ICON Park on International Drive has announced a brand new spring offer which includes access to the park’s top attractions, plus dining and shopping discounts. With the ICON Park Play Pass you will save over 50% and experience 7 world-class ICON Park attractions, plus the pass includes exclusive dining discounts and shopping savings! Guests with the ICON Park Play Pass will receive one-time entry to multiple attractions: The Wheel at ICON Park Museum of Illusions Orlando Madame Tussauds Orlando SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium Pearl Express Train 7D Dark Ride Adventure $5 play card at In The Game ICON Park The ICON Park Play Pass will cost $74.99 per pass. Play Pass holders will receive up to 20% off at eateries such as Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips and Blake Shelton’s Ole Red. Adults will also get access to exclusive all-day happy hours at The Wheelhouse Bar, The Lawn Bar and The Sky Bar. The pass will also give up to 25% off retailers, including Build-A-Bear, Breathe, Sunglass Boutique and The Wheelhouse Gift Shop. The ICON Park Play Pass is valid for 30 days after purchase, meaning guests will have the option to access all attractions in one day or spread throughout the month.

Great news for guests visiting Walt Disney World, at select resort hotels you can now enjoy a fabulous selection of new food & beverage offerings! At Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, Guests can get their hands on some new beignets and beverages at Scat Cat’s Club – Lounge. This tasty treat includes a trio of Mickey-shaped Beignets served with red pepper jelly, pimento cheese, and green goddess dressing dusted with powdered sugar. The Oyster Beignet Po’Boy is a Mickey-shaped beignet with fried oysters, lettuce, tomato, Cajun rémoulade, and house-made pickles served with potato chips. What about drinks? The Bebop Bloody Mary combines vodka and spicy bloody Mary mix topped with shrimp, andouille sausage, and celery. Guests can also sip on the Syncopation Shift featuring vodka, rum, mango rum, melon liqueur, and pineapple juice with a glow cube or the Bonfamilles Bourbon Peach Tea with bourbon, peach schnapps, and fresh-brewed sweet tea. And to top off these yummy additions, live entertainment has returned to this lively location on select nights! At Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, the Barcelona Lounge is now offering Build-Your-Own Gin and Tonic. Plus, the location recently began featuring live music on Wednesdays and Thursdays, allowing Guests to enjoy the vibes and sweet tunes from a Spanish guitarist. Disney’s Old Key West Resort recently introduced Shrimp Fritters at both Olivia’s Cafe and Gurgling Suitcase Libations & Spirits. The unique thing about this new update was done to help support sustainable seafood initiatives while keeping environmentally in mind.

There seems to be no slow down in guests to Walt Disney World, as the latest calendar update, shows all four Walt Disney World theme parks see longer operating hours from March 27 through April 2 2022. At Magic Kingdom, an extra two hours has been added at the end of the day for an 11pm close. Disney's Hollywood Studios gains an extra 30 minutes in the morning with openinsg moved to 8:30am. At Disney's Animal Kingdom, 9am openings have moved to 7:30am, and the 7pm closures have been extended to 8:30pm. At EPCOT, the earlier 8:30am openings continue through at least April 2.

Housekeeping services at Walt Disney World Resort hotels are slowly returning to their original schedule from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, with guests getting their rooms cleaned more often. Guests staying at Disney's Riviera Resort, Disney's Old Key West Resort, and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort will be officially restored at these resorts on March 20, 2022. Housekeeping includes: Making the bed Full bathroom clean Wiping down all surfaces Replacing amenities as needed, such as coffee, shampoo, soap, etc. Vacuum Dust Fold and organize loose clothing and other special touches Please note, the cleaning schedule of Disney Vacation Club resort rooms has not changed. Disney Vacation Club members can purchase additional cleaning services. So far, the following resorts have gone back to the original every other day cleaning schedule: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Disney's BoardWalk Resort Disney's Contemporary Resort Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Disney's Old Key West Resort Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts Disney's Riviera Resort (Starts 3/20 Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Daily Cleaning). More resorts will follow at a future date.

Chocolate Desserts are our absolute favorite desserts, and Universal Orlando Resort is a chocoholics’ paradise. Cake. Pie, Cookies, Pastries, Doughnuts, Ice Cream, Shakes. Crème Brûlée and more, Universal has all the chocolate desserts you can want and more! Universal Studios Florida Nutella Puff Location: TODAY Cafe Puff pastry, consisting of flaky folds of buttered dough, similar to a croissant. In the center is a rich chocolate hazelnut filling. Crypt Cookie Location: Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters Cafe Marshmallows as white as bones. Chocolate chunks as dark as night. Graham crackers rising like tombstones from the dough. A black lagoon of chocolate hidden on the bottom. If you crave chocolate like vampires crave blood, this monstrous creation of chocolate chunk cookie stitched together with a s’more is for you. Chocolate and Chocolate Chili Hard-Packed Ice-Cream Location: Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley The chocolate ice-cream here is exceptionally good, especially in a waffle cone. For the more adventurous chocolate fans, you could try the chocolate chili. Universal’s Islands of Adventure Chocolate-Hazelnut Crème Brûlée Location: Mythos Restaurant Plung your spoon through a layer of crystallized sugar and chocolate cookie crumble, revealing chocolate hazelnut custard inside. Sundae on a Stick Location: Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop at Seuss Landing An ice-cream bar hand-dipped in chocolate with a vanilla-ice-cream center. Here, you can get it with toppings like nuts, rainbow, or chocolate sprinkles. Chocolate Frogs and Peppermint Toads Location: Honeydukes in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade Chocolate Frogs are a quintessential wizarding treat, a large milk chocolate candy in individual boxes, each with a wizarding trading card inside. Swirled Ice Cream Location: Chill Ice Cream at Marvel Super Hero Island If you’re a defender of ice cream, then this is a must-try in Marvel Super Hero Island. The dessert is a perfect blend of creamy chocolate and vanilla soft-serve ice cream. Universal’s Volcano Bay Chocolate Lava Cake Location: Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club Do you know what’s even better than a giant volcano? A giant volcano made of chocolate cake with molten melted chocolate in the middle! Universal CityWalk Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding Location: The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen This is a three chocolate dessert, a bread pudding made with dark, milk or white chocolate cake. And it’s served with white chocolate ice cream! Chocolate X5 Milkshake Location: The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen The Chocolate X5 milkshake is a classic, it’s a chocolate fix in five different ways: chocolate ice cream, chocolate chunks, chocolate sauce, whipped chocolate topping, and chocolate spirals! Chocolate Jamaican Sensation Location: Bob Marley — A Tribute to Freedom The thin layer of guava between the layers of chocolate cake and frosting adds a subtle sweetness to this Chocolate Jamaican Sensation, accentuated by the dulce de leche sauce. Skillet Baked Chocolate Cake Location: Bigfire This is a rich flourless chocolate cake with bourbon ice cream, plus for extra-chocolatey goodness, order a hot chocolate on the side. The drink comes with tiny marshmallows and you can ask to have them torched so it’s suuuper creamy. Chocolate Old-Fashioned and Diablos Rex Doughnuts Location: Voodoo Doughnut Orlando The Diablos Rex is a chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate frosting, red sprinkles, and a pentagram-shaped vanilla drizzle with chocolate chips in the middle. Universal Orlando Hotels The Kitchen Sink Cake Location: The Kitchen at Hard Rock Hotel The Kitchen Sink Cake is a rock star cake with seven layers: brownie, peanut butter, chocolate chunk cookie, pecan pie, vanilla cheesecake, devil’s food chocolate cake, vanilla chiffon, plus chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. Chocolate and Stracciatella Gelato Location: Gelateria at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel A cup of rich artisanal chocolate gelato, or you could try the Stracciatella, a creamy flavor infused with shreds of dark chocolate. Mexican Chocolate Mousse Location: Strong Water Tavern at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort Nothing goes with chocolate like cinnamon and raspberry! This dessert is more of a cake, with layers of chocolate cake and frosting with a hint of cinnamon. If you’re craving something savory, they’ve got a lot of great small plates here, too, like the jerk chicken with mango chutney — so good! I like sitting outside to eat and watch the water taxis to the theme parks come and go. Peanut Butter S’Mores Pie Location: Jake’s American Bar at Loews Royal Pacific Resort The Peanut Butter S’Mores Pie has a graham cracker crust with a layer of creamy chocolate and a good half-inch-thick layer of peanut butter mousse, infused with mini marshmallows, topped with a swirl of toasted marshmallow. Must be 21 years and older with valid identification to purchase or drink alcoholic beverages.

The good times keep on rolling at Universal Studios Florida theme park, with the Mardi Gras celebrations continuing until 24 April, 2022. We love Mardi Gras at Universal, so many highlights, the live concerts, the parade, the beads, the tribute store, and of course, the now legendary food and drink offerings. This year is no exception at Universal Orlando, with foodie inspiration from New Orleans, and from around the world. You'll discover 15 food kiosks, two bar carts, and eight regions of the world represented, all offering a diverse selection of food to satisfy the foodie in all of us. So grab your foodie passport and join us on this Mardi Gras culinary adventure, right here in Orlando. BRAZIL Chicken Coxinha (pronounced ko-sheen-yuh) This popular street food from Brazil is returning from last year. It’s a crispy, teardrop-shaped fritter filled with shredded chicken. These bite-sized goodies come in a paper cone making it easy for on-the-go snacking. Beef Rissole The beef rissole is a slight variation from the chicken ones. These savory bites are filled with tender, ground beef and coated in a croquet batter. I really enjoyed these and would recommend trying both the chicken coxinhas and beef rissoles. Romeo and Juliet Coxinha We're in love with these fried dough desserts. These light, airy, and aptly-named coxinhas offer me both with their warm guava and cream cheese filling, rolled in a granulated sugar coating for a touch of added sweetness. Perfect for sharing (or not). INDIA (FLORAL PLANET) Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Vindaloo Inspired by the Goa region of India, this spicy vegan dish features Romanesco cauliflower, sweet potatoes, peppers, sliced red onions, red and yellow tomatoes over a bed of basmati rice adorned with micro marigolds and a slice of grilled naan bread. Vegan Golden Chai White Chocolate Blondies This vegan dessert is a lighter version of the traditional golden brownie treat with applesauce instead of eggs, vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, and an overall brightness from cardamom spice and chai tea topped with white icing and festive sugar leaves. SOUTHEAST ASIA (VOLCANO PLANET) Coconut Curry Shrimp Laksa The Coconut Curry Shrimp Laksa is exploding with flavor and texture, sautéed shrimp, pulled chicken, cucumber, and ramen noodles served in a spicy coconut curry broth. Topped with sambal chili paste, bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, a sliced hard-boiled egg, and a piece of fried tofu battered in rice flour. NEW ORLEANS (PLANET MARDI GRAS) Crawfish Boil This classic dish of crawfish, andouille sausage, red potatoes, and corn cooked in a Cajun-spiced broth was a true comfort meal and one of my must-haves during Mardi Gras. Other returning favorites include Chicken & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya, Blackened Shrimp Po’ Boy, Shrimp Gumbo, Crab Etouffee, and Muffuletta. Beignets Light, airy, fried dough pockets covered with a healthy dose of powdered sugar. What’s not to love? Bloody Mary (Premium) This premium Bloody Mary is an iced blend of tomato juice, vodka, and Worcestershire sauce, garnished with a plethora of accouterments including a grilled chicken wing seasoned with a housemade hot wing sauce, hush puppy, pickled green bean straws, jerky meat straw, poached shrimp, celery, olive, and sweet Italian chili pepper. Mardi Gras Marshmallow Pie A chocolate dipped marshmallow dessert with homemade graham cracker crusts and marshmallow filling, dusted with edible gold and sugar Mardi Gras crowns and sprinkles. For more information on Mardi Gras offerings at the Universal theme parks and hotels visitUniversalOrlando.com/MardiGras. Must be 21 years and older with valid identification to purchase or drink alcoholic beverages.

Great news! A selection of tasty, new eats and treats is coming soon to select quick-service locations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park! In Africa, the Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery will be serving up a Marinated Pork Flatbread Sandwich ($10.49) featuring marinated pork atop of a cucumber-tomato salad, harissa aïoli, and greens with house-made chips, as well as the Spiced Potato Hand Pies, fried pastries with seasonal vegetables and potatoes. Wilderness Explorer Cupcakes are waiting to be discovered across Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park! At Pizzafari you’ll find the Flamingo Badge Cupcake ($5.99), a coconut cupcake with exotic fruit filling, coconut frosting, white chocolate pearls and a white chocolate flamingo badge. Over at Flame Tree Barbecue, the Dragonfly Badge Cupcake ($5.99) is a pink lemonade flavor with a strawberry compote filling and topped with lemon frosting and a dragonfly medallion. The Dinosaur Badge Cupcake ($5.99) can be found at Restaurantosaurus. This chocolate cake features a cookie cheesecake filling, chocolate frosting, and a white chocolate dinosaur badge. If you’re a fan of coffee, there are even some new caffeinated beverages on the horizon. If you find yourself at Dino-Bite Snacks, be sure to try the Cold Brew Iced Coffee. And for a sweeter take on this beverage, try the Cold Brew Coffee Ice Cream Float.

Walt Disney World Resort have announced that starting March 29, the Backlot Express quick serve restaurant in Disney's Hollywood Studio will be serving guests a selection of new food and beverages. The menu of this quick-service restaurant is getting a revamp with delicious dishes including a Cuban Sandwich, Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Burger, Teriyaki Tofu Bowl, and Chicken Southwest Salad. And what meal is complete without a sweet treat to finish? The Wookie Cookie is officially back, and we can't wait to eat one again soon. Be sure to try all of these yummy items from Backlot Express during your next visit, we will definitely be trying everything, especially as Backlot Express is one of our favorite spots for a quick bite in the studios!

Here at Gotta Go Orlando we love our theme park festivals, and we're delighted its almost time for the annual Food and Wine Festival to return to Busch Gardens Tampa. This popular event returns again for 2022 with its longest run yet, starting on March 11 and running all the way through May 22. This year’s Food and Wine Festival includes over 90 chef and mixologist food and drink items inspired by cultures from around the world. Plus returning this year is the ever popular weekend concert series, 2022 sees an amazing 22 concerts over 11 weekends. Admission to the Food and Wine Festival, including the concerts are included with regular park admission, although VIP seating for the concerts is available at an additional cost. New this year, guests can indulge in savory bites like Hawaiian BBQ pork with coconut jasmine rice and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos elote street corn. Complimenting your meal are signature cocktails like the Iron Gwazi Fizz or frozen watermelon margaritas, a selection of more than 40 wines and beers – this year’s menu offers an endless variety of flavors to sip and savor. The Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival also includes non-alcoholic beverages such as the new Gwazi snow cones with unique flavors like black raspberry and cotton candy. As in previous years, sampler lanyards will be available for purchase in 10 and 15 punch increments. We definitely recommend purchasing a lanyard as you can get a lot of eats and treats for your money. We would suggest using your punches for the higher priced menu items and using cash for non-alcoholic beverages to get the most value out of your sampler lanyard. Oh and the icing on the Food and Wine Festivals cake is that on the day the festival opens, March 11, Iron Gwazi, the parks newest roller coaster officially opens! Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival Booths Tempt your taste buds like never before with more than 20 NEW delicious dishes to pair with wines, craft brews and cocktail. Food & Wine Festival Culinary Cabins are open on event dates from 12:00 p.m. - Park Close Let’s take a quick look at what each food and beverage booth will offer: Coaster Cocktails Iron Gwazi Fizz – Hendrick’s Gin, Lavender, Lemonade, Grenadine, Blue Curacao, Soda Hybrid Heat – Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Disaronno, Coca-Cola The 91° Drop – Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Melon Liqueur, Triple Sec, Lemonade Napa Nook Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart – Wild Raspberries, Whipped Topping Ca’ Momi Chardonnay Oberon Merlot Scattered Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon Chardon Brut Mumm Sparkling Rose Seasonally Inspired Impossible Mini Avocado Slider – With Smashed Avocado, Roasted Garlic Aioli on a Brioche Bun Sour Orange Glazed Burnt Ends Pork Belly Bites – With Sweet Plantains, Toasted Sesame & Scallions Toasted Coconut Lemon Cheesecake Mousse with Mint & Blueberries Southern Kitchen Braised Rib Slider – Served on a Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffin with Jack Daniels Whiskey Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce, B&B Pickles, & Fried Onions Cajun Garlic Shrimp & Grits – With Smoked Cheddar & Tasso Ham Bavarian Fruit Punch Trifle – With Vanilla Cake, Banana Pudding, Pineapple, Wild Cherries, Toasted Coconut and Whipped Topping Vino Vidi Vici La Perlina Moscato Borgo Scopeto Chianti Allegrini Valpolicella Peroni Italian Beer All American Eats Game Time!!! Mini Bison Cheeseburger – With Wild Blackberry Preserve, Pinot Noir Caramelized Onions & Midnight Blue Creamy Lobster White Cheddar KRAFT Mac ‘n’ Cheese – With Lobster Bisque & Lobster 24K Double Chocolate Whoopie Pie – Marshmallow Cream, Chocolate Drizzle, Chocolate Pearls Springs Creamery Brownie Fundae!!! – With Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Fudge, Caramel, Whipped Topping, Shaved Chocolate & Macerated Cherries Chocolate Cookie Waffle Cone – With Oreo Cookie Crumbs, Chocolate Drizzle, Sprinkles & Whipped Topping Sangria Float – With Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream, Club Soda, Brandy Cherries & Edible Flowers West Coast Catch Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Elote Street Corn – with Avocado Lime Crema, Tajin & Cotija Harvest Chipotle BBQ Shrimp Tacos – with Creamy Ranch Slaw, Pipian Sauce & Cotija Orange Flan Pepin Garden (Garden Gate Cafe) Bud Light Corona Michelob Ultra Estrella Damm TBBC Reef Donkey APA 3 Daughters Beach Blonde Ale Piña Colada – Flor De Caña Rum, Coconut Créme, Pineapple Strawberry Daiquiri – Flor De Cana Rum, Fresh Strawberries Tampa Vice – Flor De Caña Rum, Blend of Piña Colada & Daiquiri Frozen Watermelon Margarita – Milagro Tequila, Watermelon, Lime Frozen Stingray – Tito’s Handmade Texas Vodka, Melon Liqueur, Pineapple, Coconut, Lime Tastings Bourbons: Elijah Craig Angels Envy Horse Solider Ammunition Wine Flight: Ca’Momi Chardonnay Notorious Pink Grenache Rose Intercept Pinot Noir 3 Finger Jack Rum Barrel Aged Red Blend Xcursions Cupcakes Black Berry Pinot Noir Orange Creamsicle Strawberry Short Cake Havana (Guava & Cream Cheese) NOLA Sweets Bourbon Pecan Pie – With Sea Salt Caramel Drizzle & Whipped Topping Banana Foster Beignets – With Bourbon Chocolate Sauce & Whipped Topping (we LOVED this offering during the Mardi Gras event and glad to see it stick around for Food and Wine) Hurricanes Frozen Traditional Hurricane Iced Traditional Hurricane Mango Passionfruit Hurricane NOLA Eats Beer Battered Shrimp Po’Boy – With Lettuce & Lemon Cajun Remoulade Buffalo Chicken Po’boy – With Lettuce, Blue Cheese & Ranch Dressing Jockamo Juicy IPA Smoked Bloody Mary Yuengling Butcher Urban Duck Fries – With Duck Confit, Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Herbs & Roasted Garlic Aioli New Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Pork – With Coconut Jasmine Rice, Pineapple Serrano Relish & Cilantro Yuengling beer Yuengling Flight Light Lager Gwazi Field Spirits Puffin Punch – Tito’s Vodka, Watermelon Juice, Lavender Syrup, Lime Monkey Around – Monkey Shoulder Whiskey, Amaretto, Coconut Cream, Pineapple & Orange Juices Honey Bee Hurricane – Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Passion Fruit Puree, Monin Hibiscus syrup, Lemon Montu Margarita – Milagro Tequila, Monin Blueberry Syrup, Pineapple Juice, Citrus Sour Lion’s Lemonade – Hendrick’s Gin, Lemonade, Sparkling Water Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival Entertainment This year’s concert lineup features acts ranging from nostalgic bands to national headliners – there’s a little something for all musical tastes! Let’s take a look at who will be performing. March 11 – Sean Paul March 12 – American Authors March 13 – Boyce Avenue March 19 – 38 Special March 20 – Chris Lane March 26 – Scott Stapp March 27 – The Purple Xperience: Prince Tribute April 2 – Rodney Atkins April 3 – Air Supply April 9 – Coming Soon April 10- Chris Janson April 16 – Fleetwood Max: Fleetwood Mac Tribute April 17 – Hotel California: Eagles Tribute April 23 – Kansas April 24 – Clint Black April 30 – 3 Doors Down May 1 – Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute (Beatles Tribute) May 6 – Latin Explosion: Selena, Santana & Gloria Estefan Tribute May 7 – Jenny and the Mexicats May 8 – Grupo Cañaveral de Humberto Pabón May 14 – Jerry Riveria May 15 – Gente de Zona May 21 – Coming Soon May 22 – Tito Nieves

It's been posted by theme park rumor site Screamscape that Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay may close permanently on the 1st of November this year, 2022. We really hope this is not true, we love Kumba! Initially on the 13 March 2022, Screamscape wrote: As theme park fans descend upon Busch Gardens Tampa this season to give the new Iron Gwazi a try, I do have one request. Be sure to ride KUMBA while you are at the park. In fact, give the old girl 2 or 3 rides if you can. While B&M first entered the minds of coaster fans in 1992 with the creation of the first Inverted Coaster (Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America), they really shattered the idea of what could be done with traditional sit-down roller coaster design when they opened Kumba a year later in 1993. Until that point, the look and idea of what was possible on your standard steel roller coaster had been entirely defined by the work of Arrow Dynamics and Vekoma. Kumba set a whole new standard for roller coaster design from that moment forward, in terms of engineering, design, inversion elements, and even a new definition for what a modern roller coaster should sound like with the iconic Kumba “roar” as the trains passed by. So the next time you visit the park, hopefully sooner than later, give Kumba some love, because Screamscape has been hearing things… Very bad things… So ride Kumba while you still can. Then on March 16, the site went further, and now says Kumba will close permanently on November 1 2022. While my last post about Kumba was a bit cryptic, the message was clear. Ride Kumba while you still can. Screamscape was sent some disturbing news about Kumba, and while I felt compelled to send out a warning right away, I wanted to dig a little deeper and check in with some other sources before revealing the bigger details. If you follow Busch Gardens Tampa’s rehab schedule then you may have noticed that Kumba was slated to go down for its own rehab just as SheiKra and Montu came back into operation from their downtime. In addition to regular maintenance Montu received a new paint job and SheiKra actually had a few new pieces of track installed to replace some sections that were suffering from wear. From what I’m told, like Montu, Kumba was expected to get repainted using some slightly new shades. The repaint was put on hold, because B&M reps were in Tampa for the SheiKra track replacement and while they were on-site they performed inspections on Montu and Kumba. While it was too late to stop the paint on Montu, they did ask for the park to not paint Kumba until they had a chance to inspect it. I’m told that the sad news from the inspection was that Kumba was deemed to have essentially reached the end of its lifespan. Universal Orlando had the same issue come up with Incredible Hulk and Dueling Dragons, and in their case they opted to rebuild Hulk from scratch and replace Dueling Dragons with something new. Alton Towers in the UK is also dealing with their same issue with their Nemesis inverted coaster, and like Hulk, the plan is to close the popular ride and rebuild it from scratch. Apparently Busch Gardens response was to cancel the pending rehab entirely and limit Kumba to one-train operations going forward, other than the occasional rare exception, to extend what the operational time left on Kumba. The unfortunate problem is that most of the suits no longer see Kumba as a marketable ride, and rather than rebuild and keep Kumba for future generations, they are going to simply run it for a while longer and then shut Kumba down for good.They believe that Kumba is “not Iconic” enough to save. The goal is to run Kumba through the summer, and Howl-O-Scream if the trains last that long, and then close the gates for good on Nov. 1st, 2022. Kaput… end of story… no 30th Birthday for Kumba in 2023. The sad thing is that they want to keep this a secret, as they don’t want the bad press about closing a major ride to follow the opening of Iron Gwazi, especially after they delayed the opening of Iron Gwazi by two years. So no last ride tribute, no going out with a bang, the plan is simply and quietly to close Kumba and leave it SBNO for awhile until they determine what to do with the site. Busch Gardens Tampa pretty much did the same thing with Rhino Rally and the original Gwazi itself, long before they ever decided to create Iron Gwazi. So again, I say this, ride Kumba while you still can. It’s safe, being deemed “End of Life” doesn’t mean it’s dangerous, it just serves as notice from B&M to parks that they have 18 months left to schedule a replacement or plan the retirement for the ride. So ride Kumba… and if you want to see it saved, I’d encourage you to let the park know you want it to stay at guest relations when you visit in person, and maybe drop them a message online on social media or through their website. It would be sad to imagine the park without Kumba. Sad news indeed if true, let's hope this rumor is not true, or that Busch Gardens have plans for the ride. Please remember this is only a rumor, but one thing is for certain, we will be riding it as much as possible in the months to come! .

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have not taken long to roar back at rumors that Kumba, one of the parks beloved rollercoasters was slated to close forever on November 1 this year. In a post on the theme parks Twitter account, the park tweeted a video of Kumba in action, together with a short message that simply said "Hear this roar?⁣ It’s not going anywhere" Just goes to prove a rumor is just that, and unless you hear it officially it means nothing! We are really happy that Kumba is here to stay, and we will still be riding it as many times this year as we can!

Disney Springs at Walt Disney World has a new kiosk serving specialty alcoholic Dole Whip floats together with new soft-serve treats. The new kiosk which is now open, is called Swirls on the Water, and replaces Aristocrepes in the Marketplace. Menu items to look forward to include soft-serve swirls, with amazing flavors including lemon & blue cookie dough, habanero lime, and pineapple & vanilla. Highlights include Dole Whip habanero lime nachos, and best of all, a Dole Whip Flight with 3 flavors, what a time to be alive! The choices go on with a selection of non-alcoholic Dole Whip floats, alongside floats topped with red-wine sangria, and rum. Here is the full menu: DOLE Whip Habanero Lime Nachos: $8.99 (Waffle Cone Chips topped with DOLE Whip Lime and Habanero soft serve, Mango Boba Pearls, Spice, Raspberry Sauce and Whipped Cream) 50th Celebration Cone: $5.49 (DOLE Whip Lemon and Cookie Dough soft-serve swirl in a cone with EARidescent sprinkles and a Mickey Topper) DOLE Whip Flight: $6.49 (Tasty treat featuring 3 DOLE Whip flavors) DOLE Whip Float: $5.99 (DOLE Pineapple Juice with DOLE Whip Pineapple) Float topped with Rum: $11.99 (DOLE Pineapple Juice with DOLE Whip Pineapple topped with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum or Malibu Coconut Rum) Sangria Float: $10.99 (DOLE Whip Pineapple served over a Red Wine Sangria) Previously soft serve was available at the nearby Marketplace Snacks, but with the opening of the new Swirls on the Water kiosk, Marketplace Snacks is no longer servings soft serve and has a new menu which includes bubble waffles which were previously available at Artstocrepes!