Posted By Ken Storey on Wed, Jun 9, 2021 at 10:02 AM click to enlarge Image via Disney Disney MagicMobile Service will provide MagicBand services via smartphones Since reopening after last year’s pandemic-related closures, Walt Disney World has been without FastPass, the skip the line program that’s complimentary for all guests. However, as other bits of theme park offerings have slowly been restarted, there’s been no indication FastPass+ will be offered any time soon. That has revived longstanding rumors that the resort is finally looking to scrap the problematic program. FastPass debuted in time for the resort’s Millennial Celebration just over two decades ago. Since then, the concept of allowing some guests to skip
Posted By Ken Storey on Tue, May 25, 2021 at 12:37 PM click image Image via the Boca Raton Museum of Art The Boca Raton Museum of Art is known for its wide range of Pre-Columbian and African art, but a new temporary exhibit will help the South Florida museum finding its foothold within globally recognized institutions. The traveling exhibit,
Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru, will make its global debut at the museum as part of its eightieth anniversary later this year. The exhibition of Andean art will encompass the entire museum. With pandemic safety protocols intensifying already tight restrictions surrounding tourism to Machu Picchu, the exhibition will provide a unique opportunity to discover art of advanced Andean civilizations.
Posted By Ken Storey on Mon, May 24, 2021 at 4:11 PM click to enlarge Photo courtesy City of Orlando The past year has proven the importance of beautiful, accessible outdoor spaces. In Orlando, no outdoor space is as well used as Lake Eola. Since 1888, the park has provided a bit of reprieve for those in downtown Orlando, but as the region grows, the park has struggled to keep up. Now welcoming more than three million visitors a year, the park is in desperate need of a facelift. Orlando is now in the process of developing a master plan for the park that will guide the park’s evolution for decades to come.
Posted By Ken Storey on Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 2:54 PM click image Image via Disney The Ant-Man themed restaurant heading to Disney California Adventure As soon as Disney acquired Marvel in 2009, the company looked for ways to utilize the brand across the entire company. The media side of things quickly made back the $4 billion acquisition with a line of blockbuster films. Within a decade, three Marvel movies sat in the top ten list of highest-grossing films of all time. Still, on the Parks and Resort side things have taken a bit longer. A redo of the Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure to the Guardians of the Galaxy opened in 2017. That same year a 3D motion simulator attraction themed to Iron Man opened at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Posted By Ken Storey on Tue, Apr 13, 2021 at 2:45 PM click to enlarge Photo courtesy Universal Orlando/Facebook Universal has been on a multi-year expansion of its parks, resulting in new attractions nearly every year. Despite the pandemic, leadership remains committed to new investments in the parks and are still moving forward with Epic Universe, the largest expansion since Islands of Adventure opened in 1999. Even as Epic Universe construction ramps up, new additions are still moving forward at Universal’s other parks. Universal executives have been focused on opening the new Beijing resort, now slated to debut later this year. There’s also been plenty of focus on Hollywood, where multiple new attractions have been in the works.