ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 23, 2015) – SeaWorld Orlando released details today on the return of its highly anticipated “BlueFriday” deals providing shoppers with special pricing on exclusive park experiences and admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark.
Blue Friday deals provide the best value to experience SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration and allow the fun to continue throughout 2016, including all of SeaWorld’s special festivals and concerts.
Deals include the following buy one, get one free (BOGO) offers and are available online-only:
Admission Offers:
BOGO SeaWorld Orlando One-Year Annual Pass (savings of $156)
BOGO SeaWorld Orlando/Aquatica One-Year Annual Pass (savings of $192)
BOGO Any-Day SeaWorld Orlando ticket (savings of $99)
In-Park Offers:
BOGO SeaWorld Orlando Quick Queue Unlimited (savings of $19)
BOGO Dolphins Up-Close Tour (savings up to $59)
BOGO Wild Arctic Up-Close Tour (savings up to $59)
BONUS Offers:
Buy one, get one 50% off All-Day Dining voucher for SeaWorld Orlando (savings of $17.50 for two)
BOGO select in-park holiday ornaments, snow globes and plush at Wild Arctic and Emporium gift shops
To participate in this year’s Blue Friday and view the incredible deals, fans MUSTregister online to receive SeaWorld Orlando’s e-mail updates or already be subscribed. They can do so by visitingSeaWorldOrlando.com. Blue Friday deals will be e-mailed to subscribers today, Nov. 23, along with official details about these limited-time offers. Fans can subscribe at any moment between now and November 30 to participate.
These can’t-miss deals are only available online from 12:01 a.m. (EST)Friday, November 27, until 11:59 p.m.Monday, November 30, 2015.
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration
It’s the most wonderful time of the year with waves of holiday spirit, seas of trees and twinkling lights during SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration.
Guests will enjoy this wintery, watery wonderland and entertainment inspired by the natural world and holiday cheer. Guests can journey to the North Pole on THE POLAR EXPRESS Experience where they can meet the jolly Santa Claus. With holiday treats from Santa to Shamu®, presents to penguins, and elves to Elmo, SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration™ is where holiday memories are made.
The Christmas celebration takes place this weekend Nov. 27-29 and during the following days in December: 4-6, 11-13, and 18-31.
For more information on SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration, please visit SeaWorldOrlando.com. Stay connected with Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Join the conversation with #SeaWorld and #SeaWorldChristmas.
What do you think about SeaWorld’s “Blue Friday” deals? Let us know by commenting below! You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter,Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Also, TP&T is now available on Apple News! Just search “Theme Parks and Travels” in the app, and hit the subscribe button!
After a third quarter performance that underwhelmed investors (although there were several positives in the report), SeaWorld announced major changes for the philosophy of the company in an entirely new presentation. In the presentation, they highlighted a new focus for the company, announced new attractions, and announced major changes in the San Diego park.
The following images are slides from the presentation:
These first two slides give a nice overview of information about the company’s parks. All of the parks are great experiences worth visiting if you’ve never been!
The new strategy for Sea World’s parks is to create “experiences that matter.” Essentially, this is using thrills to show guests more about the natural world. Major changes will involve “turning the parks inside out,” or as I would say, allowing the guests to see more of the park’s behind the scenes operations in caring for animals. Another change is renaming the park’s employee titles from team member to ambassador. In addition to these changes to the park’s mission, they will also have a renewed focus on bringing popular characters to the parks and incredible new attractions.
SeaWorld Orlando will be getting some major investments in the coming years. With Mako coming in 2016 already, the company confirmed even more will come to the park in the coming years! For the next five years, the park will get major investments. There will also be an emphasis on the park’s events and further use of the park’s indoor facilities.
Perhaps the most interesting development at the park is that they will attempt to buy surrounding land for further expansion. The company expressed interest in creating on-site hotels at all of their parks, and Orlando is definitely a candidate for it. With already owned land, and more opening up nearby, it will be interesting to see what SeaWorld Orlando creates in the coming years.
The most interesting announcement from SeaWorld came from the San Diego park, they announced that they will phase out shows with their killer whales in 2016. It is expected to bring more guests from the region into the park, which has experienced major attendance drops recently due to a general public that does not agree with the use of killer whales in shows. Although several news outlets reported otherwise, this only affects the San Diego park and at this time no changes will be made in the chain’s other parks.
Although San Diego has very little land to develop, SeaWorld expressed interest in expansion for the park with new rides and possibly a hotel. Unfortunately, any further developments would have to go through the California Coastal Commission, who recently banned the breeding of orcas in their park if they expand through the Blue World Project. The CEO of SeaWorld Joel Manby told investors that the company plans to challenge the CCC’s decision, but they still may not go through with the expansion at the park. Instead, they may create a smaller version of the expansion and focus more on attractions in the park.
With Discovery Point coming next year, SeaWorld will take advantage of their Texas market and expand SeaWorld San Antonio in the next few years. In 2017, the park will bring new attractions for the entire family to enjoy!
Although they did not say which park it will be coming to, SeaWorld did announce that a new family roller coaster themed to the SeaWorld rescue team would be coming to a SeaWorld park soon! It is expected that it will come to either SeaWorld San Antonio or SeaWorld San Diego. The ride will start with a queue featuring clips of the SeaWorld rescue team’s television show. Afterwards, the guests will board the wave runner themed cars and enter a journey through twists and turns, eventually finding out which animal they rescued. The manufacturer was not announced, but I expect it to be Intamin. Intamin has build a wave-runner themed roller coaster similar to this before, although it could be someone else such as Vekoma or Zamperla.
In addition to the roller coaster, SeaWorld also displayed concept art for other attractions intended to combine actual marine life with a ride experience. The Submarine and Jeep rides both look like interesting dark ride concepts that could bring guests up close to marine life.
Not much was announced for the Busch Gardens parks. They did release this image of possibly expansion for Busch Gardens Tampa, but nothing was announced for the Williamsburg park. I expect them to continue building an attraction every couple of years to maintain the success of these two parks. I would like to note, although it was not shown in the presentation, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has vast amounts of land surrounding it just waiting to be developed.
The presentation also featured this awesome Cobra’s Curse artwork:
Another focus for the SeaWorld parks will be events. In recent years, the SeaWorld parks have added new festivals including Food and Wine festivals at the Busch Gardens Parks, and they are going to continue expanding these successful events. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer will become the headline character at the park’s Christmas events next year (this is interesting, because Dollywood already features this character) and the company is going to continue expanding their popular Halloween events.
To drive more guests into the parks, SeaWorld is going to emphasize the value of their parks. With the Orlando park’s admission being $21 less than the competitor’s averages, this should help bring more local visitors to the theme park. A re-designed website will also feature more deals (including an early buyers discount) and easier navigation to make it easier for guests to get online tickets to the parks.
Above is the new focuses for the business. Although it was expected, the international partnerships for the company that were recently announced were not discussed in the call. They are currently not as big of a priority for the company as solving the domestic issues.
The company also announced a new technology partnership with Panasonic today.
I have to say, I like this new focus for SeaWorld. An emphasis on the rides rather than the shows is a smart decision for the parks. I am definitely interested in how similar this new strategy is to the CEO’s previous company, Herschend Family Entertainment. They built incredible thrills at Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, focused also on the guest’s experience, built hotels, and partnered with the owners of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The good news is that this strategy worked well for them, and I see it working for SeaWorld too. SeaWorld’s future is definitely exciting after today’s announcements!
What do you think about SeaWorld’s new investment strategy? Let us know by commenting below! Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
Today, SeaWorld reported their earnings for the third quarter of 2015. Although it may not completely look like it, the numbers are good news for the company, which has struggled recently due to recent negative publicity from organizations such as PETA and the documentary Blackfish (Speaking of Blackfish, we’ve got a great article from a guest writer about how it’s inaccurate).
The numbers for the quarter were pretty good overall. Third quarter revenue increased from $495.8 million last year to $496.9 million this year. The EBITDA for the third quarter also increased from $209.1 million last year to $217.5 million this year. The net income increased for the third quarter from $87.2 million in 2014 to $98 million in 2015.
Attendance decreased 0.4% in the third quarter due to declines in attendance at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio. To counteract these declines, SeaWorld’s other parks saw increases in attendance. The third quarter attendance this year was 8.371 million compared to 8.405 million last year. Although some made this out to be a drastic change, it is a normal level of change for a park. It’s nothing to worry about.
For the first nine months of the year, attendance was slightly higher than it was last year. It increased from 18.034 million visitors last year to 18.063 million this year. Again, this is a great sign for the company as a whole.
Although there were several positives in the earnings report, the largest negative was the projected EBITDA for the year. It was decreased to $360-370 million from about $370 million.
Overall, the report shows positive growth from the company this quarter. Attendance is up in the majority of the parks and revenue is up for the third quarter. The stock for the company has been shaky recently, but hopefully this signals positive growth in the future. You can view the full report here.
Although it was interesting to hear the company’s third quarter numbers, what truly interests me is what will be announced on Monday. On November 9th, the company will announce their new long term plan. It will definitely be interesting to hear what the company announces.
Disney also reported their earnings today. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to write an article about them, but you can view one here.
Do you think SeaWorld’s numbers this quarter signal growth in the coming years? Let us know by commenting below! Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
This article represents the views of the author and in no way represents the views of any organizations they are affiliated with. I think this a great article that needs to be shared with the world! I want to thank the guest author Michael for sending it to us to publish!
By: Michael Christopher
One day, back in 2013, the movie Blackfish premiered on CNN…I ended up missing it and recording it on my DVR, but not because I was busy, it was because I had no interest in watching a movie that revolved around the death of a trainer that I once met. I did not know Dawn Brancheau personally, but I did meet her along with a couple other Whale Trainers at Sea World Orlando during an Event that I attended. The trainers showed passion and love to all of their animals. They always had smiles on their faces, even backstage. To shed some light on my background, I’m a Theme Park enthusiast, I represent a group called American Coaster Enthusiast, I have a small background in film making and an even larger background in Common Sense. The movie aired on television and I spent about 2 months replying to friends and fellow members asking for my comment about Blackfish that I could not respond to. After some time, I finally sat down and watched it from my DVR.
Image Courtesy of SeaWorld
I was appalled…but not at Sea World. As soon as I finished the movie, I immediately did some research and found a lot of things shocking to me. But first, I want to talk about some points in the movie. It was awkward to watch and I picked out a lot of tricks that I was taught during a filming class to keep your audience intrigued and how to turn opinions into facts in the viewers’ eyes. They created false experts with false credibility by not providing all of the facts and only letting the viewer see what they wanted you to see. They used terms like “Former” and “Expert” and “Researcher” to point out key points that they wanted the viewer to recognize and agree with. They also used trick edits to make the viewer think they were watching one event, while listening to audio from another source. This gave the viewer a false understanding of the actual event. They also manipulated public court testimonies and 911 calls to make the viewer become bias and one‐sided against one company, Sea World.
The film spoke of multiple events, the first two that I remember watching didn’t even happen under the Sea World name. They happened at Sealand of the Pacific in British Colombia and at Loro Parque in Spain. Sealand is closed today and the film shows the horrible conditions that the whales lived in; this had nothing to do with Sea World. Loro Parque received four whales “on loan” from Sea World in 2006. Now, when I watched Blackfish, it kept my interest at the beginning and I was expecting to be blown away with facts that I was not aware of. As the movie progressed, it kept dropping my trust with the amount of doubt I was seeing with their so‐called “facts.” The movie completely lost my respect during one of the interviews about the Loro Parque incident. The interview was with Suzanne Allee who was a Former Video Supervisor for Loro Parque, a title that has neither credibility nor expertise about Whales or Park Operations. She stated that the four whales were sent to a park that wasn’t ready (Loro Parque), the owner of the park (Loro Parque) didn’t want to repair pools, BUT because those were Sea World’s whales, Sea World needs to take responsibility for the whale’s actions. This lost all respect I had for this film; they edited her interview with footage from the park showing poor conditions and placed blame on Sea World for the aggression and accident caused by one of the whales. This is like saying I have a well behaved, well cared for, happy dog at my home; the dog had puppies and I end up selling them to another person. This person now lives in poor conditions and does not train or treat the puppy well and the puppy ends up biting the new owner; then you place the blame on my dog for the bite. Now, I know they stated the whales were leased instead of owned, but there really is no difference, if you lease a car, you are still responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the car, not the dealership. Common sense and a little research should tell you that Loro Parque built their Orca Whale exhibit and went on the market to purchase whales. They could not afford to purchase any so they ended up leasing some with Sea World. Sea World did provide trainers and veterinarians to assist with training, but it was ultimately up to Loro Parque to care for the whales and provide the living conditions.
Even though I hated the way they did their editing to misdirect and mislead the viewer, I still continued to watch the movie all the way to the end. I was now happy to have an opinion to share about the movie, but I was reluctant to share it. The truth is in the numbers, I have visited Sea World in Orlando since I was 5 years old. I’ve always loved the shows, the education, the success stories, and…of course…the rides. But putting the rides aside for a moment, Sea World is one of the largest rehabilitation companies in the world for Sea Life. They have dedicated themselves to protecting Sea Turtles, Manatees, Dolphins, and many others. Releasing almost all of the animals brought in on rescue and only housing the ones not fit for release. Sea World has also evolved over the years, learning from captive animals about healthy lifestyles and behaviors that we normally don’t get to see or study in the wild. Yes, the orca whales are in a captive tank, but so are goldfish and other household fish that “normally have an entire ocean to swim in.” We are learning so much from Sea World and the public is starting to understand that.
Backstage at SeaWorld Orlando. Image – Michael Christopher
Today, the activists are starting to toss around more false facts and I wanted to raise awareness about how I felt about the movie. Sea World did take a dive in attendance because of this awful movie, but since then they have bounced back and are just as popular as before. Sea World also does not hide from anyone who has a question or wants to visit and tour the park. They even offer backstage tours for the public to view how much they care for their animals. The movie claimed that Sea World declined to be interviewed for this film; that is partially untrue. Sea World has proved that they were contacted by the producers and each time, Sea World provided all of the information that the producers would ask for. Sea World never agreed to a face‐to‐face interview because they knew it would be re‐edited to be put against them instead of for them. Even the public record documents were construed in favor of the producers based on edits and omitting of specific, key information.
Sea World San Antonio. Image – Michael Christopher
I started to watch Blackfish with an open mind, I wanted to see what the movie was all about, and instead of watching a factual documentary, I know I was clearly watching a producer with a complete bias against Sea World. To sum it all up, Blackfish is about a wild orca whale named Tilikum, who was captured by SeaLand (not Sea World) in the wild in 1982 (at the young age of 1 year old), and after a serious accident at SeaLand (again, not Sea World) in 1992, Sea World then took ownership of him. Sea World also disclosed all information about Tilikum to their trainers, and, even from day 1, had safety precautions in place; this includes trainers never swimming in the water with him. The film then takes a side step towards another park (not Sea World) and claims that the actions done by this park is Sea World’s responsibility because they leased a few younger whales to them. Then they go down a guilt trip with the late Dawn Brancheau and completely disrespected and sadly publicized her tragic event for a movie that her family didn’t agree to be a part of. All I can say to those of you who have watched Blackfish and are still against Sea World, please do some research about the park’s history, look for good things instead of bad. Eventually, you will notice how much of a positive impact Sea World has on marine life and if to talk to ANY employee or trainer there, even for just a short conversation, you will notice the passion and pride they have for working and caring for their animals. I hope that eventually, the movie “Blackfish” will fade away in history and eventually be forgotten.
Do you want to write an article or send us information from the parks? Head over to this page to find out how! I want to give a special thanks to Michael for sending us this fantastic article! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
A few months ago, Sea World Orlando announced that they will build the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Orlando, Mako. The other day, the first track pieces of this B&M hypercoaster left the B&M manufacturing plant in Ohio. On twitter, several posted updates on where the track was with #MakoSighting. Today, the first pieces arrived at Sea World Orlando.
The construction of this ride has reached a big milestone today. I can’t wait for Sea World to complete this major new ride. I hope this helps Sea World recover from the awful effects of the movie Blackfish. For more updates on the construction of Mako, I recommend heading over to our friends at Pixels at the Parks. They frequently post fantastic construction updates!
Are you excited for this new ride? Have you seen a piece of Mako’s track? Comment below, post on social media with #MakoSighting, and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Thank you for visiting Theme Parks and Travels! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below!
The last couple days brought big announcements for Central Florida’s theme parks. With two MAJOR Sea World parks announcements and a HUGE Universal announcement, the excitement is building up for central Florida’s next few years. In the next two years alone, we already knew of a King Kong ride, the world’s tallest roller coaster, Avatarland, the world’s tallest drop tower, a new Universal hotel, and even more! Now, after all of these amazing attractions, we get three more! Without further to do, here they are:
Sea World Orlando’s Mako Roller Coaster!
In case you haven’t checked Social Media, Sea World Orlando announced what they’d been teasing for a while, the tallest* and fastest roller coaster in Orlando, Mako. Mako is going to be a B&M hypercoaster. It will be 200ft tall and will have a speed of 73mph. Along with Mako, Sea World is also re-designing their Shark themed area of the park to go along with the new roller coaster. The press release is below with more details:
*Until the World’s Tallest roller coaster, Skyscraper, opens at Skyplex on I-Drive
SeaWorld Orlando’s Mako ™ quick facts:
Opening summer 2016, Mako will be the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in Orlando
Mako will be a hypercoaster, designed for speed and relentless “air time”
SeaWorld Orlando will now have a portfolio of five thrill rides: three distinctly different coasters, plus two family coasters.
The 2-acre realm of the park will now be fully themed around sharks: including Mako, Shark Encounter®, Sharks Underwater Grill®, themed gift shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences.
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 27, 2015) – Surfacing summer 2016 at SeaWorld Orlando will be Mako, a 200-foot-tall hypercoaster that will reach 73 mph along 4,760 feet of steel track — nearly a mile long — and leave riders feeling both breathless and weightless. Named for one of the ocean’s fastest known sharks, Mako will be Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster.
“On Mako, you’ll experience what it’s like to be this apex predator, surging through the water at top speed and chasing prey throughout a massive reef,” said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld’s attraction creative director. “It will be a wild mix of fear, thrills and fun.”
Mako’s tight turns and speed are inspired by reality. Mako sharks — also called “blue pointers” — are known for their top speed, making extreme jumps and the ability to quickly change course as they pursue their prey.
The new coaster will become one of the world’s few true hypercoasters, a group of roller coasters known for high speeds and steep drops and hills that create a feeling of weightlessness or “air time.” As the sleek coaster cars crest each hill, riders float, nearly weightless.
Mako is manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, a company renowned among coaster enthusiasts. B&M has built many of the world’s top roller coasters, including SeaWorld’s Manta and Kraken, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s SheiKra.
SeaWorld’s new hypercoaster will be the centerpiece of the newly themed surrounding realm. The two-acre plaza now will be fully shark themed including Mako, Shark Encounter, Sharks Underwater Grill, shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences featuring sharks.
The entire realm is created to make guests feel they’re underwater, part of the group of sharks and toothy animals that have taken over a shipwrecked reef.
In the plaza, guests will learn about the impact humans are having on sharks and why these animals are critical to the environment. Sharks are hunted for their fins — considered a delicacy in certain countries — and thousands are caught accidentally in nets. Several species of sharks are on the verge of extinction.
“It’s this blend of education and thrills, immersing guests in an underwater world, that sets a SeaWorld ride apart from others,” said Morrow.
“Our fans will love how Mako complements our other rides. Kraken is big, monstrous and twisty. Manta is massive and glides smoothly, taking you on a flight like a huge ray. Mako is entirely different. It’s streamlined and fast, just like a mako shark. There’s no wasted motion, it’s all speed and dives.”
Mako uses a unique sound system to enhance the experience, and not just for those on the ride. The full score of Mako can be heard and follows riders out of the station and up the lift hill. Custom surround effects and musical scores fill the realm, changing as the coaster dives through the area.
At night, specialty lights will accent the coaster trains, realm and track, flickering and shimmering, simulating fish being scattered by a mako on the hunt.
Follow the Mako frenzy using the hashtag #NothingFaster. Visit SeaWorldOrlando.com for more information and updates on the new ride.
So, what do you think about Mako? We think this ride will be a great fit for Sea World Orlando and we’re excited for the newest member of the Orlando skyline! Here’s some images of Mako (Courtesy of Sea World):
The new “Shark” area of the park!
The Entrance for Mako.
The 200 foot hypercoaster will travel over the lake!
This concept art is beautiful, this is such a great entrance plaza!
Busch GardEns Tampa’s Cobra’s Curse!
Yes, that’s correct, Sea World Parks is building TWO new roller coasters at their central Florida parks. Busch Gardens Tampa announced Cobra’s Curse, a Mack Rides spinning coaster! Cobra’s Curse will feature an elevator lift and great theming! The press release is below:
Tampa, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Busch Gardens® Tampa puts a spin on family thrills in 2016 with a brand new family thrill ride – Cobra’s Curse. This spin coaster is the only one of its kind in the world, featuring a vertical lift and taking riders on a whirlwind adventure of exciting explorations.
Located in the Egypt area of the park, explorers will come face-to-face with an 80-foot snake icon, trek over the park’s Serengeti Plain® and discover the mysteries of an Egyptian archeological excavation.
“This isn’t your ordinary spin coaster. In true Busch Gardens style, we’re putting a twist on this attraction and taking riders on an unforgettable and exciting journey,” said Busch Gardens Park President Jim Dean. “
“The addition of a family spin coaster complements the selection of thrill rides Busch Gardens offers, and we know it’s an attraction that guests from across the globe will enjoy,” Dean added. “We continue to find new and exciting ways to offer thrills for the entire family, and we know Cobra’s Curse will even further solidify Busch Gardens as Florida’s Thrill Leader.”
Get a sneak peek of Florida’s newest and most exciting family thrill ride on the Busch GardensYouTube channel.
Visit CobrasCurse.com for more information. Or, be the first to know about new events, special deals and future announcements by following the park’s blog at buschgardenstampablog.com, or “Like” the Busch GardensFacebook page and follow @buschgardens on Twitter and Instagram.
What do you think of Cobra’s Curse? This seems like a great addition to Busch Gardens Tampa that will provide family thrills to all!
Here’s the overall image of the ride! Doesn’t it look great?
This giant snake is a large element of theming.
Even the station will be heavily themed!
Here’s a closeup of the Cobra’s Curse elevator lift.
Universal Orlando Resort’s Volcano Bay Waterpark!
Yes, the best of all was saved for last. The waterpark that has been rumored for years is finally coming to Universal Orlando Resort! Universal sent out a surprise tweet this morning with this video in it:
Instantly the “twitterverse” exploded as all of us theme park nerds cheered on Universal! At 11am they finally announced Volcano bay, which will be a revolutionary and innovative waterpark. Here’s the press release:
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Universal Orlando Resort today announced a project of remarkable vision: to bring to life an entirely new water theme park experience. Called Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort, it will join Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure and become the resort’s third incredibly immersive park.
Universal’s Volcano Bay will be a place for the entire family. It will be a whole new generation of experience that reimagines what it means to be a water park.
Imagine a place that offers radically innovative, thrilling attractions, peaceful moments of relaxation and an inspired guest experience that will forever change the perception of water theme parks. It will be set in a highly themed, completely immersive environment inspired by postcard-perfect tropical islands. And it will be the kind of special place that only the Universal team – the same team that has changed the face of Universal Orlando Resort in recent years – can envision and create.
Universal’s Volcano Bay will be located within Universal Orlando Resort, just south of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Work is already underway and more details will be released in the future.
Universal’s Volcano Bay is the next in a series of boldly creative experiences that have opened and will continue to open at Universal Orlando. It began with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade in 2010 and quickly moved to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Springfield, hometown to America’s favorite animated family, The Simpsons, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, eight new venues at Universal CityWalk, the breathtaking Cabana Bay Beach Resort and more. It will include Skull Island: Reign of Kong and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in 2016.
And then – in 2017 – will come Universal’s Volcano Bay.
About Universal Orlando Resort
For 25 years, Universal Orlando Resort has been creating epic vacations for the entire family – incredible experiences that place guests in the heart of powerful stories and adventures. Guests can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, grab a Krusty burger in Springfield, join the ranks of the Minions and so much more.
Universal Orlando’s two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, are home to some of the world’s most exciting and innovative attractions. Its on-site resort hotels, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, and Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort are destinations unto themselves. Its entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk, offers dining and entertainment for every member of the family. And just minutes away is Wet ‘n Wild, a family water park.
Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled 18 new guest experiences in the past five years – powerful attractions, incredible dining opportunities and a dramatically themed hotel. And more is on the way. Coming in 2016 is Universal Orlando’s fifth on-site hotel, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort; and Skull Island: Reign of Kong, a groundbreaking attraction in Islands of Adventure. And in 2017 will come Universal’s Volcano Bay, an entirely new water theme park experience.
WOW, This is awesome! Universal just keeps announcing more and more! This park is going to be a great addition to the Universal lineup! Here’s what we can see from the pictures:
Here’s the Overview of the Volcano themed waterpark!
Based on the concept art, there will be a large wave pool at the base of the Volcano and in the background, you can see a slide tower.
Here’s the ending of a speedy looking slide.
At the top of the volcano, which is according to permits going to be over 200ft tall, will have a HUGE waterslide, which could easily become the world’s tallest!
Also, there appears to be Polynesian themed bungalows in the back.
It’s been an AMAZING week for the Orlando (and Tampa) parks! Two coasters and a Waterpark! How could this get better? What do you think of these new additions to Orlando?Let us know on Social Media! Thanks for reading the blog! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below! Also, you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Tumblr!
Welcome to the top ten roller coasters (for me) in early 2015! Today I have a list for you of ten of the greatest B&Ms and Intamins in the United State! That’s right, they are all Intamins and B&Ms! I hope you enjoy this awesome list of roller coasters, feel free to comment your top ten or tell us in another way!
#10-Nitro (Six Flags Great Adventure)
Image-Wikimedia
Nitro is a B&M hypercoaster. It has a simple L shaped layout and it’s packed full of airtime. This is one of those B&M airtime machines! This is by far one of the best roller coasters in New Jersey if not America!
#9-Wild Eagle (Dollywood)
I’m a B&M lover. I love every single B&M that I’ve ever been on! The two WingRiders that I’ve been on are Wild Eagle and Gatekeeper, both are great, but Wild Eagle was just a bit more fun! For me, it had some nice airtime and was just a fun ride in the middle of the Smoky mountains! It interacts with the terrain and produces one of the best rides out there.
#8-Manta (Sea World Orlando)
Image-Wikimedia
Flying coasters are some of the most fun! From Superman to Manta, you are guaranteed a good ride on these intense rides. Manta has the signature flying coaster pretzel loop inversion, some awesome twists that throw you around, and the famous fountain that shoots out as you go by. Manta is an amazing flying coaster!
#7-Apollo’s Chariot (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)
Image-CoasterCommunity
Apollo’s Chariot is another B&M airtime machine. It has a down and back layout with several airtime hills. It also has some fun turns along the way. After a 200+ foot drop down into a small valley, the airtime becomes insane. This is a classic, smooth, and comfy B&M!
#6-Skyrush (Hersheypark)
Skyrush is one of the most intense coasters out there. Before you are down the first drop, you are already at an incredible speed. You zoom down and through several twists and turns in an intense Intamin!
#5-Intimidator (Carowinds)
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Intimidator, or I-232 as some call it, was overshadowed by its cousin at Kings Dominion. It’s still an amazing airtime filled piece of B&M glory! It’s yet another amazing B&M that made this list! Also, don’t forget the new Fury 325 B&M gigacoaster coming to Carowinds, these two together are making Carowinds a fantastic park!
#4-El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure)
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El Toro is the only wooden coaster to make the list. It’s a speedy, airtime packed, smooth, and intense Intamin wooden coaster. This ride was, and still is, one of the best in the wooden coaster category. An honorable mention for a great woodie is Thunderhead at Dollywood!
#3-Maverick (Cedar Point)
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Maverick is yet another piece of Intamin glory! This is a coaster packed full of airtime, twists, a great drop, a great launch, and a couple of great inversions! This ride is by far one of the best Intamins around, it’s easily one of the best roller coasters in America!
#2-Millenium Force (Cedar Point)
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Millenium Force is a 310 foot tall piece of Intamin glory! It can easily tie for the number one coaster in my books because it’s a ride with some great turns, drops, and airtime hills. Intamin makes some of the greatest coasters of all time!
#1-Intimidator 305 (Kings Dominion)
Image-Wikimedia
Intimidator 305 is one of the best, fastest, tallest, and most intense roller coasters out there. After quickly ascending 305 feet, you plunge down through intense twists turns and some great airtime hills! This is by far one of the best roller coasters out there, go ride this Intamin glory while in Virginia!
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Before you read this article, we would like to state that we are in no way associated with Sea World, and we are writing this article simply to express our opinion. Also, if you have any criticism of this article, please let us know in a constructive and positive way! Thank you!
Sea World Parks have been a major topic ever since the movie Blackfish came out. Many activists have wanted to “Empty the Tanks” for the dolphins and orcas, but their are several flaws in their plans. Here are some of the reasons why emptying the tanks is a terrible idea.
#1-Where will the Orcas go? The answer is impossible to determine. It’s unlikely that they will go to other aquariums because the orcas would remain in captivity and be no better off than they were at Sea World. If they go into the wild, they will most likely have a hard time surviving out of captivity, and they may even die. If Sea World actually empties the tanks, the Orca’s fate will most likely get worse.
#2-What will happen to the thousands of employees at Sea World? As two of the main attractions of Sea World, dolphins and orcas have full stadium shows. If Sea World closes these attractions, the jobs of thousands would be in danger. Budget cuts all across Sea World parks have already unfortunately cost the jobs of several, and if these key attractions close, more layoffs will happen.
#3-If Sea World’s animals are released, what about the hundreds of aquariums with similar dolphin and whale programs? There are hundreds of aquariums in the United States alone with dolphins and whales in them. If you empty the tanks at Sea World, it sets a precedent to empty the tanks at other sea life attractions that have them in captivity and shows too. If those dolphins and whales are forced to be released, what happens to them? It’s dangerous to the animals to release them from captivity to the wild. Sea World Parks are the best environment for these animals to stay in.
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Before you read this article, we would like to state that we are in no way associated with Sea World, and we are writing this article simply to express our opinion. Also, if you have any criticism of this article, please let us know in a constructive and positive way! Thank you!
Sea World Parks have been a major topic ever since the movie Blackfish came out. Many activists have wanted to “Empty the Tanks” for the dolphins and orcas, but their are several flaws in their plans. Here are some of the reasons why emptying the tanks is a terrible idea.
#1-Where will the Orcas go? The answer is impossible to determine. It’s unlikely that they will go to other aquariums because the orcas would remain in captivity and be no better off than they were at Sea World. If they go into the wild, they will most likely have a hard time surviving out of captivity, and they may even die. If Sea World actually empties the tanks, the Orca’s fate will most likely get worse.
#2-What will happen to the thousands of employees at Sea World? As two of the main attractions of Sea World, dolphins and orcas have full stadium shows. If Sea World closes these attractions, the jobs of thousands would be in danger. Budget cuts all across Sea World parks have already unfortunately cost the jobs of several, and if these key attractions close, more layoffs will happen.
#3-If Sea World’s animals are released, what about the hundreds of aquariums with similar dolphin and whale programs? There are hundreds of aquariums in the United States alone with dolphins and whales in them. If you empty the tanks at Sea World, it sets a precedent to empty the tanks at other sea life attractions that have them in captivity and shows too. If those dolphins and whales are forced to be released, what happens to them? It’s dangerous to the animals to release them from captivity to the wild. Sea World Parks are the best environment for these animals to stay in.
Thank you for reading this blog! Be sure to check us out on these cool sites and be sure to follow and keep reading the blog!
Any images without a source are our own images, feel free to use them, but give us credit if you do!
Like us on Facebook for exclusive content and to stay up to date on articles- Click Here
Follow us on Twitter for news and to stay up to date on articles- Click Here
Follow us on Google Plus for updates when we make a new article- Click Here
Subscribe on YouTube for awesome videos of roller coasters and more- Click Here