The Latest News From Disney Parks, Universal Studios Resorts, and More Fan-tastical Destinations

We are so ready for Area 15 to grow, starting with the unprecedented news that Universal Studios is going to experiment with a year-round Halloween Horror Nights experience. Going by the press release we received, it’ll have the option to be a rotating space, featuring original HHN characters like Jack the Clown as well as Universal Pictures horror movies—from the classics up to modern Blumhouse and Jordan Peele releases. It sounds like the perfect storm to make the immersive hub a new space for participatory entertainment. We’re here for more than a theme park, but rides would be fun too!

The park is said to feature lands and attractions based on family films, so it’s a sure bet you’ll see Dreamworks and Illumination characters in the 97-acre area in Frisco, Texas (that’s bigger than Orlando’s Islands of Adventure). So yes, more Minions are on the way!

The M3GAN capsule drop is available at UNIVRS at Universal Studios Hollywood Citywalk.

Super Nintendo World is opening soon; here’s our preview! 

Can’t wait for these steampunk-inspired milkshakes when the restaurant opens at Citywalk LA on January 27.

Yes, you read that right. The Marvel buffet meet and greet dinner has returned, and it’s filled with the ‘90s nostalgia version of the comic book characters. Make reservations here and have fun explaining this to the kids.

Food, floats and music take over Universal Studios Orlando!

Here’s the musician line up for 2023:

February 4 Patti LaBelle

February 10 JVKE

February 11 Goo Goo Dolls

February 18 Maren Morris

February 19 WILLOW

February 25 3 Doors Down

March 4 Sean Paul

March 5 Lauren Daigle

Soak in the retro-futuristic vibes of Cabana Bay at Universal Studios Orlando Resort.

The merch game in Japan is unmatched.

It’s easier to do a dinner and a movie this way. Find showtimes at your local Drafthouse here.

The 21+ Night Shift adults-only evenings at Meow Wolf Omega Mart in Las Vegas will resume Thursdays in January, February, and March.

Night Shift begins at 8:00 p.m on:

Thursday, January 26

Thursday, February 9

Thursday, February 23

Thursday, March 16

Thursday March 30

Check out the Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros. concert series at venues all over the world. Cities include: London, New York, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, Paris, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Singapore, Montreal, Dallas, Miami, Madrid, Seattle, Houston, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Atlanta, Brisbane, Milan, São Paulo, Philadelphia, Mexico City – CDMX, and San Diego, with Los Angeles and more worldwide locations to be announced. This series will showcase the music from Warner Bros.’ 100-year-old catalogue. Find tickets here and featured arrangements below.

The program:

The Wizard of Oz - Somewhere Over the Rainbow (1939)

Casablanca - As Time Goes By (1942)

Singin’ in the Rain - Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

A Star is Born - The Man That Got Away (1954)

Scooby-Doo - Theme Song (1969)

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Pure Imagination (1971)

The Exorcist - Theme Song (Tubular Bells) (1973)

Purple Rain - Purple Rain (1984)

Batman - Main Theme (1989)

Friends - I’ll Be There for You (1995)

Selena - Dreaming of You (1997)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Suite (2001)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Hogwarts’ Anthem (2005)

Inception - Time (2010)

Man of Steel - Flight (2013)

Wonder Woman Suite (2017)

A Star is Born - Shallow (2018)

Again, we wish there was a WB World in the states because looks how amazing Bugs looks in his Lunar New Year fit in Abu Dhabi. It’s Year of the Rabbit and the WB centennial! I bet the studio has lots in store at its parks; we’ll have to live vicariously through vlogs and clips online.

Join Loungefly at this fun event this weekend in Los Angeles.

Tron coaster previews are due soon and if you’re a Disney Vacation Club Member or Passholder keep an eye on those emails.

Here’s a deal to save up to $700 on a two-night stay at a select Disney Resort hotels—that’s up to around $350 per night—when you stay on select Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages from February 5 through October 2, 2023. And you can take the company up on the offer immediately before or after your voyage.

The Festival of the Arts runs until February 20. Check out our fave art from artists featured here.

From March 1- 5 Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival will return with new food offerings and new topiaries inspired by Encanto characters Mirabel, Antonio, and Luisa, as well as Isabel.

Per Disney Parks, new park hopping hours are in effect with 11:00am being the time one day/two park guests can move from their starter reservation park to the next. It’s perfect timing as Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is set to open on January 27.

Bonus! If you’re looking to buy a Magic Key, they’re now being offered based on intermittent Magic Key availability.

It’s the character details for us that make us so excited for the debut of treats and drinks in honor of Disney100. Here’s a guide to see what sweets you can find at Disneyland, where the year-long celebration will commence.

Marvel fans will be able to meet Disney TV’s next star Moon Girl for a limited time, starting in mid-February at Hollywood Land in Disney California Adventure Park. She’ll mark her first in-park appearance outside of an Easter egg in the queue for Web Slingers. It’s all a part of the Black History Month events Disney Parks will have underway, with gospel, live jazz, and a new video presentation by National Geographic in the lobby of the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland Park, celebrating the story of the historic relationship between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln (which will be a permanent installation).

Disney has brought out its lucky rabbit Oswald and his boo Ortensia the cat dressed in Lunar New Year attire to pay tribute to the holiday. And with the festivities comes new marketplaces with more Asian-inspired dishes. Check out the Disney Eats Foodie Guide for the full menu. And before the premiere of the new World of Color, the nighttime water show Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration will feature on the waters of Paradise Bay.

Every duck has his day, and for Donald it’s when he opened Donald’s Dine ‘n Delights filled with classic American food fare in Disneytown at Shanghai Disneyland.

Opening in the future of Ghibli Park is a walkthrough recreation of Howl’s Moving Castle, set to debut with the phase two areas of the Miyazaki Amusement Center at Aichi Expo Memorial Park in Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya, Japan.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.