BB1's 2025 Trip Reports

[BB1]

To think we're two months into the year and I've already had two weekend trips to Orlando, I think it's the perfect time to start my 2025 Trip Report thread!

For context, YTD I've done the following parks:

Universal Studios Orlando: 4 visits (2 per weekend)

Islands of Adventure: 4 Visits (2 per weekend)

Disney's Animal Kingdom: 2 visits (1 per weekend)

EPCOT: 2 visits (1 per weekend) 

Hollywood Studios: 2 visits (1 per weekend)

Magic Kingdom: 1 visit (1 weekend)

I'll take the first post to look at Universal's offerings for Mardi Gras as it's honestly something I look forward to every year. 

Mardi Gras, arguably one of the shorter events in the park, it still has a lot of opportunities to bring new food and guest experiences to the park. The Cursed Coconut Club was excellent this year, I loved the theming and decor, but the drink selection was actually not terrible. For those who know the Universal saga on bitters, that's no longer an issue at least with the Aura Glow. Albeit expensive, it was a nice sipper for what it's worth. The theme this year played into the idea you were in the midsts of floats and a Mardi Gras carnival so to speak. With great music to the fortune teller, it is an experience you definitely don't want to miss out on. 

For the food selection I would definitely implore you to try the Pinchos De Lechon, effectively pork skewers with a piece of bread to top it off.  It is honestly my favorite food from the event, the apple strudel was great, the beignets were wonderful. The Category 5 Punch honestly packed a punch, fruity and actually enjoyable, very reminiscent of the goblin juice for HHN. 

The tribute store is arguably one of my favorite ones to date for Mardi Gras. Effectively you are walking through a cryptid museum talking about the lore of the bayou and the cryptids therein. There were plenty of nods to the failures of Animal Kingdom, from a section with colorful dinosaur toys like Dinoland, to the dinosaur relics in the display case, to the coup de gras: Disco Yeti. Yes, you heard me right, disco yeti is in the tribute store. My main gripe is that there wasn't the chance to be in the Tribute Store as like years past, as I would have definitely jumped in on this one after the success of the summer Tribute Store. Another issue is that the merch collection is fairly limited, there were alot of repeats and I feel as if, if they did merchandise in light of the tribute store theme it would go over well with the passholders. Speaking of the passholder offerings, I didn't get a UOAP magnet as I have in years past as the new magnet is one you have to pay for and the design didn't really speak to me. Which was honestly somewhat upsetting as I was looking forward to getting some new bumper magnets for March. 

I think my main take away for 2025 is that even though I have been to the park plenty of times, there is still more to see and do.  Outside of the festivities the park operations are still spectacular, even with the major school groups coming in there is plenty to do around the parks that don't involve waiting in lines. I will say the renovations on the MIB attraction are definitely noticeable, I feel like we got some updated blaster recognition and is arguably my favorite shooting dark ride I've ridden to date.

Tomorrow I'll drop some thoughts on Disney's removal of Dinoland, a review on the EPCOT Festival of the Arts and more!

[BB1]

Walt Disney World:

I've been going to WDW with my pass every other month on average bar some changes since May of last year, primarily as Dinoland has been in transition to removal. That being said I came back down after Dinoland has been removed, being there on it's final few days of operations. Suffice to say it's a shame that WDW couldn't revitalize the unique theme and expand upon it as the removal just looks sad. No matter which quote about progress you put up, it's not the same. I will say for those who saw that the Alioramus is back fully functioning, and the effects are still in gear. In regard to the rest of the park we checked out Expedition Everest, quoted at 25 min, actually waited more like 10. We took one lap around DAK before taking the bus over to Yacht Club to walk over to EPCOT.

Being it was Valentine's Day weekend, I was anticipating a decently sized crowd. That being said, Living with The Land was quoted at 45 and we waited just about 30 min. This will become a reoccurring theme as it feels as if the park purposefully hyper-inflates wait times around the parks. The Festival of the Arts was my main draw, we went over to the Japan pavilion to start out with a sake shot that came in a wooden decorated box with your name in Kanji, the wagyu bao bun and the sushi donut. Overall, I had no problems with any dishes, they were all full of flavor and felt like the quality you would want out of a food event like this.  We also got the beef wellington and the fried mozzarella, all were excellent dishes with no lapses in quality. We topped off our visit with Journey W/ Figment and hopped over to Disney Springs for lunch proper at the Boathouse. 

If you're looking for the classic 90's-00's red, black and white mickey merch, it's finally back at Disney Springs. They also have a new sorcerer mickey line which the hat is reminiscent of what MGM used to have years ago.

We decided after that to head back to USO as crowds were building at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. I will say however WDW/Orlando in general no longer has a down season. As a child I would be in Orlando in February and have minimal lines, those days are definitely gone with the sports and cheerleading events happening. I would implore you if you're planning on a weekend getaway, be prepared for the crowds, they are still there they're not going anywhere. 

I'll be back in a few weeks with another Orlando update, pendant on whether or not I decide to come down in March or just wait for April to do passholder previews for Epic! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

[Diamondback_Is_King]

@BB1 I'm so excited to hear what you think of Epic! I still don't know how the Metro Floo is going to work, but I'm so hyped!

[jzarley]

On 3/2/2025 at 9:48 AM, BB1 said:

 

I'll be back in a few weeks with another Orlando update, pendant on whether or not I decide to come down in March or just wait for April to do passholder previews for Epic! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Have you heard anything about AP previews for pass holders? I bought a single day AP ticket (for 6/20) back when they went on sale but hadn’t heard anything else about AP previews. A friend of mine is in management for Universal Resorts (aka Loews) and have heard they’ve started some Team Member previews, but I’m not sure what that all entails.

Personally, I’ll just be happy when the construction on Sandlake is finished and the intersection of Universal & Destination Blvd reopens again! 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

1 hour ago, jzarley said:

Have you heard anything about AP previews for pass holders? I bought a single day AP ticket (for 6/20) back when they went on sale but hadn’t heard anything else about AP previews. A friend of mine is in management for Universal Resorts (aka Loews) and have heard they’ve started some Team Member previews, but I’m not sure what that all entails.

Personally, I’ll just be happy when the construction on Sandlake is finished and the intersection of Universal & Destination Blvd reopens again! 

From what I've seen (from Bioreconstruct and Theme Park Stop) the Team Member previews include the whole of Super Nintendo World and some rides on Stardust Racers. Some people are in Darkmoor, but not many. Mainly just Nintendo and Celestial Park.

[BB1]

On 3/3/2025 at 12:28 PM, jzarley said:

Have you heard anything about AP previews for pass holders? I bought a single day AP ticket (for 6/20) back when they went on sale but hadn’t heard anything else about AP previews. A friend of mine is in management for Universal Resorts (aka Loews) and have heard they’ve started some Team Member previews, but I’m not sure what that all entails.

Personally, I’ll just be happy when the construction on Sandlake is finished and the intersection of Universal & Destination Blvd reopens again! 

My current thesis is April as team member previews are happening now. I’m tentatively scheduled to be back in Orlando at least one of the first few weeks in April at this point so I’m hopeful we get previews then!

[BB1]

I totally didn't just forget that this topic existed and didn't think to post in here about my Hijinx in 2025. 

2025 was arguably one of the most interesting years in terms of my usual trips.

Epic Universe, hands down was the most exciting adventure I have ever had in my life. Opening day, through opening week was blessed with low to no waits, the ability to go virtually anywhere in the park and feel like it's yours for the day and be able to experience every ride and some. Having the ability to ride in every seat on both sides of Stardust Racers, having the opportunity to really take my time at Epic and look around has been arguably the reason why it grew so much on me. Which now, I'm thrilled to say I've been to epic 12 times this year, having been able to experience virtually every season at the park; Spring and Christmas are arguably my favorite seasons. The Christmas overlay of Celestial Park's already wonderfully scored orchestral serenades just hit a nerve that I feel like it went above and beyond in certain parts of the park. Which Universal in the past has been pretty light in terms of how they decorate, it's mainly wreaths and lights; HOWEVER the package Epic got was amazing. Sure, we missed Nintendo and Darkmoor's Christmas season but we still got 3 of the lands themed for 2025. That being said, my favorite area of the park is Darkmoor, which is so wonderfully done besides the glaring issue of Werewolf but we won't talk about that as they made it work. Speaking of Darkmoor, Monsters Unchained is arguably my favorite darkride period. I easily have 50+ cycles on that ride alone, probably closer to 100 at time of writing. I have had at least a few dozen cycles where everything was running correctly and Dracula was not in B mode. The story, the theming was absolutely brilliant. Sure there were a few spots that needed work but overall it is a ride that still needs to work out the technical issues as it does have a sporadic one or so animatronics down on a good chunk of my cycles. Celestial Park is hands down my favorite "anchor" of any park period. Every park has an entry, but Epic takes it to a whole other level with what they did with that park. Every corner, every nook has some element that helps tell the story of the park and how it came to be. Don't get me started on how even the bathrooms are well themed. (Darkmoor hands down has my favorite bathrooms in a theme park, period) Not getting the pass addon for 2026 is a bummer, but the prices per day isn't too terribly bad in my opinion with the pass discount. Something I'd like to callout is the amazing actors who are the streetmosphere characters in virtually every land. They all do alot of work and honestly immerse you deeper into the land's lore and stories. Which yes, they have stories they tell you and give you more into what's going on in the land. My favorite part is that they are out as you get closer to park close in certain sections, so if you don't catch them earlier in the day you can catch them later when the crowds, on average, die down.

I did stay at Helios for my week long stint at Epic which was at a considerable discount in comparison to current prices. The view was amazing, the access to the park was phenomenal. The pool was great, especially with view of darkmoor behind it. They even brought around complimentary frozen grapes for you just sitting on the pool deck. Flora Taverna is my favorite resort restaurant just ahead of the rooftop bar which had the BEST wings I have ever had period. (pomegranate and greek yogurt ontop of sauced wings) If you have the chance to go to the rooftop bar, do it, if you are legal, my favorite drink there is the Athenian Nectar (It's a greek yogurt based drink, believe me you HAVE to try it) My most recent trip I was able to experience Stella Nova, their new hotel that is literally a direct line for the bus to go from the hotel to Epic. Amazing room design, the cafe breakfast was phenomenal, the whole atmosphere of that resort is fresh and optimistic. 

Disney however, still keeps making me depressed that my childhood is being ripped away from me. We lost Muppets, the Muppet Courtyard, for what, Monsters? A property that released originally how many years ago?? We lost Dinoland, we are officially losing Dinosaur in Feb. I have made it an objective every time I'm in Orlando to cycle Dinosaur at least 2-5 times before heading out. We lost the Rivers of America, the steamship attraction which was the last themepark ride I rode with my grandfather before he passed. I can say, without a doubt, it's seriously in the air whether or not if I keep my Disney AP. With all of the removals and a critical lack of new additions, it's almost elementary to continue to spend thirteen hundred a year when I could chuck that to Epic and call it a day. Yes, you read that right, I, a self proclaimed third generation Disney adult, am considering not renewing for 2026 for Disney. There's just nothing of value that draws me over rather than doing Epic that day. My last trip in December was quite literally two days, fly down one fly back the next, I spent one full day at Epic, then did every park at WDW, every park at USO besides epic on the following day before flying home.  I'm glad I was able to experience the attractions we lost before they went, as from recent experiences the replacements are not up to the pars that Disney has set itself up to in the past.

I can say however, my sleeper hit for new attractions in 2025 was Siren's Curse. Cedar Point got "two new additions" for 2026, TT2 and Siren's Curse. Both I rode, but I was far more impressed with Siren's Curse than TT2. The theming, the experience, the purple Kool Aid water it just adds a layer that the park needs for their coasters. The layout itself was a major sleeper hit. I LOVED that first drop, which mind you my first ride on it was the back seat which was out of this world. The layout, the experience was absolutely brilliant and has really made me reconsider if it was the biggest blunder, it wasn't. 

Lastly, I'd be remised if I didn't call out my home waterpark and theme park: Kings Island and Soak City. Kings Island, 2025 was interesting. The Haunt upcharge was a bitter sweet experience. I feel like this was corporate saying we need cash and they will pay.....they didn't. In fact, I would say opening night and the first few weeks were duds in terms of lines. I got the all season with express upcharge, which was 90 some odd dollars I believe. Did I get my money's worth? Yeah, I'd say so. I went enough to at least pay for the express. The new policy however I feel like it was a money grab, because it absolutely was. The quality of virtually every house went down in terms of scares besides Slaughter House unfortunately. The "new animatronics" to help scare people and was publicized as this big investment into the guest experience did absolutely nothing for me in Hotel St Michelle. In fact, they removed two of my favorite scare spots in that house for those props, which I felt like was a major loss for the overall cohesion. Order of the Dragon hands down was my favorite house. Besides the fact that I cut myself opening night on a sharp edge of plywood, it was a house that had a solid story, amazing theming and great set pieces. The Conjuring, I guess it was an experience? Not entirely sure it was worth draining other haunts but it was there. The River Racers addition was much needed, very short in terms of what a watercoaster could be but it was a welcomed addition nevetheless. I think it filled a major gap in our waterpark, now do I agree with a portion of our waterpark being river themed and the rest being tropical? Not so much, but at least we got something that expanded our slide count, and the new childrens area has a lot more for little guests to experience. I have said it once, and I will say it again, I wish we had more merch for the waterpark. Give me something that at least has slides on it and is made for our waterpark, please! I feel like we have a lot of work to do in terms of the dining menu options. After Epic literally having everything on my usual diet plan and more, I looked back at KI and really thought about the fact that we don't have a truly "healthy" option at the park. Think grilled food, salads, fruits, veg, Grain and Grill was designed to do that sure but we don't really have any low fat low carb offerings besides the shrimp with a sauce on it. Would love to see if the culinary team can step it up this year with something new and different that isn't just slapping tenders at every meal stand as I genuinely want to experience new flavors/tastes at the park that fit a more broad health focus. 

2025 arguably was the year of Epic. My merchandise purchases were 85% from Epic Universe (I am the one who wears the epic merch line including ID holder to the office all the time and people love it, that with the car magnets), arguably my favorite merch line of any park period is from Epic Universe. I wish we had more Stardust Racers merch but I'm sure that's coming. Food experiences were foundationally renovated from what I got at Epic. Mead Hall, The Atlantic, Das Stakehaus, Toadstool Cafe, Pizza Moon and Oak & Star Tavern all have reshaped my wants and needs for culinary experiences. The Pizza Moon's The Nanarossa is now why I have to go to Coporosso every few weeks for their Margaretta pizza. It's all seriously that good. I've been to every restaurant and bar at Epic, it's all wonderful and I have yet to have a poor experience besides the Crepes at the L'air de Siren which was primarily because they were too sweet for my tastes but was still a pretty good product. 

I think my last key point here is that I am so blessed to say I went to Opening Day for Epic, I have my medallion and opening day ticket sitting on my desk as I type this and I can say I was in the documentary about Epic in the crowds for opening day. The fact that I can sit here today and say I'm already planning my next visit in a few short weeks. I'm hoping to be back down for the one year anniversary in May and I'm thrilled to say 2025 was an amazing year with some amazing experiences I'm looking forward to revisiting in 2026!