We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Monday, August 28, 2023.

Walt Disney World

EPCOT

• Construction walls for Journey of Water Inspired by “Moana” have partially come down in World Nature at EPCOT.
• Work continues on the overall transformation of EPCOT, with World Celebration being a major focal point of the construction.

New Merchandise

• Lorcana demand continues to far outstrip supply, and the in-person Walt Disney World launch saw starter sets sell out within an hour today.
• We spotted a new grey Walt Disney World hoodie in the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A. 

Other Walt Disney World News

• The National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Warning ahead of Idalia’s imminent arrival. Walt Disney World modified their cancellation policy this afternoon.

Disneyland Resort

• The Disney Parks Blog has shared a new look at a mural inspired by scenes from Walt Disney Animation Studios films that will be on display when The Villas at Disneyland Hotel opens on September 28.
• After initially reneging on a previously anticipated August 18 release date, Disney Lorcana released at the Disneyland Resort this morning. 
• It truly feels like Halloween now at Disneyland Resort, as the giant Mickey Jack-o’-lantern has been installed on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park.
• Disney California Adventure is conjuring all sorts of spooky fun in preparing for Oogie Boogie Bash, and meet and greet backdrops have begun to materialize throughout the park.
• The art of Br’er Fox, Br’er Bear, and Br’er Rabbit in The Briar Patch gift shop over by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, formerly Splash Mountain, has all been replaced by art depicting generic forest creatures.

Disneyland Paris

• Disney Parks on Twitter has announced three new entertainment offerings are coming to Disneyland Paris in 2024, including a BMX “Alice and Wonderland” stage show.
• Disneyland Paris has shared a new “grand reopening” window for the reimagined Disneyland Hotel, as well as a date for when new bookings will open.

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

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For the first time in… ever, we got a glimpse of completed signage in The World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, slated to open in November of 2023. Hong Kong Main Street Gazette shared this peek on their Instagram page.

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World of Frozen Sign

The gilded World of Frozen sign stands complete and ready to welcome guests to the frozen wonders beyond.

Lights above the sign will illuminate the golden recessed lettering and Nordic, filigree-inspired framing.

Are you ready to see what cold secrets are deep inside World of Frozen? Let us know in the comments.

New World of Frozen Concept Art

The concept art released a few days ago depicts the village of Arendelle with the palace in the background and Elsa’s ice palace on the North Mountain in the distance. To the right, musicians play and guests dance. Behind them, Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs takes guests on a journey past a waterfall. Two boats are docked in the lagoon at the center. More of the village is along the water to the left, with the clock tower (featuring figures of Anna and Elsa) near the palace. The art shows the land at sunset, with light shining through Elsa’s ice palace.

More About World of Frozen

Construction is nearly complete on World of Frozen and it will open this November. It will include its own version of Frozen Ever After, with non-screen faces on the animatronics. Just like the EPCOT version of the attraction, guests will embark on a journey to the North Mountain where Elsa’s Ice Palace awaits as part of the Summer Snow Day celebration.

Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs is the first-ever “Frozen” roller-coaster. According to the land’s lore, the coaster was built by Wandering Oaken himself. He’s enlisted the help of his buddies Olaf and Sven to power the attraction as they work together to pull the sleds to the top of the lift hill. In May 2023, Disney released a behind-the-scenes video of the ride testing. In June, they shared a look at the themed queue featuring figures of Sven and Olaf.

The third attraction will be Playhouse in the Woods, an interactive play experience for children to celebrate Summer Snow Day.

Guests will be able to dine at the Golden Crocus Inn, named after the national symbol of Arendelle. This will be the primary dining area for the land, promising a diverse array of cuisine.

Tick Toy Toys & Collectibles is a toy shop operated by a wood carver and his wife. This will be a central merchandise location for toys and keepsakes that include elaborate character carvings.

Earlier this month, guests saw lights being tested in World of Frozen, illuminating the village, Elsa’s ice palace, the clock tower, and the snowflake fountain in front of the Arendelle palace.

“Frozen” lands are also under construction at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris and Tokyo DisneySea as part of Fantasy Springs.

‘Frozen’ Franchise

The first “Frozen” film was released in 2013, proving to be a huge success for Disney. It stars Kristen Bell as Princess Anna and Idina Menzel as Queen Elsa, Anna’s sister with hidden ice powers. After Elsa accidentally reveals her powers, she runs away. Anna, with help from snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) and ice carver Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), pursues Elsa. The film was written by Jennifer Lee from a story by her, Chris Buck, and Shane Morris. Buck and Lee directed “Frozen” with music by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

The team returned for “Frozen II,” released in 2019. Set three years later, Elsa hears a strange voice calling her into the Enchanted Forest. She, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf set out on a journey to find the voice and learn more about Anna and Elsa’s late parents.

CEO Bob Iger announced in February that Disney has “sequels in the works” for “Frozen,” “Toy Story,” and “Zootopia.” He didn’t specifically call the “Frozen” sequel “Frozen III,” but any kind of third “Frozen” film by Walt Disney Animation Studios would be the studio’s first “threequel.”

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Disney California Adventure is conjuring all sorts of spooky fun in preparing for Oogie Boogie Bash, and meet and greet backdrops have begun to materialize. Throughout the park. Up first is Bruno’s meet and greet spot near Grizzly River Run.

Bruno Meet and Greet Backdrop

The backdrop is designed in muted shades of brown and tan.

Carved designs in the faux stone look like they would belong in Bruno’s tower from the film.

There are faux jars on the walls in the design of the backdrop, and the door has an engraving of an hourglass. We saw this backdrop used last year for Oogie Boogie Bash. It’s also the same door from the film when Mirabel explored Bruno’s tower, pictured below:

Madam Mim Meet and Greet Area

We spotted this meet and greet area set up in a blocked off area near Carthay Circle, across from the waterfall.

The wooden backdrop has a series of shields along the front, and a painted, tented throne.

The awning over the throne reads, “Eternal Glory” in gold.

Mim, in her dragon form, perches above a shield with “MM” painted on the design. The scroll under the shield has stars and fleurs-de-lys beneath it and reads, “I won, I won, I won, I won.” Purple drapery hangs around the throne.

The shields under the stage area feature Mim in several different animal forms with her iconic shock of light purple hair. To the side of the throne, a familiar-looking brown sparrow is trapped in a hanging cage. The setup is also the same as last year.

Sanderson Sisters Spellbook Backdrop

Near Golden Zephyr, we saw a stand of rolling planters poorly concealing a larger-than-life Spellbook given to Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson by The Devil himself.

As we approached, the words, “Transformation” and “Life Potion” taunt passersby with only a small piece of their magic visible over the planters.

The haunting imagery illuminating the manuscript backdrop stands in stark contrast to the blue skies behind it.

Whether this is a backdrop for a Sanderson Sisters meet and greet, or it stands alone as a photo opportunity for party guests remains to be seen.

From this angle, we can read, “Bringeth to a full rousing bubble, then add two drops oil of boil and a dead”

The spell continues in Book from the “Hocus Pocus” film and presumably behind the planters. The full spell text reads, “Bringeth to a full rousing bubble, then add two drops oil of boil and a dead man’s toes. Next add a dab of newt saliva, dash of pox stir thrice. One final thing and all is done. Add a piece of thine tongue.”

Are you ready to cast your spell at Oogie Boogie Bash? Let us know in the comments.

Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland Resort

Also this coming autumn, Oogie Boogie Bash is returning to Disney California Adventure. Tickets for the 2023 season are now sold out, but we will still be covering all of the details for this event as Halloween creeps closer.

Oogie Boogie Bash — A Disney Halloween Party creeps in to Disney California Adventure each fall. Historically, the party has included attractions such as Villains Grove, the Headless Horseman, Frightfully Fun Parade, treat trails, Mickey’s Trick and Treat dance party, and photo opportunities. All lands within the park remain open during the Halloween Party, including Avengers Campus.

Unique meet and greet opportunities include various Disney Villains, as well as other characters such as Clarabelle, Daisy, and Minnie posing as the Sanderson Sisters from “Hocus Pocus,” Bruno from “Encanto,” King Mickey and Donald from Kingdom Hearts, and Hercules.

Purchasing admission to this event allows guests to enjoy Disney California Adventure for up to three hours before Oogie Boogie Bash — A Disney Halloween Party begins, so ticketed guests may enter as early as 3:00 p.m. without any additional park tickets or reservations. The party itself runs for five hours, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., with special Halloween-themed entertainment, attractions, character greetings, and more.

Parking can be arranged upon arrival or in advance. It can get crowded in arrival areas, so we recommend partygoers arrive roughly 90 minutes early to get through the lines and into the party itself.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

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Universal Destinations & Experiences has filed several trademarks potentially for Epic Universe attractions. Epic Universe will be a new park at Universal Orlando Resort and is expected to open in summer 2025. Though only Super Nintendo World has been confirmed, rumored lands for Epic Universe include a Universal Classic Monsters land, How to Train Your Dragon land, and a third themed to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

New Universal Epic Universe Trademarks

The following are the latest trademarks filed for Epic Universe.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment

This trademark came with a vague description as an amusement park, theme park and/or waterpark service, but rumors and careful scouring of overhead shots indicate that this may be an indoor ride and a major attraction in the still-unconfirmed Classic Monsters area of the park.

Meteor Astropub

This area is described as a bar, concession, snack bar, restaurant, and more. The central area/hub of the park is rumored to be celestially-themed, so the name of this bar is a play on “gastropub,” which may hint at the type of fare to be served at this location.

De Lacey’s

Named for the blind Frenchman who treated Frankenstein’s monster with compassion and gentle grace, De Lacey’s is described as another food and beverage location.

Pretorius’ Scientific Oddities

This shop, named after  Doctor Septimus Pretorius from the Frankenstein films, is described as a general merchandise shop selling apparel, gifts, and more.

North Star Wintry Wonders

The name of this potential shop indicates its placement in the rumored astrologically-themed hub of the park. The description of the shop, as seen above, is that it will have “retail store services featuring apparel, gifts, and general consumer merchandise.” Orlando Parks Stop has further speculated that this may specifically be a holiday-themed shop.

Lens Flare

The camera-themed name of this shop continues with the description stating that it will have “retail store services featuring photographs, apparel, gifts, and general consumer merchandise.”

Previously Filed Universal Epic Universe Trademarks

These new trademarks join others made earlier this year as the park pushes toward a Summer 2025 opening. Previous trademarks made this year include:

Orlando Business Journal shared the list of new trademarks Universal filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They are mostly for the Universal Classic Monsters and How to Train Your Dragon lands.

Universal Classic Monsters:

• Dark Universe: OBJ notes that “Dark Universe” was a canceled series of Universal Monsters movies. This could be the name of almost anything, including the official title of the land.
• Curse of the Werewolf: Perhaps a Universal Monsters attraction.
• The Oak & Star Tavern: Likely a restaurant.

How to Train Your Dragon:

• How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk: This could be the official name of the land.
• The Untrainable Dragon: Universal Studios Beijing has a “How to Train Your Dragon” stage show called “Untrainable” and a stage is under construction in the rumored Epic Universe land.
• Hiccup’s Wing Gliders: This could be the name of the “How to Train Your Dragon” roller-coaster.
• Fyre Drill: This could be a water ride.
• Dragon Racer’s Rally: Maybe the name of another “How to Train Your Dragon” attraction.

Other:

• Starfall Racers: This is almost certainly the name of the park’s dual racing coaster.
• Constellation Carousel: A carousel is pictured near the center of the park in concept art above.

Just because Universal filed the trademarks, doesn’t mean they have to use these names. As always, things could change in the future.

Assuming that the rumors are true, Super Nintendo World is at the bottom left, Classic Monsters land is at the top left, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is at the top right, and How to Train Your Dragon is at the bottom right. The dual-racing coaster is between The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon but not part of either land.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be inspired by Place Cachée, the Parisian version of Diagon Alley seen in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” Construction photos reveal a version Porte Saint-Denis, an arched gateway built in the late 1300s in Paris. The Wizarding World ride, however, will transport guests to the U.K. Ministry of Magic.

Super Nintendo World will open with the Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Adventure rides from Universal Studios Japan as well as a Donkey Kong roller-coaster. Guests will enter through a green warp pipe into the enclosed land, just like in Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood.

Epic Universe will also have an in-park hotel, as seen at the top of the above concept art.

Are you getting excited to learn more about Universal Studios Epic Universe? Let us know in the comments what you’d most like to see.

For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.

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