Bitesize Orlando January 2026 – Issue 55

Welcome to my first update of 2026. Bitesize Orlando January 2026. For a change, most of the action this month has been taking place outside of Disney World. Read on for some important updates to your Universal Orlando trip planning and find out about not 1 but two new developments coming to Orlando in 2027.

I’ve been busy behind the scenes, and you may have already noticed that I have released my Disney World Insiders Guide 2026, which I’ve been promising for the last couple of months. It’s now available to purchase. I’ve also managed to set up my own Etsy store. Due to the costs associated with Etsy, you’ll always find that buying directly will be cheaper than going through my Etsy store.

You’ll see that I promise updates throughout the year and that includes the activity booklet that comes free with the guide as part of my launch offer. I have already started work on another guide dedicated to getting the best out of Lightning Lanes in 2026. I have a lot more planned for my store and the website throughout 2026, so please keep checking back for updates.

Disney World has updated its list of runDisney events into the start of 2027, including confirming the dates for the last race of 2026. If you’re looking at visiting Disney World during these dates, remember that runDisney weekends are very busy with congested roads during the event. The important dates for you to look out for are:

• October 22nd-25th – 2026 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend
• January 6th-10th – 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
• February 25th-March 1st – 2027 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
• April 15th-18th – 2027 runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend

Garden Rocks is a free concert series held as part of the 2026 International Flower and Garden Festival running at EPCOT from March 4th until June 1st. Regular acts return with some new names in 2026. The full list of acts is:

• March 5-7: The Music of ABBA
• March 8-9: Simple Plan
• March 13-14: Blue October
• March 15-16: Billy Ocean
• March 20-23: THE ORCHESTRA (former members of ELO & ELO Part II)
• March 27-28: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
• March 29-30: 38 Special
• April 3-4: Chubby Checker
• April 5-6: Sugar Ray
• April 10-11: Information Society
• April 12-13: Rick Springfield
• April 17-18: Berlin
• April 19-20: The Commodores
• April 24-25: FireHouse
• April 26-27: Air Supply
• May 1-2: A Flock of Seagulls
• May 3-4: Plain White T’s
• May 8-9: Katrina, formerly of Katrina & The Waves
• May 10-11: 98 Degrees
• May 15-16: The Spinners
• May 17-18: Josiah Queen
• May 22-23: Iam Tongi
• May 24-25: A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce
• May 29-30: Queensrÿche
• May 31-June 1: Maverick Cit

A short video posted by Walt Disney Imagineering to their Instagram account at the start of the year gives us a brief glimpse into a new scene being added at the end of the attraction.

Imagineers and animators have been working hard to bring Buzz Lightyear to the final scene, along with Zurg, releasing space mines that players can shoot to score more points in the final minutes of the attraction.

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February 1st will see sweeping changes to Epic Universe’s early entry policies, according to Universal’s early entry page.

February’s change will not be popular for offsite guests used to heading straight for Wizarding Paris, as this portal will now join Super Nintendo World and Isle of Berk in becoming exclusive portals for onsite hotel guests.

Dark Universe has been ditched from the early entry program for now.

The wording of the announcement has also been changed so as not to guarantee specific attraction availability during Early Entry. The new wording specifically states that select attractions will be available to on-site guests during early entry through the three portals.

In a not completely unexpected bit of news, Universal Orlando has announced the roller coaster currently under construction in the former Rip, Ride, Rockit location will be another Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift, but will have a unique layout to the coaster with the same name currently testing in Hollywood ahead of its grand opening in a few weeks.

Thankfully, Universal will also be permanently closing the current “Fast & Furious – Supercharged” attraction in 2027 ahead of the new roller coaster opening, which has consistently ranked the lowest overall satisfaction score of any attraction in Universal Orlando’s portfolio.

Per the official press release:

“Riders will experience the exhilarating sensation of 360-degree drifting as they speed through jaw-dropping manoeuvers – including a 170-foot vertical “spike” that will send riders nearly 17 stories in the air over the outskirts of Universal CityWalk.”

For any record hunters out there, the new Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift coaster will be the tallest roller coaster at Universal Orlando. The top hat element of Velocicoaster reaches 155 feet, Stardust Racers, meanwhile, tops out at “just” 133 feet and its predecessor, Rip, Ride, Rockit, maxed out at 167 feet tall.

At least they’re not looking to copy the layout of the Hollywood version, but Universal are definitely looking to maximise their R&D on this unique coaster. The drift in the name will come from unique ride cars that are programmed to rotate a full 360 degrees throughout the course. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for this new addition, but also a little disheartened they didn’t go with a different theme, especially seeing as this new Hollywood-themed attraction will be taking place almost entirely next to the current New York area of Universal Studios Florida.

Theming aside, this will be an adrenaline shot that Universal Studios Florida has been in desperate need of for some time, and I can’t wait to experience it for myself in 2027.

Not content with announcing one of the largest roller coasters to be built in Orlando, plus ripping up the early-entry playbook for Epic Universe, Universal Destinations & Experiences has announced a strategic partnership with The Pokémon Company that will see the introduction of more immersive experiences at Universal Parks globally.

The announcement stops short of specifics for now, it doesn’t even mention rides, but the wording definitely means guests should be excited for what Universal are cooking up behind the scenes.

Further to a November press release, the location and size of a brand new indoor water park dubbed “Mattel Wonder Indoor Water Park” have been revealed by planning permits earlier this month.

Mattel is collaborating with Orlando-based design firm Martin Aquatic following its design work on Universal Volcano Bay and Royal Caribbean’s Coco Cay Resort. The design calls for a 90,000 square foot indoor water park with a retractable roof, plus 35,700 square foot outdoor water park with an event lawn and a massive 42,000 square foot slide zone for when the weather plays ball.

The project is going to be part of a new “tourist commercial resort2 area off State Road 535 near Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores and just minutes from Disney World.

The plans also include 11,400 square feet of retail space and room for just over 750 cars. Mattel is expected to bring popular IP, such as Hot Wheels and Barbie to life in a high-energy water park. Mattel also owns Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends and Polly Pocket. Even an Uno-themed slide isn’t off the cards, so the theming possibilities are endless.

The design is expected to include the usual array of water park staple attractions such as a lazy river, wave pool, body slides, family slides, racing slides (perfect for the Hot Wheels franchise), perhaps a water coaster and beach area, possibly inspired by Barbie’s Beach House.

Early renderings released online and subsequently retracted look underwhelming, but if Mattel can nail the mix of attractionsand theming, they could be onto a winner in the cooler Orlando months.

The Orlando site will be the first of 5 locations; two others have been announced as Bellevue in Nebraska and Bradley in Illinois.

The ongoing saga of Blue Man Group’s new ICON Park location has reached a new milestone, with tickets being released for sale from $59 on their official website. At least the theatre construction is now vertical (and hopefully water-tight).

The official website states that shows will now begin from May 1st after a disastrous first round of ticket sales last summer, which had to be pulled and refunded because of ongoing delays in construction and permitting.

Accesso Development and Meyers Group have jointly announced a new entertainment destination named Ovation Orlando on a long vacant 70-acre plot of land on the corner of I-4 and US Highway 192, just a mile from Disney World’s main gate. You can see the

Formerly the Hyatt Orlando Resort, before rebranding to the Orlando Sun Resort, the joint partners closed the $70-million deal on land acquisition on December 30th 2025.

The Orlando Sun Resort closed in 2012 after years of mismanagement and financial difficulties, and has been an eyesore of 192 ever since.

Ovation Orlando will be home to a gargantuan 670,000 square feet of mixed-use development, including retail, restaurants, entertainment, hotels and cultural and lifestyle amenities.

The development is targeting tourists and locals alike.

Divided into 5 zones, when complete, the $1-BILLION Ovation Orlando will add three new hotels to Orlando’s burgeoning accommodation sector, not to mention somewhere to head other than Universal Citywalk or Disney Springs when the sun goes down. The zones are:

• Zone One – The Celebration: A mix of adult and family-oriented retail, dining, entertainment, green spaces, pop-up vendors, and comfortable seating areas.
• Zone Two – The Water’s Edge: World-class dining along the shore of a three-acre lake.
• Zone Three – The Indulgence: A sophisticated hub featuring a signature 4-star full-feature 350-room hotel.
• Zone Four – The Street: Retail, restaurants, and entertainment inspired by Times Square.
• Zone Five – The Beat: Live music, late-night clubs, music venues, and restaurants from nationally recognised operators.

That’s all for this month, thanks for reading. Keep a lookout for a newly redesigned homepage coming to the site, hopefully before the next update. See you in February!