Summer hits the theme parks and vacation destinations in this week’s theme park news. Universal Studios Hollywood takes fans back in time with Back to the Future and Jaws while bringing in the future with new Wicked and Jurassic World fun. Don’t worry, the Universal Monsters aren’t far behind; in fact they’re all hitting up Sin City for Universal Horror Unleashed’s opening in Las Vegas this August.
Over at the Disney Parks, Walt Disney World gears up for Test Track‘s reopening. Meanwhile, Old Navy and Disney collab on one heck of a roadtrip across America with their new summer Mickey & Friends collection.
And just in time for the release of DC Studios Superman, Six Flags gets the Justice League to unite for new superhero experiences!
Mega Movie Summer at Universal Studios Hollywood
Iconic blockbuster movies abound as new entertainment, fandom foodie offerings, and more. To celebrate Jaws‘ 50th anniversary, the hanging shark makes its return to the theme park with a special Quint and Brody meet and greet, which is delightful and the actors doing their Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider impressions are fantastic. Hey if the kids can meet Mario and Luigi, letting the adults meet the Orca crew is a great compromise. There’s also more Amblin amusement park presence, with Doc Brown, his pal Marty McFly, and his trusty first time traveler Einstein the dog in the DeLorean. Both films get awesome curated cinematic cuisine at the parks too.
For Jurassic franchise fans, there is now a Mosasaur roar on Jurassic World: The Ride and a new tiny triceratops meet and greet (which was temporarily in London for the premiere of Jurassic World: Rebirth). Wicked fans will also be happy to learn they can meet Elphaba and Glinda in an alternating capacity and there’s tons of new Wicked merch in its designated store.
Universal Horror Unleashed: Universal Monsters – Area15 Las Vegas
All of the Universal Monsters will be featured in one haunted house at Universal Horror Unleashed, which is sharing more updates ahead of its arrival at Las Vegas’ immersive experience destination Area15.
“We’ve got four incredible haunted houses that put you right in the middle of iconic and terrifying scenes. In the Universal Monsters House, you get to follow Van Helsing as he battles all of your favorite classic monsters. Our legacy of creating horror in Universal Studios goes all the way back to the beginning of the film itself. We’ve been creating iconic horror movies that have stood the test of time. Our Universal Monsters Haunted House takes you through the stories of all of the classic Universal Monsters. All of them are there, and you get to walk into their world,” Universal Creative’s Lorelei Lee shared in the video you can watch above.
We can’t wait for this one, especially since The Creature from the Black Lagoon’s Gill-man will be represented at last in Horror Unleashed’s Universal Monsters house.
Shelby Honea, executive producer at Universal Creative added, “We’re bringing something entirely new to Las Vegas. It is a year round destination, and so is our horror brand.” The destination is currently slated to feature houses in the universes of The Exorcist, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Horror Nights original canon characters. There will also be performers, walk-around scare-actors, themed frightful foods, and scary sips! For more info check out the recent Discover Universal podcast that outlines whats to come at Universal Horror Unleashed.
M3GAN 2.0 at Universal Studios Florida
Just in time for M3GAN 2.0, the army of dancing M3GANS make their theme park return in limited appearances during the day at Universal Studios Florida. Images of their return courtesy of Park Hop on IG.
Walt Disney World announces Test Track opening date
The Epcot cars ride (not that one) is set to reopen with new theming and a refreshed look July 22.
io9 met Laufey at House of Mouse Los Angeles
Check out our chat with musical artist Laufey live from House of Mouse Los Angeles, where she shared with us the different ways Disney was one of her first fandoms. “I grew up in Iceland, which is definitely a very, very different climate and a different world. I always knew of Mickey. And that was one of those first characters that I became aware of,” Laufey said. “It’s so classic, my dad loved watching very classic cartoons growing up. So I grew up watching the really, really old Mickey Mouse ones.”
The singer also revealed her fave childhood Disney toys. “I had the whole Winnie the Pooh zoo. I had Winnie and I remember specifically I have a Piglet. It’s really, really special.”
The Disney Style pop-up party is currently on a global tour at major cities where fandom and fashion collide.
Disney and Old Navy go on a road trip across America
To celebrate the summer Disney and Old Navy have dropped a Mickey & Friends collab for the whole family. Combining options for all sorts of weather, the Disney Americana-inspired collection features swim, tees, sweaters, kidswear, and accessories to suit the season wherever you happen to be. If you’re in Chicago this weekend, you can hit up the Disney x Old Navy road trip van which will feature immersive photo-ops, treats, and a showcase of the collection with a summer bbq vibe on the 21st. The van will also stop at the Santa Monica Pier on June 28.
Shop the collection online here.
Disney Jr. Let’s Play – The Disneyland Resort
Kids can have more fun with Mickey and friends as Disney Jr. Let’s Play returns to the Disneyland Resort August 8-10.
DC Heroes at Six Flags Magic Mountain
DC Heroes and Villains Fest arrives at Six Flags to get superhero fans hyped up as we head into a Superman movie summer. It’s filled with action stunt shows, character meets, music, and more, and DC fans can enjoy these offerings on Friday and Saturday nights from June 20-July 26.
Kung Fu Tea x How to Train Your Dragon
Kung Fu Tea locations across the nation will be featuring special drinks inspired by Universal Pictures’ How to Train Your Dragon until June 30 with drinks and collectible cups/stickers. The flavors include:
Toothless Soaring Slush – a frosty swirl with milk cap magic
Stormfly’s Dragonfruit Splash – citrusy zing + chia seeds that pop
Monstrous Flight Tea – dragonfruit base, honey boba finish
Pop Mart x Pride
The toy collectible giant currently taking over the world with Labubu launched its Pride collection at LA Pride recently with a float and LGBTQIA+ collectibles creators. Check out the Peach Riot and Hug You limited releases with special Pride colorways online now.
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.
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