UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Universal Orlando’s annual “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” event is returning on Sept. 16. It will run through Oct. 31 in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade in Florida.

Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Orlando’s premier fall event, is set to return this year for a record-breaking 43 nights.

Walt Disney World and Disneyland do not require proof of vaccination to enter but Disney says guests who aren't fully vaccinated must continue to wear face coverings in all indoor locations.

Universal Orlando is reinstating its mask requirements beginning Christmas Eve as COVID-19 cases are surging as a result of the omicron variant

Halloween Horror Nights opened for its 30th year to some terrifying screams Friday night at Universal Orlando Resort.

Research and development of the coaster has also been years in the making, but overall construction took a little more than two years.

Universal Orlando and Disney World said Friday that guests will no longer be required to wear masks while outdoors starting Saturday at the parks.

Universal Orlando announced Friday that guests will no longer be required to wear masks while outdoors at the theme park starting Saturday.

While you may no longer have to submit to having your temperature taken at Universal Orlando and parts of Disney World, you still have to wear a mask.

ORLANDO, Fla – Universal Orlando has “hatched” a new “Jurassic Park”-themed roller coaster after fans have speculated several months of construction, WKMG reported. The high-speed roller coaster, called the VelociCoaster, was first hinted back in June when the "Jurassic Park’s Islands of Adventure” reopened to the public as part of a renovation project. Hints at a possible “Jurassic Park”-themed roller coaster popped on the theme park’s social media account sending fans into speculation. WKMG reported those who ride the “VelociCoaster" will experience “a rush of the hunt as they race alongside raptors through jungle-like terrain,” citing Universal Orlando’s website. According to WKMG, the VelociCoaster is the first rollercoaster added to the resort since “Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure” last year.

ORLANDO, Fla. Almost two months after reopening, Universal Orlando is laying off an undisclosed number of workers. Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said in an email Monday that the Florida theme park resort was reducing its workforce to reflect current priorities and needs." Universal has put the construction of a new theme park, Epic Universe, on pause because of the pandemic. Like theme park operators around the U.S., Universal Orlando closed its doors in mid-March as the novel coronavirus started spreading in the U.S. It was the first of Orlando's major theme park operators to reopen when it welcomed back visitors in early June.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Days after reopening two theme parks amid a spike in coronavirus cases in Florida, Walt Disney World on Wednesday welcomed back visitors to two more theme parks that had been shuttered since March because of the new coronavirus. The Florida theme park resort reopened Epcot and Disneys Hollywood Studios, completing a rolling opening of Disney Worlds theme parks that started last weekend with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom welcoming back visitors. The parks were the last of Orlandos major theme parks to reopen after being shuttered since March. The union that represents Disney World actors and singers has filed a grievance against Disney, saying their members faced retaliation for demanding coronavirus tests. Despite the parks being reopened, not all of Disney Worlds 77,000-member workforce has been called back to work because of the limits on attendance.

In this Wednesday, June 3, 2020 photo, signs about social distancing and other protocols are seen about the theme park as guests walk by at Universal Orlando Resort Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. Universal Orlando became the first of Orlando's major theme park resorts to reopen by allowing annual pass-holders to return to its three parks Wednesday and Thursday. All of Florida's theme parks temporarily closed this spring, and Floridians and theme parks fans across the U.S. were forced to stay home because of state and local lockdown orders meant to stop the virus's spread. Orlando's theme park industry, and synergistic businesses like hotels and restaurants, were devastated by the coronavirus-related closures. Tens of thousands of workers were furloughed and the theme park resorts have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. SeaWorld and Walt Disney World will reopen in Orlando, Florida, in June and July after months of inactivity because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to plans a city task force approved Wednesday. Disney plans a tiered reopening, with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opening on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. Disney World also plans smaller, soft openings prior to July 11, but no specifics were provided. When Disney Springs, a complex of restaurants and shops near Disney World, reopened, the company formed social distancing squads," which McPhee said have been popular with guests. Disney employees will be required to do temperature checks before heading to work, McPhee said.

ORLANDO, Fla. Walt Disney World is presenting its plans for reopening after being shuttered along with Florida's other theme parks since mid-March because of the new coronavirus. Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando will present their proposals for phased reopenings before an Orange County task force on Wednesday, said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. With 77,000 workers, Disney World is central Floridas biggest employer. Last week, Disney World allowed third-party businesses at its Disney Springs dining and shopping complex to open with new restrictions. Crosstown rival, Universal Orlando, presented its reopening proposal last week to county officials, saying it was aiming to reopen June 5.

ORLANDO, Fla. Universal Orlando is aiming to reopen its theme parks in early June, a resort official said Thursday, more than two months after the company joined crosstown rivals Disney World and SeaWorld in closing their gates to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Universal Orlando executive John Sprouls asked Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings for approval to open the companys theme parks as early as June 5, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Universal, Disney World and SeaWorld have been closed since mid-March in an effort to stop the virus's spread. Officials with Disney World havent said when they plan to reopen. Many of those same protocols will be implemented at the theme parks.

Orlando park visitors have been debating Hurricane Dorian since Wednesday. Orlando parks rarely closeIt's rare that the parks close. Disney has only closed its Orlando theme parks a handful of times since its initial opening in 1971, mostly for weather related reasons. More recent closures were in response to Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. "If you're staying at a Universal Orlando or Disney World hotel, they will likely try to add some extra entertainment when the parks close," he said.