Disney Dining

Universal has given Jaws fans something official to talk about again. On September 3, 2026, Universal City Studios filed a new trademark application for Jaws (1975), and one part of the paperwork stands out immediately: it includes “amusement park attraction and theme park services.” That wording doesn’t confirm a new ride, land, or experience. Still, it arrives at an interesting moment for Universal Orlando Resort.

Planning a Walt Disney World vacation more than a year in advance usually comes with one big question: Is this really the right time to go? For 2027, that question could be harder to answer than it first appears. Disney has a packed lineup taking shape, with major projects finally reaching the point when guests can experience them. For fans who have spent the last few years watching construction from afar, the temptation to return will be strong.

HBO’s new Hogwarts is already undergoing changes. The upcoming Harry Potter television reboot will premiere in December with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. They will be joined by John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid as HBO begins its planned seven-season adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novels.

Walt Disney World hotel guests get several extras that can make an onsite stay more appealing. Some can save time, while others give vacationers a valuable planning advantage before they even arrive. With Disney trips requiring plenty of preparation, those perks can easily become part of a family’s strategy. But one benefit may not provide quite the advantage guests expect in 2026. It sounds great on paper, especially for anyone hoping to get ahead during a busy park day.

Parking lot changes are the kind of thing nobody notices until they are standing in one, confused. New attractions get concept art and a press release. A repainted parking space gets nothing. You find out when a cast member waves you off a spot you have used a dozen times. Something is changing at Disney’s Hollywood Studios right now. Crews have been repainting sections of the parking lot, adding new disabled parking spaces and new guest pick-up and drop-off-only spaces.

A 91-year-old Disneyland icon says an administrative error has effectively erased him from the systems responsible for his retirement money and health coverage. Disneyland chef Oscar Martinez, who retired in 2017 after more than 60 years at Disneyland Resort, said Disney Benefits, Disneyland, Fidelity Investments, and Cigna mistakenly recorded him as deceased on July 31, 2026.

Walt Disney World is executing a property-wide renewed effort to clamp down on unauthorized resort hopping, this time targeting guests attempting to sneak into hotel swimming pools. Cast Members at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort have officially confirmed that Disney management is aggressively enforcing its long-standing “no pool hopping” policy, turning away non-resort guests at the gates of Luna Park Pool.

Halloween Horror Nights asks scare actors to get closer to guests than performers at almost any other theme park event. That can create unforgettable encounters, but it can also create problems when guests take those interactions too far. Universal appears to be paying particularly close attention to that issue in 2026. At Universal Orlando Resort, Art the Clown remains a major draw after his roaming appearances last year attracted huge crowds and problematic guest behavior.

Disney follows a sequence before an attraction opens, and park watchers know it cold. Walls come down. Signage goes up. Landscaping shows up overnight. Then, the cast members start walking inside. That last step is the one that counts. Cast previews are not marketing. They are an operational necessity. Before an attraction handles thousands of guests a day, the people running it have to actually run it. Which makes this week’s news at Disney’s Hollywood Studios matter more than it sounds.

Saturday, September 5, is the last day Walt Disney World guests can grab a churro from either Sunshine Churros kiosk at Disney Springs. The West Side and Marketplace stands are reportedly closing permanently after Saturday’s operations, eliminating two dedicated walk-up snack stops from the shopping, dining, and entertainment district. The closure was first reported by WDWMagic on September 4.