This week at Walt Disney World, Blizzard Beach reopens after a year, Disney Springs installs new signage to remind guests about masks, plus Bob Chapek talks about how your Disney+ streaming habits could play a factor in your next Walt Disney World vacation!
Outside Walt Disney World, Universal announces that work has resumed on Universal’s Epic Universe and announces dates for the 2021 edition of its Halloween Horror Nights event!
1. Blizzard Beach officially reopens
Blizzard Beach is now officially open again after a year of being closed, just in time for the park’s 25th anniversary. Tickets are now once again on sale for this theme park here on Walt Disney World’s official website. As with other theme parks, masks will be required in common areas, but will not be permitted on slides or in pools. You can read more about the reopening guidelines here. You can check out park hours and operating times here at the park’s official website.
2. Taste of EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Kicks Off
The 2021 “Taste of” EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival has kicked off this week, and is running every day through July 5, a record 125 days! Though this year’s event will be scaled down when compared with years past, there are still plenty of fun things to do, including 20 new and returning Outdoor Kitchens, fan favorite and newly-added topiaries around the park, live entertainment from the Voices of Liberty, Mariachi Cobre, and more, plus plenty of fun scavenger hunts! You can learn all about what’s happening at this year’s event here.
3. EPCOT Adds icon flags to its entrance
EPCOT’s new entrance design is almost finished, and earlier this week Disney installed another component of this reimaging of its main entrance plaza: flags of EPCOT icons! Each flag has a logo representing one of six pavilions in Future World. These flags will be a permanent feature at EPCOT and new logos representing upcoming attractions and pavilions will likely be displayed when those areas open in the future. In addition to these new flags, new lighting and music also debuted at this entrance area as well this week.
4. New sneak peek of Moana-themed rooms unveiled
Though Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is not scheduled to reopen until this July, Disney has released a few inside look photos at what this hotel’s new Moana-inspired rooms will look like! You can see more photos of these updated rooms here as well as a rundown of all the changes happening at this popular Magic Kingdom resort.
5. New signage installed at Disney Springs reminding guests of mask requirements
Though Cast Members do their best when it comes to mask compliance, some guests are still struggling when it comes to putting on and wearing an appropriate mask. In response to this Disney Springs has put up giant signs in their parking garages reminding guests that neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, face coverings with valves, or face coverings with mesh are not permitted on Disney Property and are not appropriate face masks to wear.
6. Bob Chapek talks about future Disney+ integrations at theme parks
While Disney does not share customer information with their distribution partners for Disney+, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said during a recent presentation about the future of the company that the data that they have about their viewers may be used in the future when it comes to targeting specific users to market theme park experiences to. Though Chapek didn’t give any specifics, he mentioned that consumer data for Disney+ could be used in the future to help guests plan their theme park vacations.
7. Universal Orlando Resort confirms Halloween Horror Nights 30 dates and the return of Beetlejuice
Universal is getting a jump on their fall plans and have announced that they will kick off the 30th year of Halloween Horror Nights on September 3rd, 2021 and will run the event select nights through October 31, 2021. And in even more exciting news for those who missed the Beetlejuice house during last year’s “HHN Lite” event, it looks like this fan favorite house is returning in 2021!
8. Universal’s Epic Universe to resume construction
After months of rumors about delays and possible cancellation, Universal announced this week that work is officially resuming on Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe theme park after nearly a year of the project being paused. Though work is expected to restart immediately, there will be a bit of a ramp-up period, as the extensive time away from this project will require some new hires and re-staffing. Universal has not announced a new timeline for this project but Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said recently that the new opening date is expected to be in 2025.
