Bitesize Orlando February 2023 – Issue 20

Welcome to another catchup of all that has been happening in and around Orlando in the last 4 weeks in my Bitesize Orlando February 2023 catchup. As usual, before we get to the parks there are a couple of website updates I would like to make you aware of but if you want to jump to something that interests you please click a link in the table of contents below or scroll through the whole article at your own leisure.

Inside Bitesize Orlando February 2023

Website Updates

As I promised last month, my Busch Gardens Tampa crowd calendar is live. Like all my crowd calendar pages it will give you an idea of how busy you can expect the park to be on your visit and list events and main US holidays that will bump crowds in the parks. I have also managed to make my Legoland Florida crowd calendar page live so if you are planning on visiting Legoland, please give it a look.

This month I am concentrating on Universal Orlando crowd calendars before I move on to all of Disney World’s parks. Depending on how long laying out each article takes I may be able to get at least 1 Disney park live before the end of the month but as I am away for half of it, it will depend on the quality of my wifi connection while I am away.

Disney World News February 2023

Its been another busy month in the Disney marketing department, kicking off with the announcement that returning fireworks shows ‘EPCOT Forever‘ and ‘Happily Every After‘ in ‘Magic Kingdom’ with both play at 9 pm nightly in their selected parks from April 3rd until replacement shows are ready later in the year.

TRON Lightcycle / Run First Impressions

The biggest news from Disney this month is that TRON Lightcycle / Run is now in preview mode for Disney cast members and, soon, Disney Vacation Club members followed by annual pass holders.

As such, we have our first rider POV videos and impressions of Disney’s newest roller coaster. Remember that TRON is a clone of an attraction that opened in Shanghai Disneyland in 2017 so while it is new to Disney World, the ride technology is far from new as it was initially scheduled to open in 2020 before COVID delayed construction schedules.

TRON has come in for some criticism online about the ride-car comfort. Some people report not being able to fit in or being very uncomfortable while riding. Some even go as far as saying that Disney’s design is body-shaming people. The controversy surrounding the seat sizes even made the local news. Considering that the ride is a clone of an attraction made for the Asian market should it be any great surprise that the average American is having issues if Disney has made no alterations to the ride cars whatsoever?

I will reserve judgement on that until I get to ride the attraction in May but bear in mind that you may want to use the test seat before you get in the queue.

What I will say looking at the on-ride POV video posted online already is that the theming is great but the ride is SHORT so weigh that up with the queue time if you manage to get a virtual line pass in the first place once the ride opens officially on the 4th of April.

2023 Garden Rocks Concert Series Lineup

Disney has released most artist details for the 2023 Garden Rocks Concert Series at EPCOT from early March until early July.

Garden Rocks concerts take place multiple times throughout the day in the America Gardens Theatre opposite The American Adventure attraction at the back of the park and are included with your entry ticket. Remember that you must still currently have a valid theme park reservation for the day of the concert you wish to see to attend.

Concerts will take place at the following times daily and last around half an hour:

• 5:30 pm
• 6:45 pm
• 8:00 pm

Disney has introduced some new artists this year to complement the already impressive lineup spanning multiple decades from the 70s through to the present day and genres of music from pop and rock (including staples from the Christian Rock and Pop sub-genres) through to soul, jazz and R&B.

Friday to Monday a mix of internationally recognised acts take to the stage while local talent is featured on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

The current list of performers with only 1 missing artist on April 3rd is as follows:

• March 3-4 – Journey former lead vocalist Steve Augeri
• March 5-6 – Daughtry (American Idol)
• March 10-11 – Tommy DeCarlo
• March 12-13 – Smash Mouth
• March 17-18 – Mike DelGuidice
• March 19-20 – Blue Oyster Cult – NEW
• March 24-25 – Berlin
• March 26-27 – The Pointer Sisters
• March 31 – Luis Figueroa – NEW
• April 1-2 – Piso 21 – NEW
• April 3 – TBD
• April 7-8 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
• April 9-10 – Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles
• April 16-17 – Switchfoot – NEW
• April 21-22 – A Flock of Seagulls
• April 23-24 – Jo Dee Messina
• April 28-29 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett, The Voice Of Player
• April 30, May 1 – Kool and the Gang
• May 5-8 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
• May 12-15 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
• May 19-20 – A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce – NEW
• May 21-22 – Casting Crowns – NEW
• May 26-27 – Jason Scheff, longtime lead singer of Chicago – NEW
• May 28-29 – Rick Springfield
• June 2-5 – Plain White T’s
• June 9-10 – The Spinners
• June 11-12 – The Commodores
• June 16-17 – Vertical Horizon
• June 18-19 – Tony Orlando
• June 23-26 – Simple Plan
• June 30, July 1 – Living Colour
• July 2-3 – Wang Chung

As well as the concerts, EPCOT’s Flower And Garden Festival features outdoor kitchens for every taste bud, topiary displays, exhibits and gardens featuring all your favourite Disney characters. For more information on the EPCOT International Flower And Garden Festival visit the freshEPCOT website.

Reservations & Pricing Available For Roundup Rodeo BBQ

The hottest dining ticket in Hollywood Studios is now bookable as reservations for Roundup Rodeo BBQ opened on the 21st of February.

This a quick reminder about booking dining reservations in the UK. You don’t need a VPN connection as you do for other experiences. The online reservation window opens 60 days ahead of your stay at 6 am US time (11 am in the UK). You may find the website better for booking reservations as there have been reported issues with the My Disney Experience App.

Disney-owned hotel guests can book the first 10 days of reservations from their 60th-day window so reservations will be difficult to secure. If you don’t have any luck with the online reservations system you can also try calling Disney direct on 0800 1690748 from midday. If you still don’t have any luck securing a reservation keep checking the system as people’s plans will change and so will their dining reservations. A last resort, try a walk-up on-the-day reservation to snag any last-minute cancellations as cast members will get live availability a few minutes before it is uploaded to the website and app.

Disney has also released a behind-the-scenes tour of the restaurant under construction which you can view below. The restaurant will open on the 23rd of March at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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In terms of cost, Roundup Rodeo BBQ sits in the moderate category of table service restaurants in Hollywood Studios. Pricing will be the same for lunch and dinner sittings. Remember that the restaurant is an all-you-can-eat buffet style.

• Adult: $45, plus tax and gratuity
• Child: $25, plus tax and gratuity

Storyline For Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Revealed

Now that the original Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom is closed and the transformation to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has begun, Disney has shared a little more information about the storyline for the new attraction opening in late 2024.

I’ll hand over to Disney cast member  Kevin Rafferty Jr to explain the details:

“At a young age, Tiana developed a deep passion for cooking, and began to dream of one day owning her own business. Her father, James, taught her that good food brings folks together. One of the most exciting parts of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is that we’re going to see where Tiana’s life has taken her following the success of Tiana’s Palace, a restaurant she had dreamed of owning and worked so hard to make come true.

Walt Disney Imagineering is creating an original, next chapter story for Tiana. Within the attraction queue, guests will discover that she continues to grow her business with Tiana’s Foods – an employee-owned cooperative. Combining her talents with those of the local community, Tiana has transformed an aging salt mine and built a beloved brand.

The endeavor began when Tiana purchased the salt mine and the area surrounding the large salt dome it operated from. With the help of her mother Eudora, Naveen, Louis and fellow owners of the cooperative, Tiana revived the old salt mine and the surrounding land, growing a wide array of vegetables, herbs and spices for her recipes.

This multi-faceted enterprise has turned the aging salt mine into a space that has come alive. Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products that they are bringing to the world, including a line of original hot sauces.

Tiana wants to give a big thanks to her family and friends and the entire community for all the support they’ve given her by throwing an amazing party during Mardi Gras season. When it turns out there’s been a bit of a mix–up with the party preparations, Tiana invites us to meet her at Tiana’s Foods to help with the missing ingredient for the party.

When we arrive, we may see that Tiana spruced up the company’s facilities with vibrant art from local artists. Food for the party is being prepared and beignets are being loaded into crates for the celebration. All kinds of preparations are underway for the journey into the bayou with Tiana, along with new and familiar friends from the animated film.

Picking up where that story left off, Tiana continues bringing people together with Tiana’s Foods, another treasured meeting place to spend time together and celebrate a diverse community. Tiana is also working with cooperative members to teach gardening and cooking to children of all ages, and inspiring other women to run successful businesses as the brand grows nationwide.”

EPCOT After-Hours Events

Disney has confirmed that EPCOT will soon be hosting After Hours events, a separately ticketed event with fewer crowds and short wait times because tickets are limited in number and usually quite expensive.

Confirmed to be running during After Hours are:

• Frozen Ever After
• Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Character meet and greets and complimentary snacks are also offered. After-hours events will be held on select nights starting from the 1st of June and will run from 10 pm until 1 am.

Confirmed dates and pricing for 2023 so far are:

• Thursday, June 1: $139
• Thursday, June 15: $129
• Thursday, June 22: $129
• Thursday, June 29: $139
• Thursday, July 6: $139
• Wednesday, July 12: $139
• Thursday, July 20: $139
• Thursday, July 27: $129
• Thursday, August 3: $139
• Thursday, August 10: $129
• Thursday, August 17: $129
• Thursday, August 24: $129

Disney 100 Exhibition & Exclusive Wallpapers

The Disney 100 Exhibition is now open in Philadelphia celebrating 100 years of Disney through 10 galleries featuring “moving stories, unique interactive installations, and exciting background information” of Disney classic moves as well as newer members of the Disney family from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic (they own 72% of National Geographic shares as part of their acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019).

To celebrate the exhibition and 100 years of Disney, Disney has released an exclusive collection of 10 phone wallpapers you can download from the D23 website. If you are interested in visiting the exhibition, it will be opening in London in the autumn at ExCel. Keep an eye on the Disney100 Exhibition UK website for more information and tickets.

Driving To Disney World Could Become Easier Within 4 Years!

You may have heard horror stories from friends and family who have visited Orlando in years gone by about how bad it can be driving around. Orlando is dissected by Interstate 4, one of the main road arteries in the state but, like our M25, the I-4 regularly backs up with the sheer amount of traffic trying to use it.

I-4 was at the start of a modernisation program aimed at keeping traffic flowing and congestion to a minimum but the project timeline had the program running for 20 years. 20 YEARS OR ROADWORKS!!

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced a staggering $7BILLION proposal to, “speed the completion of 20 highway projects across the state,” according to Fox 35 Orlando, including the thorny stretch of I-4 from Champions Gate to Osceola Parkway which will cost $1.451BILLION alone.

The funding means works could ramp up considerably and be completed in just 4 years including widening existing roadways, making existing connections more efficient and expanding intersections to be more free-flowing in turn improving traffic flow and reducing congestion.

In the short term, if the funding is approved we could see more traffic woes while the work ramps up but the wait will hopefully be worth it for the millions of car journeys taken every year along I-4.

Full Housekeeping Returning To All Disney Resorts

A busy month of announcements from Disney has been bookended with the announcement that full housekeeping is returning to all Disney-owned hotels by the time you read this.

The official condensed announcement from Disney:

We’ve heard from many of you about how much you love and have missed the more regular housekeeping services we offered prior to the pandemic.

By the end of February, full housekeeping room cleanings will once again be available at all of our Resort hotel rooms, with services provided daily or every other day depending on where you are staying.

Disney hasn’t specifically stated what resort levels will receive daily or every other day housekeeping but I would be surprised if Deluxe level resorts received less than daily housekeeping while value resorts will receive every other day service. The tricky question is over moderate-level resorts that have a premium price band but fewer features than their deluxe counterparts.

Housekeeping will also include the return of popular  “magic touches” such as your Mickey ear hat on display or your Disney plushies posing playfully to really make your room feel like a home away from home.

Universal Orlando News February 2023

Jurassic Park & Bilge Rat Barges Refurb Amendments

Universal has amended its ride maintenance calendar to reflect a longer-than-planned refurbishment of Jurassic Park River Adventure that was due to reopen on the 4th of February but eventually reopened on the 20th.

To accommodate the extension Popeye And Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges refurbishment was pushed back from its original start on the 13th of February to the 20th of February. It’s now scheduled to reopen on the 11th of March, just in time for peak Spring Break crowds. This is now in line with Me Ship The Olive which is also scheduled to reopen on the 11th of March.

Velocicoaster Joins Express Pass Lineup

20 months since it officially opened, Universal’s Island Of Adventure’s popular new roller coaster, Velocicoaster has been added to the park’s roster of Express Pass premium queue attractions.

Express Pass allows users to bypass standby lines on some, but not all, of Universal’s most popular attractions in either Islands Of Adventure or Universal Studios. Pricing starts at $89.99 per person per day for a single park one-time Express Pass but you can purchase a 2 park 1-day option. Unlimited ride Express Passes start at $99.99 per person per day.

Islands Of Adventure’s 2 most popular attractions have been omitted from Express Pass since they opened although now Velocicoaster has been added there is one glaring omission still not included with Express Passes; Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Hagrid opened in 2019 and has never been offered as an Express Pass option but the family-launched steel motorbike roller coaster is Universal Orlando Resorts’ most popular attraction with lines regularly stretching over 2 hours.

For more information on Universal Express Pass please visit my complete Universal Express Pass guide.

Universal Lowers The Price For Great Movie Escape

Originally opened on the 9th of December 2022, Universal has already lowered the cost of entry to both escape room experiences within its Great Movie Escape experience in Citywalk.

Originally priced at $49.99 per person per experience both “adventures” as Universal refers to them have been reduced by $10 to $39.99. A private experience ticket has also dropped in price from $300 to $240 for up to 8 people.

Universal hasn’t stated whether the price reduction is permanent or not and it’s entirely possible the price could rise once again during peak periods.

Busch Gardens Tampa News February 2023

Busch Gardens Sets Opening Date For Serengeti Flyer

Busch Gardens has set the opening date for its brand new thrill ride, the ‘Serengeti Flyer‘, Busch Gardens Tampa’s World record-setting Screaming Swing attraction.

The great news is that the Serengi Flyer will already be open by the time you read this; it debuted on February 27th.

Standing at 135-foot tall and travelling at 68mph, Serengeti Flyer is the world’s tallest and fastest screaming swing attraction, a title held originally by Thorpe Park’s screaming swing, ‘Rush’, which travels at 45mph and stands at 105 feet tall, when it opened in 2005.

Serengeti Flyer will be a welcome addition to bolster Busch Gardens Tampa’s thrill rides providing a different set of thrills to the park’s very impressive roller coaster collection.

Adventure Island Debuts Family Orientated Shaka Laka Shores

Adventure Island, Busch Gardens water park is debuting Shaka Laka Shores, a family-oriented area with 25 play elements and aquatic attractions.

“Shaka-Laka Shores’ vibrant and interactive elements are bound to provide our youngest guests with a playful space to splash and explore”.

Neil Thurman, Busch Gardens Tampa Park President

Shaka Laka Shores aquatic attractions are situated in a zero-depth area for peace of mind which surrounds a central play structure bundling elements of play, fun and interactivity to make a great addition to the 30-acre water park across the road from Busch Gardens in Tampa.

Orlando Area News February 2023

Grand Lakes Completes Water Park Expansion

If you are a family looking to stay outside of the parks, Grand Lakes, a 500-acre resort comprising 2 hotels by JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton has completed a multi-million dollar upgrade and improvement programme including the addition of a new water park.

The water park is situated on the JW Marriott side of the property but guests from both hotels are free to use the water park which is split into 6 zones.

• The lazy river
• Headwaters Slide Tower, with three slides
• Aquaventure obstacle course
• Oasis, a restaurant and firepit lounge
• An area dedicated to family fun
• A zone for those looking to relax

As with most water parks, you can upgrade your experience by renting a private cabana for the day.

Although the water park is the headline addition the multi-million dollar reimaging of both resorts also brings new dining options to JW Marriott in the form of Knife Burger, a casual poolside dining spot and a renovated ‘EvrBar’ in the lobby. The Ritz-Carlton has a new Solaire heated pool complete with cabanas.

Grand Lakes Orlando describes itself as “an oasis inspired by the golden age of Florida hotels.” It’s located just off the Central Florida Parkway near Seaworld so it is central to all Orlando area theme parks and easy to get to and from Orlando International Airport. For more information about all the amenities in Grand Lakes Orlando visit their official website.

One-Upon-A-Spring Returns To Gaylord Palms Resort

Gaylord Palms, a huge resort and conference centre on the outskirts of Disney World will once again be hosting its annual Once-Upo-A-Spring event between the 4th of March and the 14th of May.

The resort will host a number of family-friendly activities including:

• Adventure Kids Clubhouse to paint flowerpots
• Spring-A-Long Scavenger Hunt through 4.5 acres of beautiful grounds
• Pirates Treasure Escape Room
• Wildlife Rescue Virtual Animal Safari through augmented reality using the resort app
• Eggsprecion Garden in the Atrium for photo ops

On Saturdays during Once Upon A Spring there will also be a kid’s show in the Atrium featuring Seth the Sea Turtle, Ava the Alligator and Adventure Kid Sophie. Film fans can catch a “Dive-In-Movie” in the pool within the Cypress Springs water park.

Brightline Update

Brightline’s latest monthly ridership report says that the 170-mile extension of Brightline’s southern Florida network around Miami up to Orlando International is 90% complete as of February 2023 and high-speed testing of trains on part of the route is already underway with a view to commencing operations between West Palm Beach in Miami and Orlando in the second quarter of 2023.

To that end, Brightline’s new 37,350 square foot Orlando International Airpot terminal within Terminal C at OIA is on track (pardon the pun) to be finished within the next few weeks, months ahead of the line opening up.

The station offers touchless technology with self-service kiosks, and touchless turnstiles into a security screening area. While waiting to board there will be upscale retail shopping and Mary Mary Signature Bar offering panoramic views over the platforms and departing trains.

As for the roughly 16.7-mile extension into and eventually through Orlando, collectively called the Sunshine Corridor, Brightline is now in the design, engineering and review process. Construction wasn;t even slated to begin on this section until late 2024 and the remaining 68-mile extension to Tampa was slated to begin in the second quarter of 2025.

All this was before Disney pulled out of a deal to host a Brightline station so these timescales may have slipped again. Its possible that construction of the initial Universal/Convention Center extension to wrap by the end of 2025 but no official announcement has been made as yet.

To be clear, Brightline and SunRail offer one more choice of getting to and from the airport to International Drive when the Sunshine Corridor opens but it is not and never has been designed to kill off other airport transfer options namely taxi and ride-sharing apps which will offer much more convenience than the more sporadic timings of the high-speed trains.

What they will offer is a real-life alternative for southern Florida residents to get to Disney and Universal for a weekend without the 5+ hour drive between Miami and Orlando. I am not expecting to be using Brightline to get to and from the airport in Orlando BUT once the extension is fully open it will offer two competing alternatives to Orlando International Airport. Both Tampa and Miami and flights are priced more competitively than an MCO alternative from the UK and Brightline will offer an easy and affordable way to get between Orlando and these bustling cities that are currently underserved by UK tourists and that can only be a good thing, especially as living and visiting costs in Florida have skyrocketed in the last few years.

Roboland Set To Open On I-Drive

Roboland, a brand-new indoor interactive attraction is now open at 6464 International Drive, a couple of blocks south of Universal’s Endless Summer Resort.

Roboland aims to educate and inspire visitors about the world of robotics and its impact on society as well as encourage younger visitors to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Roboland is also the new home of TITAN, runner-up on Britain’s Got Talent in 2022. 3 times a day Titan will be performing complex tasks and executing precision movements accompanied by a light and sound display in a separate theatre to the main Roboland attraction. Check out the video of the new attraction from Fox35 in Orlando below.

Roboland is also home to Sophia, a highly advanced human-like robot created by Hanson Robotics that has made numerous appearances on television including The Jimmy Fallon Show in America. She’s even pals with Will Smith.

If you are looking for something a little different to do outside of the parks that aren’t affected by the weather check out the official Roboland website for more info and to book tickets.

That’s it for another packed month of updates. See you next month!