On the Go in the Parks: October 8-10, 2021

Make sure to catch the Theme Park Roundup tonight at 6:08 pm during Orlando’s Evening News on WDBO!

Fall fun, frights, and festivities are in full swing On the Go in the Parks from October 8-10, 2021!

But before we get started, we have to talk about the new planning tools that will be launching at Walt Disney World!

Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lanes Oh My!

Just a few hours ago the Walt Disney World Resort announced that three new planning tools will be launching on October 19, 2021!

Disney Genie is a personalized itinerary creator that effortlessly and smartly maps out an entire day inspired by the things you love – helping you make the most of your park time so you can have more fun. 

Disney Genie+ is an upgrade to the complimentary version of Disney Genie service, for $15 per ticket per day, and includes the use of the lightning lanes at select attractions, Disney PhotoPass lenses, and Audio Tours.

Lightning Lanes can be purchased a-la-carte to save time waiting at the premiere attractions by park.

Return of Entertainment to the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT

Early birds at Magic Kingdom Park are now starting their day with “Let the Magic Begin” on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage, and the ragtime piano player at Casey’s Corner is once again tickling the ivory keys on Main Street, U.S.A.

Over at EPCOT, World Showcase travelers are dancing to the Canadian rhythms of Alberta Bound, laughing at the antics of Sergio in Italy, and experiencing the majestic percussion of the Taiko drummers of Matsuriza in Japan.

Next week even more entertainment will be returning to the Walt Disney World Resort!

On the Go in the Parks: October 8-10, 2021

The World’s Most Magical Celebration

Walt Disney World 50th World's Most Magical Celebration
Matt Stroshane, photographer

The World’s Most Magical Celebration has kicked off at the Walt Disney World Resort with new nighttime spectaculars at the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT, nighttime Beacons of Magic, exclusive celebration merchandise, delicious dishes, bubbly beverages, and more!

Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Florida
LEGOLAND Florida Brick or Treat Event Guide

The LEGOLAND Florida Resort has announced that is bringing back the spooky, kooky fun of Brick or Treat every weekend in October.

Brick or Treat activities include trick or treating around the Theme Park complete with frightfully fun character interactions, larger-than-afterlife LEGO builds, and meet-and-greet opportunities with ghoulish LEGO characters making appearances on event dates only.

BRICK OR TREAT happen Saturdays and Sundays on October 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, and 30-31.

Halloween Spooktacular
Halloween Spooktacular SeaWorld Orlando Halloween 2020 On the Go

Halloween Spooktacular is back at SeaWorld Orlando with candy, costumes, with your favorite Sesame Street friends, and plenty of spooky surprises.

SeaWorld Orlando Halloween Spooktacular is a daytime event that runs weekends from September 18 to October 31st, making it the perfect place for families to celebrate Halloween!

Kid’s will enjoy trick-or-treating, colorful characters, spooky stories, and a Halloween dance party to moments with furry friends like Count von Count, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and more.

The best treat of all? SeaWorld Orlando’s Halloween Spooktacular is included with your theme park admission!

Howl-O-Scream @ SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando Howl O Scream 2021

A new terror has surfaced, and there’s nowhere to hide. Howl-O-Scream has washed ashore at SeaWorld Orlando, and this time, the fear is everywhere.

Evade angry haunts as they rampage through scare zones. Seek shelter indoors, only to find you’ve entered a house of horrors. Deepen the thrill with a nighttime coaster ride. Quench your thirst for fear at a fiendishly interactive bar. Feel the monstrous electricity of a live show.

Above all, try to resist the haunting song of the one who has emerged from the lake. Evil is calling—with a howl and a scream.

Howl-O-Scream @ Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Tampa’s premier Halloween event returns earlier than ever for 28 killer nights with scare zones and haunted houses, including THREE ALL-NEW haunted house experiences.

Fear returns to its most immersive form with the return of iconic horror-filled haunted houses to terrify guests at Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream, Tampa Bay’s BIGGEST haunt event. Park guests will find nowhere to hide as zombies, deranged clowns, werewolves, and new surprises stalk their prey throughout eight scare zones, and unpredictable roaming hordes lurk in the darkness.

Beyond the haunts, killer entertainment can be found on stage with “Fiends!” returning to the Festival Field and last year’s best-kept-secret “The Rolling Bones” performing electrifying rock covers at Dragon Fire Grill. 

Halloween Horror Nights
HHN 30 Full Lineup On the Go in the Parks

Halloween Horror Nights has returned to the Universal Studios Resort Orlando daring guests and celebrating 30 years of fear on select nights through October 31.

For its highly-anticipated return, Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights is unleashing a legion of horror legends, pop culture greats, and haunting original stories – many from the event’s esteemed history – in 10 disturbingly realistic haunted houses, five nightmarish scare zones, and outrageous live entertainment, with diabolical surprises lurking around every corner…

Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event you won’t want to miss. This is my #1 Halloween event in Central Florida!!!!!

Visit Orlando Magical Dining
Visit Orlando Magical Dining

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining is back to showcase some of Orlando’s best cuisine while supporting local restaurants and charities from August 27 to October 17.

During this year’s Foodie dream, more than 80 of Orlando’s fine dining restaurants will offer a $37 three-course, prix-fixe dinner menu.

On the Go in the Parks, you can find Magical Dining goodness at:

Universal Orlando Resort

  • Amatista Cookhouse – Loess Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Resort
  • The Kitchen – Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando
  • Mama Della’s Ristorante – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort
  • Islands Dining Room – Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando Resort

Walt Disney World Resort Area

  • Il Mulino New York Trattoria – Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
  • Todd English’s Bluezoo – Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
  • Terralina Crafted Italian – Disney Springs
  • Paddlefish – Disney Springs
  • Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill – Disney Springs
  • Jaleo – Disney Springs
  • Deep Blu Seafood Grille – Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
  • La Luce – Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
  • The Venetian Chop House – Caribe Royale

Reservations are encouraged, and when you arrive at the dining location make sure to ask for the Magical Dining Menu as you are seated.

Halloween Horror Night Tribute Store

Halloween Horror Nights is returning next weekend, but you can get hyped with the Tribute Store that is now open at Universal Studios Florida!

SeaWorld Orlando Craft Beer Festival
SeaWorld Orlando 2021 Craft Beer Festival

The SeaWorld Orlando Craft Beer Festival is returning with more than 100 crafts brews, wines, seltzers, and cocktails Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays, until October 31st.

Guests can sample an unbeatable mix of domestic and local Florida favorites, plus savor more than 20 food items expertly paired to match their preferred brew.

And to top it all off, festive entertainment will keep the party going all day long. This is the one craft beer celebration guests won’t want to miss. 

Busch Gardens Bier Fest
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Bierfest 2020 Howl-O-Scream Halloween

During the fourth year of Bier Fest at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, guests can sip seasonal beverage offerings and savor new recipes featuring fan-favorite breweries.

Beer flows through the park on an all-new beer trail, weaving between iconic coasters, local live music, and fascinating animal habitats while incorporating fan-favorite restaurants and outdoor culinary stations, including the new Giraffe Bar.

This year, park guests can toast to new adventures each Friday through Sunday until October 31.

Food and Wine Festival is underway at Walt Disney World 
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival 2021 Pinterest On the Go in the Parks

The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival is underway at Walt Disney World with delicious dishes, fun for families, and entertainment for the entire family until November 20th!

The festival celebrates the best of food and drink with more than 20 festival-exclusive global marketplaces open now and even more coming in the fall!

In addition to all the classics and fan favorites, there are SEVEN new marketplaces:

  • The Noodle Exchange (Near Traveler’s Café)
  • Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina
  • The Rotunda Bistro (American Adventure Rotunda)
  • The Swanky Saucy Swine (Near Disney Traders)
  • Brew-Wing at the EPCOT Experience
  • Lobster Landing (Near Mission: SPACE)
  • Mac & Eats (Near Mission: SPACE)

Don’t forget to see EPCOT Forever fireworks at the close of every day!

Disney After Hours Boo Bash
Disney After Hours Boo Bash 2021

This weekend’s Disney After Hours Boo Bash Dates:

  • Friday, October 8, 2021
  • Sunday, October 10, 2021
  • Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Disney’s After Hours Boo Bash is a special ticketed event that takes place at the Magic Kingdom on select nights until October 31, 2021, and like any new event, and I am sharing what you should know before you go to make the most of your Halloween fun!

Theme Park Reservation & Mask Policies

Walt Disney World

  • Walt Disney World has updated their mask policy for guests ages 2 and up

– Masks are required regardless of vaccination status
– Masks must be worn while indoors
– Masks must be worn on Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner
– The new policy includes attractions & their queues
– Masks remain optional in outdoor common areas

  • Walt Disney World has opened up more Park Pass availability for summer visits to the park. So while you still need a reservation to enter the parks, it is now easier to snag one.

SeaWorld Orlando

  • In accordance with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) and the recommendations of local officials, face coverings are recommended to be worn in designated, indoor spaces regardless of the vaccination status of SeaWorld Orlando guests and employees.
  • The CDC has indicated that fully vaccinated people can be in outdoor areas without the need for a face covering.
  • The CDC still recommends that people get fully vaccinated and that unvaccinated people use preventative measures such as face coverings and social distancing.
  • For special interactions with certain animals, unvaccinated people will be required to wear a face covering.
  • SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica are both no longer requiring reservations…if you are planning on going to Aquatica during the weekend GET THERE EARLY as parking is running out before noon each day!

Universal Orlando

  • The Universal Orlando Resort encourages all guests to follow CDC guidelines and local directives to wear face coverings while indoors across Universal Orlando Resort.
  • Face coverings are optional while outdoors.
  • All guests are ecouraged to keep a safe distance between travel parties.
  • Universal Orlando Resort hasn’t required reservations, but you’ll want to keep an eye one their official twitter – @UniversalORL – for any capacity or operational updates
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Walt Disney World Planning Tools Launching October 19th

IT. IS. TIME.

Walt Disney World just announced that the Disney Genie service will launch on October 19, 2021, at Walt Disney World Resort! 

Walt Disney World – Disney Genie

Available for all guests in the My Disney Experience app, the complimentary Disney Genie service offers new features that let you create your best Disney day.

These features include a personalized itinerary creator that effortlessly and smartly maps out an entire day inspired by the things you love – helping you make the most of your park time so you can have more fun. 

The complimentary Disney Genie Service Includes:

  • Tailored Recommendations – You’ll receive attraction and dining recommendations inspired in part by what you told Disney Genie service you’re most interested in doing. It even displays a good time to go to an experience and an idea of the forecasted wait. Need to swap a recommendation out? No problem. Like many popular navigation apps, Disney Genie will continue to offer new suggestions throughout the day, so you can make the most of your time during your visit.
  • A Personalized Daily Itinerary – Your “My Day” tab is where you’ll find Disney Genie recommendations and any plans you’ve made, including dining reservations, Disney Resort hotel reservations and activity bookings. You’ll also be able to virtually chat with a Cast Member who can help answer any questions that arise.
  • A Custom Tip Board – This new feature will let you see estimated wait times for your top attractions, entertainment and dining. You’ll also be able to order food, make dining reservations, check into a restaurant, request to join an available virtual queue (currently at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure), and even book arrival times for our new Lightning Lane entrance at select experiences if you’ve purchased Disney Genie+ service.

Walt Disney World – Disney Genie+

Walt Disney World Planning Tools 2021

In addition to getting all of the great features that come with upgrading to the complimentary version of Disney Genie service, purchasing Disney Genie+ service will offer even more convenience and flexibility, for $15 per ticket per day.

Disney Genie+ Perks Include:

  • Enjoy the Magic You Want with Less Wait – Save time waiting in line by purchasing Disney Genie+ service! This new service, at more than 40 attractions and experiences throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks, lets you select the next available arrival window for the new Lightning Lane entrances. You can make one selection at a time throughout the day—from classics like Haunted Mansion and thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (experiences subject to limited availability). With Disney Genie+, you can select Lightning Lane arrival windows across multiple theme parks for those who have the Park Hopper option.
  • Disney PhotoPass Lenses – Access special Disney PhotoPass Lenses for your mobile device, allowing you to explore magical new augmented reality effects.
  • Audio Tales – Discover the parks in cool new ways through fascinating fun facts and behind-the-scenes insights you can listen to during your visit.

Disney Genie+ selections are available beginning at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to secure your first arrival time.

Starting October 19th, you’ll be able to purchase Disney Genie+ service on the day of your visit or purchase as an add-on to a theme park ticket by modifying your existing ticket prior to arrival. You can also purchase new tickets that include Disney Genie+ before your visit.

When using Disney Genie+ guests are responsible for:

  • Determining whether options and recommendations are appropriate for their party and
  • consulting all experience restrictions and advisories, including height requirements, health and safety advisories and accessibility guidelines.
Walt Disney World Planning Tools 2021

Lightning Lane

With this launch, we’ll also be introducing the Lightning Lane entrance. Available for purchase through our Disney Genie+ add-on at more than 40 attractions – or individually, “à la carte” at some of our most highly demanded attractions – the Lightning Lane entrance can save you time waiting in line.

 Click here for a first look at the list of current attractions with Lightning Lane entrances and info on pricing

As a reminder, attractions continue to offer a traditional standby queue or from time to time, a virtual queue may instead be used at select attractions, like right now at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

To get ready for the launch, I’ll be sharing more information as it becomes available, but you can also visit DisneyGenie.com for more details.

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