Construction is ongoing this week on two new attractions coming to Sea World in Orlando this year and next.
Turtle Trek, is a totally immersive, 3d experience in the round, designed to give visitors an up close and personal look at the life of a sea turtle. Designed to be a headlining attraction, Turtle Trek is being built in the Manatee Encounter area. This new attraction is completely enclosed (read, air conditioned), so it should draw visitors in on even the hottest of days. Look for more Turtle Trek news as the year progresses; the attraction is set to open this summer.
Sprawling pretty much all over the center of Sea World right now, the construction zone for the upcoming Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins is pretty hard to miss. Construction is just beginning for this new area; expect to see more activity here as the year progresses. Look for Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins to open in 2013.
What does this mean to you?
If you are making Sea World part of your Orlando vacation, you’ll see and hear some construction. The very large Antarctica construction zone may also cause some re-direction of park walkways and traffic, or cause congestion on busy days.
In other construction news, the park has finally erected a netting to cover the walkway below Manta…so you won’t have to worry about getting nailed in the head by falling sunglasses and other debris as you pass.
For 2012 and 2013 travelers, Sea World is hard at work crafting some new attractions designed to lure you in. If you want to get a sea turtle fix before Turtle Trek opens, you can head to Epcot for Turtle Talk with Crush, an interactive, indoor show.
A new exotic driving experience is set to open at the Walt Disney World Speedway this week. Beginning January 16, guests have the opportunity to take a high speed whirl in some of the world’s most exotic and expensive vehicles.
From the $300,000 Ferrari (0 to 60 in 3 seconds) to the $100,000 Porsche 997S, you can choose a luxury vehicle and take a 6 lap trip around the famed raceway. You can choose your car in advance, and view the different vehicles online. Each vehicle has a different package cost–the Ferrari will set you back $389, while the Audi R8 or the Porsche are priced out at $199.
You’ll have some training before you get behind the wheel, and a professional driver will accompany you and offer advice from the passenger seat. The standard drive package is one mile, or six laps of the track, but additional lap packages are available.
Drivers need to be 18 years or older to participate; the track also offers a ride along package, with a starting age of 14. If you want to participate, you’ll need to book your ride in advance, and show up at the Walt Disney World Speedway on the day of your package. A helmet will be provided, and you’ll need to wear long pants and close-toed shoes (sneakers are fine). You should bring your driver’s license and any corrective lenses or glasses you need to drive.
Expect to spend a few hours at the track, with time spent before and after your ride. There are stands and viewing areas for the other members of your party, and photography packages are available on site as well.
The new exotic driving experience is a companion to the existing Richard Petty racing experience, and should be on the wish list for both racing fans and car enthusiasts.
From busy lines to parades, eye catching stores and shopping kiosks to live characters strolling around, there are plenty of sights to distract a kid in any of Orlando’s theme parks. If your child gets so distracted that he wanders off–or if you simply lose track of one another in a crowd, there are ways to be reunited quickly:
Prepare in advance: Before you head to the theme parks, talk to your child about what to do if you are separated. Choose a place to meet that he can easily find, and review this spot when you reach the park. The car, monorail or bus ride that you take to the park is a great spot to review this information.
Examine the area: Make note of exits and entrances from rides and attractions. Many of the rides in Disney World and Universal have exits that are far from the entrances; make sure you are looking in the right spot.
Snap a photo: Snap a quick picture of the kids each morning. You’ll have an instant record of what your child looks like and what he is wearing. Show this to the park employees who are helping you; it will make him easier to spot.
Ask for help: Each of the theme parks has a set “lost child” protocol in place, so ask for help as soon as you determine that your child is missing. In Disney World, the cast member that finds your child (0r one that your child approaches) will be released from regular duty so that he or she can help reunite your family.
Lost children are taken to a designated lost child station, and will be kept safe and happily entertained until you are reunited.If you have a meetup location, you can relay this information to the nearest cast member, and they can call for additional help. Universal and Sea World have similar lost child protocols in place.
Don’t panic: Losing track of a child is scary, but kids go missing (and are promptly reunited with their parents) every day in the Orlando theme parks. The sooner you ask for help, the sooner you will be reunited.
In April, 2012, Disney World will close its longest and fastest ride for refurbishment. Epcot’s popular Test Track ride will be closed all summer as it undergoes an upgrade and refurbishment.
Test Tracks refurbishment is expected to last several months, so if you are heading to Disney World this summer, this popular ride will not be available. The reopening date has not been specified; Disney has just indicated that the ride will reopen in “early fall”. While no exact date has been announced, visitors may see the ride reopen in time for Epcot’s International Food and Wine festival this fall. This popular event draws plenty of visitors to the park, and Disney will likely want one of the park’s best attractions to be up and running again by then.
The closing and upgrade of Test Track has been triggered by the renewed alliance between ride sponsor General Motors and Disney. Changes to the ride include the chance to create your own virtual vehicle and to test out said vehicle on a track. No word yet if this experience will include a simulator or other “Disney Quest” type experiences.
What does this mean to you?
If you are heading to Orlando this summer, expect Test Track to be closed. Since this ride is typically the second fastest to fill up (and run out of Fastpasses each day), you may find longer waiting times at Epcot’s other headlining attraction, Soarin’.
The right-hand side of Future World will likely be more congested, since only Mission Space will be open to draw visitors to the left. If you are looking for a quick snack or coffee, turn left when you arrive in Epcot, kiosks and quick service dining will likely have shorter waits in this area, since fewer guests will be wandering around this part of the park.
Each year, Disney adjusts the wildly popular Disney Dining Plan to include different food options and restaurants, and 2012 is no exception. Even if you are familiar with the plan and have used it before, you should review the current offerings to be sure your favorite locations are included.
The Disney Dining Plan allows you to save money on one of the most expensive aspects of your vacation–your meals. By purchasing the plan, you can pay for your meals in advance, and most people ind they save money by paying up front. The plan is also occasionally offered for free, usually as part of the fall vacation season.
Changes for 2012 include:
New restaurants have been added to the plan. For the first time, the Rainforest Cafe, TRex, the House of Blues and Bistro de Paris have been included. Dining locations at the newest Disney resort, the Art of Animation, have also been included.
The Quick Service Dining Plan has been altered–the plan originally included two snacks per person per day, for 2012, the allotment is one snack per person per day.
The Wine and Dine Plan has been discontinued this year.
The regular, or Plus Dining Plan now includes a free Disney resort mug per person; the mug entitles you to free beverage refills at your resort during your stay. Beverages include coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soft drinks, milk and juice.
The Deluxe Dining Plan now has different prices, depending on the time of year, so expect to save money during the value season–and to pay more on holidays and during the busy season.
Tips are no longer included, so when you dine at a table service location, expect to tip your server out of pocket. This is a 2011 change, but many guests were not aware of it; it is better to know you need to tip in advance than to find out once you get your dining check!
Disney World released a new 2012 promotion this week–”One More Disney Day”. 2012 is a leap year, meaning we’ll get an extra day of work or play this year. What will you do with the extra time?
On New Year’s Eve, Disney announced a group of promotions and special events geared to help you figure out how to spend your “extra day” this year. If you are headed to Orlando at the end of February (or thinking of visiting during this time), you can take advantage of some special leap year events and promotions:
The Magic Kingdom will stay open a full 24 hours on February 29, 2012, beginning at 6am. If you’ve ever wanted to see the sun rise (and set) inside the park, this will be the day to do it. Disney has traditionally offered some kind of premium–a pin, special map or poster to commemorate this type of event; stay tuned for more details. This will be the first time either park has ever been open for a full 24 hours of fun.
60 lucky families will win a trip for four to either Disney World or Disneyland; the company is giving away a free trip per day until February 29, 2012. Official rules and entry information can be found on the Disney Website.
Disney is offering various ticketing promotions for this event as well–most add an extra day to your vacation at no additional charge, making this a fun way to stay and play in Orlando without spending a lot of extra cash. Contact Orlando Vacations for more details on how to save on your extra Disney day.
Christmas week, New Year’s Eve and Day, Spring Break — each of these holiday days or events pack thousands of extra guests into the Orlando theme parks. If you have scheduled your Orlando vacation for one of these time periods, be prepared for delays, and even closures.
What do these big crowds mean to you? During Christmas week 2011, the Magic Kingdom park in Disney World actually closed due to capacity several times–leaving plenty of vacationers on the wrong side of the admission gates. Make sure you are on the right side of the fence–and that you can actually see and do some of the rides your favorite park has to offer–by using these tips:
1. Show up early. No matter what park you are heading to, get there before the park opens, even if it means getting up extra early. You’ll be one of the first into the park; and you’ll probably ride more attractions during your first hour than you will the rest of the day.
2. Make reservations: If you have any interest in dining in a regular, table service restaurant, you’ll need to make reservations well in advance. Otherwise, you will not get a seat. If you are planning on using one of the walk-up, fast food locations that are scattered throughout all of the theme parks, plan on waiting in line for a bit–or dine at “off” times to beat the crowds.
3. Go VIP: If you are going to one of Universal’s parks, spring for the VIP, front of the line pass option; you’ll be assured a seat on the most popular rides, though you’ll have to pay for the privilege.
4. Stay late: If early mornings aren’t your thing, or you are traveling without kids (and don’t want to encounter many of them), sleep in and head to the theme parks late–very late. Show up at 9 or 10pm on a night your chosen park is open late; you’ll have a few hours of low crowds–which will continue to thin out as the hours go by.
If you’re visiting the Orlando area this holiday season, you have plenty of festivities to choose from. Whether you attend a black tie event or fancy dinner at your hotel or brave the crowds at one of the theme parks, you’ll find plenty of festive fun this New Years Eve. The evening’s highlights include:
The Magic Kingdom: Offering two holiday themed showings of the “Wishes” fireworks program, at 8:30 and just before midnight, all programs included with regular park admission.
Epcot: Catch “Illuminations” twice; once at 7 and again at 11:45, just in time for the start of the new year; all programs included with your regular park admission.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: “Fantasmic!” will have two showings, at 6:30 and 8pm, and the park will present a special fireworks program just before midnight, “Lights! Camera! New Year!”. All programs are included with your regular park admission.
Universal Orlando: Both Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure are open late on New Year’s Eve, and you can expect to see a variety of themed shows and entertainment, with party zones scattered throughout the parks. No additional ticket is required, the party festivities are included with your regular admission.
Universal’s CityWalk: The adults-only party zone rings in the new year in a big way on the 31st, offering a selection of food, drink and live entertainment at some of the Walk’s most popular destinations. The New Year’s Eve event requires a separate ticket ($119 per person), and is designed for adults over the age of 21 only.
Sea World: Offering live music and dance parties until midnight, then a fireworks spectacular; the New Year’s festivities are included in your regular theme park admission.
Sea World announced a series of programming designed for preschoolers and small children, to debut in January 2012. The new series includes hit programs from the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and PBS kids and will give toddlers and preschoolers another reason to love Sea World.
If you are heading to the Orlando area in January, and want to see one of the shows, arrive at Sea World early on the performance date, some events may be crowded. If you are not traveling with a small child and are not planning on seeing the event, avoid Sea World on event days if possible–the live performances will draw larger crowds than usual to the park.
Look for performances in January featuring:
January 14th, LazyTown: Sportacus and Stephanie promote healthy living and fitness–through a fun series of Lazytown stories.
January 21, Max & Ruby: A live action version of the popular animated series featuring rabbit siblings Max and Ruby.
January 28, Doodlebops: Sing, dance and play with the Doodlebops, originally seen on the Disney channel.
February 4, Choo Choo Soul: The hiphop duo makes learning and dancing fun for all ages.
The live performances are included with your Sea World admission, but you will need to pick up a show ticket n the day of the event to save your seat. Performances are scheduled for 11am and 2pm, but you should head to the Nautilus theater first thing in the morning to pick up your tickets and secure your seats.
Other kid and family friendly events for January include half price stroller rentals on event days and “buy an adult ticket, get a child ticket free” for select special programs.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about how Universal Orlando pulls together some of its fantastic rides, events and character performances, stop by the Orange County Regional History Center this winter. You’ll be treated to an exhibition entitled “The Serious Art of Make Believe”, which details much of Universal Orlando’s rich 20 year history of theme park magic.
Get a behind the scenes look at some of your favorite Universal shows and events.
The Museum, located right in the city, is a fun detour any time of year, but will be a great addition to your Orlando vacation while this exhibit is running. The Serious Art of Make Believe features concept art and actual set pieces from a variety of Universal Orlando attractions and events.
Visitors can see artwork, mockups and models from the last 20 years of Halloween Horror Nights, Christmas and various other holiday festivities. The exhibit has a hands-on component as well, allowing visitors to create their own works of art, inspired by the pros at Universal.
The Serious Art of Make Believe runs through the end of April, 2012. The exhibit is included with your general museum admission ($9.00 for adults, $6.00 for kids, children under age 4 are free).
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