This Week in Theme Park News: Jungle Cruise Updates, Halloween at Disney and Universal, and More
Main image: a Jungle Cruise update at Disneyland, courtesy of Disney. Mobile image: Halloween Horror Nights, courtesy of Universal.
Did you hear that The Jungle Cruise got a facelift? Or that Leatherface and the Bride of Frankenstein are coming out of retirement to stalk guests at Universal?
Well, if you didn’t, that might be partly my fault. I haven’t written about Disneyland’s latest updates to one of its opening day rides, or the latest haunted houses coming to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. I’ve been writing about theme parks here at Paste for the better part of a decade now, but don’t always have the time to write a post for every noteworthy piece of news. It’s well past time for me to start cranking these tidbits out in a weekly column, so here it is: Paste’s first weekly recap of major news from the world of theme and amusement parks, with everything collected together here in one easy location. Strap in and let’s get this train a-movin’.
First up: the spooky stuff. Yeah, we’re not even halfway through summer yet, but anybody who’s ever been to a Disney park knows you’ve got to plan these things well in advance. Both Disneyland and Universal revealed some of their Halloween plans over the past couple of weeks, and we’ll start with the more family-friendly of these holiday offerings.
The highlight of Disneyland Resort’s Halloween will be the return of Oogie Boogie Bash to Disney California Adventure, two years after its debut in 2019. The special ticketed event starts on Sept. 9 and will run on 25 select nights through Oct. 31. Expect to see some of your favorite Disney characters in their Halloween costumes, as well as a special parade and live show focusing on Disney’s lineup of fearsome villains. You’ll be able to collect candy and other treats throughout the park, which will be done up with special lighting, music and décor to fit the Halloween theme. And the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is getting a spooky makeover as the home of Villains Grove, where certain Disney villains will come to life through multisensory light and sound displays. Don’t worry, though: it won’t get all that scary. Tickets are now on sale, and are moving briskly, so if you’re interested, you might want to move fast. Tickets start at $114 per person, and will get you access to the park starting at 3 p.m. The party officially starts at 6 p.m., and runs to 11. Disneyland was closed for most of 2020, and didn’t get to celebrate Halloween, so expect some pent-up energy going into this one. Meanwhile, over in Florida, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is home to The Disney After Hours Boo Bash, a three-hour event that promises short lines for 20 top attractions and that runs on select nights between Aug. 10 and Oct. 31; you can find tickets here.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Should You Stay at Walt Disney World's Swan and Dolphin and Swan Reserve Resorts? By Garrett Martin December 19, 2023 | 12:00pm
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-