The Other Orlando Blog

Well, I can tell you how to get to Sesame Street at SeaWorld (thanks to their press release):

The beloved Sesame Street characters return to SeaWorld this spring and summer, delighting families with character meet-and-greets, a Breakfast with Elmo and Friends and an all-new “Elmo and Abby’s Treasure Hunt” musical production.

Throughout the day, kids and parents will also enjoy special character connection opportunities to meet their favorite Sesame Street friends for hugs and photographs.

Guests may even start their day with a fun-filled character breakfast sure to entertain kids and parents alike. Breakfast with Elmo and Friends is offered daily at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The breakfast features a delicious buffet served-up with the hottest characters in town including Elmo, Big Bird, Grover, Zoe, Ernie and Cookie Monster. Prices are $16.95 plus tax for adults and $14.95 for children (ages 3-9). Children under 3 are free. Reservations are required.

Sesame Street’s newest neighbor, Abby Cadabby, is the star of this fun musical show featuring Elmo, Cookie Monster, Rosita and Grover. Beginning May 24 and running through Sept. 1, Abby and her Sesame pals will embark on a treasure hunt adventure as they search for clues to open a talking treasure trunk. Along the way, they’ll encounter a singing tree, a rhyming rock, a shouting toucan and more. As they find the clues to unlock the trunk, they explore their treasures and open their minds to a world of imagination.

Labels: orlando, seaworld, sesame street

They're ba-a-a-ack! Your favorite seasonal shows at SeaWorld, that is, along with some newcomers. It all starts on May 24 and runs through Labor Day, September 1. Here's the line up:

Returning are Shamu Rocks, a nightime show that ditrches the edutainment for sheer fun to loud rock music, and Mistify, a sound, light, and water show in the central lagoon.

New this year is Bayside Ski Jam at Bayside Stadium (where else?), which is described thusly: "An all-new, nighttime action-packed ski show that jams on the lake and in the sky. The art of water sport merges with fun, funky music to provide plenty of fast-paced action. Bayside Ski Jam will feature expert skiers using the water as their stage to entertain guests."

They are also offering a five-hour SeaWorld Night Adventure Tour for $100 (plus tax) that "provides front-of-line access to Kraken and Journey to Atlantis, plus reserved seating at two of the park’s amazing night shows, such as Shamu Rocks. This tour is for adults over 21 only and includes dinner and a visit to the Brewmaster's Club to sample from a wide variety of fresh beers and new products from the Anheuser-Busch portfolio."

All of this is under the umbrella title of SeaWorld After Dark.

During the day, there will be animal themed entertainment at Seafire Inn's Wild Things. Here's what the press release says:

Animals from around the globe take the stage during a twenty minute multi-media presentation as diners treat their taste buds on a tour of some of the world’s favorite flavors. Seafire Inn’s Wild Things rotates through-out the day, with never the same show back to back. Exotic animals from Africa, South America, and North America are presented in this fun and informative experience daily between noon and 4 p.m. Guests will also have the opportunity to step outside and have an up-close encounter with some of SeaWorld’s animal friends. Delicious food and fascinating animals make Seafire Inn’s Wild Things a “don’t miss” adventure at SeaWorld’s Waterfront.

This will take place (i'm guessing) in the interior dinner theater space where the Makahiki Luau is held in the evenings. No mention was made of special pricing. In earlier daytime shows in this space, you just grabbed your food from the cafeteria line, wandered in, and found a seat.

The Coaster Critic has spilled the beans about the long-rumored new coaster that will be sort of a centerpiece at SeaWorld.

Located in a central area near the entrance mall, the new ride will be named "Manta" and will be a "flying coaster," that is a steel coaster where you get strapped into a prone, face-down position, with the coaster tracks over your head.

The concept art posted at Coaster Critic makes it look like the wings of the manta ray themed ride vehicle will dip into water at at least one point, sending a wall of water over onlookers (shades of SheiKra!). There's also talk of up-close animal encounters, although how they'll manage that is anybody's guess.

The artwork also makes it look like the ride will cover more ground than the current fenced off area would suggest. Looks like the track will extend over nearby parts of the park. But I wonder where exactly. Key West?

Labels: manta, orlando, roller coasters, seaworld

The Simpsons Ride is now open for business at Universal Studios Florida and the reviews are coming in.

I especially liked Dewayne Bevil's write-up for the Sentinel. More commentary can be found at the DIS Boards.

Bevil confirms an observation that I have been making for a long time: Universal has some of the best queue lines in Orlando.

The comic bits are so engrossing that the line stands still even when visitors could be moving toward the actual ride. Oversized posters tout attractions within Krustyland -- The Sea Captain's Queasy Time Lagoon and Sideshow Mel and Mr. Teeny's Musical Revue. It's one of the most entertaining pre-shows in town.

The Simpsons Movie has an eco-friendly theme and sop, apparently, will the ride about to open at USF. From a press release:

“The Simpsons Ride” will achieve a power savings of over 55,233 watts per hour and cumulative power savings of 662,796 a day during the busy summer months of operation compared to average usage by the simulator-based attraction that previously occupied the new ride’s site.

The newly minted, environmentally conscious “The Simpsons Ride” represents the largest lighting installation of LED lamps in theme park ride history. The attraction will be illuminated with 2,582 LED lights, expending just 27,675 watts per hour as compared to 82,909 watts consumed per hour by standard incandescent lighting.

Energy conservation also extends to Variable Frequency Drives installed within the attraction to efficiently control the electrical power supplied to the ride’s many motor-driven components. This system will ultimately reap a power saving in excess 50 percent by incrementally increasing the necessary motor speeds used in controlling the ride’s countless behind-the-scenes technical controls.

A custom-written software program designed to oversee the Ride’s master control system will reconfigure power usage supplied to the ride’s hydraulics system resulting in significant energy consumption.

Cool!

The keen to be green trend also extends to the resort hotels which are jumping on the green bandwagon in a big way.

$4 gas has come to Orlando.

"We're seeing $4 a gallon in many places already, and those who don't see $4 exactly, are certainly going to feel $4 pain," oil and gas analyst Peter Butel said.

Remember the dame who attacked another guest while waiting in line at the Happiest Place on Earth®?

Well, justice has been done.