This week at Walt Disney World, hours are extended to cope with increasing crowd levels at the theme parks, the EPCOT Monorail reopens, plus new previews for the 50th anniversary of the resort are released!
Outside Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa officially return to full capacity and new houses are announced for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort.
1. EPCOT Monorail reopens after 16 month closure
The EPCOT Monorail officially reopened this week after being closed since March 2020 when the parks initially closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this reopening, the bus service from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Contemporary Resort and eventually Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will be discontinued since the monorail will be available.
2. Hours extended at all Walt Disney World theme parks
Due to high crowd levels Disney has increased hours at all of their theme parks, making the following changes:
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios will close an hour later in September at 9:00 PM
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: The park will have an 8:00 PM close in July, and then a 7:00 PM close from the original 6:00 PM
- EPCOT will now have a 10:00 PM closing on the weekend, an hour later than previously scheduled.
- Magic Kingdom, will close an hour later the first week of August before going back to an earlier close due to the start of the After Hours Boo Bash
You can check out the full calendar with updated hours here.
3. PhillharMagic behind the scenes video released
Disney has released a new behind-the-scenes video showing off the creative process that went into adding a new scene inspired by Coco to PhilharMagic. You can check out the video featuring Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald above.
4. First of “Fab 50” statues unveiled
Disney has shared a look at the very first of the “Fab 50” sculptures that will be placed at Walt Disney World for the 50th anniversary celebrations. Check out a video above featuring Bret Iwan, the voice of Mickey Mouse.
5. Discount tickets now available for Florida residents
Florida residents can now take advantage of a new discounted ticket offer that allows them to purchase a multi-day ticket for as low as $54 per day, plus tax. These tickets can be purchased now and have the following base price points:
- 2-Day Ticket $75 per day ($150 per ticket)
- 3-Day Ticket $62 per day ($185 per ticket)
- 4-Day Ticket $54 per day ($215 per ticket)
You can learn more about that new deal here.
6. Casey Jr Splash ‘n’ Soak Station splash pad reopened
Casey Jr Splash ‘n’ Soak Station has reopened in Fantasyland’s Storybook Circus at the Magic Kingdom after being closed for 16 months and a quick refurbishment.
7. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa announce official return to full capacity
SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have announced that they have officially returned to full capacity and guests who want to visit these parks no longer need to make a reservation. Universal Orlando Resort also does not require reservations, making Walt Disney World the only theme park in Central Florida still requiring reservations.
8.Universal announces Texas Chainsaw Massacre house and the return of the Bride of Frankenstein Lives at Halloween Horror Nights 2021
This week Universal Orlando Resort announced the brand new Texas Chainsaw Massacre house for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights event, and also confirmed that the Bride of Frankenstein Lives house, which first debuted in 2020 during Universal Studios Florida’s daytime Halloween event, would be returning in 2021. You can check out teasers for these houses here.
