Top 5 News Stories of the Week…. Shrek 4D closing
1. Shrek 4D closing
Shrek 4D closing for good has seemed inevitable for a few years now and this week we have discovered that the attraction will close permanently in January 2022. This news was confirmed by a popular Twitter account, Universally Driven, posting a copy of a staff memo sent to team members in Orlando which confirmed that Shrek 4D is closing in January 2022. Currently, we don’t know what will replace Shrek 4D.
Also worth mentioning is that the memo also confirmed that Revenge of the Mummy will be closed for maintenance from January 2022 through to late summer.
2. New Disney Genie Details
Disney Genie is set to debut on the My Disney Experience app on October 19, 2021 at Walt Disney World. This free digital service will be able to give you a personalised itinerary, park updates, entertainment suggestions and much more. Alongside this, the Genie+ service will also be launched. This plus option costs $15 per person per day and gives you the opportunity to have Lightning Lane access ( formerly known as FastPass queues) to certain attractions. You will be able to book lighting lane access to one attraction at a time. Each park also has two attractions. To access Lightning Lane for each parks two most popular attractions you will have to pay an additional charge. You will only be able to pay for two additional charge attractions per day. The two attractions chosen for the additional charge to access Lightning Lane are as follows;
Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & Space Mountain
Epcot: Frozen Ever After & Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage & Expedition Everest
Hollywood Studios: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance & Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
3. Pokémon coming to Universal Studios Japan
The Pokémon Company confirmed this week that Pokémon attractions are set to be built at Universal Studios Japan. Pokémon will arrive in some form at Universal Studios Japan next year but exact details on attractions are still unknown as of now.
4. London Resort construction to start next year
The London Resort, dubbed by many as the Disneyland of the U.K., is set to start being built next year according to local reports. The Sun newspaper in the U.K. was the first to report the news this week. In the article, it claimed that construction would go ahead next year if the project receives planning permission and that this would keep the project on track to open in 2024. Personally, I’m still sceptical as to whether we will really ever see this park be built but ,slowly, I am starting to become a little more optimistic. Furthermore, I do believe that a large theme park and resort like the one proposed would be a huge success in the U.K.
5. Fright Nights and Scarefest started this week
Fright Nights at Thorpe Park and Scarefest at Alton Towers both kicked off their 2021 haunt season this week. These are the U.K.’s two most popular Halloween events. It is a particularly special year for Fright Nights as it is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Here at JustThemeParks we are huge fans of both events and love getting our fill of scares during the Halloween season at both events each year.
Shrek 4D closing seems, in our opinion, long overdue but how do you feel about this attraction closing for good?