range of innovative support services aimed at helping our Guests with disabilities have a wonderful time when visiting our theme parks”

Walt Disney Resort Spokesperson On Sweeping Changes Being Introduced To The Disability Access Service

In the past 5 years, there has been an explosion in the popularity of Disney’s Disability Access Service (DAS) at both Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. They have become Disney’s most requested service while also being one of the most contentious issues for guests with usage requests tripling over that time.

The service has been open to widespread abuse, so much so, that Disney has been forced to introduce new rules in the way it evaluates requests for the service while not changing who qualifies for the service.

The changes come into effect on May 20th for Disney World guests and June 18th for Disneyland. Disney has updated the Accessibility Services website for each of the locations. Disney World’s website provides more clarity about the range of accommodations available to guests who have a disability and how Disney can help them.

Moving forward Disney is partnering with Inspire Health Alliance’s trained medical professionals to assist cast members, when needed, in determining the eligibility of appropriate accommodations and ensuring that accommodations are only provided for whom they are intended and not misused.

Guests who believe they need this service are encouraged to get in touch with Disney up to 120 days ahead of their visit (currently it is only 60) for a conversation about the guest’s unique needs and the services they may require.

DAS is one of the programs offered at Walt Disney World Resort theme parks intended to accommodate only those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.

A change in wording on Disney’s DAS website aims to curb abuse of the system by those who wittingly, or unwittingly have used the system in the past but are better served by some of Disney’s other programs that will better cater to their needs.

If you wait until you arrive you will no longer be able to speak to a cast member in person but you will need to have a conversation with one using an iPad in a central location. Guest Services cast members will no longer be able to help in the parks at Disney World. The process is slightly different for Disneyland who will still have cast members available but at a new central location between Disneyland and California Adventure.

It is hoped that the extra time taken with this change, and introducing friction into the process will deter many would-be abusers from contemplating using a service which is aimed at a tiny fraction of Disney World’s visitors.

There is an additional worry for international visitors. Officially Disney doesn’t guarantee availability of the pre-arrival service outside of the US. Disney instead instructs international visitors to wait until they arrive in the US before contacting the DAS service. Ideally, you should contact DAS before you attempt to visit the parks.

You can try and circumvent this by using a VPN but there is no guarantee this will work. Sometimes it does and other times it doesn’t, there is no rule and very little help for you if this happens. Before you say anything, yes this is unfair to international visitors and I feel for you.

Below is an overview of the changes to the service at Disney World (Disneyland will operate slightly differently given the demographics and California’s differing disability laws). For a complete overview of Disney Disability Access Service please click the image or this link to be taken directly to the official website.

• Personalised pre-arrival video calls available from 120 days before arrival to determine DAS eligibility
• Officially, international visitors are instructed to arrive in the US before calling but do it before arriving at the theme parks
• In-person conversations no longer continue at Disney World, on the day visitors requesting service will be directed to a central location for a personalised conversation with a cast member using tablets
• DAS doesn’t provide immediate access to an attraction but allows a specific return time bypassing the main queue
• The DAS pass will be valid until the attraction or park closes whichever comes first, a pass does not need to be redeemed at the return time stated
• Available for the registered DAS user and immediate family (parents & siblings) or up to a maximum of 4 people including the DAS user if not immediate family. Larger families could miss out here. If a DAS user brings both parents and brother or sister to ride along, granny and grandad would be left standing at the exit because they will not be included as immediate family.
• Anyone in the registered DAS group can request a return time for an attraction using the My Disney Experience app
• The registered DAS user must be present and experience the attraction
• A party can only hold one DAS return window at a time and must be in the park before making a request meaning there will no longer be the opportunity to request 2 attraction passes prior to your visit
• A new DAS request for the same or other attractions can be made 10 minutes after the previous DAS has been redeemed
• Users without a mobile device can get return times at Guest Relations or a Guest Experience Team location (look for blue umbrellas)

In a new in-depth video series titled “We Call It Imagineering”, Disney Imagineering shows us some of the creative processes used to bring Disney’s famed audio-animatronics to life. The video focuses mainly on the complex creatures that will be filling Taina’s Bayou Adventure when it opens in Magic Kingdom and Disneyland later this year.

“You will be able to experience our most advanced Audio-Animatronics figures yet in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. These figures build on our legacy with even more sophistication”

WDI spokesperson on the new Audio-Animatronics being created for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Check out the full video below.

Now, before you go getting excited I want to point out that this option isn’t the most convenient, even for those people staying on Disney Property, but it’s an option you might want to look at if you’re not driving because it is cheap.

Now that I’ve set your expectations accordingly, let’s get into the details. Lynx, the public transit operator for Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties has launched a new Disney World Service direct from Orlando International Airport (MCO).

The Link 311 Service operates from Terminal A (Level 1 spots A38 – A41) direct to Disney Springs via 6 other stops including Universal Boulevard and International Drive north plus the Convention Center to the south. Please click here to download a PDF of the route and a full timetable.

The Service started on April 21st and runs every 30 minutes, 7 days a week from 5 am to 11 pm. The cost is just $2 per person. Below is the X (formerly Twitter) post from Orlando International Airport.

Great news!! Starting April 21, the new Link 311 with @lynxbusorlando will operate between our airport & the Disney Springs Transfer Center, with convenient stops along the way!
🗓️ Every 30 minutes, daily
⌚ 5am-11pm
📍 Level 1, Terminal A, A38-41 spots
🚍 https://t.co/xDKBFVjyQ7 pic.twitter.com/Me1Ubhyez5

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) April 19, 2024

Shortly after the construction walls have come down on the multi-year transformation of Future World, one of EPCOT’s most popular attractions will be closing for an undetermined length of time to reinvigorate the now 20+-year-old attraction with a new “spirit of optimism” while reaching back into history and the original World Of Motion attraction that once occupied this space for inspiration.

Test Track’s current form, affectionately dubbed 2.0 by fans, will be closing on June 17th. A re-opening date or even a closure timeframe hasn’t been shared. Tom Bricker who runs Disney Tourist Blog uncovered a permit connected to the refurbishment that lasts until the end of February 2025, putting this refurbishment at least in the 8-month bracket of the last major re-do of the attraction.

The last major overhaul lasted from April to December 2012. Until this month we didn’t know when Test Track would close but a re-imagining was announced at the Destination D23 event last year.

Disney has shared one new piece of concept art (above) showing the new exterior of the building and, thankfully removing the permanent yet temporary-looking front marquee that was great for sheltering from rain or harsh sunlight but added nothing to the attraction itself.

Universal waited until nearly the end of the month before announcing the opening date of Dreamworks Land plus not 1 but 2 new summer nighttime shows, one for Universal Studios and one for Islands Of Adventure.

Looking at the headline for this slice of the news you will be right in thinking they will all debut on June the 14th 2024. Check operational calendars for “CineSational” and “Hogwarts Forever” as these are on select evenings.

CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular

The brand new nighttime show replaces Universal Studios’ old “Cinematic Celebration” which closed in March 2023, leaving Universal Studios without a nighttime spectacular throughout the rest of 2023 and half of 2024.

The exhilarating new show will celebrate the emotional power of music by leveraging the iconic scores and scenes from blockbuster films that have inspired Universal Orlando’s past, present, and future attractions.

Universal Studios

The following movies will be represented in the new epic nighttime spectacular which will also feature 228 fountains and more than 600 drones.

• “Back to the Future”
• “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
• “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
• “The Fast and the Furious”
• “Ghostbusters”
• “Harry Potter”
• “Jaws”
• “Jurassic World”
• “King Kong”
• “Minions”
• “The Mummy”
• “Shrek”
• “Transformers”
• “Trolls”
• “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”
• Universal Classic Monsters films

Hogwarts Always

Another new nighttime show, this time for Islands Of Adventure, is an update and return of the popular Wizarding World projection show onto Hogwarts Castle.

The latest iteration is “Hogwarts Always” and will feature 4 unique endings, one for each house in Hogwarts; Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.

Enjoy a journey through iconic moments of a year at the beloved school of witchcraft and wizardry, all set against the majestic background of Hogwarts castle. From supply shopping in Diagon Alley, and the exhilarating ride aboard the Hogwarts Express, to participating in the Sorting Ceremony, celebrating the House Cup winner and so much more, this visually stunning experience promises to captivate witches, wizards and Muggles of all ages.

Universal Orlando

A little later in the year on July 3rd, Universal Studios will also debut a brand new daytime parade, the Universal Mega Movie Parade. Check the operating calendar for times as it won’t show every day.

The new parade is made up of 13 floats and over 100 performers. “Universal Mega Movie Parade”, will shine a spotlight on classics and newer titles from Universal’s massive slate of pictures. New “Trolls” and “Jurassic World” bubble wands will interact with the parade floats so keep them at the ready!

• “Back to the Future”
• “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
• “Ghostbusters”
• “Jaws”
• “Kung Fu Panda”
• “Minions”
• “Sing”
• “Trolls”

The new “Universal Mega Movie Parade”, will be the first daytime parade since Universal retired the “Universal Superstar Parade” in 2022 following a 10-year run. Since then daytime parades at Universal Studios have been thin pickings, only showing during Universal’s popular multi-week Mardi Gras event and other special holiday seasons.

Universal Studios has released dates and tickets for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios via a cryptic Instagram post earlier this month which I have embedded below. The event will run on select evenings from August 30th through November 3rd.

Fear cannot be contained.

Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights select nights Aug 30-Nov 3. Tickets and packages on sale now! https://t.co/RSevrENI2C #HHN #HHN33 pic.twitter.com/OyzPbbXoEJ

— Halloween Horror Nights (@HorrorNightsORL) April 4, 2024

No details regarding this year’s theme, houses or scare zones have been released but the park promises a “new slate of frights and nightmare-inducing terror at every corner”. Based on previous years expect more details on the houses and scare zones around June or July.

Separately from the HHN drop in X, as I reported the rumour last month, Universal Studios’ Fast & Furious: Supercharged attraction has been confirmed to close for the duration of the event. Universal has updated the attraction’s operating calendar to show it is closed from August 19th until November 3rd, the day when Halloween Horror Nights finishes its 2024 run.

The latest video to be released by Universal regarding Epic Universe focuses on the two Prime Value hotels, Terra Luna and Stella Nova located just across the road from Epic Universe. As well as revealing the new logos and mock-up images of how the rooms and some public areas will look we also have a fantastic animated fly-through of both hotels, which are looking fabulous.

Check out the video below. Universal Stella Nova will open from January 21st 2025 and will be joined by Universal Terra Luna on February 25th 2025. Reservations have been open since late last year.

Disney will be going all out for Hollywood Studio’s ‘May The 4th Be With You’ fan event in honour of all things Star Wars (FYI, if you don’t like long queues, avoid Hollywood Studios on May 4th!), Seaworld has announced its inaugural Seven Seas Run event that will take place before the park opens on May 4th.

Fun runs and mini-marathons are big business for Disney which even has its own Run Disney website showcasing the 8 fun run events throughout the year. Perhaps looking further ahead to its own 2 onsite hotels opening over the next couple of years, Seaworld could be looking at bolstering bookings in those hotels if this event proves a hit with visitors.

Sunrise in Orlando that day will be 6:42 and the event will take place from 7 am and welcome all levels of runners around the approximate 5km course which loops around the car park before entering the park near Sesame Street and finishing at Wild Arctic which will host a celebration for runners and spectators.

Children aged 7 and under can join in the fun with a mini-run between 50 and 200 yards around Sesame Street Land from 8 am. All children will receive a ribbon while the top 3 men and top 3 women in the adult race will win a Seaworld Annual Pass.

It’s very early days and nothing has been mentioned, or even hinted at by Seaworld, but X user @EthanHershaft posted photos of the building formerly home to Wild Arctic’s simulator attraction Wild Arctic fuelling speculation that the entire Wild Arctic building could see improvements to animal habitats and a brand new flying theatre attraction (think Sourin’ at EPCOT) could debut in the former simulator attraction space. Park Fan user Seaworld History also posted hearing the same rumour, possibly coming from Mack Rides.

The Wild Arctic simulator attraction hasn’t operated since Seaworld was forced to shut during the COVID pandemic and there has been no mention of it opening since but all mention of it has been removed from the Seaworld website.

The almost forgotten area that is Wild Arctic has been due for renovation for years. The attraction used to feature polar bears, beluga whales, walruses and harbour seals. The polar bears and beluga whales have since died of natural causes but you can still see walrus’ and seals.

Seaworld San Diego replaced their simulator attraction with an Intamin family-launched coaster called Arctic Rescue in 2022, similar to Orlando’s “Penguin Trek” opening later this year in the Antarctica section of the park.

Busch Gardens took to X, formerly Twitter on April 10th with a short video confirming that track installation on the family suspended coaster is complete. They also posted a new animated video of the new rollercoaster on Instagram which I have embedded below.

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A post shared by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (@buschgardens)

Just under $62MILLION of FAA funds have been granted to Orlando International Airport (MCO) to expand its Terminal C facilities by another 138,000 square yards to meet the growing needs of both airlines and visitors. The funds are part of Joe Boden’s $15BILLION Infrastructure Law aimed at improving US airport infrastructure.

Terminal C opened in October 2022 and has Jet Blue and an anchor tenant plus a small scattering of other domestic and international airlines.

I have tried to embed the video below but the code doesn’t seem to be working 100% of the time so for the full report please click this link to watch in on the FOX35 Orlando website.

That’s it for another packed news and rumour update from Central America. I am returning home in a couple of days to catch up on more news and rumours for May as well as keep on the long task of updating my planning guide for 2025 visitors and beyond. Have a great month!