Our podcast is back, with new hosts, big Orlando news and expert planning tips!
Jump the Queue, the AttractionTickets.com podcast, is back for Season 2! In episode 1, our hosts Amy and Maisy share the Orlando openings they can’t wait for in 2027, and our expert Sarah reveals when she’d visit Orlando and why. Here’s everything we covered, plus the tips you’ll want for planning your 2027 Florida holiday.
This episode’s highlights:
- Season 2 of Jump the Queue has new hosts from across the AttractionTickets.com team, joined every episode by our in-house experts.
- 2027 is a huge year for Orlando, with Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, the first phase of Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Florida.
- Sarah’s verdict on the best time to visit Orlando: there’s no bad time, so plan around what you want to do, your budget and your dates.
- Late August suits school holiday travellers, and October to November lets you enjoy Halloween and Christmas in one trip.
- Outside Florida, Sarah’s top pick is the Disneyland Resort in California, with Disneyland® Paris, Parc Astérix and PortAventura World great choices closer to home.
Meet your new Jump the Queue hosts
Season 1 stars Sammie and Sarah have passed the mic to a new line-up of hosts from the AttractionTickets.com team. Episode 1 is hosted by Amy and Maisy.
- Amy is our Social Media Lead. She’s been to Orlando nine times (with her tenth trip starting the day after recording!), spent a summer working at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and has visited Disneyland® Paris more times than she can count, starting at six months old.
- Maisy is our Influencer & Community Marketing Executive and previously worked in our Supply and Commercial team. She’s visited Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and Disneyland® Paris, and is possibly PortAventura World’s biggest fan.
Every episode, they’ll be joined by experts from across the team, covering Orlando, Paris, hotels and more.
A quick look back at 2026
Before looking ahead, Amy and Maisy caught up on a busy year at the parks. Highlights included:
- Bluey and Bingo’s new dance party meet and greet at Conservation Station in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- The Muppets taking over Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift opening at Universal Studios Hollywood on 16 September 2026
- Walt Disney Studios Park reopening as Disney Adventure World at Disneyland® Paris, complete with World of Frozen and the Disney Cascade of Lights nighttime show
What’s new at the Orlando theme parks in 2027?
2027 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for Orlando in a long time! Here are the openings we’re most excited about:
Walt Disney World Resort
- Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, with the first-ever Encanto attraction and a new Indiana Jones™ adventure.
- Monstropolis (phase one) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with the door coaster to follow later.
- Carousel of Progress reopening at Magic Kingdom Park in late spring 2027
- Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge opening on 1 July 2027
Universal Orlando Resort
- Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Florida, with its own track layout from the Hollywood version
- Universal Horror Make-Up Show featuring Blumhouse, a reimagined park classic - date to be confirmed!
- Category 10 at Universal CityWalk in late 2027
Looking further ahead
Villains Land and Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom Park are under construction and won’t open in 2027, but expect plenty of news on both throughout the year.
For every confirmed opening, closure and rumour, take a look at our full guide to what’s new in Orlando in 2027.
Ask an Expert - when is the best time to visit Orlando?
For our first Ask an Expert, we welcomed back Season 1 host Sarah. Sarah has been visiting Orlando for more than 30 years and is a big fan of a quick weekend trip to Florida!
Her answer? “There is no bad time of year.” There’s always something going on, so the best time depends on your family, your budget and what you want to do. Here’s how Sarah breaks it down.
Travelling in the school holidays
If you’re travelling with school-age children, you’ll be looking at Easter, summer and Christmas. Sarah’s tip is to aim for late August, which is often quieter than earlier in the summer. You’ll also catch the start of the Halloween celebrations, which kick off at the parks in August.
Florida summers are hot, so pack light clothing, sun cream and a refillable water bottle. If heat isn’t your thing and your dates are flexible, the cooler winter months are a great alternative.
Two holidays in one - October and November
For fans of seasonal events, Sarah recommends late October to early November. The parks switch from Halloween to Christmas almost overnight, so you can enjoy a Halloween party and a Christmas celebration in the same trip. Christmas in November also tends to be quieter than in December.
A note on the weather
Florida’s hurricane season runs from June to November, with peak activity usually from August to early October. In more than 30 years of visiting, Sarah has never experienced a hurricane, but it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on forecasts and have travel insurance in place!
Travelling outside the school holidays
If you can travel outside the school holidays, flights, hotels and tickets are usually better value. And with special events running almost every month, there’s always something extra to enjoy, including EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando Resort and Electric Ocean at SeaWorld Orlando.
Sarah’s golden rule: Plan what you want to do first, then work your dates around it. And with so much new in 2027, why stop at one trip?
Ask an Expert - the best theme parks outside Orlando
Our second listener question asked where Sarah would go for a theme park holiday outside Orlando in 2027.
The Disneyland Resort in California
Sarah’s top pick is her favourite Disney destination, the Disneyland Resort in California. She describes it as if Disneyland® Paris and Walt Disney World Resort had a baby: compact and walkable, with an American feel. It’s the park Walt Disney walked through himself, which gives it a nostalgic charm all its own.
California can be done in fewer days, so it’s easy to build into a longer trip. Sarah suggests pairing it with a day at Universal Studios Hollywood and a visit to SeaWorld San Diego as part of a California road trip.
Theme parks closer to home
If you’d rather stay in Europe, Sarah recommends combining parks for the ultimate road trip. Disneyland® Paris is an easy train journey away, and Parc Astérix is close by, making it simple to visit both.
Maisy’s pick is PortAventura World near Barcelona, which she loves for its shows, parades, character meet and greets and great-value food. Her tip: four days is a lovely amount of time to enjoy the resort, and don’t miss the ham and cheese toasties!
Follow Amy’s 2027 Orlando challenge
Amy is setting herself a challenge on her tenth trip to Orlando: try at least one new thing every day, in every park. Follow AttractionTickets.com on Instagram and TikTok to see how she gets on.
Got a question for the show?
Drop it in the YouTube comments or email [email protected], and it could be answered in a future episode!
More from Jump the Queue
Hungry for more theme park tips? You can catch up on every episode of Jump the Queue, from Season 1 favourites to the latest Season 2 releases, all in one place! Our hosts and experts cover everything you need to plan, book and make the most of your theme park holidays.
