Some theme park updates: Universal Studios has set a grand opening for two new entertainment spectacles for May 8. SeaWorld’s Viva La Mύsica Latin food and concert festival kicks off on April 14. And the Cars, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid wings at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will open ahead of schedule.
Universal Orlando said this week that its new Superstar Parade and Cinematic Spectacular water-and-light show will have a joint opening on May 8. The resort had previously said both attractions would open in the spring but had not set a date.
Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories (above) will feature scenes from Universal’s classic films projected on waterfall screens over the Universal Studios Lagoon. The show will include fountains, fireworks and a musical score. The show will be narrated by actor Morgan Freeman.
Universal’s Superstar Parade, led by Gru of Despicable Me, along with his daughters, minions and his shrink ray gun, will include floats, characters and several hundred dancers and other street performers. Also starring in the daily parade will be Nickelodeon’s Dora and Diego, E.B. from Hop, and SpongeBob SquarePants and the other characters from Bikini Bottom.
Coming this summer, on a date yet to be announced: A new ride, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, set in Gru’s lab, that will turn guests into minions
At SeaWorld, Viva La Mύsica will run every Saturday, April 14 through May 5, with concerts and sampling of Latin foods.
Performing will be Elvis Crespo (merengue), April 14; Grupo Niche (salsa), April 21; RKM & Ken-Y (reggaeton), April 28 (pictured at right); and Gilberto Santa Rosa (salsa), May 5.
Concerts are included in basic admission, but packages featuring a meal and reserved center stage seating are available and can be purchased at SeaWorldOrlando.com.
Also coming this spring to SeaWorld is Turtle Trek, a new attraction centered on a 3-D, 360-degree dome theater film, plus two large water habitats, one with sea turtles, the other with manatees. Opening is scheduled April 27.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will hold its grand opening May 31, when the Finding Nemo wings (pictured below) will also open. Other wings will follow, and are six weeks or more ahead of schedule: Cars will open June 18; Lion King will open Aug. 10; The Little Mermaid wings on Sept. 15.
The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo buildings will have a total of 1,120 family suites. The Little Mermaid “value” wings will have 864 rooms.
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