Impossible Creatures, a fantasy novel by British author Katherine Rundell, was published in 2024 and is now being adapted into a movie series by Disney. The story follows Christopher, a young boy who discovers a hidden passage to a magical archipelago filled with mythical beings—dragons, unicorns, and other legendary creatures. Along with his friend Mal, Christopher must uncover the mystery behind why the island’s creatures are dying and what dark force threatens this enchanted world.
The biggest upgrades across all domestic Disney parks right now including Disneyland and Walt Disney World involve something Walt himself famously wanted to keep out: alcohol. In a Saturday Evening Post article from 1956, Disney stated, “No liquor, no beer, nothing. Because that brings in a rowdy element. That brings people that we don’t want, and I feel they don’t need it.”
There are few discounts offered at Walt Disney World each year, so when one of them actually increases, it’s a big deal.
The Walt Disney Company’s new fiscal year has begun, and as we’ve seen in past years, this has meant price increases across the board. Everything from food and parking to hotel stays, Lightning Lane passes, park tickets, and annual passes have gone up in price.
One glaring exception, however, is the cost to renew your Walt Disney World Annual Pass if you’re already a member. Disney has long provided an incentive for current passholders to renew at the end of their yearly term in the form of a discount. This year, that renewal discount has actually increased.
In what may be an effort to compete directly with Disney’s “Individual Lightning Lane” offerings, Universal Orlando Resort is currently testing individual Express Pass options on two attractions: Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Florida.
What is Mattel, a toy company, going to do with artificial intelligence? That’s the question toy fans have been asking since last Monday’s OpenAI Developers Conference. OpenAI—the company behind ChatGPT and the AI video-generation platform Sora 2—announced a new partnership with Mattel to explore how artificial intelligence can speed up the toy design process.
Disney has announced new prices for its Walt Disney World Annual Passes, marking another round of price hikes as the company begins its new fiscal year. While annual increases are nothing new for the Florida resort, this year’s changes come at an especially challenging time. Attendance has dropped noticeably compared to previous years, and large sections of the parks remain closed or obstructed due to ongoing construction.
On October 8, 2025, Walt Disney World announced a record-setting price increase for its “skip-the-line” service, Lightning Lane.
While price hikes are nothing new at Disney—especially at the start of the company’s fiscal year—this round of increases comes at a time when attendance across the Florida parks has dropped to some of the lowest levels in years.
The new pricing takes effect on October 29, 2025, raising costs by up to $6 per person per park for Lightning Lane Multi Passes, and between $1 and $3 per person for Single Pass selections. Notably, last year the New Lightning Lane system replaced “Genie+”, which in 2021 replaced the pre-lockdown FastPass+, a complimentary perk included with every ticket and annual pass.
Cracker Barrel has officially ended its relationship with Prophet, the San Francisco–based consulting firm responsible for guiding the restaurant chain’s controversial rebrand. The decision follows weeks of public criticism, a sharp decline in stock value, and mounting pressure for the company to restore its traditional image.
The former Rivers of America in the Magic Kingdom is now completely behind construction walls, along with a large section of the park.
Step into the Magic Kingdom right now, and one thing is impossible to miss: walls. From the Haunted Mansion in Fantasyland, through the entirety of Liberty Square, stretching deep into Frontierland, past Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain), and finally stopping at Big Thunder Mountain — one long, ugly construction wall cuts through the park like a scar.
In September 2025, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI, forcing the platform to strip away all Disney-owned characters from its catalog. The company argued that unauthorized use of its intellectual property could harm its “family-friendly” brand, citing reports of “sexual exploitation, manipulation, and violence” involving its characters on the site. Character.AI quickly complied.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. announced a series of leadership and organizational changes this week as the company works to stabilize its image and win back consumer trust after months of controversy.
After weeks of uncertainty and speculation, Universal Orlando Resort has confirmed that Stardust Racers, the dual-launch racing coaster at Epic Universe, will officially reopen tomorrow afternoon on October 4, 2025. Initially thought to be rumor, That Park Place personally verified the information with a Universal Team Member over the phone.