Conservation concentration 🐐

What makes something a hidden gem? Perhaps it’s the fact that you can only get there by train.

Hello subscribers, it’s Haley.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is temporarily closing Rafiki’s Planet Watch attractions to make way for a new Bluey-themed adventure debuting this summer.

I recently paid a visit to Conservation Station to get some final pets and interaction with the farm animals at the Affection Section, and get one last drawing in at the Animation Experience before it closes permanently.

The Bluey experience is a big move, offering guests photo ops, games, and animals native to Australia, but how much conservation focus will remain at Conservation Station is still uncertain.

Legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde, who led the creative vision for Animal Kingdom, once said Rafiki’s Planet Watch is about our relationship with animals and the land, emphasizing that “the park cannot exist without animals, and can’t have the animals unless we behave in a responsible way for their well-being and their future in the wild.”

Liberty echoes 🦅

This week marked a special return for the Voices of Liberty Echo Sets at EPCOT’s American Adventure pavilion

Filling the rotunda with soaring patriotic harmonies, this special performance, featuring some U.S. military veterans, is reserved for key holidays like Memorial Day and July 4.

The return coincides with Disney’s company-wide “Disney Celebrates America” event marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Garden and grub

It’s the last weekend to experience the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, but signs of the next festival are already here.

This week, Disney announced its food lineup for the International Flower and Garden Festival.

Universal Orlando

CityWalk goes country 🤠

Country music-themed restaurants and live music venues are booming right now, and big-name stars are leading the charge.

These massive, multi-level venues with unique themes are popping up in top tourist destinations like Orlando.

Just this week, it was announced that a Luke Combs-inspired entertainment venue is coming to Universal Orlando. It won’t be long before Category 10 breaks ground.

Expanding Epic ticket options 🎟️

My bingo card didn’t have “6 7″ in a theme park-related headline this week.

A six- and seven-day ticket option gives you park-to-park access to all four theme parks. For a limited time, you can enjoy a full week for the price of five days.

Have you visited Epic Universe yet? This web story has a breakdown of what tickets cover Universal’s newest theme park.

Legoland Florida

Creativity and countdown 🎢

To promote its new space-themed roller coaster, Legoland launched a nationwide contest inviting kids to design and present their own LEGO spacecraft.

Four Floridians were among the eight winners and will have the opportunity to experience Galacticoaster, which opens next week.

SeaWorld Orlando

Adding more to the plate 🎵

We’re still in the early portion of SeaWorld Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival.

This week, SeaWorld updated the concert lineup. The festival runs select dates through May 17.

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

See you next week.

- Haley