TouringPlans Travel Beat 6-15-2025

At Travel Beat we have all the “other” news from the last week or so—the stuff that wasn’t big enough to stop the presses for. What did the newsroom bring us this week? Bullets are just ahead if you’re in a hurry, and more details follow below. Don’t forget to check out the Headline News Recap, in case there was something you missed!

• Construction Walls Come Down at Test Track
• 2025 Halloween Dates & Details for Disneyland
• Updates to Dining Reservation Tools at Disney World and Disneyland
• Stern Characters Installed on Disney Adventure
• SeaWorld Orlando Welcomes Emperor Penguins
• Headline News Recap

Can you guess which story inspired this week’s cover image? Leave your guesses in the comments!

Construction Walls Come Down at Test Track

We still don’t have an opening date, but there’s exciting progress this week at Test Track as the construction walls have come down and the new signage is revealed!

2025 Halloween Dates & Details for Disneyland

Disneyland is busy with its 70th Anniversary, but starting in August, guests can find even more fun as seasonal entertainment comes online. Here’s what to expect if you’re visiting during Halloween Time, which runs from August 22 to October 31, 2025.

Decor!

Yep, pumpkins and orange bunting everywhere. Plus Mickey & Minnie in their seasonal outfits, which this year will be a twist on their 70th Celebration garb.

And Radiator Springs will become Radiator Screams – all in fun, of course – as McQueen and his friends dress up for the season.

Ride Overlays

Haunted Mansion Holiday is the iconic headliner here, bringing Santa, Jack, Sally, and Zero into the haunted estate for an overlay with nods to both Halloween and Christmas. Also look for

• Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween
• Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark (evenings only)

At the Disney Theater, there’s a replacement, with “Mickey’s Trick or Treat” interactive show temporarily taking over fro “Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!”. This family show “rings in the spirit of spooky without any real scares”.

Plaza de la Familia

At Paradise Gardens Park, the annual celebration inspired by Día de los Muertos returns. Plaza de la Familia adds a few days on either side of Halloween Time, beginning on August 22 and not ending until November 2, 2025. That’s more time to enjoy the live entertainment, crafts, cuisine, and photo ops that are part of the celebration.

Nighttime Entertainment, Family Fun, and Special Experiences

At night, look for “Halloween Screams” to focus on those most misunderstood of Disney characters – the Disney Villains. Projections and special effects bring them to life, and on select nights, fireworks are part of the show.

The Happiest Haunts Guided Tour is a two-hour walking tour at Disneyland Park that includes Halloween tales and history specific to Disney experiences. You also get Lightning Lane access to a select attraction and reserved viewing for Halloween Screams.

Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit invites you to peel your eyes and search for Disney-themed pumpkins throughout the resort. Activity maps are on sale from August 29 through October 31, and your completed map can be exchanged for a prize.

Updates to Dining Reservation Tools at Disney World and Disneyland

If you’re making Advance Dining Reservations, Disney has once again upgraded the experience, with new features that highlight availability, allow you to select multiple days, and zoom in on the time range, location, and meal type that you prefer. These updates are slowly rolling out to everyone, so if you don’t see them quite yet, check back in a few days.

Stern Characters Installed on Disney Adventure

Captain Mickey and Captain Minnie were lifted into place on the stern of the Disney Adventure this week, as she draws closer to launch for her maiden voyage in December. Captains Minnie and Mickey – the first Disney captains to grace the stern of their ship – may look small in the image below, compared to the Adventure herself. But the fixture is actually 18 feet tall and 12 feet wide!

SeaWorld Orlando Welcomes Emperor Penguins

Emperor penguins are one of the most recognizable penguin species, featured heavily in documentaries about their native Antarctic region. They’re known for their black heads, with iconic orange markings at the sides of the head and the throat, and also for being one of only a few penguin species that does not build nests. Instead, the male incubates the egg on top of his feet!

But they’re rare in aquariums, so it’s pretty exciting that SeaWorld Orlando added Emperor penguins to its Antarctica Realm exhibit. They’ve been transferred from SeaWorld San Diego, which was the first facility to successfully breed Emperor penguins outside of Antarctica.

Headline News Recap

It’s time to get your Oogie Boogie on, as Disney dropped ticket release details for Disneyland’s Halloween party this week. Dates and Details for 2025 Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland

On the other coast, tickets for Halloween Horror Nights are already on sale, but Universal has now begun releasing details of the Haunted Houses. Halloween Horror Nights 2025 Reveals – Fallout, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Friday the 13th

That’s it for this week’s Travel Beat. What news are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!