Over at Walt Disney World, the Mouse House will have completed its ambitious New Fantasyland at the end of the month, as the heart of that new land, the Snow White-themed Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, opens to the public on May 28. Disney World's also completed implementation of its new MyMagic+ reservation system, which allows all advance ticket holders — on-site hotel guests, annual passholders, and day guests who buy and register their theme park tickets in advance — the opportunity to reserve three ride, show, parade, or character meet-and-greet "Fastpass+" times for each day of their visit, in advance of their visit.
Disney's hotel guests and annual passholders can use their free MagicBand RFID-enabled wristbands as their park and Fastpass+ tickets, tapping their way into the park and bypassing queues for their reserved experiences.
Up the road at the Universal Orlando, the resort will welcome reporters to a media preview of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley on June 17-20. We've been all over Diagon Alley all week — heck, we've been all over this story since we first leaked the detailed plans for its centerpiece Gringotts Bank thrill ride in December 2011. Diagon Alley promises the theme park industry's most immersive themed experience, with a level of construction, dining, and storytelling detail that exceeds even the original Hogsmeade-set Wizarding World at sister park Islands of Adventure.
In addition to riding the Hogwarts Express between the two Wizarding World lands, visitors will be able to use next-generation interactive Magic Wands to trigger special effects throughout the lands, helping to create a unique "magical" experience for each visitor.
So what will you be rockin' this summer: MagicBands or Magic Wands? It's time for the Vote of the Week!
Please tell us in the comments about your summer theme park travel plans, wherever they might be taking you. And, as always, thank you for being a part of the Theme Park Insider community.
Each have their own strengths so I voted both but asking me to pick one over the other is like asking me to choose whether I'd prefer a week in the Maldives or a first class flight to the Maldives.
How do you spend two full weeks at Universal? It seems to me that both the Parks and City Walk could be fully and exhaustively explored in less than half that time.
I cannot imagine anyone wanting to sit through Shrek, Beetlejuice, Fear Factor, Sinbad or even the Terminator multiple times.
Or walk through Poseidon or endure that tedious Twister pre show, over and over again.
Even the story humor generated by The Simpsons and Despicable Me would quickly grow repetitive.
Ask me again in 2015 and I'll probably say "Both".
TH Creative would have been so proud of me.....
***Updated to please the Spelling Police*** ;)
Since I don't know for sure what my travel plans are this summer, I abstained. Six Flags Great America and Dollywood are for-sures, but right now, Universal Orlando for August is only a possibility.
Butt thanks neway.
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