Disney Bids Farewell to Legendary Imagineer as Halloween Season Begins

Theme Park Insider marked a momentous occasion this week as it bid farewell to Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald, who retired after an impressive 47-year stint with The Walt Disney Company.

Fitzgerald is best known for writing the iconic line 'if you can dream it, you can do it' for the Horizons attraction at EPCOT. Although he was initially credited as Walt Disney himself, his contribution to the theme park's creative vision has been widely recognized.

This week also marks the end of an era for several attractions, including ArieForce One and Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, which will cease operations today.

On a more celebratory note, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari turns 80 tomorrow, having first opened its doors as Santa Claus Land in 1946. Several theme park companies are set to report their quarterly earnings this week, with United Parks leading the way on Tuesday followed by Disney and Six Flags on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

The Halloween season officially kicks off at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom with Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party starting this Friday. Meanwhile, Universal Studios Hollywood is expected to announce its plans for Halloween Horror Nights at the Midsummer Scream convention in Long Beach.