Vacationeers Theme Parks & More

🎃 VacationScares continues with a full Halloween Horror Nights 2026 roundtable! Tom welcomes Jon Self, along with Kris and Dave from the Adventures by D YouTube channel, to talk all things Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights. We break down our experiences at this year’s event, including what worked, what didn’t, the overall atmosphere, scares, sets, and some of the moments that stood out du...

This week on Vacationeers Theme Parks & More , Tom and Jon have a packed episode with major coaster news, another possible leadership shakeup at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and the results of the 2026 Golden Ticket Awards . We start with breaking news from Six Flags Magic Mountain , where X2 has been permanently retired . The one-of-a-kind 4D coaster had already been closed for months, but Six Fl...

Six Flags bought ArieForce One , Universal is offering Florida residents a cheaper way into Epic Universe , Disney has opened The Magic of Disney Animation , and that's only the beginning of a packed theme park news episode! On Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast Episode 279 , Tom and Jon catch up on the biggest theme park stories from the first half of September. 🎢 Regional Park News...

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is back for 2026 — and Jon was there on opening day to eat his way around the festival! On Episode 278 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon break down Jon’s picks for the best, worst, biggest surprises and best values from this year’s festival, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Which new foods are actually worth y...

🎃 VacationScares is back! Halloween season has officially arrived in Orlando, which means it's time to close the coffin on the regular Vacationeers Podcast and resurrect VacationScares for another season! On Episode 277 , Tom welcomes Joyless Jon Self back from the second Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party of 2026 at Magic Kingdom. Jon shares his experience from the party, including th...

Disney dropped a mountain of theme park news at D23 2026, and we're digging through the biggest announcements, surprises, and updates from around the world. At Walt Disney World, we finally learned what the two attractions inside Villains Land will be, got new details and names for the Cars attractions coming to Magic Kingdom , and learned that Spaceship Earth is getting a major update . But p...

Halloween season is taking over the theme park industry — and apparently everybody wants some of Universal's IP money. On Episode 275 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast , Tom and Jon look at the growing battle over licensed Halloween properties as Six Flags, United Parks and Universal roll out some big-name horror franchises. Six Flags is bringing Jason Voorhees to select parks...

Tom and Jon finally get around to The Queue segment that didn’t fit into Episode 273 and apparently theme park leftovers can still make a full meal. We begin at SeaWorld Orlando, where Tom discusses visiting on the final day of the park’s free-beer promotion and his experience with the locker system near Mako. Next, we head to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Tom talks about unusually long security lines...

In Episode 273 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon break down the newly released HHN 35 multi-night passes, the elimination of multi-night Express products, and Universal Orlando’s dramatically revamped Stay & Scream process plus much more. No rumor report this week—only confirmed news from official announcements, financial filings and dependable reporting. Topics D...

Kumba's days are officially numbered. In Episode 272 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon discuss the latest theme park news and announcements from the first half of July 2026. Busch Gardens Tampa has confirmed that Kumba will permanently close following its final day of operation on August 2. We look back at the legendary B&M coaster, discuss its impact on Busch...

In this episode of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon are talking all about water park All-Day Dining at Aquatica Orlando and Adventure Island. At Aquatica Orlando, Tom and Jon both used the All-Day Dining plan on the same day. The plan cost $44.99 per person and allowed them to get an entrée, side or dessert, and fountain drink every 90 minutes during park hours. They co...

In Episode 270 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom is joined by Jon for a packed theme park news episode covering major stories from Disney, Universal, United Parks, Six Flags, and more. The big breaking story this week is Fun Spot America Atlanta announcing it will permanently close after its final operating day on August 2, 2026. Tom and Jon discuss what that could mean for A...

In this episode of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast , Tom welcomes back Dave from the Adventures by D and Dave’s Dugout Grill YouTube channels. Dave discusses his first-ever visit to Six Flags Over Texas , sharing his initial thoughts on the park, what the overall day was like, and the rides he was able and not able to experience during his visit. From first impressions to ride reac...

This week, we break away from our normal format because Tom was not prepared — but it’s his birthday month, so cut him some slack. Tom and Jon “kick” things off with a look at the FIFA® World Cup 2026 Experience at LEGOLAND Florida, then head over to Universal Orlando Resort where FIFA has taken over CityWalk and the Universal Mega Movie Parade has returned for the summer. Tom also shares details...

In Episode 267 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom is joined by Jon to talk through a busy week of theme park updates, food reviews, and in-park testing. We start with some “old breaking news,” including Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure no longer being included with Universal Express beginning July 1, plus the news that Bad Bunny will voice a pizza character named...

In Episode 266 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon recap a packed week of theme park visits, including AquaGlow at Aquatica, Pass Member perks gone wrong, Soarin’ Across America, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, Expedition Odyssey Fire & Ice, and Peppa Pig Theme Park.  They also discuss HHN’s newly announced Sinners house, the Mandalorian and Grogu upda...

In Episode 265 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom is joined by Jon to break down their full Busch Gardens Tampa All-Day Dining 2026 experience from Saturday, May 9. The park was open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, giving us a full 12-hour window to put the dining plan to the test. We ate at multiple locations across the park, including Zagora Café, Zambia Smokehouse, BG Cuban Café...

In this episode of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom is joined by Jon to catch up on recent theme park visits, livestreams, food reviews, and a packed round of theme park news. We start in The Queue with updates from SeaWorld Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival, Universal Orlando’s UOAP Bonus Benefits, EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival livestreams, House of Blues, Gideon’s Bakeh...

Tom is joined once again by Kris and Dave from Adventures by D and Dave’s Dugout Grill for a coaster-filled theme park road trip episode! In Episode 263 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast , the group talks about Kris and Dave’s recent visit to Six Flags Over Georgia during opening weekend, including their thoughts on the park, operations, rides, food, and overall experience. They a...

In Episode 262 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast , Tom is joined by Jon for a packed episode covering Orlando theme park news, recent park visits, coaster rankings, and the final rotation of SeaWorld Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival menus. We kick things off in The Queue with Jon’s Top 10 Coasters, Tom’s trip to see Collective Soul at Hard Rock Live at Universal Orlando, Sofia’s...

On this episode of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast , Tom welcomes back Ian for a coaster-packed conversation as they each rank their top 10 roller coasters they’ve ridden. With Tom’s coaster count at 229 and Ian’s at 206 , there is plenty of track record behind these rankings. Along the way, they also give some love to their honorable mentions and call out a few rides that landed o...

Welcome to Episode 260 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast! This week, Tom and Jon cover personal updates, theme park news, the latest Halloween Horror Nights speculation map, and a listener-driven main topic built around Chris’s Orlando vacation planning questions. In The Queue, Jon talks about breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace, Tom talks about Easter weekend at the Pier 60 Sugar San...

On this episode of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon are back to break down the latest theme park news and talk about food, coasters, and a whole lot more. Jon shares his experience visiting SeaWorld San Antonio and trying the All-Day Dining , including what he ate, how the value compared, and whether it is worth it. We also cover: United Parks’ two current lawsuits Hall...

On Episode 258 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom and Jon are back to talk theme park news, Orlando happenings, and what they’ve been up to lately. In the news, Butterbeer Season has officially arrived at Universal Orlando with new treats across the Wizarding World, Waymo self-driving robotaxis are now operating in Orlando, and Six Flags has confirmed the sale of seven parks t...

In Episode 257 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast, Tom is flying solo after a technical glitch forced a full re-record — because sometimes the show must go on. This week we dive into major theme park industry updates and some real-world experiences: 🦈 Barracuda Strike gets its official opening date at SeaWorld San Antonio 🎸 A Luke Combs “Category 10” country bar is coming to Univ...