Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, SeaWorld Orlando raise ticket prices

by Leigh Caldwell on

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. Disney’s most recent price increase was in August.

Those prices don’t take into account the myriad of discounts available, including savings on multi-day tickets, combo tickets that include admission to other theme parks and/or water parks, and online-only deals.

And Florida residents are also eligible for special pricing. For example, a Florida resident who pays full price for a 1-day admission receives a “Fun Card” that gets him or her in free for the rest of the year.

As the Miami Herald reports, only 1/3 of theme park patrons actually pay full price for a 1-day admission into the parks.

[Image credit: Flickr user LaurenKates]

New plans released for Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World

by Leigh Caldwell on

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.”

Hyperion Wharf will be located in an area formerly called Pleasure Island — Disney’s failed attempt at establishing an adult nightclub district at Walt Disney World. Since Pleasure Island closed in fall 2008, there has been a lot of speculation about what would be put into that location, right in the middle of the Downtown Disney complex.

The Hyperion Wharf plans call for shops and eateries open during the day, and lighting that transforms the area into “an electric wonderland” after dark.

The district’s name is a nod to Hyperion, the Greek God of Light, and Hyperion Avenue, the street on which Walt Disney built his first animation studio.

Disney says construction on the new district will begin immediately, and Hyperion Wharf will be completed in 2013.

Dollywood wins major theme park award

by Leigh Caldwell on

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 Parks and Attractions Expo.

The Applause Award is bestowed every other year on one park deemed to exhibit overall excellence.

Dollywood was recognized for its originality, cleanliness, friendliness of the staff and family values.

“Of course, Walt Disney became successful because he had Mickey Mouse, who has two big ears. So, I figured I could be successful with Dollywood with my two big partners,” Parton said. She then glanced down at her famously large chest before pointing at Pete and Jack Herschend in the audience.

Parton partnered with their company, Herschend Family Entertainment, to open Dollywood in 1986 on the site of the former Silver Dollar City theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

SeaWorld to open new Shamu show next spring

by Leigh Caldwell on

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 Orlando, forcing a hasty rework of “Believe,” a show which focuses on the interaction between killer whales and humans. I have seen the show twice since the rework, and the storyline just doesn’t work now, because the trainers were such a big part of it.

SeaWorld Parks President and CEO Jim Atchison told the Orlando Sentinel that the new show was in the works before Brancheau’s death, but the timetable for launching the new show has been accelerated. Atchison also said the safety review launched in February has influenced the new show’s development.

More details about the show are expected to be released in the next few weeks.

[Image credit: Flickr user Abi Skipp]
%Gallery-98676%

%Gallery-70345%

Walt Disney World reduces time spent waiting in line with Tangled Meet and Greet

by Leigh Caldwell on

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 to be a further experiment in delivering an experience to go with kids’ souvenir photos and autographs.

Instead of just waiting in a line to see Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Walt Disney World has set aside an area called Fairytale Garden for the new characters’ appearances. About 10-15 minutes before the characters are due to come out (the “set time” in Disney parlance), children are welcomed into the Fairytale Garden and given a coloring activity to do while they wait.

(The parents are not so lucky; they are expected to line up to hold a place for their child.)

When Rapunzel and Flynn Rider make their entrance, they come down to the coloring table to dance with the children before starting to take photos and sign autographs.

Music from the movie’s soundtrack plays while they join hands and dance around the table.

Of course, when the dancing is done, the kids go join their parents in – you guessed it – a line.But I suppose the whole thing adds up to more “quality time” with the characters and an opportunity to make a memory (“I danced with Rapunzel!”), rather than just a picture (“I waited in line for 30 minutes to take this picture with Rapunzel!”).

Here’s a video look at the festivities:

The plans for Fantasyland include similar experience-based meet and greets. Park guests will be able to watch Cinderella transform from servant clothing to her ball gown, and boys will be trained to be part of her royal guard. And Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) will be having a birthday, and children will be asked to make birthday cards and help her fairy godmothers prepare for the party.