138. Journalist Ashley Carter on the VelociCoaster, Avengers Campus, and More

Ashley Carter works as a digital journalist for Spectrum News 13 in the Orlando area.

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It’s an exciting time to be a theme park fan. So many new attractions are on the way, including big ones next month. Disneyland has finally reopened after a nearly 14-month absence, and the COVID vaccine is more available every week. The VelociCoaster and Avengers Campus will arrive in early June, and I can’t wait to learn all about them. This episode’s guest on The Tomorrow Society Podcast will definitely stay busy this summer. Ashley Carter is a digital journalist who covers theme parks for Spectrum News 13 in Orlando. On this show, we chat about all the latest news from the parks.

Ashley and I start by covering the VelociCoaster, which should make a big impact at Islands of Adventure. I’m interested in how much it will draw crowds to Universal, especially when capacity restrictions are lower. That coaster is opening in June, while Disney is waiting until October for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. This move aligns with the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World, so it makes sense. We also discuss the potential impact of Nintendo and the Epic Universe park, which will continue the push from Universal. Disney is also opening the Avengers Campus in June, which is an exciting addition to DCA.

We also talk about Ashley’s background, which includes working on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror while in the Disney College Program. Ashley talks about what it’s like to cover the parks as a journalist and how she ended up working in that role. We conclude the podcast with some fun questions about what Ashley enjoys (and doesn’t like) at the parks. It was a blast to dive into news from the parks with an expert directly covering it in Orlando.