The 7 BIG Updates from Walt Disney World (And Beyond) This Week (June 10-16, 2019)

Sunday, June 16, 2019 - 07:38

5. Hagrid's Magical Motorbike Adventure opens at Islands of Adventure

Image: Universal

This week was a big one for Universal Orladno Resort as it saw the opening of Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. Opening day at this attraction was pure pandemonium, with the ride going down several times for weather and technical difficulties, and guests waiting between 10-14 hours to experience this new ride.

However, even though waits were insane on opening day (and continue to stay very high at 4-5 hours), we feel confident in saying this is the best attraction in Central Florida right now, and is definitely worth waiting for.

6. Universal delays rollout of Virtual Queue for Hagrid's Magical Motorbike Adventure

Image: Universal

And speaking of Universal's newest attraction, though Universal was supposed to start offering guests the chance to reserve ride times in advance for Hagrid's Magical Motorbike Adventure on Friday, June 14th, due to high demand and technical issues (the ride still goes down several times a day and Universal has only been running a few trains at a time), Universal has delayed the rollout of the virtual queue system for the immediate future. Hopefully the ride will be stable enough soon to offer this service, but until then, guests will need to tough it out in the stand-by line for now.

7. SeaWorld launches new "Rescue"-themed Instagram account

Image: SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld has announced that is has launched a new SeaWorld Rescue channel on Instagram ahead of World Oceans Day that tells the story of rescue, rehabilitation and release, as seen through the eyes of those on the frontlines of saving animals. Trends in rescue data suggest that the impact of human activity on our oceans, such as plastic pollution, is taking an increasing toll on marine wildlife in recent years, which is why SeaWorld is trying to educate the public about these important environmental issues. You can find this new account here.

Amanda KondolojyView Profile

Managing editor of Theme Park Tourist and dark ride enthusiast. Amanda is a lifelong theme parks fan who lives just outside Orlando. When she’s not booking FastPass+ reservations, standing in a queue or eating the latest specialty cupcake, you can find her watching a Marvel movie, reading a book (probably by Neil Gaiman) or singing along to showtunes in her car. Contact: [email protected]