Park

Tourists ‘ran in terror’ after a 90mph tornado flattened a popular Butlin’s resort, uprooting trees from the ground and ripping roofs from chalets. Now, the site looks completely different

Roofs were ‘ripped like paper’ from this once-thriving Butlin’s resort that has now taken on a completely new breath of life.

Back in 1947, a 150-acre stretch of rolling farmland – sandwiched in between mountains and sea – was transformed into a Red Coat holiday camp, after previously being used as a training centre for the Admiralty and Merchant Navy during World War Two. Located in Pwllheli, in Wales, it had the capacity to welcome a whopping 8,000 visitors at any one time, and even boasted its own miniature railway that whizzed holidaymakers from the centre of the complex over to the beach.

Like any classic Butlin’s site, the resort boasted a huge outdoor swimming pool with a five-tier water feature, along with a boating lake, ballroom, tennis courts, cosy cabins, and thrilling fun fair rides. In 1987, it is believed the camp bought the Vekoma Boomerang, a stomach-churning roller coaster that consisted of six loops (three of which went backward).

When it came to entertainment, the Pwllheli site also did not disappoint. “Ringo Starr appeared at the camp during his pre-Beatles era,” reports Butlin’s Memories. “His group, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, appeared for a 13-week engagement in 1960. The booking was due to start on June 4, but Ringo declined due to his impending marriage. In the end, the marriage was cancelled so he could go to Butlin’s.”

However, on August 14, 1989, the site was wrecked by a freak tornado that sparked carnage in the seaside town. According to North Wales Live, tourists ‘ran in terror’ as 90mph winds ripped roofs from lodges, chucked boats into the air, and uprooted trees from the ground.

“I remember I’d just come back in from having tea. It had been a gorgeous day, the sun had been shining all day long,” Ian Bond, who was at the camp when the tornado hit, said. “We went back into our chalets, then all of a sudden there was this huge bang and a crash. Then it went really quiet.”

Ian explained how when he looked outside, all he could see was ‘grey dust everywhere’ before the terrifying twister became visible. “It came up over the headland near where the cable cars used to be, and up over the boating lake. It literally split all the trees and you could see the path where it had been,” he added.

“Then it came towards the chalets. We ran back inside and then it hit us. It ripped everything to pieces. When it passed, we looked up and the roof of the chalets were just gone, ripped off.”

With the majority of the camp flattened, and more than 35,000 forced to cut their holiday short, the tornado caused an estimated damage of £2 million. A £30 million investment scheme was announced a year later, and the site rebranded as Starcoast World – boasting a new subtropical water-world known as StarSplash.

But by the end of 1997, the Pwllheli camp was transferred to Haven Holidays – and the survivIng Butlin’s features were bulldozed. Chalets were replaced with static caravans, and the funfair and miniature railway were removed.

Now, the area is home to the Hafan-y-Mor Holiday Park, which was given an AA 5 Platinum Star award last year. The popular Haven site features an adventure village, water park and pool, as well as four-lane slide and flume. Visitors can now opt to stay in Caravans, Lodges, or Apartments – with three-night stays costing as little as £49.

*Prices based on Haven listings at the time of writing.

Which UK seaside town should get a new Butlin’s site? Have your say in the comments section below

A former cast member at a Disney theme park has said there’s one thing she wishes guests would stop doing while visiting, and it can ruin someone’s day if you break the unwritten rule

When you go to a Disney theme park like Disney World or Disneyland, there are some golden rules you should follow. For example, most people know that adults are banned from dressing up as Disney characters because they might confuse children into thinking they’re the real cast members, and there’s also a ban on bringing folding chairs and drones into the parks because of the disruption they might cause.

But did you know there are also rules about how to interact with cast members? Many of these are unspoken, but there are some things you should never do when you meet the actors and actresses who are dressed up as your favourite Disney characters.

Kayla Nicole, a former Disney cast member, shared a video on TikTok in which she highlighted the number one thing she wished people would stop doing when they line up to meet Disney princesses.

During her eight years as a cast member, the woman played a number of roles at the park, including Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Merida from Brave, and Cinderella. She said that if you’re ever meeting two characters at once, you should never ignore one in favour of the other.

She explained: “If you’re in a meet-and-greet location like the hall, where you have one princess on this carpet and a different princess on the other carpet, do not skip one to go to the other.

“Operationally, that tiny little area between princesses is getting clogged up. But beyond the operational aspect, there’s a humanity aspect. How would you feel getting consistently skipped over? With side eyes and smirks and backs turned, not even acknowledging you.

“Per our rules, we’re supposed to average around 70 seconds for each interaction to make it fair for every family. So if you’re skipping a princess, you are saving one minute of your time and potentially causing a world of hurt to that performer.”

Kayla said that despite the cast members doing everything in their power to embody the character they’re playing, they are still real people underneath the costume, and they have real feelings. She also said this can be even more difficult for people of colour playing princesses like Tiana from The Princess and the Frog or Elena from Elena of Avalor.

She added: “Imagine you’re a person of colour playing Elena or Tiana, the two characters that meet in the hall. In real life, you feel looked over, given fewer opportunities, etc, and then you come to your job and people are still looking over you.

“We’ve had to stop loading the rooms so many times throughout my Disney career because my Elena was crying at how she was being treated. I promise you, you’re still going to make that Space Mountain fast pass.

“If you’re a guest, just walk up, smile, and say hey. The performer should, in theory, take the reins and guide the entire interaction from there on. Just ‘yes and’ everything they say and it’ll be over before you know it.”

Several commenters on the video shared their own experiences with seeing Disney princesses skipped over, especially when it comes to lesser-known characters.

One person said: “Elena was my daughter’s favourite princess when we went. People kept skipping her over, and she spent extra time with my little, and we never knew of that princess before.”

Another added: “I never watched Elena’s show, but we had such a great interaction when I met her! I’m glad she took the reins because honestly, I was so nervous about what to say to her. Total sweetheart!”

“Sometimes you let them fight for a little while.” Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine are like two children fighting in a park and sometimes it’s better to wait before breaking them up. He was speaking in an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who said America is in a strong position to end the war.

POLICE have issued CCTV footage in the hopes of finding a woman who went missing three months ago.

Portia Vincent-Kirby, 33, disappeared on February 21 at around 8.45pm after seeing friends in Hyde Park, London.

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Portia was reported missing on March 13, prompting police to begin trawling CCTV footage in a bid to trace her

The last confirmed sighting of her was at the Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel on Friday March 14.

Portia, who is single and lives alone in a flat in North Finchley, is described as slim with blue eyes and shoulder-length dyed blonde hair, but often wears a baseball cap.

The sociable, outgoing young woman ran as the Green Party candidate for Hendon, North London, in 2019 – with her brother saying “she’s not the kind of person who just vanishes“.

Her family are urging her to contact them, after it was revealed by police her phone and bank cards have not been used in weeks.

Her mum, Janina said: “We are all very worried as Portia is very vulnerable.

“Portia has not been in contact with or seen by any family or friends since February.

“We appeal to the public for anyone to please come forward if they know anything about her or her whereabouts.

“We also appeal to Portia directly, please get in touch with any of your family or friends.”

PC Harjinder Kang, from the Met’s north west missing persons unit, added: “We are growing increasingly concerned for Portia’s safety, as this behaviour is out of character for her.

“We urge anyone who may have seen her to contact police.

“Officers have been carrying out a number of enquiries in an effort to trace her and we are now turning to the public for help.

“Please get in touch if you can help us locate Portia.”

Speaking previously, her brother Max, 31, said: “She’s got a master’s degree, she’s an intelligent girl, she’s not the kind of person who just vanishes.

“It’s like she’s dropped off the face of the earth.

He added: “She is very much her own person, but she has lots of friends.

“We reported her missing on March 13 after we realised none of her friends had seen her in weeks.

“The police were then able to look at her bank cards and phone, they can check when it was last used unlike using the ticks on Whatsapp to see if messages were delivered.

“They found out that they hadn’t been used for nearly three weeks, since the start of March.

“Who doesn’t need money for nearly three weeks? Even if you’d met someone you’d go out and get coffee or something, it just doesn’t make sense.”

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Portia also has strong links to Medway, where she is from.

Police would urge anyone with information on her whereabouts to call police on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting 01/7262039/25.

Tears flowed from Freddie Freeman as he sat in a Dodger Stadium interview room Aug. 5 and described the arduous recovery his 3-year-old son Max was making from a rare neurological condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.

Max had returned home from a five-night stay at Children’s Hospital Orange County, and Freeman was back in the Dodgers lineup after missing eight games to be with his family during the ordeal.

Two months later, the Dodgers were playing host to the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. A police officer approached Freeman’s wife, Chelsea, to ask how Max was doing.

A photograph of Officer Samuel Riveros provided by the Baldwin Police Department.

(Baldwin Police Department.)

The officer, Samuel Riveros of the Baldwin Park Police Dept., smiled and handed her a police patch to give to Max.

Riveros was killed Saturday in Baldwin Park when a gunman fatally shot him in the head while Riveros was rushing to the aid of a fellow officer who also had been shot, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told The Times.

Chelsea Freeman related meeting Riveros on her Instagram Stories and offered her family’s condolences.

“Our hearts are heavy hearing of his passing this week,” she posted. “We met during the Dodgers/Mets playoffs. He came up to me, asked how my son Max was doing and handed me his police patch to give to him.

“A small gesture that meant so much.”

Freddie Freeman was a World Series hero for the Dodgers in 2024, hitting a walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 against the New York Yankees. He is off to a hot start in 2025, currently leading the NL with a .368 batting average.

Riveros had been a Baldwin Park officer since 2016, joined the agency’s SWAT team in 2019, and had recently become a field training officer, which in a statement the agency called a “testament to his leadership and mentorship.”

Riveros was known for his devotion to the Dodgers, even traveling to the stadiums of opposing teams to watch them play, according to Baldwin Park Police Chief Robert A. López.

“Officer Riveros gave his life in service to others, a profound testament to his unwavering dedication to duty and selfless courage,” the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. wrote in a statement. “His loss is profoundly felt — not only by his family and colleagues, but by the entire Baldwin Park community and law enforcement family.”

Eduardo Roberto Medina-Berumen, 22, was arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held in lieu of $4 million bail, according to the Sheriff’s Department. He lives with his mother at the Baldwin Park address on Filhurst Avenue, where gunfire erupted Saturday night, a source said.

“This tragic shooting is a sobering reminder of the danger our first responders face when they answer the call,” Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement.

Joanna Miller was 10 — no, “10 and three-quarters,” she clarifies — when she lost her grandfather. Even then, in December 1966, she shared him with the world.

For Miller’s grandad was Walt Disney, a name that would emblazen one of the largest entertainment conglomerates in the world, and come to signify uniquely American storytelling, family-friendly optimism and the creation of the modern theme park. Front-page stories across the globe announced his death, hailing him as a “world enchanter,” “amusement king” and “wizard of fantasy.”

But to Miller, he was just “grampa.”

She peppers stories about Disney in her conversations, often going down tangents as she recalls heartwarming moments. Such as the Christmas season when Disney, despite having access to Hollywood’s most renown artists, put Miller’s drawings on a holiday card. “The bad art we were doing when we were 6 years old? He treated them like they were great works,” she says.

She pauses, a tear forming in her eye. “He was just the greatest guy. The best guy.”

Jennifer Goff, from left, Tammy Miller, Joanna Miller, Walter Miller and Chris Miller speak onstage during the Walt Disney Family Museum’s second annual gala at Disney’s Grand Californian in November 2016 in Anaheim. Joanna has become vocal that her grandfather, Walt Disney, never wanted to be immortalized as a robotic figurine.

(Joe Scarnici / Getty Images for the Walt Disney Family Museum)

Miller is, to put it mildly, protective of Disney. So is the Walt Disney Co., and as Disneyland Resort’s 70th anniversary in July approaches, both share a goal — to remind audiences of the man behind the corporate name. Last fall the company announced that an audio-animatronic of Disney would grace the opera house on Main Street, U.S.A., long home to “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.” The new show, “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” will give parkgoers a sense of “what it would have been like to be in Walt’s presence,” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro explained at the announcement.

The way Miller sees it, it’s an abomination.

“Dehumanizing,” she wrote in a Facebook post that went viral among Disney’s vast fandom. Calling the figure a “robotic grampa,” she wrote, “People are not replaceable. You could never get the casualness of his talking.” She also argued staunchly that Disney was against such mechanical immortalization.

Interior of the Illinois Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair, May 15, 1964, where an animatronic of Abraham Lincoln was unveiled.

(Bob Goldberg / Associated Press)

She stands by the post — she’s one of the few, she says, to have seen the animatronic in the fake flesh — but also nervously laughs as she reflects on the attention it has brought her. Miller has long lived a private life, noting she considers herself shy — she declined to be photographed for this story — and says repeatedly it pains her to take a stand against the Walt Disney Co. She frets that the company will take away her access to the park, granted as part of an agreement when her father, the late Ron W. Miller, stepped down as CEO in 1984.

Roy Disney, left, and Ron Miller check over film strips in the editing room in 1967 at Disney’s film studio in Burbank. The family sold naming and portrait rights of Walt Disney in 1981 to the company.

(Associated Press)

But as Miller sees it, she has to speak up. “He’s ours,” Miller says of Disney. “We’re his family.”

Most robotic figures in Disney parks represent fictional characters or overly-saturated political personalities, such as those in Florida’s Hall of Presidents, which includes President Trump and living former presidents. Few speak and most are limited to statuesque movements. And unlike an attraction in which the company has full narrative control, such as a Pirates of the Caribbean, “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” represents real life and a person who happens to have living, vocal descendants.

And real life is complicated.

“When you get older,” Miller says, sometimes when things go wrong in life, “you just start to get pissed off. And you get tired of being quiet. So I spoke up on Facebook. Like that was going to do anything? The fact that it got back to the company is pretty funny.”

Get back to the company it did, as Miller soon found herself having an audience with Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger.

These days, Miller is in the midst of remodeling Disney’s first L.A. home in Los Feliz, a craftsman bungalow owned in the 1920s by his uncle Robert and aunt Charlotte, who let Disney stay with them when he came from the Midwest. Miller envisions the house hosting events, perhaps workshops and artist talks for arts education nonprofit Ryman Arts.

Its feel is of a mini museum. In the garage sits a Mercedes Benz, the last vehicle Disney owned. Black-and-white images of Disney furnish the walls, decorative “Fantasia” dishware shares space with vintage toys in a glass-doored cabinet, and animation artwork, waiting to be framed, is laid out on one of the beds.

“I have been thinking a lot about this house and what it means,” Miller says. “I wouldn’t be here. Grampa wouldn’t have met granny. This all started because people were helping out grampa. Aunt Charlotte was making peanut brittle in this house that they sold at Disneyland. So this house, there would not be Disney company if it weren’t for this house.”

Miller’s relationship with the company has wavered over the decades. She’s more excited to share memories of Disney than recall the tumultuous corporate period when her father oversaw the behemoth company. On Saturdays, Disney would often bring her and her siblings to the studio. There, they had the run of the place, cruising around the backlot in their very own mini-cars designed for Disneyland’s Autopia ride. Those visits largely ended when Disney died, as her father dedicated his weekends to golf.

Championing Disney, and preserving his legacy, runs in her family. Her mother, Diane, who died in 2013, was the guiding force behind the foundation of San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum. Miller, who long sat on the board, said the idea of creating an animatronic of Disney is not new, and was once considered for the museum.

“When we started the museum, someone said, ‘Hey, let’s do Walt as an animatronic,’” Miller recalls. “And my mom: ‘No. No. No. No.’ Grampa deserves new technology for this museum, but not to be a robot himself.” Her mother, says Miller, “wanted to show him as a real human.”

As American film producer and studio executive Walt Disney talks on the telephone, his wife, Lillian,, plays with three of their grandchildren, Joanna, Tamara and Jennifer in January 1962 in Anaheim. The couple are in their apartment above the Disneyland fire station.

(Tom Nebbia / Corbis via Getty Images)

Miller says she first heard of Disneyland’s animatronic last summer, a few weeks before D’Amaro announced the attraction at the fan convention D23. The show will follow a similar format to the Lincoln attraction, in which a film plays before the animatronic is revealed. Lincoln, for instance, stands and gives highlight’s of the president’s speeches, doing so with subtle, realistic movements. Disney, promises the company, will be even more lifelike, with dialogue taken from his own speeches. D’Amaro said “A Magical Life” had the support of the Disney family, singling out Disney’s grandnephew Roy P. Disney, who was in the audience.

Miller stresses that she does not speak for her five siblings or other descendants, but as she wrote in a letter to Iger, “I do speak for my grandfather and my mother.” Shortly after her Facebook post, Miller was invited to see the figure and meet with Iger and members of Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive creative team responsible for theme park experiences.

“He was very kind,” Miller says of Iger. “He let me do my spiel.”

But she wasn’t swayed. She says she asked him to create a set of guidelines on how the company would portray Disney, and Iger promised to protect his legacy. “But I don’t think he has. They’re different people. He’s a businessman, grampa was an artist.”

Imagineering and Disneyland discussed the project at a media event in April, but the animatronic was not shown, nor were pictures revealed. Imagineering did display an early sculpt used in modeling the robot to show the care taken in crafting Disney. The sculpt depicts Disney in 1963, when he was 62. One could detect age spots on Disney’s hands and weariness around his eyes.

Miller recalls her reaction when she saw the figure.

“I think I started crying,” Miller says. “It didn’t look like him, to me.”

There are at least two Walt Disneys. There’s the company founder, Mickey Mouse designer and Disneyland creator who, later in life, visited millions of Americans via their television sets on the weekly “Disneyland” show and became known as “Uncle Walt.” Then there’s the man Miller knew, a grandfather who exists to the rest of us only via stories.

Sometimes these public-private personalities overlapped, such as the moments Disney would be paraded down Disneyland’s Main Street with Miller and her siblings in tow. Miller pulls out a photo showing her face buried in her lap as she tried to hide from Disney’s adoring fans. Or the times fans caught Miller looking out from Disney’s Main Street apartment, a place where she spent many nights as a child and that still stands today.

She recalls Disney stopping to talk to people at the park. “It was the dearest thing,” she says. He would take photos with fans and sign autographs. “I never ever saw him not be less than tickled and honored that people loved him so much.”

Imagineers argue that the two Walt Disneys are being lost to history.

“Why are we doing this now?” said longtime Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald. He cited two reasons, the first being Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. “The other: I grew up watching Walt Disney on television. I guess I’m the old man. He came into our living room every week and chatted and it was very casual and you felt like you knew the man. But a lot of people today don’t know Walt Disney was an individual.” The company also says that animatronic technology has advanced to a point it can do Disney justice.

Miller is sympathetic to Imagineering’s arguments. It’s clear she holds tremendous respect for the division, believed to have been the aspect of the company Disney held dearest to his heart. She gushes about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the most recent major addition to Disney’s original park. “It’s amazing,” Miller says.

Yet she doesn’t buy into the theory that the company is simply out to preserve Disney’s legacy. If that were the case, she argues, then episodes of his weekly “Disneyland” show would be available on streaming service Disney+.

Worse, she worries an animatronic will turn Disney into a caricature. The robotic Lincoln works, says Miller, because we lack filmed footage of him. She wishes the company had abandoned the animatronic and created an immersive exhibit that could have depicted Disney in his park.

“I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grampa’s legacy,” Miller wrote in her letter to Iger. “They will remember the robot, and not the man.”

Portrait of American movie producer, artist and animator Walt Disney as he sits on a bench in the 1950s in his Disneyland in Anaheim.

(Gene Lester / Getty Images)

Miller has a number of letters and emails of support, some from former Imagineers, but has crossed out their names before handing them to a journalist. Most contacted for this story didn’t return calls or emails, or declined to speak on the record, noting their current business relationships with the Walt Disney Co. The legacy of Disney is “precious yet vulnerable,” said one such source, refusing to give a name because they still work with the company. “Isn’t it honorable when a granddaughter defends her grandfather? There’s nothing in it for her.”

Miller says she simply wants the company to respect Disney’s wishes — that he never be turned into a robot.

“In all our research, we never found any documentation of Walt saying that,” Imagineer Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz said in April. “We know that it’s anecdotal and we can’t speak to what was told to people in private.”

And therein lies a major hurdle Miller faces. Those who Miller says knew of Disney’s preferences — her mother, her father and Imagineers he was closest to, including confidant and former Imagineering chief Marty Sklar — are all dead. That leaves, unless someone else comes forward, only her.

Miller, however, is realistic. Her family’s biggest mistake, she argues, was selling the rights to Disney’s name, likeness and portrait to the company in 1981 for $46.2 million in stock.

It leaves the family little to zero say in how Disney is preserved in the park, although Imagineering says it has worked closely with the Walt Disney Family Museum and those descendants who are currently on the museum board in constructing the animatronic show.

But there’s one thing the Walt Disney Co. can’t control, and that’s Miller’s voice — and her memories.

On their trips to Disneyland, Miller’s grandfather was happy to stop for autographs, but he also signed — in advance — the pages of an office pad. When the crowds became a bit much, he would hand a park-goer an inscribed piece of paper.

“After 10-15 minutes,” Miller recalls, “he would say, ‘Hey, I’m with the grandkids today, and we have things to do.’”

Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe in Florida has opened its doors – with five new worlds to explore within – so naturally I went along to sample the magical delights

Universal Orlando Resort’s newest theme park, Epic Universe, has changed the face of the landscape and what it means to enjoy a holiday full of thrills and spills.

The £7 billion theme park is an immersive, multisensory experience with storytelling at its core. The resort’s fourth theme park and the first to open in 25 years, it invites guests to “explore vibrant worlds filled with extraordinary adventures that go beyond their wildest imaginations” – and it really is magical.

With 50 awe-inspiring attractions,entertainment, dining and shopping experiences in its new park, the Universal parks make up a 700-acre resort space.

READ MORE: Foodie visits biggest McDonald’s in the world and delivers honest 9-word verdict

But it’s not just the stunning scenery, experiences and rides that blew me away – my entire group were wowed by the culinary experiences inside the park. Forget burgers, hotdogs and popcorn – although readily available if you fancy – I dined on exquisite seafood from scallops to King Oysters at Atlantic and freshly made Dim Sum and Ramen noodles at The Blue Dragon, both in Celestial Park.

I also found the best purple pizza called Pizza Lunare in Pizza Moon, complete with an Ube crust – the chunks of roasted garlic were to die for – and melt-in-the-mouth beef brisket at The Oak & Star Tavern.

Let’s explore the worlds a little closer for when you plan your first visit…

Celestial Park

Step through the Chronos – the impressive first portal tower and entrance to the park that when ‘powered’ will align to open up five magical portals for visitors to explore.

I first enjoyed Celestial Park – the cosmic heart of Epic Universe and so much more than just a starting point. Local ‘Celestians’ who inhabit here tend to the lush, tree-lined walkways and I found myself whisked into a whimsical world of greenery, tropical flowers, fountains and ponds.

Everything here is connected heavily to astrology, from the first sight of Luna, goddess of the moon, who oversees the night’s luminescence by her Neptune Pools, to the far side of the park where Apollo, god of the sun, rests. Even the rides are well themed – I enjoyed a gentle sway on the Constellation Carousel and zipped at 62mph on Stardust Racers, a dual racing rollercoaster across 5,000ft of track, which is the park’s top thrill ride for speed and height.

Celestial Park interweaves the other worlds and acts as a calming decompression from the extremities of themes and music in each world. Grab a cocktail at Bar Zenith, watch the fountain show and marvel in the sheer beauty.

MUST DO Visit North Star Wintry Wonders, an all-year Christmas store where it really snows outside – even under the hot Florida sun.

Dark Universe

The storytelling continues as you move through this spooky portal and into monstrous Darkmoor Village. It makes sense – Universal is the pioneer of horror, after all.

Dr Victoria Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s great great-granddaughter, is the proud owner of this world’s central focus – Frankenstein Manor – and she has captured all the monsters but she’s having some trouble with Dracula. Ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment as you navigate the catacombs of the manor to “help” Victoria (you won’t help – but you will scream).

The ride’s technology is phenomenal and the animatronics are creative masterpieces. Fear not, it’s suitable for all ages.

Take time to explore the details. Look out for a little girl statue of Maria (a character from the 1931 Frankenstein film, who accidentally drowns), listen to sounds from beneath the vampire well and head to the Blazing Blade Tavern for a fiery sight to behold.

MUST DO Grab a bite to eat at Das Stakehouse. The theming is almost better than the food – and the food is delicious.

Super Nintendo World

Everything moves, spins, jumps and wobbles in Super Nintendo World. It’s a gaming world for everyone – even the big kids who are young at heart.

Providing one of the coolest portals (the walkway into each world), I entered via a Super Mario Warp Pipe and arrived inside Princess Peach’s Castle before exiting into a world of jaw-dropping colour and musical joy. Glistening golden coins, stomping Koombas, sliding 1-Up mushrooms and snapping Piranha Plants were everywhere as I looked across to Bowser’s Castle.

This is where I gave Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge a go and my dismal points were made up for by the fun and laughter I had hurtling turtle shells and banana peels at my friends (virtually, of course – the race car game, where we’re up against all the usual Super Mario bad guys, is played via a headset).

The character meet and greets here are sweet for youngsters – Toad is a rotund delight for toddlers, Mario and Luigi are cool for pre-teens and even the too-cool-for-school teenagers won’t be able to resist Donkey Kong.

Don’t miss the fabulous rollercoaster Minecart Madness – it’s a bumpy ride but the jumps over “missing” sections of the track are thrilling.

MUST DO Buy a $45 Power-Up wristband. It’s vital for playing the in-world mini games, collecting coins and banking some exclusive park stamps and badges, which connects to an app on your mobile phone and creates family friendly competition.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic

This world makes the Wizarding Worlds at Universal Orlando Resort a trio – also made up of Diagon Alley in Universal Studios and Hogsmeade in Islands Of Adventure.

Step inside the magical streets of 1920s Paris, where the likes of Newt Scamander hangs out. Known as Place Cachée, this world is a fan delight, merging the magic of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them in Paris, with the wonders of Harry Potter.

I hopped on the Métro-Floo to the British Ministry Of Magic for Dolores Umbridge’s trial for her crimes against magic on the mesmerising dark ride, Battle At The Ministry. Expect magical creatures and spells galore – and make time for the show, Le Cirque Arcanus. The puppetry will leave you speechless.

MUST DO Try a Gigglewater in Le Gobelet Noir – a bar owned by Nicolas Flamel, the alchemist who created the Philosopher’s Stone.

How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk

The largest of all the worlds at Epic Universe,the Viking village of Berk is breathtaking. On entry, I was faced with two 40ft carved wooden statues, guarding the village. This world is set after the second film, where there’s peace and harmony between man and dragon.

Look out for The Untrainable Dragon live show, which has the most beautiful score, with singers and actors akin to the talent of a West End show. And be sure to try the mac and cheese cone at Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel – it’s the novelty dish I never knew I needed.

MUST DO Look to the skies. Here you’ll find actual flying dragons – drones to us adults (don’t tell the kids), but they are very realistic.

HOW TO BOOK

Universal Orlando Resort

All Parks tickets are available through British Airways Holidays from £439 per person.

British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at Universal Stella Nova Resort from £829 per person, travelling on selected dates in January 2026. Book by 9 June. For reservations visit britishairways.com/en-gb/destinations/orlando/holidays-inorlando

Hue Abandoned Water Park, also known as Thuy Tien Lake, sits on the outskirts of the Vietnamese city of Hue and has been attracting urban explorers since it closed 14 years ago

Dried-up waterslides run out of the mouths of crumbling dragon statues in a curious abandoned theme park.

Hue Abandoned Water Park, also known as Thuy Tien Lake, is about four miles outside the city center of Hue, Vietnam. Built a quarter of a century ago, the water park once attracted crowds of thrillseekers who flocked to peer into the aquarium, marvel at the dragon sculptures, and whizz down the rides.

Sadly for the business minds behind the park, it proved to be a commercial failure. A change of ownership and management led to the park’s closure just 11 years after it first opened.

For several years, it remained forgotten and gathering dust until urban explorers began posting about Thuy Tien Lake online. Soon it became a fixture of the backpacker trail, with many drawn to the way its curious buildings and statues appear frozen in time.

READ MORE: Abandoned town left to rot for 40 years after plane crash horror

They were also drawn to rumours of a scarier surprise. Years after the park officially packed up, a group of crocodiles—initially brought in as an attraction—continued to roam Hue unchecked. Thankfully, for the safety of those who rock up and pay 10,000 VND (£0.29) to look around the abandoned park today, the animals were removed and rehomed.

The dragon that emerges from the center of the lake have become a popular hangout spot among Vietnamese teens and backpackers alike.

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“The once-bustling tourist attraction is now covered in colorful graffiti, creating an amazingly dystopian-esque scene,” travel writer Justine wrote of her time at the park.

“The inside of the dragon used to be an aquarium filled with all sorts of creatures, including crocodiles. Now the inside is in complete disrepair. There’s graffiti everywhere and there’s still glass on the ground from people bashing in the glass aquariums. It’s super eerie and would be the perfect setting for a horror film.

“Walk up the stairs and check out the view from the dragon’s mouth. I’m not sure that the platform is all that safe to stand on, but I went for it anyway. The view from there is pretty amazing.”

The park is mostly easily accessed via a short scooter or taxi ride from Hue centre. The staff members guarding the entrance to Hue require visitors sign a waiver to access the park.

If you fancy visiting somewhere abandoned but don’t feel like travelling so far, Crete is a good bet.

The abandoned Dionysos village sits along the coast from Sitia. As you approach the flock of buildings on the hillside you will notice that it “looks different somehow. Something looks wrong, somehow lost,” an explorer for We Travel wrote recently.

Until the mid 2010s, the village was a thriving holiday destination. It has a prime location on the coastline scorched by summer sun. To the untrained eye, there is nothing amiss about the cluster of holiday homes and hotels that sit at the foot of the parched, dusty hillside. Get closer, and you realise it’s all but empty.

Today plants are growing through cracks in the rocks and the streets are untidy. A large central swimming pool is empty of water but increasingly full of dust. Now, just 10 families call Dionysos their fulltime home.

One of the UK’s most beloved holiday park brands, Haven, has unveiled ambitious plans to transform its Kent Coast site with a hefty £10 million investment – and work has already begun

A giant holiday park is ploughing a whopping £10 million to transform one of its sites, as it promises guests there will ‘never be a moment to be bored’.

Haven – which has 38 sites dotted along the Great British coastline – is upgrading its Kent Coast resort to create a brand new swimming complex. It will feature a splash activity zone, falling rapids slide, and see the current outdoor pool be converted into another huge indoor pool.

The huge investment follows previous refurb work, including a new state-of-the-art 1,200-seater venue with big screens, an outdoor terrace, and a bar and kitchen. Kent Coast’s arcade also recently had a makeover – joining the Creative Studio space where guests can unleash their creativity with activities like pottery making and Make a Bear.

READ MORE: Three UK seaside towns set for £150m Butlin’s boost with eyes on ‘fourth site’

Alongside the swimming pool investment, Haven invested £1.35 million into opening a new J D Wetherspoon pub, The London Stone, which opened back in March. This was part of a much wider £6.7 million investment after the holiday park partnered with the pub chain to open three other JDW sites at Devon Cliffs, Cleethorpes Beach, and Haggerston Castle.

The expansion of its J D Wetherspoon partnership is also part of a broader £8.3 million boost to enhance food and beverage offerings in 2025. This has already resulted in two new Burger Kings opening up at Hopton Holiday Park and Lakeland Holiday Park.

Haven told the Mirror it is also working on ‘modernising’ its holiday home accommodation and adding more pitches across its portfolio. Work on Kent Coast Holiday Park began at the end of 2024, and is due to be completed by the end of the year.

In a statement sent exclusively to the Mirror, Simon Palethrope, CEO of Haven said the £10 million investment will create a ‘brilliant new experience’ for holidaymakers. “Whether it’s the thrill of the new Falling Rapids, enjoying a splash in the new AquaPlay centre or toddlers learning to swim in the new Confidence Water area, there’s something for everyone,” he added.

“To add to this, grabbing a bite in our new J D Wetherspoon pub, taking part in Haven’s Adventure Village, or simply relaxing in one of our stylish holiday homes, there’s never going to be a moment to be bored. With pool works already underway and due for completion by the end of 2025, we look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy an even more memorable stay.”

The park remains open as usual, and Haven has vowed to keep disruption to a minimum. If you’re wanting to book a staycation at the park, four-night breaks start from just £49.

*Prices based on Haven listings at the time of writing.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured.

Bold plans to transform a derelict theme park into an impressive £65 million holiday park – with more than 270 lodges and two hotels – remain in the air, despite being submitted to the council in 2022

The future of a rotting theme park once revered by Brits remains in the air – despite multi-million upgrade plans being submitted to the council three years ago.

Back in its glory days, Cleethorpe’s Pleasure Island epitomised the very best of the UK coast – attracting thousands of holidaymakers nationwide. Boasting almost 30 adrenaline-pumping rides, including the Hyperblaster, Obliterator, Pendulus, and Terror Rack – the attraction put Cleethorpes, a tiny seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, on the map. But, as cheap holiday packages to sunny destinations like Spain started gaining popularity – Pleasure Island’s visitor numbers drastically slumped.

In 2016, the theme park closed its doors for good. But, instead of being re-purposed or attempting to re-open, the attraction was simply left to decay. Now, creepy images show how much of the park has been neglected for so long much of it has been reclaimed by nature. Pictures released last year also reveal piles of rubbish that remains inside some of the park’s buildings.

READ MORE: UK’s ‘worst’ seaside town abandoned by Butlin’s with no sign it ever existed

The arched entrance to Pleasure Island still reads ‘WELCOME’ – but ugly metal fencing has blocked tourists from the site for almost a decade. It sparks one big question shrouded in mystery: what is happening to this place?

Back in 2022, a consortium of developers including Lidl submitted ambitious plans to transform the abandoned park into a huge holiday resort consisting of more than 270 lodges, two hotels, a drive-through coffee-shop and cycle-hire building. Expected to cost around £65 million, the proposal also includes restaurants, cafes, a leisure unit, two retail units, and the use of the existing lake for fishing activities.

According to reports at the time, all existing Pleasure Island buildings and structures would be knocked down, marking a fresh start for the space. An impact assessment estimates the regeneration could create around £17 million per year of additional visitor expenditure once it’s operational.

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However, the bold plans have been in a back-and-forth following a series of concerns. The Environment Agency first objected to plans based on worries about the risk of flooding. However, after agreeing to close the lodges between November and March – when flooding risk is at its highest – the EA was ‘satisfied’ with the amendments.

It later objecting to amendments to the plans, which include building a new bridge over the Buck Beck. “We will require continuous access along both banks of the watercourse and as a minimum, the bridge should not reduce the cross-sectional area of the channel,” the body said. “Further details are required to determine whether these requirements have been met.”

Other concerns were raised in 2023, when Natural England asked for more information about the development due to ‘potential significant effects’ on the Humber Estuary. However, since September last year – there have been no new news reports on the Pleasure Island’s future. On its website, North East Lincolnshire Council states the proposal is ‘pending consideration’ – but it has been like this since September 2024.

The latest update to the council’s planning documents is a Consultee Comment from Natural England, dated March 18. This is in response to concerns around recreational disturbance – which shows the future of Pleasure Island remains unknown.

Should the holiday park get the green light? Have your say in the comments section below

Sebastia, occupied West Bank – Israel calls it an archaeological project to highlight Jewish heritage and create a new Israeli national park. Palestinians see it as further evidence of Israel’s plans to annex an ancient town and erase Palestinian history in an area that tells the 5,000-year-old shared story of the peoples who have lived in this land.

Far-right, pro-settler Israeli government ministers were in Sebastia on May 12 as part of a delegation to mark the looming seizure of the town’s archaeological park, one of the largest and most important of 6,000 sites in the West Bank.

Ultranationalist Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu, himself a resident of an illegal West Bank settlement, hailed the beginning of Israeli excavation at the site and the coming creation of “Samaria National Park”, which will focus on the area’s Jewish history.

Palestinians say that will come along with an attempt to paint over their ties to the land. The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities called the excavations “preparation for Sebastia’s annexation and isolation from its surroundings”.

Israeli politicians refer to Sebastia as Samaria, or Shomron in Hebrew, and say it was the capital of the Biblical Kingdom of Israel nearly three millennia ago.

But the archaeological site includes the ruins of a Byzantine basilica, a Roman forum and amphitheatre, and the Crusader-era Church of St John, which was rebuilt into a mosque – and is believed to be the site of the tomb of John the Baptist, known in the Quran as Prophet Yahya.

Sebastia’s archaeological park, once a tourism hotspot and still a pilgrimage site for Christians, is being considered for inclusion on UNESCO’s world heritage list, subject to an application being finalised by Palestinian officials.

‘River of blood’

Sebastia mayor Mohammed Azim and town residents have long been warning of Israel’s intention to “Judaise” Sebastia and turn it into an Israeli-only tourism site.

Alarm intensified after the municipality received a land seizure order to construct an installation for “military purposes” at the summit of an ancient hilltop in the area last July.

Speaking to Al Jazeera in his office overlooking the increasingly deserted old town, Azim said a “river of blood will flow into the village” if construction of the barracks begins.

“The military is aiming to make life unbearable for the residents here, so they eventually surrender to reality and leave – just like those who have been displaced in Jenin and Tulkarem,” Azim said, referring to the more than 40,000 Palestinians displaced by Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank this year.

“Now, soldiers enter the village daily – and with the clear intention of killing,” Azim added. “We will resist construction – peacefully, of course. The landowners will not give up their land.”

The mayor called for condemnation of intensifying military violence in the village and the targeting of children, notably the army’s fatal shooting of 14-year-old Ahmad Jazar in January.

For its part, the Israeli state argues that the village of Sebastia will not be affected by the archaeological work, as it lies outside the boundaries of the proposed national park.

But Sebastia Archaeological Museum curator and lifelong resident, Walaa Ghazzal, says the plans are an escalation in Israel’s plans to eventually expel residents and business owners and prevent Palestinians from accessing the town, its ruins, and the sprawling hills and olive fields around it.

Ghazzal told Al Jazeera that “residents are afraid of the future”, especially those near the ruins.

“The situation is very dangerous,” she said. “Soon, they will prevent us from going to the archaeological site.

“In my opinion, we have only months before we are told to leave our homes,” Ghazzal added. “We are seeing the future in Gaza and in the camps [in the West Bank]. They are trying to erase us.”

‘Biblical heritage’

Israeli ministers and settler politicians are using rhetoric about protecting Jewish Biblical heritage to disguise their long-held desire to annex Sebastia, Azim said.

Eliyahu was joined in Sebastia by Minister of Environmental Protection Idit Silman and Yossi Dagan, chairman of the Shomron Regional Council, which controls 35 illegal West Bank settlements.

Silman has hailed the scheme and told Israeli media, “historical justice is being done”, accusing Palestinians of attempting to “erase” Jewish heritage.

The Israeli government has long been clear that Sebastia, which most historians agree was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel for less than 200 years, will be taken over and transformed into the centrepiece of Israeli tourism in the West Bank.

In May 2023, the Israeli government approved a 30 million shekel (more than $8m) scheme to restore the park and establish a tourism centre, new access roads, and an expanded military presence. The four million shekel ($1.2m) regeneration of a disused Hijaz railway station about two miles from Sebastia, last operational in the final years of the Ottoman Empire, has also been announced.

“The archeological excavations are designed to expose the antiquities of the site and make the ancient city accessible throughout all its periods: from the beginning of the settlement in the 8th century BCE during the ancient Kingdom of Israel, through the Hellenistic city, the magnificent Roman city built by King Herod [called “Sebastos” after Emperor Augustus], to the Byzantine period when a church was built at the site,” said the office of Israeli Minister of Heritage Eliyahu.

Erasing Palestinian identity

Ghazzal said Sebastia’s ruins exhibit a “distinct local culture” in a geographic region which has “always been known as Palestine”. She said the remains emphasise the religious and cultural importance of the town to conquering empires, and its multifaith inhabitants’ peaceful coexistence for centuries.

In the Palestinian submission to UNESCO, it is noted that the present town of Sebastia still preserves “the ancient name [and] is located on the eastern part of the Roman city, indicating a strong element of cultural continuity”.

But for those focused on the planned Israeli national park, it’s only Jewish history that matters.

Responding to a query from Al Jazeera, Eliyahu’s office said that Sebastia was “first and foremost a Jewish heritage site, where archaeological remains from the Kingdom of Israel period were found”.

“It is important to emphasise that even if we were to dig at the site to the depth of the Earth’s core, not even a grain of historical evidence of ancient Palestinian settlement would be found at the site,” Eliyahu’s office added.

Yossi Dagan, who lives in neighbouring Shavei Shomron, has long advocated for the takeover of Sebastia and emphasises its prominence in Biblical history. He told Israeli media at the archaeological site: “When you dig here, you touch the Bible with your own hands.”

But Ghazzal said that the Israeli government’s treatment of the Biblical stories in the Old Testament as historical reality is designed to relegate the claims of Palestinians to have lived on the land for thousands of years, and ignores the Palestinian people’s ancient ties to their land.

“You can’t base your claim to the land on religion – civilisations are about the people who develop their identity, their works and monuments – even their language,” Ghazzal said.

“Israel wants to kill the stories from our past and replace them with poison; it is a crime against our history,” Ghazzal added. “When they demolish our monuments, remove families who keep the history alive, who will speak after that – and carry our story for the next generation?”

Ghost town

Ahmad Kayed, a 59-year-old Sebastia villager and leading activist, told Al Jazeera the ruins will not be “taken without a fight”, and demonstrations are being instigated.

He said Israel is “planning something big” in Sebastia and referenced new iron blockades being erected on roads encircling the town.

It is already extremely unsafe for Sebastia residents to visit the archaeological park because of settler attacks and near-daily military invasions, he said. But once a military barracks is established, it will be permanently off limits.

“They are working step by step to get their hands on Sebastia and keep us suffering all the time so people will leave,” Kayed said, referring to the at least 40 families that have left the town since October 7, 2023.

“We are in the second Nakba and Sebastia is under siege,” he added. “But Sebastia is strong, we know how to face them because we have done it before.”

He pointed out that residents rose up to thwart Israel’s plans to take Sebastia in the late 1970s, and they did so again to halt settlers pumping sewage onto agricultural land in 2013. Two years later, residents’ protests and sit-ins blocked the construction of a new access road for settlers, which Eliyahu’s office justified as necessary for the “hundreds of thousands of Israelis who will want to come, learn, and experience the Jewish heritage” of Sebastia.

But Kayed admits times have changed, and violence from the military today is unlike anything he has experienced in his decades of activism.

“When we decide what to do, we will be smart, and we will demonstrate in new ways, and everyone in Sebastia will follow us,” he added.

He was also gravely concerned that if excavations took place, Israelis would desecrate archaeological findings that contradicted their claim to the land, with so much still to be uncovered if Palestinian-led digs were not blocked.

The municipality still hopes UNESCO will provide the village protection and add the ruins to its World Heritage list. The mayor also hopes the archaeological park will join 56 other locations on UNESCO’s register of significant sites considered to be “in danger”.

Businesses near the archaeological site say they have lost more than three-quarters of their custom since October 7.

Samer Sha’er, owner of a coffee shop directly next to the park and Sebastia’s imposing Roman columns, said a military outpost would be devastating for businesses.

“There will be daily confrontations, constant military presence, and no sense of security,” he said. “No one will want to come and sit here while the army is stationed nearby – neither shop owners nor visitors will be able to stay.”

Once holy land coveted by prophets and conquering emperors, Sebastia has been reduced to a ghost town – haunted by the glory of its history, which has also made it a target for annexation by the ultranationalist Israeli government.

Kayed looked visibly moved as he described his youth playing on the hills of the archaeological park, and a lifetime spent trying to save his home.

He was evidently aggrieved that the town had not acted more quickly to unify against the creeping threat of the military barracks or eventual annexation. But it seems all those concerned, including the town’s mayor, are not sure what is coming next – or when.

“This land means everything to me,” Kayed added. “I have spent all my childhood, all my life going to the park.

“They will confiscate my land [to build the barracks]. I planted olive trees there with my mother, it is very painful to lose them, Kayed said. “The village will never give up on the ruins – this is our history, our life. We will fight until the end.”

The trail is short but steep, and it smells of sage. A few hundred feet below, I see moms with strollers on a path beside the San Diego River. Above, I see granite cliffs and hear the hollers of unseen climbers.

“Rope!” says one.

“Hey,” says another. “There’s a ram’s horn down here!”

A climber tosses rope near Kwaay Paay Peak.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

This is the Climbers Loop Trail at Kwaay Paay Peak, one of my new favorite spots in the biggest city park that you’ve never heard of: Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego.

No, this park is not downtown like its more famous sibling, Balboa Park. But Mission Trails, eight miles northeast of downtown and 15 miles from the beach, is the biggest city-owned park in California. Along with the trickling river and a dam that dates to the early Spanish missionary days, the landscape includes 65 miles of trails on more than 8,000 acres of rugged mountains, hills and valleys.

It looks like a healthy slice of Arizona, and it covers more territory than Balboa Park, L.A.’s Griffith Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and Irvine’s Great Park combined.

Also, it used to be my backyard. Throughout my teen years, my family lived on a cul-de-sac at the base of Cowles Mountain, the highest summit in the park and the city. The chaparral began 40 feet from my back door.

Almost as often as we loitered at the mall and ogled the guitars at American Dream Music, my friends and I wandered the mountain slopes, wading through the sagebrush and nosing around the granite boulders, sidestepping coyote scat, and generally walking that fine line between high jinks and delinquency.

Officially, the park was younger than we were, having been established in 1974. But it contained such deep and obvious history, even the teenage me could appreciate it.

For millennia before the Spanish showed up and built a dam to serve their first Alta California mission, the Kumeyaay lived in these hills.

The Old Mission Dam dates to the early Spanish missionary days.

During World War I, the Army used the area, known as Camp Elliott, for tank and artillery training. During World War II, the Marines did the same, leaving plenty of ordnance behind — including some that exploded in 1983, killing two boys. (Even now, after various cleanup efforts, signs warn that unexploded shells “might still exist.” If you see something suspicious, report it and don’t touch it.)

Once military officials decided they didn’t need the land, local leaders stepped in and began putting together a park in the 1960s and ‘70s. The city added Cowles Mountain in 1974. The visitor center followed in 1995. The Cedar fire of 2003 burned about 2,800 acres, which have long since regrown.

The park’s visitor center includes educational exhibits and a gift shop.

I had a great time brushing up on that history and wandering Mission Trails for two days this spring — my longest spell in those hills since high school. Overnight I slept in a cabin at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, about two miles east of the park, where several recycled-water lakes are surrounded by well-kept fishing spots, walking paths, playgrounds and a campground.

Also, I have to note that I was in Mission Trails for more than three hours before I saw any graffiti. I’m not sure that’s doable in Griffith Park.

The Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, which includes cabins, is two miles from San Diego’s Mission Trails Regional Park.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

It’s unlikely many people outside San Diego County know this place exists. But local hikers and birders turn out in force. Climbers like Kwaay Paay Peak (elevation: 1,194 feet) and mountain bikers, equestrians and anglers have their own favorite park territories. You can camp at Santee Lakes or, on weekends, put up a tent in the park’s Kumeyaay Lake campground.

Kumeyaay Lake.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Mission Trails has the highest peak in the city (Cowles Mountain at 1,591 feet). It has the compact Kumeyaay Lake and the larger Murray Reservoir (a.k.a. Lake Murray), which has fishing, kayaking and canoeing about three miles south of the park visitor center.

But many would say the park’s Main Street is Father Junipero Serra Trail, a paved path that runs alongside the San Diego River, mountains rising on either side.

Father Junipero Serra Trail runs alongside a stretch of the San Diego River.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The long, flat Father Junipero Serra Trail is a great, easy hike for beginners.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

“I just started coming in the last few weeks,” hiker Sumeya Sayd, 23, told me one day as she stepped off the Serra Trail. Like me, she had hiked Cowles Mountain as a youth and overlooked the rest of the park.

Now, inspired by a Muslim American Society group chat, Sayd has been hiking the Serra and Climbers Loop trails more often and thinking about the Mission Trails five-peak challenge — five peaks in the park, each over 1,000 feet.

You can walk or pedal on the Serra Trail, which stretches 2.6 miles and connects the park visitor center to the Old Mission Dam. (Ordinarily, there’s a lane open to vehicular traffic, but because of a sewage-line improvement project, cars will be banned until summer of 2028.)

“This is Desert Wishbone-bush,” I overheard Justin Daniel saying one day along the trail. Daniel, who held aloft a purple flower, was leading a group of about 15 people from the California Native Plant Society.

Soon the group moved on to the California Buckwheat and Daniel added that “we have the most native plants in California for one county,” along with “more native bees than you can shake a stick at.”

How urban is this urban park? Not very. No museums, no zoos, no restaurants. Still, its busiest trail gets an estimated 780,000 hikers a year. That’s the route to the top of Cowles Mountain from Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive.

When I lived in the neighborhood, many people still called Cowles Mountain “S Mountain,” because just about every fall from the 1930s into the 1970s, San Diego State freshmen used lye and white paint to make a big S near the top, 400 feet high and visible for miles.

Now the S is long gone, but through the years I’ve seen foot traffic grow. I’ve hiked it solo, with my daughter and with a friend facing a profound loss. Even though the route to the top from the Golfcrest trailhead is just 1.5 miles, every time it’s a bit more challenging than I expect — 950 feet of elevation gain, irregular steps, crumbling rocks. In the old days, I used to get up and down in 90 minutes. Nowadays, my knees complain and the round trip takes two hours.

Fortunately, the view from the top still hits me like a surprise every time: the hills of Mexico to the south, the coastline to the west, the miles of undeveloped slopes and valleys to the north. In a perfect hiker’s world, maybe there would be no line of utility towers slicing through the Fortuna Mountain portion of Mission Trails and no humming radio towers atop Cowles Mountain. But this is a city park after all. In this vast expanse of nature, that’s easy to forget.

Cowles Mountain is the highest peak in the park.

Where to hike

Mission Trails Regional Park has nearly 65 miles of trails. Here are some to try.

• If you’re looking for an easy hike and you’re a newbie, start with the long, flat 2.6-mile Father Junipero Serra Trail. Two other easy routes, well suited to kids, are the Kumeyaay Lake Nature Trail (1 mile around the lake; full of birdsong in the mornings) and the 1.5-mile Visitor Center Loop Trail.
• For a longer, mostly flat hike with ample shade, try the park’s Oak Canyon Trail, where a little seasonal waterfall materializes among the rock formations near the far end of the 3.4-mile out-and-back route. That trail has only 240 feet of elevation gain; park rangers call it a “moderate” challenge.
• It’s 1.5 miles to the top of Cowles Mountain from the trailhead at Golfcrest Drive and Navajo Road. If you start instead at Big Rock Park in Santee, it’s a 2.5-mile climb to the top. Rangers classify both routes as difficult.
• For a stiffer challenge, you can try climbing to the South Fortuna or North Fortuna peaks. (Distances vary, depending on route). Also, there’s the brief, steep Climbers Loop Trail (rated difficult, with 400 feet of altitude gain in a 1-mile round trip).

Down the road, there may be new challenges, because the park is still growing. In the last year, Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation executive director Jennifer Morrissey said, the park has added more than 100 acres through a pair of acquisitions at its northern edges. Eventually the park may also add a safe river-crossing near the visitor center — a possibility rooted in tragedy. In early 2021, 21-year-old trailrunner Max LeNail died in a sudden storm while trying to cross the San Diego River near the visitor center. His family is hoping to build a footbridge in his memory, but for now, the nearest crossing is several miles away.

The Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve includes 10 cabins.

Where to stay

• The Kumeyaay Lake Campground (2 Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego; [619] 668-2748) is part of Mission Trails Regional Park. It includes 46 dry/primitive campsites, open Friday and Saturday nightly only. No RV hookups. Rates begin at $26 nightly.
• Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve (9310 Fanita Parkway, Santee; [619] 596-3141) includes 290 RV spots, about 12 tent-camping sites and 10 cabins. The RV and tent camping spots rent for $62-$111 nightly. Cabins go for $137-$265. There’s plenty of fishing and boating, but no swimming in the recycled water of the lakes. The preserve has a space set aside for a lakefront restaurant with ample deck, but two concessionaires have closed there since 2021 and 2024. Preserve management has said another restaurant will open soon.

The view from atop Cowles Mountain at Mission Trails Regional Park, San Diego.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The theme park rivalry in Orlando, Fla. is heating up.

This week, Universal will open its latest park, Epic Universe, a reportedly $7 billion bet for the Comcast-owned company and the newest salvo in its ongoing push to expand its tourism and entertainment empire.

That puts pressure on Walt Disney Co., whose Walt Disney World Resort has long dominated the Orlando vacation landscape, but is now seeing increased competition, particularly from Universal.

Sprawled across 750 acres, Epic Universe represents the biggest Universal theme park expansion since the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter 15 years ago.

It touts five different themed areas, four of which are tied to well-known franchises: “Harry Potter,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” Universal’s Dark Universe of classic movie monsters and Nintendo video game properties, in addition to a cosmic central Celestial Park hub.

The resort, which also includes three hotels, features technologically-advanced animatronics and detailed rides like Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, which showcases many of Universal’s monsters. Reviews of the park have been largely positive, with critics highlighting the immersive nature of the attractions.

“Comcast has come on so strong with what they’ve developed and brought forth in the Orlando market,” said Dennis Speigel, founder and chief executive of Cincinnati-based consulting firm International Theme Park Services Inc. “Over the last 15 years, they have brought that distance between Universal and Disney much closer, and it has really become a prize fight. It’s the most intense and competitive situation in the industry.”

Disney was the first of the two to the Orlando market back in 1971, when it opened the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. It wasn’t until 1990 that Universal opened its own Orlando park, giving Disney a nearly two-decade head start.

By then, Disney had already opened the Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios theme parks (which would later become known as Hollywood Studios). Also in the mix in the Sunshine State: SeaWorld Orlando, which opened in 1973, and what’s now known as Busch Gardens Tampa, which debuted in 1959.

Today, Disney World has four theme parks and two water parks, while Universal Orlando will have three, including Epic Universe and Islands of Adventure (opened in 1999), and a water park, Volcano Bay (2017).

Though Universal was late to market, its 2010 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter land across Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando pushed the theme park competition to new heights. Building a land solely around a specific intellectual property — instead of a general theme — was novel at the time, and the concept would later show up in Disney parks, such as Cars Land in Anaheim and later, “Star Wars”-themed lands in California and Florida.

Demand at the time for the “Harry Potter”-themed land pushed Universal’s attendance up 36% compared with the previous year, Speigel said.

“They realized after ‘Harry Potter’ that it was a new world order,” he said. “They’ve just kept the pedal to the metal on everything they’ve done in terms of growth and internal experience.”

There’s good reason for that.

Both Universal and Disney have honed in on theme parks as a profit-generating part of their business that is less volatile than the ever-changing media, television and film markets. Disney’s experiences division, which includes its theme parks and cruise lines, has long brought in the lion’s share of the company’s profit, particularly as pay TV shrinks.

“Disney has been pretty steady and consistent, but Universal is very rapidly expanding,” said Carissa Baker, an assistant professor of theme park and attraction management at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “They’re highly encouraging their theme park sector right now.”

Both companies have recently announced new properties — Disney in Abu Dhabi and Universal with a smaller kids resort in Texas, a theme park in Britain and a year-round Halloween Horror Nights-esque experience in Las Vegas.

“The plan is to keep driving growth in a business that we think we’re one of two players in a market that is, within media, not at all exposed to the shift in time on screens from one venue to another,” Comcast Corp. President Mike Cavanagh said during the company’s fiscal first quarter call with analysts last month. “Live experiences, parks experiences have been thrilling to people, and we think we lean into that and continue to do so.”

So far, he said, advance ticket sales and hotel bookings are “strong” for Epic Universe and the other Universal parks in Orlando. A one-day ticket starts at $139.

That’s why analysts have consistently flagged the upcoming park during earnings calls for rival Disney, querying executives about the potential pressure on Disney World and how the company plans to compete.

But if Disney is worried, it has shown little sign of it. Last week, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said hotel bookings for the fiscal third quarter are up 4% compared with last year, with about 80% of available nights reserved. For the fourth quarter, bookings are up about 7%, with about 50% to 60% of capacity filled, he said.

That’s despite broader worries that concerns about a potential recession — spurred by President Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods — will dampen travel and consumer spending.

“Experiences is obviously a critical business for Disney and also an important growth platform,” company Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a recent earnings call. “Despite questions around any macro-economic uncertainty or the impact of competition, I’m encouraged by the strength and resilience of our business.”

The company has previously announced it is investing $30 billion into its parks in Florida and California, which will fund such additions as a “Monsters Inc.”-inspired land and a villains land in Disney World. The parks have also added attractions throughout the last 10 years, including the revamped Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride (which replaced Splash Mountain).

Disney is betting that the influx of visitors coming to Florida for Epic Universe will still make a stop at its parks. Last year, Orlando tallied more than 75 million visitors, up 1.8% compared with 2023, according to the Visit Orlando trade association. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said at an investor conference last week that Disney gets more tourists any time something new opens up in central Florida — even if it’s not a Disney property.

“If we just go back five or 10 years, and you think about what’s happened at Walt Disney World, we’ve always been on the offensive,” D’Amaro said. “If something is built new in Central Florida, like Epic Universe, and if it brings in additional tourists, I can almost guarantee you that new tourist coming into the market is going to have to visit the Magic Kingdom.”

Paultons Park in Hampshire has unveiled its new £3.5m dark ride, Ghostly Manor, as it also looks ahead to the addition of a new £12m themed-world which opens to the public in 2026

Paultons Park in Hampshire has pulled the wraps off its spooky new £3.5 million dark ride, Ghostly Manor, which opened its doors to the public on May 17. But that’s not all – they’ve also spilled the beans on a whopping £12 million themed-world that’s in the pipeline.

Valgard – Realm of the Vikings is set to be Paultons Park’s biggest splurge yet and is squarely aimed at families with older kids and teens.

The Viking-themed extravaganza, due to open in spring 2026, will be home to Paultons Park’s first-ever inverting rollercoaster. ‘Drakon’ promises to be the park’s most adrenaline-pumping ride yet, boasting a vertical lift hill and two twists that’ll flip riders head over heels.

Valgard will also play host to a brand-new Vild Swing that’ll send thrill-seekers spinning 12 metres into the air. The Vild Swing will make Paultons Park the first UK theme park to install a thrilling swing by ART Engineering.

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But it’s not just about the new rides. Valgard will also see the Cobra, a much-loved classic at Paultons Park, reimagined as a bobsled adventure. The ride will take on a new identity as Raven, adding to the immersive Viking village experience. Valgard will also feature a themed restaurant with plenty of seats and a new playground for the little ones to explore.

While keeping their cards close to their chest, Paultons Park did let slip that another major thrill ride is on the horizon for Valgard in 2027, hinting at a splashy water-based experience.

Paultons Park is set to take its visitors on an epic Viking adventure with the introduction of Valgard – Realm of the Vikings, adding to its trove of over 80 rides and attractions spanning six themed worlds. Valgard joins the ranks alongside the Midwestern America-themed Tornado Springs, renowned for its exhilarating ‘Cyclonator’ and the twisting ‘Storm Chaser’ coaster, as well as dinosaur-themed haven — Lost Kingdom.

James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: “We are thrilled to share our plans for our largest and boldest investment to date, and on the day that we welcomed guests into our brand-new Ghostly Manor. As an independent, family-owned theme park, we’re incredibly proud of the investments we make to deliver the very best guest experience. We’ve opened two brand-new rides in the last two years and with the build of Valgard firmly underway, we’re excited to open a further three, bigger-and-better-than-ever-before rides, between now and summer 2027.”

Mancey also expressed his excitement over the new additions, adding: “Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans. The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly ups the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven’t forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village.”

Ghostly Manor, the latest indoor ride sensation, has upped the ante at Paultons Park with its five minutes of gameplay and an extra dose of pre-show excitement, adding to the park’s already stellar roster of over 70 rides and attractions.

Ghostly Manor’s interactive gameplay is suited for thrill-seekers aged five and up, with those aged eight and older allowed to ride unaccompanied.

As soon as guests step into the queue for Ghostly Manor, they’ll encounter all sorts of spectral sights and haunted objects while navigating the abode of the famed ghost hunter, Dr Kinley. Riders hop into four-seater carriages and are equipped with their very own Phantom Phaser. The nifty gadget lets them snag sneaky spectres and troublesome phantoms.

The ride is a feast for the senses, featuring cutting-edge haptic interactive tech and LED lights on the handheld Phaser, enhancing the experience across eight digitally decked-out scenes. At the journey’s end, each ghost hunter’s score is tallied, crowning the most skilled spirit snatcher.

James added: “We have worked with the very best technical and theming experts in the attractions business to create Ghostly Manor. Our teams and partners have done a remarkable job at creating our very own haunted house, brimming with entertaining paranormal activity. Ghostly Manor really does look like it’s always been part of Paultons Park, and I’m sure it’s going to be an enormous hit with our guests.”

Liverpool, England – “I love it when it gets like this,” exclaimed the man beside me as he rubbed his hands with glee.

It was the Halloween of 2009 and in the gloom of an early winter’s afternoon, Goodison Park was at its best.

Everton were playing Aston Villa in a league match, which was becoming increasingly bad-tempered. Two late red cards, an appalling referee and the floodlights taking full effect. It was the perfect recipe for a big bowl of Goodison fury.

The game finished as an unmemorable 1-1 draw, but the sheer delight of the man in the neighbouring seat long stayed with me. His excitement was a reminder to relish those rare occasions when the entire audience at this glorious theatre of football are united in emotion.

And nowhere does emotion quite like Goodison Park.

Fury, relief, joy and despair – and that’s just a two-nil defeat to Norwich in the League Cup fourth round.

Fans sitting in this footballing relic have felt it all throughout the stadium’s long and illustrious history. If they gave out Ballon d’Ors for booing, Everton would need a separate stadium just to house the trophy cabinet.

But on Sunday, there will be new emotions to add to the list – because everything is about to change.

A 133-year chapter in the story of Everton is about to end, as Goodison Park hosts the men’s team for the final time.

“Goodison has just always been there, there’s not an Evertonian alive that has watched Everton anywhere else,” said Matt Jones, host of the Blue Room podcast.

Like thousands of fellow fans, he will spend the weekend grappling with various emotions.

“I feel a bit like a dad watching his daughter get married at a wedding and everything’s starting to make him cry. As you get closer and closer to the day, you get more and more emotional,” Jones told Al Jazeera Sport.

At its most basic level, Sunday’s fixture against Southampton is game number 2,791 for the Everton men’s senior team at Goodison. But for Evertonians, it represents so much more. A small part of our identity is about to be lost.

I’ve grown from a boy to a man in various seats in every stand of that grand old stadium, learning every swear word there is to know along the way.

The highs and lows of the last 30 years have been intertwined with trips there, with the ground somehow able to block out everyday life for 90 precious minutes. Much like the inability to get a phone signal inside, you leave your troubles at the turnstile.

I’ve taken various partners to Goodison (one said that she had “never seen rage quite like it”), with most of those relationships ending in the same sort of heartbreak as an Everton cup run.

But I’ve always felt privileged to sit inside a real-life museum of football. Surrounded by history, tradition and furious middle-aged men abusing anything that moves.

The next page of the Everton story will see the men’s team relocate to a 53,000-capacity stadium at Bramley Moore Dock. The impressive structure sits on the banks of the river Mersey and, for the sake of sponsorship, will be called the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Life in such a shiny, modern arena will be a huge adjustment for one of the oldest teams in English football.

“It’s that feeling of leaving your family home. It’s the only way I can describe it,” said Merseyside-based sports reporter Giulia Bould.

“You know you’re going to a house with a load of mod cons and you know your life’s going to be so much easier in this new house, but you’ve got to leave your family home. It’s weird,” she added.

This season has been filled with finals for Everton, although sadly not the ones that are played at Wembley with a trophy on the line.

Instead, each fixture at Goodison has ticked another final occasion off the list. From the final cup game to the final night match, even the final Saturday 3pm kickoff has had a shoutout.

But on Sunday, it really will be the finale – although only for the men’s team.

Just days before what was due to be the final ever Goodison game, Everton announced that the old stadium would be granted a stay of execution. The bulldozers won’t move in – instead the women’s team will.

“I think it’s perfect,” said Bould as she reflects on the decision from Everton’s American owners to pass Goodison over to the women’s team.

“Under the previous owner, the women’s side has long been ignored and run into the ground really, it’s been pretty much treated as second rate. But now it has been put on a level where it should be, setting the precedent for everyone else,” Bould told Al Jazeera Sport.

Goodison Park is no stranger to setting a precedent. It was the first purpose-built football stadium in England and the first to install dugouts and undersoil heating.

The Toffees’ long run without relegation means it’s hosted more English top-flight football games than anywhere else.

Goodison was also the venue for an FA Cup Final and a World Cup semifinal, with Pele and Eusebio both also scoring there during the 1966 tournament. Even North Korea has graced the Goodison turf.

The storied history of Everton’s home has caught the imagination of some of the greats of the modern game.

Jose Mourinho called the place “the history of English football”, while Arsene Wenger described it as “one of the noisiest” stadium’s he’s managed in.

Sir Alex Ferguson once spared former Evertonian Wayne Rooney from an afternoon at Goodison with Manchester United, purely because of the abuse he would receive.

Visiting Goodison Park today feels vastly removed from the riches of modern English football. To put it bluntly, the stadium is no longer fit for purpose. But that is what makes it magical.

“It is the closest you can get to travelling through time to watch football,” said photographer and Evertonian Gary Lambert. That time travel begins before you even set foot in the stadium.

“Physically, Goodison is an imposing place. It appears out of nowhere between the rows of terraced houses,” said Lambert.

Once inside, the stadium’s history unravels through the various sights and sounds. Obstructed views are common, with posts and pillars causing many a strained neck.

And the unique Archibald Leitch criss-cross design runs down the middle of the ancient Bullens Road stand.

“Goodison Park is the bluest place on earth. The brickwork on three-quarters of the ground is painted a vivid shade of royal blue.

“It doesn’t matter what tweaked blue hue the latest kit manufacturer might tone the latest home shirt, it’s that blue outside which is Everton’s blue,” Lambert told Al Jazeera Sport.

But there is one particular quirk that stands out above them all and it happens whenever Everton go on the attack.

“There are still so many old-fashioned wooden seats, so the seats bang and click as everyone moves to stand up,” said Bould.

The chorus of wooden clangs is something she will miss when Everton move away from their historical home.

“That clicking noise, you don’t hear that anywhere. That, for me, is Goodison.”

Like all Everton fans, I’ll miss the matchday routines around Goodison. Parking near the snooker hall, a pre-match pint in Crofts Social Club, the endless queues for the loo. I might even miss the lack of legroom.

It’s troubling to comprehend life after Goodison for Everton’s men. The two are so connected and so well-suited. Everton is Goodison and Goodison is Everton. A divorce after 133 years was always going to hurt.

But change is needed for a club still clinging to former glories. Everton’s new ground could be the chance for a new start. The Hill Dickinson Stadium doesn’t suit us, but it represents the new world of football, where money is power.

In many ways, Sunday’s fixture will be a changing of the guard as the grand old team are hurtled into the modern age.

“We’re at the end of such a long journey now at Goodison. And at just the very start and the very first step of a new one.

“And maybe we’re quite privileged to be at this crossover point and experience both of them,” said Jones.

The highly coveted High Sierra Camps in Yosemite National Park that have been closed since 2018 will remain closed this summer because potable water and toilets won’t be available, according to park officials.

“This decision was made in collaboration with the National Park Service [NPS], which manages the utilities necessary to run the camps,” according to the park’s website. “Impacted guests have been contacted and can book alternate accommodations within the park and will be offered priority booking for next year’s lottery.”

Every year, more than 13,000 people stay at the Yosemite camps — five separate locations that offer various glamping amenities such as high-end meals and access to running water. Waste is recycled and composted and guests have access to either flush or solar-powered composting toilets, according to the park. Showers are available at May Lake and Sunrise Camps, depending on water availability.

The cabins fully reopened for the last time in 2018 and opened on a limited basis during the summer of 2024. Only three of the camps welcomed guests and the camp’s 56 tent cabins have mostly stayed closed due to COVID restrictions and extreme weather.

The Yosemite camps are spaced 6 to 10 miles apart along a loop trail and are open seasonally from June to September. Dates are heavily dependent on weather. Park visitors can book both guided and unguided trips between the cabins. Guided trips are either five or seven days and include a guide and all three meals at each camp. Unguided trips are self-guided and include two meals, with sack lunches available for an additional fee.

Visitors can enter a lottery for the 2026 season, which will open Nov. 1 and close Nov. 30 at the end of the day. Winners are notified by email.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke will build a movie studio next to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood that will serve as the international broadcast center for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Construction will start by summer on the studio and production facility that will house hundreds of broadcasters from around the world that have acquired rights to cover the Summer Games in Los Angeles, Kroenke’s company said Tuesday.

After the Games, the facility known as Hollywood Park Studios will be used to make movies, television shows and other productions and perhaps host live broadcasts.

The development is part of Hollywood Park, a multibillion-dollar complex built on the site of a former horse racing track also known as Hollywood Park that includes the stadium, apartments, theaters, offices, shops and restaurants.

A luxury hotel is under construction there, and more development including a grocery store and medical offices is being considered.

Kroenke’s organization hopes that attention from the Olympics will boost Hollywood Park Studios’ appeal as a future entertainment production center.

“We want it to be recognized around the world,” said Alan Bornstein, who is overseeing development of the studio for Kroenke.

The studio is part of Hollywood Park’s master development plan focusing on media, entertainment and technology, Bornstein said, anchored by SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater and the NFL Media office building.

“There has been an increasing convergence of media and technology and sports, all under the notion of entertainment that is now distributed in in multiple channels,” Bornstein said, “whether it’s through streaming or whether through broadcast television or movies in theaters,”

The first phase of Hollywood Park Studios will occupy 12 acres and will consist of five soundstages, each 18,000 square feet, two of which may be opened to a single 36,000-square-foot stage.

The complex will have a three-story, 80,000-square-foot office building to support stage, production and postproduction activities. The studios will have a dedicated open base camp where trucks, equipment and actors’ trailers could be placed, along with a parking structure for 1,100 cars. Future development could include as many as 20 stages and 200,000 square feet of related office space.

The additional stages would be built to suit for future tenants as demand emerges, Bornstein said, who declined to estimate how much the studio complex will cost.

Although demand for soundstages outstripped supply a few years ago, production has recently slowed and dampened the current need for them.

A rendering of the Hollywood Park Studios broadcast center and movie production facility.

(Gensler)

Last year, the average annual occupancy rate dropped to 63%, a further indication of Hollywood’s sustained production slowdown, according to a recent report by FilmLA, a nonprofit organization that tracks on-location shoot days in the Greater Los Angeles area.

That was a decline from 2023, which saw an average regional occupancy rate of 69%. That was the year when dual strikes by writers and actors crippled the local production economy for months.

The foray into Hollywood-level production facilities is part of Kroenke’s goal to combine sports, entertainment and media from around the world, Bornstein said.

In addition to the Rams, Kroenke is owner of the Denver Nuggets basketball team, the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, the Colorado Rapids soccer team, the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse team and Arsenal Football Club, the Premier League soccer team based in London.

SoFi Stadium, where the Chargers also play football, will be converted into the largest Olympic swimming venue in history during the Games in 2028. It will host the Olympic opening ceremony with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, as well as the opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games.

Kroenke is also a major real estate developer and landlord. The 300-acre Hollywood Park project is one of the largest mixed-use developments under construction in the western United States. SoFi Stadium alone cost $5 billion to build.

Last month, he also unveiled plans for a new Rams headquarters on a 100-acre site at Warner Center in Woodland Hills that would include a residential and retail community intended to be the centerpiece of the San Fernando Valley. It could cost more than the total price of Hollywood Park, which has been valued by outside observers at more than $10 billion.

Creating a second epicenter in Woodland Hills allows the Rams to significantly increase the size of their footprint in the Southern California market.

“When you’re looking to do a practice facility, you don’t need to be right in the middle of everything, and typically that real estate is very expensive,” Kroenke told The Times. “We built an identity in the Valley, with Cal Lutheran, and a lot of our players and families are up there. Our experience was really good.”

Architecture firm Gensler spearheaded the design for the Warner Center headquarters and Hollywood Park Studios. Clayco will be the general contractor for the studio, with Pacific Edge acting as project manager. Financing was arranged by Guggenheim Investments.

Times staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.