Jaunted - Tag: Amusement Parks

Only Scrooge McDuck Can Afford the Disney 'Premier Passport' Ticket

kjb — 2010-03-19T09:30:07-05:00

Lately all our theme park excitement has been focused on Harry Potter and his Wizarding World, but there’s something new at Mickey’s house just down the street. Unfortunately it’s not a new roller coaster, ride, or attraction, but it is a new way to give Disney even more of your hard-earned cash.

If you’ve had a difficult time deciding between Walt Disney World and Disneyland, your troubles are now over. The Disney Premier Passport will sell for $700, and will grant you access to all the parks in Florida as well as in California. That means all the water parks, that DisneyQuest arcade thing, every theme park, and pretty much anything else that charges an admission fee is yours to visit. You can even get into the Disney Oak Trail golf course, but we’re thinking there’s some other fees for that one that will prevent us from overtaking Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour.

Orlando: Prepare Yourself for 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' With These Detailed Videos

JetSetCD — 2010-03-19T08:30:08-05:00

Why can't we just wave a wand and say some magic words and have Universal Studios' new theme park The Wizarding World of Harry Potter be open already? The 20-acre amusement park within the Islands of Adventure area keeps leaking little teasers—like details on Ollivander's wand shop and the Hogwarts Express—but thus far, they've steered clear of releasing an opening date.

All we know is that the world's first and only Harry Potter theme park will be opening this spring, and that it'll happen before their vacation packages kick in, which happens on May 28. Since they're all about hyping the place, they did just announce what day and time they'll reveal the opening date: noon on March 25 at universalorlando.com/harrypotter.

Until then however, we do have the detailed video look at the theme park...see it after the jump!

Orlando: How Your Child Can Win a Trip to Opening Day at the Harry Potter Theme Park

JetSetCD — 2010-03-15T16:10:06-05:00

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Although we still don't have an official opening date for Universal Studios Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, we do now have the first contest to attend the opening bash. Thanks to the TODAY show this morning, we have a live glimpse of the Hogwarts Express train, some of snowy Hogsmeade, and peeks at Honeyduke's and more. All of this while the TODAY show correspondent detailed the contest that will send one class of schoolchildren down to Orlando for the park's opening yet this spring.

So how do you get your child and their class down to Florida for a 3-day, 2-night Harry Potter extravaganza? Well, the class's teacher has to submit a video entry answering this question: "Why is my class extraordinary?" The contest runs until March 26, so hurry up!

The jury is still out on whether or not the kids will have to bring lots of pocket money though, since the preview on the TODAY show makes it sound like the theme park is one big ad to sell Harry Potter products, which it is. But jeez—there's more to the creation of the place than just places to buy Bertie Bots and Gryffindor scarves. Or let's hope there is.

Related Stories:
· Want To Be at the Opening of Harry Potter's World? [TODAY Show]
· Universal Studios Announces First Harry Potter Theme Park Package [Jaunted]
· Harry Potter theme park news [Jaunted]

[Photo: Universal Studios]

Universal Studios Singapore and Its Battlestar Galactica Coaster Open in a Few Days

kjb — 2010-03-11T10:36:47-05:00

It may not have the power of Harry Potter behind it, but Universal Studios Singapore is ready to bring the movies to the masses beginning on March 18. If you want to get a sneak peek at the park’s offerings and you're hanging out in Singapore right now, they will be testing out things starting on March 10, but you’re still going to have to pay to get in. At least they’ll be providing some kind of discount to make-up for rides that break unexpectedly or other issues that might plague the park before opening day.

This park is part of a huge tourism wonderland constructed by Resorts World Sentosa costing over $4 billion—it looks like someone wants to compete with Universal Studios Korea. All your Universal Studios favorites will be in Singapore, including Far Far Away—that’s where Shrek and friends will be hanging out—as well as The Lost World featuring those angry dinosaurs from Jurassic Park.

Orlando: The Hogwarts Express Arrives to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

JetSetCD — 2010-03-08T10:25:01-05:00

Continuing our peek-by-peek look at the goodies inside the soon-to-open Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Orlando, we finally get details on the much-beloved Hogwarts Express train.

It's won't be the real Platform 9 3/4 at London's King's Cross station, but the Wizarding World will have its very own Hogwarts Express train, complete with smoke and sound effects. It's unclear right now if the train moves at all, although we doubt it. It's more like an exhibit, which sits at the Hogsmeade village entrance and greets visitors. Here's the official explanation of the train's function:

Orlando: Shamu Stadium at SeaWorld Orlando Remains Closed While Rest of Park Reopens

JetSetCD — 2010-02-25T17:15:22-05:00

The death of a whale trainer at the hands of one of SeaWorld Orlando's killer whales yesterday affected more than just the one amusement park. The fatal accident occurred in the middle of a public performance at the Florida SeaWorld location, resulting in the closure of that whole park for the day but also the closing of the Shamu attractions at other SeaWorld parks around the country.

The killer whale attractions at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio—but not the whole parks—were shut down just in case as SeaWorld as a whole takes a closer look at the safety procedures and the details behind the Orlando incident.

Although SeaWorld Orlando reopened today, Shamu Stadium remains closed and the whale at the center of the investigation—Tikikum, who's been in captivity for 30 years after being captured off Iceland—sits in a holding tank. We think it's time for a another sequel to "Free Willy."

[Photo: Kids Family Vacations]

Orlando: Death Reported at Shamu Stadium Inside SeaWorld Orlando

juliana — 2010-02-24T15:16:54-05:00

UPDATE 2.26.10: SeaWorld Orlando's website has only updated on the show schedule page to say that the Believe shows at Shamu Stadium will resume again tomorrow, February 27. The Dine with Shamu experience, which enables guests to have lunch while observing the whales and was the scene of the horrifying incident, has been suspended until further notice.

Park authorities say the killer whale, Tillikum, will not be transferred, released or destroyed but whether he will perform is still not certain.

UPDATE: 5:26pm EST: A Twitterer in the audience, SapphicKitty, snapped a couple of Twitpics just before the show and Tweeted, "The killer whales are have a "moment" They don't feel like performing right now...." Later, the Twitterer found out it was because of all the action that happened just before the show started. Sad.

UPDATE 4:10pm EST: It has been confirmed that a trainer was attacked by a whale at the start of the show. Alarms went off and the stadium was evacuated. The park is still open but the whale stadium is closed.

However, it looks like the whale, Tillikum, has a history of doing this as he was the reason a trainer drowned in 1991 at Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia. Another man was found dead laying on Tillikum's back in 1999 at SeaWorld. The man had snuck into the park and was later believe to have drowned but Tillikum had torn his shorts and bit him as well.

It's a tragic day for SeaWorld to lose one of its trainers doing the job they loved. But also, animals in captivity: still not a good idea.