Ep: 45 - January 2025 Theme Park News

Nuts about Theme Parks

This Month's Theme Park News:

- California's devastating wildfires have caused the closures of Universal Studios Hollywood and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. They were closed for January 8th and 9th while the fires were brought under control. The Walt Disney Company is committing $15 million to recovery efforts in the Los Angeles.

- Disneyland Paris debuted it's new nighttime spectacular "Disney Tales of Magic" which features projections covering Main Street U.S.A. and Sleeping Beauty Castle as well as fireworks, lasers, and drones.

- Universal Orlando opened the first hotel at the South Campus of the resort, with Universal Stella Nova Resort opening this month. It is the ninth at the Universal Orlando Resort, and has really embraced the space theming with a beautiful almost science fiction interior.

- Walt Disney World have announced the closing dates of 3 Hollywood Studios locations closing to make way for Monstropolis. Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano will close first, on May 10th. Muppet*Vision 3D show and PizzeRizzo will close on June 7th.

- Walt Disney world also shared concept are for Magic Kingdom's new nighttime parade Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, which opens this summer. T

- Walt Disney World has announced this year's Food Studios menus for the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, which starts January 17 and continues through February 24. There are two new food stands called Opening Bites and Fictional Victuals.

- Similarly, Disneyland Resort have brought out their menus for their Lunar New Year celebration which starts on January 17 at Disney California Adventure.

- Los Angeles County has approved a construction permit for the next roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, the project name 90011, which is rumoured to be a Vekoma Thrill Glider.

- Universal Orlando announced 12 artists that will headline their Mardi Gras concerts starting February 1st, with T-Pain and finishing March 29th with TLC.

- Universal Orlando have announced their event plans for this year, with dates for Halloween Horror Nights (which runs August 29 through November 2), and the Holidays at Universal Orlando (running November 21 continuing through New Year's Eve, December 31), as well as a new event called Universal Volcano Bay Nights, starting in April. The new after-hours event will run April 19, 26 and May 3, 10, 17

- Walt Disney World has added 4 more runDisney event weekends in late 2025 and 2026.

October 23-26, 2025: Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend

January 7-11, 2026: Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

February 26-March 2, 2026: Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend

April 16-19, 2026: runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend

- Six Flags Over Georgia have renamed their upcoming Surf Coaster, to Georgia Gold Rusher, after a fan vote had previously picked Georgia Surfer as the name.

- Six Flags Great America released a concept POV of their upcoming dive coaster Wrath of Rakshasa.

- Thomas Mazloum will be the new President of the Disneyland Resort, coming from the Disney Cruise Line segment of Disney Experiences.