Orlando’s 2025 highlights and lowlights in theme parks, theater and cannabis

Last December, I predicted that 2025 might prove to be a pivotal year for Central Florida’s arts and attractions industries, which then appeared poised at the precipice of either historic expansion or an epic implosion. In the end, both possibilities turned out to be somewhat true, as Orlando welcomed many exciting new experiences while bidding far too many bitter farewells. Here are the highlights and lowlights across my past year covering our community’s live active cultures.

Without a doubt, the long-awaited debut of Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe was the theme park industry’s biggest event of the year, if not the century. I was lucky enough to be invited to pre-opening previews and lavish grand opening celebration (try to spot me in final episode of Peacock’s Epic Ride documentary) but you can judge my genuine love for the new park by the absurd amount of money I’ve spent on single-day admission over the past six months, in the ongoing absence of annual passes. 

Tragically, Kevin Zavala’s death aboard Stardust Racers (and other injury claims that have followed his family’s settlement with the park) has cast a shadow over that world-class coaster. And although Universal wisely restricted initial attendance to avoid a repeat of Universal Studios Florida’s infamous inaugural summer, with over 20,000 guests per day visiting over the holidays, Epic’s deficit of people-eating E-tickets is showing up in triple-digit wait times for the top rides. Happily, a massive new indoor Harry Potter broomstick ride, along with other fast-tracked additions, should alleviate Epic’s congestion over the coming years. Universal’s older parks are also receiving some much-need TLC as construction commences on replacements for USF’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and IOA’s Lost Continent; also look for Volcano Bay to close next fall for a multi-month makeover. 

In Anaheim, Mickey went all out celebrating Disneyland’s 70th birthday with new entertainment and returning favorites, including the controversial first-ever Walt animatronic and celebrated Paint the Night parade, putting to shame the Magic Kingdom’s meager golden anniversary in 2021. But as Walt Disney World prepares to turn 55, we’re left looking back over a year marked by more endings than arrivals. EPCOT’s Test Track emerged from its second makeover with more impressive visuals, but even less educational value. Disney Starlight, Magic Kingdom’s first new nighttime parade in decades, turned out to not be worth the wait, with dazzling float designs undermined by uninspiring music and understaffing. And my most memorable WDW visits of 2025 were bittersweet final pilgrimages to MuppetVision 4-D and the Rivers of America (with Disney Legend Tom Nabbe, Disneyland’s original Tom Sawyer, who is remarkably OK with his island’s extinction), both of which were evicted for upcoming Pixar attractions. 

Outside of Orlando’s attractions, the cruise industry was the shining star of the Sunshine State’s year in tourism. Most of the major cruise lines launched their latest mega-ships out of Florida’s ports, and I was fortunate to sail aboard during some celebrity-studded christening celebrations. MSC stepped up to the big leagues with their ginormous World America, and announced its sister ship World Atlantic will sail out of Port Canaveral starting in 2027; I still say stick to their exclusive Yacht Club, even on these newer vessels. My first experience aboard Princess Cruises didn’t quite live up to their stellar reputation for service, but I was still spellbound by Star Princess’ immersive at-sea outpost of L.A.’s famous Magic Castle. Best of all, Norwegian Cruise Line knocked me out with their authorized Prince musical production and cirque spectacular, which I was able to follow from NCL’s Tampa-area rehearsal studio to the Aqua’s main stage.

Within the world of theater, by all rights the highlight of my year should have been my trip to New York City to see Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot — my all-time favorite play, which I’d previously seen starring Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin, and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen — with Bill & Ted alumni Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves. However, director Jamie Lloyd’s visually striking production proved both frustratingly expectation-subverting and fan-servicing to a fault. The expensive experience emphasized once again that Orlando offers theatrical experiences that equal or outdo anything around Times Square, whether we’re talking about some of the terrific national tours that came through the Dr. Phillips Center this year (including Water for Elephants and Hadestown) or Off-Broadway-worthy revivals from local companies like Theater West End.

Sadly, the same issue that has plagued Orlando’s arts community throughout recent years only became more acute in 2025: the lack of affordable venues for nomadic troupes to rehearse and perform in. Despite the ongoing space squeeze there were several bright spots, as some cultural keystones happily received new homes or rejuvenated existing institutions. Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts sadly said goodbye to founder Chris Cortez due to health issues, but got to move into the coveted former Winter Park Library building. Winter Park Playhouse is performing their classic musicals at Orlando Shakes while major upgrades are underway at their Orange Avenue storefront, which they were finally able to purchase with Tourism Development Tax funding after 23 years. Imagine Performing Arts Center continued to thrive in the Oviedo Mall, providing a platform for challenging works like Ensemble Co.’s chilling revival of Bryony Lavery’s Frozen, which was arguably superior to the one I co-produced years ago. And Theater on the Edge happily reopened with emotionally affecting mountings of Birds of North America and The Sunset Limited to celebrate co-founder Samantha DiGeorge’s recovery from cancer.

Unfortunately, the venue victories of 2025 feel outweighed by the list of losses, starting last winter with Orlando Fringe’s exit from their ArtSpace stages above Church Street, following floods and other downtown plagues. The organization carried forward with a successful May festival, and their Orlando Out Fest gracefully transitioned into The Center’s Q Fest, but the move curtailed much of Fringe’s year-round programming. Currently, the ex-ArtSpace is temporarily occupied by Renaissance Theatre Co., but reopening plans for The Ren’s permanent building near Loch Haven — which was shuttered by the city during the Halloween season — remain TBA at the moment. We lost photographer and arts advocate Patrick Kahn, along with his Snap! Gallery; Jeanine Taylor is retiring from her Sanford folk art gallery; and the long list of restaurants and bars that announced their closures this year includes long-running live music venues like Tanqueray’s and Muldoon’s Saloon. Personally, the final bow that hit me hardest was Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows, which not only served up delicious hens with their whodunits, but served as an important safety net and launching pad for countless local actors.

Finally, if all these dizzying highs and lows in arts and attractions make you want to spark one up, don’t look to the cannabis industry for a calm and quiet year in review. 2025 began with the aftermath of recreational marijuana’s defeat at the ballot box, before new restrictions stuck into this fall’s federal shutdown legislation recriminalized the rapidly growing market for hemp-derived THC. Then, President Trump upended everything again with his recent executive order rescheduling reefer like other prescription drugs. Amidst all these wild swings, Orlando’s MMJ community continued to expand, as I watched Goldflower open their doors, attended one of Leafwell’s free medical card events, and toured Insa’s cutting-edge growing facility with CEO Peter Gallagher; hat tip to their new 30 mg Energy tablets, which helped power me through some 30,000-step theme park days. 

Whether it’s weed or the wider world, things appear unlikely to become any more stable in the upcoming year. So as 2025 comes to a close, I say smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em.  

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This article appears in Dec. 24-30, 2025.

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