“Once Upon a Time” is a Nighttime Show on Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom

Classic Disney fairy tales light up a fairy-tale castle as the projection show “Once Upon a Time” begins beaming its magic onto Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort.

The new show uses projection-mapping technology to produce a dazzling three-dimensional effect that fits every nook and contour of the Castle, from its base to the tips of its towers and turrets.

The result: Cinderella Castle opens like a storybook and becomes living art, the canvas for a kaleidoscopic and eye-filling feast of fantasy.

Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the timeless animated classic, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the new projection show is narrated by Mrs. Potts who shares “once upon a time” bedtime stories with Chip.

Projected scenes let guests relive some of their favorite Disney moments. They’ll fly with Peter Pan above the rooftops of London to Never Land, drop in on a whimsical tea party hosted by the Mad Hatter and watch Winnie the Pooh rise to the top of the Castle while he hangs from a colorful balloon. These are just some of the enchanting tales that come to life in “Once Upon a Time.”

The awe-inspiring show culminates with classic scenes from Beauty and the Beast – the Beast waltzing with his beloved Belle, his duel with Gaston, and finally his transformation back to the Prince. As Mrs. Potts and Chip conclude their bedtime story, the show moves to its grand finale including appearances by characters from some of Disney’s most beloved animated tales. Fireworks bursting above the Castle add to the magic.

“Once Upon a Time” is part of an exciting Fall lineup of offerings at Walt Disney World Resort. It joins the spectacular fireworks show “Wishes” among exciting nighttime offerings in the park.

“Once Upon a Time” takes its inspiration from a projection show that has thrilled guests at Tokyo Disney Resort. The new show replaces the “Celebrate the Magic” Castle projection show.

800-Pound Pregnant Manatee Flown to SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Facility by U. S. Coast Guard for Care

The SeaWorld Orlando Rescue Team is now caring for an 800-pound pregnant manatee that arrived today on a U.S. Coast Guard plane from Connecticut – an amazing 1,300 mile journey. The manatee, named Washburn was picked up in Nantucket Sound and sent to the Mystic Aquarium for rehab. Manatees are not native to Massachusetts and the water is too cold for them to survive.

SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue team partnered with multiple agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) to coordinate today’s move. The manatee will receive expert care from SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue Team and veterinarians until she is ready to be returned to her natural Florida habitat.  

So far this year, SeaWorld Orlando has rescued 20 manatees and returned 17 back to local Florida waters. Washburn is SeaWorld’s 21^strescued manatee. Upon arrival, she immediately began to eat and swim in the rehabilitation pool. The SeaWorld Care Team will continue to monitor her and her unborn calf around the clock.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates one of the world’s most respected programs to rescue ill and injured marine animals, with the goal to rehabilitate and return to the ocean. SeaWorld animal experts have helped more than 28,000 animals in need – ill, injured, orphaned and abandoned – for more than four decades.

SeaWorld Orlando will work closely with the (FWC) to determine when Washburn is ready to be returned as well as the proper time and location for the return to take place.

Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership

As part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), SeaWorld Orlando is an acute care rehabilitation facility that provides life-saving medical care to rescued manatees.

The MRP is a cooperative group of non-profit, private, state, and federal entities who work together to monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated and released manatees.  Information about manatees currently being tracked is available at www.wildtracks.org. The Florida manatee is at risk from both natural and man-made causes of injury and mortality. Exposure to red tide, cold stress, and disease are all natural problems that can affect manatees. Human-caused threats include boat strikes, crushing by flood gates or locks, and entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear.

 

LEGO NINJAGO World will add an immersive area filled with several hands-on, outdoor activities where kids can sharpen their ninja skills before the ultimate showdown on LEGO NINJAGO The Ride, a dazzling new attraction that blends 3D computer animation, “4D” effects and groundbreaking technology never seen outside a LEGOLAND theme park.

Kids are invited to enter a magical martial arts kingdom where you become the ninja in your very own LEGO^®NINJAGO^®  adventure when a whole new theme park land opens at LEGOLAND^® Florida Resort.

Inspired by the popular LEGO building sets and the “LEGO NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu” TV show, LEGO NINJAGO World puts guests at the center of the action in lots of fun ways

• LEGO NINJAGO The Ride – a state-of-the-art “dark ride” where guests score points using ninja hand moves to blast animated fireballs, lightning and more at waves of 3D villains
• Zane’s Temple Build – a giant LEGO building experience where kids can contribute to a model of a mountaintop NINJAGO monastery
• Kai’s Spinners – master the ancient art of Spinjitzu at these twirling, whirling, single-person platforms
• Cole’s Rock Climb – an outdoor climbing wall to test kids’ balance and endurance
• Jay’s Lightning Drill – measure your reflexes with these “lightning fast” light-up targets

The lushly landscaped area also will feature daily meet-and-greet opportunities with sibling ninjas Kai and Nya and Wu’s Warehouse, a themed retail shop stuffed with LEGO NINJAGO building sets, clothing, souvenirs and more.

Princess Elena of Avalor Meet n’ Greet at Magic Kingdom Park

Princess Elena of Avalor – the first Disney princess inspired by diverse Latin cultures – will begin to greet guests alongside other royal friends at Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom Park. At Princess Fairytale Hall, guests can choose between a meeting with Elena and Cinderella or a visit with Rapunzel and Tiana. FastPass+ reservations for dates that include Elena appearances will become available today.

Princess Elena of Avalor first made her grand debut at Magic Kingdom Park back in August, with Cinderella officially welcoming her to the kingdom in “The Princess Elena Royal Welcome” stage show. Guests can continue to experience this show throughout the fall.

A brave and adventurous teenager, Princess Elena embodies all the qualities of a classic Disney princess, displaying thoughtfulness, resilience and compassion. She has the heart and mind of a true leader, making her a princess for everyone.

Elena’s arrival at Walt Disney World Resort follows the launch of the new animated series, “Elena of Avalor,” which premiered in a simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior in July.

Muppets star in an all-new live show at Magic Kingdom Park called “The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History.”

Muppets Sam Eagle (the fiercely patriotic American eagle who is forever trying to set a high moral standard) joins Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo and James Jefferson, and town crier of Liberty Square in this new show at Magic Kingdom Park. They gather outside The Hall of Presidents in Magic Kingdom to present historical tales in hysterical Muppets fashion. From the midnight ride of Paul Revere to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Muppets will appear throughout the day to share their own unique take on the founding fathers and the birth of the United States of America.

“The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History” is presented multiple times daily and features an original song and wacky humor. The kids will love the flying streamers at the end! This fun show inspires learning for the whole family. After the show, they even encourage everyone to join them at the Hall of Presidents (right next door.)

Do you love the Muppets?  Who is your favorite character?

“Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” celebrates the season with state-of-the-art projections, special effects, fireworks and more

An all-new nighttime spectacular, “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!,” premieres at Disney’s Hollywood Studios sending beloved Disney animated characters on a spirited yuletide adventure to get Santa back to the North Pole in time for Christmas Eve.

The façade of the Chinese Theater comes alive with the merriment, music and sparkle of the Walt Disney World Resort 2016 holiday season. On, above and around the theater are state-of-the-art projections, special effects, fireworks and even snow. Adding to the immersive experience is a new musical score featuring familiar holiday tunes with an original twist. It’s a holiday show that couldn’t be more merry and bright.

It’s also a cranberry-red situation for elves Wayne and Lanny from ABC/Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated special “Prep & Landing,” as the duo leads a top-notch team on a search-and-rescue mission for Santa.

Snowy fun and holiday cheer set to the twinkling tunes of the season bring together holiday moments from Disney films including “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pluto’s Christmas Tree,” “Bambi,” – even a journey into Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” – all building to a festive finale that’s “So tinsel!”

A special message from Santa Claus will cap off this unforgettable spectacular for the whole family.

During the holiday season, “Tinsel Town” takes on a completely different kind of meaning at this theme park that celebrates the magic of movies and television. A giant Christmas tree towers over the main entrance, holiday displays capture the imagination, and colorful garlands and lights sparkle.

In the spirit of bygone days and Old St. Nick visits to great department stores across the country, guests can share their wish list with him at the Once Upon a Time shop, a vintage setting along Sunset Boulevard.

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights (the Nation’s most popular Halloween event), is now open at Universal Orlando Resort, with more event nights than ever before. You won’t stand a Chance, as the twisted right-hand woman of Halloween Horror Nights legend Jack the Clown steps into the spotlight as the star of this surreal world of horror.

Halloween Horror Nights is the ultimate Halloween event, spanning both coasts at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. For more than 20 years, guests from around the world have visited Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Hollywood to become victims inside their own horror film as they encounter movie-quality haunted houses, hundreds of menacing “scareactors” and outrageous live shows.

Nightmares come to life in nine disturbingly-real haunted houses based on some of the most terrifying legends in pop culture including “American Horror Story” and “The Walking Dead”.

• Become the next doomed residents of Murder House, tortured performers in the disturbing and twisted Freak Show, and victims of the otherworldly, death-dealing Hotel from FX’s groundbreaking anthology “American Horror Story”
• Desperately try to escape Leatherface’s lethal chain saw in “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”

• See, hear, feel – and even smell – every iconic levitating, head-spinning, vomit-wrenching, skin-crawling moment from “The Exorcist”
• Fight to survive the return of masked killer Michael Myers in “Halloween II”
• Fend off packs of flesh-hungry walkers in instantly-recognizable scenes from Seasons 1 through 6 of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”
• Encounter the evil ancient spirit of the dark shadow of Saint Nicholas in “Krampus”
• Step inside the twisted minds behind the nation’s best Halloween event in three haunted houses based on original stories – Lunatics Playground 3D: You Won’t Stand A Chance, Ghost Town: The Curse of Lightning Gulch, and Tomb of the Ancients

And there’s even more horror lurking in the streets of Universal Studios Florida, with five unique scare zones and two live stage shows.

Enjoy a behind the scenes video with our friends, The Tim Tracker, as they take the Unmasking the Horror Tour for Halloween Horror Nights.

Do you attend Halloween Horror Nights each year?  What is your favorite house?

LEGOLAND Florida Brick or Treat

The LEGOLAND Florida Brick or Treat Halloween party #BuiltForKids returns to LEGOLAND^® Florida Resort on 11 dates in October, featuring a LEGO^® lineup of spooky, kooky, brick-tacular activities and extended park hours. Expanded last year with even more lightly frightful fun, Brick or Treat Presented by Shutterfly is an all-day event included with park admission – no extra ticket required!

Offered every Saturday and Sunday in October, plus Monday, Oct. 31, the popular annual event includes a special Halloween-themed fireworks spectacular on 10 of the 11 event dates, meet-and-greet opportunities with a ghoulish gallery of LEGO monsters and a stunning, brick-built model perfect for scary selfies and snapshots. Joining the lineup of special activities this year is a kid-centric parade free to all guests who come dressed up in costumes.

Parked in Market Plaza will be the 13-foot-long Vampyre Hearse, a giant LEGO model inspired by a set from the now-retired LEGO Monster Fighters series. For this year’s Brick or Treat, the hot-rod hearse made out of more than 280,000 LEGO and DUPLO^®bricks has been enhanced with spooky sound effects and ghostly lights, making it an even-more-perfect photo opportunity for boys and ghouls.

 Highlights also will include:

• Photo opportunities with the world’s largest LEGO pumpkin
• Exclusive meet-and-greets with LEGO Halloween characters Vladimir the Vampyre, the Mummy, the Mad Scientist, the Witch and Frankenstein
• Fistfuls of candy while trick-or-treating along the Brick or Treat Trail, for kids 12 and under
• A scavenger hunt in MINILAND USA with a collectible, limited-edition LEGO brick free to every guest while supplies last – with a special Brick or Treat design chosen this year by our Facebook fans!
• A vampire-themed takeover of the LEGO Kingdoms area
• The popular – and delicious – Granny’s Apple Fries will once again offer a pumpkin spice variety for a limited time

With the exception of Monday, Oct. 31 (it’s a school night!), each Brick or Treat date will conclude with a creepy-crawly, spider-themed fireworks show at 8 p.m. in the skies above Lake Eloise. Pick up a complimentary pair of viewing glasses to add a brick-tastic LEGO twist to the colorful spectacle.

 2016 Brick or Treat Presented by Shutterfly Dates

• Oct. 1-2 (Saturday & Sunday)
• Oct. 8-9 (Saturday & Sunday)
• Oct. 15-16 (Saturday & Sunday)
• Oct. 22-23 (Saturday & Sunday)
• Oct. 29, 30 & 31 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday)

Just five weeks after offering a colorful sneak peek of its all-new vacation oasis currently under construction, LEGOLAND Florida Resort announced today that bookings are now open for its second on-site accommodations, the eagerly anticipated LEGOLAND Florida Beach Retreat.

New images released today reveal even more of the brick-tastic, beachy details that guests will discover at this recreational paradise #BuiltForKids. Conveniently located adjacent to the popular theme park, LEGOLAND Beach Retreat combines the fun of surf and sand with the creativity of LEGO^® building sets, and will offer picturesque lake views from nearly every sun-kissed corner.

LEGOLAND Beach Retreat amenities include:

• 83 beach-themed bungalows offering 166 separate rooms
• Whimsical LEGO décor inside and out
• Spacious rooms that sleep up to five, including a cozy area designed just for kids with a bunk bed and trundle bed
• Shaded patios where parents can put their feet up, kick back and relax
• Multiple outdoor play areas where kids can slide, jump and climb in view of bungalow patios
• Large themed swimming pool with an expansive sandy play area
• Centrally located clubhouse featuring a restaurant, pool bar and LEGO building area for kids
• A bountiful breakfast buffet included with each night’s stay
• Early access to the nearby theme park

“We have already seen the impact that the announcement of the LEGOLAND expansion has had, by bringing additional investment in other hospitality-related businesses to Winter Haven,” she said.

“LEGOLAND Beach Retreat further solidifies Winter Haven as a multi-day destination,” Worthington added. “It gives visitors a glimpse into the beauty of our area with views overlooking Lake Dexter, one of 55 area lakes.”

Toothsome Chocolate Factory is one of the newest restaurants now open at Universal CityWalk. Over the last three years, they have opened an incredible array of new venues at Universal CityWalk. But none quite compares to The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, which is officially open.

From the very first discussions about this concept, I knew it was going to be something special. Look, there are lots of places where you can get a good meal. But there is, literally, nothing like visiting The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium.

Here are a few reasons why I believe your expectations will be blown away when you come here.

Toothsome Chocolate Factory Amazing Theming

From the minute you lay eyes on the steaming smokestacks from across the lagoon, you know you’re in for a treat. Once inside, you’re transported into a steampunk fantasy with brass piping, rich leathers, and mechanical gadgetry.

In our business, we always try to eliminate what we call “blind spots”. That is, places where the theming ends and you’re left just staring at a regular wall or an everyday table. After months of being in here, I haven’t found a blind spot yet. It’s as immersive as stepping into one of our theme parks.

Delicious Dining
That same attention to detail is also found in your meals. Every dish offers a unique take on some of your favorite foods. And with a menu that—literally—is a book, there’s something for the pickiest to the most adventurous of eaters in your family.

And if you haven’t heard about our desserts yet—boy, are you in for a treat. While our milkshakes are getting all the headlines, the entire dessert menu is a delight for your taste buds.

Toothsome Chocolate Factory The Complete Experience

But beyond the feel of the place and the incredible food, what really sets this restaurant apart is the personal experience you’ll have. You’ll find wait staff that treats you like old friends. Bartenders that can spin you a tale while they craft you a drink.

And of course, there’s Penelope and Jacques—our humble proprietor and her trusty robot best friend. You’re in for a treat when they visit your table. Just ask them a question, and you’ll be delighted with tales of her travels, her inventor father, and how Jacques came to be.

Put that all together, and you’ve got a dining experience like nothing you’ve ever had. So come on down and join us. Full-service dining is available for lunch and dinner.