May 25, 2025, 7:56 PM ·
Welcome to my favorite day of the year.I may be a theme park fan who covers theme parks, but I also am an auto racing fan. And for us, the day before Memorial Day is the best day of the year. It kicks off with the F1 Monaco Grand Prix before continuing with the highlight of the racing year – the Indianapolis 500, the largest single-day annual sporting event in the world. (Yeah, there’s also a NASCAR race after that, but I’m an open wheel guy, so I almost never watch that. Plus, as a west coast resident, I usually am done by late afternoon after the super early wakeup call to watch Monaco.)My job covering theme parks means that I no longer attend the Indy 500 in person, since it’s pretty much impossible for me to guarantee that there will not be any theme park attraction openings for me to cover on the holiday weekend that marks the unofficial start to the summer vacation season in the United States. (And my job covering theme parks means that I am nowhere near the income bracket required to watch Monaco in person.) So I am in Orlando this weekend, having wrapped coverage of the Epic Universe opening at Universal Orlando and preparing to cover the opening of two new shows at Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios.But the worlds of theme parks and open-wheel auto racing do intersect from time to time. Earlier this month, I enjoyed a morning at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi – the Yas Island theme park devoted to F1’s oldest and most successful team. Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland Speedway ride used to be branded to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an arrangement that once included the running of an IndyCar race on a now-demolished track next to the Magic Kingdom’s parking lot.But next year, Disney and Formula 1 are getting together, with a collaboration between F1 and Disney’s Mickey & Friends. The two companies announced the deal earlier this week, promising “experiences, content, and merchandise around the globe.”The announcement closely follows Disney’s announcement for a theme park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, which is the home to F1’s season-ending grand prix on the Yas Marina Circuit. F1 also now holds three races in the United States, in Miami, Texas, and Las Vegas.”Our collaboration with Disney is set to be a brilliant one, as we introduce the world of Mickey & Friends to our fans, and vice versa,” Formula Chief Commercial Officer Emily Prazer said. “It’s a fantastic match as both brands are known for pushing boundaries and bringing entertainment and excitement to millions, so I can’t wait to see what our teams come up with for the circuit and beyond.”The collaboration will launch next year, so we will have to wait to see what exactly it entails and how much the parks might be involved. But, as a fan, this is a combination that I cannot wait to see in action.To keep up with more theme park industry news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.
Replies (0)
