Bitesize Orlando September 2023 – Issue 27

Welcome to a Disney-sized Bitesize Orlando September 2023 update. September sees the annual D23 convention for all Disney fans when the bigwigs at Disney take to the stage to tantalise us with what Imagineering has been cooking up for Disney’s resorts worldwide. This year it was Disney World’s to host the event (next year it will be back in Disneyland). Disney didn’t hog all the limelight this month though! Universal shared some intriguing details about its new mega theme park, Epic Universe while SeaWorld dished the dirt on all the new attractions opening next year including, as expected, yet another roller coaster for Seaworld Orlando.

Let’s jump straight in. As usual, click the link of a story below or grab a drink and read all the way through.

Orlando Planning Guide Website Updates

Before we get to the details, a quick update on the website which may have looked pretty quiet this month but I have been putting a ton of work in the background to get my Epic Universe article ready for you. I am very nearly ready to let you all in on the juicy details of what is sure to be the hottest ticket in Orlando in 2025, 2026 and beyond but I still need to work on some visuals to go along with the words. I know I said it would be with you this month but please bear with me a few more days while I put the finishing touches to it.

I have also started rewriting my planning guide. A lot has happened since my last full rewrite. Disney Dining Plan has stopped then returned, Disney Genie has had several changes and Universal has stopped offering dining plans altogether just to name a few. One thing has become clear, even though the first chapter has already been rewritten; my time would be better served updating the website than pouring hundreds of hours into a product that not many people will get the chance to read (it is offered as a free tool when you subscribe to my newsletter). I have come to the conclusion that it would be far more beneficial for everyone if it were available as an online knowledgebase resource. I have decided on a platform that will allow me to do this but I now need to digitise and layout what has already been written while updating the important details.

If you are looking at planning an Orlando trip in the near future please bear with me while I set up and write the knowledgebase. Once it is done everyone will be able to benefit from up-to-date information for your trip because I will be able to make incremental updates as and when needed. Everyone will be able to access the guides by creating a free account. The guides will also be indexed by Google and searchable by you. If you wish you will be able to download and print a copy of the article(s) for use later. It’s a huge project but one that I hope to get completed before the end of the year.

Disney World News September 2023

During Disney’s Destination D23 convention, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’amaro and other cast members shared a lot of details about openings, reimaginings and more insights into what could be heading to Disney World and other parks worldwide. Let’s start with a confirmed opening date for EPCOT.

Journey Of Water FINALLY Gets An Opening Date!

It’s been forever in construction and even longer since it was announced but the “Journey Of Water, Inspired by Moana” interactive walk-through attraction has finally got an official opening date; October 16th!

Tieing in nicely with the opening, Disney Princess Moana will also get a brand new dedicated meet and greet area that will also be opening on the same day just across from Journey Of Water.

Sourin’ Over California Returns For A Limited Time

The last time the original Sourin’ film was played in The Land pavilion at EPCOT was on June 16th, 2016. after debuting in 2008 and becoming an instant success. the flying theatre attraction was so popular a second theatre had to be built to cope with demand.

‘Sourin’ Over The World’ replaced the original film on the 17th of June 2016 and has been used ever since but Disney is getting all nostalgic during the Disney100 celebration which runs until the end of the year. Disney haven’t confirmed when the film will revert back to Sourin’ Over The World but you’ve likely got the rest of the year until the Disney 100 celebration ends to enjoy it.

New EPCOT Nighttime Spectacular Gets Name & Date

Luminous The Symphony Of Us has been named as the full replacement nighttime spectacular for EPCOT. Ever since Harmonious was swiftly withdrawn a year from opening due to lacklustre reviews and the infamous ‘Harmonious tacos’ staying in the lake during the daytime.

An interim show, EPCOT Forever, initially replaced the much-loved ‘Illuminations: Reflections Of Earth’ show that played to packed crowds for over 20 years. EPCOT Forever is back as a stand-in show while the finishing touches are put to Luminous.

How long will we have to wait to see this brand-new show featuring fireworks, lasers, fountains and lighting effects all set to a rousing musical score as only Disney can do? If you’re in Orlando in early December, set the date. This new show is due to premiere on the 5th of December.

On that note, the show was originally supposed to be introduced in either September or October. Internet rumblings are quoting sources close to the show that the musical score, written by Pinar Toprak, has not been rousing enough for a Disney spectacular. Especially one that is replacing a beloved show like Illuminations. Allegedly, around 70% of the musical score is being rewritten before the show finally debuts (hopefully) in December.

World Celebration To Open In December

The ‘EPCOT dirt pit’ has been a not-so-hot addition to EPCOT’s former Future World for the past few years but that is about to come to an end. Disney has announced that World Celebration will open to guests in December.

It’ll be nearly 6 years that this area has been behind construction fences with much of what was Future World unceremoniously ripped up to be replaced by a cut-down version of what was originally announced.

Now, I don’t mean to be down. Any improvement to Future World is welcome but COVID put the kibosh on a truly innovative vision for what EPCOT could become. We will just have to settle for EPCOT-not-quite-2.0 for the time being.

Hatbox Ghost Appearing In November

The popular Hatbox Ghost effect already in use at Disneyland will finally be appearing in the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom before the end of November. Look out for him just as you pass the Endless Hallway scene.

Multiple Blue Blue Sky Ideas In The Works

Disney also took the D23 convention to confirm they are working on ideas for reimagining the Tree Of Life Theatre at Animal Kingdom. Currently showing “It’s Tough To Be A Bug”, the theatre could be reimagined with a new show based on Zootopia. As spot-on as It’s Tough To Be A Bug is for theming at Animal Kingdom the show kind of misses the mark with the target audience. I love the show but I can’t remember the last time I came out of a show without at least 1 child balling in tears or parents having to leave early. It gets seriously loud and scary for a moment. There’s a giant spider and bugs ‘crawling’ all around you. Most adults let out either a full-on scream or an attempt at a manly whimper at certain parts. For some children, it must be positively terrifying!

Zootopia will take us on a journey through some of the biomes just glanced at in the movie with some new biomes just for the new show. Scares should be brought down a notch or 3 and the whole theatre should get a more colourful spruce up to go with the new theme. I think it’s a perfect fit for the theatre and Animal Kingdom. Fingers crossed it doesn’t get cancelled.

Dinoland USA is being reimagined as a new area themed loosely as “tropical Americas”, a biodiverse region just north and south of the equator, think Central America and the very top of South America. This general area will let Imagineers work on stories based around Encanto but also, a East Coast version of the Indiana Jones Adventure could be a very serious contender for a reimagining of Dinosaur considering Dinosaur is a retheme of the existing Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland anyway. The track layout and underlying technology are exactly the same.

As much as I like ‘Dinosaur’ I love Indiana Jones Adventure so the thought of an Indy attraction based on the original Adventure or possibly (fingers and toes crossed), even an upgrade or a completely new storyline will be a great addition to Animal Kingdom.

“We’re imagining a land filled with authentic experiences from this part of the world with all the placemaking and storytelling you’d expect.”

Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro on reimagining Dinoland USA

Country Bear Jamboree In Magic Kingdom is also getting reimagined but there are fewer specifics about this idea. Disney has confirmed that everyone’s favourite animatronic bears will put their inimitable country spin on some of Disney’s favourite tunes. Disney is even working with some of Nashville’s finest musicians to make sure that the sound is as authentic as possible, kind of like a homage to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

The ‘Beyond Big Thunder’ Blue Sky idea is getting fleshed out but the panel were still scarce on details. With Encanto being announced as part of the Dinoland USA retheme at Animal Kingdom, it will probably move ahead without Encanto but Disney is not short on IP to bring to this area of the park. They may not have wanted to share specifics but they have confirmed the latest expansion for Magic Kingdom will be the largest ever for the park and will rival Pandora and Galaxy’s Edge in terms of scope. We could still see Coco or Disney Villains or any number of other ideas brought to life.

Meanwhile, in EPCOT just as a major construction project finishes, another gets announced as Test Track could be getting another reimagining in the near future. Disney Imagineers and Chevrolet engineers are looking back in time to bring the heart and story back to this beloved attraction. They feel the current iteration lacks story and cohesiveness so they are looking at getting that back in the next version.

A new tavern designed to extend the story and theme of Pirates Of The Caribbean is being worked on for a site adjacent to the attraction. No specifics were shared but the small venue could be reminiscent of Oga’s Cantina at Hollywood Studios.

Universal Orlando News September 2023

Jurassic Park River Adventure Closure

Universal has shared that the popular ‘Jurassic Park River Adventure’ will close for routine maintenance from the 8th of January 2024 until the beginning of February.

Routine maintenance for theme park attractions is nothing new, every theme park attraction needs regular maintenance to be able to operate efficiently and safely. Theme park operators in Orlando usually try to schedule maintenance during the quieter months when it will impact as few guests as possible so the winter months are usually reserved for water-based attractions such as River Adventure. Neighbouring ‘Popeye And Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges’ already has routine maintenance scheduled just after River Adventure enters back into service (it will be down from February 4th until March the 8th)

This news shouldn’t be earth-shattering but it is definitely something to keep in mind if you are visiting Universal Orlando during during the first few months of 2024.

Rock The Universe Lineup Announced

Every year Universal hosts one of the biggest Christian Rock music festivals anywhere. 2024 will be no different and now Universal Orlando has confirmed the full lineup and dates for 2024’s Rock The Universe celebration. If you are expecting a quiet time in the theme parks don’t visit during the last weekend of January! The confirmed dates and lineup is:

• Friday 26th January 2024: We The Kingdom, LECRAE, Blessing Offor, Cody Carnes
• Saturday 27th January 2024: Casting Crowns, Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, CAIN

In addition to the music acts there are Christian workshops and a Sunday Morning Worship Service. In 2022 the weekend was very, very busy and resulted in many guests unaware they had booked at the same time as one of Universal’s biggest event weekends complaining on social media about how busy the resort was. Proof that a little bit of planning in the early stages of researching your trip can go a very long way!

EPIC Universe Will Be The Most Immersive Theme Park Ever!

During the Bank of America Media, Communications, and Entertainment conference, Universal Destinations & Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury let slip a few tantalising tidbits of information regarding Universal’s biggest capital outlay since Island’s Of Adventure was built over 20 years ago.

There have been a lot of technological advancements since Islands Of Adventure opened in 1999 and Universal is looking at maximising technology to help it deliver the most immersive advanced theme park in the world.

How so? On the subject of the technology being leveraged, Mark Woodbury elaborated:

“And that speaks to both the attractions themselves, the next generation of robotics and drone technology, all the way through to the guest experience. The full guest journey is really being taken to a whole new level.”

Mark Woodbury, Universal Destinations And Experiences Chairman on the use of new technology at Epic Universe.

He declined to go into further detail about the specific attractions, even the intellectual property being leveraged in each of the 4 lands at Universal’s largest theme park but he did say that each of the 4 lands will be based on, “powerful, trip-driving intellectual property”. The only confirmed details of Epic Universe so far is Super Nintendo World, which will become the largest of the themed lands anywhere in the world when it opens in 2025 despite the Original land in Japan getting an expansion which is due to open a few months ahead of Epic Universe. I will have an article going into a lot more detail about Epic Universe including the technology, lands, rides and everything you need to know ahead of the opening very soon if you’re interested in what Universal has been cooking up over the last few years.

Seaworld Orlando News September 2023

Penguin Trek Family Roller Coaster To Launch In Spring 2024

Just as I was putting the finishing touches to this month’s newsletter, Seaworld announced the new project they have been working on for the last few months will be called Penguin Trek and it is due to open in Spring 2024. If Pipeline is anything to go by (and judging the amount of work there is to do on the construction over the winter months, we are probably looking at a late May opening once again.

The new thrilling family addition to Seaworld’s roller coaster line-up will add much-needed family capacity with a minimum ride height of just 42 inches (and a maximum of 77 inches). As expected, the new roller coaster has replaced the former Empire Of The Penguin trackless dark ride that operated from 2008 until 2020. It has been shut since Seaworld reopened post-COVID shutdown.

The new roller coaster, Seaworld Orlando’s 8th allowing it to keep the title of roller coaster capital of Orlando, will feature 2 launches and a top speed of 43 mph on 3,020ft of track. There will be indoor segments but much of the ride will take place outdoors behind the current Antarctica pavilion where land has been cleared in preparation for the track and support installation. This photo of the ride area is from my visit in July 2023.

Penguin Trek was one of three attractions announced by Seaworld but the only new attraction in Orlando. Seaworld San Diego will get an interactive jellyfish exhibit and Seaworld San Antonio will be getting the world’s first launched flume coaster. I will keep you updated on the construction of Penguin Trek and as soon as an official date is announced you will read it here first.

Orlando Area News September 2023

Terminal C Now Open To All

Orlando International’s Terminal C has been open for a few months but the majority of the terminal has been shut away behind security gates, available only to those with flight tickets on select airlines.

Earlier in September Orlando International Airport launched the ‘Experience MCO’ initiative which allows non-travelling people to venture past security to experience the terminal’s attractions, shops and restaurants. If you have family or friends meeting you at the airport and you are flying into Terminal C they will now be allowed to meet you at the gate not once you’re past security (this won’t apply to Terminals A & B).

If you want to venture further into Terminal C to see what the fuss is about you will need to register your interest on the Experience MCO Website. You will need to submit your full name and passport information. Once you receive an approval email from the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) you are good to go. The approval email will include your pass which you will need to show to security along with your passport. A few things to note:

• You must use the general screening line (and shoes must be removed)
• Parking is not free ($2 for 30 minutes then $1 every 15 minutes up to a maximum of $19)
• You must pick a 1-hour arrival window between 10 am and 4 pm and vacate the terminal by 8 pm
• Printed passes are not accepted, you must show the pass on your device
• There are limited passes available per day. Book ahead if you can but if there is on-the-day availability approval can take only 15 minutes

There are over 20 shops and restaurants in the terminal as well as interactive art installations and other attractions. For a full list head over to the Terminal C section of the MCO website.

Brightline Teams Up With Mears For Last Mile Connectivity

High-speed rail operator Brightline has just opened its high-speed rail link between Miami/Fort Lauderdale and Orlando International (top floor of Terminal C). There are plans to further extend the line through the tourist corridor with a station near the Convention Center and on towards Tampa but we are still several years away from the final extension.

In the meantime, Brightline has announced a partnership with Mears Transportation, one of the largest fleet hire and transportation companies in Florida. When booking your Brightline rail tickets you will also be able to book onward travel from Orlando International Airport to your accommodation in Orlando through Brightline’s Brightline+ booking portal either on the web or app. You can make a seamless reservation through Brightline+ and receive a confirmation email from Mears with vehicle identifiers, driver details or pickup location depending on the service booked.

If you’re interested in renting a car Mears will offer preferential rates through Avis car rental. As good as Mears are they aren’t always the cheapest option so I would advise you to always cross-reference costs with other companies before deciding who to book with. For example, their Mears Connect service that offers shared bus transportation to Disney World hotels costs $16 for adults and $13 for children one way. Depending on your volume of luggage and number of passengers an Uber or Lyft could work out cheaper. Like so many things with an Orlando holiday, it’s about doing some research before you book anything.

That’s it for this month, I’ll see you next month for another catch-up but in the meantime keep a look out for my brand-new guide to everything you need to know about Epic Universe.