Remember, all links in TPEI open up in a new browser window. So feel free to check stuff out, we’ll be here when you get back! Each photo opens up to a larger version as well, and with that out of the way let’s look back at what happened during the past month, starting with…

*Universal Kids Resort Opens

This month we had the debut of a brand new stateside Universal theme park and it stirred up a lot of controversy. About a week ago, Universal Kids Park flew in media to experience a preview of the new park (my invite must have gotten lost in the mail) that officially opens to guests on July 1st. Reviews by those invited were generally positive (not shocking) but reaction to those reviews online bordered on scathing. This negative reaction from people who had not experienced the park was far beyond what we normally see when invited media cover similar events here in Florida.

First of all, let’s cover the positives. Because Universal brought in people associated with the Universal/Disney theme park scene (including the great people behind Attractions 360, Inside Universal, and Attractions Magazine) we got some great coverage of the park with Florida Blogging Level photos, the gold standard. I was immediately blown away by the fact that guests could get a PAPER MAP, something the Universal parks in Florida got rid of years ago and can only currently be found at special events like an OI Meet-Up. My life long love of theme parks was stoked by the flames of being able to bring back paper maps from Disney and Universal, treasuring them until my next visit.

One HUGE advantage Universal parks have over Disney (IMHO) is the Coke Freestyle refillable cup option guests can enjoy in the parks. Universal Kids Park has Coke Freestyle machines and their own branded cup.

Going a step further, Universal Kids Park has something that I loved when going to Epic Universe last year: an exclusive flavor you can only get in the park!

We’ve seen massive improvements in the themed pretzel game from Universal over the past several years, including the incredible Shrekzel in DreamWorks Land and the Frankenstein pretzel in Dark Universe. Universal Kids Resort steps it up a notch with a Spongebob Squarepants themed pretzel that is actually used as the bread for a grilled cheese sandwich.

The mac and cheese cones in the Isle of Berk were one of the breakout hits of Epic Universe when it opened last year, but Universal Kids Resort said, “Hold my mead” and delivered a mac and cheese cone topped with a MINION TOT (which are a viral hit in Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida.) This is a theme park version of “Malibu Stacy’s new hat” type gimmick and I’m rushing the line to get one.

Major props to Universal Kids Resort for faithfully recreating many fun places from the Spongebob Squarepants universe, including the Goofy Goober’s ice cream shop.

The Goofy Goober’s Triple Gooberberry Sunrise is certainly the DK Crush viral sensation of the park. How can you not love this?

So let’s head to the attractions, and this is where the lion’s share of online “heat” came from. Many folks were not happy that the park had very little shade, implying that families would roast under the hot sun of Texas riding such attractions as Jellyfish Jamboree in Bikini Bottom.

Interestingly enough, my family has spent many years riding attractions like TriceraTop Spin in Animal Kingdom in the heat of a Florida Summer (which also has a mathematically impossible 120% humidity) and everyone seemed fine.

One attraction that drew the ire of many online was the Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ever After ride.

The concept art showed guests driving though show scenes set in Shrek’s swamp.

The actual ride has guests riding through an area where the owner would be told to do something about their lawn if Universal Kids Resort had a HOA. This is more of a case of all recent Universal (and Disney) projects opening to hit a date rather than opening when they are finished. Time will hopefully improve these areas, just like the maturing of trees will help Celestial Park in Epic Universe.

The week *after* invited media went to the park, paid previews opened up allowing world class photographers like Diservations inside the gates. Here we can see that the main point of the ride is some very cute and stylized artwork.

The one ride which really sent people online into a tizzy was the Bello Bay Cruise in the Minion vs Minions area of the park.

There is a lot of fun stuff to see during this water ride, including some fantastic Minion statues.

However, a lot of the videos of the ride show large areas of the attraction being unpainted concrete walls. Did Universal not have time to finish, or is this just how it’s going to look forever? No one knows for sure, but it did lead to interesting discussion on social media, including my favorite by theBlueSky poster @rdwoolf.

Initial TPEI Score: -10 In today’s current media environment, it seems everything has to be the Best Ever or the absolute worst in terms to encourage engagement. In fact, a good joke is actually ruined by geography because how great would a pithy review of “Universal Kids Resort, putting the mid in mid-Texas” be? Unfortunately for us writers, Frisco is considered to be North Texas.

Does Shrek deserve a better attraction? I would say yes considering the legacy of the character and the upcoming Shrek 5 film. Is this a shocking departure from what we just saw Universal deliver with Epic Universe? Certainly in some ways. Rumors and Innuendo suggest part of this “sub-par quality” is catering to the demands of Frisco, Texas, who do not want this park to be a Vacation Destination. Well done dark rides and thrilling coasters would have enthusiasts traveling in.

However, no matter how much I wish this park was “better” for me, I can’t help but think of its target audience.

The kiddos in our family don’t care about things like immersive theming, they care about meeting characters and having fun. Universal Kids Park has that in spades. When we go to the parks in Florida, there is so much they can’t do (or don’t want to do because it looks too scary) but when I show them photos of Universal Kids Park they want to do everything.

We see the unthemed gray walls. They see the minions.

They see the recreations of places from their favorite cartoons.

FINAL TPEI Score: + 4 I get the argument of “kids deserve better” but I’m not 100% sure what that means in today’s world. I grew up with EPCOT Center but the world has changed so much since then. I grew up in a world based around hope, whereas kids today have to develop in a world based on (and rewarding) negativity. Growing up, I could pretty much go and do anything I wanted – unsupervised – on my bike with the only direction being “be home for dinner.” Today most kids can’t even walk their neighborhood alone, and nor should they.

Kids today deserve the fun and freedom many reading this took for granted when growing up. Universal Kids Resort offers a version of that. It has wide open spaces, colorful characters, and attractions catering to them, not me. I’m all for that, and much to Frisco, Texas’ chagrin, I can’t wait to take them there.

*Level99 Opens

Our long national nightmare is over, as the former home of the disastrous NBA Experience in Disney Springs has finally been converted to something new, Level99.

Level99 is billed as a “interactive social gaming venue.” Sort of like a DisneyQuest catering to adults offering 63 mini-games, including the venue’s signature Axe Run. This is one of those games that draws a crowd, because its incredibly fun to watch people traverse a beam while dodging the larger than life axes swinging around them.

The artistry you will see all around Level99 is out of this world. Just some fantastic design work leading into the doors of the game rooms.

Many of the game experiences are located on the second floor. Some games are based around exercising your mind solving puzzles, while others are more physical based. Like an escape room, you can get on-screen tips to help you out of a jam. Unlike escape rooms, the challenges are fast paced, so you’ll never be stuck in a room where it seems time stands still because everyone is stumped.

The rooms themselves are for groups of 2-6 people. One thing that I can’t stand about Universal’s Great Escape in Citywalk is that if you have a small group, you are put with another group. For me that’s a total NAY NAY and almost always ruins the overall experience. I want to have fun with my friends and my family, not have an awkward experience with complete strangers.

Level99 has a full bar and a food menu with some great options.

TPEI SCORE: + 2 What a great addition to Disney Springs and finally a worthy successor to DisneyQuest and the VOID for the crown of “one of the coolest things you can do when on your theme park vacation.” Go out of your way to experience this one.

*STOP HATE Fundraiser

The greatest annual tradition in the theme park community is the STOP HATE Fundraiser organized by the Permit Princess herself, Alicia Stella. For the last five years, the best artists around have donated their talents in order to raise money for the LGBTQ community.

The Fundraiser, which takes place throughout the month of June, is almost at $25,000. The goal is $30,000, so let’s see what we can do to help reach that. The easiest way is to CLICK THIS LINK and donate today. There’s no amount too small, and let’s face it, you’re a theme park fan, you probably have a couple extra bucks in your pocket. We’ve been paying $5 (or more) for 20 ounce Cokes for half a decade, the least we can do is give some money to a good cause.

You can also go to THIS LINK and purchase art from some of the most talented artists I’ve ever seen. So not only do you get an awesome print, but the money goes straight to the fundraiser. Here’s a look at some of my favorites this year, including a faux attraction poster based around The Emperor’s New Groove by the one and only Skipper Hoss.

The charming art of SonderQuest once again makes its return to the Fundraiser with this great piece featuring the EPCOT 2000 wand.

Several artists this year were inspired by Epic Universe, including this fantastic Dark Universe piece titled “Darmoor Showdown” by artist Clara Kay.

Look at these details!!!!

As soon as the Fundraiser went live on June 1st I ordered my Tiny Coloring Books from artist Jaime S. This year my favorite Tiny Artist had two options available, Captain Cacao & Pizza Moon…

…and The Isle of Berk. Had to get both of them. What a talent.

If you want to order any of the wonderful prints, CLICK THIS LINK.

A third way to donate is by participating in one of the various auctions. One of the auctions includes these adorable Victoria Frankenstein & Ygor Crochet Dolls by artist
@fairy_drawsdb. 10/10, no notes.

For the Real Gs your gonna want these items from TouringPlans’ own Len Testa’s personal collection. These come from the first Galactic Starcruiser voyage on March 1st, 2022, and include a Halcyon medallion, a passenger pin, the Starcruiser exclusive MagicBand, a Sublight Lounge coaster, and a personalized Hank Lonely photo! This auction is currently at $100 but if it gets to $222, the winner will also receive a BONUS PRIZE PACK from Your Humble Author and his trusted sidekick Bacini. The bigger the total gets, the more you’ll get, and that’s a shoot brother.

BID BID BID! https://www.ebay.com/itm/257580793189

Alica Stella herself has been out and about at the parks, rocking her exclusive STOP HATE shirt designed by @RobberBaronsInk.

While at Walt Disney World, the Permit Princess saw items that Disney was offering for Pride month this year, including the Pride Slushy from AstroFIZZ in Tomorrowland.

The Pride Honey Cake is absolutely awesome, but it is only available at WDW Onsite Resorts.

This Pride themed cinnamon bun at the Isle of Java in Animal Kingdom tasted fanstastic.

My beloved VooDoo Doughnut at Universal Citywalk has their Pride offering this year.

You may remember last week I recounted my long awaited return to the Disney Outlet Store, and one of the items there was a Disney Pride shirt. So everyone was getting in on the action.

TPEI Score: +3 Alicia Stella is a credit to the community and a true inspiration. Her work over the last five years has been simply amazing, to the point where even The Trevor Project has her featured on their official Pride page this year. The Trevor Project estimates that a LGBTQ+ youth attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the United States. Regardless of your politics or beliefs, that is something that should shake some sense into all of us. You would think that if there was anything everyone could agree on it’s the fact that no kids should go hungry, no kids should be homeless, and no kids should EVER consider suicide. It is up to all of us to help them out, and the Trevor Project is available for these at-risk LGBTQ+ kids 24 hours a day.

*”Broke Locals”

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Disney made some controversial moves this month. One of the biggest was announcing that Disney Bus Transportation would only be offered to those staying at an on-site hotel or have a valid dining reservation.

There was a whole bunch of discussion online about what led to this drastic change, and many point to a story on People.com that went viral back in May.

If  you click on that link and look at the web address of the page you’ll see People.com internally labeled it as “broke-disney-local-reveals-how-to-experience-all-the-magic-for-free-exclusive.”

Well, this started a free-for-all. One half of people lamenting the change, and the other half reveling in the fact that “broke locals” were going to have to “pay up” like all the rest of Disney’s on-site guests. There were people posting that they stayed on-site at Disney’s Polynesian Village and couldn’t eat anywhere because all the tables were being taken up by guests not staying at the resort.

My personal example is that my family’s kiddos are obsessed with the movie Cars. I personally don’t think that many of Disney’s on-site hotels offer the amount of amenities to justify the price they charge. The hotels themselves have some GREAT offerings, but the price points are completely out of whack for many of them (in my opinion.) One day I drove the kiddos over to Art of Animation to have lunch and show them the Cars area of the hotel.

Despite hundreds and hundreds (if not thousands) of empty parking spaces, we weren’t allowed in. So I drove to Disney Springs, took a Disney bus over to AOA, and proceeded to have lunch, bought some merch in the gift shop, and take photos with all the Cars characters. They loved it and are still begging me to book another stay there (I’ll crack eventually.) As of June 28th, that workaround would not be possible.

Another shoe dropped at the end of the month when Disney announced that the iconic Gingerbread House at the Grand Floridian was not coming back this year. In my experience there are extremely few “Universal Only” people.  There are “theme park fans” who enjoy both Universal and Disney and there are “Disney Only” people who would never consider Universal. I’ve had many discussions with Disney Only people used to have many valid viewpoints that Disney themselves have been chopping away over the years.

Disney had Magical Express, that would take you straight from the airport to your hotel. Now those guests have to find their own way just like Universal’s on-site guests. Items like the Gingerbread House at the Grand Flo was something on a scale you would never see at a Universal hotel. Things like the Gingerbread House and the Christmas Tree at Wilderness Lodge are true pieces of Disney Magic.

On the other end of the spectrum, Universal added stuff to all their hotels this Summer, including a series of sand sculptures. They are neat, a great touch, but they don’t have the “wow” factor of the Grand Flo’s gingerbread house.

When the parks were re-opening from the Covid shutdown, it made sense for WDW to have park reservations to control the guest experience. We’re now in 2026 and people are finding out the hard way you can’t just show up at the Magic Kingdom and expect to get in.

Some people write that onsite guests aren’t happy with people not staying at the resorts “working from home” there. Personally I have never seen this epidemic, but if it’s happening at any scale that would probably drive me nuts too considering the amount Disney is charging for these hotels. There’s no doubt there are a TON more Annual Passholders in Central Florida then ever before, and Disney hasn’t been adding capacity for everyone, they’ve been subtracting, so everything feels more packed. There’s no easy solution, but the viral story from People.com gives Disney an “out” when making these changes because it paints all those extra passholders as cheapskates taking advantage of the system.

TPEI Score: -20 I personally believe that Disney is making some short sighted decisions that are going to cost them in the long run. I also think many people don’t fully understand how much local Annual Passholders spend to feed their addiction. The term “Broke Locals” is a fun one I admit, but I think the reality is that locals spend far more money at theme parks than the people coming in once a  year (or once every couple years.) Maybe that one time visitor spends a good amount of money on a single day, but the Annual Passholder is there that day, the next week, the next month, and the next year. They are like me stuck in abusive relationship, with rooms full of merchandise trying to show our love for a company that doesn’t love us back.

***QUICK HITS***

*Bio!

Another great month for blogger-in-the-sky @bioreconstruct as he was covering all the projects going on at Disney and Universal, including the latest look at Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom.

The Indiana Jones attraction is shaping up.

Over at Disney Hollywood Studios we get to see the latest on the GIANT Monsters Inc indoor roller coaster. So cool being able to see something like this being built.

My personal favorite type of photos from Bio are what I call the Big Picture aerials, giving us a perspective of parks and resorts you just can’t get from ground level. This shot of Disney’s All-Star Resorts is just amazing.

For next year’s BEST OF BIO 2026 article I am positive that there’s going to be a section on one of my new favorite types of Bio photos: Through The Clouds. How can you not love shots like this?! They can even make an ugly monstrosity like Lakeshore Lodge look beautiful.

The Magic Kingdom Resort area…

…and the Magic Kingdom itself.

This stunning shot has all three of WDW’s other parks. Bio is truly next level.

Now let’s get into the nitty gritty, as Bio’s close-ups show us some truly fascinating stuff, such as the brand new Magic Kingdom ferry being built!

I’ve never seen the Riviera Skyliner station from this perspective. To me it looks like an EPCOT Pavilion.

The WDW baseball field will never cease to amaze me.

Over at Universal, Bio shows that Universal is giving the soccer fans what they want, World Cup games on the big screen in Citywalk.

The upcoming “glory shot” at Universal Studios Florida once Fast and Furious – Hollywood Drift is finished. Note that Bio always waits for the Universal globe to be in the perfect position. A pro’s pro.

Speaking of the upcoming coaster, let’s take a look at some recent shots at how it’s coming along..

Will definitely be using the photo below in this year’s In Memoriam article.

Let’s close with another “Only Bio” shot featuring a couple of Mickey’s fine feathered friends taking a break.

*Bees…AGAIN?!!

A recent look at the Islands of Adventure logo at the front of the park makes it seem like Universal added a design element inside of it.

However, a closer look reveals that it is actually a large collection of BEES!

Now this is not the first time that bees have made their home at Universal Orlando. A couple years ago they became a nuisance on Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure.

A story we covered in the 22nd Annual Burgy Awards.

Before that, bees terrorized Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. We had a little fun with that story in this photo below that includes several Easter Eggs to catch.

In all seriousness though, Universal does its best to take care of the bee situation while also giving the bees a place to live. While you may have never noticed them, there are beehives across property.

*Pure Cinema

One of our favorite artists – The Horizoneer – was on a flight earlier this month and noticed something special in the on-screen entertainment options.

The Ghost of Lord Farquuad, AKA Shrek 4D at Universal Studios Florida, could be chosen as your in-flight entertainment!

*SNACKS!

At EPCOT we got a couple great items at the Grab-N-Goof.

Including the kids’ fishin’ bowl…

…and the great Goofy’s Gone Fishing sipper.

One of the most underrated places in all of Universal Orlando is the London Taxi Hut right outside of Diagon Alley.

The menu is based around Jacket Potatoes.

These may be the best value in all of Universal. A gigantic serving for a reasonable price. We’re talking multiple pounds of food.

Recently a Sausage Roll has been added to the menu and it’s already one of our favorite snack options at the resort.

Meanwhile, as Universal gets ready for Minions vs. Monsters next weekend, several new snacks have appeared themed to the new movie.

There have also been a bunch of monsters appearing in the park over the last several weeks.

How fun is this?

*ART!

Let’s take a look at the work of some wonderful creative people this month including a great Country Bear Jamboree piece by Garrett McDonald.

Tiny Artist Jaime S gave us a great drawing of a notable bench outside the Haunted Mansion.

This incredible Dark Universe piece by /mattdrawsart is made up of several solo pieces of the characters. Just fantastic.

We talked about the opening of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets and of course the Scooter audio-animatronic in the pre-show is straight up E-Ticket. However, when the AA isn’t working, the show goes into “B-Mode” and Scooter appears via screen.

The Horizoneer made a LEGO set of the B-Mode!

Can you imagine being this talented?!!

Last month’s Theme Park Enjoyment Index: 78
This month’s net change: -12
Current enjoyment level: 66

Writer Derek Burgan, when not cleaning Len Testa’s pool, can be found reading comic books, watching professional wrestling, organizing his various Tsum Tsums in alphabetical order, and taking his dog Bacini to Universal and Disney.. He will not, we repeat not, be found at a Disney Outlet Store. An official DisTwitter Influencer, you can interact with him @derekburgan

Digital Artist Scott Walker hails from Scotland and is the fifth most famous person from this country following Alexander Graham Bell, Ewan McGregor, Gerard Butler, and Groundskeeper Willie.