Disney Dish: Reedy Creek Meeting, Universal Expansions, and Park News

Disney Park Updates and Announcements

• 🎢 Tron Lightcycle Run has an official opening date of April 4th, 2023, with previews expected in late February or early March for DVC and Annual Passholders.
• 🎆 Harmonious in Epcot will have its final performance on April 3rd, 2023, to be replaced by the interim show Epcot Forever.
• ✨ Happily Ever After will return to the Magic Kingdom on April 3rd, 2023, replacing Disney Enchantment.
• 🚗 Disney is dropping nightly parking fees for resort guests, reverting to complimentary parking.
• 📸 Guests purchasing Genie Plus will now also receive PhotoPass for attraction photos.
• 🍽️ A tapas dinner for two at Toledo Tapas Steak and Seafood at Disney's Grand Destinia Tower cost $101.50 with an AP discount, including dessert and a drink.

Universal's Major Expansion Plans

• 🤠 Universal announced a new theme park in Frisco, Texas, designed for families with small children, featuring immersive lands and character meet-and-greets.
• 🦇 A permanent Halloween Horror Nights experience is coming to Las Vegas, partnering with Area 15, offering year-round horror-centric attractions and themed bars.
• 🎢 The Texas park is seen as a strategic move to capture a market priced out by Disney and to not cannibalize existing Universal Orlando guests.
• 💰 The Las Vegas horror experience is expected to be around 110,000 square feet, potentially equivalent to four to five typical Halloween Horror Nights houses.

Reedy Creek Improvement District Meeting Insights

• 🧐 Len attended a Reedy Creek Improvement District Planning Meeting and observed the process of approving land use resolutions.
• 🗺️ A key discussion involved a land use resolution that included moving wetland areas, road development, increasing the maximum number of hotel rooms, one additional major theme park, and two additional minor parks.
• 🗓️ The timing of this resolution, occurring 12 years after the previous 2010 comprehensive plan, raised questions about why it was being addressed now.
• ❓ Len posed questions regarding the necessity of a new resolution if a previous one existed and why specific numbers (one major park, two minor parks) were chosen instead of higher maximums.
• 💡 The district has historically operated with less public scrutiny, but recent events have brought it into the spotlight, necessitating more transparency.