It’s not such a small world, after all

by Catherine Bodry on

Although the Disney company doesn’t admit that plus-sized tourists are causing “It’s a Small World” boats to bottom out, longtime Disney watcher Al Lutz notes that “heavier than anticipated” loads have caused boats to come to a standstill on more than one occasion. The problem has become common enough that Disneyland has built a platform next to one tricky area where boats commonly get stuck.

Disney denies that weight issues are the cause of stuck boats. Instead, the company suggests that “layers and layers” of fiberglass have built up where maintenance teams have patched and re-patched problem areas.

Nevertheless, “It’s a Small World” will be getting an inch more of water, and some lighter boats. The ride will be closed for ten months beginning in January 2008.

Also:

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Expect a $1.1 Billion Facelift at Disney’s California Adventure

by Martha Edwards on

Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim is planning a renovation to the tune of $1.1 billion, which is more than they spent building the theme park just six years ago. On the agenda? They’re going to add more shopping, focus on the connection to Walt Disney’s life and develop a new area that will focus on cars, among many other things. For the complete low-down on all the changes that will happen over the next few years, check out this article.

The reason behind the overhaul? Visitor numbers have been disappointing — only 6 million people went last year, even though the park was meant to attract at least 7 million every year. And what’s worse, the price of admission has been on sale since it opened in a bid to lure visitors.

I’ve never been to California Adventure, and honestly I haven’t really even heard about it except in passing, so maybe they should work on the marketing angle too …

Disney to Open Family Resort in Hawaii

by Catherine Bodry on

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts announced Wednesday it has bought 21 acres of oceanfront property on the western side of Oahu that it will use to build an 800-room hotel complex. It won’t be Disneyland Hawaii, but even without a theme park there will be plenty to entertain the family.

Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo assures locals that the resort will emphasize Hawaiian culture. The resort “will give our guests another way to visit a place that they’ve loved for many years,” Rasulo said. “As the crossroads of Asia, it is your diverse culture that makes this place so special.”

Amenities will include include educational and cultural activities, including local entertainers and hula dancers.

[via Msnbc]

A Peek into the Future of Dubai

by Justin Glow on

Today, the city of Dubai announced it has purchased the Queen Elizabeth 2, “one of the world’s most majestic cruise liners,” to convert into a luxury hotel. The QE2 will be completely renovated and parked at the world’s largest man-made island, Palm Jumeirah. The restoration process will stay true to the original design of the ship, and a museum will be built inside to educate visitors on the liner’s legacy.

What’s else in store for the booming city of Dubai? Here’s a quick rundown of current, future, and conceptual projects in the United Arab Emirates’s oasis in the desert.

We talked about it earlier today, but the outrageousness of the resort complex dubbed The Cloud makes it worthy of another mention. Nadim Karam, a Lebanese architect, presented this resort-in-the-sky concept at the International Design Forum in Dubai last month. The actual resort will resemble a cloud floating 300 meters in the air, with slanting support beams that look like sheets of rain. Take that, Sandals! [Stage: Concept]

Who needs Disneyworld when you’ve got Dubailand? Announced in 2003, this super-sized mega theme park (the builders prefer to think of it as a true city) will consist of six poorly named “worlds”: Attractions & Experience World, Retail and Entertainment World, Themed Leisure and Vacation World, Eco-Tourism World, Sports and Outdoor World, and Downtown, each containing a total of 26 “sub-worlds.” Downtown will feature the world’s largest shopping mall, called Mall of Dubai. Coffee lovers unite: the Mall of Dubai will eventually feature the world’s largest Starbucks. [Stage: Under Construction]

Bigger is better, and Dubai has its sites set on the sky with the Burj Dubai. When construction finishes in 2009, the Burj Dubai will most likely be the tallest “land-based structure” (which includes buildings and towers) in the world. Why most likely? “The projected final height of the Burj Dubai is officially being kept a secret due to competition,” according to its Wikipedia entry. Makes sense — why announce an official height when you can just continue building if someone else announces a larger project? Clever. [Status: Under Construction]

Italian-Israeli architect, David Fisher, unveiled in April a 68-story “spinning tower” he hopes to see join the the Dubai skyline in the future. Unlike existing structures that have a single revolving floor (San Antonio’s Tower of the Americas comes to mind, among many others), “[e]ach floor would rotate independently, creating a constantly changing architectural form,” says the Wall Street Journal. This is by far the coolest concept building I’ve found, Dubai or not. It reminds me a bit of Jenga, only…you know…much cooler. [Status: Concept]

Saving Money at Amusement Parks

by Jamie Rhein on

In the past two weeks my daughter has headed to Cedar Point (with the school percussion ensemble), Kings Island (with her track team) and Fort Rapids, an indoor amusement park (for an end of the 8th-grade bash) and my five-year-old son wants to know when it’s his turn. He has a point, but there’s the cost to consider. Because my daughter went on school trips, she didn’t pay full price. Now, we’re searching out some other deals for us.

There are some. If you want to head to an amusement park this summer, before you pull out your wallet to pay full price at the admission gate, check out some of these money-saving options.

Buy your tickets on-line or look for deals at grocery stores. Here is a link to Cedar Point’s discount ticket information. Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio. One way you can save money is to get 14 other people to go with you. For groups of 15 or more, you can save more than $10 a ticket. We have done this before. Once at Kalahari Water Park, also in Sandusky, we found out that if we had a birthday party we could all get free pizza and a drink along with discount tickets. It was no one’s birthday, but we’re not picky.

Kings Island, located between Columbus and Cincinnati has discount tickets available at Kroger grocery stores and online right now. The online price is for advance sales so you can’t buy these on the same day you’re going. Plan ahead. For a great deal on food, add the all you can eat barbeque. Last year we had a friend who had discount tickets through work. The barbeque was included. It was a lot of food and good. Other grocery stores around th U.S. often have discounts–so do banks. Ask around.

Right now, on the Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park site, you can buy a one day ticket and get the second day free. Or you can try Rahim Rahman’s method in the picture. Lots of luck with this one. I’d let him in.

Here are four Web sites to help you find discount tickets near you. I found the above deals by looking on the park’s sites and poking around.

For more discount ideas, check out: How to Save Money at Amusement Parks. Now, all I have to do is remember my own advice.