Journalist

Dewayne Bevil

Dewayne Bevil has covered Orlando’s theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando for the Orlando Sentinel since 2007. His beat includes other attractions, including Legoland Florida, Gatorland and the International Drive area. He has worked as an editor, designer and adviser with stops at the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer in Kentucky and the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky.

Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel Buddy interacts with Gatorland's Brandon Fisher at the attraction in 2020. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Buddy, the biggest alligator at Orlando’s Gatorland, has died: ‘He was definitely a gentle giant’

April 9, 2026 at 12:41 p.m.

The largest alligator in the history of Gatorland in Orlando, Fla., has died.

A new Disney theme park, created with Miral, will have a waterfront location on Yas Island of the United Arab Emirates.(Walt Disney Co.)

Disney planning theme park resort in Abu Dhabi

May 7, 2025 at 9:09 a.m.

Walt Disney Co. is planning a theme park resort for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the company confirmed Wednesday. The attraction will be on the waterfront of Yas Island,...

Monsters Unchained -- The Frankenstein Experiment will be part of the Dark Universe land at Epic Universe theme park when it opens next year. (Universal Orlando)

It’s official: Universal sets Epic Universe’s opening date

October 22, 2024 at 10:47 a.m.

Grand opening day for Epic Universe theme park will be May 22, Universal Orlando announced Thursday morning. And the first phase of its ticket sales will begin next week, the...

The 2020 holiday festivities at Disney's Hollywood Studios include decorations, a Santa Claus motorcade, tasty treats, light projections on the Tower of Terror and more.

Universal’s holiday plan includes Macy’s balloons on display, new Tribute Store, Grinch interactions

November 12, 2020 at 3:47 p.m.

Universal Orlando has unwrapped its plans for the holidays, including a selection of festivities that have been tweaked in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Universal Studios theme park again will...

How Disney will tweak Epcot’s holiday celebrations

October 27, 2020 at 4:39 p.m.

The holidays, of course, have not been literally canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. But how they are celebrated will probably look different, and that includes festivities at Walt Disney...

Disney’s Animal Kingdom welcomes baby rhino

November 4, 2020 at 5:36 p.m.

A male white rhinoceros has been born at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. And there are more on the way. Mother Kendi gave birth to an as-yet-unnamed calf Sunday, weighing...

In this cult favorite, you get a look at some comedy's best and brightest before they were stars including Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Michael Ian Black and Judah Friedlander. And they bring you one extraordinary summer day of freewheeling makeout culture, log-cabin camps and disco-era short shorts.

Our Top 10 classic summer movie picks to beat the heat

August 10, 2020 at 7:43 p.m.

Summer is a special season for film, and not just because its when studios trot out their loudest, most expensive fare. Filmmakers look to summer for its effects on friendships,...

Disney World animals will be subjects of new TV show

July 28, 2020 at 7:49 p.m.

The care and feeding of Walt Disney World's animal population will be the focus of a new television series called "The Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom." The shows will come...

A view of Main Street USA during the official re-opening of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2020. Disney opened two Florida parks, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, Saturday with limited capacity and safety protocols in place in response to the coronavirus pandenmic. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Disney reopens as a different world with masks, social distancing and light crowds

July 12, 2020 at 12:04 p.m.

Gary Semel's hands trembled in anticipation of the moment he had awaited for four months. Finally, he could kneel down in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World to...

FILE - In this March 16, 2020, file photo, the entrance to the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is closed in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Splash Mountain ride at Disney parks in California and Florida is being recast. Disney officials said the ride would no longer be tied to the 1946 movie, "Song of the South," which many view as racist. Instead, the revamped ride will be inspired by the 2009 Disney film, "The Princess and the Frog," which has an African-American female lead. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

Disney World: What to know before you go back

July 8, 2020 at 5:54 p.m.

Dear future Walt Disney World theme parks visitor, the long-awaited reopenings are near. The next time you go to a Disney theme park, it will look and feel different as...

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