Bitesize Orlando January 2023 – Issue 19

Welcome to the first news update of 2023. I hope everyone had a great new year?!

January 2023 marks the end of an era for several attractions in Disney and Universal as both parks look to the future and new experiences. All these details and more in this month’s Bitesize Orlando January 2023 catchup but first a quick overview of some website updates. As always please feel free to read the whole article at your own pace or use the links below to jump to a news story that interests you.

Website Updates

Orlando Attractions Selector

I have added the option of minimum heights to the filter options in my Orlando Attractions Selector App so now you can search just by height or narrow down your search to heights within a specific park. If you want to see every attraction again just clear all the filters.

Crowd Calendars

I have started the huge task of adding crowd calendars for all the parks into the Planning > Practical Advice & Information section of the website.

I’m sure you can appreciate that creating a 12-month crowd calendar for each park from scratch is a huge undertaking but I have already managed to make my Seaworld Crowd Calendar live. I have Busch Gardens ready, it just needs to be laid out.

My focus for the next couple of months will be finishing the crowd calendars. I hope to get Universal Orlando Resort up in February followed by Disney in March. Once that is done I want to flesh out the planning section with more practical information to help first-time visitors plan their first trip better.

Disney World News January 2023

The 22nd of January marked the end of an era in the Magic Kingdom. The last operating day of Splash Mountain drew huge crowds desperate to ride their favourite attraction one last time. Despite the questionable source material that Splash Mountain is based on, you can’t ignore its enduring appeal as one of the top E-Ticket attractions in Disney World. The ride is now surrounded by construction walls as Imagineers begin the long process of stripping out Brear Rabbit, Brear Bear and friends before injecting Tiana’s Louisana vibe into the enormous show building. As the attraction was closing Disney released a couple more details about the reimagining.

New Scene & Critters For Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Disney has shared a new scene, one we will experience as we first drop into the bayou after loading into our logs.

You can see fireflies lighting up the sky as Zydeco music fills the air inviting us deeper into the bayou to meet Tiana and some of her friends, some familiar, some created just for this adventure.

Tiana’s new friends; a rabbit, beaver, racoon, turtle and more play instruments created out of natural materials you find around the bayou. You can bet this won’t be the only time you encounter these cute critters. We will have to wait until late 2024 to find out.

Fireworks Changes At Magic Kingdom & EPCOT

Disney has confirmed that both ‘Harmonious‘, EPCOT’s nightly fireworks show and Magic Kingdom’s ‘Disney Enchantment‘ will have their final performances on the 2nd of April. They will be replaced the night after by returning interim shows ‘EPCOT Forever‘ and ‘Happily Ever After‘ while the finishing touches on new fireworks finales for both parks are still being made.

Harmonious and Disney Enchantment have been criticised as lacklustre, both lacking flow, emotion and the heart that makes a Disney show, well, Disney. That’s not to say that either of these shows were bad, per se. They were just not up to the high standards that Disney is held to, more like Disney Lite.

Thankfully, the hated Harmonious barges, a permanent fixture in World Showcase Lagoon, are also confirmed to start their phased removal starting April 3rd.

Disney is no doubt taking time to make sure their full-time replacements are fitting after this slight misstep. Look for new fireworks finales for both EPCOT and Magic Kingdom to debut later this year.

Daily Housekeeping Returns To Deluxe Resorts

Disney’s stance on housekeeping since the parks returned from COVID is a point of contention for many resort guests.

Thankfully, daily housekeeping has finally returned to select Disney Resorts, namely deluxe-level resorts. Some resorts had already initiated this change before the January 15th confirmation date for all deluxe-level resorts.

What about other resorts I hear you ask? Well, it’s still not quite daily. Other resorts are receiving housekeeping every other day, not daily. This is still an improvement since the resort opened post-COVID shutdown but still falls seriously short of other resorts that reintroduced daily housekeeping months ago. So why is Disney dragging its heels on this if it is such a bone of contention for many guests? Let me shed my thoughts on the protracted Disney housekeeping saga.

First, and foremost, Disney has an issue attracting people into the positions. Housekeeping is one of the lowest levels of pay within Disney World (please don’t forget to tip your housekeepers daily as they do change during your stay). Many of Disney’s housekeeping staff are Hispanic and when Florida all but shut down for a year, many of Disney’s former employees returned home and haven’t looked back so recruitment has been very challenging for Disney who is one of Florida’s largest employers.

Recruitment is only the first step though because new recruits need training and Disney has some very high standards so getting new recruits is only the first step in a very long process.

Disney’s updated terms of housekeeping as of 16th of January 2023 are:

• Deluxe Resorts – Daily full housekeeping service.
• Deluxe Villas – Guests paying cash rates to stay at Deluxe Villas (DVC Resorts) will receive daily full housekeeping service.
• Moderate Resorts – Full housekeeping service every other day.
• Value Resorts – Full housekeeping service every other day.
• Disney Vacation Club Resorts – Guests staying at DVC resorts on points will continue to receive housekeeping service based on their length of stay. Disney Vacation Club Members and their guests may purchase additional housekeeping services by visiting the front desk or contacting housekeeping via their in-room phone.

Voyage Of The Little Mermaid Permanently Closed?

Although there is still no official word, the days could be numbered for Hollywood Studios’ popular 14-minute live-action puppet show Voyage Of The Little Mermaid.

Rumours have been circulating for months about the fate of the show that has remained closed since the enforced closure of Disney World in 2020.

Disney has removed the show from the official roster of attractions at Hollywood Studios on the Disney World Website and rumours speculate that the puppets of the show have been sold and the theatre could be overrun with mould meaning an expensive cleanup operation before the show could resume.

Despite its popularity; the show has been running to packed audiences for nearly 20 years before it was forced to close, Disney could be ready to let Ariel and friends swim off into the sunset.

More Tron Details & Opening Date

Hot on the heels of a very brief official POV posted by ABC News, a Disney affiliate news network in America we have a few more tantalising details of Tron Lightcycle Run, opening in Magic Kingdom in just a few weeks. You can see the POV in last month’s Bitesize Orlando News article.

Tron Lightcycle / Run Opening Date Confirmed!

Tron Lightcycle / Run, to give it the official title, will open officially on the 4th of April 2023. Along with the confirmed opening date Disney has also confirmed a couple of other details about Magic Kingdom’s hotly anticipated new attraction.

This is going to be a hot ticket so make sure you get your Magic Kingdom park reservations sorted as early as you can.

Lightcycle / Run Minimum Rider Height

In order to ride Tron / Lightcycle Run riders must be a minimum of 48 inches (122cm), the same height as for the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios which, ironically, will be closed for a large portion of this year for a long overdue refurbishment.

Riding Tron Lightcycle / Run

In news that should shock nobody, Disney has confirmed that Tron Lightcycle / Run will open with ONLY virtual lines or a paid Individual Lightning Lane Reservation. In order to ride Tron Lightcycle / Run you must:

• Reserve your virtual line place from 7 am on the day of your visit
• You must be in possession of a Magic Kingdom Park Reservation
• There may be another window of opportunity to reserve a virtual line spot from 1 pm but this hasn’t been confirmed.
• Pay to reserve your spot on the ride using Individual Lightning Lane from 7 am on the day of your visit. You must still be in possession of a Magic Kingdom Park Reservation to book your place.
• Virtual Line reservations are first come first served based on demand. Paid ILL reservations are time specific at the point of booking, you can choose your ride time.

Other Important Info

Tron Lightcycle / Run will be the first attraction in Disney World that will require you to place bags in a locker ahead of riding. Disney has even shared an Instagram video showing you how to use the locker system.

Multiple rides in Universal Orlando Resort have resorted to this with some even making you walk through a metal detector. Until now, Disney has allowed riders to bring articles on rides with them and store them in pouches.

Disney has also announced that onboard photos and videos of your ride will automatically be linked in the My Disney Experience app as long as you do the following:

• Use your eligible mobile device, enable Bluetooth® for the My Disney Experience app before riding, ensure you’ve logged into the My Disney Experience app sometime earlier that day, and keep your device out of low power mode. Make sure your mobile device boards your Lightcycle with you and is safely stored in the small Lightcycle compartment to use this method.  
• Wear a MagicBand or MagicBand+ that’s linked to your My Disney Experience account. 

Brief Walkthrough Of Journey Of Water Construction Site

Disney Imagineer Christopher has shared a brief walk-through of part of the Journey Of Water attraction that is shaping up quickly in EPCOT’s new World Celebration neighbourhood. Check out the video below.

@disneyparks

Welcome to EPCOT Te Fiti 💚🍃 #Moana #TeFiti #Disney #Nature #EPCOT #Water #DisneyParks #BTS #DisneyCastLife #DisneyWorld #Imagineering

♬ original sound – Disney Parks

He describes Journey Of Water as “an exploration trail that allows you to follow the water cycle while also getting to know water itself and its fun, playful personality.”

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Opening In March 2023

Disney has announced the protracted construction of Hollywood Studio’s newest table service restaurant, Roundup Rodeo BBQ is finally coming to an end and the restaurant is scheduled to open on the 23rd of March 2023.

There is currently no information on when advance dining reservations will become available but the popularity of Toy Story will mean that this is going to be one hot dining reservation ticket when they are finally released.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ will be the first Toy Story-themed table service restaurant in the world. Here is a look at the future menu. Remember that all the Roundup Rodeo BBQ images are © from Disney. Only time will tell if what we see below is what we will get once the restaurant opens and staff are under pressure to get meals out quick.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Opening Menu

Appetizers

• Prospector’s Homemade Cheddar Biscuits served with sweet pepper jelly
• Tomato Salad: Tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled red onions tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette and garnished with fresh dill (plant-based)
• Rex’s Romaine and Kale Salad: Romaine and kale mixed with green apples, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries tossed with green goddess dressing
• Watermelon Salad: Cubed watermelon garnished with freshly torn mint leaves (plant-based)

Mains

• Evil Dr. Smoked Ribs: Fall-off-the-bone pork ribs, slow-cooked for hours in our onsite smokehouse
• Buttercup’s Beef Brisket: Hand-sliced beef brisket, smoked then slow-cooked to juicy perfection
• There’s a Sausage in My Boot: Spiced pork sausage fire-grilled over live oak to give it an added kick
• BBQ Chicken – with Style! Chicken brined for 48 hours, rubbed with our secret backyard BBQ spice and smoked to tender juiciness

Vegetarian & Vegan Options

• Slow-smoked Cauliflower topped with sweet harissa drizzle and crunchy walnut gremolata
• Oven-roasted “Bratwurst” that is tender and juicy, sliced to perfection
• Impossible “Rib Chop” seasoned with spices, then roasted and glazed with sweet BBQ sauce and skewered on a sugar cane “bone”

Sides (max 4 for the table)

• The Married Spuds: Loaded potato barrels drizzled with green goddess dressing, cheese sauce, and seasoned BBQ spices
• Force Field Fried Pickles: Jumbo pickle spears coated with a dill-flavoured breading and fried to perfection
• Slinky Doooooooooog Mac & Cheese: Spiral pasta in a creamy house-made cheese sauce topped with crumbled cheddar crackers
• Buckin’ Baked Beans: A traditional BBQ picnic favourite (plant-based)
• Cowpoke Corn on the Cob: Grilled and seasoned with a chilli-lime spice blend, cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime juice
• Mean Old Potato Salad: Homestyle with red-skinned potatoes
• Veggie Slaw: Crunchy shredded veggie slaw that is a summertime favourite! (plant-based)
• Campfire-roasted Vegetables: A variety of roasted seasonal vegetables (plant-based)

Desserts

• Cupcake à la Forky: Forky is up to something sweet! A classic chocolate cake with a gooey chocolate ganache centre topped with velvety graham cracker buttercream and a sugar cookie
• Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake: An iconic creamy dessert that balances the tanginess of the cheesecake with the natural sweetness of blueberries and lemon
• Billy’s Chocolate Silk Pie: Layers of graham cracker crust and silky chocolate mousse topped with chantilly cream
• Goat’s Apple Pie: A picnic classic! Tart apples and warm pie spices balance perfectly with the creamy sweet filling under a crumble crust
• Gruff’s Peach-Strawberry Pie: With its silky sweet peaches and tartness of strawberries, this dessert is a fruit-centric delight! (plant-based)

Alcoholic Beverages

• Selection of Beers, Hard Cider & Wine available by the glass.
• Snake Eye Margarita: Inspired by a summertime BBQ featuring watermelon, smoke, and a bit of spice!
• Rum Punch: Rum punch with vibrant flavours of passion fruit and pineapple finished with a smoky spiced garnish
• Chocolate with a Grown-up Twist: A blend of chocolate rum, horchata liqueur, cocoa, and flavours of toasted marshmallow
• Frozen Peanut Butter & Jelly: A fun frozen twist on the classic peanut butter & jelly featuring peanut butter whiskey
• Whiskey Lemonade: A fresh take on a strawberry lemonade made with Tennessee whiskey and Italian bitter aperitif
• The Rodeo Mule: A classic “patio sipper,” this mule mixes vodka with fresh juices and ginger beer

Non Alcoholic Beverages

• Molly’s Frozen Iced Tea: A frosty concoction with iced tea and citrus flavours
• Frozen Cocoa: A frozen blend of cocoa and vanilla topped with miniature marshmallows
• Partysaurus Tex: Strawberry lemonade is even more fun when you garnish it with gummy worms!

Remember that Roundup Rodeo BBQ is an all-you-can-eat buffet so don’t forget to save room for the mains and desserts if that’s your thing!

Disney has yet to release pricing for this bound-to-be uber-popular restaurant but expect it to be on a par with Space 220 at EPCOT, probably around $60 for adults and $30 for children. As soon as official pricing is released you will see it here.

Immersive Disney Exhibition Opening In London In May

Although not strictly related to Disney World, a new immersive exhibition created by Disney may interest some of you when it opens in London for a minimal run in May 2023 before moving on to other cities.

To celebrate Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary this year, ‘Wonder Of Friendship‘ is opening in London on the 12th of May and running until the 21st of May. Berlin and Paris have already been announced as further stops with more cities to be announced.

Immersive installations encourage visitors to explore their own friendships while meeting and engaging with familiar Disney faces. 4 themed rooms spanning 1000 square meters featuring Lion King, Alice In Wonderland, Lilo & Stitch and Mickey & Friends will bring characters to life using state-of-the-art augmented reality (AR) using QR codes in each room. The 4 themed rooms are:

• ‘Garden Of Mystery’, inspired by Alice In Wonderland will feature towering flowers, Bread-and-Butterflies, Mome Raths and the Queen’s Card Guards.
• ‘Ohana Bay‘, inspired by Lilo & Stitch, guests will experience island life.
• ‘Orchestral Oasis’, inspired by The Lion King will be a jungle-themed room.
• The ‘Wonderverse’ room, inspired by Mickey & Friends, guests will get to interact with statues of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto.

Universal Orlando News January 2023

Universal Pledges 13 Acres Of Land For New Rail Station

After Disney very publicly pulled out of a deal for a SunRail/Brightline rain line extension from Orlando International Airport, Universal Orlando has this month pledged 13 acres of land close to Universal’s new third gate, Epic Universe (due to open in Summer 2025) for a new Sun Rail station connecting Orange County to Orlando International Airport.

The new station at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) will be owned, operated, financed and built by a new community development district, Orlando’s Right Rail.

The new SunRail corridor and Convention Center Station are projected to become one of the most important commuter rail routes in Central Florida providing another form of transportation for tourists and locals and taking traffic off the already congested Orange and Osceola Counties road networks.

“Creating a transportation network that connects our workers to their jobs, our residents to our airport, and allows our visitors to have options when they travel is essential.”

Orlando Mayor, Buddy Dyer on the new Right Rail coalition SunRail Route.

KidZone Officially Closed & Hagrid Refurbishment

This is a reminder that Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone in Universal Studios is now closed ahead of demolition.

A brief refurbishment of Universal’s most popular attraction has also been officially announced.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure will be closed between the 21st of February and the 5th of March for routine maintenance and to fix some damage that was sustained in the queue area during Hurricane Ian last autumn.

Seaworld Orlando News January 2023

Seven Seas Food & Wine Festival Concert Lineup 2023

A partial lineup of acts for Seaworld’s Seven Seas Food & Wine Festival has been announced. There are some pretty big acts taking to the stage this year. February’s lineup is complete plus the first and last acts in March have been announced so far.

Live music acts will take to the stage at the Bayside Stadium every Saturday and Sunday between February 4th and May 7th. The partial lineup is:

• Saturday 4th February – En Vogue
• Sunday 5th February – REO Speedwagon
• Saturday 11th February – The Commodores
• Sunday 12th February – Bee Gees Now & Let It Be (Bee Gees and The Beatles tribute bands)
• Saturday 18th February – Collective Soul
• Sunday 19th February – Jerry Rivera
• Saturday 25th February – Don McLean
• Sunday 26th February – Ludacris
• Saturday 4th March – Joey Fatone & Friends
• Sunday 26th March – Eli Young Band

Headline acts are not included with park admission, if you would like to see a particular show please purchase Seven Seas Food & Wine Concert lineup tickets ahead of your visit.

As well as the concerts, Seaworld’s Seven Seas Food & Wine festival introduces over 200 mouthwatering options to your visit. Visit the official Seven Seas Food And Wine Festival Menus Page to view locations and options.

Busch Gardens News January 2023

Busch Gardens To Re-Open Falcon’s Fury Drop Tower

Seaworld’s sister park, Busch Gardens in Tampa will be re-opening Falcon’s Fury, its record-breaking 335-foot tall drop tower almost a year on from the unfortunate death of teenager Tyre Sampson on a similar attraction at ICON Park at Orlando’s International Drive last March.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the government department responsible for investigating all amusement attractions in the state of Florida has concluded that Tyre fell “due to the changes made” by the ride’s operator who manually repositioned a proximity sensor to allow for a larger restraint opening than was allowed by the manufacturer. The department is seeking a $250,000 fine for Orlando Free Fall operator, Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot LLC who has announced the permanent removal of the attraction from ICON Park.

Out of, “an abundance of caution”, Busch Gardens and many other amusement park operators closed their drop tower rides for inspection. Unlike other parks, however, Busch Gardens’ Falcon’s Fury has not re-opened since last March.

Busch Gardens spokesperson Eddie Delgado has said the extended closure was due to supply chain issues, not because of a lack of interest or operator jitters over drop tower rides in general.

“All of our rides go through routine maintenance but some of our rides, a majority actually, require special parts, and with Falcon’s Fury there are limited suppliers, and they have been delayed. We are looking forward to opening this spring.”

Orlando Area News January 2023

Sunshine Flyer Introduces New Direct Service

Sunshine Flyer has made quite the name for itself this last year and is continuing to invest in its business.

It’s not the cheapest way of getting from the airport to your Disney accommodation but the highly themed buses, friendly drivers and entertainment has proven people are willing to pay a premium for reliable transportation that’s just a little different.

They have announced a new direct service to compete directly with ride-sharing apps and taxis that will whisk you from the airport to your Disney World accommodation quicker than the traditional buses but with less theming. The cost will be dependent on the type of car needed but all levels include train-themed giveaways for kids including games, hats, stickers and more to keep them occupied on the short hop to the hotel. The launch costs are:

• $120 – 3 passengers in a Sudan ($240 return trip)
• $145 – 6 passengers in an SUV ($290 return trip)
• $160 – 10 passengers in a van ($320 return trip)

Gratuity and a 10% airport service fee are not included. Reservations can be made on the Sunshine Flyer Direct website. For comparison, the original Sunshine Flyer service in themed buses starts at $49 return per person.

That’s it for another month. Join me at the end of February as we catch up on all the happenings in and around Orlando.