Four marching bands from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) put on a show during the largest-ever HBCU Week at Walt Disney World Resort. On Saturday, October 8, Alcorn State, Delaware State, North Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State marching bands served as honorary grand marshals in multiple parades at Magic Kingdom Park. They thrilled guests as they traveled down Main Street, U.S.A., led by none other than Drum Major Mickey Mouse, who showed off his own show-stopping moves in his signature marching band uniform. Each marching band showcased all the elements that make an HBCU band so unique – precision marching mechanics, high-energy dance teams, regal drum majors and the unmistakable sounds of chart-topping R&B music. Then on Sunday, the same marching bands put on a high-steeping show during HBCU Week Battle of the Bands at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. It was a friendly but fierce battle of the bands event that included an exciting pre-show performance from none other than Drum Major Mickey Mouse, who dazzled the crowd with his moves. The parade of bands at Magic Kingdom Park and Battle of the Bands at the sports complex were a part of HBCU Week at Walt Disney World. The event featured a host of activities designed to promote HBCU enrollment, including a huge college fair offering on-the-spot acceptance and millions in scholarships. HBCU Week was held for the first time in its five-year history at Walt Disney World in collaboration with the HBCU Foundation, Walt Disney World and Disney on the Yard, an initiative focused on deepening Disney’s engagement with HBCUs. Students interested in applying for additional scholarships can visit www.hbcuweek.org for more information about scholarship eligibility, future events and more.

Les than 24 hours after Walt Disney World revealed date-based variable pricing was coming to the resort for Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane selections, the price has INCREASED above the base rate! Today, Wednesday 12 October, Genie+ was being sold for $20.00 per guest, an increase of five dollars from yesterday's $15.00 per guest rate. With date-based variable pricing, the price of the service can fluctuate from day to day, ranging from $15.00 up to a maximum of $22.00 in October, BUT sadly this probably won’t be the last time that the price of Genie+ increases, as Disney has said that the $15 to $22 price range for the product is only valid for the month of October. When making the announcement yesterday, Disney specified that date-based pricing is currently only locked in for October, and could be “subject to change beyond that.” and that it could continue to rise as early as next month, and yes, we expect it will as we head into the busy holiday period. Today's Individual Lightning Lane prices have increased too! Here's the changes for Individual Lightning Lane prices today. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind increases from $14 to $15 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train increases from $10 to $11 Avatar Flight of Passage pricing increases from $11 to $14 Rise of the Resistance increases from $15 to $20

It's all going to the dogs in Orlando as it's time for the Fun Spot Hallo-Weiner Derby. The Weiner Dog Race is free to attend, and Fun Spot America are inviting families to come watch dogs of numerous breeds and sizes show off their cutest Halloween outfits and race for the honour of Weiner Dogs everywhere! This fun event is taking place on Saturday, October 15th at 11 a.m., and is part of Fun Spot America’s Huge Halloween celebration. Guests of all ages are invited to attend and catch this event for free. This Weiner Dog Derby is part of the official National Dachshund Races, so the competition will be as fierce as it is cute and cuddly. The race will take place at Fun Spot Orlando, located near the Universal Orlando Resort and the Orlando International Premium Outlets. This event will have dachshund and mixed-breed dog races, costume contests, hot dog dunks, toilet paper wraps, and more. Here's all the details on Fun Spot America’s HUGE Halloween 2022! Until Monday, October 31, 2022, Fun Spot is hosting its popular family-friendly Halloween event to both their Orlando and Kissimmee locations The Halloween events at both Fun Spot Orlando and Kissimmee are free of charge to enter, so bring your friends or the whole family and enjoy some wicked decor, ghoulishly-good treats, themed Foto Spots, and more! The park says children ages 12 and under can bring a reusable bag and enjoy free trick-or-treating with park admission every Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., while supplies last. The trick-or-treat stations will be scattered across each of the parks. The kids can dress up, but costume masks are not allowed, although face coverings are permitted, , the park said can dress up and enjoy free trick-or-treating at their Orlando and Kissimmee parks between 4 and 6 p.m. (while supplies last)!

SeaWorld Orlando offer some pretty awesome rewards and exclusive benefits for Annual Pass Members, including special monthly discounts, offers and rewards throughout the year. So let's dive into October's Pass Rewards, exclusively for Pass Members. Perks include a FREE Howl-O-Scream Platinum Pass Member button, discounted Howl-O-Scream tickets, and an exclusive Spooktacular Bag. Plus, each week, enjoy BONUS rewards, including a free free one-time Quick Queue, and a free one-time sea lion feeding tray and many more rewards Here's the perks for October 2022: SeaWorld Bucks Treat yourself to a special snack, souvenir, or park experience with $10 in SeaWorld Bucks! Redeem at a self-service ticket kiosk on park. Discounted Howl-O-Scream Tickets Get tickets to Florida’s Best Theme Park Halloween Event, according to USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards, for as low as $39.99. FREE Howl-O-Scream Platinum Pass Member Button Florida Platinum Pass Members attending Howl-O-Scream can pick-up a FREE Platinum Pass Member exclusive 2-pack Howl-O-Scream button set during the event now until October 31st, at Wild Arctic Gifts during Howl-O-Scream event hours, while supplies last. FREE Pass Member Exclusive Spooktacular Trick-Or-Treat Bag (Sold Out) Discounted Sharks Up-Close Tour Starting Oct. 7 Pass Members can login to their Pass Portal to book a Sharks Up-Close Tour for just $10 for tours Oct. 10 – 14 and $15 for tours Oct. 15 – 16. FREE One-Time Quick Queue Get to the fun faster with a free one-time quick queue to use on the day of your choice Oct. 17-23. Redeem online through the Pass Portal or at a Self-Service Ticket Kiosk starting Oct. 17. FREE Sea Lion Feeding Tray Visit a self-service ticketing kiosk and print your voucher for one free sea lion feeding tray to redeem at Pacific Point Preserve any day Oct. 24 – 31. Check out SeaWorld Orlando's website for details and weekly reward updates. Don't miss out on these amazing rewards, become a Pass Member today!

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders love the Passholder Entrances to the theme parks, and usually they get you through the entrance turnstiles quicker than the regular line, although at EPCOT the Passholder line always seems to be longer when we are in it! The Passholder exclusive turnstiles have been missing from the Magic Kingdom recently, and the great news is that the Annual Passholder perk is back. When you arrive at Magic Kingdom, you can't miss the bright yellow sign inviting passholders to use the reserved turnstiles. Replacing the regular entrance signs at the turnstiles, this bright yellow and black sign is very bold and noticeable. The return of the Annual Passholder entrance to Magic Kingdom is very welcome, just in time for the busy holiday crowds at Walt Disney World.

Walt Disney World's price increases today on a whole host of products and services have now extended to the hotels refillable mugs. Resort refillable mugs are now priced at $21.99 (plus tax) for the length of your stay, which includes refills of fountain drinks, coffee and tea. That's an increase of $2, as mugs were previously priced at $19.99. The refillable mugs are refillable at select locations at Walt Disney World Resort.

Florida's go-to store for comics and collectibles, Coliseum of Comics will be hosting a Roadshow, October 14th through the 16th at Dezerland Park Orlando. Coliseum of Comics geeky garage sale will be stocked to the brim with the nerdiest product around, and you can’t beat these deals. The sale will be jam packed with overstock from Coliseum Of Comics stores, scratch-and-dent items, games, trade paperbacks, statues, one-of-a-kind toys, and so much more. If you don't know about Coliseum Of Comics, they started as a small brick-and-mortar comic shop in Florida that expanded to ten locations throughout the state. Coliseum offers a large variety of new and vintage comic books, trade paperbacks, statues, toys, Funko products, tabletop games, and CCGs. For more details check out their website. The event will be happening at Dezerland Park Orlando, on International Dr. Friday, October 14th: 4 pm - 8 pm Saturday, October 15th: 4pm - 11.30 pm - 6 pm Sunday, October 16th: 11.30 am - 4 pm This event is FREE and has FREE parking!

Genie+ users at Walt Disney World are gonna love the latest Disney PhotoPass Lens which features everybody's favorite Walt Disney World original, Orange Bird! Disney PhotoPass took to social media to announce the sunny new PhotoPass Lens, which is sure to add the sunshine to your vacation pictures. We love the retro vibes, and the vintage Walt Disney World logo! The latest Disney PhotoPass Lens is available with the purchase of the Disney Genie+ service. The Disney PhotoPass Lens can be accessed via the My Disney Experience app when you purchase the Disney’s new Genie+ service which is $15 per person per day. When you next visit Magic Kingdom, and you want to add some sunshine to your life, make sure you download the latest version of the My Disney Experience app to add the Orange Bird themed effects to your photos and videos

Walt Disney World have announced a whole platter of new and wonderfully delicious new menu options across the resort. Walt Disney World is a foodie’s delight with something for everyone, from mouthwatering sweets to can’t miss sips, and everything in between, the culinary teams and mixologists from these resorts have brought their A-game. Let’s kick things off at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, where Enchanted Rose has some new editions. This Beauty and the Beast-inspired lounge is expanding its menu with some elegant yet whimsical offerings, including a charcuterie board, artisanal cheese selection, and hummus with tapenade, smoked paprika, and grilled pita bread. There are some stand-outs among these offerings. The Smoked Trout and Crab Dip features salmon roe, chive oil, and sesame seed lavosh combined into a beautiful and tasty dish. If you like Caviar or have always wanted to try it, this version includes Siberian caviar, an egg yolk spread, crème fraiche, caper berries and brioche. Lastly, the Seasonal Flatbread is deliciously topped with artichoke, fig, ricotta, roasted garlic, and watercress. Just look at how good these dishes look! Take a little trip down south to New Orleans through your taste buds at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. Here you’ll find Boatwright’s Dining Hall and starting today you’ll get a taste of a refreshing expansion that incorporates more authentic Cajun and Southern flavors to the menu. There are plenty of new eats so get ready. For an entrée, the Lowcountry Seafood Boil is a classic filled with shrimp, mussels, and Andouille sausage with corn on the cob and potatoes simmered in a spicy Cajun brother. It’s served with a tasty, toasted baguette to finish it off. The slow-roasted Blackened Prime Rib is perfectly topped with Cajun butter and served with classic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. If all of these flavors have your mouth watering, you will want to be sure to order the Taste of the Bayou, the chef’s all-you-care-to-enjoy platter with hickory-smoked pork ribs, crispy Cajun chicken, smoked sausage, barbecued beef brisket, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, roasted corn with Cajun butter, and seasonal vegetables! For those who want a plant-based offering, try the Harvest Red Beans and Rice. This dish features red beans simmered with plant-based sausage, peppers, onions, and celery served over rice along with cornbread – yum! No meal is complete without dessert and this new menu is not to be missed. You can choose between the Southern Cheesecake, a classic vanilla cheesecake with a bourbon-caramel sauce garnished with pecan-praline brittle, the plant-based Peach-Blackberry Cobbler, a classic peach and blackberry cobbler topped with blackberry sorbet, or the Mississippi Mud Crème Brûlée, a milk chocolate crème brûlée with a sablé breton cookie and fresh fruit. For the little ones, the dessert menu is a boatload of fun with the Row Row Oar Your Boat Sundae and Cookies and Milk featuring two house-made chocolate chip cookies. Rounding out all of these new offerings is a new cocktail – the Big Easy Whisky Sour. This adult beverage combines Maker’s Mark Bourbon, lemon juice, and pure cane sugar with a float of Fess Parker Big Easy Red Blend. This resort is also home to the River Roost Lounge. Beginning today, they will be offering a new plant-based dish and a signature libation. The Spinach and Artichoke Dip will be a new plant-based favorite with a creamy dip served with Cajun-dusted cornbread crostini. The French 75, for those over 21, is a fizzy delight made up of Argyle Sparkling Brut, Hendricks Gin, fresh lemon juice, and pure cane sugar. Just a quick trip over to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, starting today Scat Cat’s Club – Lounge will be introducing a plant-based offering that’s sure to jazz with diners of all diets! The Sassy Sassagoula Sliders don’t just look delicious but taste delicious too. This trio features BBQ jackfruit with slaw and fried pickles, fried green tomatoes with giardiniera and pepper jelly, and lastly a “fish” cake with spicy rémoulade and arugula. Today also has some new and delicious happenings going on at Disney’s Riviera Resort. The menu is expanding with flavors of the Riviera from French and Italian influences at Bar Riva. The new Burrata Salad is perfect for those cheese lovers, with heirloom tomatoes, fresh pesto, and focaccia bread. If you’re feeling a fish dish, the Salmon with Orzo is the one for you. This plate serves up a perfectly seared salmon with Pomodroccio tapenade and lemon orzo. The Mushroom Arancini will leave you wanting more with risotto, mushroom, cheese, and truffle – yes, truffle – served with a house-made marinara! Give your meal the proper finish with a dessert that you won’t be able to get enough of. The Molten Chocolate Cake is a new edition that you’ll be thankful you tried. This warm chocolate cake with a molten center is topped with a raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries – delicious. Lastly, the Riviera also has a new signature sweet the Riviera bakery team has been hard at work developing. The Riviera Signature Cookie masterfully bakes together semi-sweet chocolate chips, ground oats, California walnuts, toasted pistachios, dried cherries, and flake sea salt – yes, yes, and yes! You can pick up this soon-to-be classic from Primo Piatto. At Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, the Belle Vue Lounge is enhancing its offerings with signature cocktails and zero proofs. The Orange Blossom Manhattan makes its debut at the resort. A holiday fan favorite, this beverage fits nicely within the year-round ambiance of Belle Vue Lounge. If light and refreshing is what you need, stop by to enjoy the Sparkling Hibiscus featuring Sorel Hibiscus Liqueur and sparkling grapefruit. Guests of all ages will be able to enjoy the Agave Garden, a zero-proof offering which features Lyre’s Agave Reserve and passionfruit green tea. There you have it – all the new mouthwatering treats and eats to enjoy at the resorts of Walt Disney World.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have today, October 11th, officially announced Serengeti Flyer as the theme park’s all-new 2023 attraction. When the new ride swings into action in Spring 2023, the currently under construction, Serengeti Flyer will be the world’s tallest and fastest ride of its kind, a screamin’ swing. Think back to those afternoons on the playground trying to perform an entire revolution on the swingset and multiply that about 100, this ride is our childhood dreams come true. With each swing, riders will soar higher and higher above Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s expansive 65-acre Serengeti Plain while experiencing multiple negative-G moments before plunging back toward the Earth. Serengeti Flyer will feature twin dueling arms that soar progressively higher reaching speeds of 68 mph and a maximum height of 135 feet at the ride’s peak. Guests will be seated back-to-back in rows of 10 across two gondolas, allowing for 40 guests to experience the ride at once. “Serengeti Flyer’s thrilling ride experience is bound to provide riders with a pulse-pounding encounter that can only be found at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay,” said Neal Thurman, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. “We believe that Serengeti Flyer will be the perfect high-thrill addition to our world-class portfolio of attractions including Iron Gwazi, the Golden Ticket Award Winner for the Best New Roller Coaster in 2022.” Check out the announcement on Busch Gardens Instagram account: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have also announced that annual pass members will be among the first to experience the new attraction upon opening in spring 2023.

Even more price increases have been announced at Walt Disney World Resort today, Tuesday October 11th, 2022. Already today, Walt Disney World has increasing prices with Genie+, Lightning Lane, PhotoPass Capture Your Moment, and Lighsabers and Droids Experiences at Hollywood Studios. Now prices on food and beverage across Walt Disney World Resort have been raised today, with praise increases already in place at nearly every restaurant on property, as well as quick serve locations, and vending carts. Beverages Alcoholic beverages have increased by approximately $0.30-$2.50 each. For example, the Hang Ten Mojito at Typhoon Lagoon increased from $14 to $14.50, but the Black Cherry Lemonade increased from $13 to $15.50. DASANI Bottled Water has increased from $3.50 to $3.75, while smartwater has increased from $5.50 to $5.75. Fountain beverages have increased from $3.99 to $4.29 at most venues, but $4.50 at outdoor vending carts. Snacks Cotton candy has increased from $5.25 to $5.50. Quick Service Quick-service food has increased by approximately $0.30-$1. Examples include: Kids’ Power Pack meals have increased from $6.19 to $6.79. Entrées at Sunshine Seasons in EPCOT saw an average increase of $0.30. Casey’s Corner Walt’s Chili All-Beef Foot-Long Hot Dog: has incresed from $13.99 to $14.29. Connections Eatery French Bistro Burger has seen an increase from $12.99 to $13.79. Table Service Wine has increased by an average of $1 per glass and $6 per bottle. Lunch at Be Our Guest Restaurant has increased from $62 to $67 for ages 10+. For ages 3-9, prices increased from $37 to $39. Entrées at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop saw an average increase of $1.00, The Kitchen Sink has increased by $1 to $36. Sundaes increased by approximately $0.25 per scoop. Columbia Harbor House Chicken Strips: the price has changed from $10.29 to $10.49 Pecos Bill cheeseburger has increased from $7.99 to $8.49 Several items have not increased, including Mickey Pretzels, that saw a large price increase earlier this year.

Walt Disney World has announced that Kona Cafe will reopen on November 1, 2022 following a major refurbishment that began on August 15, 2022. We're looking forward to seeing the remodelled restaurant at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. Here’s the announcement Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is currently unavailable due to refurbishment. We will reopen on November 1, 2022 with an enhanced table-service experience.