Dec 20th, 2010 at 5:30PM: The new Noah's Ark theme park planned in Kentucky may be making headlines these days, but it's not the only U.S. park with a religious theme.
Central figures on the Orlando, Florida, theme park scene include Mickey Mouse, Shamu, Harry Potter, and Jesus Christ.
Just a few miles from Hogwart's Castle at Universal Orlando Resort lies the Holy Land Experience, a 15-acre theme park firmly rooted ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Holy Land Experience theme park: Crucifixion, even on Christmas
Dec 20th, 2010 at 5:30PM: The new Noah's Ark theme park planned in Kentucky may be making headlines these days, but it's not the only U.S. park with a religious theme.
Central figures on the Orlando, Florida, theme park scene include Mickey Mouse, Shamu, Harry Potter, and Jesus Christ.
Just a few miles from Hogwart's Castle at Universal Orlando Resort lies the Holy Land Experience, a 15-acre theme park firmly rooted ...Disney's Art of Animation Resort: New details, images released
Dec 16th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
Walt Disney World's newest hotel will feature four courtyards themed around four beloved Disney animated films: Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Cars.
Disney has just released this concept art for Disney's Art of Animation Resort.
The Little Mermaid section of the resort will have 864 traditional hotel rooms with sea-inspired decor.
Buildings featuring ...Tommy Lee wants to make SeaWorld sex tape
Dec 10th, 2010 at 3:00PM:
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee has thought a lot about whale masturbation this week.
Lee contends that to obtain sperm for breeding purposes, SeaWorld has someone "masturbate" Tillikum, a killer whale at the theme park who was responsible for the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau earlier this year.
Lee says it is "sick and twisted," and that it violates SeaWorld's own policies regarding ...Rocker Tommy Lee angered over whale masturbation *UPDATED*
Dec 8th, 2010 at 12:30PM:
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee is angry -- really angry -- about the way Shamu is being treated at SeaWorld.
In a letter to SeaWorld Orlando, Lee complains about the methods used by the theme park to obtain sperm from Tillikum - the orca responsible for the death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau this spring.
Tillikum was brought to SeaWorld Orlando specifically for breeding purposes in ...Disney World at Christmas: Expect crowds. BIG crowds.
Dec 7th, 2010 at 2:00PM: I spent many a childhood vacation driving back and forth to Florida. My family loved to vacation here. We went to various beach communities around the state, and our trips would often involve a day or two spent at Walt Disney World.
So the whole family was excited when, in 1984, one of my aunts moved to Florida. It was immediately decided that the extended family would spend Christmas there. ...Proposed Orlando Thrill Park Reveals 14 Extreme Rides
Dec 4th, 2010 at 4:00PM:
While Orlando's already known for its world-class theme parks, a developer thinks that there's room for one more. The Baker Leisure Group has proposed a thrill-focused park that would be located in the Tangelo Park area near the Festival Bay Mall. It would be just a short drive from Universal Orlando Resort and its two theme parks. Central Florida is also home to Walt Disney World, SeaWorld ...Disney's Spectacle of Dancing Lights: By the numbers
Dec 1st, 2010 at 12:00PM:
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is one of the most popular holiday events at Walt Disney World.
Each night at dusk, the lights are turned on at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is impossible to take a picture that shows the magnitude of Disney's dancing lights display. It completely covers the buildings in the theme park's Streets of America section. So, to try to give you the ...Duffy the Disney Bear - New face to see (and buy) at Disney Parks
Nov 25th, 2010 at 12:00PM: If you are planning at trip to Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World at the holidays, you will likely encounter Duffy the Disney Bear.
And when you do, I imagine you will likely think, "Hey, who the heck is this?"
No, you've never seen Duffy in a Disney movie. He's never been in a Mickey Mouse cartoon or a Pixar animated short. And he's not the star of a new series for preschoolers on the ...Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, SeaWorld Orlando raise ticket prices
Nov 22nd, 2010 at 12:00PM: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld Orlando have announced price increases at the Florida theme parks.
The new ticket price at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is $83.45, including sales tax. You will pay $72.75 for kids ages 3-9.
At SeaWorld Orlando, tickets are now $85.19 with tax included, $74.54 for kids.
By comparison, a 1-day, 1-park ticket including tax at Walt Disney World is $87.33. ...New plans released for Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World
Nov 18th, 2010 at 4:30PM: Walt Disney World has announced plans for major renovations at Downtown Disney, a 120-acre retail, dining and entertainment complex on the eastern edge of Disney's Florida property.
According to details released on the official Disney Parks Blog, the renovated section will be called Hyperion Wharf, and will be a "nostalgic yet modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier." ...Dollywood wins major theme park award
Nov 17th, 2010 at 9:30AM: Dolly Parton visited Orlando, Florida, yesterday to accept the Applause Award on behalf of her theme park, Dollywood.
"I love my music, but when you get a chance to do things like this, where you serve so many people in a different way, it makes me proud of something that so many people can enjoy," Parton said during the ceremony on the opening day of the International Association of Amusement ...SeaWorld to open new Shamu show next spring
Nov 16th, 2010 at 1:00PM:
Shamu will get a new show next spring at the SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego.
The killer whale show will replace "Believe," which debuted four years ago. There's no word yet as to whether SeaWorld's killer whale trainers will be in the water with the orcas in the new show.
The trainers have been out of the water since the February death of Dawn Brancheau at SeaWorld ...Walt Disney World reduces time spent waiting in line with Tangled Meet and Greet
Nov 16th, 2010 at 9:30AM:
The construction on Walt Disney World's Fantasyland expansion is well underway, and apparently so is the testing for some Disney innovations expected to be seen when the new attractions open in 2013.
This spring, Walt Disney World tested a new way to wait for a ride on the Rock n' Roller Coaster without lines.
Now a meet and greet with the characters from the new movie "Tangled" appears ...ICE!: Behind the scenes at Gaylord Hotels' holiday exhibit
Nov 15th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
Each holiday season, the four Gaylord Hotels in the United States import about 100 master ice carvers from Harbin, China's Winter Festival to carve elaborate, life-size exhibits for the resorts.
I recently got to peek behind the curtain and watch the artists at work at the Gaylord Palms Resort near Orlando, Florida.
The ICE! exhibits are a wonder to walk through, with room out of room ...Top 10 holiday sights to see at Walt Disney World
Nov 12th, 2010 at 10:00AM: Walt Disney World is known for building theme parks and resorts that are larger than life. So it should come as no surprise that Disney goes all out during the holidays. It's enough to have anyone humming "White Christmas," even if it is 80 degrees outside.
Many of the holiday festivities start this week at Walt Disney World - yes, Disney skips directly from Halloween to Christmas. Here are my ...Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster reopens at Universal Studios Florida
Oct 28th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster is open once again at Universal Studios Florida, after being closed for maintenance on Sept. 15.
Universal has been mum on exactly what maintenance was being performed. The coaster's German manufacturer - Maurer Sohne - issued a memo on Sept. 2, advising that all coasters similar to the Rip Ride Rockit be shut down immediately because of a flaw ...Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Walt Disney World's Main Street U.S.A.
Oct 27th, 2010 at 4:30PM:
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flew up Main Street U.S.A. Tuesday afternoon in a six-plane "Delta" formation. The Walt Disney World flyover was part of the festivities surrounding Air Force Week in Central Florida.
Air Force Weeks are held in different U.S. cities each year. They are a public relations effort "for our Air Force to showcase some of its capabilities to the general public," ...TripAlertz combines group buying with travel flash sales
Oct 26th, 2010 at 11:00AM: Launching today, TripAlertz aims to do for the travel market what Groupon and LivingSocial have done for restaurants, spas and shops. Part flash sale, part group-buying site, TripAlertz will offer impulse getaway packages with prices that start 30 to 50 percent below the leading public online travel sites.
Destinations to be featured include places like Miami, Orlando, Beverly Hills, San ...Top ten Halloween theme park events
Oct 25th, 2010 at 3:00PM:
Theme parks around the United States are getting in on the Halloween fun this week, with special events featuring everything from horror-filled haunted houses to magic shows to trick-or-treating for kids. Here's a look at our top 10 Halloween theme park events:
1. Halloween Horror Nights: Universal Studios Florida, Orlando, Florida
Universal's Halloween scarefest, which tops lists of ...Inside Virgin America's Orlando launch (w/ Photos)
Oct 20th, 2010 at 4:30PM:
I scanned the tarmac from my window seat. No gorgeous models holding Virgin America flags. No extravagant red carpet or cocktail service set out under the inviting Orlando sunshine. No R&B icons, rock stars, or daytime soap actors to pose for the dozens of cameras lined up at the jet bridge.
I thought we might have taxied to the wrong terminal until I saw the undeniable proof that we ...
