Disney World Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village starts a phased lobby refurbishment on August 17. The main lobby and primary entrance close through October 9, with Community Hall, the arcade, the laundry room and the lobby restrooms going offline in a later window that runs to November 6.
Universal Orlando Universal Orlando's annual thank-you to passholders brings 40 percent off select hotels, 30 percent off Express Pass, $40 off 1-Day Park-to-Park tickets for family and friends, and a teased Revenge of the Mummy magnet at UOAP Nights. Reservations for the after-hours event are already fully booked.
Disney World The Passholder lounge at Restaurant Marrakesh, the free Woody and Buzz magnet, the Joffrey's coffee crawl and up to 40 percent off at a dozen restaurants all stop on July 31. The dining discount only runs Monday through Thursday, so Thursday July 30 is really the last call. Disney teased the next magnet on Tuesday morning.
Universal Orlando The scanners that let guests highlight fossils on the Discovering Dinosaurs rock wall are gone, and WDW News Today reports black scrim now covers the signs of the removal. Universal has not announced the change, and it lands while Jurassic Park River Adventure sits closed until November 20.
Legoland Florida Legoland Florida's family wooden coaster has been closed since January 5. Laughing Place reports it returns August 16, National Roller Coaster Day, after a rebuild that replaced the entire wooden structure and is meant to keep the ride going another 20 to 30 years.
Disney World Animal Kingdom's only Single Rider line lost its sign for a few days, then got it back on Monday. WDW News Today was told the dedicated queue will close soon. Blog Mickey predicted the same thing that morning, then revised after the sign returned. Either way, solo riders are not saving the time they used to.
Universal Orlando The park calendar now has Universal Epic Universe closing at 8 p.m. on 28 of September's 30 days, an hour earlier than summer. Because the new nighttime spectacular runs at park close, Universal Celestial Goodnight moves with it, less than two months after it debuted.
Disney World The 21-year-old western lowland gorilla arrived from the Saint Louis Zoo in June and spent about a month settling in behind the scenes. As of Monday, he is finally on view along the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, taking over the troop from Gino, the beloved silverback who died last September.
Disney World The 2026 lineup lands online July 27 with select pieces heading to the parks, from a skeleton Mickey and Minnie plush to a glowing Mickey wreath, while a wider wave of Halloween merch has already hit Walt Disney World shelves.
Disney World The sliding blast doors between the standby queue and the Hondo Ohnaka preshow room stopped working soon after Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened. Enthusiasts say that as of July 26 they are once again closing behind each group before admitting the next, restoring a piece of the ride's original theming.
Universal Orlando Orange County has issued the building permit for Project 680, the long-teased structure behind Dark Universe, and the paperwork calls out a ride maintenance bay on the first floor. That single line answers the question Universal has dodged since spring: the mystery building is a ride, not a show.
Disney World Disney Vacation Club's annual Welcome Home Weeks are back from July 22 through August 26, and this year the headline perk is a Mondays through Thursdays dining deal: 40 percent off food and nonalcoholic drinks at eight table-service restaurants, plus free ice cream, Disney Springs treats, and a members-only character meet at the BoardWalk.
Disney World Crews used a boom lift to lower the framing for the top of the carousel into place at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the latest visible sign that the Tropical Americas land is taking shape. When it opens in 2027, the ride will carry hand-carved Disney animals, including Kevin from Up, rather than the usual horses, at the heart of a new village called Pueblo Esperanza.
Disney World Blog Mickey photographed what looks like the first section of a tower crane at the Piston Peak National Park site on July 25, standing just past the new wall that separates Frontierland from the Cars-themed land going in where Rivers of America used to be. Disney still has not given an opening date.
Universal Orlando When Universal teased Killer Klowns from Outer Space returning to Halloween Horror Nights 35 last week, it would only say the Klowns were coming to the streets, with more details promised soon. Now those details are here. The scare zone is called Downtown Clowntown, it takes over the New York area of Universal Studios Florida, and it adds a second horror-movie clown to the mix in Art the Clown from the Terrifier films.
Disney World As sunset arrives earlier, Fantasmic! shifts to 8:30 p.m. nightly from August 23 and Happily Ever After moves up to 9:30 p.m. from August 31. Happily Ever After also goes dark on Not-So-Scary party nights.
Universal Orlando Aerials posted Friday evening by bioreconstruct show Hollywood Drift track dipping directly behind Music Plaza Stage and threading the soundstage row, while roughly half the concert lawn in front sits stripped for turf replacement and utility work, with the coaster itself targeting a 2027 debut.
Disney World Crews pulled a large tree from a fenced work site near Backlot Express this week. Permits filed since spring put the project, known as Project Fedora, mostly in the hands of Disney's facilities team, but Disney has not said a word about what is coming.
Universal Orlando News 6 reported on a viral video that appears to show a temporary construction wall coming down on a group walking in from the parking garages. The guest who filmed it says it happened last month in a downpour. Universal declined to discuss it, citing pending claims, and no injuries have been confirmed.
Legoland Florida The Legoland Express picks up at Disney Springs and ICON Park, runs round trip from $8 a person, and has been quietly operating since May. Here is how the little known shuttle works.
Disney World The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District's planning board unanimously recommended Resolution No. 686 on July 24, writing the 2045 Comprehensive Plan's growth ceilings into the zoning code that Disney's building permits are reviewed against. The caps leave room for one more major theme park, two more minor parks, 18 more golf holes, and a jump in hotel keys from 28,267 to 39,801.
Universal Orlando Construction walls now wrap parts of the yellow-beige arches that have greeted Universal Studios Florida guests since the park opened in 1990. The work is a repaint, not a teardown, and the arches are expected to match the brighter white-and-brown palette the rest of the entrance plaza already wears. That crisp white arch rendering circulating on social media is a fan edit, not an official Universal image.
SeaWorld Orlando From July 27 to August 1, SeaWorld Orlando puts the spotlight on sharks with daily Aquarist Talks at Shark Shallows, a run of shark-themed snacks, and a milestone nod to Mako as the hypercoaster turns 10. Park tickets start at $59.99, and a $5 Guy Harvey commemorative card sends 100 percent of its net proceeds to shark conservation.
Disney World After roughly six months behind scaffolding and scrim, Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion is starting to reappear, and it does not look the way it did before the work began. The cupola dome is green, the brick is noticeably darker, and the stone trim has been lightened, undoing the even-toned look the building had settled into by 2011. Disney has said nothing about the work, and one wall near the exit is still visibly half-finished.
Universal Orlando Warner Bros. Discovery has finally said what Universal Orlando is actually doing for Back to Hogwarts, and it starts in nine days. Running August 1 through September 1, the celebration brings a limited-edition Butterbeer mug stamped "25 Years of Magic," a park-exclusive Build-A-Bag collection from luggage brand Lug, and special food and beverage offerings at Universal Orlando. All eight films also return to theaters worldwide from August 27, and the 25th anniversary re-release of Sorcerer's Stone carries 12 minutes of never-before-seen footage.
Disney World Disney's 2026 foodie guide lists 58 food and drink items across 19 Magic Kingdom locations for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, 17 of them new, including three Haunted Mansion themed items at Sleepy Hollow. Disney did not attach a price to any of them, and the party allergen guide is still listed as coming soon.
Disney World Construction walls now wrap the closed Westward Ho Refreshments kiosk in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, and WDW News Today reports the walls will eventually be moved forward into the existing riverwalk area, with a temporary pedestrian pathway installed along the promenade for parade viewing during years of expected construction for Piston Peak National Park. The churro cart has already relocated near Frontier Trading Post, and WDW News Today counted two popcorn stands in new spots.
Universal Orlando On Comcast's second quarter earnings call Thursday morning, co-CEO Mike Cavanagh said attendance across the broader Orlando market began to soften in June and that the trend has continued into the third quarter, while CFO Jason Armstrong said growth in Orlando came in below expectations. Executives described a strong guest response to Epic Universe. Theme Parks revenue rose 2.7% to $2,413 million for the quarter while adjusted EBITDA fell 5.1% to $609 million.
Universal Orlando Universal announced FORTNITEMARES on Wednesday, dropping guests into a battleground called Freaky Fields where the Battle Bus turns up and the Storm closes in. It debuts August 28 in Orlando, in what FOX 35 Orlando reports is a first for the event.
Disney World Leslie Iwerks directed it and nine of Disney's top filmmakers and executives sit for it, but the line that matters is the promise of rare glimpses at new lands still hidden behind construction walls. It reaches Disney+ in August, after a debut screening at D23 on August 16.
