Theme Park Rangers Radar: Holiday sweets, Universal photo validation, I-4 update
Theme Park Rangers Radar is detecting a flurry of sugar across Central Florida as we hit the holiday season with treats at Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and beyond. Meanwhile, Universal visitors are putting their best face forward with a new identification system in the works at entrances, and there are new things to see along Interstate 4 these days.
Radar is a weekly roundup of notes and news from Orlando’s attractions. It appears on OrlandoSentinel.com on Wednesdays.
Triple threat
If you find sweets to be irresistible, this is a horrible time to go to our theme parks.
For the rest of us, it’s an embarrassment of riches when the holiday season rolls around. Here are just three of the limited-time goodies I’ve tasted this year.
At Universal Studios, the peppermint mocha petit gateaux is mascarpone mousse with peppermint topping and a cookie bottom.
“It’s almost like taking your favorite iced-coffee drink you can get to some stores, and we made dessert out of it,” said Jens Dahlmann, vice president and executive chef of operations. “It’s soft, yet crunchy. But it takes you to the holidays.”
It’s sold at the park’s San Francisco Pastry Company for $6.49.
During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom, I tried the new winter milkshake from the Friar’s Nook in Fantasyland. It’s coconut with whipped cream plus toasted coconut, cinnamon and crisp pearls on top. I would call it just coconutty enough. It doesn’t conk you over the head with it, although to complete the whole serving would be a rich experience.
The cast member was generous with her pour, making for a walk-without-spilling challenge, so there was plenty of shake to go around. It was quite thick – too much for a mere paper straw. Grab a spoon or two. The winter milkshake sells for $8.49.
Another treat that gets the tender balance right is the Oreo beignets at SeaWorld Orlando. Although it looks like a liberal dusting of the chocolate cookie, the Oreo flavor nicely enhances the sweet sensation of beignets (there’s caramel too).
SeaWorld is offering strawberries and cream beignets as well as dulce de leche mini-cakes at the same locations. All of those items sell for $10.99 apiece.
Face time
Universal Orlando has begun using facial recognition technology at the entrance to its theme parks. It’s labeled as “photo validation” on signs near the gates, and here’s how it works for visitors.
Customers show their tickets to an attendant, who scans them with a handheld device. Then visitors turn to face a vertical camera, about iPad size, which looks them over. After the ID is confirmed, folks are waved in.
Essentially this replaces the act of putting a finger on the scanner, so it’s less touch-oriented.
“We take a photo the first time you use your ticket,” Universal’s website states. “From that photo, the software builds a photo template. A photo template is a unique set of data points based on facial features. On subsequent entries, a new photo template is created and will be compared to the stored template to validate your ticket or other entitlement.”
Adults can opt out of this photo validation system, but then a photo ID will be required. (See more details at universalorlando.com/privacy.)
The website also says this is a more seamless way to get in – “just scan, smile and go.” For the record, I was not asked to smile. I opted for the pained passport look.
I watched a lot of people come through the gate and witnessed little confusion among customers. Staring at phones has to have helped.
Earlier this year, Mark Woodbury, CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences, indicated this system would be used at the under-construction Epic Universe theme park, scheduled to open in 2025.
On the road
If you’ve not driven the interstate from downtown Orlando toward the attractions lately, there are a couple of new things to see, although keeping eyes on the road should be your priority.
• The former site of Holy Land Experience and its big round building, now has a boxy structure going up instead the Conroy Road exit ramp. This area is becoming a freestanding emergency room for AdventHealth.
• The giant curvy video screen atop the parking garage near International Drive and Sand Lake Road has been updated with new Disney World graphics.
Weekend outlook
• Universal Orlando’s holiday programming continues daily plus its first two Mannheim Steamroller concerts, included in admission, are Saturday and Sunday.
• Epcot International Festival of the Holidays continues daily. Upcoming Candlelight Processional narrators include Simu Liu (Thursday-Saturday) and John Stamos (Sunday-Tuesday).
• The next available dates for Disney Jollywood Studios after-hours event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park are Nov. 29, Dec. 4 and Dec. 6.
• SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• The first weekend of Gatorland’s Holiday Ho, Ho, Ho-down is Saturday and Sunday.
• Legoland Florida’s holidays festivities continue Saturday and Sunday.
• Island H2O Water Park’s Holiday Nights’ schedule is Wednesday through Sunday this week.
• Friday’s Lunch & Learn at Orange County Regional History Center is “History in the Streets,” which looks at the namesakes of streets in Orlando, such as Bumby, Mills and Church. It starts at noon. (Lunches must be ordered by 9 a.m. Thursday or bring your own.)
• Orlando Science Center’s Dino In Lights presentation is running daily.
• Saturday’s movie shown during Aquatica water park’s Beach Nights event is “Elf.”
What’s on your radar? Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com.
