I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. Even with the new Coronavirus variant putting many plans in doubt there are likely going to be some excited people that have learned they are going to be visiting Orlando for the first time. Bitesize Orlando December 2021 and the entire Orlando Planning Guide website is here to help you take the complication out of planning your first Orlando trip.
If this is your first visit or if you have been with me from the beginning, it’s great to have you here! Grab the last of the eggnog or put a fresh pot of coffee on and lets dive into all the Orlando news for December.
Bitesize Orlando December 2021 Contents
Disney World News
- Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Under Fire
- EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival 2022 Dates Confirmed
- Select Behind The Scenes Tours Returning in 2022
- Guardians Of The Galaxy Gives First Preview Ride
- Another Magical Express Replacement Service Announced
- Typhoon Lagoon Finally Set To Re-Open
Busch Gardens News
Walt Disney World News
Disney has once again re-introduced mandatory face coverings in all indoor areas and on Disney Transport services. This is in line with Florida State rules aimed at preventing the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID.
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Under Fire
Disney’s PR department is usually right on the money with their marketing campaigns but Disney’s new super-hyped, hyper-immersive wallet busting 2-day hotel experience, Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel, has come under fire from many fans. How can a project of this scope be drawing ire from both Disney and Star Wars fans? Let me give you the abridged version.
Disney used last month’s D23 event to launch the latest marketing blitz for the new hotel, which opens in March 2022. Along with the initial sneak peek, Disney released a preview of the entertainment and lightsaber training. The original sneak peek video hosted by Goldbergs star Sean Giambrone, in particular, drew so many negative comments that Disney has quietly taken it offline without explanation.
Another video with Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks, Experiences And Products Chairman, showed us the Bridge and a quick look at Lightsaber Training. Fans were quick to point out that the areas looked decidedly cheap by Disney standards.
Why all the fury you may ask? Well, Disney was so confident in this product they expect a family of 4 to pay upwards of $6,000 for just 2 nights.
Would people pay it? Within hours of the initial booking system opening a few weeks ago, the first 3 months were completely sold out. Booking a place requires a 20% deposit ($1200 for a family of 4). The Cancellation policy for Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser booking is:
- Up to 90 days before departure – Full refund given.
- From day 31 to 89 before your arrival – 50% loss
- Day 0 to day 30 – 100% loss.
We are now at the 90-day window for the first departures and fans have been quick to vote with their money by withdrawing bookings. March, April and June, in particular, were completely sold out but now have sporadic availability because of the number of guests that have been cancelling.
I love Disney as much as the next person, but if you’re spending $6k for two nights for 4 people, I would immediately cancel my trip after seeing this trailer
Twitter user OkayLasVegas7 sums up the emotion of many with this tweet
Disney’s silence on this has been deafening in a way. I guarantee there are a lot of frantic meetings being held by the project team looking to fix the supposed cheapness of this. If you were one of the many millions of Disney visitors disappointed at the astronomical price tag pricing you out of a stay, you may have had a lucky escape. The first reviews in March are going to make very interesting reading.
Flower And Garden Festival 2022 Dates Announced
Disney has finally announced, officially, the dates for EPCOT’s annual Flower And Garden Festival which will run from 2nd March all the way through to 4th July.
Throughout the festival EPCOT bursts with colour, millions of flowers, topiaries and worldwide cuisine through 18 outdoor kitchens. The Garden Rocks concert series also returns to the America Gardens Theatre with acts to be announced soon.
Disney Behind The Scenes Tours Return in 2022
In line with Florida’s COVID prevention guidelines, all Disney’s Behind The Scenes tours have been suspended since March 2020. Starting 6th February 2022, select experiences will be returning.
Not all experiences will be returning yet, however. Only the following tours have been announced;
- Disney’s Keys To The Kingdom – Magic Kingdom
- Caring For Giants – Animal Kingdom
- Wild Africa Trek – Animal Kingdom
- Up Close With Rhinos – Animal Kingdom
- Savor The Savannah – Animal Kingdom
With EPCOT undergoing a massive overhaul, it’s no surprise that tours are still suspended there. Hollywood Studios will have enough going on with Galaxy’s Edge and hotel guests. The magic in Hollywood Studios now is immersing people not showing them how it’s all done, no matter how much some of us would like to see the behind-the-scenes workings.
Behind the scenes tours are very limited in number so pre-booking is essential if you want to experience one. They can be booked through the Enchanting Extras Collection page of the Disney World website or on the My Disney Experience App if you have it set up.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Early Preview Rides
EPCOT’s new mega-budget roller coaster ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind‘ has given its very first preview ride to Disney World President Jeff Vahle.
“After getting an update on the latest progress and an early test ride on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, I have three words: it is AWESOME!!!”
Disney World President Jeff Vahle after a very early preview of the attraction.
Unlike Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, this is one attraction that will almost certainly live up to the hype. Jeff went on to say that he looks forward to the refinements over the next several months. We are still quite a way from the grand opening but the fact it is at a stage to give a preview ride is definitely encouraging.
Another Airport Transfer Service To Disney World
Transportation Management Service (TMS) has announced the start of the Sunshine Flyer, a competitor to the Mears Connect. The main difference is that the buses will all be themed around, “old fashioned passenger cars and train engines”.
The press release first shared on PR Newswire also goes on to explain the buses, “effectively serve as time-machines, offering a glimpse into 1920s rail travel.”
“Through The Sunshine Flyer, we’re able to give guests the chance to start their vacation from the minute they step off the plane, and turn what used to be a procedural drive into the beginning of an adventure to remember.”
Frank Sherman, CEO of TMS on the new Sunshine Flyer service.
The buses will serve all Disney Resort hotels with the service starting just 1 month later than Mears Connect, in February 2022. Seats need to be booked online at least 4 days prior to pickup through the Sunshine Flyer website. All the buses feature 3-point seatbelts, toilets and USB charging ports.
TMS may be new to the Orlando theme park market but they have over 25 years of experience in mass consumer transport services. They have provided transportation services for the FIFA World Cup, NBA Finals and PGA Golf Tournaments to name a few.
Prices for the new service are $12.50 per child and $17 per adult one way, much in line with Mears Connect’s $13.50 child and $16 adult one-way prices. You can cancel your ticket up to 72 hours before pickup for a full refund. Cancellations within 72 hours will receive a credit towards future travel. The services aims to operate every 20 minutes with a maximum journey time of 65 minutes to the last drop off hotel.
Typhoon Lagoon Finally Gets Opening Date
The date has been a long time coming. The pools have been filled for the last few weeks sparking speculation that the opening of Typhoon Lagoon was imminent after nearly 2 years of closure. January 2nd will mark the first time since Disney World initially shut down at the start of the COVID pandemic in March 2020 that Typhoon Lagoon will be open to the public.
Both Disneys water parks shut down along with the rest of the resort in 2020. Unlike Typhoon Lagoon’s prolonged closure, Blizzard Beach opened to the public last summer.
Image © Disney World
Typhoon Lagoon’s closure has left a hole in many Disney World fans hearts, mine included as it’s one of my favourite water parks. Typhoon Lagon’s opening is somewhat bittersweet as Blizzard Beach will shut down once more for its annual refurbishment on January 1st leaving Disney World visitors still with only one water park option likely until the spring. Dinsey has not currently set a re-opening date for Blizzard Beach.
Universal Orlando News
Like Disney, Universal has also reimplemented mandatory face masks. If you are inside any building, on a ride (water rides are excluded) or in a queue line (outside or inside) face masks are once again mandatory.
Revenge Of The Mummy Hits Milestone Ahead Of Closure
Universal has announced that the popular ‘Revenge Of The Mummy: The Ride‘ roller coaster in Universal Studios has topped 100 million riders since it’s debut in 2004.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to ride this fantastic family coaster you have just one week left before the attraction closes for most of 2022. The ride will shut down on 7th January until, “at least late summer”, for a lengthy but much-needed refurbishment.
Inspired by the Brendan Fraser franchise, Revenge Of The Mummy: The Ride launches riders, quite literally, into the action that has made the films so popular. Nearly 17 years after my first ride, it is still one of my favourite family roller coaster experiences thanks to a near perfect blend of story telling and thrills.
This is only one of 4 attractions that Universal is closing in January.
Ride Refurbishment Schedule 2022 Confirmed
Universal has shared the following ride refurbishment schedule for January to March 2022.
- Shrek 4D (Universal Studios) – Closing permanently January 10th
- Jurassic Park River Adventure (IOA) – closed 31st January to 25th February
- Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges (IOA) Closed February 25th to March 18th
Aside from Shrek’s closing, this is entirely normal for January and February. Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom will also be closing for a few days in January for it’s annual refurbishment ahead of a much larger retheme to ‘The Princess And The Frog’ later in 2022 or 2023.
Jurassic World Velocicoaster Behind The Scenes
Since it opened in the summer, Jurassic World Velocicoaster at Islands Of Adventure has become one of the most popular attractions at Universal Orlando. Now, you can take a behind the scenes look at the making of Velocicoaster thanks to NBC Universal’s new streaming platform, Peacock.
The 21-minute documentary is a very interesting look into the process of building a mega-budget attraction with tons of ride footage and behind the scenes peeks as the ride was being constructed. It features interviews with Universal’s creative talent Gregory Hall and Shelby Honea as well as ‘Jurassic World’ writer and director Colin Trevorrow.
In the UK, although Peacock TV is available through Sky and NowTV I cannot locate the documentary. I contacted Sky to confirm if it is available to stream worldwide or only within the US at the moment but haven’t had a reply.
If you are at all interested in the business of theme parks, or even if you’re just mildly curious, it is a fantastic watch. At the moment you will need to use a VPN to change your location to the US and create a free Peacock TV Account to watch it.
Universal Orlando Hikes Parking Charges
The holiday season usually means some price hikes. Universal Orlando has kicked off theirs with car parking price increases. Standard parking has increased moderately from $26 to $27 per car per day. Prime parking has jumped to a whopping $60 daily charge.
General Orlando Area News
Orlando International To Open New Terminal
Orlando International Airport is in the final stages of construction on ‘Terminal C’, a new 15-gate terminal that will open in July 2022. Terminal C will accommodate up to 20 aeroplanes and anincreasing capacity by 10 to 12 million annual passengers.
It is already confirmed that the new terminal will have a Disney World shop, a Chef Art Smith restaurant and Wine Bar George’s second airport location.
Flight schedules and further information will be released in the new year. For now, have a look at some of the concept images of how the terminal will look come July courtesy of Orlando International Airport.
Aeriel construction overview 90% complete December 2021 
Interior concept image 1 
Interior concept image 2 
Terminal C Plan including future new Brightline Station
KSC Opening New ‘Gateway’ Attraction
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has announced a new attraction called ‘Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex‘. Still under construction, it is currently scheduled to open in March 2022.
Gateway’s 50,000 square feet of immersive displays will show the present and future of space exploration.
Image © KSC
The multi-level indoor space will feature artefacts, exhibits and a spacecraft collection as well as a 4D flying theatre attraction. The flying theatre attraction will feature 4 journeys; Cosmic Wonders, Daring Explorers, Red Planet & Uncharted Worlds.
Highlights of the new area include
- Orion crew vehicle from NASA’s EFT-1 mission
- A replica of Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser
- Engineering model of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew vehicle
- Space X Falcon 9 Booster
- Scale model of NASA’s Space Launch System
- Scale model of ULA’s Atlas V
- Scale Model of Delta IV Heavy
Watch a Video of Space X’s Falcon 9 Booster arriving on-site and being manoeuvred into place in the new Gateway building below courtesy of Kennedy Space Center.
Busch Gardens News
In line with other parks and in accordance with CDC guidelines, facemasks are now recommended in indoor areas.
Build A Bear Workshop Opens
Build A Bear Workshop is now officially open at Busch Gardens in Tampa. The store joins another site in sister park Seaworld Orlando that opened earlier this year.
There is a wide choice of animals kids can create including tigers, penguins, monkeys, elephants and alligators to name a few. There are even a few Sesame Street characters according to photos shared by the park.
Once your kids are done with their creations they can dress them up in cute safari outfits before carrying them away in an exclusive blue Busch Gardens themed backpack. Busch Gardens also confirmed more exclusive furry friends and accessories are on the way in the new year.
Legoland Florida News
The Leogland Florida website doesn’t explicitly state that facemasks are once again mandatory. Their operations update page simply states they work in line with government guidelines. As the government are now advising masks to be worn indoors it is reasonable to assume that this is also the case here.
Peppa Pig Theme Park Shares First Look At New Coaster
The construction team at Peppa Pig theme Park have shared a new video via Twitter that gives us our first real-world glimpse of ‘Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster‘ in action.
The ride system is complete but landscaping is still needed. The presenters were only shown sitting in a car indicating it may still need certification to operate. Looking at the video they are right on track for their February 24th opening date.
Website News
December has been a very busy month but I have managed to get more work done on the 2022 planning guide. Work will continue on that in the coming weeks. Once I get nearer to completion on that I will start designing the OPG Premium page.
Beyond those 2 major projects, the time has come to revamp the menu structure. Since it launched the website has grown in popularity and content. Finding the content you want is a big priority for me so I will be redesigning the menu sometime in the first quarter of 2022 to make finding content easier for you.
In regards to content, in last month’s newsletter I promised another article before the new year. Although it has been written, sadly I have not had the time to properly lay it out. Rather than put up something less than my normal standard I will be holding it back until the new year when I have time to lay it out properly. Look out for the ‘Ultimate Guide To Queueing In Orlando’s Parks‘ sometime in January.
Florida Here I Come (Again)!
It’s been longer than I had hoped, in part thanks to the pandemic, but I am finally heading back to Florida! Flights and onsite hotels are booked in both Dinsey and Universal (my first time ever staying onsite in both). I will be visiting all Disney and Universal parks and water parks, as well as Universal’s Citywalk and Disney Springs.
As well as visiting all the parks I will get my first chance to use Disney’s Lightning Lane and Genie+ service. I will also get my first ride on the Disney Skyliner. I will be bringing you reports of all the latest attractions to open including Guardians Of The Galaxy at EPCOT, hopefully, Tron Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom and Cirque Du Soleil’s brand new show Drawn To Life in Disney Springs.
It’s been an even longer time since I have had time to visit one of my favourite attractions, the Kennedy Space Centre. Families and children love the interactive nature of KSC and I really want to highlight what it has to offer but you may have noticed a lack of content regarding the Space Coast.
My last visit was over 10 years ago at the start of its transformation program. While not everything will be new, and some parts are still closed because of COVID, I am very much looking forward to heading back to discover what has happened to one of my favourite out-of park day tours in the decade since my last visit.
My trip is planned for early August so expect lots of daily posts live from the parks. If you have any questions or would like any photos or updates of anything in particular please let me know.
Happy New Year!
That’s it for this month. As we count down the final hours of 2021, I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year. I hope 2022 brings you happiness and adventure wherever you end up going.
