Like many Americans, I find myself reeling after the political assassination of Charlie Kirk. Horrified, for what this means for free speech. When the man who goes around trying to promote civil discourse and healthy public debate is shot for his words, we’ve entered dystopian-level crazy. And to see how many people’s first response is to celebrate the death of the man who would have willingly invited them to the table to talk, I wonder how far gone our society is.
Universal Studios Hollywood is facing criticism from attendees of Halloween Horror Nights over discrepancies between its Five Nights at Freddy’s haunted house and the Florida version. Creative Director John Murdy addressed the complaints, saying that higher production costs on the West Coast resulted in fewer animatronics in the Hollywood version.
The World of Disney Opening Ceremony takes place each morning at the World of Disney store in Disney Springs, Florida. The event began in September 2025 and was designed to bring back a tradition once common in Disney Stores located in shopping malls. In those earlier versions, guests—often children—were invited to use a large key to “unlock” the store.
At the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, Universal’s recently opened theme park, Epic Universe, earned several honors, including Best Dark Ride for its much heralded Monster’s Unchained attraction. This marked a significant change, as Epic Universe overtook Disney’s Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which had previously dominated the category.
Dollywood has once again ranked above Disney parks taking the Amusement Today Golden Ticket Award for Best Guest Experience. This marks the sixth time the Tennessee theme park has achieved that honor. The park secured three major awards in total at the same ceremony: Best Guest Experience, Best Kids’ Area, and Best Family Coaster.
The Walt Disney’s Imagineering YouTube channel has just released it’s latest episode of “We Call It Imagineering,” looking at the Walt Disney Castles around the world. What is already catching fans attention, though, is their sneak peak of the upcoming park in Abu Dhabi. Lead Imagineer for global projects, Zach Riddley, teased a little about the upcoming park and castle centerpiece.
Disney has taken another step forward in the expansion of Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Walt Disney Imagineering has filed permits for the construction of two new buildings at the STOLport site near Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This development is part of the ongoing preparations for the park’s upcoming Cars and Villains-themed expansions.
Walt Disney World has introduced a new airport transportation option reminiscent of the now‑retired Disney’s Magical Express—but with a significant price increase (particularly since Magical Express was a free service included with your resort booking).
Walt Disney World has a massive construction wall problem, with large sections of the park under maintenance or construction. This has closed off large sections of three out of the four Walt Disney World parks. Most recently, additional construction walls have popped up in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Walt Disney World’s Blizzard Beach water park will close again this fall for seasonal refurbishment. The park’s final day of operation is scheduled for Sunday, September 7, 2025, with a temporary closure beginning Monday, September 8th. No reopening date has been confirmed, and park hours are currently unavailable through the end of November.
On Saturday, August 30, 2025, a young boy was rescued after briefly walking along the elevated monorail track inside Hersheypark, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The child had become separated from his parents while visiting the park, prompting concern from nearby guests and staff.
A leading industry analyst forecasts that theme park operators may still need up to three years to return to 2019 attendance and revenue levels amid ongoing challenges.