Walk Time: Disney plusses its parade

April 11, 2026, 12:37 AM · In theme parks and entertainment, "walk time" is the name for the final paid minutes of your shift, when you gather your stuff and start heading home. At Theme Park Insider, "Walk Time" is our weekend look back at the past seven days in theme park news.

In this week's "shake my head" moment, two parents are facing misdemeanor charges after their toddler child entered a restricted area and ended up with its hand in a wolf's mouth at ZooAmerica in Hersheypark.

The parents are facing the charges because they allegedly were looking at their phones while the incident happens. Bystanders pulled away the child, who suffered a minor hand injury.

Thinking about this one brought to mind a quote from "Ted Lasso": "I hope that either all of us - or none of us - are judged by the actions of our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show when, and if, we're ever given a second chance."

May others' failures provide not an excuse to judge but inspiration for each of us to do better. To that end, watch your kids. As an Internet publisher and parent whose websites and children now are all in their 20s, let me say this: The Internet always will be there. Your kids' youth will not.

Changes in the parks

Walt Disney World has been plussing the Disney Starlight nighttime parade that debuted last summer at the Magic Kingdom. Peter Pan and Wendy now fly above their float in the parade, as you can see in this video from Disney.

Fans also are reporting that some ground performers in the parade now have new lighting effects on their costumes. Walt Disney World this week also announced a lower height limit on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which will reopen on May 3.

Also getting plussed this year will be SeaWorld Orlando's new flying theater ride. Expedition Odyssey (a name destined for the Superfluous Redundancy Hall of Fame) is getting a new ride film this summer. Expedition Odyssey: Fire & Ice will add volcanoes to the mix of arctic habitats featured in the original film: SeaWorld looks to change new ride after less than a year.

Also changing this summer will be the Vekoma SLC at Canada's Wonderland. Six Flags appears to be sending north the next generation trains from Professor Screamore's Skywinder at the now-closed Six Flags America. At Canada's Wonderland, this summer the former Flight Deck (originally Top Gun) will get its third name - The DareDeviler. The park will celebrate the refreshed coaster with a new branded beer for the summer, too: Flight Deck gets a new name at Canada's Wonderland.

Universal Orlando announced this week that it will be swapping its BK Whopper Bar for a Five Guys this summer. Goodbye, reasonably priced fast food burgers. But are any theme park burgers worth buying? We are talking about that: Universal Orlando to change its CityWalk burger restaurant.

The patent find this week also comes from Universal, which is proposing what one reader called an AR system without the phone or headset: Universal looks to blend reality and fantasy in new show system.

Six Flags completed the sale of six of its U.S. theme parks to EPR Properties this week. That inspired me to put together a one-pager on Who owns America's regional amusement parks?

Other readers and I continue to share our strategies for visiting top theme parks around the country. Here are the parks we are discussing now, if you would like to pick up some tips and share your advice, too:

Finally, I offer our congratulations and best wishes to Peter van Roden, who this week announced his retirement as Executive Vice President, Global Themed Entertainment at Warner Bros. Discovery. Peter has held that job for the past 10 years, during which he oversaw a great run for Warner Bros.-themed attractions, including the opening of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and the expansion of Warner Bros. Studio Tour attractions around the world.

As always, thank you for reading. If you would like to get out there and support Theme Park Insider at the same time, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote or shop our international and U.S. attraction ticket partners.

New this week, the "Buy a Day, Get a Second Day Free" offer returns at Universal Studios Hollywood.