Category: Blog Mickey

Universal Orlando Resort is opening a brand new theme park this month, and excitement is building as we approach the May 22nd grand opening. Universal Epic Universe is currently open to all guests during a “preview” period. We put “preview” in quotes because guests wishing to visit the park still have to pay full price, so it’s more like an early opening than a proper preview. Either way, the park is open, and guests are able to experience the first new major theme park in Orlando in decades! We have already published an early review of the park, but in this article, we wanted to cover the Epic Universe ride rankings of our favorite attractions! Epic Universe Ride Rankings The purpose of this article is not to have a comprehensive review of each ride, but simply to rank our favorites. As we continue to experience Epic Universe, we will continue to review each ride in standalone articles. We’ll link to those reviews for each ride as we publish them.For our ride rankings, we tried to think holistically about each ride, noting our biases where possible. Of course, the very nature of a ride ranking article means that this is a subjective topic – written by a single person. Your ride rankings will likely differ. That said, the idea of this article is to give you an outline of what we would tell our friends and family to prioritize during a visit to Epic Universe, and what we

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Cast Members will have an exclusive farewell party for MuppetVision 3D and PizzeRizzo before construction on an all-new Monsters Inc.-themed land begins! The Cast Member party will include games, snacks, and fun as Cast Members get the special opportunity to say farewell to the classic MuppetVision 3D attraction and nearby PizzeRizzo quick-service restaurants before construction equipment is brought in shortly after. Here’s what we know. Cast Member Exclusive Farewell to MuppetVision 3D & PizzeRizzo As you may know, the final day for guests to experience MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and the Muppets Courtyard area will be June 7th. There will be barriers in place to close off the courtyard starting June 8th. That said, MuppetVision 3D will have its final bow in an exclusive Cast Member party a couple of days later. The farewell party will be exclusive to Cast Members who work at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. During the party on June 10th, there will be games and fun, with MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and even the Stage 1 Company Store open to Cast Members attending the party. The MuppetVision 3D farewell party builds upon the success of the Dino-Rama “Goodbye-O-Rama” party which included exclusive Cast Member access to the Fossil Fun Games, TriceraTop Spin attraction, special character appearances, and other fun. Following the Cast Member party on June 10th, construction on the Monsters Inc.-themed land will begin. Walt Disney World has not announced an opening year for the

Universal Epic Universe opens this week at the Universal Orlando Resort! A theme park years in the making is finally making its official debut to the public on Thursday, May 22nd. To prepare for the opening, Universal Orlando has announced some opening day logistics, including what guests attending the grand opening can expect. Universal Epic Universe Grand Opening Details Unfortunately, the “grand opening” will not be that grand for the general public. Instead, the Grand Opening Celebration is a private party for media and invited VIPs that will take place May 20-21 when the theme park is closed to the general public. That said, Universal Orlando has announced that there will be a “brief celebratory moment” for guests on opening day. The theme park operator has also announced arrival timing logistics. Here’s the latest. We’re thrilled to welcome you to the Grand Opening Day of Universal Epic Universe! Join us at 8 AM EST on Thursday, May 22, for a brief celebratory moment as we open the portals to worlds beyond anything you’ve experienced. If you’ve purchased a ticket to visit Epic Universe on opening day, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this unforgettable day at our newest park: Epic Universe Park Hours are 9 AM – 10 PM Epic Universe parking lot, including ride share drop off, opens at 6 AM Shuttle Buses from all Universal Orlando Resort Hotels to Epic Universe begin at 6 AM Turnstiles at both

Guests visiting Walt Disney World might notice a new change for the Custodial team as new costumes have begun rolling out. The new designs feature moisture-wicking fabrics that serve as a strong sun protectant with added stretch, additional pockets, vibrant new colors and introduce adjustable pants that can cinch at the ankle. Here’s the announcement from Walt Disney World. New Custodial Cast Member Costumes Did you know the largest working wardrobe in the world is located right here at Walt Disney World Resort? Just last year, our talented Costuming team at Disney Live Entertainment dreamed up charming new turn-of-the-century fits for cast members of Main Street, U.S.A. that combine timeless storytelling with modern fit, function, and flare.Now, they can’t wait to add even more custom Disney cast member costumes to the approximately 893 existing costume designs and around 140 million individual garments in the Walt Disney World inventory! Let’s go behind-the-seams to find out how they’re giving our custodial cast a magical makeover. From cast feedback sessions to detailed fabric sampling and even wear testing, these new looks were thoughtfully redesigned to make sure they are as functional as they are fashionable. “Cast feedback was so important to us when designing these new operational costumes because our cast are everything. They create Disney magic each day in their interactions with guests and we want to make sure they feel comfortable and confident while making magic,” Nicole, a Costume Designer with Disney Live Entertainment, shared.Knowing

As we get ready to head into Summer at Walt Disney World, one question remains: when will Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away nighttime parade debut? If you’re looking for official information, Walt Disney World has said “later this Summer”. If you’re looking for hints as to an official opening date, we’ve been tracking indicators over the past few weeks that point to an early July debut. From later-than-normal showtimes for Happily Ever After to curious blockout restrictions for Cast Members, there are indications that something is happening at Magic Kingdom starting July 6th. Now, we’ll add one more indicator to the list. Extended Evening Hours Moves from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom in July Yet another indication that Walt Disney World is preparing to debut the Disney Starlight parade this July is that the Extended Evening Hours perk for Deluxe Resort hotel guests has moved from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In short, Disney is trying to do two things, drive attendance away from Magic Kingdom, and make Magic Kingdom park hours longer. Starting July 2nd, Extended Evening Hours will move to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and be halted at Magic Kingdom. The thinking about this being an indicator that the Disney Starlight parade will debut in early July is that Magic Kingdom theme park hours will likely be extended to 11pm or later when the parade debuts, and a 2-hour after-hours perk for Deluxe Resort hotel guests starting at 11pm or midnight is simply not in

Shanghai Disneyland has announced that they have officially broken ground on an all-new Spider-Man-themed land. The new land will be the ninth themed land at Shanghai Disneyland and the third major expansion since the theme park opened. The land will be anchored by an all-new Spider-Man-themed roller coaster. Shanghai Disneyland Breaks Ground on Spider-Man Land The brand-new Spider-Man-themed land has officially broken ground at Shanghai Disneyland this morning! This new land will be the ninth themed land at Shanghai Disneyland and third major expansion of the park since its opening.With leaders from Shanghai Disney Resort and shareholder representatives celebrating the groundbreaking, the excitement and power of the Marvel Universe is building up!Located adjacent to Zootopia, the brand-new land includes the park’s first major Marvel-themed attraction – a high-energy thrill coaster featuring Spider-Man. Guests will also be surrounded by Spider-Man and friends with shopping, food and beverages, and entertainment experiences.Shanghai Disneyland Webs at the ready, an all-new Spider-Man thrill attraction is coming to Shanghai Disneyland! Peter Parker has gotten himself — and us — in a bit of a tight spot. We’re going to follow HIM – at very high speeds – to get us out of trouble. As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Universal Epic Universe (officially) opens next week, marking a huge milestone in the ongoing battle between Universal and Walt Disney World. Boasting four major themed lands and a Central Park-style setting connecting them all, Epic Universe is certainly worthy of your attention. There are world-class attractions, some absolutely wonderful dining, and a setting that invites you to actually relax while on vacation – an increasingly novel concept in theme parks. However, Universal is clearly still trying to figure out how to best sell tickets to the theme park, and that includes timing on when they will make Annual Passes available. In this article, we’ll speculate a bit on when that could happen. Celestial Park at Epic Universe When Will Universal Sell Annual Passes for Epic Universe? First and foremost, we will start by saying that Universal Orlando has announced that Annual Passes for Epic Universe will be available at some point. The question is that of timing and pass structure. More details regarding Annual Passes that include Universal Epic Universe will be announced at a later date.Universal Orlando Resort In terms of when Annual Passes will go on sale, we expect that Universal Orlando will continue to try and squeeze guests a bit. What do we mean? Right now, you can’t purchase a multi-day ticket for Epic Universe. Typically, guests can purchase a ticket package that includes two or more days at a theme park. For example. If I wanted to visit Universal Studios Florida

Walt Disney World has recently extended the Disability Access Service (DAS) validity period to up to one year. Previously, the validity period was up to 240 days. The new change allows eligible guests who have an Annual Pass to be able to use DAS throughout the length of their standard pass length without the need to renew during their time as an Annual Passholder. Guests will be required to renew DAS eligibility once it expires. Here’s the latest. Disney World Extends DAS Eligibility Before the sweeping May 2024 changes to the DAS program, the DAS eligibility would be valid for up to 30 days. When the May 2024 changes took effect, Disney extended the validity period to 120 days. In September 2024, Walt Disney World extended that validity period again to 240 days. Now, the eligibility period has been extended to up to one year. DAS is valid for the length of the ticket or up to 1 year, whichever is shorter. Once the service has elapsed, Guests need to re-register for the program.Walt Disney World website After one year, guests will need to re-register for the DAS program. Note that the validity period has always been “valid for the length of the ticket or up to [x number of] days, whichever is shorter”. In May 2024, Walt Disney World significantly narrowed the scope of guests who qualify for the program, noting that only guests who have “a developmental disability like autism or similar disorder”

In what can only be described as an absolute win, the covered seating area at Woody’s Lunch Box is now (mostly) open to guests. There is still a little bit of work to be done on either end of the seating area, but the vast majority of seats under the newly installed themed overhang are now open. We made it out to Disney’s Hollywood Studios today to take a look. Shaded, Covered Seating Area Now (Mostly) Open at Woody’s Lunch Box Reaching back into the archives, the first photo below is a look at Woody’s Lunch Box from when Toy Story Land first opened. A lot of the tables had an umbrella, but that umbrella was woefully ineffective at blocking sunlight and rain. Since Toy Story Land opened, the discourse has largely been about the lack of shade (except for a brief time when Slinky Dog had his tail removed, but it was quickly back to the lack of shade). As it turns out, Disney was listening, but it takes some time to turn a massive ship, and now, some seven years after the land opened, and some three years after the shade project began, guests can start to rest easy. Here’s a look around the seating area from our visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this morning. As you can see, most of the guest seating is now open. Construction is still ongoing at the “front” of the seating area, and at the “back” of