But does the food taste good?

The stars of the show shined brightly while the supporting cast was pretty much what you’d expect during a media preview of the eatery before its grand opening next week.

The new Power Up Cafe on Universal’s Upper Lot officially opens on Thursday, Feb. 15 following a few weeks in soft-opening mode.

I tried everything on the menu at Power Up Cafe during a media preview on Thursday, Feb. 8 and found the calzones to be delicious, the pretzel and popcorn to be standard fare and most of the specialty drinks to be plenty of fun but too sweet for my taste.

Don’t go looking for this new Nintendo-themed food stand in Universal’s new Super Nintendo World themed land on the Lower Lot. Power Up Cafe is about as far away from the immersive Nintendo land as you can get. It’s on the Upper Lot near the park entrance next to the DreamWorks Theatre.

Power Up Cafe offers a dining alternative to the often-booked Toadstool Cafe in the tightly confined new land and injects more Nintendo into the park that has seen a big boost in attendance and visitor spending since Super Nintendo World opened in early 2023.

Power Up Cafe is basically a gussied up pizza stand with a novel twist on the grab-and-go slice of pizza. The new Nintendo cafe serves a pair of $13 calzones shaped like the green and red extra-life mushrooms from the Super Mario Bros. video games.

The Italian oven-baked turnovers are almost too adorable to eat — but once you take your first bite you’ll find it hard to stop. It’s like a culinary work of art you can hold in your hand — until you just have to start eating and stop admiring the craftsmanship.

The meaty red Super Mushroom is stuffed with pepperoni, sausage, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce filling that looks like a Ragu sauce. The veggie green 1-Up Mushroom is filled with spinach, green pepper, mushroom, mozzarella cheese and basil pesto that looks like a spinach dip.

ALSO SEE: ‘Secret’ Mac & Cheese festival turns Knott’s Berry Farm into the Cheesiest Place on Earth

These are not your everyday pizza turnovers. The dough is shaped to look like the Super Mario mushrooms with red and green dye added to color the mushroom caps and mozzarella circles stuck on top to create the polka dots. The camera eats first at Power Up Cafe and you’ll be unable to resist snapping a photo for your social media feed before biting into your calzone.

I loved the meaty red Super Mushroom calzone that satisfied my meat-lovers’ appetite. But the green 1-Up Mushroom calzone is almost as good and a great veggie option. I’d recommend getting them both and sharing them with someone you don’t mind swapping bites with. Because this is a handheld food with no knives or forks necessary.

The $13 Fire Flower Pretzel is cute — but a little dry and lacking salt. This is basically the Nintendo version of the Mickey Pretzel at Disneyland — but without as much soft pretzel fluffiness.

That’s because the soft pretzel is flattened to create the Fire Flower shape. The Fire Flower Pretzel pulls apart a bit like a cardamom bun so you can dip the pretzel petals in your choice of three sauces: mustard, chipotle cheese and white queso.

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Great Maple restaurant

I liked the queso the best and found myself dipping my calzone in the cheese sauce. It would be great if Power Up Cafe offered the queso or a marinara dipping sauce for the calzones — but that’s not an option at the moment.

The $7 Super Star Popcorn was nothing special. Just butter popcorn topped with edible glitter in a Nintendo cardboard box. The glitter gets all over your hands and lips as you shovel the popcorn into your mouth. But otherwise it’s just movie theater popcorn.

The second half of the menu is dedicated to four sugary beverages. And when I say sugary, I mean there is an actual Nintendo-shaped Power Up sugar cube you drop in your drink to add some flavor, fizz and sparkle to the experience.

The sugar cubes are shaped like the Super Mushroom, 1-Up Mushroom, Fire Flower and Super Star characters from the video games and come in a yellow Question Mark Block cardboard box.

The best part of the $13 specialty drinks: The boba popping pearls that you slurp up through the super-sized straw with every sip.

ALSO SEE: Could Fortnite come to Disneyland now that Disneyland is heading to Fortnite?

My favorite of the four Sprite-based drinks was the Super Star Fizz with lemon popping pearls and a mango pineapple Super Star Power Up sugar cube.

The close runner-up: The 1-Up Mushroom Fizz with green apple popping pearls and a lime 1-Up Mushroom Power Up.

That’s right. My two favorite drinks added lemon or lime flavoring to a lemon-lime soda. That tells you where my pedestrian tastes lie when it comes to specialty soft drinks.

That also explains why I didn’t like the way too sweet Super Mushroom Fizz (strawberry popping pearls and strawberry sugar cube) and the slightly spicy Fire Flower Fizz (orange popping pearls and a mango habanero sugar cube).

ALSO SEE: Universal Studios plans United Kingdom theme park

While I appreciated the themed storytelling the Nintendo-shaped sugar cubes added to the drink experience, I didn’t care for the chunks of sugar that came up the straw with every sip of the Sprite and boba pearls.

The sugar cubes will eventually dissolve on their own, but you’re encouraged to mash the cute little stars and flowers with your big boba straw to activate the flavors, change the color and add a sparkling fizz to the drink.

The drinks also come in $20 Super Mushroom or 1-Up Mushroom collectible sipper cups while the popcorn is also available in a $40 Super Star souvenir bucket.

Universal’s new Power Up Cafe fits neatly into the hottest trend in the fast food industry right now: Snacks.

Snacks fall into two broad categories: That fourth meal of the day to carry you over between breakfast, lunch and dinner and those upsell items that get you to spend a few more bucks beyond your basic order.

Think of the entire menu at a Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s new concept CosMc’s and you get the general idea behind the snack trend.

Power Up Cafe scratches this itch. If you’re like me and like to snack your way around the park in between rides and meals, then this new Nintendo grab-and-go shop will hit the spot. Just as long as you don’t mind chomping on a few of your favorite Super Mario Bros. characters.

The 2024 Knott’s Peanuts Celebration runs through Feb. 25 with stage shows, live music, character meet-and-greets and themed food and merchandise at the Buena Park theme park.

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Great Maple restaurant

I’m a huge fan of Mac & Cheese and consider the dish one of my five basic food groups.

By my count, 10 of the 21 Peanuts Celebration food and beverage items on this year’s Peanuts Celebration menu feature Mac & Cheese — making Knott’s the Cheesiest Place on Earth for the next few weeks.

“It’s kind of a secret menu,” Knott’s Berry Farm Vice President of Food & Beverage Laura Brubaker said of the preponderance of Mac & Cheese items. “We did advertise it to some degree, but not like we do with other events.”

ALSO SEE: Knott’s Berry Farm sets dates for 2024 festival lineup

Making Mac & Cheese the star of the culinary show made sense with the kids-centric Peanuts Celebration, according to Brubaker.

“If you like Mac & Cheese, why not put it into anything?” Brubaker said via email. “I thought it would be fun to hone in on this item. Mac & Cheese is very versatile and goes with a lot of different things — like burgers, with ground beef and on fries.”

Cheese has been a recurring theme during the annual Knott’s festival celebrating Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Pig-Pen and the rest of the Peanuts gang from the newspaper comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz.

Grilled cheese — another kids menu staple — went over well as the culinary star of the Peanuts Celebration a few years ago, according to Brubaker.

ALSO SEE: Is Taylor Swift going to Disneyland after the Super Bowl? Swifties hope so

If Knott’s can have an entire festival dedicated to the Boysenberry, why can’t Knott’s have a Mac & Cheese festival as part of the Peanuts Celebration?

“Mac & Cheese has legs and many people love eating it,” Brubaker said via email. “I do think there could be a larger celebration dedicated to it, however this is a pilot this year and may grow.”

Here are all of the Mac & Cheese items on the menu at this year’s Peanuts Celebration.

1) Franklin’s Mac and Cheesy Noodle, Cheddar and Broccoli Soup (Ghost Town Bakery)

2) Schroeder’s Fluffy Breakfast Mac and Cheese Pancake served with a side of Bacon and Maple Syrup (Sutter’s Grill)

3) Lucy Van Pelt’s Mac and Cheese Waffle Cone topped with Pulled Pork (Sutter’s Funnel Cake)

4) Cornbread Funnel Cake with Mac and Cheese and Pulled Pork with a BBQ Sauce Drizzle (Sutter’s Funnel Cake)

5) Snoopy’s Mac and Cheeseburger with Burger Sauce (Wilderness Dogs and Drinks)

6) Linus’ Mac and Cheese Bites over French Fries served with a Spicy Aioli (Strictly-on-a-Stick)

7) Pig Pen’s Ham and Mac and Cheese Loaf (Boardwalk BBQ)

8) Jose Peterson’s Swedish Meatball on top of Mac and Cheese and French Fries (Papas Mexicanas)

9) Charlie Brown’s Burrito with Mac and Cheese, Ground Beef and Queso (Casa California Restaurante)

10) Fully Loaded Funnel Cake topped with a Cheesecake Batter and Mac Gummies (Log Ride Funnel)

The Walt Disney Company announced plans on Wednesday, Feb. 7 to invest $1.5 billion in Fortnite-maker Epic Games and collaborate on new video games and entertainment universes.

ALSO SEE: Is Taylor Swift going to Disneyland after the Super Bowl? Swifties hope so

Disney CEO Bob Iger discussed during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday how he sat down with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro to brainstorm ways to integrate Disney intellectual property into Fortnite games.

“What if we create a gigantic Disney World à la Fortnite that could live next to Fortnite and be completely interconnected with it?” Iger said on the call with analysts. “A world where people can play games that we create and could create their own games.”

ALSO SEE: Disneyland kicks off Black History Month with food and music festival

Concept art of the Disney-centric video game interface envisioned for the Fortnite partnership looks like a theme park with multiple Disney castles at a gleaming central hub surrounded by at least eight islands populated with visual nods to familiar Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox brands, films and shows.

The theme park-like islands are filled with references to “Wreck It Ralph,” “Monsters Inc.” and “Lilo & Stitch” that sit alongside video game copies of the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and Cars Land themed lands at the Disneyland resort. A themed land dedicated to “The Nightmare Before Christmas” sits next to Radiator Springs.

Other islands are dedicated solely to recreations of Peter Pan’s Neverland, the Hallelujah Mountains of Avatar’s Pandora and the icy Star Wars planet of Hoth.

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Great Maple restaurant

“Our new relationship with Epic Games will create a transformational games and entertainment universe that integrates Disney’s world class storytelling into Epic’s cultural phenomenon Fortnite, enabling consumers to play, watch, create and shop for both digital and physical goods,” Iger said on the call. “This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of video games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion.”

Like Epic Games, Disney uses the Unreal Engine 3D design tool to create content for its portfolio of video games, films and TV shows. Walt Disney Imagineering has also used Unreal Engine to help design more than 15 attractions at Disney theme parks — including Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The shared use of technology will help streamline collaboration between Disney and Epic.

“This will enable us to bring together our incredible collection of stories and experiences from across the company for a broad audience in ways we have only dreamed of before,” D’Amaro said in a statement released by Disney. “Epic Games’ industry-leading technology and Fortnite’s open ecosystem will help us reach consumers where they are so they can engage with Disney in the ways that are most relevant to them.”

Disney’s partnership with the maker of the popular Fortnite video game follows the lead of rival Universal Studios that teamed up with Nintendo to bring Super Mario and Donkey Kong rides to its theme parks in Hollywood and Japan and soon to Florida and Singapore.

A Disney camera crew searches for the Chiefs star of the game through the red and gold confetti raining down on the Super Bowl victory celebration as “When You Wish Upon a Star” plays in the background.

“Travis Kelce,” intones the sports broadcaster narrator. “You and the Kansas City Chiefs just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do next?”

Pop star Taylor Swift gives Kelce a big victory kiss and the pair turn to the camera.

“We’re going to Disneyland!” Kelce and Swift shout in unison.

Could it happen? Anything is possible when you wish upon a star.

A lot of stars would have to align for the “Swelce” celebrity couple to end up on a Super Bowl LVIII victory float along Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland on Monday, Feb. 12.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland kicks off Black History Month with food and music festival

For starters, the Chiefs would have to beat the San Francisco 49ers, who are two-point favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11.

Then Disney would have to choose Kelce as the star of the game to feature in the annual Super Bowl television commercial. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went to Disneyland last year after Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory.

ALSO SEE: Patrick Mahomes wants Disney to build more parks for his Super Bowl MVP ‘world tour’

Disney arranges in advance for representatives from each team to serve as the in-the-moment spokesperson — so the player selections for both teams have likely already been made. The possibility of a Kelce-Swift visit to the Happiest Place on Earth would be awfully difficult for the Disney brass to resist.

Then there’s the question of whether Swift could actually make it from a Tokyo tour date to the Super Bowl in Vegas — which is not going to be an easy task.

ALSO SEE: Knott’s Berry Farm kicks off Peanuts Celebration with Camp Snoopy under construction

Fortunately, the Associated Press has mapped out what it would take for Swift to make the 6,000-mile Tokyo-to-Vegas trip and settle into her luxury box seat just in time for kick off.

There are no direct flights from Tokyo to Vegas, so Swift would have to fly aboard her private jet — which AP estimates would take 11 to 12 hours.

Accounting for time zones, AP estimates Swift could just make the 3:30 p.m. Super Bowl kickoff in Vegas if she heads for the airport immediately after her show at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome ends at 9:30 p.m. local time.

After that, it’s just a question of whether Swift wants to endure the madness of a Disneyland appearance with her Super Bowl champion boyfriend. She doesn’t have to be anywhere until Feb. 16, when her record-setting Eras Tour resumes in Australia.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel is like walking into an animator’s studio

Social media has been awash with Swifties talking about the possibility of the pop singer and her squeeze taking over Disneyland on Monday, Feb. 12, according to Theme Park Insider.

“It’s all likely a longshot, but that’s enough of a chance for many Swift fans to consider buying a ticket to the park for even the slight opportunity to see their favorite singer in person,” according to Theme Park Insider. “Magic Key reservations for Feb. 12 already are booked out, but reservations for daily ticket holders on that date remain available.”

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Great Maple restaurant

San Francisco 49ers fans are hoping quarterback Brock Purdy or running back Christian McCaffrey are on the Disneyland parade float rather than Kelce and Swift. Both 49ers players are engaged — Purdy to his college girlfriend Jenna Brandt and McCaffrey to actress and 2012 Miss Universe winner Olivia Culpo.

The good news for fans of the Super Bowl winning team? Fans of the losing team traditionally cancel their Disneyland Magic Key reservations just after the Super Bowl ends — freeing up more last minute annual pass spots for the winning side.

For related news, see: Relentless storm leads to eye-popping rainfall totals in Southern California

The choice whether to close completely, close early or stay open during the heavy rains that have pummeled the Southland since Thursday has been a game-time decision each morning for the area’s weather-dependent theme parks.

Disney California Adventure moved up its closing time on Tuesday, Feb. 6 from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Disneyland app.

Disneyland is set to close early at 8 p.m. on Tuesday to empty the Anaheim theme park of daily visitors so the separate admission Sweethearts’ Nite after-hours event can get started. Disney offers no refunds for Disneyland After Dark events due to inclement weather.

Knott’s Berry Farm and SeaWorld San Diego closed on Tuesday due to the rain, according to the parks’ social media accounts.

Knott’s tickets purchased for Tuesday are valid any day through Feb. 25.

SeaWorld’s Weather-or-Not program provides a free return visit when rain, thunder, lightning, hail, winds, heat, snow or a hurricane force the closure of the park.

Universal Studios Hollywood and Legoland California remained open on Tuesday despite the bad weather.

Universal Studios tickets are rain or shine with no complimentary admission to return another day when it rains.

Legoland California offers a “Rainy Day Promise” that allows visitors to return within a year when storms ruin the day.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the winter season.

The latest rainfall hammering Southern California is thanks to a Pineapple Express weather system carrying heavy rain from the tropical Pacific – specifically from the Hawaiian islands area.

Epic Universe will open next year, as Universal expands its Orlando resort to a new campus across the street from the Orange County (Fla.) Convention Center. The expansion will give Universal Orlando three theme parks, a water park and 11 hotels to compete with Walt Disney World’s four theme parks, two water parks and 31 hotels.

Universal’s new park will feature a unique layout, with four lands devoted to single franchises, each branching off independently from one central land, which will be called Celestial Park. The other four lands will include Orlando’s installation of Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe,  themed to Universal’s classic monsters, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, themed to the DreamWorks Animation films, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic.

That last one will be Universal’s third different Harry Potter land, following Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida and the original Hogsmeade, found in Orlando’s Islands of Adventure as well as the Universal Studios theme parks in Hollywood, Japan and Beijing. Yet I have to admit that I am not feeling quite as excited for this new Harry Potter land as I did for those others.

It all comes down to that name. Like millions of other fans around the world, I wanted to visit the cozy village of Hogsmeade and the exciting hidden street of Diagon Alley after reading the Harry Potter books and watching the films. But I felt next to no desire to spend any time at the Ministry of Magic. That is perhaps the one place in all of the Harry Potter books and films where no character wants to be.

Setting a Harry Potter land in the Ministry of Magic feels like if Disney created a new Cars Land and set it in a DMV office. No one wants to go on “Bureaucracy and Paperwork — The Ride.” Though, to be fair, long queues would be perfectly on theme.

Still, the Ministry is home to some “epic” — pun intended — battles in the Harry Potter series. Universal has trademarked the name “Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry of Magic,” which suggests that will be the title of the expected motion base dark ride in the new land.

I have loved every one of Universal’s Harry Potter rides so far, especially the most recent, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure. So while the “Ministry of Magic” name gives me pause, Universal Creative’s track record of creating great Harry Potter-themed attractions keeps me looking forward to visiting Epic Universe next year.

As fans, and especially as a critic, I think it is important to remain open to the possibility of surprise when considering new entertainment. At their best, artists create magic from the most unexpected settings. And there would be no more magical accomplishment than to make a bureaucracy’s headquarters into a place that theme park fans will rave about visiting.

Universal’s Epic announcements confirm big news such as the park’s lands being themed to Nintendo, “How to Train Your Dragon,” Harry Potter and Universal’s classic monsters. And they unveil finer details such as restaurant names and the speed of the racing roller coaster.

The batch of facts intensified the buzz about the park, set to open next year. And it has some watchers wondering if a Disney countermove is coming soon.

At least one expert thinks Universal’s expansion will prompt the long-awaited “fifth gate” – another Disney World theme park. Industry observers also say the gap between Orlando’s biggest park operators appears to be thinning.

“There’s an 800-pound gorilla in the room, but there’s also a 600-pound gorilla in the room. We’ve watched that gorilla grow from little gorilla to big gorilla,” said Martin Lewison, associate professor of business management at Farmingdale State College in New York.

“But it’s not necessarily a bad thing because there is research that shows that the concentration of all these parks in one place helps all of them,” said Lewison, who teaches courses in tourism, hospitality and attractions management.

Dennis Speigel, owner of International Theme Park Services, said Epic Universe is going to tip the scales more toward Universal.

“This is going to tilt the axis of the theme-park world, I believe, in Orlando. This park is going to perform at enormous numbers,” he said. Epic Universe will attract between 5 million and 6 million people in its first year, he estimated.

In 2019, the last full year before the coronavirus pandemic, Universal Studios Florida reportedly had 10.92 million visitors and Universal’s Islands of Adventure welcomed 10.38 million people, according to the annual AECOM/TEA attendance report.

Magic Kingdom was the most popular theme park in the world with 20.96 million visitors in 2019, according to the report.

Checking out hotels

While the Epic’s flashy rides and eye-catching design draw attention, its three new hotels play key roles in Universal’s future as company officials think they will lead to more extended stays.

“The addition of Epic Universe will almost double the size of Universal Orlando,” Mark Woodbury, CEO of Universal Parks & Experiences said in a video released Tuesday.  “This gives us the opportunity to bring people to Universal Orlando for an entire week of the most incredible experiences they can imagine.”

The 500-room Universal Helios Grand Hotel is “inside” the theme park, Universal said, with an exclusive entrance to the theme park for guests. Nearby will be Stella Nova and Terra Luna resorts, with 750 rooms apiece, which are scheduled to open Jan. 21 and Feb. 25, respectively.

Universal did not share a precise opening date for the theme park, but officials have publicly said “by summer” of 2025.

“Disney was the master and the owner of the on-site hotels for decades,” Speigel said. “It keeps your visitors on-site, which builds per-capitas both at the admissions gates and internally in the food and beverage and merch and all retail.”

The three hotels, now under construction, will bring Universal’s on-property count to 11. Its most recent additions are Surfside Inn and Dockside Inn, which opened in 2019 and 2020 as parts of the Endless Summer Resort on International Drive.

“It’s only been about 10 years since they [Universal] really started this effort, and how they’ve accelerated has been amazing,” Speigel said.

Universal will need to expand its workforce to staff the park and hotels. Those roles have been difficult to fill and traditionally low-paying in Orlando.

“Everybody’s suffering in the industry. So it is a factor that has to come into play,” Speigel said.

“I think you will see more lobbying in the future for the J-1 visas,” a government program for people living outside the U.S. allowing participation in study- and work-related exchange programs here, he said.

Having a hotel very close to the theme park is not a new concept but a growing one. When Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, Disney put the Contemporary Resort next door. A Legoland Florida hotel is adjacent to the theme park.

SeaWorld Orlando has filed permits to build two hotels, one with 250 rooms and one with more than 500 rooms. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment CEO Marc Swanson told investors that he expects the company to open hotels in 2026.

There have been hotel projects adjacent to parks in the Six Flags and Cedar Fair chains, as well as at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania and Dollywood in Tennessee, Speigel said.

“If you’re an operator, you want to keep them as close to you as you can so they don’t get distracted,” he said.

Future stock

Speigel points to past milestones in Universal Orlando’s history that got it to this point. The launching pad was the introduction of Back to the Future: The Ride at Universal Studios theme park in 1991, followed by the debut of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure in 2010, he said.

“We saw the largest jump in attendance and margins we’d seen in the industry [with Potter],” he said. “So there’s no question that this new park Epic Universe, in my mind, puts Universal on par, on level with Disney now.”

He expects Disney to speed up its development timetable now.

“You’re going to see a big announcement. … They’re going to add a fifth park,” Speigel predicted.

“I’ve heard rumors that it has been worked on for several years now. But I think the [Universal] announcement …. will be a catalyst for Disney to show their hand as well,” he said.

Walt Disney Co. officials have made no public mention of a so-called “fifth gate,” although the company has pledged to invest $60 billion over 10 years in its theme parks worldwide.

In April, Disney said it planned to invest $17 billion in Walt Disney World projects, and that figure included the Epcot transformation projects and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a Magic Kingdom water ride set to open in December.

Beyond Disney and Universal, there is room for more tourism players, including SeaWorld Orlando, Speigel said. The corporate name change, announced Tuesday, from SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. to United Parks & Resorts is a step in its evolution, he said. The theme park itself keeps the SeaWorld Orlando name.

“I think they have to find their common ground in a couple of areas, in the product area and in the pricing area,” Speigel said. “People are still price-conscious who come to our industry, and SeaWorld could build their volume by giving a strong price value relationship to the guest.”

Central Florida visitors don’t necessarily sequester themselves at one theme park company during their stay, Lewison said.

“I think there’s definitely a synergy there even though the parks may not mention it explicitly,” he said.

There are options because there’s money to be made in Orlando.

“Disney has been making unbelievable profits from their theme parks for 50 years, you know, with ups and downs. So it’s a huge market. … We know the demand is inelastic, because they keep raising prices, and they keep getting record attendance,” Lewison said.

“The law of business is if there are profits, then there are going to be competitors who try to compete those profits away,” he said. “It’s a growing market, which is unusual, because it’s a mature market. So, yes, there will be more and more competition for hotel rooms … but there already was.

“It’s amazing. Where else can you build a giant hotel and expect to be profitable than Orlando, Florida?”

Snuffleupagus alert: SeaWorld celebrating Sesame Street Land’s 5th birthday

The waiting game

When Epic debuts, it will be Orlando’s first new full-blown theme park in this millennium. Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, followed by Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 1999.

“For theme park fans, this is the first new theme park, at least around here, in the internet age where we have instant connection with other fans like ourselves,” said Alicia Stella, who follows Epic for her website Orlando Park Stop.

“People can share in real time on social media about construction and their thoughts and rumors. And there’s no end to the discussion,” she said.

Tuesday’s newly released details could spread interest wider, Stella said.

“It’s also a day when the non-theme park fans, the regular general public, start to see what we’ve been experiencing and start to climb on board the journey here,” she said.

New attractions in 2024: Tiana ride, Penguin Trek, DreamWorks land, ‘Life’

• For related, see: Emergency declared as Southern California storm is called potentially catastrophic and life-threatening

Disneyland moved up its closing time on Monday, Feb. 5 from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Disney California Adventure will also close at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than scheduled, according to the Disneyland app. Disneyland and DCA each closed an hour early on Sunday due to the rain.

Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain closed on Monday due to the rain, according to the parks’ social media accounts. Magic Mountain was closed on Sunday and Knott’s closed at 5 p.m. Sunday due to the rain.

SeaWorld San Diego also closed on Monday due inclement weather, according to the marine park’s website. SeaWorld’s Weather-or-Not program provides a free return visit when rain, thunder, lightning, hail, winds, heat, snow or a hurricane force the closure of the park.

• For related, see: Rain map: Orange County’s wettest spots from atmospheric river

Knott’s, Magic Mountain and SeaWorld often close on rainy days while Disneyland quietly closes early on rainy days that diminish crowds at the Anaheim theme park. Local parks typically make the decision whether to close each morning due to weather conditions.

Legoland California offers a “Rainy Day Promise” that allows visitors to return within a year when storms ruin the day.

Universal Studios tickets are rain or shine with no complimentary admission to return another day when it rains.

The Great Maple restaurant serves as the flagship eatery in the newly renovated Pixar-themed hotel that debuted on Tuesday, Jan. 30.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel is like walking into an animator’s studio

As part of the hotel’s gradual transformation, Great Maple opened in November with a menu that includes hamburgers, fried chicken, ribs, fish, steak, seafood, pasta and salads.

During a media preview, I tasted about a dozen items from the Great Maple menu. Here are five of my favorites:

1) Fried Chicken & Doughnuts

It’s pretty hard to resist the buttermilk fried chicken and maple bacon doughnuts topped with a healthy dose of maple syrup. It’s always a good sign when a restaurant’s signature dish lives up to its reputation.

ALSO SEE: Bing Bong brings his rainbow wagon to Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel

2) Portobello Mushroom Fries

Billed as “Everyone’s Favorite Starter,” the parmesan-crusted portobello mushroom spears are topped with red pepper flakes and basil pesto aioli. This was the biggest surprise on the menu — and an open secret for Great Maple regulars.

ALSO SEE: Downtown Disney restaurant closing after 20 years — What could replace it?

3) Soda Pop Baby Back Ribs

The fall-off-the-bone slow-braised and grilled half rack of ribs comes with hot honey slaw and a white cheddar biscuit. It was hard to stop eating these sweet, sticky and finger-licking good ribs.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland commits $1.9 billion for theme park expansion

4) Steakhouse Burger

The thick and juicy burger is served with aged white cheddar, arugula, tomato, pickled red onions and aioli with a side of French fries, parmesan truffle fries, champagne maple vinaigrette salad or mini Caesar. Everyone does a gastropub burger — but this one stands out from the pack.

ALSO SEE: 8 returning favorites at Disneyland’s Lunar New Year food festival

5) Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is one of my five basic food groups — so I have a high bar when it comes to this American comfort food staple. Great Maple’s corkscrew pasta with aged white cheddar, American cheese and herb panko gratin comes with an option to add maple chili bacon. When has bacon not made anything better?

Southern California-based Great Maple has other locations in Fashion Island, Pasadena Paseo and San Diego.

Knott’s closed on Thursday, Feb. 1 due to inclement weather, according to the Buena Park theme park’s official Twitter page. Knott’s tickets purchased for Thursday are valid any day through Feb. 25.

ALSO SEE: 10 rainy day closures cost Knott’s Berry Farm millions in early 2023

SeaWorld San Diego also closed on Thursday because of inclement weather and will reopen on Friday, Feb. 2, according to the marine park’s website. SeaWorld’s Weather-or-Not program provides a free return visit when rain, thunder, lightning, hail, winds, heat, snow or a hurricane force the closure of the park.

The latest rainfall hammering Southern California is thanks to a Pineapple Express weather system carrying heavy rain from the tropical Pacific — specifically from the Hawaiian islands area.

Other Southern California theme parks remained open despite the back-to-back storms forecast to wallop the Southland through early next week.

ALSO SEE: Bing Bong brings his rainbow wagon to Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel

Disneyland is set to close early at 8 p.m. on Thursday to empty the Anaheim theme park of daily visitors so the separate admission Sweethearts’ Nite after-hours event can get started. Disney Lovebirds will want to bring a raincoat, boots and an umbrella along with their romantic intentions.

Across the esplanade, Disney California Adventure is scheduled to remain open until 9 p.m. on Thursday.

Universal Studios Hollywood is scheduled to close at 6 p.m. on Thursday while Legoland California will stay open until 4:30 p.m.

Legoland California offers a “Rainy Day Promise” that allows visitors to return within a year when storms ruin the day.

Universal Studios tickets are rain or shine with no complimentary admission to return another day when it rains.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the winter season.