Disney World Bakari, the 400-pound silverback who arrived this summer to lead Animal Kingdom's gorilla troop, has spent weeks separated from three females by nothing more than a mesh barrier. Disney says the final barrier comes down in a matter of weeks, and he has already passed one last checkup under anesthesia.
Disney World Disney's Animal Kingdom has changed its rope drop again, WDW News Today reported on Sunday, September 27. Guests are no longer held on Discovery Island and can walk into most lands before opening, but only Early Entry resort guests can get into attraction lines, and Pandora is off limits to everyone else until the park officially opens.
Legoland Florida Luggage storage company Stasher put Legoland Florida at No. 7 in its top 10 of America's most overrated attractions. The catch: its 3.9 out of 5 Tripadvisor rating is the highest of all ten, and its popularity measure counts hashtags and Wikipedia views, not attendance or regret.
Disney World Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad's Jams debuted at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Friday, September 25, and the full 10-song setlist includes an instrumental version of Taylor Swift's "I Knew It, I Knew You," which Disney's announcement never mentioned. Only two songs from the old soundtrack made the cut.
SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld Orlando is taking bookings for Dinner with Santa at Christmas Celebration. The adult price matches last December's $44 regular price, while the child price is up $5.99, about 43 percent. The menu has been reworked too, with pineapple-glazed ham and a Gruyere potato dish, and a milk and cookie station in place of last year's gingerbread cookies and pumpkin loaf.
Disney World Disney World Annual Passholders trying to book a park for Saturday, September 26 found three of the four parks full by late morning. Only Animal Kingdom still had passholder reservations for most pass types. It happened in a month when Disney made 11 days reservation-free for passholders, and every one of them falls on a weekday. No Saturday has been one all year.
Universal Orlando The Universal Orlando store in Terminal B at Orlando International Airport is temporarily closed for renovation, and the construction wall put up there shows shirts with warped faces, plush, and a hoodie with lettering nobody can read. WDW News Today calls the images AI-generated. We have not seen a comment from Universal, and WDWNT says two other Universal airport stores are open.
SeaWorld Orlando The character breakfast with Drac and Mavis launched at $35.99 for adults. SeaWorld Orlando's booking page now lists $39.99, with the child price unchanged at $20.99 and the free souvenir cup for kids still included. That adds $8 to a breakfast for two adults and two kids, before tax and gratuity.
Disney World Disney refreshed its preview center inside Walt Disney Presents at Hollywood Studios with never-before-seen concept art of the Glob Theater lobby, new maquettes of three "monsterfied" critters for Monstropolis, and the reimagined Carousel of Progress costumes and dioramas in the spot where the Piston Peak display used to be.
Universal Orlando The gift shop that outlived Poseidon's Fury is gone too. Treasures of Poseidon, which sat at the attraction's exit, has been torn down in The Lost Continent at Universal Islands of Adventure, within three weeks of construction walls going up around it. Universal still has not said what replaces the land.
Disney World Disney posted the first interior photos of Hurly-Burly on Friday: a proscenium stage with red curtains, a starry ceiling and powder blue tub chairs. It opens Thursday, October 1, from 4pm to 1am daily, with cocktails from $17 to $21. Disney Files is also teasing a new quick-service spot for the BoardWalk.
Universal Orlando Attractions Magazine reports the new CityWalk Five Guys is taking online orders, and the price list is out: $11.39 for a hamburger, $13.99 for a bacon cheeseburger, $7.29 for regular fries and $7.99 for a milkshake. Its own location page lists 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and breakfast service.
Disney World The Walt Disney World script goes on the rear bumper of every UCF helmet for the 2026 season. It debuts Saturday, September 26, in the Knights' Big 12 opener against TCU at Acrisure Bounce House, and the release photos show the helmets in front of Cinderella Castle.
Disney World Three entrees are out at the France Pavilion restaurant and three are in, including a $29.95 beef-and-cheese croissant. The smoked salmon blini also went up a dollar, on both lunch and dinner menus.
SeaWorld Orlando A new item on SeaWorld's September Pass Member News page offers a discounted Aquatica Orlando day ticket. You can buy up to six at a time, but the Pass Member has to be there, and the tickets must be used by Tuesday, September 29.
Disney World The red car that sat between the 1960s and 1970s sections was lifted by a utility vehicle and towed away, reportedly over a broken windshield. Disney has not said whether it is coming back.
SeaWorld Orlando The Compensation Committee granted Christopher Finazzo restricted stock worth a million dollars last November, in the proxy's own words as an inducement to remain with the company longer term. His resignation takes effect this Friday. The three installments were scheduled for November 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Universal Orlando Universal has posted the 2027 dates for Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval, and the season ends the Saturday before Easter. That is 50 days against 57 in 2026, and Universal put the dates up with no press release attached.
Disney World Disney's website now shows four participating airlines for the service that lets you walk past baggage claim at Orlando International Airport. The last carrier Disney added lasted a few hours in June before it came off the page, listed in error.
Legoland Florida A new guide went up on the Legoland Florida blog this morning with ride by ride average waits. Its own footnote says the figures come from the third party tracker Queue-Times, not from the park. Its table puts AQUAZONE Wave Racers among the longer waits, while the park's April page, still live, sends families to that exact ride to avoid lines.
SeaWorld Orlando WIRED published a feature on Just One More Chapter this morning carrying what appears to be the first on the record interview with the zone's creator, SeaWorld Orlando art director Jessie Kinsey. She wrote the giant book's text herself, set its story in a crumbling cathedral in a town run by the wealthy Blackthorns, and says the viral attention has given Howl-O-Scream its biggest month in its six year run.
Universal Orlando Attractions Magazine found the CityWalk Five Guys staffed and training on Wednesday evening, five days after Universal said only that it was coming soon. A sign at the restaurant reads Halloween Horror Nights, open until 1 AM. There is still no opening date, and the chain has not added the location to its own restaurant finder.
Disney World The US Patent and Trademark Office published Disney Enterprises' patent application US 2026/0283118 A1 on September 24. It describes cameras inside an animal enclosure, on tour vehicles and boats and on drones, feeding a machine learning model that scores what it sees and pushes an alert to phones, in-vehicle screens and RFID wristbands. One passage says a vehicle or a boat can change its planned course once the alert arrives.
Disney World Disney's new Halloween foodie guide lists 36 items across Walt Disney World, 13 of them new, and sets a window of now until October 31. All seven listings in the Animal Kingdom section are tagged Available starting Oct. 1, which holds back eight items and five of the guide's 13 new dishes. EPCOT gets no section of its own, and the guide lists no prices.
SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld's college deal landing page was updated at 11:13 this morning and now reads "as low as $32." The 2025 season version read "as low as $30 each (4-pack)" and its published terms made the ticket good only on Thursdays and Sundays. Neither line survives in the landing page disclaimer, but the offer page behind it shows what $32 actually buys: an Any Night College Ticket 4-pack with a minimum purchase of four and blockout dates on every Friday and Saturday of the season, good on 10 of the 26 event nights. Student tickets with no minimum are $47.99 or $52.99.
Disney World The band canceled its Aftershock Festival appearance to grieve, but said this week it will still play all six Eat to the Beat shows at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival on September 28 and 29. Guitarist Chad Gilbert, who died September 20 at 45, had already worked out every setlist with the band and was practicing to be on that stage. The band released all six lists early because that was the plan it had made with him.
Universal Orlando Universal Studios Hollywood is selling a new Halloween Horror Nights add-on ticket for nighttime access to its week-old coaster, which the park had been opening during the event only to select guests. Theme Park Insider reports the price moves with the night, from $19.95 to $24.95, and the coaster runs only from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Event admission is still separate, and Orlando gets its own version in 2027.
Disney World New aerial photos published this week show a third carved section now seated in the center of the Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent facade, closing the gap that was open steel at the start of this month. Across the site, the steel skeleton of the Casita has risen far enough that the outline of the house is readable, with faux rockwork climbing the show building behind it.
Disney World Disney says The Turf Club Bar and Grill reopens at Saratoga Springs on September 30 and published the new menu without prices. Set against the pre-refurbishment menu Disney's own dining page is still showing, five of the eight entrees are being replaced, there is no scallop left in what Disney published, and the number of dishes credited to The Land pavilion at EPCOT falls from seven to two.
Disney World The Turf Club Bar and Grill returns September 30 at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. Disney's calendar has it serving dinner only, 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with every Monday and Tuesday closed through November. The Parks Blog published the full menu but no per-item prices.
