Archive for April, 2010
Friday, April 30th, 2010
At Walt Disney World Resort, the month of May will is already shaping up to be a transitional period for the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney. Earlier this month, Disney opened D-Street in downtown Disney west side, which will sell custom, user created vinyls and other unique art. Other parts of Disney will be undergoing major renovations and facelifts, including EPCOT’s Cantina de San Angel, a counter service restaurant, which will receive major renovations in May, June and July, before reopening in the fall of 2010.
Sci-Fi fans will be happy to hear of the return of Star Wars weekends, which return to Hollywood Studios on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from May 21 to June 13. During Star Wars weekends, Hollywood studios fills with characters from the popular sci fi series and tourists can test their light saber skills one-on-one with Darth Vader himself at the Jedi Training Academy. Fans can also participate in trivia contests with prize giveaways and ride the popular simulator ride… Star Tours
Fans of Toy Story will be thrilled to see a sneak peak of one of the series’ newest characters’, Lotso, who will appear appear at The Magic of Disney Animation for meets and greets. Lotso will also be available at the Block Party Bash.
Animal Kindgom will be offering a fastpass for fans to experience the wildlife park’s most popular shows, including Festival of the Lion King, Flights of Wonder and FindingNemo-the Musical. Animal Kindgom’s fastpass for these shows is expected to run through May 29, 2010.
Other popular news for Disney fans includes the extension of Fantasmic dining packages, which will now be offered at lunch in addition to dinner.
Fantasmic dining packages at Mama Melrose’s and The Brown Derby provide designated seating for Fantasmic, the nightly visual spectacle show.
Casey’s Corner on Main Street USA has begun it’s exterior refurbishment. The restaurant remains open as usual during the work.
Don’t forget to book your Disney World vacation package today to see these great events.
Tags: disney world, events
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Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Just because you’re on a Disney World vacation doesn’t mean you have eat unhealthy. Regardless of which resort or theme park you visit, there are healthy foods available at a variety of restaurants. For example, Animal Kingdom has a kiosk that serves fresh fruit, organic tea and other snacks with high nutritional value. Animal Kingdom’s best restaurants for healthy eating include: Harambe Fruit Market which serves fresh fruits & juices, the Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery has a fruit cup w/ yogurt, McDonald’s , Restaurantosaurus serves a mandarin chicken salad and veggie burgers, you can get a chicken caesar salad at Pizzafari, and diabetics can get a fruit smoothie with no added sugar at Tamu Tamu Refreshments. Of all of Disney’s parks, EPCOT is the easiest place to find healthy alternatives to the typical restaurant menu items at most theme parks.
With its wide variety of internationally-themed restaurants, EPCOT’s highly trained chefs will adjust meals for tourists on a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, as long as you tell the waitress of your dietary requirements when you place your order. If you’re traveling to Disney’s Magic Kingdom your best bet is to find a kiosk that sells fresh fruit or stop by Auntie Gravities in Tomorrow land, where you can order fruit smoothies. Another healthy stop in Tommorowland is the Noodle Station, which serves a vegetable noodle bowl with tofu, Teriyaki chicken and caesar salad.
Other healthy alternatives at Disney World include the Hummus Sandwich with tomato & broccoli slaw, Garden Galley Salad, Clam Chowder, and Vegetarian Chili, all served at Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square. Should you venture to one of Disney’s waterparks, Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, you can find healthy snacks at several concession stands. At Blizzard Beach, look for Lottawatta lounge, the Warming Hut or Avalunch, which serve chicken wraps and turkey wraps.
At Typhoon Lagoon, head to Leaning Palms for a Chicken Wrap, Mediterranean Tuna Salad, Caesar Salad, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, fruit cup & Fruit Yogurt.
Tags: apples, disney, food, healthy
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Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Orlando’s newest waterpark, Seaworld Aquatica, is expanding its park with a new slide, improved amenities and new ticket packages that are sure to please Florida residents. Aquatica added a new slide called the Omaka Rocka, the water slide that represents the first expansion of Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park. Inpsired by the design of halfpipes at skateboard parks, the Omaka Rocka tube slide deposits riders in funnels designed to mimic the sensation that skateboarders feel in the half-pipe. Omake raka shares a loading platform with Whanau Way near the waves pools. Guests must be at least four feet tall to ride Omaka Rocka.
Aquatica also announced their special “After 2 p.m. Pass” deal for the rest of 2010. With no blackout dates, locals can capitalize on a great deal for summer afternoons, by paying just $2 more than the regular cost for an adult for one day. Aquatica is
Other upgrades at Aquatica include premium cabanas between the two wave pools, which were installed with upgraded furniture in the private area. The canabanas include an all-day locker, up to 16 beverages and ceiling fans to keep you cool in the Florida heat If you’re planning a group party, you can opt for the ultimate cabanas, which have been added between the two wave pools in the private area. Ultimate cabanas include a dining table for six, and second cabana with couch, coffee table and additional seating. The cost is $599.99 per day, not including park admission.
This summer would be a great time to visit Aquatica, we currently have a few discount Sea World Orlando vacation packages still available.
Tags: Aquatica, Sea World, slide
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Sunday, April 25th, 2010
Every year, Christians from across the country gather in central Florida to hear Stephen Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and other talented Christian musicians.
For nearly three decades, the most popular artists in inspirational christian music have gathered for two nights of concerts, praise and worship at Disney’s Night of Joy. Night of Joy is known for featuring many major bands in one weekend, and this year is no exception. The two-night event returns to the Magic Kingdom after two years at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on September 10 and 11. Headlining the 28th annual Night of Joy for Friday, Sept 10 are Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Casting Crowns are scheduled for show. Chris Tomlin’s top hits include: most well-known songs are “How Great Is Our God,” “Jesus Messiah,” and “Amazing Grace David Crowder’s biggest hits include , “Here Is Our King”, which can be heard on WOW Hits 2006, “Wholly Yours”, which can be heard on WOW Hits 2007, “Everything Glrious, which is on Wow Hits 1, “God of this city” and “How He Loves, which can be heard on WOW Hits 2010. Casting Crowns’ most popular songs include, “Voice of Truth”, “Slow Fade”, “Every Man”, “Praise you in this Storm”, “Who am I? and “Lifesong.”
Mercy Me and Third Day are among the major bands on Sept. 11.O Top hits by Mercy Me include “I can only imagine” and “Word of God Speak.” Hit singles from Third Day include, “Revelation”, “Cry out to Jesus”, “Call my Name” and “Born again.”. Other major bands and artists in the line-up include Barlow Girl, Francesca Battistelli,Group 1 Crew,Tenth Avenue North and Sidewalk Prophets on Sept. 10 and Family Force 5,Smokie Norful,Red,LeCrae and Day of Fire, who will perform on Sept 11.
There are great discount Disney World packages available to see the Night of Joy.
Tags: Disney Nights fo Joy, September
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Friday, April 23rd, 2010
If you have ever gone to any of the Walt Disney World theme parks, you know how much fun they can be for a family vacation. Not only are they a lot of fun, they are also a lot of work. Walking in the Florida sun a whole day can take quite a bit out of you. So, at the end of the night, wouldn’t it be best to just have a quick ride to your vacation accommodations? Small children can often be found sleeping as families leave the theme parks. If you stay in a vacation home, you can put them in their own bed, and then, take some time for yourself and relax without disturbing their sleep.
You might also want to a quick refreshing dip into your own private pool or maybe grab a snack out of your fully equipped kitchen. As you can tell Disney vacation homes offer a lot of flexibility for your family while on vacation. In fact, some families skip going to the parks for a day and they just have a blast at their private pool at the home.
. If you do not need a large vacation home for your family, you may want to consider a Disney condo which does a great job of accommodating couples and small families.
Disney Vacation Homes certainly help make the ultimate Disney Vacation.
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Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Central Florida’s newest theme park may play a key role in the arch rivalry between Universal Studios and Disney World. Scheduled to open in the fall, Legoland will replace one of Florida’s oldest theme parks, Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven.
Geared toward a much younger audience than Cypress Gardens, Legoland will feature over 50 rides, shows and attractions, including spectacular LEGO® models. Legoland’s owner, Merlin Entertainment, just purchased new property in its surrounding area for improved roads to be built around the park to avoid traffic issues.
Legoland is indirectly tied to two of Disney’s biggest rivals- SeaWorld and Universal Studious, because it is co-owned by Blackstone, through the private-equity firm’s stake in Merlin Entertainment Group. When asked about the possible inclusion of Legoland in a flex ticket package, SeaWorld Parks Chief Atchison said the addition is still just a speculation and Universal Studios representative didn’t comment on the possibility of adding the third major park. Legoland’s spokesperson Julie Estrada said that the park is exploring opportunities for partnerships to benefit vistitors, but she didn’t disclose any specific figures or plans.
Adding Legoland to the flex ticket could be an effective way for Universal and Sea World to lure families away from the more expensive choice of a Disney Resort. Universal suffered a dropoff in visitors last year, with a 10% drop in attendance. Despite the drop in attendance, Universal still beat SeaWorld in Flex Ticket sales revenue, claiming $28 million to SeaWorld’s $25 million and $7 million for SeaWorld. By adding Legoland, the flex ticket would add year-round appeal, which could compensate for the winter attendance dropoff at Wet N Wild. LegoLand is expected to generate millions of dollars for central Florida and create 1,000 jobs for its staff.
Tags: Flex Ticket, Legoland, orlando, universal studios
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Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
For 15 years, a partnership between Universal Studios and SeaWorld/Busch Gardens provided central Florida tourists with a ticket package to rival Disney’s park-hopper pass. Within the next year and a half, the theme park executives at Universal Studios and Sea World Orlando must reach a decision on whether or not they’ll extend the joint agreement on the ticket package known as the “Flex ticket” package.
Currently, the flex ticket package offers 14 days of unlimited admission to both Universal’s and SeaWorld’s collection of theme parks, and the agreement is intact until December of 2011. Park executives are expected to renew and extend the deal, but the negotiations may go smoother than originally expected, thanks to the recent change in ownership of SeaWorld. In 2009, 25% of Sea World was purchased by the investment firm Blackstone Group, which co-owns Universal Orlando with GE’s NBC Universal, from Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased 25%. Blackstone already co-owns Universal Orlando with General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal.
One transaction that may complicate matters is Comcast’s ongoing negotiations to purchase NBC Universal.
According to reports by universal regulatory filings., Sea World and Universal sold an estimated 300,000 FlexTickets in 2009 for $60.9 million. Universal, SeaWorld and Wet ‘n Wild split the revenue according to a contract that was negotiated according to each respective park’s attendance figures. Last year’s attendance at Universal was down 10 percent, yet it claimed the largest amount of sales, with $28 million, roughly 6% of Universal’s total revenue. The $28 million for 2009 was 52% lower than the Universal’s total in 2008, and experts blame the global economic recession to the slumping figures. at the beginning of every year, that is based on the attendance share of each park included in the ticket.
SeaWorld earned $25.6 million through Flex Ticket sales last year, followed by Wet ‘n Wild,with $7.3 million.
Click here for great deals on hotels near Sea World Orlando
Tags: Flex Ticket, orlando, SeaWorld, universal studios
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Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
During the last two weekends in April, high school seniors will have Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom reserved for a special night to celebrate their upcoming graduation. This year’s event will feature music stars from MTV’s Best American Dance Crew, including: Paramore, Keri Hilson, All Time Low, Quest Crew, Boys like girls, Mario, Hey Monday and Beat Freaks.
Other highlight events of Grad Nite 10 include a seniors fireworks show, Tomorrow land dance party and Frontierland dance party. Tomorrow land dance party is a high-tech dance party with video walls and other visual effects to keep the party moving. Frontierland dance party features a live dj spinning the top hits.
If your school is interested in attending Disney Grad Nite 10, they must register online at Disney.youthgroups.go.com. Grad Nite is open to high school seniors, chaperones, and junior class officers who are interested in previewing grad nite for their senior class the following year. All of the parks attractions and rides are open during the special hours for Grad nite. Chaperons are given special perks, including a line-hopper pass and admission to a lounge that’s excluded for chaperons.
Grad Nite park admission covers access to Walt Disney World Resort but it doesn’t include any meals. Students must bring their own money for meals and merchandise, which is sold at regular price. Disney also enforces a strict no alcohol and no smoking policy, which applies to both students and chaperons. Standard safety and security measures are taken at the front gate, including bag checks for illegal substances and weapons. Chaperons are assigned pages, to keep informed of any important news around the park, and chaperons are required to check in upon arrival. One complimentary chaperons ticket is provided for every 10 tickets purchased.
If your high school plans to travel a long distance for grad nite, you may want to consider overnight lodging at one of Disney’s on site resorts or Orlando-area hotels. Contact Disney for special youth group rates available during Grad Nite weekends, and make 2010 a year you’ll never forget.
Tags: 2010, Grad Nite, magic kingdom, MTV
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Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
County commissioners may get a first glimpse into the $200 million dollar addition to Islands of Adventure, but they won’t have any fancy invitation trinkets as mementos. According to new rules regarding gifts, commissioners can’t keep the fancy trinket invitations originally sent by Universal Studios. In the wake of a lobbying scandal,t he county attorney’s office recently instructed a lobbyist for Universal not to send county commissioners elaborate invitations to a May reception previewing the Wizarding World attraction. The exclusive invites included a $40 Harry Potter mementos, which constitute illegal gifts. Commissioners are banned from accepting any gifts, other than meals, from companies and other organizations that employ lobbyists.
Universal would not describe its $40 Harry Potter keepsakes, but said he was told only that they were “something you can put on your desk.” Assistant County Attorney Charles Hawkins said.
Universal Studios hopes to benefit from the wave of enthusiasm that typically accompanies a Harry Potter book or movie release. The theme park is in much need of a positive bounce in visitor attendance, especially after they announced a 12% drop in visitor attendance. Harry Potter’s section in Islands of Adventure marks one of the biggest enhancements to the park since it first opened in 1999. The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter features three main attractions: The Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge. Each of the three attractions features revolutionary technology that’s sure to make a lasting impression on every guest. Fans of Harry Potter should find the Island with ease, since the prominent center hub of the Island is Hogwarts castle. Forbidden journey is an interactive journey that combines a robotic ride system with visual immersion special effects. To give the land a 100% authentic feel, Universal park made a series of trips to Scotland to consult with the hands-on Rowling, who signed off on everything from what would be displayed in the Hogsmeade shop windows to the recipes for the butter beer and pumpkin juice served in the restaurant. Click here for Universal Studios Package Deals
Tags: City Commissioner, Harry Potter theme park, universal studios
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Monday, April 19th, 2010
Fans of Harry Potter will experience the stories in a new dimension this summer, as Universal Studios opens the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, the newest island to be added at the popular theme park in Orlando. Previews of Wizadring World have generated a buzz comparable to the lines for a new book release.
J.K. Rowling’s best-selling book series. The new island will feature three main attractions: The Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge. Each of the three attractions features revolutionary technology that’s sure to make a lasting impression on every guest. For example, The Forbidden Kingdom combines an advanced robotic ride system technology with innovative, immersive filmmaking, on a ride that features popular characters from the series, including Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid and Draco Malfoy, Fred and George Weasley, Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom. Music on the ride was conducted by the legendary composer, John Williams, who also composed the scores for Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indian Jones, Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, the Indiana Jones series and many other blockbusters. During the ride, you’ll journey through Floo powder and fly through Hogwarts Academy. Highlights of the ride include a dragon attack, a close encounter with the Whomping Willow, a Quidditch match and more.
Serving as the hub for each of the attractions will be will be Hogwarts castle, a majestic structure that towers over the island. Attractions within the island include Dumbledore’s office, where you meet the Headmaster as he welcomes you to Hogwarts, Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, where you first meet Harry, Ron and Hermione, the Gryffindor common room: along with three other characters who prepare you for your journe. There’s also the Room of Requirement, with hundreds of floating candles above, you take your seat on an enchanted bench and begin the Forbidden Journey
Tags: Harry Potter theme park, universal studios
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