Orlando Theme Parks Prepare for Earth Day

Several of the Orlando area’s world-class theme parks – Disney’s Animal Kingdom, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Africa – will join communities and organizations around the world to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2007, and help increase global awareness of important environmental issues.

Begun in 1970, Earth Day calls attention to the many major environmental challenges facing our fragile planet that today include potentially catastrophic climate change, rapidly vanishing natural resources, and an ever-increasing list of extinct and endangered animal species. The philosophy of Earth Day is perhaps best expressed in the words of a popular Native American proverb: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

Below is a comprehensive guide to Earth Day celebrations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Africa:

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Disney World’s fourth world-class theme park actually opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and has featured yearly Earth Day celebrations ever since. For 2007, Disney’s Animal Kingdom presents “Party for the Planet,” a series of fun and informative conservation-related activities (in conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums) at stations set up in each of the theme park’s seven areas: Africa, Asia, Camp Minnie-Mickey, DinoLand USA, Discovery Island and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. “Party for the Planet” will take place on Friday, April 20, and Sunday, April 22, 2007, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

SeaWorld Orlando: Live animal encounters and plenty of conservation-related activities will take place as part of the Earth Day celebration at “the world’s most popular marine adventure park” on Sunday, April 22, 2007. In addition, all proceeds from SeaWorld’s wildlife encounter tours on Earth Day will be donated to the SeaWorld-Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

Busch Gardens Africa: Also in conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ “Party for the Planet” Earth Day celebration, Busch Gardens Africa has scheduled various animal exhibits, conservation-related activities, craft making stations and giveaways. The festivities will take place at Busch Gardens Africa on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, 2007, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

“The theme parks here in Orlando are continually developing innovative programs not only based around their attractions, rides and shows but also targeting important global issues such as energy conservation, wildlife education, and personal health and well being,” said Kyle Collins, Director of Interactive Marketing for HotelsCorp.com.

Note: All Earth Day activities at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Africa require ticketed admission to the theme parks.

Top 10 Movies Filmed in Central Florida

1. The Waterboy [1998]
2. Parenthood [1989]
3. Lethal Weapon 3 [1992]
4. Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector [2006]
5. Monster [2003]
6. Trekkies [1997]
7. Rosewood [1997]
8. Problem Child 2 [1991]
9. Instinct [1999]
10. Jaws 3-D [1983]

Top 10 Defunct Central Florida Attractions

1. Circus World
2. Boardwalk & Baseball
3. Splendid China
4. Skull Kingdom
5. Hard Rock Vault
6. Xanadu: Home of the Future
7. King Henry’s Feast
8. Jungleland Zoo
9. Guinness World Records Experience
10. Mystery Fun House

Orlando Trivia, Vol. 1

What year did Disney’s Magic Kingdom open its doors? 1971

Which Major League Baseball team plays its home games at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex during Spring Training? Atlanta Braves

What Orlando attraction is known as “The Alligator Capital of the World”? Gatorland

What is the tallest structure at Disney’s Magic Kingdom? Cinderella Castle (189 feet)

Name the new water park scheduled to open across the street from SeaWorld Orlando in the spring of 2008. Aquatica

Scenes from which 1998 Adam Sandler movie were filmed at the Citrus Bowl? The Waterboy

Which PGA Tour golf tournament takes place at Bay Hill Golf Club each March? Arnold Palmer Invitational

What is the name of Orlando’s “tallest, fastest, longest and only floorless roller coaster” at SeaWorld Orlando? Kraken

Which annual Orlando festival is billed as “10 Days of Theatre, Art, Music and Madness”? Orlando International Fringe Festival

Which critically acclaimed performing arts troupe will find a permanent home at Universal Orlando during the summer of 2007? Blue Man Group

The Essential Guide to SeaWorld's Aquatica

An amazing, state-of-the-art water park is taking shape in Orlando – SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica – which will boast a unique blend of thrilling water rides, interactive animal encounters and white-sand beaches when it opens in the spring of 2008. Guests who visit SeaWorld’s 59-acre Aquatica water park will discover a lush, South Seas Island-style landscape, complete with refreshing waterfalls and fountains, sparkling blue rivers, hidden grottos, intricate rock formations and colorful flowers.

Highlights of SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica will include 36 thrilling waterslides, side-by-side wave pools (that operate independently or together), raft rides, more than 80,000 square feet of sandy beaches, and six rivers and lagoons. Aquatica’s signature attraction will be a 300-foot-long waterslide, which will feature a clear tube that will plunge riders down a 42-foot drop and through a crystal-clear lagoon full of black-and-white Commerson’s Dolphins (variously described as “baby Shamus”).

Two rivers will wind their way through Aquatica – one that will provide a relaxing, lazy river ride past waterfalls, exotic birds and an undersea grotto full of colorful tropical fish and the other that will feature whitewater rapids full of sharp twists and turns. Aquatica also will offer eight-lane, slalom-style racing slides, which will provide guests with the perfect opportunity to race their family and friends.

In addition, Aquatica will boast one of the world’s largest interactive water play areas, which will include a 60-foot-tall “rain fortress” and 15,000-square-foot pool, as well as several smaller slides and water cannons. Private cabanas and beachside waiter service also will be available for those guests who would simply like to relax on the white-sand beach.

Construction is already under way for SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica, which will cost more than $50 million and open along International Drive – just South of Sea Harbor Drive and across the street from its sister theme parks, SeaWorld Orlando (the world’s most popular marine adventure park) and Discovery Cove (an interactive water park). In fact, Aquatica will be the first theme park to open in Orlando since Discovery Cove in 2000.

“Aquatica will join Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Wet ‘n Wild Water Park on International Drive as one of Central Florida’s premier water parks,” said Kyle Collins, Director of Interactive Marketing for HotelsCorp.com.

For more information about SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica, visit Orlando, Florida Guide’s comprehensive Aquatica Preview, which includes up-to-date details about SeaWorld’s Aquatica and a video of the Aquatica construction site.

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Experience Universal Orlando in One Day

Time is winding down on your Orlando vacation getaway and you still want to experience Universal Orlando to its fullest. That means visiting as many attractions, restaurants and live entertainment venues as you can at Universal Studios, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk in just one day. Impossible? Not if you plan ahead and follow the Universal Orlando time-saving tips below:

• Schedule your Universal Orlando vacation during times when attendance is lightest – from mid-September until just before Thanksgiving, after Thanksgiving until a week before Christmas and mid-January until just before Presidents’ week in February.

• Arrive at Universal Orlando early – at least a half hour before it officially opens – so you can get a jump on the crowds.

• Use Universal Orlando theme park maps and tip boards to develop a plan in order to visit as many attractions as possible.

• Don’t follow the crowd – Many people will go to the right and move clockwise throughout either Universal Studios or Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, so try going left and moving counterclockwise.

• If you want to experience The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, make it your first stop since it is the most popular attraction at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and draws some of the longest lines.

• Avoid driving to or from Universal Orlando on Interstate 4 during rush hour, which usually runs from 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 7 PM.

• Stay at one of Universal Orlando’s luxurious resorts – Hard Rock Hotel, Portofino Bay Hotel or Royal Pacific Resort – and enjoy Universal Express ride access, which allows you to bypass the lines at both Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

• If you are not staying at a Universal Orlando onsite resort, you can still take advantage of Universal Express PLUS, which allows you to enjoy one Express access to each attraction.

• Buy preferred parking for a few extra dollars and you will be able to park in the parking area nearest to the entrance of Universal Orlando theme parks.

• Better yet, take advantage of valet parking, which costs $18 per day. Just follow the signs to “Valet Parking” once you enter Universal Orlando.

• Eat a good breakfast before you get to Universal Orlando. Once there, try to eat lunch a little earlier or later than usual to avoid crowds (before 12 PM or after 2 PM).

• Take advantage of Universal Orlando’s “child swap program” by going to the designated child swap area at each attraction. Essentially one member of your party can watch the kids while the rest of your group enjoys the ride. After the ride, you just swap places.

• If you are planning to dine at one of Universal CityWalk’s themed restaurants, make reservations well in advance if possible.

“In addition to the tips above, make sure you purchase Universal Studios or Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park tickets in advance online and avoid long lines at ticket windows, while enjoying substantial savings in the process,” said Kyle Collins, Director of Interactive Marketing for HotelsCorp.com.

Orlando, Florida Guide, the best online guide to Orlando, offers discount Universal Orlando tickets, discount Disney World tickets and discount SeaWorld Orlando tickets, as well as discount Orlando hotels and individually tailored Orlando vacation packages.

SeaWorld Orlando 2007 Thrill Ride Guide

Although SeaWorld Orlando is well known for its amazing live shows (such as Believe and Blue Horizons), as well as its animal habitats, the world’s most popular marine adventure park also boasts several not-to-be-missed thrill rides such as the Kraken roller coaster, Journey to Atlantis water flume ride and Wild Arctic simulated ride.

Named after a mythological sea monster and billed as Orlando’s “tallest, fastest, longest and only floorless roller coaster,” Kraken opened at SeaWorld Orlando in 2000. The ride takes about 3 ½ minutes and reaches speeds up to 65 miles per hour and a height of 151 feet as it loops its way high over Serpent’s Lagoon. Kraken, which features two loops, a corkscrew, zero-G roll and three tunnels, was designed by renowned Swiss roller coaster architects Bolliger and Mabillard. Nestled in the Northeast area of SeaWorld Orlando, Kraken is located behind the Pacific Point Preserve. Note: Kraken has a height restriction of 54 inches. In addition, be sure to read all of the health restrictions posted at the entrance to Kraken.

A one-of-a-kind “watercoaster,” Journey to Atlantis takes you on a water flume adventure aboard an eight-passenger boat that features a re-creation of the mythical city of Atlantis and a 60-foot-drop into a splash pool (prepare to get soaked!). Journey to Atlantis is similar to Splash Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Opened at SeaWorld Orlando in 1998, Journey to Atlantis lies adjacent to Pacific Point Preserve. Note: You must be at least 42 inches tall to ride Journey to Atlantis and health restrictions are also posted at the entrance to the ride.

Wild Arctic features a simulated jet helicopter ride to “Base Station Wild Arctic,” a walk-through animal habitat that features polar bears, walruses, beluga whales and harbor seals. Note: Wild Arctic has a height restriction of 42 inches. However, you have the option of bypassing the simulated ride and walking straight to the animal habitat.

Other attractions at SeaWorld Orlando include Shark Encounter, Dolphin Cove, Stingray Lagoon, Pacific Point Preserve, Clyde & Seamore Take Pirate Island, Shamu’s Happy Harbor, Odyssea, Penguin Encounter, Pets Ahoy!, Manatees: The Last Generation?, Sky Tower Ride, Tropical Reef, Key West Dolphin Fest, Clydesdale Hamlet and Turtle Point, among others.

“With world-class thrill rides, live shows, animal habitats and much more, SeaWorld Orlando definitely has something for everyone in the whole family to enjoy,” said Kyle Collins, Director of Interactive Marketing for HotelsCorp.com. “And by planning ahead and purchasing your SeaWorld Orlando tickets before you arrive in Orlando, you and your family will enjoy significant savings on your vacation getaway.”

Orlando, Florida Guide, the best online guide to Orlando, offers discount SeaWorld Orlando tickets, discount Disney World tickets and discount Universal Orlando tickets, as well as discount Orlando hotels and individually tailored Orlando vacation packages.