Park Rush

Adrian Vasquez from Theme Park Express has been back to Universal Studios, Islands Of Adventure, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld since they reopened after the coronavirus outbreak and joins Tom to discuss how the parks are operating. We cover everything from safety measures, staff protocols and guest behaviour, to queuing for rides, wearing masks and what Disney can learn from what their rivals have do...

Technical difficulties mean we've had to dig into the archive this week and revive our theme park video game retrospective. This time out we jump into Thrillville: Off The Rails - one of the final games to be published by Lucasarts - for the PC, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 and PSP.

It's a bumper week of Florida theme park news as Universal Orlando reopens for the first time since closing due to coronavirus. We've also got more word on Disney's plans, including hosting the NBA, and some good old fashioned construction updates on Islands Of Adventure's unannounced Jurassic coaster and CityWalk at Universal Studios Beijing.

Walt Disney World's unprecedented closure due to coronavirus will finally come to and end in July! We have all the details on which parks are coming back and when, the safety measures to protect guests, exactly how compromised your next trip to the resort could be, and how Disney's plans compare to Universal Orlando's.

Universal Orlando is to open all three of its parks at the start of June, making it the first major US theme park resort to resume business during the coronavirus pandemic. We talk through those plans, plus the return of Disney Springs and a major reshuffle at the top of the Disney theme park food chain. Plenty of the usual random wittering, too.

Shanghai Disneyland is back and paving the way for how major theme parks around the world could return from coronavirus lockdown. We take a look at how the park's been operating since reopening this week and how Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World are already seeking to follow suit.

Shanghai Disneyland is set to become the first major theme park to return from its coronavirus layoff, and plans are also afoot to reopen some attractions in the US including Disney Springs. Germany's popular Europa Park and LEGOLAND Deutschland also have return dates, and away from coronavirus there's talk of a reboot for the Pirates Of The Caribbean series - possibly starring Karen Gillan.

New permits have this week revealed plenty of exciting details about Universal's plans for Epic Universe, although its opening seems set to be delayed due to the coronavirus. Speaking of which, more suggestions have emerged about how Florida's theme parks could reopen. All that plus the reopening of some Rise Of Skywalker wounds coming up.

After a few weeks of keeping coronavirus off the table, we focus conversation this week on how the world's theme parks could emerge from the crisis. Can the likes of Disney World and Universal possible reopen before 2021? What sort of measures could they put in place to keep guests safe? Will people even want to visit for the foreseeable future? All that plus a good 20 minutes of random wittering...

Just before most of the world went into coronavirus lockdown, a bunch of new info dropped on the upcoming Avengers Campus, which was due to open this summer at Disney's California Adventure. Among the journalists who went behind the scenes was Carlye Wisel, and she joins us this week to tell us everything about what she saw - including the Spider-Man ride - and how Disney's first major Marvel land...

We reach a very special point in the history of theme park video games with the excellent RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, which was the seminal entry in the series for the both of us growing up. We look back on our memories of the game and what made it so special, and go through our brand new park created for the show.

We keep on trucking through the history of theme park video games with what many consider the quintessential entry in the genre: RollerCoaster Tycoon 2!

We try to banish the coronavirus from our thoughts for the vast majority of this week's show to discuss a huge info dump on Disneyland's upcoming Avengers Campus, which dropped just a few days before the parks all went into lockdown. We've got details on all the heroes you'll be able to meet, the supersized food you might eat, and most importantly the marquee Spider-Man ride!

Social distancing means we will be recording via Skype for the foreseeable future, and there are a few audio quirks this week that we hope to get ironed out for next time! But in the meantime, here are some ideas for how to bring some of the theme park magic home while the likes of Disney World and Universal are shut due to the coronavirus; from video games and books to playlists on Spotify.

As Walt Disney World and theme parks across the US and the world prepare to shut due to the coronavirus, friend of the show Mr Ben reports from the frontline at Hollywood Studios on what it's like to be visiting the happiest place on Earth days before it closes its doors for what could be the foreseeable future. But while COVID-19 certainly dominates discussions this week, homemade cookies and a t...

ParkStop's Alicia Stella joins us to spill the beans on what's to come at Jurassic Park at Islands Of Adventure, as extensive construction work continues across the land. What can we expect from its new rollercoaster due to open next year? Will the whole place be rebranded to Jurassic World? All that and more on this week's show!

The Disney news kept on coming and coming this week. The global coronavirus crisis forced both Tokyo parks to close, Bob Iger stepped down as Disney CEO and was replaced by Disney Parks' Bob Chapek, Jungle Cruise shut down after a boat sank, and we got new details on EPCOT's Spaceship Earth renovation. Strap yourselves in!

According to a new report, Warner Bros are preparing to flex their theme park muscle in France and Japan - putting them in direct competition with Disney! From DC superheroes to Lord Of The Rings, classic movies like Wizard Of Oz and Willy Wonka, and plenty more in their portfolio, what could feature at a big budget Warner Bros park?

The Theme Park trilogy concludes with Theme Park Inc! We spend some time with Bullfrog's final game and how it differs to previous entries in the series, plus how it compares to theme park games that would follow in the years to come.

Lots of news to get through this week as Disney unveils an opening date for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, provides us with more details on its Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel, and we get a glimpse of Universal's plans for its classic monsters at its next Florida theme park.

We aspire to build the LEGOLAND of our dreams in the latest instalment of our journey back through the history of theme park video games, although the constant narration does its best to deter us.

We have discussions of the speculative and official variety this week, however both are about animated movies making their presence felt at Universal parks! What can we expect from How To Train Your Dragon at Epic Universe in Florida in 2023? And how is The Secret Life Of Pets shaping up in Hollywood ahead of its spring opening?

Universal Studios Japan has dropped a bunch of new details about Super Nintendo World, which is just a few months away from opening! Join us for everything you need to know about how you'll interact with the land with the nifty Power Up Bands and a mobile app, plus plenty more fun details to get us excited to make the trip.

It's been a slow news week, but Sam Eagle rescued the situation by announcing a new restaurant at Epcot - and the fabled Tayto Park over in Ireland has run into some worrying problems. Plus feedback from last week's Lord Of The Rings discussion.

Happy New Year! We welcome 2020 by delving into an exciting new report on what Universal could be cooking up for Lord Of The Rings at Islands Of Adventure. Is this theme park dream finally going to become true this decade?