Orlando theme park news

Drew Smith, Drew The Disney Dude and Zach Perilstein, Editor-In-Chief of the Boardwalk Times join FOX 35's Garrett Wymer live via Zoom to break down the latest developments at Walt Disney World, from Monstropolis' progress in Hollywood Studios, a new Disney Imagineering preview display at Walt Disney Presents, the demoltion on Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom continuing ahead of the planned replacement by new Cars and Disney Villains areas, as well as Mickey's PhilharMagic announcing its closing date for refurbishment.

Tharin White, Lead Publisher at EYNTK.info joins FOX 35's Garrett Wymer live via Zoom to break down the Walt Disney World ticket price hike and some new additions coming to the theme parks, from new animatronics for Zootopia and Frozen at Walt Disney World and when you can expect the parks to get their Christmas decorations.

Drew Smith, @DrewDisneyDude on social media joins FOX 35's Garrett Wymer live via Zoom to break down Walt Disney World raising their ticket prices on the start of their new fiscal year, where some one-day tickets will soar above $200 for the first time ever. This coincides with the park announcing major refurbishments and new zones across their parks for the Muppets, Frozen and Zootopia franchises.

The parents of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, the 32-year-old man who died after riding Stardust Racers at Epic Universe on Sept. 17, 2025, said they do not want the roller coaster to be closed forever, but believe Universal opened the ride to soon. They want the ride to remain closed while their investigative experts could look at the ride. Attorneys also alleged that Universal did not give the family a heads up before announcing that the ride would reopen.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office released the incident report from the night first responders arrived at Universal's Epic Universe theme park after a 32-year-old man -- later identified as Kevin Rodriguez Zavala -- became unresponsive while on the Stardust Racers coaster and died. The new report details the response time, timeline, and where Zavala was on the ride. Zavala died from blunt force injuries, the Orange County Medical Examiner determined.

Attorneys representing the family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, the 32-year-old man who became unconscious -- and later died -- while riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Universal's Epic Universe, questioned why some of the major theme parks in Florida "self report" injuries.

On Tuesday morning, Attorney Ben Crump is expected to deliver an update in the case of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala. Zavala became unresponsive while on Epic Universe's Stardust Racers roller coaster and later died at the hospital, officials said. He died from "multiple blunt force injuries." His death was ruled an accident.

Drew Smith, a.k.a. Drew the Disney Dude, and Zach Perilstein, editor-in-chief of Boardwalk Times, joined FOX 35's Garrett Wymer to talk about the changes underway at Disney's Hollywood Studios as Star Wars Launch Bay and Animation Courtyard permanently close. They also talk about how those projects -- and others -- fit into the the overall transformation Hollywood Studios will undergo over the next couple of years.

Days after a man died following a ride on Epic Universe's Stardust Racers dueling coaster, a woman has filed a lawsuit alleging that she suffered "permanent injuries" after riding the coaster earlier this year. Daniel Leavelle, Midway Mayhem, joins Good Day Orlando to talk more about ride safety.

On Sept. 17, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala was at Epic Universe where he rode Stardust Racers, a dual-launch coaster. At some point, Zavala became unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died. Zavala will be laid to rest on Friday morning.

The fall season is here, which means the winter season will follow close behind. Central Florida's theme parks have some of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season. Tharin White, theme park expert with EYNTK.Info, joins Good Day Orlando to share the latest news from the theme parks.