Universal Orlando Resort is conducting a star search for its new vlogger-style series, WKMG reports.

Anyone under 18, without a parent or guardian, must leave CityWalk at 9 p.m.

Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Orlando’s premier fall event, is set to return this year for a record-breaking 43 nights.

Universal Orlando is reinstating its mask requirements beginning Christmas Eve as COVID-19 cases are surging as a result of the omicron variant.

Halloween Horror Nights opened for its 30th year to some terrifying screams Friday night at Universal Orlando Resort.

Research and development of the coaster has also been years in the making, but overall construction took a little more than two years.

Say it twice. Halloween Horror Nights confirmed its first haunted house for its 30th year: Beetlejuice. “Beetlejuice will haunt, taunt and send you screaming out of the haunted house.”The 2021 theme will be Halloween Horror Nights 30: Never Go Alone. The event will be held on select nights from Sept. 3 - Oct. 31. Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience will also arrive at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights in 2021.

The U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday reported an estimated 23,982 first-time jobless applications in Florida during the week that ended Nov. 21, a decrease of 376 from the prior week. Ron DeSantis to issue a statewide mask mandate to address recent increases in COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The federal estimate also followed the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announcing Friday the state’s unemployment rate for October was 6.5 percent, down from 7.2 percent in September. The decline in new unemployment claims comes as the state has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases during the past month. Walt Disney Co. had earlier informed the state of about 18,000 layoffs occurring at Florida properties starting in December.

Disney this week will begin cutting an hour or two out of each day at its four Florida theme parks. Amusement parks across the South that had their seasons delayed by virus outbreaks in the spring deal with a second punch with the summer flareups across the Sun Belt. Cedar Fair Entertainment, which operates those two, has reopened just half of its 13 amusement parks and water parks across North America. Kennywood, an amusement park near Pittsburgh, delayed its opening twice this year, cut ticket prices in half and then decided to end its season early on Labor Day. The safest thing is to finish on a high note.The parks attendance started slow after its July opening but picked up as people began feeling more comfortable with the safety measures in place, he said.

ORLANDO, Fla. Almost two months after reopening, Universal Orlando is laying off an undisclosed number of workers. Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said in an email Monday that the Florida theme park resort was reducing its workforce to reflect current priorities and needs." Universal has put the construction of a new theme park, Epic Universe, on pause because of the pandemic. Like theme park operators around the U.S., Universal Orlando closed its doors in mid-March as the novel coronavirus started spreading in the U.S. It was the first of Orlando's major theme park operators to reopen when it welcomed back visitors in early June.

Disney World has an overall workforce of 77,000 employees, the nation's largest single-site labor force. Florida has had a surging coronavirus caseload recently, and other Disney parks around the globe have run into coronavirus-related roadblocks. Leaders of the Disney World workers' unions describe the virus-related safety measures Disney has taken as exemplary." Singing their praises seems so strange," said Julee Jerkovich, an official with a United Food & Commercial Workers union, which represents Disney merchandise and banquet workers. Local 362, which represents Disney World park greeters, attractions workers and custodians.

ORLANDO, Fla. Days after reopening two theme parks amid a spike in coronavirus cases in Florida, Walt Disney World on Wednesday welcomed back visitors to two more theme parks that had been shuttered since March because of the new coronavirus. The Florida theme park resort reopened Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, completing a rolling opening of Disney World's theme parks that started last weekend with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom welcoming back visitors. The parks were the last of Orlando's major theme parks to reopen after being shuttered since March. The union that represents Disney World actors and singers has filed a grievance against Disney, saying their members faced retaliation for demanding coronavirus tests. Despite the parks being reopened, not all of Disney World's 77,000-member workforce has been called back to work because of the limits on attendance.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A record number of coronavirus cases for both the Florida and Duval County was reported Friday by the state Department of Health. According to the latest data released, Duval County saw 175 new cases of COVID-19 -- a record for the third day in a row. Jacksonville now has 2,484 confirmed cases of coronavirus, an increase of 175 cases in the last 24 hours. Curry cited a figure of 2.8% for positive cases in Duval County on Tuesday. Several bars and restaurants in Jacksonville Beach closed over the last several days because of reports of customers and employees testing positive for COVID-19.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. According to data released Wednesday morning by the Florida Department of Health, Duval County saw its second record day in a row for newly reported COVID-19 cases. Jacksonville now has 2,194 confirmed cases of coronavirus, an increase of 82 cases in the last 24 hours. That follows a jump of 80 cases on Tuesday for Duval County. The total number of tests administered has gone up by 28.6% in that same two-week period, but that is the number of tests, not the number of people tested. The DOH reported the total number of coronavirus related deaths is now at 3,018 with one additional death in Columbia County reported in the last 24 hours.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The number of new daily coronavirus cases reported by Florida health officials jumped by another record high on Tuesday morning with 2,783 confirmed cases reported in the last 24 hours. Last Wednesday, the Florida Department of Health reported 67,371 Floridians and visitors to the state had been diagnosed with COVID-19. On Tuesday -- seven days later -- the Department of Health reported 80,109 total cases, an increase of 12,738 -- an 18.9% rise in the last week. The positive cases the state lists are only for the first time the patient tests positive. The DOH reported the total number of coronavirus related deaths is now at 2,993 with two additional deaths in Duval County.

June began with 56,153 Floridians and visitors to the state diagnosed with COVID-19. On Monday, the Department of Health reports 77,326 total cases, in an increase of 21,173. The state now reports a total of 12,015 patients have been hospitalized with coronavirus, an increase of 73 new hospitalizations. As of Sunday's report from the health department, Florida had administered 1.43 million tests for COVID-19. The positive cases the state lists, however, are only for the first time the patient tests positive.

ORLANDO, Fla. Some Florida bars and restaurants are temporarily closing their doors after being back open for just a few weeks because workers or patrons have tested positive for the new coronavirus. The closures come as the number of new daily coronavirus cases in Florida on Sunday exceeded 2,000 cases for a second day in a row. The Florida Department of Health reported that Florida had 75,568 total cases and 2,931 related deaths. Three bars in downtown St. Petersburg and two restaurants in the city's restaurant district have temporarily closed recently after some staffers tested positive for the virus. The vast majority of people who test positive for the coronavirus recover and many never experience any symptoms.

In this Wednesday, June 3, 2020 photo, signs about social distancing and other protocols are seen about the theme park as guests walk by at Universal Orlando Resort Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. Universal Orlando became the first of Orlando's major theme park resorts to reopen by allowing annual pass-holders to return to its three parks Wednesday and Thursday. All of Florida's theme parks temporarily closed this spring, and Floridians and theme parks fans across the U.S. were forced to stay home because of state and local lockdown orders meant to stop the virus's spread. Orlando's theme park industry, and synergistic businesses like hotels and restaurants, were devastated by the coronavirus-related closures. Tens of thousands of workers were furloughed and the theme park resorts have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Tourism in Florida fell 10.7% in the first quarter of 2020 from the same period a year earlier, and the estimate may be optimistic. Visit Florida also has pointed to potentially long-term effects of the coronavirus on the tourism industry, saying people are expected to initially prefer short drives rather than long flights as they look to travel. Passengers getting on board planes at 19 Florida airports in the quarter decreased 11.6%compared to 2019, the report said. Meanwhile, Visit Florida staff put current marketing plans on hold as it has worked on a rebound plan that will initially focus on Floridians taking in-state trips. In 2019, Florida attracted a record 131.4 million travelers, making it the ninth consecutive year of increased tourism numbers.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. SeaWorld and Walt Disney World will reopen in Orlando, Florida, in June and July after months of inactivity because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to plans a city task force approved Wednesday. Disney plans a tiered reopening, with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opening on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. Disney World also plans smaller, soft openings prior to July 11, but no specifics were provided. When Disney Springs, a complex of restaurants and shops near Disney World, reopened, the company formed social distancing squads," which McPhee said have been popular with guests. Disney employees will be required to do temperature checks before heading to work, McPhee said.

ORLANDO, Fla. Walt Disney World is presenting its plans for reopening after being shuttered along with Florida's other theme parks since mid-March because of the new coronavirus. Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando will present their proposals for phased reopenings before an Orange County task force on Wednesday, said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. With 77,000 workers, Disney World is central Floridas biggest employer. Last week, Disney World allowed third-party businesses at its Disney Springs dining and shopping complex to open with new restrictions. Crosstown rival, Universal Orlando, presented its reopening proposal last week to county officials, saying it was aiming to reopen June 5.

ORLANDO, Fla. Walt Disney World is presenting its plans for reopening after being shuttered along with Floridas other theme parks since mid-March because of the new coronavirus. Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando will present their proposals for phased reopenings before an Orange County task force on Wednesday, said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. With 77,000 workers, Disney World is central Floridas biggest employer. Last week, Disney World allowed third-party businesses at its Disney Springs dining and shopping complex to open with new restrictions. Crosstown rival, Universal Orlando, presented its reopening proposal last week to county officials, saying it was aiming to reopen June 5.

ORLANDO, Fla. The Orange County Economic Recovery task force approved Universal Orlandos plans to reopen theme parks to staff beginning June 1 and to guests on June 5, WKMG reports. Upon opening, guests would be subject to mandatory temperature checks stationed at all park entrances. Team Members and guests would be required to wear masks at all times while at the park, and masks would be provided if guests did not bring one. Universal Orlando closed all three of its parks on March 15 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. CityWalk reopened last week with modified hours of operation from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. with face mask requirements in place.

ORLANDO, Fla. Universal Orlando is aiming to reopen its theme parks in early June, a resort official said Thursday, more than two months after the company joined crosstown rivals Disney World and SeaWorld in closing their gates to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Universal Orlando executive John Sprouls asked Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings for approval to open the companys theme parks as early as June 5, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Universal, Disney World and SeaWorld have been closed since mid-March in an effort to stop the virus's spread. Officials with Disney World havent said when they plan to reopen. Many of those same protocols will be implemented at the theme parks.

These are the new safety measures Florida's largest industry is adopting as tourism businesses battered by coronavirus-related lockdowns start reopening, industry leaders told Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday. Interim SeaWorld CEO Marc Swanson told Pence that he expected to be open in June. An entertainment complex at Universal Orlando partially reopened last week, and Universal Executive Vice President John Sprouls told Pence it had been a success. Before meeting with tourism officials, Pence visited the Westminster Baldwin Park senior facility in Orlando, where he signed a box of personnel protective equipment and praised the facility for not having a single case of the coronavirus. Ron DeSantis told Pence that the problem areas in Florida had been prisons and nursing homes, and hes not seeing spikes in the general public.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Magic Kingdom is said to be the “The Most Magical Place On Earth,” but right now, that’s not how it appears. WKMG, a New4Jax sister station, flew SKY 6 over the parks in Orlando on Monday. It looked like a ghost town. Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Legoland announced last week that all of its respective parks will be closed, starting Monday, through the end of the month. The decision marks the longest closures ever for the theme parks, which have previously shut down for hurricanes and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Orlando park visitors have been debating Hurricane Dorian since Wednesday. Orlando parks rarely closeIt's rare that the parks close. Disney has only closed its Orlando theme parks a handful of times since its initial opening in 1971, mostly for weather related reasons. More recent closures were in response to Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. "If you're staying at a Universal Orlando or Disney World hotel, they will likely try to add some extra entertainment when the parks close," he said.