Theme park news round-up - March 14, 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013 - 10:26

We've found that opinion is divided over the value that parades add to theme parks. Still, Disney loves them - and it's just announced the first all-new daytime parade for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in over a decade. "Festival of Fantasy" will debut in spring 2014. Meanwhile, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue has "soft opened" at Tokyo Disneyland, while Canada's Wonderland will show a new upcharge 3D movie this season.

Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World has revealed that a new parade, dubbed "Festival of Fantasy", will make its debut at the Magic Kingdom in spring 2014.

Full story: Theme Park Tourist

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios will celebrate "Star Wars Day" on May 4, 2013 with a host of special Star Wars-themed entertainment and special events.

Full story: Theme Park Tourist

Disneyland

Inside the Magic reports on a preview of Mickey and the Magical Map, the new show coming to Disneyland's Fantasyland Theatre on May 25, 2013.

Full story: Inside the Magic

Cedar Point

The local press reports that the Blue Streak roller coaster at Cedar Point suffered minor damage when a truck accidentally backed into it, but is still expected to be ready for the start of the new season.

Full story: Sandusky Register

Tokyo Disneyland

Screamscape reports that Tokyo Disneyland's version of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue soft-opened to guests on April 25, ahead of its grand opening on May 7, 2013.

Full story: Screamscape

Canada's Wonderland

Canada's Wonderland will show a new 3D movie in its Action Theater for the 2013 season, dubbed "Monsters of the Deep". The movie is designed to tie-in with the Dinosaurs Alive! upcharge attraction. Guests who have paid the $5 upcharge for Dinosaurs Alive! can view it for $1, while others must pay $3. The movie replaces Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia 3D, which showed during the 2012 season.

Full story: CW Mania

Walt Disney Studios, Paris

We take an early look at Ratatouille Kitchen Calamity, the new dark ride that will open at Walt Disney Studios in 2014. Can it help to turn the struggling park's fortunes around?

Full story: Theme Park Tourist

Nick SimView Profile

Founder of Theme Park Tourist and a lifelong fan of everything Disney and Universal. He loved everything about Theme Parks and his goal in starting the site was to create a resource that could help fans make the most of their park trips, and to make visiting theme parks a little more affordable by capturing as many money-saving tricks as possible.