We've had a couple of week's off, so forgive us. Here is this week's Theme Park News:
- Halloween Horror nights in both Hollywood and Orlando kicked off this week, with a highlight being the Mini Puft S'more which is a S'more shaped like the Stay Puft Marshmallow man for Ghostbusters.
- Disney announced today that it will debut a new Disney Villains-themed show at Disney's Hollywood Studios next summer, which will take the place of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy which closed on October 7. The new show themed to the Magic Mirror, the new production "will feature appearances by dozens of the most infamous evildoers, with fiendish foes Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook and Maleficent each breaking through the glass to take the stage in live production numbers," according to Walt Disney World's announcement.
- Walt Disney World has revealed that today will be the final day for the virtual queue on its TRON roller coaster at the Magic Kingdom. Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind are now going to be the only attractions at Walt Disney World with Virtual Queues.
- Disney has also confirmed that the construction of the new Avengers attractions will result in "the removal of the backstage Red Car Trolley barn and, as such, we will discontinue operation of the attraction in early 2025"
- At Disneyland, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has re-opened on Thursday as the park's Critter Country land prepares to be transformed into Bayou Country, when Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens in November.
- November 15, the date that Tiana's will open will also mark the start of the holiday festivities across Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. This year's festivities inclue the It's a Small World Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday overlays, as well as the Christmas Fantasy Parade, as well as the Believe... in Holiday Magic fireworks show.
- Universal Orlando have given us more details this week on the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride coming to the Universal Epic Universe park, including our first look at the "Metro-Floo" hallway which is the entry for the ride.
- Universal Orlando has announced that Death Eaters will return to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida for select nights starting August 29 and continuing through November 3, as an unofficial part of Halloween Horror Nights.
- The Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe and Sanrio Smile Shop opened on Friday at Universal Studios Hollywood's CityWalk.
- Warner Bros. Discovery has combined their current Global Themed Entertainment licensing group and the Studio Tours & Retail division into a single unit called the Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences division. It will be overseen by Simon Robinson, Chief Operating Officer of WBD Studio.
- Efteling in the Netherlands has announced that a new Aquanura show, which will debut this winter, will feature a new score as well as four new eight-meter "Beacons of Light" around the park's central lagoon.
