I’ve been going to California’s Disney Parks my whole life, and I’m discovering new things about them all the time. To prove that point, I’ve been to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure a ton of times since it opened back in 2021, but I’m just learning about an adorable Ant-Man detail there.

An eagle-eyed fan just pointed out that Ant-Man actually has a “secret pretzel stash” between Pym Test Kitchen and the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. Take a look:

I can’t believe I never noticed this before, but I totally see how I could have overlooked it, too. What's fashioned to look like a weathered, heavy-duty switch of some sort isn't what it seems. There’s a little door with a lock on it, and inside there’s a bunch of hidden Disneyland pretzels. Next to the door is a sign that once said “NOTICE: Authorized Personnel Only”, but “Authorized Personnel” has been scratched out and new text has been added so it reads “NOTICE: Scott L. Only!”

It’s little details like this that make me love Disneyland so much! If I were a kid during a trip to Disney and I saw this, I would have been thinking about how Ant-Man was sneaking around with his pretzel stash my whole way home while hugging whatever Disney plushie I took with me that day. I bet it's been there all along, and I just didn't spot it. That's the magic of Disney though.

And Disney fans, before we know it, there are about to be a lot more details to uncover in Avengers Campus when its expansion opens up. There are two more rides currently in the works. One is called Stark Flight Lab, which will feature “new tech” that takes guests on a ride that goes from a track-based ride to an aerial experience. The other upcoming ride is called Avengers Infinity Defense, which will blend physical set environments with 3D screens.

During D23’s Disney Experiences presentation, there were also some exciting updates on Avengers Campus at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland. Hong Kong’s Tomorrowland is getting a Marvel Studios-themed upgrade, and Shanghai will have an exciting Spider-Man coaster.

Outside of Disney’s California Adventure, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man is set to be in the upcoming Marvel movie, Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel boss Kevin Feige has teased that Scott Lang will be one of the “elder statesmen” of the Avengers, who helps deal with the newer recruits to the superhero team as they fight off Doctor Doom.

Anyways, I’m just so happy Ant-Man has become such a fixture of the MCU, and that bleeds into Disney Parks. Paul Rudd’s superhero has crept up on me and become one of the fan-favorite characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and things like this DCA detail remind me of this.

Since Obsession is one of my favorite 2026 movies, I was over the moon when I learned that the movie would be part of this year’s Halloween Horror Nights festivities at Universal Studios Hollywood. The movie came out too recently for the theme park to craft a haunted house for the viral scary movie, but they did have time to make Nikki a roaming character at the parks. Well, I went to HHN with the hopes of seeing Nikki, and I want to talk about my experience.

What Happened When I Tried To Find Nikki At Halloween Horror Nights

I had the chance to visit HHN during its opening night this past Thursday, and as usual I had a blast. I had nine houses to see in seven hours and some spooky snacks to try, but my eyes were very much peeled for Nikki the whole time. Unlike other characters in the parks, from what I knew about the roaming characters, it was crafted like a Where’s Waldo situation. There’s also a password going out every night on Universal’s Instagram, and the first 100 people who utter it to Nikki get a gift.

I had heard she had been seen by the Sinners haunted house queue, Krusty Land and the front of the park, and I spent time at all the above, but I never once saw my new favorite horror character. It was a bummer, but at least I got something called a One Wish Churro!

My Disappointment Aside, I Think It's A Genius Move

Because sightings of Nikki at HHN have been all over my social media feed lately, I thought I would find her no problem. Let my experience be a reminder to other guests that finding Nikki during your HHN visit isn’t guaranteed. You have to be in a lucky “right place, right time” situation to find her, unless you literally make it your mission to track her down.

While I had hoped to have my own moment with Nikki, I think HHN's decision to make the Obsession lead a roaming character is genius. The whole night I was seeing women with long, straight brown hair and black clothing and doing a double take, thinking this time it might be Nikki, and I’ve never had that experience at HHN before. It’s pretty amazing to me that a character who is all but normal aside from her possession-like performance is one of the most sought-after horror icons of the year.

Throughout my visit to HHN, there was also an overwhelming amount of people in Obsession-themed merchandise as well. Seeing as how popular Nikki from Obsession surely is among horror fans, I have a feeling an Obsession-themed full-on house could happen next year, and I hope Inde Navarrette gets in on it by reprising her role.

If you’re going to HHN this year, I wish you well on your search! The event runs from now until November 1.

Anyone who officially kicks off the Halloween season at the start of September gets our stamp of approval, and Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights is once again earning stamps aplenty in its 35th year. Both U.S. coasts are sharing major IP for houses based on Oscar winner Sinners, the all-time classic Hellraiser and more — with a special tribute to heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne in the mix — with differing houses based on original ideas. Along with a variety of Scare Zones, shows and the like.

Because there are so many different attractions to check out, as well as event-exclusive foods, drinks, and merch to peruse, there’s always a risk of not being able to enjoy every single experience. (And that’s not even taking into account those long lines.) So for those who want to stress less by knowing the absolute must-visit haunted houses before heading to each park, CinemaBlend is here for you, with a quick and spoiler-lite breakdown of what to prioritize and why.

This year’s event was so fun that we’re already thinking about which upcoming horror movies will be immediately successful enough to inspire must-see houses next year. But that’s in the distant future, so let’s focus on the fear…er…the here and now.

Can't Miss HHN 35 Houses At Universal Orlando Resort

Nick Venable: I was invited to Universal Orlando Resort for Halloween Horror Night 35's opening night, and thus had the advantage of experiencing nearly everything there was to experience. (Shout out to Jordan!) I was very pleased to discover that all of this year's houses were genuinely worthy of visiting in any capacity. The Fortnightmares area didn't quite do it for me due to a general lack of awareness on my part, but that was the only whiff for me. And away we go!

#5: Sinners

• Best House For: Blues music, vampire fanatics
• Be Sure Not To Miss: Annie
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Halloween rarely has as much scary swagger as Club Juke, and I love seeing any haunted house with so many Black performers on display. It's also the first Best Picture winner to get an HHN house.

#4: Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control

• Best House For: Longtime fans of HHN lore, fun-house-esque rooms
• Be Sure Not To Miss: The actual story behind the house, which is technically a prequel/preface to the very first HHN event.
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Jack the Clown is the greatest HHN icon of them all, at least in my mind, and each return is better than the last, and the same could be said for Dr. Oddfellow. Also, both the spinning tunnel room and the tilted room are classic amusement park gimmicks that never get old.

#3: Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness

• Best House For: Ozzy Osbourne fans, big animatronic creatures
• Be Sure Not To Miss: A few touching appearances from Ozzy himself in the pools surrounding the bases of the trees in the very first room of the house.
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Regardless of your level of Ozzy Osbourne fandom, each room brings life album covers, songs and pop culture moments in massive ways. It has quite possibly one of the coolest animatronic moments I've ever seen.

#2: H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!

• Best House For: Fans of B-movie legends Elvira and Svengoolie, kooky and off-the-wall themes
• Be Sure Not To Miss: That disco dancer
• Why It Deserves Your Time: H.R. Bloodengutz is a hauntingly hammy hoot, and this house delivers the widest variety of ghoulish subject splatter - er - matter.

#1: Hellraiser

• Best House For: The most impressive set piece and use of IP, Cenobites fans
• Be Sure Not To Miss: Butterball!
• Why It Deserves Your Time: First, Clive Barker specifically requested the house showcase just as much sordid pleasure as tortured pain, and it shows. Second, you get to actually walk into the Lament Configuration, and it's impossible not to feel giddy. Third, Doug Bradley re-recorded Pinhead's highly quotable film dialogue for the attraction. It's truly the best of all worlds (and nether realms) for Hellraiser fans, and haunted house visitors all around.

Must-Try-To-See Beyond The Houses

• Downtown Clowntown: Not a good place for those who most fear clowns and characters on stilts, but for everyone else: a honkingly colorful eden. All the Killer Klowns from Outer Space costumes and set pieces are a delight.
• Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir: Watching extremely athletic, attractive and charismatic performers in vampire costumes flipping, flying, fighting, and playing with fire is among the coolest things anyone can do in a theme park after midnight. (Or before it.) Watch out for the splash zone, though.
• HHN 35 Merch: After all the money spent just getting to the event, sometimes souvenirs can be hard to justify. Or impossible. Because you gotta buy something. How often are you going to find licensed Sinners or Evil Dead Burn merch out in the wild? And yes, I absolutely bought a coffee mug decorated like Hellraiser's Lament Configuration.

Can't Miss HHN 35 Houses At Universal Studios Hollywood

Sarah El-Mahmoud: I was invited to Universal Studios Hollywood for Halloween Horror Night's opening night on Thursday, September 3rd, and had a blast with all the spooky offerings this year. Before walking through the arched entrance, I was most stoked to experience the houses for Sinners and Stranger Things 5, but found myself more entertained by the original offerings than I was expecting. Let's get into my favorites:

#5: KILLceañera: Music by SLASH

• Best House For: Slow-Burn Frights
• Be Sure Not To Miss: Before you walk into the maze check out above the house for a special performance.
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Every year there's a house that really feels like it can get under my skin and make me feel the suspense of a horror movie, and that was KILLceañera for me this year.

#4: Hellraiser

• Best House For: Gorehounds
• Be Sure Not To Miss: It's a long house, so it's easy to get stressed at the end, but stay steady to get all the wild scares.
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Whether you're a fan of the horror franchise or not, Hellraiser is one of the biggest and scariest houses of the year. It's full of gruesome scenes and jump scares that made me very unsettled.

#3: Sinners

• Best House For: The Cinephile
• Be Sure Not To Miss: All the curated atmosphere and details from Ryan Coogler's movie here. I know it's scary, but take some time to look up, around and through each room you move through.
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Sinners was one of our favorite movies of last year thanks to Ryan Coogler's chilling vision. The HHN haunted house pays wonderful tribute to the film by showing off its music, famous scenes and creepy imagery. If you love the movie, you'll feel like you've been inside it after venturing through this house.

#2: Ozzy Osbourne: Prince Of Darkness

• Best House For: All-Around Creepy Fun
• Be Sure Not To Miss: Grabbing some snacks before going in line. This one was the longest of the night, even with an Express Pass.
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Speaking as someone with little attachment to Ozzy Osbourne, I wasn't anticipating this house much, but boy does it deliver. It takes you on a literal "Crazy Train," and all through some fun horror-ific iconography in a way only a Ozzy Osbourne tribute house could.

#1: Dead, Deader, Deadest

• Best House For: The Most Original Scares
• Be Sure Not To Miss: All the sensory changes in a single house.
• Why It Deserves Your Time: Dead, Deader, Deadest is the Haunted House this year that had everything I truly want from a HHN attraction all wrapped up in one. This original house takes you through an abandoned funeral home and it felt that for a moment I was a dead body going through all the twisted experiences that come with that. Stuck in a morgue, incinerator and such, it's my favorite house this year.

Must-Try-To-See Beyond The Houses

• Nikki from Obsession is roaming around Universal Studios Hollywood: It's sort of this Where's Waldo situation because she's been seen all over. Keep your eyes peeled, and check out HHN's Instagram for the daily password to tell Nikki. If you're among the first 100 to find her, she'll give you a gift.
• One Wish Churro: There's a stand on the way to Hogwarts that sells a yummy churro that's packaged in a One Wish Willow box from Obsession. It tastes like an Oreo-flavored Churro, and the box is a great souvenir.
• The Shrieking Banshee: Another new creature stalking HHN (also by Hogwarts) is a huge Banshee who's menacing, but a lot of fun to be scared by.
• The Ozzy Bar: If you're looking for a spot to grab a quality cocktail (or mocktail), some great food and rock out to Ozzy Osbourne's music, check out The Ozzy Bar on the lower lot next to the Jurassic World attraction.

That's it from CinemaBlend's Nick and Sarah. Here's hoping we help you have the most fun and fright-filled time possible at Halloween Horror Nights 2026.

Ever since Obsession became one of the most talked about horror movies among 2026 releases, fans have been asking for it to be part of Halloween Horror Nights. And, Universal Studios made it happen for those visiting the Hollywood location this season as a roaming scare actor. As the theme park’s spooky event gets ready to open its doors this week, we have our first look at Nikki.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights event starts on Thursday, but team members got to experience it early already, and there were a lot of Nikki sightings. Check this out:

There she is! We knew already that we’d be getting Nikki from the Obsession ending, but now we can see the full vision come to life. The scare actor is wearing the same outfit Inde Navarrette’s character wears during the final scene when she has Sarah’s tattoos and her face is covered in blood. She’s holding a brick around, quoting lines from the movie, and even did the famous backwards walk. Here’s another sighting:

You can definitely tell these actresses really studied Inde Navarrette’s performance before going out there. The character’s presence at the event has been described as a Where’s Waldo situation, so fans are going to have to keep their eyes peeled for her. Here’s one more:

While Obsession definitely deserves its own house too, the truth is the movie came out just three months ago, and there wasn’t enough time for the Halloween Horror Nights team to make one that quick. But, cool is it that they found a way to give the movie a presence at the Universal Hollywood event? Oh, and there's also a snack called the One Wish Churro there too. It comes in a One Wish Willow box and is covered in chocolate cookie sugar.

Before it was announced Nikki from Obsession would be at the event, Inde Navarrette said getting to “do a couple days” where she’s Nikki at HHN would be a “dream” for her. The actress is a big fan of going to Horror Nights and said she goes “every year”. I wonder if she will reprise her character during HHN this year!

Outside of Obsession, tons of fan-favorite horror properties are at Universal Studios Hollywood this year. Sinners has its own house, along with there being one for the final season of Stranger Things, Hellraiser Evil Dead Burn and Art the Clown is taking over this year’s Horror Tram. CinemaBlend just went to Orlando’s version of the event, and we gave a glowing review for Hellraiser's house in particular.

Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights opens this Thursday and will continue through November 1. You can grab tickets at Universal Studios Hollywood’s website now.

For its 35th anniversary as the premiere theme park destination for gorehounds and horror nerds, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights has brought out the big claws. We've got the first Oscar-winning haunted house in Sinners, the fourth and final Stranger Things house (and water show), a tribute house for Ozzy Osbourne, and the first attraction devoted to Hellraiser, to name but a few. As you can probably tell from the headline and my constant wincing from the pins sticking out of my face, Hellraiser is going up on the pedestal.

As a huge fan of Clive Barker's stories and directorial debut (though a more passive fan for much of what came afterward), I was pumped to be invited to attend the opening night presentation and tour at Universal Orlando Resort. And I was even more pumped to discover just how much work went into designing it. To the point where I came away thinking it's the second-best representation of Barker's source material after his own movie.

Nothing Can Deliver The Hellraiser's Immersive Vibes Like HHN Does

To me, the majority of the Hellraiser movie sequels are still A+ for Cenobite iconography, but generally lack characters and narratives that give rewatches much value. While I haven't read them all, I have enjoyed several of the comic book series that have been released over the years from Epic Comics and Boom! Studios. (Including the one that just debuted ahead of HHN 35's kickoff, co-written by Clive Barker.)

But let's be real. This franchise is all about evoking utmost pleasures and abject pain, and it's not always easy to put movie audiences in that kind of headspace. I'm very optimistic that the upcoming video game Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival will do a good job on that front, but until that comes out, Halloween Horror Nights serves as a genuinely spooky and moody pinnacle of immersion. Helped along by Barker giving the design team some notes, as well as the vocal stylings of OG Pinhead actor Doug Bradley himself for all of the attraction's dialogue.

I won't got fully into everything that goes on, as not to spoil the metaphorical ride. That said, the house starts with a few sparse hallways that made me question any seemingly wasted space, but then opens up with a giant puzzle box opened up for fans to walk into, and there are such sights to behold in there. As well as lots of swinging chains to get smacked with, while marveling at fake blood and viscera having a texture without being sticky and gross.

It Takes Fans Into The Lament Configuration Instead Of Mirroring Exact Movie Plots

Like movie sequels, Halloween Horror Nights' haunted houses often represent licensed movies and TV series with a near-sequential order of familiar events that characters go through. Which is totally understandable, since that's how storytelling works. But instead of going through all the motions of 1987's Hellraiser or truncating sequences from the entire 11-film franchise, it essentially feels like a greatest-hits mix of locations and monsters, of ecstasy and torment, of life and death.

And oh man, SO MANY CENOBITES. Lots of Pinheads pop up throughout, putting Doug Bradley's voice to great use, but it's absolutely just as fun and frightening to have Female Cenobites, Chatterers, and Butterballs jumping out in the midst of the house's labyrinth. Excellent costumes as well.

Hellraiser Is Now In My Top 5 Haunted Houses Of All Time

I can't pretend to be some kind of HHN expert or anything, as this year marked only my fourth time attending the event. And I also haven't been privileged enough to attend haunted houses spread across the country. But I've been to a bunch, so there's definitely competition to be had on that front. And from both an IP fan-perspective and an overall quality perspective, I feel confident putting Hellraiser's HHN 35 house among my five all-time favorites.

The practical effects and prosthetics, the house design, the lighting effects and other tech, the costumes , and the scare actors all worked in tandem to deliver a uniquely scary experience. Though the only real Hell involved was seeing the Exit sign.

Halloween Horror Nights 35 is currently taking place on weekends and select weeknights from now through November 1, with other houses based on Evil Dead Burn, as well as a co-op house between event Icons Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow. Check Universal Orlando Resort's site for dates and ticket prices.

For theme park fans that love the holiday season, of which I am definitely one, Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida is expanding this year's merriment. The newest expansion wasn’t totally without holiday festivities in its first year after opening, but I was personally able to experience at the time what the Universal Orlando Resort has to offer destination-wide, and I was surprised that Super Nintendo World wasn’t fully decked out, especially when Universal Studios Hollywood is already doing so annually for their smaller version. It felt the attempt could have been much bigger, and thankfully there is indeed more décor debuting this holiday season.

From November 14 through January 3, 2027, Super Nintendo World and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk will be joining in on the seasonal magic, alongside Celestial Park and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. I don’t know if Epic Universe will get the Mario and Luigi Snowmen or if they’ll expand the holiday celebration into Donkey Kong Country, but I’m excited to see how they decide to decorate.

Super Nintendo World And How To Train Your Dragon - Isle Of Berk Are Joining In On The Holiday Merriment

Epic Universe is already a big award winner and it's also a theme park where there isn’t one portal that I would want to skip over on any trip there. Super Nintendo World is truly the land of audio and visual stimulation, and whether you're a longtime obsessive Nintendo fan or a total newbie, there is endless interactive fun to be had. That’s why I think it’s perfectly suited to get the theme park holiday treatment in 2026. Last year, there was some outside store décor that the Pikmin were hidden in, but it’s thrilling to know that it won’t end there.

I’m also elated that Isle of Berk will be adorned with holiday cheer. Sure, there was a “Happy Snoggletog!” banner up in the merch shop last year, but with how incredibly detailed and expansive the How to Train Your Dragon portal is, it was disappointing to see the festive décor confined to such a small space. Details of how much grander things could get are scarce at the moment, but any expansion of holiday sparkle is a welcome improvement. I also love that the universe has its own unique yule-time celebration that those of us that don’t normally live amongst dragons can now get in on.

Now, We Just Need To Get Dark Universe In On The Holiday Spirit

In case you’re wondering, the streets of Ministry of Magic will again have a bit of holiday dazzle, and the winter wonderland of Celestial Park will include twinkling trees and holiday-themed fountain displays throughout the day at the Cosmos Fountain.

While the rides are incredible and so well suited to each of the lands they are located in, I’m in the camp that firmly believes Monsters Unchained is the best ride at Epic Universe. I absolutely understand why a fan recreated Frankenstein Major in LEGO form. I could spend hours exploring Darkmoor’s every nook and cranny in Dark Universe, as I imagine the possibilities of what could be added there in the future. Because of that, I hope the last remaining hold-out in the theme park will join in with the holiday cheer, sooner rather than later. I know I, for one, would love some sort of special celebration in that land, not that I’d need any excuse to spend as much time there as possible.

I’m all for expanding the holiday celebration across Epic Universe. I hope this means that we’ll continue to see more décor and more festivities in the years to come.

There are a lot of writers here at CinemaBlend who love theme parks. I’m generally not one of those writers, but I get it. What I am is a writer who loves great documentaries and true crime. Stolen Kingdom, a documentary that I definitely won’t be able to watch with my Disney+ subscription, looks like it’s a great example of both. It’s about urban explorers and, frankly, thieves who like to sneak into Disney World to explore, and yes, steal.

I haven’t seen it yet, but it currently holds a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from critics who saw it on the festival circuit in 2025, and it’s hitting the 2026 movie schedule on video-on-demand in September.

Risky UrbanX

Urban exploration, or “UrbanX” as it is sometimes called by enthusiasts, is something that fascinates me. I’ve never been one to risk tetanus, but I do appreciate the people who do break into old, dilapidated buildings and explore them. There is dubious legality, usually, but where it’s unquestionably illegal is in a place like Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Apparently, that doesn’t stop people from trying (and sometimes succeeding) in breaking into some of the closed rides with flashlights and backpacks, to see what it looks like when the lights are off.

In the trailer, there are multiple shots of these intrepid (if not entirely rationally thinking) people exploring the dark rides and other areas of the parks that are off-limits to visitors. Obviously this is not the brightest idea. Even setting the legality aside, it could get someone in a lot of physical trouble. That doesn’t stop them from exploring and, apparently, occasionally, treating themselves to a five-finger discount of some Disney “memorabilia” you can’t get in one of the many stores selling Mickey ears and Elsa dresses.

It Looks Like It Mostly Focuses On One Crime

Among the things that may have been taken from one of these exploring thieves is a prop from the closed Wonders of Life ride at Epcot. The ride closed in 2007, and much of it, according to the trailer, has been walled off and left untouched in the decades since. Buzzy, an animatronic prop from the attraction, was stolen in 2018 and remains missing to this day. Was it stolen by someone who broke in from outside the park, or was it an inside job?

In 2019, a cast member named Patrick Spikes was arrested along with his cousin (not a park employee) and accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of props from Disney World. Both Spikes and his cousin Blaytin Taunton pled guilty to avoid jail time, but Buzzy was not among the many items the two stole and later sold on eBay for tens of thousands of dollars.

So where is Buzzy? I don’t think Stolen Kingdom is going to give any definitive answers, but I can’t wait to tune in and learn more about where this beloved prop could be.

Disney’s Imagineers have really been cooking lately, as there are a lot of upcoming Walt Disney World attractions to look forward to. From Monsters Inc.’s Monstropolis to new rides from the world of Cars, Encanto and Indiana Jones, there are going to be many reasons to head to the Florida theme parks. However, I'd argue that few are as hyped for Villains Land as I am. What's more is that I just came across one Star Wars-related detail that really has me itching to go to the still-in-development dark side of Magic Kingdom.

The Star Wars-Related Villain Land Comparison

Weeks ago, at D23, the House of Mouse had a massive Disney Experiences Showcase, and I’m still processing it. Amid all the information that was shared, one piece of information really stuck out to me when I was going over the facts. Here’s what Bruce Vaughn, the President and CCO of Walt Disney Imagineering, said about the upcoming villain-themed location:

Guys, this is a really big deal. Let me give you a picture of what Vaughn means when he compares Villains Land to Galaxy’s Edge. The Star Wars-themed area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is 14 acres and is currently the largest single-themed land expansion ever built at one time (alongside its sister site at Disneyland’s own Galaxy’s Edge). In other words, Villains Land is about to become the largest themed land in Magic Kingdom.

And, based on what the creatives said about the attraction, it’s going to have that “immersive” feeling that Galaxy’s Edge has that’s really special. I’m over the moon about this. I’ll never forget the moment I stepped into Galaxy’s Edge for the first time and felt like I was in the Star Wars universe. The thought of having a similar experience with a place dedicated to iconic Disney Villains is just too exciting!

Other Details About Villains Land Have Been Revealed

Villains Land was announced at the end of 2024’s D23 Experiences Showcase and, at the most recent panel, there was more talk about what to expect from it. Vaughn said the land would include an “entirely new story” for some of Disney’s most famous bad guys like The Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil and Dr. Facilier. Apparently, the attraction starts with a dark, scary forest, where a wishing well with poisoned magic has corrupted the area. With that, the villains descend upon the area to claim the last bit of magic for themselves.

The land will also feature a Maleficent-themed coaster and one that takes place in the catacombs of The Evil Queen’s palace and takes guests in the Magic Mirror’s world. There’s surely going to be much more to Villains Land, and I have to wonder if rumors of the Emperor’s New Groove ride or the inclusion of villain-themed hotels could still be true.

As of this writing, an opening date has yet to be announced for Villains Land. Nevertheless, my excitement for it to open definitely just went up quite a few notches due to the Star Wars comparsion!

As the Most Magical Place on Earth, Walt Disney World continues to bring in Disney lovers from all around the globe. This includes plenty of celebrities. Even Sydney Sweeney has rocked the Mickey ears. You never know who you might run into at Disney, and sometimes you might even stumble upon stars from Full House. Jodie Sweetin recalled how she and John Stamos once got people’s attention by hollering “have mercy,” and it’s everything.

Sweetin recently appeared on Josh Peck and Ben Soffer’s Good Guys Podcast, where she reflected on her life and career, including (of course) Full House. She recalled attending Nostalgia Con in Orlando one year with a chunk of her former co-stars, and the trip wasn’t complete without Disney World. The Saturday night of the convention, she, Stamos, and a few other cast mates went to the Magic Kingdom with some security and guides in tow. Since it was at night, they were much harder to recognize. However, Stamos had a perfect solution to the problem:

You would think that someone like Stamos, who gets recognized a lot, would want to stay hidden... especially in a public place like Disney World. The fact that he was the one who was upset they weren’t getting recognized enough is pretty funny. To be in Disney World and see the cast of Full House and hear Stamos saying “Have mercy,” I would feel like I was watching Season 6’s “The House Meets the Mouse” Disney World two-parter. Only in person.

Considering how big of a Disney fanatic Stamos is, he has been to the Parks time and time again. He even heard about the Tayvis engagement news while on the Pirates ride with Josh Gad. And he probably gets recognized time and time again. Not only has he had run-ins with fans, but he’s also had interactions with Disney cast members. For example, he once had a bit of a clash with Iron Man while at Disneyland. And he was DisneyBounding as Tony Stark, which was pretty perfect.

Of course, as mentioned, there was also the iconic Disney World episode of Full House at a time when all the TGIF shows were doing Disney episodes. The two-parter, streaming with a Hulu subscription, is one of my favorite episodes of Full House, and it makes me wonder if the cast ever reminisce about filming it whenever they go to Disney World or even the Grand Floridian, where some of the scenes were filmed. At the very least, if you go to Disney World, there’s a good chance you could hear John Stamos saying “Have mercy” at night.

While not every celebrity enjoys getting recognized, it’s refreshing to know that Stamos welcomes the chance, so much so that he’s willing to shout his classic catchphrase. But now I need to know whether he does that every time he goes to Disney, or only when there’s little chance he’ll be noticed.

When Disneyland Paris’ new Lion King details were announced at D23 this year, I had two thoughts. First, that’s awesome. And secondly, how has a Disney park never featured a full land themed around the seminal 1994 movie before? It's clearly a movie that lives fondly in peoples' hearts, and also Disney World has a whole theme park dedicated to animals, and we just have one Lion King show.

I don’t have the full answer to that question, but thanks to the Internet’s ability to dig up viral clips, I do know Disneyland Paris has gone viral thanks to The Lion King and a live baby cub before. Yes, you must see it to believe it.

Let’s Jump Back To Disneyland Paris In 2004

Ten years after the release of The Lion King, the movie was still popular thanks to the Disney vault (those of you with a Disney+ subscription don't know how good you've had it) and the recent release of The Lion King 1 1/2. This was apparently true of fans in France, as well, as the famous Disneyland Paris put on a Lion King Carnival. That in and of itself was special given the lack of lands surrounding Simba and co. at the time, but it also came with a live event that featured a character actor dressed up as Rafiki holding up a real live lion cub on Pride Rock, much like happens in the original animated movie.

This honestly sounded like the stuff of legend when I first heard about it, but one frequent theme parkgoer shared their footage of the event this week. If reports are true, multiple sources seem to be confirming this is a thing that actually happened and/or they were privy to at the time.

A poster over on X shared a slew of footage from the event at the time, and eagle-eyed fans spotted what seemed to be a real-life lion cub amidst the other characters working the event. The poster then shared a second video from the event that seemed to confirm a real lion cub was brought in for a Pride Rock scene, and that was no stuffie.

Several posters also went to the Carnival the year it occurred at Disneyland Paris and confirmed the baby lion was real and really in attendance, and you can find additional evidence peppered over Flickr and more places. While it’s not unusual to see animals in theme parks, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida has a range of animals of prey on the Savannah, these aren’t really animals that are being taken out of their enclosures and used for show content.

The expectations in Paris in 2004 were clearly different. The celebration as a whole sounds big and bold though. Just to add a little icing to the cake, at the end of the night, after the whole Lion King-themed live Simba moment, the park reportedly put on some amusingly named FiROARWorks.

What We Know About The Disneyland Paris Attraction

So, why is this resurfacing right now? The Lion King has been a big topic of conversation over the last several days. We've known since 2024 something was coming to Disneyland Paris, but this year new details were announced, and Disney shared the concept art for the area, above.

Disneyland Paris is set to take riders all the way back to the Pridelands for a new water ride, and it's all part of a major Lion King-themed area that's been under construction at the park for a while. The big new attraction there will be a log flume ride that feels similar to Splash Mountain/Tiana’s Bayou Adventure that will show Simba growing from a young cub at the start of the journey to the King of Pride Rock. It’ll have a 52-foot drop which is also similar to Tiana’s, which sports around a 50-foot drop.

It's a little different than what several of the Senior Management team at Disney World told CinemaBlend they had envisioned (think: more Pandora-style). Regardless, a construction model and more were shown, and you can check out more via our D23 Event Blog. Meanwhile, Disney is looking to expand a lot of its parks and not just Disneyland Paris. Stay tuned as more news comes down the pipeline. We're having a roaring good time with it.

Dwayne Johnson has spent enough time inside the Disney machine to voice a demigod, star in Jungle Cruise and bring Moana into live action, most of which are available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. Now he can add "Disney Legend" to his résumé. Naturally, his daughters had one important question about what exactly that means for them, and he had a response that theme parkgoers will love after landing the Disney award.

Johnson was officially named a Disney Legend during the Aug. 16 ceremony at D23 in Anaheim, joining a 2026 class that included Anne Hathaway, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Jonas Brothers and others. Disney calls the designation its highest honor but, when he spoke with People after receiving it, he offered a much more practical interpretation he gave his daughters, Jasmine, 10, and Tiana, 8. The Mummy Returns veteran said:

As far as I can tell, lifetime park admission is not actually part of the Disney Legends deal, so Jasmine and Tiana may want to hold Dad to that promise rather than Mickey Mouse. Still, I respect where his mind went. If I earned Disney’s highest honor and had two kids asking what was in it for them, “We never have to pay to get into Disneyland again” would be a pretty strong answer.

Disney's theme parks remain treasured locations for fans of the House of Mouse and understandably so, given how they keep expanding. For instance, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will soon include a Cars-themed area known as Piston Peak as well as the highly anticipated Villains Land And even Disney's Animal Kingdom is getting a new Indiana Jones ride, with Harrison Ford even signed on to serve as the character's likeness. So the Johnson girls would have a lot to enjoy down the road.

The Rock's daughters have already had a particularly Disney-heavy year. Both briefly appeared in the live-action Moana, which opened July 10. The movie may not have won over critics or audiences, which its star has pushed back on, but getting to pop up in a movie alongside their dad is still the kind of thing that will probably stick with them. They also previously made small appearances in Moana 2. Johnson, meanwhile, is set to return as Maui in the upcoming Moana 3. So, free tickets or not, I suspect the parks will remain a regular part of the family orbit.

Later in his interview, the Jumanji star got more serious when discussing what the Disney Legend designation actually means to him. For the actor, the honor seems closely tied to the experiences Disney creates for families. He continued:

That connection goes back decades for Johnson. During his acceptance speech, he remembered taking his oldest daughter, Simone, to Disneyland when she was 5. The WWE star-turned-Hollywood staple said he was still figuring out fatherhood at the time, but watching her close her eyes and make a wish during breakfast with the Disney princesses stuck with him. Simone turned 25 two days before the ceremony, and he even led the D23 crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to her.

Honestly, there's something fitting about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson receiving the award after Moana became such a big piece of his career. Maui has now carried him through animation, sequels, a live-action remake and another movie still to come. Whether any of that actually gets his daughters through the Disneyland turnstiles for free is another matter.

The Smashing Machine star, meanwhile, has several other movies in the works, including the long-awaited Jumanji sequel. Open World is set to arrive on the 2026 movie schedule on Christmas Day, with The Rock reuniting with Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan.

Walt Disney has been serving up holiday magic for as long as I can remember. There is nothing quite like visiting one of their many theme parks during the holiday season, not only to check out new attractions, but to sample the holiday fare. One thing Disney has a (turkey)leg up over other theme parks is their holiday food offerings. They keep getting better every year and stand apart from the crowd. Case in point: This Halloween.

I’ve eaten holiday food at plenty of theme parks over the years, and there is often a trade-off. The food might be really well-themed, cute to look at, or have a fun concept, but sometimes the actual flavor can feel like an afterthought. At Disney, however, that is not the case. It has all of those attributes, and it usually tastes great, too. There is just a little more Disney magic in their dining options that I cannot quite put my finger on. Perhaps it’s just more sugar.

These Are Some Of The Can’t-Miss Eats This Spooky Season

This year alone, there are several new items you can try this spooky season. I attended the opening day of Halloween Time at Disneyland and sampled some of the limited-time seasonal offerings.

One of the standouts that I had to stop myself from buying twice while I was there is the Pumpkin Pie Mickey Shake, a pumpkin pie and vanilla milkshake with whipped topping and golden creme-filled cookies.

I had a chance to speak with one of the Disney chefs behind these creations and asked her if there was only one new drink guests should try. She did not skip a beat:

She did not steer me wrong. The cookies make some adorable Mickey ears, and if you like pumpkin, it’s a MUST. But the best part is that this isn't just a cute Halloween-themed drink. It actually delivers on the pumpkin pie flavor, which is exactly what I want from a seasonal theme park treat.

But dessert is not the only thing Disneyland is serving up this Halloween. The savory offerings are just as creative, and Disney isn't relying on theming alone to make its holiday food stand out. I also chatted with her about some of the savory offerings that will take your taste buds for a ride. She told me about the BBQ Pork Muenster Grilled Cheese:

I ordered it and can confirm it is adorable. It also comes with jalapeño slaw and potato bites. Pro tip: Put the slaw on the sandwich. It gives it a nice spicy, acidic crunch.

There is no shortage of themed treats at Disney right now, whether you want some seriously hot villainous wings, an Oktoberfest cheese-filled dog, a carne asada spicy Oogie Boogie burrito, some seasonal popcorn in the Hatbox Ghost popcorn bucket, or any number of other offerings. You won't miss out on either the theming or the flavor.

Normally, I go to theme parks for the rides and the holiday atmosphere, and food is just something I have while I’m there. But after eating holiday food at many theme parks, I can say that Disneyland is in a league of its own. The food is fun, creative, and incredibly themed, but it also actually tastes good, and that makes all the difference. Make sure to get your tickets and try these items before they're gone.

Also, get a pickle. It’s not new or on theme, but it is always delicious and hydrating because it might be 90 degrees when you are there.

The year was 2022. Despite the fact movie theaters had yet to see a massive box office resurgence at this point, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt’s Jungle Cruise managed to cross the $100 million mark. It seemed like it would all be smooth sailing from there. A sequel was reportedly coming down the pipeline, and Disney was ready to make another of its famous rides into a franchise. Then it all fell apart.

Four years have passed since Jungle Cruise was released into theaters, and The Rock was recently asked about his movie based on the popular Disney attraction. He said at D23 he really felt the movie got “kicked around by Covid,” which is fair and was a big concern at the time. In fact, he said he’d love the opportunity to get back to sequel talks again. I’m here for it, but I think there would 100% need to be a change.

Emily Blunt And Dwayne Johnson Don’t Work As Love Interests In This Franchise

Johnson and Blunt are hilarious together. They have great timing when it comes to comedy on set, and I can see why casting directors thought they were suited for the storyline in The Jungle Cruise. To me though, the romance in the movie is really the one thing that just doesn't work. The kiss toward the end of the movie is one of the most unromantic in history, and Emily Blunt herself joked about it.

I honestly think the movie would have been better off with the same three leads --Johnson, Blunt and Jack Whitehall -- without the romantic pairing.

Since we got the pairing no one wanted in the first movie, how refreshing would it be if the sequel set them up as exes now who had to work together again? Then, the second movie wouldn't have to be some ham-fisted attempt at a romantic + action-adventure + comedy a second time, and could focus on what makes the movie great: the characters' rapport. They do well with the tension part. The verbal sparring is spot-on, and they can absolutely carry a fun movie. I want to see more. I just really want this tweak.

I know The Rock and Emily Blunt are fine working together because they tried again in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine. In that movie, Johnson played Mark Kerr, and Blunt played Mark’s girlfriend Dawn Staples. Again, they crushed a lot of dramatic and tense scenes, and all of their interview press runs have been delightful, but they just seem like such great pals.

So, I guess all I’m saying is, I am fully on board with The Jungle Cruise 2. I do actually think the first movie didn’t get a fair box office shake due to circumstances outside of its control, and I think The Rock and Emily Blunt work well together. I would just rather have them trolling each other than falling lovingly into each others’ arms. Is that too much to ask of a sequel?

OK Disney, the ball’s in your court now.

The inclusion of James Cameron’s world of Avatar at Disneyland California Adventure was announced back in 2023, but what’s going on with it now? Well, The Walt Disney Company inundated fans with a ton of announcements during Anaheim’s D23 Expo last weekend. But the latest on DCA’s Avatar expansion has me starting to think it’s never going to happen. Let’s talk about it.

The Latest On Disneyland California Adventure’s Avatar Attraction

While I was in attendance at D23, I, like many fans, made a trip to the convention’s Imagineering Pavilion. There, I saw tons of models for the expansion of Avengers Campus and various upcoming Walt Disney World attractions like Tropical Americas, Piston Peak, Monsters, Inc Land and Villains Land. Among them was also one for Avatar and its planned boat ride. Check it out:

Now, we’ve known since last year that Disney had planned to close down California Adventure’s Monsters, Inc ride and replace it with this Avatar land. And yet, the dark ride has since been saved from closure until sometime next year.

Given the model’s appearance at D23, I had expected we’d get an update on when they planned to break ground on the new land, but then it was only briefly mentioned during Saturday’s D23 Disney Experiences Showcase. As a cherry on top, we learned that the House of Mouse has decided it will delay the Avatar attraction in order to upgrade Disneyland’s Tomorrowland first.

The President of Disneyland Resort, Jill Estorino, also said something interesting that has me skeptical about the arrival of Avatar. She said that since DCA has recently been getting new upgrades like the Avengers Campus expansion and the upcoming Coco ride lately, “it’s really standing on its own”. As she added, via MickeyVisit:

Here’s the thing: upgrading Tomorrowland is a huge undertaking, and the announcement was made at D23 as they had just decided to do it. So if Avatar is next in line after Tomorrowland, it feels like they are shelving the Avatar attraction rather than actively working on it anymore.

Will There Be Demand For Avatar Years From Now?

Fans have been asking for an update to Tomorrowland for a long time, but to deliver on the promise of both honoring the traditional land and making it anew, it’s going to take years! It has me wondering if The Walt Disney Company is even sold on adding Avatar to DCA in the first place. Earlier this year, there were some rumors that Disney was possibly changing their mind and making that area into a land for Zootopia, instead.

It certainly helps the case for that property given its sequel made $1.87 billion worldwide last year and Avatar: Fire And Ash performed a bit under expectations at 1.49 billion globally. If Disney was confident in Avatar land, and the concept has certainly already been thought of, what’s stopping them from just making the land while they figure out Tomorrowland? It all smells fishy to me, and after what I learned at D23, I’m personally unconvinced I’ll ever see this land come to life at DCA.

When it comes to EPCOT, is there anything more iconic than the spiky ball itself? The pretty orb is also the classic ride, Spaceship Earth. But it’s been around since 1982, and it even survived some lightning strikes right to the dome. It has built quite the reputation for breaking down. But there’s one funny thing a group of cast members was caught doing recently on the very day it was announced that Spaceship Earth is getting refurbished.

If you didn’t catch the D23 Entertainment Showcase last weekend, tons of announcements were made about Disney Parks, like the return of Expedition Everest’s Yeti and a reimagining of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. And for Spaceship Earth, it’s going to finally get the redesign fans have been talking about for years.

Amidst the news, some fans who were already at EPCOT ran to ride Spaceship Earth. Here’s what happened next:

Spaceship Earth had broken down… again when the fans arrived there, but the cast members tried to make them feel like they were on the ride. They straight up reenacted the ride between the four of them, and what a show! As the Instagram user wrote, they “deserve a RAISE!” What a goofy, but very fun thing for them to do. I have to wonder how often they do this.

Since its opening, Spaceship Earth has told the history of human innovation from prehistoric times to the 21st century. It may be an old ride, but it has one of the most complicated ride systems Walt Disney Imagineering has ever thought up, given it involves a continuously moving train of vehicles that spiral up into the round structure before making its way back down to Earth. Currently, Judi Dench narrates the journey.

The new version of the EPCOT ride is set to have an updated theme of “human connection”. And what better way to celebrate that than with these cast members giving all they had to reimagine the ride with their own play? I mean, they must have memorized it with no sweat given they work at the attraction.

Along with Spaceship Earth getting updated, it was announced this month that there’s going to be a TV series inspired by the ride. It’s being developed by Loki creator Michael Waldron for those with a Disney+ subscription. It’ll apparently be about a group of teens from Earth’s past and future who band together to “confront a threat as vast and mysterious as time itself”.

In addition to all these Spaceship Earth updates, D23 also announced that a Figment and Dreamfinder ride would be added back to EPCOT. There’s a lot of upcoming Walt Disney World attractions, but what’s going on with Spaceship Earth is big!

It’s only been eight years since Universal Orlando Resort opened its Fast & Furious: Supercharged ride to major fanfare. Vin Diesel and members of the family were present. A Paul Walker Easter egg could be found on the ride. However, despite the flashy entrance, fans were never overly fond of the actual ride experience. So, when the new Fast & Furious coaster was announced, the other ride was fast tracked to the junkyard. I just didn’t realize how quickly Universal would erase its presence.

Fast & Furious: Supercharged closed at Universal Studios Florida at the end of the weekend on August 16th. A TikTok user popped over to Universal Orlando the next day and passed by the ride formerly known as Supercharged. If you take a look, you’ll notice the sign was already painted over and it simply looks like a random building on the backlot.

I suppose this shouldn’t have come as a huge surprise. Last month we learned Supercharged was closing even earlier than we initially expected. When a lot of attractions close at Universal, theme parkgoers commemorate them and jump onto them one last time for the nostalgia factor, and this "saying goodbye" phase tends to last for weeks and weeks.

This doesn’t really seem to have been the case with this Fast ride. Though if you were particularly fond of the ride, the final riders did seem to give it that rowdy factor which I would have expected (for most rides) to see more of in the weeks leading up to the end.

Yeah, that’s a "family chant." Still within hours (and likely overnight), the building got a fresh coat of paint and Universal Studios Florida has officially moved on. Universal’s official website has also already cut out all evidence of the ride. Even the official Universal account seems amused by the quick work on this, and used it as an opportunity to send out a funny PSA, which I honestly didn't see coming.

The timing's really weird, because the Fast family was together over the weekend celebrating the film franchise's 25th anniversary.

The good news?

Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift Is Coming Together

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift hasn’t had its Grand Opening yet at Universal Studios Hollywood as the coaster navigates some issues that aren't "a scream," but it has been taking riders on a high-octane journey for a while now. The coaster is also coming together very quickly at Universal Orlando, so the “family” will have another way to show their love for the franchise, and soon. A full rendering has been released by the theme park, if you haven't checked it out yet.

One thing I did always appreciate about Fast & Furious: Supercharged was the queue. Universal's queues are frequently a blast, and it was always especially fun to see the cars and the franchise Easter eggs as I walked through. The pre-show was also worth checking out. Hopefully, the new coaster will be a similarly positive experience. We shouldn’t have too much longer to wait, as the Florida attraction is expected to open up in 2027.

We’re about to get a whole lot of Fortnite at Disney and Universal theme parks, and I love the different vibes that will be experienced at each. Universal Studios already announced a scare zone inspired by the game’s signature Halloween event, Fortnitemares, is coming to Halloween Horror Nights in 2026 in both Orlando and Hollywood. Now, Disney is getting in on the action in a big Star Wars-y way.

Fortnite Is Coming To Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Among the long list of theme park announcements made at D23, it was revealed the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attractions in Orlando and Anaheim are getting a newly-created Fortnite adventure called Smuggler’s Gambit. Disney execs explained their approach to creating a first-of-its-kind experience that connects the ride in the physical world at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort to Hondo Ohnaka in the digital world.

As riders complete missions, they will unlock exclusive rewards, leveling up the immersive experience. You can start in the queue, the cockpit, or in the game itself, tracking your adventure along the way, with the most unpredictable pirate captain in the Galaxy. Check out a preview of how it will all work below.

I am admittedly not someone who is well-versed in Fortnite and all it has to offer, but this addition to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a welcome perk amidst a series of recent changes that feel like its realigning the direction of the world of Batuu after hearing some of the fan complaints. It’s a beautifully impressive land that didn’t initially deliver on all of its early promises, so it’s nice to hear that it’s getting some attention. In a recent article at The Hollywood Reporter, President of Epic Games Adam Sussman explained it this way:

Now we go from sci-fi spacefare to something a bit creepier over at Universal.

A Fortnitemares Scare Zone Is Going To Be A Big Draw at HHN

While we wait to see how Disney and Fortnite will expand their relationship in the future, we can experience the more twisted and sinister side of Fortnitemares as characters step out of the digital world and into a Universal Resort HHN scare zone. While we wait to see how Disney and Fortnite will expand their relationship in the future, we can experience the more twisted and sinister side of Fortnitemares as characters step out of the digital world and into a Universal Resort HHN scare zone. From the promise of a bloodiest house of the year to roaming Art the Clown and Nikki from Obsession, the Horror Nights line-up on both coasts has a lot to choose from.

After the huge popularity of the Five Nights at Freddy’s haunted house at Horror Nights 2025, it’s not surprising that the event would want to continue to draw in that demographic of older kids and young adults, and this new scare zone could do just that. Beyond knowing it will include the Battle Bus, the Fortnitemares presence at HHN is still thin on details, but the promise of “new horrors” combined with such a popular property has me excited.

Whether it’s a Star Wars themed adventure and gaming experience, or spooky scares that become real-life nightmares in a scare zone, I actually love how these theme park announcements show the range of what Fortnite can offer. It also feels like future possibilities could be endless, and I know I’ll be there for it all.

I’m not going to pretend like Dwayne Johnson’s 2021 film Jungle Cruise is the best film the man's ever done. Movies about Disney rides in general don't have the best reputation, but I do think in this case the premise is really fun, and it could be even more fun in a sequel. While the movie, which you can watch with a Disney+ subscription, keeps the vibe of the beloved ride at Disneyland that it’s based on, it missed the mark in other ways that I'd love to see corrected.

So, I was interested when Dwayne Johnson was out here amping up the potential movie this weekend

A Sequel Faces Strong Currents Against It

While speaking at D23, Johnson explained why Jungle Cruise didn’t exactly face calm waters. The movie, like others around that time, was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney’s VOD service, and it did reasonably well, but it certainly wasn’t a massive hit. For a movie based on such a popular ride at their parks, and one with a relatively large budget, Disney must have been very disappointed. I think, unfortunately, that played a big role in canceling the planned sequel to the movie.

Still, Johnson would love to see that sequel revived. He told EW:

I’m all in here. I, like Johnson, believe that there is real potential for a future movie. Even though the original walked through a lot of the quirks that make the ride so special (like pointing out the backside of water), the sky is the limit on a subject like a boat cruise up a river. A cartoon-y version of Indiana Jones, if you will. (And I mean that in the best way.)

Johnson and Blunt are great in the uneven original, but there is a ton of DNA there that could produce a really fun movie. Johnson believes that it didn't really get a chance, saying:

Truthfully, now that a lot of those beloved quirks are out of the way–because let's be honest, sometimes what works on a ride doesn't work for a movie–there are a lot of directions the plot could go in. I don't necessarily need recreating all the parts of the ride, but I do want it keeping that vibe alive.

The currents pushing back a potential Jungle Cruise 2 are strong, no question. Right now it feels like the property is up a creek without a paddle, but I really hope that Disney doesn’t give up on it, and if the opportunity arises and Johnson and Blunt are on board, I trust they could make something special. It is, after all, as classic Disney as it gets. Meanwhile, Johnson's next upcoming movie is sort of in the same vein, as Jumanji: Open World hits the 2026 movie schedule on Christmas Day.

I’ve been checking out fan-favorite and new attractions at Walt Disney World for years, and there’s one I’ve actually never once seen working properly. That would be Expedition Everest, the delightful coaster (with a big twist) located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. For years, the ride has been plagued by the affectionately coined Disco Yeti, but Disney just gave us the update we’ve been waiting for: The park is fixing the Yeti.

Color me surprised. If you’ve been on Expedition Everest you know the Yeti is huge. It’s 25-feet tall, and when it was initially built it could move within a five foot range horizontally, and could even move more than a foot vertically. The gigantic animatronic broke shortly after the ride’s opening back in 2006, and in my time visiting the parks, it never really moved. Yet Disney announced Live at D23 the Yeti will be back and functioning.

I honestly never believed there would be a day the Yeti would move again, particularly after the ride went through a refurb back in 2022 and the Yeti didn’t get fixed. For decades now, the quietly imposing former animatronic has sat proudly in a key scene on the ride, but it hasn’t moved an inch. Some years ago, Disney relit the monstrous creature so that there’s a strobe light effect that sort of makes it feel as if the creature is moving. Almost no one got the chance to really see the original animatronic in action, though, and it really felt like a long-forgotten dream.

It’s not just me. This has been a popular topic on the Internet for so long, though some fans had much more belief in the Yeti than I did. That’s mostly because it’s not an issue with the Yeti itself. The structure supporting the creature was giving away shortly after the original ride opened, which led to a complex set of issues with the ride. Fixing the Yeti has allegedly never had an easy solution.

Yet, many dared to dream. After the news broke at D23, frequent parkgoers shared their thoughts.

• #fixtheyeti yeahhhh baby!!!! After all these years of tweeting I never stopped believing. -@car_juank
• I'M JUST HAPPY WE'RE FINALLY, FINALLY FIXING THE YETI AT EVEREST -@Little_Alt_Girl

So, yes, a lot of similar comments to these were made and a slew of theme parkgoers really feel like some of the announcements, which also included the return of Figment to the parks and Spaceship Earth redo, are catering to things the fans have really wanted for a long time.

Although it’s worth noting not everyone believes the Yeti will actually be fixable. Many are worried this made for a splashy announcement, but wonder if Disney will be able to put its money where its mouth is.

• I think everything this year felt kind of realistic (except perhaps the Yeti, depending on the plan….and of course they might actually have to do this for different structural reasons? Who knows? :)) - @disneypicaday
• I like how they are investing in their popular attractions and refurbishing. Maintenance and refresh is critical especially for an old park like Disney. So ya bring back the Yeti. It shows that they care…. But let’s see if it happens -@whatifmultivers
• My only concern is Disney has been known in the past to announce something and then things change and the announcement is quietly shelved. (I.e. Mary Poppins). And this is my concern for Spaceship Earth and disco Yeti too. I'm hopeful but cautious. -@SharonHeartSwel

I, for one, really hope this is not hot air being blown around. Over the last few years, we’ve seen some remarkable animatronics coming down the pipeline, and with Epic Universe opening, the achievement that is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment has doubtless put a little pressure on Disney to up its game. If that means the Yeti will soon move, I’m here for it.

Now, let's just fix that mass grave of hair ties.

Throughout the weekend, a select group of people have been taking in the sights and sounds of Disney’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. During the Anaheim-based festivities, numerous announcements have been made about movies, TV, theme parks and more. The live-action Tangled movie was also represented at the event, and a major piece of casting news was revealed as part of that. As sweet as that was, though, it doesn’t top the fact that a Hollywood icon is teaming up with Disney World for a cool project.

Disney’s Live-Action Tangled Movie Taps An Outlander Star For A Key Role

At present, Tangled is filming (and we’ve even reached the point where set photos have reached the Internet). Something that wasn’t revealed by leaks ahead of D23 was the casting of Caitríona Balfe of Outlander fame. It was revealed during the event – which CinemaBlend attended – that Balfe would play the role of Queen Arianna, who’s the mother of the main character, Rapunzel. As of this writing, Balfe herself has publicly spoken about being cast in the movie, which opens in theaters on March 31, 2028.

It goes without saying that this is a major pickup for Michael Gracey’s upcoming Disney movie! What’s more is that Balfe is already joining an exciting ensemble of performers led by Rapunzel and Flynn Rider actors Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim. Also, playing the villainous mother Gothel is Kathryn Hahn and, during D23, the fan-favorite actress enthusiastically addressed fans who “manifested” the role for her. Other cast members include Andor’s Diego Luna as well as Elliot Cowan and Patrick & Hugo McPherson.

Tangled footage was shown at the fan event as well, though none of that featured Balfe. Still, the mere fact that she’s been cast is exciting on its own. As I said earlier, though, there’s another Disney hiring that’s really blowing me away.

Disney World Partners With An Oscar Nominee For A Major Attraction

For years now, Disneyland has been the home of Indiana Jones Adventure, a dark ride centered around the adventures of the famous, fedora-wearing adventurer. It was announced in 2024, though that a new Indy attraction was being developed for Walt Disney World Resort. That ride is called Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent and, at this year’s D23, it was announced that Harrison Ford would officially be involved with the ride. Check out Ford’s response in the pre-taped message that was shared to Instagram:

As mentioned in the video, what’s particularly significant about this piece of news is that Ford is the “actual model” for the Jones in this ride, which is replacing the Dinosaur attraction. To say that I’m delighted that the A-lister’s likeness is being utilized would be an understatement. While Ford’s big-screen tenure as Indy ended with the underrated Dial of Destiny, I’m glad the House of Mouse has found a way to keep him in the fold.

Harrison Ford has historically been humble and self-deprecating when it comes to his role as Jones as well as his other iconic characters. Funny enough, back in 2025, Ford joked with Jimmy Kimmel about not having been on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. (Co-star Ke Huy Quan rode it, though, and had a ball.) While Ford’s collaboration with Disney Parks marks a major boon for the upcoming attraction, it also signifies yet another way in which the star will leave his famous fingerprints on pop culture.

With the news about Ford and Caitríona Balfe coming out of D23 alongside a host of other announcements, it’s clear that fans have a lot to be excited about. I’m eager for more announcements regarding Tangled and the new Indiana Jones ride. Let’s hope further updates arrive sooner rather than later.

One of the most anticipated roller coasters of 2026 is Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, and excitement has only continued to build as we’ve been able to witness its progress firsthand. It’s the first time Universal Studios Hollywood has gotten an outdoor coaster, and due to its location in the park, guests and neighbors have been watching it go up alongside the hill since they started building it. But while the ride itself has seemed ready to go for some time now, testing with ride cars full of people caused an uproar among the Toluca Lake neighbors on the streets below.

When ride testing began, it was done with empty vehicles, so things seemed relatively quiet. Since then, as employees started riding, a promotional commercial was shot, and technical rehearsals kicked off, the neighbor complaints grew and words like “disturbing” and “untenable” got thrown around. In an article in the L.A. Times, resident Patrick Nazari even said:

That certainly sounds like a problem, but it's one that Universal is actively working to do something about.

It’s been hard to discern whether the neighbors surrounding the theme park are being overly dramatic or whether the sound really is a problem for folks in the surrounding area. The complaints were first reported on social media, then made their way to local news networks and wider media outlets, as concerns grew. In that same L.A. Times article, one man joked that he “may forever have to blast loud music all day to mask rider screams.”

As someone who lives relatively close to this particular theme park, I have heard the coaster running while inside the park and from the neighborhood. When you’re standing next to it, you can definitely hear the ride running, and there is always at least one person screaming, if not more. But the sound walls, scream shields and pea gravel were meant to dampen that, as was the fact that the drifting vehicles would mean that the screams would not be pointed in the same direction at the same time. Below the theme park, on the streets in the surrounding area, I was surprised by how distant the screams actually sounded. I can also understand why you wouldn’t want to hear that all day long, day after day.

So, what is Universal Studios Hollywood doing about all of this? According to an Instagram post from L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, the theme park will install two additional sound barriers to mitigate the screams, and construction should be completed in early September.

Hollywood Drift still has a summer 2026 opening listed, so things should quickly move forward once the finishing touches are in place. The testing phase is expected to continue in the meantime, so while it’s not guaranteed to be operational on any given day, you could get lucky enough to take a spin on the new coaster.

Fans have been very excited about Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift since the coaster was first rumored, especially as they saw it go up over the Starway, the massive escalator between the upper and lower lots. Plus, 2026 is the 25^th anniversary of the launch of the Fast & Furious franchise, and it will also eventually have one final ride when its last installment, Fast Forever, drifts onto the big screen.

So, while the screams may be an issue, it's being solved, and overall hype is very high for this new ride.

There’s always something to get excited about when it comes to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. But over the weekend, my favorite horror movie of 2026 was added to the festivities. It was announced that Nikki from Obsession is going to be roaming around Universal Studios Hollywood this spooky season. What’s even more exciting to me is the way Inde Navarrette wants to get involved.

What Inde Navarrette Has Said About Being Part Of HHN

Obsession’s part in HHN was revealed during the horror convention Midsummer Scream on Sunday evening in Long Beach, California. But a couple of months ago, Inde Navarrette actually spoke about her love of the theme park seasonal event. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, the breakout actress said it was her “dream” to see Obsession be part of Halloween Horror Nights. She also said this:

Now, this year Obsession isn’t getting a full-blown house. The movie only came out a few months ago, and it takes longer than that to craft its haunted houses – though I imagine it could happen someday. But I love the idea of Navarrette making an appearance at Universal as Nikki to fill in for the scare actors for a shift.

Navarrette mentioned that time when Johnny Depp surprised fans by appearing as Jack Sparrow on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride back in 2017. But this also makes me think of when Lupita Nyong’o reprised her Us role for the Jordan Peele movie’s house back in 2019. And it was awesome. Take a look at the HHN YouTube to see that appearance.

Anyways, Navarrette also said at the time that she goes to Hollywood Horror Nights “every year”. She shared that she gets through it by imagining herself “as the biggest man ever” and telling herself, “I’m a thug! I’m the scariest person in here!” Funny enough, the character she helped craft is surely going to lead to a lot of screams. Wild, right?

How Nikki From Obsession Is Going To Haunt HHN

If you’re curious about how Nikki is going to show up at HHN, the creative director and executive producer of the event did talk about it at Midsummer Scream. In John Murdy’s words:

This is genius. I’m just going to be on edge the whole night over whether Nikki is going to show up out of nowhere. If you’re curious about how you might recognize her, Murdy also said this (per Inside Universal):

Yep, that’s perfect, and I want to meet her while at HHN now, even though I’ll probably freak out. Obsession is just one of many exciting properties coming to Hollywood this year. There’s also going to be a Sinners house, one based on Hellraiser, Stranger Things 5 and the latest Evil Dead movie. Plus, this year’s Terror Tram will be hosted by Terrifier. Halloween Horror Nights is at Universal Studios Hollywood from September 3 to November 1.

With the exception of the very first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I have not been super enthusiastic about Disney World rides being turned into projects for the screen. Now, movies turned into rides at Disney World are a whole other thing, but when it comes to the former category, entries I’ve seen include The Haunted Mansion (2003). The Haunted Mansion (2023), Tomorrowland and Jungle Cruise. Given these movies range from fine to what I like to describe as “eh,” I was not super enthusiastic to hear another Disney attraction getting the screen treatment. That is, until I heard one key detail.

A few days ago, the studio broke the news that it has plans to bring a Disney ride into the homes of anyone with a Disney+ subscription. The ride in question? None other than Epcot’s infamous Spaceship Earth. You know what I’m talking about: that giant, white spiky ball thing that’s become the icon of the theme park, and is also notable for occasionally serving as a landing point for lightning strikes. The streamer itself dropped the bombshell news, noting the new project will be a Disney+ series, and it’s landed a pilot order at the streaming service.

With me so far? At this point I was not hyper enthusiastic. Sure, people who have been going on family trips to Walt Disney World Resort for decades do have fond feelings about Spaceship Earth, and it’s a fun ride to cool down on during a hot day at Epcot. However, it’s not really the type of ride that I’d say screams “storyline” nor is it the type of ride that screams “cool.” My first instinct here was obviously to be underwhelmed. My mistake.

But One Detail Makes A Spaceship Earth Project Stand Out

Then, I read a little bit closer and this one component of the potential project caught my attention: Loki’s head writer Michael Waldron is involved. This is intriguing for two reasons. The first is that Loki low-key is probably the most interesting series to have ever graced the app that is Disney+. Tom Hiddleston was already a beloved MCU character before the show hit, but the half-hour series really hit helped move the needle for the MCU, and to me it stuck the landing with all the time travel stuff.

Which brings me to reason No. 2 the writer stood out to me. Waldron is on board to executive produce and co-write the pilot order, which to me became very important once I read Disney’s logline for the potential series.

So, yes, there’s going to be more wibbly-wobbley, timey-wimey stuff headed up by a guy who has already nailed the landing with time travel stuff. So, now I’m getting more enthusiastic (though I thought Jungle Cruise’s backstory had great potential too, and it only ended up being fine).

To note, time travel has been a nice little subgenre for Disney+ between Loki, the underrated Find Me In Paris, and Doctor Who also being housed on Disney+, though the latter will be shifting for the next streaming season.

I’m still not super clear on what the logline has to do with the big ball that is Spaceship Earth, and I don’t know if this will even make it out of the pilot stage and become a real series. However, at this point, I am willing and open to give it a chance, which is more than I I know I would have said prior to learning all these juicy time travel details.

Epic Universe has been booming for over a year now. It’s still a new park that is a special day for newcomers and frequent Universal Orlando visitors alike. Sure, there are some people who have been to the park more than a handful of times. However, because it is not an experience that is covered under the annual passes (though it is discounted for passholders), even frequent parkgoers have likely spent less time in Epic than they have in the other parks.

I've now been on every major Epic Universe attraction, and know there's way more to uncover, but here are five fun Easter eggs I only learned about the second time I visited the parks.

The Pikmin Are The Only Creatures To Have Escaped From Super Nintendo World

Super Nintendo World is amazing when it comes to theming. You take an escalator through the portal into the park, and once inside, the colors pop and the characters are everywhere. Those characters are there to stay, with one exception. When you exit Super Nintendo World, you can spot some escapees, the Pikmin, who have shimmied into Celestial Park. They can be spotted if you look closely enough in a couple of locations, and if you can’t find them, you can always catch them in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Dark Universe Has A Cool Reference For Carl Laemmle Jr.

Carl Laemmle Jr., the son of the man who started Universal Pictures and the person who convinced his dad that monster movies would be a studio lifesaver, has an Easter egg in Dark Universe. Carved into the side of a concrete structure, it’s definitely the type of thing you would probably miss if you didn't know what to look for. Laemmle Jr was born on 4/28/1908, and when the Dark Universe portal was coming together, they popped a little 428 address on one of the buildings. You can see it on the bricks near the ground by the Burgermeister, and it's fun to look for it on your own.

The Cute Little Leafy Guy In Ministry of Magic Is Pickett

The French-themed park has a lot of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them references, and Nifflers and Bowtruckles are no exception. If you look around in the shop windows (and have a wand), not only can you complete spells, but you can also find some of the real creatures from Fantastic Beasts. My favorite is Pickett, and he can be found quietly picking a lock in a shop window in Place Cachée, having escaped Newt Scamander's suitcase.

The Ministry Of Magic Looks Large Thanks To A Hidden Mirror

Going through the Metro Floo network is considered to be the coolest experience at Universal Orlando. Once inside the Ministry of Magic, there’s a lot to look at. I’d recommend sauntering over to the side of the cavernous room where the Ministry offices are. There’s a thunderstorm ceiling with a mirrored rim that is used to give the illusion the Ministry stretches forever and ever. There are ceiling fans on the floors and the ceiling to keep the optical illusion going (because again, mirrors). To me, it's even more stunning than the green fog effect of the floo.

Stardust Racers Is A Different Experience At Night

You may have already seen videos of the dueling coasters racing around the cosmos online prior to this, but I can now confirm Stardust Racers is a completely different experience at night than during the day. Not only are you riding in complete darkness, which is just really flipping cool, but the ride also has different music at night. It gets more spacey and EDM-oriented. Next time you’re walking by at night, you can hear the differences rather than just spotting them.

All in all, if you've been to Epic Universe, you've probably discovered some fun things already, such as the Burning Blade Tavern catching fire or some dragons hanging out in some unusual places. But there's way more than meets the eye at first, even when it comes to the queues on Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. I'm just saying, keep your eyes wide open; you never know what you're gonna see.

Walt Disney World’s annual Halloween party officially returned on Friday night, so I guess it’s spooky season already? Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is celebrating its 31st year, and one piece of new merchandise has me wanting to volunteer to join in the Happy Haunts.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is the one time of year that guests are allowed to roam around the Florida theme park in Halloween costumes. Not only can guests enjoy all the new Walt Disney World attractions, but trick or treat, too. Check out this exclusive popcorn bucket that has arrived for Magic Kingdom’s 31st celebration, and I have my eye on:

How perfect is this popcorn bucket? Listen, I think the popcorn bucket craze has gotten a little… well, crazed. There’s a new Insidious one that AMC Theatres just dropped and The Odyssey’s Trojan Horse bucket, for example. But this one is just too good. It’s a popcorn bucket for the Hatbox Ghost from the classic Haunted Mansion ride. And it has a cool feature where the holder can hide or show the ghost – just like on the ride!

I like that it holds a bunch of popcorn, lights up and has a Haunted Mansion-themed lanyard. The price isn’t bad either at $28. I’m not currently going to the spooky season event, but I checked, and there are still 26 dates you can buy tickets for on the Walt Disney World website. Who’s going to get this popcorn bucket now?

The Hatbox Ghost popcorn bucket isn’t even the only exclusive Not-So-Scary Halloween Party popcorn bucket, either! There’s also one for the Headless Horseman, which is very cool. My only gripe with this one is that there’s not as much room to fulfill its purpose. But it’s gorgeous nonetheless. Take a look:

Overall, this is a special occasion that has a parade called Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade and a fireworks show called Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular. There’s also a stage show hosted by the ladies from Hocus Pocus.

You can have a lot of fun character experiences WDW doesn’t usually have, like the new “A Masquerade With Stitch” and “Captain Jack’s Buccaneer Bash” as well. Other characters in attendance are Jack Skellington, Sally, Mirabel and Bruno and Maleficent. Oh, and there are seasonal special treats, of course. And, Haunted Mansion fans, the Hitchhiking Ghosts are taking over at the Golden Horseshoe this year, too!

The event is a great, more family-friendly alternative to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights – which caters more to fans of classic and upcoming horror movies. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will take over Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on select evenings from now until the last night on Halloween. Disneyland also has its own version of this called Oogie Boogie Bash that starts later this month, and there are Halloween celebrations in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, too. However, for now, I'm going to be thinking about ways to get that hatbox ghost popcorn bucket in my hands.

Disney and nostalgia go hand in hand for me. I remember going to Disneyland as a little kid, standing at the bottom of Splash Mountain, staring up at its massive drop and thinking it was the biggest fall any human could ever go down. I'm far from alone in having emotional memories tied to Disney parks, which is why every time Imagineers start tinkering with those core memories, I viscerally feel the tightrope they're walking between honoring what people love and creating something new.

Disney is no stranger to change. Splash Mountain became Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Pirates of the Caribbean added a new projection-mapped pirate with a... let's call it questionable approval rating. Recently, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World also got a full Muppet-ified makeover.

When I had the chance to talk with Imagineer David Brescia, who worked on the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster update, I had to ask how he balances fans' resistance to change with evolving a beloved attraction. He told me he and the team know they have to be "careful."

From my perspective, they nailed it. The heart of the original ride is still beating underneath Animal's drums. The queue is packed with Easter eggs paying homage to Aerosmith alongside a metric ton of Muppet deep cuts.

That balancing act isn't unique to just one attraction, though. I also spoke with one of the Imagineers behind the new Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run adventure featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu. She said:

If they'd taken away the jump to hyperspace, I would've rioted myself. Thankfully, they didn't. That iconic moment is still there, and now you don't have to be a pilot to have a blast on the ride.

Change is inevitable, especially if you've been around Disney Parks long enough. Even attractions that once felt untouchable, like Carousel of Progress, are getting updates. But as that very catchy song reminds us, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day." Disney has always been about looking ahead while remembering where it came from... though I really hope they don't change the song.

Even though he’s best known as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka, actor Hayden Christensen enjoys spending time in the Disney theme park land of Galaxy’s Edge as much as any other Star Wars fan. It’s also an annual bonding experience he shares with his soon-to-be 12-year-old daughter, as he takes her for her birthday every year.

When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge first opened, fans were disappointed that they didn’t get to see and interact with like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. That’s since changed with the addition of those classic characters taking up residency in Batuu. And while there is no specific Anakin Skywalker face character, it still has to be super cool to see Darth Vader walking around when you’ve had a hand in helping establish that character’s story. During a recent panel at Galaxycon Raleigh, Hayden Christensen shared the bit of fun he likes to have when he’s at the theme park:

While I would be absolutely delighted to witness this happening, it might get a little confusing if the Stormtroopers don’t know who Hayden Christensen is, especially out of the costume. And if you were wondering whether his daughter is aware of her father’s connection to Star Wars, the actor said in the interview that she hasn’t watched one of the movies all the way through yet, but she does know that he turns into Darth Vader, so at least she can be in on the joke. But it sounds like the daddy-daughter duo just enjoy hanging out in the immersive land:

It’s actually really nice to see how much the Jumper star embraces his involvement in the Star Wars universe. It not only means he’s gotten to share such special experiences with his daughter, but he also seems to really appreciate all of the fan love. Hayden Christensen has said it's been heartwarming to see the prequels embraced, and he and co-star Samuel L. Jackson even greeted fans at a surprise appearance for the 20^th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith in 2025.

The Shattered Glass star went on to reprise the role of Anakin Skywalker in the Disney+ shows Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, but that doesn’t mean he’s put the role behind him. When asked at GalaxyCon if he feels there is a story to be told between Episodes III and IV, whether on the small screen or big screen, for Darth Vader, Christensen said:

There is nothing officially greenlit and there are no Vader projects currently scheduled on the 2026 movie release list or the 2026 TV schedule, so all we can do at the moment is keep our fingers crossed that maybe the powers that be will decide to move forward with that. But at least, if that does ever come to be, we already know that Hayden Christensen could be game to do it.

Price increases have become a norm across the board in recent years. Groceries are up. Gas is up. Property taxes are up. At Disneyland, the parks aren’t immune to rising costs, either. Ticket prices went up last year. During the spring, prices quietly started hiking on everything from food to Disneyland hotels, and the changes don’t seem to be slowing down a few months later.

Cocktails Are The Latest Category To (Mostly) See Increases

There have been a slew of headlines about Gen Z drinking less, and Disneyland prices could be a good indicator of why. A slew of new menu costs recently rolled out at the southern California resort, and it was mostly bad news. 53% of mixed drinks saw a similar increase with the new menu prices. Here's what we know.

Mickey Visit did some big work comparing cocktail prices at a slew of resorts at Disneyland during a recent visit. They found the median price of drinks had increased to $21 dollars a pop, up from $20. Some drinks are more and some are less, but in general prices are going up across the board.

There were a few drinks that did actually go down in cost with the new menu. If you enjoy the Aperol Spritz at Wine County Trattoria, it seems the parks actually found the cost to be a little too high, and it’s been marked down from $22 to $21 dollars on the new menu. Drink costs went down for the red and white sangria, as well, but that’s basically it when it comes to good news.

In fact, the number of drinks that are now over $20 dollars increased by 53% in this swift round of changes. Contemplating that is not for the faint of heart.

Meanwhile, just a hop and a skip down the street at Carthay Circle, one of the lounge’s yummiest cocktails (and probably my favorite drink), the Double Pear Martini, will run you a whopping $24 dollars. It wasn't that long ago this drink was only $22.50, and that sucker used to cost around $16 or $17 before all the recent prices hikes. I remember thinking it was a bit pricey at the time. My, how things have changed.

We actually did a deep dive into about 800 items changing prices just a couple of weeks ago. We looked into everything from chopped salads (though I’m guessing those are less popular these days, thanks Cyclospora) to Dole Whip increasing. Individually, a dollar or two here or there on food items may not seem like a lot, but if you tease out the fact this is not the first or second time drink and food prices have upticked in recent years. Then, you throw in meals, snacks and other food fun to accommodate a whole day, the money in my wallet is certainly not stretching as far as it used to, and that has to be factored in for every trip into the parks.

Disney’s always looking to make changes, and some of these are good things. New attractions like a Coco-themed boat ride at California Adventure and Stark Flight Labs are heading to the parks. There’s a long list of new and innovative snacks to try out this summer.

Honestly, these changes don’t mean I’ll be skipping the Double Pear Martini every time I go to Carthay Circle, but I definitely see it as more of an indulgence than a fun dinner accoutrement at this point. That’s true of signing on for after hours events, purchasing new Minnie Ears and so much more in this brave new world, as well.

Back-to-school season often means mourning the freedom of summer vacation, but not when you go to Hogwarts! For Harry Potter, returning to the magical academy was always the best time of the year, and it can be that way at Universal Orlando Resort, too. This month, there’s a celebration happening just in time for the 25th anniversary of the Harry Potter movies, if you enroll for a theme park visit.

July 31st was Harry Potter’s birthday, and Universal Orlando Resort took the occasion as a cue to announce some exciting updates for fans on their way to Hogwarts this August. Check it out:

Universal Orlando Resort has three Harry Potter lands across three parks, and there’s something happening at each of them. Most of it will be at Universal Islands of Adventure. There you can meet the Hogwarts Express Train Conductor in front of the train at Hogsmeade. He’ll be available to meet and take pictures with guests every 30 minutes throughout the day at 20-minute intervals.

Also at Islands of Adventure is the Hogwarts Always nighttime castle show. The breathtaking showcase features the beloved Harry Potter score, stunning visuals and fireworks nightly. Additionally, there’s a 25th anniversary Butterbeer Mug now for sale at not only Hogsmeade, but Diagon Alley and Universal CityWalk. Those bags in the post are the Build-A-Bag collection by Lug that are around the parks as well. I love that they feature different customizations to show pride for whatever Hogwarts House you claim.

Those are some solid offerings for Harry Potter fans alongside the number of attractions one can experience at Universal’s Wizarding World. Islands of Adventure also has the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure rides. Universal Studios Florida’s Diagon Alley additionally has the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride. And, the best ride of the Epic Universe is arguably Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.

After you celebrate Harry Potter’s 25th anniversary at Universal Orlando Resort, there’s more where that came from. The first movie is on the 2026 movie schedule as it is set to come back to theaters later this month. Of course there’s a popcorn bucket, too. Then, there’s the new Harry Potter TV show, which will be streaming for those with an HBO Max subscription on Christmas Day.

When one thinks about going to Hogwarts, it’s typical to think of going for the holiday decorations. But I love the back-to-school festivities because it just feels right. It’ll be less crowded than it would be later this year, and it’ll truly feel like you’re at the beginning of a Harry Potter film.

Ever since Lacey Chabert announced she was heading to Walt Disney World for an upcoming Hallmark movie, I’ve had so many questions about what that was like, and how it all came together. The good news? She answered some of these in a recent interview covering her downtime at the Florida theme parks and revealing she literally lived at the resort for an entire month. Yes, a whole month. It's giving the NBA during Covid vibes.

Apparently, when Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True was figuring out the logistics for the 2026 TV schedule, the Hallmark powers that be asked Chabert if she wanted a rental house near the property. If you know anything about the actress, you probably know she’s always been a Disney girl, and she wanted a more in-the-moment experience. So, she told Live! when I was watching the other morning that she actually asked if she could stay at the resort for the entire time the movie filmed.

They looked into it, and turns out if you are Lacey Chabert, you can do what you want. So, they put her up at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the entirety of the time Holiday Ever After was filming. I’m just picturing grabbing morning coffee and sitting on a balcony while the zebras and giraffes are ushered in every a.m. for a whole month! What a dream.

Chabert also admitted there were a lot of Mickey waffles consumed during the making of the movie, telling the daytime TV show:

It gets better. What does one do with downtime whilst filming at Disney? One spends more time in the parks.

Along With Staying At The Resort, The Cast Had A Lot Of Fun In The Parks

We actually already knew Lacey Chabert, her co-star Travis Van Winkle, and other Disney afficionado Christy Carlson Romano got up to some fun outside of work at the Magic Kingdom and more. In fact, Chabert took her co-stars on some of her favorite Disney rides. In addition, they actually documented a lot of their downtime while making the movie, including this adorable Toy Story Land video from Hollywood Studios with Van Winkle.

So, it’s clear the Holiday Ever After movie allowed the cast to really get around and have some fun in between night shoots and more. Chabert confirmed they did this a lot on their off time too, saying on live they liked to "go and have fun" in the parks when they weren't working long hours.

They were also filming for weeks on end in the parks, filming happened at the end of 2025 and 2026, and Chabert describes the work as a "pinch me" moment. I assume they shot in that window, despite that being a busy time in the parks, because Walt Disney World would already be dressed for the holidays during that time. So shooting in late 2025 for a late 2026 Christmas movie release makes so much sense.

We've still got some time to wait, but this is one Hallmark movie I am genuinely jazzed about (even with the long title.)

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since Ozzy Osbourne died at 76. In the time after his passing following complications from a heart attack and his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s Disease, his family has been open about their grief and living through it. It’s been a hard 12 months, but this fall they’ve decided to pay tribute in an unexpected, but ultimately very fitting way: Ozzy’s coming to Halloween Horror Nights.

The Universal event is hitting its 35th anniversary this year, and has been pulling out the stops when it comes to both Haunted Houses and Scare Zones. It’s been a fun mix. Sinners is getting a house. The popular franchise Fortnite is getting a Scare Zone. We have some unique originals coming like Madlands: Caged Cannibals.

And now: Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness is on its way.

Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood announced the final house of the season on Wednesday, July 29th. Fans will board the “Crazy Train” to go through a rundown of Ozzy’s decades-long history in the metal world and the world of pop culture, where some of his best gigs were TV and movie appearances. This isn’t the first time the metal man will have been involved with HHN, but it’s definitely a fitting way to pay tribute after his passing. Here’s how the experiences will be different across parks, and what Ozzy’s family had to say.

“Crazy Train” Will Be Different At Orlando And Hollywood

The experiences at both the California and Florida parks are being described as “unique,” and based on what we know so far, they will for sure be very different. John Murdy, the Head Honcho who’s responsible for executive producing HHN at Universal Studios Hollywood, said parkgoers in CA will get to look at Ozzy’s early life and then dive into his solo career, including all 13 of his albums, ranging from Blizzard of Oz to Patient Number 9. This experience is being described as a “time travel” haunted house.

Meanwhile in Orlando, ticketed parkgoers will get a rundown of some of Ozzy’s most famous solo ventures: Diary of a Madman, Bark at the Moon, The Ultimate Sin and Black Rain. This venture will include a dungeon component, as well as “ancient ruins,” and will mostly focus on the latter portion of the singer’s career. For that one Orlando’s head honcho Mike Aiello (whose title is Senior Director of Creative Development) is promising Easter eggs. We love Easter eggs!

Both sound cool, but it wouldn’t be nearly as cool without a thumbs up from the Osbournes themselves.

The Osbourne Family Was On Board For "Prince Of Darkness"

There’s something fitting about a Halloween Horror Nights experience getting announced just shortly over a year after the Prince of Darkness passed. The man loved bringing in a bit of chaos, and the HHN houses are a good way to help fans celebrate his legacy. Sharon Osbourne and Jack Osbourne told Universal they agreed in the name of helping bring the Ozzy experiences to a larger number of people:

Previously, Ozzy had been involved with HHN via Black Sabbath and Bill and Ted houses, but this is the first time his solo career will get a big rundown.

Osbourne had battled rumors about his health before his passing, so the news of his death wasn’t totally unexpected, but the family has been open it did take a major toll. It’s always really tough losing a loved one, but to lose a behemoth like Osbourne is significant to a large number of people outside his immediate family. Hopefully, the HHN tribute will be a cool way to look back at the giant who helped forge heavy metal music. Also, on a selfish note, I just hope Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness is really fun.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong for nearly two decades, to the joy of fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. But certain franchises stand out as fan favorites, chief among them being Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool (streaming with a Disney+ subscription). The threequel Deadpool & Wolverine broke box office records and brought Hugh Jackman back as his signature character, and the actor recently reunited with the Merc with the Mouth at Disneyland Paris. And yes, there are photos.

After Deadpool & Wolverine hit theaters in 2024, fans have been hoping to see them reunite in more upcoming Marvel movies. It's unclear if/when that'll happen, but we recently got the second-best thing: Jackman and Deadpool at Disneyland Paris. The actor gushed about coming face to face with Wade Wilson in this way posting on Instagram:

The Greatest Showman actor is known to have a good sense of humor, and this caption further proves that. Of course, fans know that he doesn't take himself too seriously; just look at Jackman's ongoing faux feud with Ryan Reynolds. So obviously he'd meet a Deadpool theme park actor and promptly break the internet with an A+ caption.

For those who want to see Jackman with Deadpool at Disneyland Paris, fear not. He posted a few images to his Instagram grid, and they're as delightful as one might think. Check it out below:

These adorable images are likely only going to increase fans call for Deadpool and Wolverine to get another movie together in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And given how successful their first collaboration was, it does seem like only a matter of time. After all Deadpool 3 arrived after some notable box office bombs like The Marvels. But folks really responded to the Shawn Levy-directed threequel, and now many are hoping that Jackman actually does play Wolverine until he's 90.

While neither Wolverine or Deadpool are included in the Avengers: Doomsday cast list, some fans are still holding out hope that they'll end up appearing during its mysterious runtime. Fuel was added to that fire when Reynolds showed up at Comic-Con in Deadpool's grey costume, which some thought was a hint that he does indeed have a role. Alas, we'll have to wait until the movie to see if Reynolds and/or Jackman actually pop up.

Our questions will be answered when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. For now, all three Deadpool movies can be streamed over on Disney+.

I’m sure everyone has wanted to take a swim during working hours. But for one Disneyland cast member, this was taken quite literally when he jumped into Rivers of America. I just hope it was his last day on the job, because it's a truly wild situation that's quickly gone viral.

According to the video, this wasn’t a first time visitor to the park, but actually a cast member working there. You can even see his white unfirom pants. Though it is currently unknown his reasoning for jumping in, or why he chose to toss his work items (reportedly threw in his keys and walkie talkie) ahead of doing so. But by the looks of it, he doesn’t seem to have any regrets. Check out the moment below:

The man simply goes for a shirtless swim and then returns to land. However, this isn’t the first time a Disneyland cast member went the extra mile to make a point. A cast member once performed a one man show after audio during the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway stopped working. While most employees are in it for the long haul, it doesn’t seem to be the case for this unidentified cast member. Not knowing why he jumped in seems to have caused a stir online as people have taken to the comments to theorize about his motivations.

Some believe he’s just that committed to quitting, while others suggest heat sickness is a factor. User Plane_jelly has a simple summary, stating, “basically said I quit, deal with it.” Meanwhile, thenatalieholtmacdonald blames the heat: “Maybe he was just freaking hot.”

But it could be as simple as a last day tradition. Laceylanham14 says, “a lot of times when people are quitting, they do pranks or shenanigans on their last day.” This idea seems to be supported by several alleged former Disney parks workers, such as kipp_hart who says, “It used to be a last day tradition to jump off the Mark Twain into the river.” Though the3obafett, claims to be in the background of the video, and provides a first-person account:

On the other side of the theories are those who feel he will be facing disciplinary action (if this isn’t his way of quitting). The_vchavez states, “[He is] most likely going to be placed on a leave of absence and then terminated.” Regardless, Disney has yet to make any statements about the incident, though a report claims they are looking into it.

No promises you'll catch any Disneyland cast members doing anything viral, but for those looking to take a trip should be aware of inevitable price increases at the park. The average increase is around 8 percent. Though there is some good news for families. Disney is offering a way to make vacations cheaper with the Kids' Summer Ticket. It is also important to note that the reservation system for the park is not going away. This should be taken into account when planning your vacation.

Chances are you won't be seeing a certain cast member there. And I recommend not taking a swim in Rivers of America.

Have you ever noticed how often Walt Disney used to point with two fingers? If you look at enough archival photos from his lifetime, you’ll notice him gesturing this way a lot. Personally, I've wondered why that was a go-to pose of his. Now, because Tom Hanks played him in Saving Mr. Banks, he actually learned the reason why Disney did this and shared the story behind it.

While Hanks was playing Mr. Disney in the 2012 movie about the making of Mary Poppins, he learned the secret behind the pose. In his words:

Whoa! I don’t know about you, but I thought Disney just pointed that way. But the secret is Walt Disney was a heavy smoker and never gave up the addiction. So, the studio ended up hiding his habit by airbrushing his cigarettes from photos later on. Reportedly, Disney didn’t want to set the example for children. As Hanks also revealed in a throwback interview on The Ellen Show:

Disney died at the age of 65 in 1966 due to lung cancer. He was diagnosed just weeks before his death when doctors discovered a tumor in his left lung, per OncoDaily. He had surgery to remove the tumor, but the disease had already advanced too far, and he died on December 15, 1966. Nowadays, the outlook for patients with lung cancer is much better than it was at the time.

Interestingly enough, cast members also point with two fingers at Disney Parks. In some cultures, it's actually offensive to point with a single finger, and from a distance it's easier to see two fingers rather than one. But now I have to wonder if it was in part inspired by Walt Disney’s smoking addiction.

When Hanks played Walt Disney for Saving Mr. Banks, he thought it was important to portray him accurately, which included bringing attention to his heavy smoking. As he shared:

If you haven’t seen it already, in Saving Mr. Banks, you can see how Hanks implemented what he learned about Disney. You can check out Tom Hanks’ performance as Walt Disney right now with a Disney+ subscription, along with numerous documentaries featuring the man himself. Hanks is also the star of the most successful Disney movie of the year so far, reprising the role of Woody in Toy Story 5. It’s now playing in theaters.

There’s been a lot of huge news that has been dropping for Universal fans in recent months. Both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood are getting a slew of fun, new content for spooky season, but the interesting piece to me is that a lot of rumors are really panning out for the anniversary year. First, people thought there might be a Sinners house at Halloween Horror Nights this year; the Oscar-winning movie is, in fact, coming to HHN in 2026. A separate rumor indicated that Fortnite might get a Scare Zone, and I can officially confirm that is true, as well.

Fortnitemares Is Coming To Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Orlando announced today that Fortnite’s popular seasonal event, aptly named Fortnitemares, is heading to Halloween Horror Nights. The seasonal gaming event unveils new ideas and characters often based on pop culture, and it runs through the entire month of October. In comparison, the HHN version of Fortnitemares will be a scare zone unleashing on August 28th at Universal Studios and September 3rd At Universal Studios Hollywood. So, fans of the spooky season spectacular can get in on the fun at the theme parks well before the event rolls out online.

Fortnite is known for its major collabs with brands and pop culture figures. (I mean, once even Kim Kardashian was involved and that included a classic reference to her lost diamond earring.) None are specifically listed on Universal’s official announcement about the new scare zone, but there is one line that has me very intrigued: “plus a few new additions.”

So, it does sound as if the theme parks have a few tricks up their sleeve when it comes to this zone.

A Fortnite-Themed Scare Zone Had Been Rumored For A While

If you’ve been around the theme park world for a while, you will know rumors sometimes come out of left field. The rumors themselves aren’t the fun part, as many don’t end up happening, but what is fun is when one does pan out. In fact, when the Fortnite rumors hit the Internet a few months back, it was exactly the type of thing that came with the qualifier “take with a grain of salt,” but it looks like the powers that be at Universal made the magic happen.

When this was rumored, some fans thought the move would mean the parks were working toward a more inclusive demographic at the late night event, as Fortnite is most popular with older kids and young adults. The event typically runs in Florida late night until 2 a.m. (hours are different in California), and it’s long been considered to be more of an adult event with scares and smells. There’s gonna be some “interesting” ones at Madlands: Caged Cannibals this year, for example.

As someone who is less into the gore factor, I do think spooky season has room for lots of different types of content, and I’m interested to see how this one pans out. It’s coming at a good time, as HHN turns 35 this year, and the theme parks really seem to be ramping up a notch.

Anyway, if this is the sort of thing that’s up your alley, merch is already available, including acrylic nails and more. And if you’d like a rundown of the recently-announced Evil Dead Burn haunted house and what else is coming in 2026, we have you covered.

This year's lineup of haunted houses for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights is shaping up to be an all-star assortment that embraces both classics like Hellraiser's Pinhead as well as bringing houses for newer iconic properties like Ryan Coogler's Sinners. The latest big-screen frightfest heading to HHN is arguably one of the most brutal, as fans can look forward to Sebastien Vaniček's Evil Dead Burn getting the theme park spotlight.

Deadites aplenty will try to get under park-goers' collective skin when the Evil Dead Burn haunted house hits Halloween Horror Nights for its 35th anniversary on August 28 at Universal Orlando Resort, and on September 3 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Tickets are available now! (Pro tip: probably don't buy anything from someone with blacked-out eyes and skin falling off of their face.)

The new house, based on the sixth theatrical release in the Evil Dead film series, will focus on the horrors that begin plaguing the Joseph, Alice, and the rest of the Price family during their funeral-set reunion of sorts. It's a perfect movie for the format, given the location, and the fun kicks off as soon as visitors walk through the front door of the secluded home.

The rest of the house will get increasingly freakier as the Deadites bring all forms of gory chaos to the walkthrough. I can't wait to see how that gag-worthy candle sequence is brought to life, much less other hyper-violent and jarring moments.

Good luck making it through to the end without yourself being added to the undead army. Will there be any easter eggs tied to Bruce Campbell? Probably not, but that doesn't mean you can't obsessively look at every detail in the hopes that one exists. Check out the video teaser below!

For those who want to take a piece of the attraction home, both parks are selling limited-time exclusives such as an Evil Dead Burn T-shirt, hat and acrylic figure that connects to other figures as part of the infernal carnival display.

This isn't the first time that this Sam Raimi-created franchise has been celebrated for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. Back in 2013, Fede Álvarez's Evil Dead made its theme park debut, followed by the splatter-tastic TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead getting honored in 2017.

All The 2026 Halloween Horror Nights Houses So Far

• Cybergoria (Orlando)
• Evil Dead Burn (Orlando and Hollywood)
• H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular! (Orlando)
• Hellraiser (Orlando and Hollywood)
• Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control (Orlando)
• MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals (Orlando)
• INVASION: Alien Abduction (Orlando)
• Sinners (Orlando and Hollywood)
• Stranger Things Season 5 (Orlando and Hollywood)

Evil Dead Burn, which won a lot of critics over despite its intensity, is currently still in theaters, where it ended its second week at the box office with around $24 million domestic. Worldwide, it's currently brought in over $50 million against its reported $20 million budget. Another sequel, Evil Dead Wrath, is already being filmed and is set for a 2028 release date. Maybe we'll see that one get its own haunted house as well.

Before any of that, though, remember that Evil Dead Burn will be making its Halloween Horror Nights debut on August 28 at Universal Orlando Resort, and on September 3 at Universal Studios Hollywood!

Between the advent of Genie+ and later Lightning Lane Multi-Pass in Disney World and Disneyland’s parks, there’s been a lot of added cost and inconvenience that’s rubbed parkgoers the wrong way. While we know an incredible number of parkgoers will shell out for the more premium experience, it comes with downsides. That includes things like the aforementioned prices, but also a much more complex planning structure as a whole, and the planner having to be on their phones and having to keep their phones charged through the whole day. Don’t even get me started on what happens when the app crashes.

If you go to Disney parks regularly or have been over the past several years, you should know exactly what I am talking about, here. There’s still plenty of magic to go around, but this is one wrinkle that people love to talk about. In fact, a recent article over at the Wall Street Journal went through this basic rigmarole, explaining that the person who is tied to their phone now has a “very different day” at Disney than the rest of their party. In short, it’s a lot of doomscrolling for them, but buried in this article was a tidbit that caught my attention.

Apparently, back in February Disney Experiences Chair Thomas Mazloum was asked about how Lightning Lane was going at a press event for Disneyland. Apparently, this is something those at Disney have been keeping a close eye on, as he reported:

The rest of the article mostly dives into familiar territory, like how it's better to think of Lightning Lane as “a game” (and rightfully so) and other ways you can manage your day at the parks. Yet it was this note from the Experiences Chair that really stood out to me. For a long time, it’s seemed like Lightning Lane, the app, and all of these technological complexities Disney World and Disneyland have added would be a headache forever. It at least now seems as if those working for the parks want to “simplify” the process more meaningfully. Whether or not that’s lip service remains to be seen.

After a post-pandemic boom, price increases have allegedly led to fewer crowds in 2026. Though it’s worth noting the parks have been making more money even with less volume, fewer lines have anecdotally felt like fewer people even using Lightning Lane which means more fluidity within the queue experience in the parks. We’ve run down whether Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is worth the money before, and it’s not as simple as just a yes or a no.

Beyond the pros and cons of the app and cost itself, it’s difficult to compare experiences at Disneyland and Disney World when the app is different in both parks and when Disneyland caters to a larger audience of locals. It’s also worth noting the Wall Street Journal was at Disney World when it wrote about the Lighting Lane Multi-Pass experience. So, mileage varies for sure.

Still, I often long for the days when I didn’t need to pull out my phone in the parks to order food or check the app. I think we’re fully past that time in our lives, but I do believe that if we can get to a future where the process is simple even for newbies at Disney World and Disneyland, it will be a much-appreciated change.

The cost to visit Disneyland and/or Disney California Adventure has consistently become more expensive every year. While I’ve come to expect ticket prices to go up every year, I didn’t think about the possibility of hundreds of food items getting an increase, too! Nevertheless, here we are, and we're going to discuss some of the cost increases along with several of the park offerings that will now be pricier.

It's been reported that 800 food items across both the Disney Parks in Southern California are now seeing price hikes. Mickey Visit did the math, and the average price increase among all these items is around 8 percent, or $0.62 per item. I compiled a list of some of the popular items from Theme Park IQ’s database that are now more pricey than before. You can get a sense of the situation here:

I don’t know about you but, if I’m going to Disneyland, I’m getting a three-pack of beignets, a churro and a Dole Whip for sure. And now, that will cost me over $21 rather than before, when it would have cost me under $20. Now, the House of Mouse isn’t completely robbing us with these latest changes per item, and they can easily blame inflation. However, big families will certainly be feeling their pockets lighter than before when the day at the park ends.

The confections that suffered the biggest price increases are the Chopped Salad at Jolly Holiday, the Creamy Marinara Primavera at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, and the Count Down Chicken Fusilli at Alien Pizza Planet. Each of them went from a price of $13.49 to $14.79. Quite a few of the fancy coffee beverages also cost much more than they did. I know I'm personally thankful that the famous Dole Whip only went up $0.20.

This update comes following Disneyland’s annual ticket price increase occurring last in October 2025. We’ve become accustomed to this happening every October for a few years now, with 2024’s increase marking the depressing milestone of the most expensive Disney ticket being over $200. Should there be another increase this October (as we expect to see again), it’s kind of a double whammy of extra expense for theme park goers.

Disney’s prices have been the subject of criticism in recent years, with former CEO Michael Eisner even commenting on it. Additionally, Home To Go named the two Disney Parks in California the least affordable theme parks in the United States in 2026. Universal Studios Hollywood’s prices also ranked low, but the difference between the park’s prices are still sizable.

It would appear Disney Parks certainly won’t be advertising these price changes of their own accord. Hopefully, though this word of caution can help any potential visitors budget accordingly for an upcoming trip to the "Happiest Place on Earth."

As far as early jobs on the resume go, a job at Disneyland sounds like it’d be a pretty sweet one. Unless you're Will Ferrell, in which case you only last for a day. I just learned Will Ferrell once got hired to work at the Happiest Place on Earth, but he backed out of it pretty quickly. Hijinks definitely were involved.

Before Will Ferrell found his big break as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, the comedian and actor grew up in Orange County, California. One of his first jobs was technically at Disneyland, but the gig didn’t last very long. He recently revealed all this to Amy Poehler, including what lured him away.

It’s true. Not every job title at Disneyland is as exciting as the place itself. While Josh Gad might get a celebrity pass to work rides, Mr. Ferrell was not the comedian we know today at that time. He genuinely seems unenthusiastic about ticket taking, and waiting, and I do get it. That’s not even inside the park!

Since he’d just been offered another job at a surf shop in Newport Beach his friend was managing, he decided to suddenly quit. Here’s where the story really gets good, and definitely highlights the environment Ferrell grew up in that led him to be so funny.

Will Ferrell oozes confidence these days, but his anecdote on Good Hang With Amy Poehler shows that he didn’t always have nerves of steel. What a way to quit Disneyland!

One can’t help but giggle at the story. Imagine being the person that was on the other side of the line (perhaps reading this), and realizing it was THE Will Ferrell! How funny.

Will Ferrell might have quit Disneyland before he even started, but fellow SNL alum Steve Martin definitely didn’t. The comedy icon worked at Disneyland at the age of 10 after biking over to the theme park and asking for work there. Someone allowed him to sell guidebooks there, and Martin continued to work for the Mouse for eight years. The actor started working at the park’s magic shop at 15, which gave him an avenue to perform before later heading to 30 Rock.

Ultimately Will Ferrell left his life in Orange County for Los Angeles to join the city’s local The Groundlings improv group. It was there where he was encouraged to try out for SNL producer Lorne Michaels. Ferrell was on the sketch show for seven years before launching a successful movie career. And to think, if he'd spent those seven years at Disneyland, he still probably wouldn't be manning The Jungle Cruise.

His latest project is a new series called The Hawk, which is dropping this week for those with a Netflix subscription.

There are two truths we hold to be self-evident: Fast & Furious: Supercharged is closing at Universal Orlando, and the new Hollywood Drift Coaster is under construction in both the California and Florida parks. It’s no surprise we’re finally getting a date for the last day Supercharged will be operable, but I was extremely surprised by the news that’s running around.

Here’s what we learned. To note, Supercharged closed as part of the Universal Hollywood studio tour back in March of 2025.

When Will Fast & Furious: Supercharged Close?

Thanks to a notice in an Annual Passholders Instagram channel, the expected closing date for Supercharged will be on August 16, 2026. We’ve known the ride was closing for a while, so why is this date notable (if accurate)? Well, that’s significantly earlier than we expected it to happen.

Of course, the new Fast & Furious coasters are coming together quickly at both the Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida parks. However, when Universal Orlando Resort did make the official confirmation the original Fast-themed ride would be closing, the expectation was that would happen in 2027. Now, if this new date is accurate (and we know sometimes dates aren’t), it’s being pushed up significantly. Like months in advance of when it was expected to close, and well before the busy holiday season.

Is It A Bad Thing It’s Closing Early?

To be honest with you, a lot of folks who regularly go to theme parks do not love the Supercharged ride. You’re essentially sitting on a crowded bus and going on a Fast-themed adventure. In that way, it’s kind of similar to the Skull Island: Reign of Kong ride. While it has a nice Paul Walker tribute, it’s missing the really cool storyline and the awesome animatronic Kong that ride offers. It’s never been super popular since it opened, and most of the common refrains have had to do with people wishing there was a legitimately “fast” ride in its place.

Those parkgoers are equally snarky after this announcement, with X (Twitter) threads dropping such takes as:

• I legitimately thought it had already closed. That post in the FB group surprised me. -Paul L
• Supercharged so bad they’re closing it 6 months earlier than they announced-Alicia Stella
• When I was just there I thought it was already closed. Oh my. -Ebanius
• And nothing of value was lost. -Raingoons
• Oh no, I'm devastated. -queso bandido

I assume that last one is sarcasm, as most regular theme park commenters seem to be celebrating the exit of the ride, which actually opened less than 10 years ago. The fact the parks are closing a full ride after only eight years should tell you pretty much everything you need to know about Supercharged; I probably didn’t need to even include the snarky comments above.

That said, Fast & Furious is still popular as a franchise, and Universal is busy getting Fast Forever, the final movie starring Vin Diesel and co, off the ground. It’s expected to hit the movie release schedule on March 17, 2028, and by then the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coasters will hopefully be incurring regular and long lines.

It’s almost that time of year. The time Epcot stans love most: The International Food and Wine Festival. Starting in August, you’ll be able to sip wines, try delectable desserts, and savor as many global cuisines as you can possibly fit in one go around the world. Only this year you should be forewarned that you may have a little trouble finding a place to actually consume one of those dishes, and fans aren’t particularly happy about it.

If you’ve never been, I have to just flat out state it’s a time-honored theme park rite of passage to eat on one of those "go away" colored trash can at Epcot. I kid you not. The Food and Wine Festival is one of the great upcoming attractions at Walt Disney World, and with the promise of small plates at varying prices come droves and droves of people.

There’s already not enough shade and seating around the world during non-busy hours, so when stuff gets very crowded, parkgoers tend to get creative. For years, if you weren't eating on the flat top trash cans available in the parks, you weren’t doing Food And Wine right. Now, though, fans who have been in Epcot in recent months have noticed Disney World trying to combat the trend.

As The Lost Bros points out, “Where are we all gonna eat on the first day of Food and Wine, or any other day of the year?” The vlogger is particularly sad his beloved trash cans near the Mexico booth are gone, because he had a “standing reservation” there during previous years. Disney World hasn’t cycled out all of its iconic flat top trash cans, but the video makes it clear that a large number of the ones people typically eat on during the festival are no longer in the World Showcase.

On the one hand, I sort of get it. We know for a fact the trash cans are not the most hygienic things to eat food on. On the other hand, Disney World has been on this joke for years, and as fans are pointing out, for a long time, they leaned into that joke. In the last few weeks, they’ve even been selling candy “bins” mimicking the iconic trash cans at Disney World resort.

• It’s funny that they leaned into the garbage can hype by making their own trash can merch then they do this 👀
• I almost bought the insulated trash can cup at Disneyland last week. Like WTH
• We had one free amenity, and now it’s gone!

Having said this, a slew of other fans made the point that I think is most obvious: The reason people ate on trash cans to begin with had to do with the insane lack of tables near each of the food booths. Sure, there can be bottlenecks in certain areas of the World Showcase (perhaps due to the parks' original plan), but there are also often plenty of wide open spaces. What Epcot really needs are more stand-up tables. Give the people what they need to eat properly.

• The utter lack of tables at EPCOT festivals is absolutely mind-boggling!! And it's only getting worse. 🤯
• They could buy fancy garbage cans with solar power but NOT tables and chairs???
• And you just know they won’t be adding any extra tables.
• It would make sense if they actually added more tables.

If you really want to sit down, Epcot has some great fine dining options, but given the popularity of the International Food and Wine Festival, it would be great if the theme park could figure out a solution that put this trash can debate to rest. We'll find out soon enough. Unlike Disneyland's spring Festival, Disney World's selection will debut on August 27th at Epcot and will run through November 21.

The trade-off of visiting a beloved theme park like Universal is you’re going to have a blast, but you’re also going to spend a lot of time waiting in long lines. But the latter was certainly not the case when Ludacris paid a visit to Super Nintendo World this week. You’ve got to see the rapper stunt on us all by walking through a completely empty line for Universal’s Mario Kart ride.

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is one of the most popular rides at Universal's Hollywood, Orlando and Osaka theme parks, with wait times typically being an hour or more. But when Ludacris stepped in line, it was a different story. Take a look:

Talk about a flex! Ludacris decided to film a little rap video in the Mario Kart queue, and it’s wild to see it so empty. This is such a fun idea for a music video, and his fans were loving it. Check out some of the comments on Instagram:

• “The first rapper to do a freestyle video in the super Mario universe 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥” - @yahsheen.yahsharala
• “Wait, could you keep filming so I could see the rest of Bowser’s castle? 😂🔥” - @renae_2009
• “My guy rented out Super Mario World just to prove his point 🔥” - @giant_loaded_pretzel
• “Still one of the best in the game. You can’t stop Ludacris! 👑” - @ihorew
• “Legend!!!” - @iamjamiefoxx

Yes, that last comment is from THE Jamie Foxx. Ludacris really impressed his fans with this super cool clip of him lip-syncing to “44 Bars” while walking through Bowser's castle. We have no idea if he fully rented the space or not, but he surely must have had to collaborate with Universal on this to make it happen. Like, where'd all the people go?

Ludacris doesn’t have a direct connection to Super Nintendo World, but both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando have an upcoming Fast & Furious rollercoaster on the way, and he’s been in seven Fast & Furious movies in the role of Tej Parker.

The Fast & Furious coaster in California is currently done and going through testing and there’s also one coming soon to Orlando. Ludacris is expected to return to the eleventh installment of the action movie series, too. While Universal has set a release date for March 2028, Ludacris shared in May that he still hadn't seen a script for the Fast & Furious finale.

The rapper is currently in the throes of a career comeback after over a decade hiatus from making solo music. “44 Bars” is one of three recent singles Ludacris has dropped within the past year ahead of a new album expected to come out later this year. You don’t see many music videos set in an empty theme park, but it’s sure a cool way to flaunt one’s success.

Epic Universe is having an amazing summer. Just weeks after celebrating its first birthday, Universal Orlando started testing a new fireworks display. That finally broke big for crowds this week, and head honcho Michael Aiello sent a sweet message to theme park fans as the show garnered its first reactions online. Meanwhile, along with the new display, the theme park is finally figuring out late night events, which should both prove to be a cash cow for the parks and a fun change up for the fans.

Let’s break it all down.

The Sweet Message Michael Aiello Shared With Universal Orlando Fans

Senior Director Of Entertainment Creative Development Michael Aiello has long been a fixture at the Universal theme parks. He was there to comment on the grand opening of “Celestial Goodnight,” the combination light show, water show and fireworks show that is now running as the park closes each night. One thing I hadn’t really thought through about the big fireworks show was that it marks the first time the parks have had a nightly fireworks event in “decades.”

When I think about it, a lot of Universal’s other nighttime events are things like The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle, which is beautiful and fun, but is a show based around projections on the famous school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. CineSational is also popular, but uses drones instead of fireworks for its nighttime display.

Aiello also said on X (Twitter) it took a lot of work to bring this addition to Epic’s closing show.

Meanwhile, fans online could not stop posting video after video of the gorgeous display online, if you’ve been wanting a taste of what you can get if you shell out for an Epic Universe ticket.

It really does look like it caps the night off in the perfect way, doesn’t it?

Epic Universe Is Also Making Good On Later Hours

In an announcement this week, Universal Orlando also mentioned the parks will stay open later on select nights. This is good news and bad news. A lot of people really love staying in the parks as late as possible. While Epic Universe has listened to fan comments and pushed hours a bit later, the parks aren’t open late late in the same way CityWalk is.

The solution is an interesting one, so why is it both good and bad news for frequent parkgoers? On select nights, Epic Universe will be staying open later, from 9 p.m. to midnight. I know, you're still waiting on the catch, and here it is: It’s going to be a ticketed event in the way Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios or Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party at Disneyland is.

The event will be called Universal Nights and will run on October 3 and October 17. Tickets for just the event will go for $179, and it’s worth mentioning the cheapest entry ticket for a regular day at Epic Universe is only $139.99. For comparison’s sake, Halloween Horror Nights tickets start at $88.99 (though premium tickets are significantly more).

The other interesting wrinkle is if you have a nighttime pass for those select dates, you will not be able to access the parks until 7 p.m. The theme park is touting the extra two hours before the ticketed event begins as an added benefit, but if you want to go to the park during the day, you’ll need a separate ticket.

A few weeks back, Universal VPs told CinemaBlend and other outlets there was only “one rule” when it came to putting the theme park together: if it was going into the park, it had to fit the definition of Epic. Staying open late is definitely what the people have wanted as part of this, particularly in the Darkmoor and Celestial Park areas. It’s currently getting dark so late right now, fans don’t get a ton of time to see Burning Blade catch fire at night or to jump on the reopened Stardust Racers.

I’ll be interested to see if the crowds are thinner and stuff is easier to do during the special ticketed event too. If so, it may be well worth the entrance fee.

Tickets go on sale August 13th.

I was able to spend some time at Universal Orlando Resort a little over a month ago. At the time, the rollercoaster track for the Universal Studios Florida’s newest attraction, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, was just peeking over the walls when I wandered around CityWalk, giving hints at the skyline to come. Meanwhile, we’d been reporting riders already test-riding the version that was going up at Universal Studios Hollywood. It seemed the two coasters were very far apart in the Spring of 2026. That feels less true now.

I haven’t been back to the Florida parks in the last few weeks, but thanks to the beauty of social media, we now know the track is in incredible shape already. Just four days ago, reports indicated the first spike was up. It’s 170 feet and anyone walking around CityWalk can spot it just behind the famous rotating Universal Globe.

As you can see from the ThrillGeek video, the blueish track on the Florida version pops nicely with the globe in the foreground compared to the darker track in California.

Meanwhile, a second frequent parkgoer, Kirk, actually went into Universal Studios Florida and took a look at the Ghostbusters facade that’s been a topic of conversation over the last several weeks. If you aren’t constantly theme park sleuthing, the gist is that Universal was reworking the Ghostbusters building that Rip Ride Rockit used to physically go through. When the walls went up, the park started work on the facade and there was a rumor for a while the ride might be ghostbusters themed.

At this point, we know the ride is going to be the Orlando version of Hollywood Drift, and an enterprising parkgoer noted that walls have been put up in the building, meaning the new coaster won’t whip through it like the old one did. This was basically known, but it’s nice to see it confirmed, and it's especially nice to see how far along the load station has come in just a few weeks -- with a roof and everything!

So, Why Is This All So Important?

It’s very clear the coaster in Florida is coming together fast and furiously. While I wouldn’t expect anything less, initial projections from its sister theme park had the Universal Studios Hollywood coaster opening in summer 2026, and here we are in mid-2026 and it is not open yet. (This is despite a fake opening date rumor the park itself started.)

Meanwhile, Universal Orlando tore down Rip Ride Rockit, shut down Fast & Furious: Supercharged and got to work on the new coaster really quickly. Guesstimates allegedly have the Florida version of the coaster opening in 2027, but it’s coming together so quickly, I’m starting to wonder if there won’t be too much of a gap between the Hollywood and Florida versions. As a frequent parkgoer who lives much closer to the Florida parks, that would make me so, so happy.

It's also all coming together in the month Vin Diesel finally shared Fast & Furious 11 had begun filming. As it's the final film in the franchise, all of this happening around the same time is just fun timing.

This is all to say, a new coaster is good news no matter when it opens. A new coaster based on my personal favorite Fast & Furious movie is even better. A new coaster based on a favorite property with the theme park company that houses some of the world’s best tracks takes the cake. I can’t wait for these new rides to open, whenever we get the official dates.

Toy Story is a beloved franchise among fans, its cast, and Disney theme park attendees. Whether you’re riding the Toy Story ride, waving at the characters in a parade, or waiting for a personal photo opportunity, the Pixar box office sensation makes its mark in the parks. No one is immune to the magic and charm of the toys brought to life, especially with the 2026 movie release of Toy Story 5 riding a wave of success.

It’s no surprise that when the voice of Woody himself, Tom Hanks, takes his grandkids to Disneyland that he can feel just how special his involvement with the franchise is. According to Metro, chatting about what Toy Story means to people, Hanks explained even he couldn’t escape the joy. He said:

It’s hard to realize the impact you have on the masses until you’re faced with it at an undeniable moment or someone close to you gives you a nudge. One of those instances happened at Disneyland previously, when Hanks’ daughter pointed it out during Fantasmic!

Yes, Tom Hanks actually played Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, but that’s just not the same as watching a character you’ve voiced for more than 30 years walking around in real life and interacting with others. That has to be surreal in a way that few can understand, and you can hear the genuine appreciation from Hanks in the clip.

He's not the only actor with an appreciation for the parks. Disney guy Josh Gad took over Storybook Land canal boats as a storyteller earlier this year. While the voice of Olaf in the Frozen films clearly had a grand time on his adventure, as well as when he was previously a Haunted Mansion caretaker and a Jungle Cruise skipper, it’s still not quite the same.

When you think about the best Pixar movies, or even the best films of Tom Hanks, of course Toy Story comes to mind. The franchise started with a cowboy doll named Woody becoming jealous when he met a new spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear that replaced him as the top toy in a boy’s bedroom. It evolved into a journey of friendship, unbreakable bonds that have now lasted through five films, and plenty of quotable lines.

Since the first film hit theaters in 1995, it has become a brand with millions of fans, endless merchandise, and lovable characters. With the success of Toy Story 5, questions have been raised about whether Toy Story 6 is possible. Only Pixar and the creative team can determine whether that will happen, but it feels like a safe bet that fans, theme park guests, and Tom Hanks will see the character continue to live on in the Disney theme parks forever.

Half a million cheese cones. Five Million riders (or nearing it) on most of the marquee attractions. Families coming to the parks in IP clothing starting on Day 1. The Epic Universe team has seen a lot of milestones in its first year, and they believe it all happened because of the one rule they had in place when dreaming up the portals.

Seriously, there was one rule the Universal Orlando team stood by as the metric for determining whether an idea might move forward or not. Otherwise as Chef Jens Dahlmann mentioned to CinemaBlend and other outlets, ‘there were no restraints.” The dreamers could go as far as they dared to go.

In a Q&A, Executive VP and General Manager of Epic Universe Jeff Polk shared this one rule the entire creative team, from the chefs to the ride designers and VPs, all had when coming up with new ideas in the parks.

It sounds simple, but honestly it was anything but. Epic Universe is made up of thousands and thousands of compounded ideas that all lead to one seamless experience. Just look at Super Nintendo World as an example. You take an escalator through a portal to get into that section of the park. The world is immersive from the moment you step into it, but if you have a Universal Mario band there are even more options to go interactive and to play games leading to other secrets in that section of the park. You can have a wild DK float that’s as big as your face. You can meet Princess Peach and dance with Toad. It all looks like this:

Or, look to Dark Universe, where Ygor roams around, the well lights up at night, and werewolf footprints are “stamped” into the concrete of the forest on Curse of the Werewolf. All these things took people to dream them up.

The creatives knew when they had hits, as Ariana Morabito, VP of Entertainment for Epic Universe and some of the others involved with the park’s creation all cited the Meet-and-Greet with Toothless as a moment they really specifically felt they hit the highest bar. In fact, they were all on hand to watch Toothless roll out.

As someone who has met Toothless, the feeling of touching the dragon is pretty indescribable, and special, even for a grownup. The wonder when kids get to do it will leave an impression. It all came back to the one word though. Per Jeff Polk, “epic” was the only way to measure every single thing that came into being, and it led to over 161 patents being created just for the one theme park.

One a year later, Universal’s park is still going strong. Epic Universe has made adjustments to its schedule in the first year, staying open later to accommodate the wishes of guests, and other changes are being cemented as we speak. The parks recently started testing Universal Celestial Goodnight, a new fireworks show set to officially debut next month on July 7th. There’s rumors about new attractions heading to the Ministry of Magic and other areas of the parks. It’s only a year in, and all I see are growth opportunities ahead. I’m guessing that one rule is still in place for the creative team and will be for awhile.

Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, is one of the biggest things happening in theme parks this year, and it is now officially open for business. The park is one-of-a-kind in that it was created for families with younger children — specifically between the ages of 3 and 9 years old. However I got the chance to preview the park ahead of time with my pre-teen, so not only can I confirm that there is plenty for kids of all ages, there’s one ride that even the grown folks shouldn’t miss.

While the rides in Universal Kids Resort’s seven themed lands are geared toward a younger crowd — and therefore are less extreme overall than your favorite rides at Epic Universe and other parks — they were designed to accommodate older kids and even parents who want to ride along with their children. So I don’t want to hear any excuses — you’ve got to check out the Bello Bay Cruise (as seen below).

The water ride is a take on your typical river rapids ride, and who doesn’t love jumping into one of those circular vessels on a hot day? However, instead of a fairly serene ride interspersed with shrieks as rapids splash riders’ laps and waterfalls threaten to douse your boat, the Bello Bay Cruise ramps up the fun in a very Minions-worthy way.

For one thing, the boat rarely stops spinning, so be warned if you tend to get dizzy easily. The narrow channel also lends itself to some pretty rough jolts that add to the screams, and you even get caught in a “whirlpool” that sends you down a small drop:

The drop isn't too exteme for younger riders, but it was fast and a little something unexpected, and overall it was more fun than I typically have on a rapids ride.

Also, the Bello Bay Cruise does everything it can to ensure you get wet. If the rapids and the waterfalls don’t get you, there are the spray stations to contend with. Those sit on the overpasses so that other parkgoers can take aim at anyone who may not look thoroughly soaked. And here’s the thing — under that hot Texas sun, you will welcome the cool relief.

There were plenty of rides that kept my 11-year-old fully entertained on our Universal Kids Resort preview, with some highlights being the Jurassic World Cretaceous Coaster and Puss in Boots’ Swings Over Del Mar. Another water option was available in the SpongeBob area of the park, with the Bobbing Barrels also allowing friends, family or random passersby to spray you as you go.

All in all, kids of any age should find plenty to like from the rides, the shows, the character meet-and-greets, splash pads and climbing areas. There’s even a Sensory Garden for when the little ones (or anyone else) get overstimulated.

Whatever activities you choose to fill your day at Universal Kids Resort, I suggest you do yourself a favor and make the Bello Bay Cruise one of them.

Universal Kids Resort is open as of Wednesday, July 1, coinciding with the release of Minions & Monsters on the 2026 movie calendar. The park is located in Frisco, Texas, which is just north of Dallas.

We’re still months away from Halloween, but it’s never too early to start preparing for spooky season, especially when Universal is steadily releasing new Halloween Horror Nights news that makes me want to take up permanent residence within the parks. (As if I didn’t already want to.) The latest update is one Hell of a major announcement, and it pains me in zero ways to say that the Hellraiser franchise is finally getting some theme park haunted house love.

Not the entire franchise, as that might get a little superfluous, but the new house also isn’t solely rooted in Clive Barker’s seminal first film. Rather, the first three films — Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth — will get the focus, bringing Pinhead and the Cenobites to Halloween Horror Nights' walkthrough attractions for the first time.

I cannot imagine how many times the phrase "We have such sights to show you" will be used in the final product, as well as how many times that's already been said behind the scenes at both Universal Hollywood and Universal Orlando. And yeah, I'm more than a little jealous.

And guess what? It looks like whenever that line comes up in the attraction itself, it'll be the OG Pinhead saying it.

Hellraiser's Doug Bradley Is Reprising Pinhead For HHN!

For all the iconic characters that have been showcased and portrayed at Universal parks' Halloween Horror Nights over the past 34 years, rare is it for on-screen talent to themselves become part of the scares. And Doug Bradley's contributions thankfully won't just be through the use of archival footage.

Which isn't to say he'll be in full make-up at the parks, either, but that's understandable, given he's in his early 70s. Rather, here's how Universal noted his efforts:

I hope the team behind the Hellraiser house gets Bradley to say some trucked f--ked up stuff for the audio that will play out. They can't pussyfoot around with this guy.

As far as what to expect from the house itself, visitors will gloriously get to walk through the Lament Configuration puzzle box that is just as much of a visual stand-in for the film's title as Pinhead himself. The gateway to painful pleasures leads to Frank Cotton's attic, the Channard Institute, and other memorable locations from the original trilogy, culminating in a Cenobite-filled Labyrinth. I'm pretty sure nobody's souls are actually in danger, but no promises.

Check out the teaser video for the Hellraiser house.

Fans can definitely expect to see some new branded merch coming out to celebrate this team-up. As it goes, one will be an exclusive T-shirt for the Hellraiser house, and one will be an acrylic figure that will be part of this year's Infernal Carnival collective display.

Final note: Jamie Clayton portrayed Pinhead for the 2022 remake, which obviously isn’t part of this particular haunted house, though it’d still be cool to see some kind of a nod to it.

Stay tuned for a few more major announcements for what other terrifying monsters are coming to HHN 2026. For those who can’t possibly wait until the even starts to indulge in large-scale horror festivities, definitely check out the Universal After Dark attraction in Las Vegas.

There's nothing like a good theme park, and I've had some great times from local ones to the magic of a trip to Orlando for Walt Disney World. As a New Jersey native, I recently crossed state lines for a few days at HersheyPark, my first time in that particular venue in well over a decade. I didn't know what to expect, but had an absolute blast. What's more, there were three ways that the chocolate-y destination actually beat my most recent trip to Disney. Let's break it all down.

I'm admittedly not a hardcore theme park junkie, so I went into both Hershey and Disney World with an open mind. While I could have spent my entire trip in the latter park at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, I was shocked by how chill and low-stakes HersheyPark ended up feeling. Let's break it all down.

The 3 Ways Hershey Beat Disney World (For Me)

I recently went to HersheyPark with some family, complete with a four (and a half) year old. I expected the wild crowds of Disney World, but that wasn't the case. Instead, it was an easy-breezy few days, where I was able to easily get refreshments, walk around the park, pose with characters, and even walk right onto attractions without having to wait on a line. Hershey does indeed have a Fast Track option that lets you skip the line like Disney's Lightning Lane, but it wasn't necessary when I went.

I will admit that my days at HersheyPark were in the middle of the week, so that might be a contributing factor to the lack of crowds. But even on its busiest day, I can't imagine the park being anywhere near as crazy as Rope Drop at Disney.

There's another aspect of my time at Hershey that I thought stood above my time at Disney World. Namely, you can buy alcohol and take it with you as you walk around the park. This was a lovely surprise after my last trip to Disney, as booze is only permitted in EPCOT and certain select restaurants in the other parks. I spent a few days walking around Hershey with the aforementioned four-year-old, and being able to enjoy a nice cold beer as he rode the Trailblazer ride for the eighth time was a game changer.

The third point of victory over Disney is the fact that one ticket to HersheyPark gave you full access to the park, including its water park attractions. There's no need for a park hopper or shuttles; you just needed to bring a bathing suit and enjoy the various attractions at The Boardwalk.

The entire trip felt like a much lower-stakes situation, where one could easily go on rides and get refreshments without having to program it onto an application and follow a strict schedule. So I found myself much more relaxed than at Disney World, which is a huge (expensive) undertaking. Maybe I'm comparing apples to oranges, but it felt like a whole new way to experience a Theme Park.