TouringPlans Travel Beat 8-24-2024

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!

• World of Color – ONE Refurbishment
• Chez Alcatraz Reopens at Universal Studios Florida
• ¡Celebración Encanto! Extended for Together We Are Magia Celebration
• Disneyland Vacation Packages for 2025 Available Now
• New Universal “Fan Fest” After Hours Coming in 2025
• Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs Open at Disney’s Boardwalk
• Headline News Recap

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

World of Color – ONE Refurbishment

At Disney California Adventure, World of Color – ONE will close for refurbishment beginning on September 9. No end date was announced, but the refurbishment is expected to last several weeks with the nightly show returning later this fall.

Chez Alcatraz Reopens at Universal Studios Florida

If you’re headed over to Universal Studios Florida, you might be happy to know that one of the park’s watering holes has returned to operation. Chez Alcatraz reopened earlier this week, with an updated look that leans into the Jaws theme with a brand new bulletin board full of advertisements referencing Amity and its residents.

¡Celebración Encanto! Extended for Together We Are Magia Celebration

“Together We Are Magia”, Disney’s annual celebration of Hispanic & Latin American heritage, will run from September 15 to October 15 in 2024. As part of the festivities, the ¡Celebración Encanto! show that features singing and dancing with your favorite Madrigals at the CommuniCore Plaza Stage has been extended past its original end date of September 6. (We’ve heard rumors it might carry over all the way into 2025.)

More to look forward to in the festivities: special performances by Mariachi Cobre, a new mural at the Disney Springs Art Walk that will be live-painted by Miami-based artist Nicole Salgar, featured Latin artists at this year’s Eat to the Beat concerts, and of course food and merch will make special appearances for the event.

Disneyland Vacation Packages for 2025 Available Now

If you’re looking forward to booking a Disneyland vacation package in 2025, good news! Ticket and lodging prices have now been released through 2025 and you can reserve your stay. Start dates for packages must be no more than 499 days in the future, but fortunately for us August 24, 2024 + 499 = January 6, 2026, so you’re good to go for any day next year.

New Universal “Fan Fest” After Hours Coming in 2025

A brand new After Hours event is coming to Universal Hollywood in the spring of 2025. What we know: you’ll be able to celebrate the worlds of Star Trek, Back to the Future, Dungeons & Dragons, and more with themed food, merch, and immersive experiences built to celebrate these long-running sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and anime fandoms. What else we know: there will be some headline articles about this once we have enough details to write them. Stay tuned.

Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs Open at Disney’s Boardwalk

Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs has finally opened its doors – or rather its window – at Disney’s Boardwalk on Friday. We’ve been waiting a while for the Disney World outpost of this Disneyland Resort favorite, and our park crew dropped by for a taste test.

Their verdict? The batter is crunchier and a bit thinner than the corn dogs at Sleepy Hollow, with less of a cake batter texture. Both are good but this one is definitely a new favorite, and the Pickle Dog is a great pick: 10/10.

Headline News Recap

It was a week of hotel headlines! Over at Universal, the Epic Universe reveals continued with details about the brand-new Helios Grand Hotel: Six Facts About Universal’s New Helios Grand Hotel.

On Disney’s side of town, we got news that the Island Tower Hotel will be feature new dining and pool areas when it opens in December. New Dining and Pool Areas Coming to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Ships are floating hotels, right? Earlier in the week, Disney revealed more details the Imagination Garden area of the Disney Adventure and we rolled them into our all-you-can-want-to-know article on this upcoming ship. Set a Course for Adventure – The Disney Cruise Line Adventure.

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