Theme Parks

Epic Universe, Universal’s fourth theme park in Orlando, is expected to open as soon as early 2023. The announcement was made Thursday morning during a Comcast earnings call.

SeaWorld Orlando has released a manatee months after it was nearly killed by a boat propeller. The 800-pound mammal, which was discovered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, was struck back in May.

Thousands of dollars worth of parts have been stolen from rides at Walt Disney World Resort. An Orange County Sheriff's Office report found that Disney employees doing inventory found Space Mountain seats and a shell from the iconic roller coaster missing from a locked storage area. Also missing were items from the Peter Pan ride. Authorities warn many items taken from the theme parks end up online, some of which may be stolen goods.

Walt Disney World park-goers were stuck for hours aboard the Florida resort's newly launched aerial cable car system Saturday night, prompting firefighters to lift people from the gondolas to bring them back to the ground. There were no reported injuries.

Gatorland is home to three extremely rare white, or “leucistic,” alligators. Leucism is a condition in which there is loss of pigmentation in an animal. Unlike albino alligators, leucistic alligators are very rare. Albino alligators lack the pigment melanin, while leucistic alligators produce melanin in some parts of the body.

Walt Disney World on Friday introduced its newest way to get around the Florida resort: an aerial cable car system that whisks visitors from hotels to theme parks three stories above the ground while going 11 mph (18 kph).