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 to EPR Properties in a major shakeup for the industry.

We also hit The Queue, including a rough Manta situation at SeaWorld Orlando, a packed outlet and SeaWorld visit that sent us to Aquatica instead, our 2026 Disney Springs Happy Hour Crawl, and a visit to Blizzard Beach and Winter Summerland Mini Golf.

Then we dive into our main topics:

Busch Gardens Tampa Food, Wine & Flowers Festival and EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.

Plus, the Rumor Report returns.

• Butterbeer Season begins at Universal Orlando
• Six Flags sells seven parks to EPR Properties
• Waymo robotaxis launch in Orlando
• SeaWorld Orlando Manta incident
• Disney Springs Happy Hour Crawl
• Blizzard Beach & Winter Summerland Mini Golf
• Busch Gardens Tampa Food, Wine & Flowers Festival
• EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival
• Rumors of more Vekoma at SeaWorld Orlando

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So until the next vlog, podcast or livestream, keep making memories.

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 Universal CityWalk

📉 Six Flags reports disappointing 2025 earnings — what went wrong?

✈️ Dollywood teams up with Allegiant for a themed “Flight #925” fan experience

🚇 The Boring Company is selected for a proposed underground transit system connecting Universal CityWalk and Epic Universe

Plus:

A stay at the Signia by Hilton Orlando

Victory Casino Cruise on Valentine’s Day

Responding to a viewer comment about off-plan dining options at Busch Gardens and SeaWorld

The theme park world is evolving — bigger experiences, bigger risks, and bigger competition in Orlando and beyond.

Listen in and let’s break it all down.

🎢 Welcome to Episode 256 of the Vacationeers Theme Parks & More Podcast!

This week we’re diving into festival season in Florida — from SeaWorld Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival (including sampler card value + my personal “winners and misses”), to Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras (food booths, tribute store love, and parade observations), and a full rundown of our day at the Florida State Fair in Tampa (pigs, corgis, circus, and some very “atmosFAIR” food).

📰 News Roundup

• Busch Gardens Tampa: Cheetah Hunt is back open
• Universal Orlando: Volcano Bay goes cashless on Feb 25 + Annual Pass promo (3 extra months)
• Disney: Josh D’Amaro CEO transition details + water park schedule update
• Disney: New Disney Inspire Credit Card (we discuss what’s new and why it matters)
• Six Flags: Gold Pass/Membership Regional Park Access (4-region model)

🎯 Main Topics

• SeaWorld Orlando Seven Seas Food Festival (Jan 30 – May 17 on select days)
• Universal Orlando Mardi Gras (Feb 7 – Apr 4, daily)
• Florida State Fair Tampa (Feb 5 – Feb 16)

🎧 Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform

🌐 Website: https://vacationeerspodcast.com

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vacationeerspodcast/

🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/vacationeertom

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VacationeerTom

So until the next vlog, podcast or livestream, keep making memories.