Park sharks 🦈

I love it when a theme presents itself to be written about. That was the case for sharks.

Greetings, theme park fans. I’m Haley back with your weekly bite into attractions news.

This Sunday marks the start of Shark Week and you don’t have to be in front of a TV. I’ve been charting shark lure at Central Florida theme parks.

This whole idea of putting together a web story started with a shark swim at Discovery Cove. The Shark Snorkel and Shark Interaction are upgrade options to day packages.

They don’t skimp on the sharks. You will swim amongst 20 sharks including a Pacific blacktip, a whitetip reef, and most notably nurse sharks which are the feature fish in the interaction program.

The experience is amazing for the shark enthusiast as well as the shark-curious. I got up close with Calypso, whose headshot is the face of this newsletter. The trainers create a comfortable setting by making it known that sharks like her are well-trained.

Being able to touch a shark while actually standing in their habitat is exhilarating. Calypso is a beauty and made quite an impression on me.

You can read my full round-up of park shark ideas by clicking here. There’s footage of my shark swim at the top of the story.

SeaWorld Orlando

PENGUINS! 🐧

Saying “penguins!” as an exclamation sounds better.

SeaWorld Orlando is the Coaster Capital of Orlando, but one style of thrill I felt like SeaWorld was missing was a highly-themed story coaster.

Enter Penguin Trek, the family roller coaster that makes you feel as though you’re snowmobiling through the Antarctic wilderness. The track features two exhilarating launches and a maze of twists and turns. The ride will reach speeds up to 43 mph across a 3,020-foot track. The height requirement is just 42 inches.

Penguin Trek is SeaWorld Orlando’s third roller coaster in three years. For non-thrillseekers, a ride isn’t required to visit the popular penguin habitat, but the grand finale will have penguins greeting trekkers when they complete their expedition.

The coaster officially opens to the public on July 7.

Cue the bands, brews, and barbecue 🍺

SeaWorld has plenty of thrills, but it’s also got special grub.

The day before Penguin Trek’s grand opening, SeaWorld Orlando’s Bands, Brew and BBQ festival returns. Several dining locations across the park will also be serving specialty American-style smoked and grilled dishes, along with a variety of craft beers.

The event runs eight consecutive weekends from July 6 through Aug. 25 and don’t forget to look at the concert lineup. You might want to plan your trip around what rock or country artist is performing.

This weekend really is a big kickoff of events for SeaWorld, as the park is also diving into Shark Week. Click here for details on the Ultimate Shark Experience.

Walt Disney World

Eat to the beat 🎸

Let’s keep the festival trend going with news about EPCOT’s flagship foodie event, specifically what live music we can look forward to.

Disney released the “Eat to the Beat” concert lineup for the 2024 International Food & Wine Festival. Nine new bands are joining the lineup this year. The festival doesn’t start until the end of August, but if there’s a band you’re really interested in seeing, you can get guaranteed seating with an “Eat to the Beat” Dining Package. Those go on sale July 9.

Welcome home 🛌🏻

Who doesn’t love getting a tour of Walt Disney World resort lodging? I know I do.

News 6 got a tour of one of the new Fort Wilderness Resort cabins, which are part of the Disney Vacation Club portfolio of resorts.

The look is definitely a big change. So long logs, and hello fresh, modern tones. There’s still plenty of Disney charm though.

For details on booking, click here.

By the way, these cabins aren’t the only new lodging options coming to Magic Kingdom resorts. The Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows is under construction, booking reservations are also open for that.

Epic Universe

Eager for more magic ✨

June gave us some big Epic Universe developments.

The Epic Universe Preview Center opened at CityWalk and Dark Universe was officially introduced.

Now that we have details on four of the five worlds, I am very eager to learn more about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, not to mention the Universal Helios Grand Hotel.

If you need a refresher on what’s been revealed so far, click here for a breakdown.

When we get details on Ministry of Magic, I plan on putting together another hype list of the Epic Universe worlds.

If you head out to the parks this summer, don’t forget to post those photos to our PinIt! page.

I plan on heading to Universal next week and Disney World to preview a reimagined Frontierland show.

As always, feel free to keep me in the loop through my email or reach out to me on my X or Instagram.

See you next week!