Theme Park Rangers

Universal Orlando faced many challenges bringing two Halloween Horror Nights houses to life this year. Charles Gray, senior show director at Universal, explains how the Halloween Seasonal Experience got the green light, how they approached the storytelling, and what the creative team learned.

• Diet HHN (1:06)
• How the houses were selected (2:50)
• Magic of narration (4:08)
• Safety protocol (6:36)
• New ways to scare (9:40)
• Costumes create movement (11:02)
• What have we learned?(12:20)
• Day vs. night event (14:11)
• What happens to the other houses? (16:51)

New Halloween experiences are emerging in Central Florida: There’s a haunted house that provides scares (even with safety features built in), a drive-thru attraction with plenty of gore, a haunted airboat tour (only in Florida), and a gator feeding frenzy involving pumpkins.

• Tunnel of the Damned (2:04)
• Scream n’ Stream (7:59)
• A haunted airboat tour (13:40)
• How scary are they? (14:35)
• Gatorland’s Gators, Ghosts and Goblins  (15:11)

Theme park reporter Dewayne Bevil talks with Dan Leavelle, owner of Midway Mayhem, about the intensity of Universal’s VelociCoaster (up to 70 mph), the star power (Chris Pratt and a Velociraptor pack), and what Universal hasn’t revealed yet.

• Speed:70mp, Height: 155 feet (1:29)
• Longer, shorter, faster than Hulk (3:28)
• One-of-a-kind barrel roll (6:45)
• Concept video (7:47)
• Testing the coaster (10:43)
• Only a lap restraint (13:46)
• An abundance of riches in 2021 (15:53)

From the moment she stepped into Universal Studios, Orlando Sentinel reporter Kathleen Christiansen smelled the familiar musty, foggy scent that could only mean one thing: Halloween Horror Nights. She was among the fans in attendance when Universal Orlando opened two Halloween Horror Nights houses.

• Halloween Experience Seasonal Testing (1:30)
• Nightmare before the scares (2:14)
• The virtual line experience (3:14)
• House #1: Bride of Frankenstein Lives (5:05)
• House #2: Revenge of the Tooth Fairy (6:30)
• Parents beware: Houses aren’t meant for young kids (9:48)
• Trick or treating at Islands of Adventure (10:53)
• Scarecrow Stalk (12:07)
• Tribute store (14:00)

The Halloween season is officially here at area theme parks. Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld are rolling out plans that mix a pinch of past fan favorites with new socially-distanced experiences.

• Magic Kingdom: A taste of Not-So-Scary (1:18)
• Hot Tip 1: Character cavalcades (3:22)
• Adults can wear costumes (8:07)
• Hot Tip 2: Food and where to get it (11:16)
• Universal: This is a test (12:32)
• Island of Adventure: Trick-or-treating (16:28)
• SeaWorld: Halloween Spooktacular  (18:27)
• Halloween movie doubleheaders (20:53)
• Safety first at parks (22:18)

In a normal year, Halloween Horror Nights would open for business tonight. Fear not, the canceled event should return to Universal Orlando in 2021, but until then get your fright fix by listening to HHN insiders, observers and superfans share their all-time favorite houses.

• Kathleen Christiansen, Orlando Sentinel reporter (2:16)
• Dewayne Bevil, OS theme park reporter (4:17)
• Jason Guy, WESH anchor (8:36)
• Megan Stump, HHN superfan (12:13)
• Taylor Strickland, Orlando Informer website owner (18:09)
• Christopher Ripley, author of multiple HHN books and guides (23:31)
• Lora Sauls, Universal Orlando (24:45)

Is there a Wakanda Land in Disney’s future? Will Moana and Hei Hei be wandering the Polynesian Village Resort when it reopens?  Disney fans have opinions and so does Orlando Sentinel theme park reporter Dewayne Bevil and John Saccheri, who runs bigfatpanda.com.

• Disney World safety precautions (1:07)
• Whoopi Goldberg request (2:12)
• Don’t knock Frozen Land (4:35)
• Can good can come from a recast (5:33)
• A fake country in ‘real’ Epcot? (6:35)
• A Whoopie story (9:04)
• ‘Moana’ at Polynesian Village Resort (11:48)
• Favorite Disney hotel (17:46)
• Seeing the park anew without crowds (19:09)

Epcot Festivals Chef Kevin Downing talks about the all-star lineup of big guest satisfiers at Walt Disney World's Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Think comfort food. Think Orange Bird. Think cake pops (like you’ve never seen before).

• Food & Wine / Flower & Garden hybrid (1:57)
• What can guest expect? Comfort food (4:11)
• World Showplace: Mac ’n' cheese and air conditioning (5:05)
• How does summer heat impact menu? (8:30)
• More to come, no end in sight (10:04)
• Highlighting a tasty entrée, dessert, drink (12:08)
• Orange Bird is back (13:54)
• Chocolate cake + candy + liquid nitrogen (14:16)

Although Central Florida theme parks have reopened, some rides, shows and restaurants remain shuttered. So when an attraction debuts something new (no matter how small), it is something to cheer about.

• Disney Society Orchestra (2:19)
• Epcot transforming before our eyes (7:54)
• SeaWorld’s Electric Ocean Remix (9:20)
• Universal’s new crepe shop (11:16)
• More HHN merchandise (13:45)
• Busch Gardens’ Howl o Scream (14:49)

If you are ready to venture back to the theme parks, Central Florida attractions are offering great deals. The Theme Park Rangers highlight the best offerings from Disney World and Universal Orlando to Gatorland (and everything in between).

• Before you go to any theme park, do this (1:12)
• Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure (2:01)
• Disney World (4:09)
• SeaWorld/Aquatica (6:21)
• Discovery Cove (7:37)
• Legoland (8:27)
• Gatorland (9:43)
• Disney Springs  (10:55)
• Passholder perks (12:44)