As the Labor Day weekend comes to a close, summer officially ends for the Orlando parks. Crowds quickly disappear and Universal begins gearing up for its seasonal fall events and major expansion plans for 2014 and beyond.

Halloween Horror Nights Decorations Going Up

Halloween Horror Nights will theme ALL of the scares zones to the “Walking Dead” television series this year.  With Walking Dead decorations and props being placed throughout the park, we hope it’s more of an immersive experience that guests will not be able to escape. Each scare zone will reflect a different part of the “Walking Dead” television series, with downtown Atlanta, Hershel’s Barn, Woodbury and more.  If you are not a fan of the “Walking Dead” fear not, because all you need to know is that the streets will be filled with zombies and you won’t be able to escape the hoards of the undead.

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Rock the Universe

Before we can get to Halloween Horror Nights, Universal is putting up stages and decorations for it’s yearly Christian music festival “Rock The Universe” taking place over 2 nights with 17 bands.  Guests attending this festival will find bands such as Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Switchfoot, Jesus Culture, Lecrea and more.

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Starbucks Coming to Islands of Adventure

The Arctic Freeze at Port of Entry closed to little fanfare a few weeks ago, and is rumored to become an in-park Starbucks location.

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Hogswarts Express Station

The Hogsmede Station at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is advancing with sheetrock going in on the first floor.

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Diagon Alley

At the other end of the Hogwarts Express, Diagon Alley continues to get windows installed, the facades now mostly closed off.

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 Springfield USA Additions

While Springfield USA has already officially opened, there are still little details being added. A new photo booth experience is opening where guests will be able to insert themeselves into the world of The Simpsons.

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Cabana Bay Beach Resort Update

Over at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, color is being added, and the common area buildings are almost entirely enclosed, and the non-suite room towers are mid-build since going vertical a few weeks ago.

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Over in Toon Lagoon, guests can catch a glimpse of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

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That wraps up this week’s Universal Orlando ParkHopper.  To continue the adventure, join Lee, Tracey and Darren, as they interview John Murdy from Universal Studios Hollywood and talk about Halloween Horror Nights, and explore the House of Horrors with Norm Gidney (Fishbulb).

Eric Davis
By day, Eric is in Marketing and Social Media. But on the weekends, he's a theme park addict. Eric is a frequent contributor to MiceChat's Orlando Parkhopper columns and tends to focus his efforts on what's new and what's news at Universal Studios and SeaWorld.