Search Results for "Manta"

Looking for the best deal ever at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens?

It’s a Florida resident offer too good to pass up: Buying a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens 2010 Fun Card online means an entire year’s worth of fun and thrills for less than the cost of a single day’s admission.

In addition to SeaWorld’s new flying roller coaster, Manta, and the premiere of Sesame Street Safari of Fun at Busch Gardens, you’ll enjoy eight weeks of live concerts and a full calendar of other special events included in their 2010 Fun Card purchase. A year of SeaWorld or Busch Gardens adventures with no blackout dates – and when purchased online, all for less than the cost of a day’s ticket.

And, it’s only for Florida residents.

The year kicks off with a non-stop concerts and bigger-and-better-than-ever festivals with top artists performing each weekend. Summer has the skies coming alive with fireworks and thrill rides in the dark and you’ll make new traditions with holiday celebrations in Christmas wonderlands.

Coming to Busch Gardens in spring 2010 is Sesame Street Safari of Fun. A kid-friendly coaster and sunny, funny water play are just some of the adventures at this new attraction. You can even share an unforgettable meal with Big Bird, Elmo and their friends.

Here’s the good part: Adult and child Fun Cards are only $69.95 each when purchased online and are available now at SeaWorldOrlando.com and BuschGardensTampaBay.com. This special resident offer is also available at participating AAA offices throughout Florida.

If a single day ticket is more your style, we’ve got you covered, too. Regular, single-day admission is $78.95 for adults/$68.95 for children ages 3-9 at SeaWorld and $74.95 for adults/$64.95 for children ages 3-9 at Busch Gardens.

Fun Cards purchased at the front gate are the same as an adult single-day admission; $78.95 for adults/children for SeaWorld and $74.95 for adults/children at Busch Gardens. However, Florida residents will receive the special online pricing.

Even more good news: Other special Florida resident ticket offers include “Buy One, Get One Free.” If you’re a Florida resident, you can buy a SeaWorld single-day admission for $78.95 (adults or child) and receive a free single-day admission to either Busch Gardens or Aquatica. You also can purchase a Busch Gardens single-day admission for $74.95 (adults or child) and receive a free single-day admission to Adventure Island. Visits must be completed within one year of purchase.

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If you’re heading out to your neighborhood fireworks display tomorrow or even one of the Disney parks, you can still sneak in another show by going to SeaWorld Orlando tonight for their special fireworks display. In the above photo technician Andrew Hage checks the connections of several fireworks at the top of SeaWorld’s 400-foot-tall Sky Tower. In the distance is Manta, the park’s all-new flying roller coaster.

SeaWorld Orlando has special fireworks displays this July 4th weekend. The sky-filling displays can be seen at 10:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow.

Photos By: Jason Collier/ Courtesy SeaWorld Orlando

Along with the new flying roller coaster Manta comes a huge new aquarium that features hundreds of sea critters from rays (as you would expect) to beautiful dragon fish (a relative of the seahorse). I got the chance to speak to SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquarium Curator Gary Violetta and ask him a few questions.

Violetta is a SeaWorld veteran of more than 24 years. As Curator he is responsible for the health and physical care of the more than 3,000 animals found in the Manta exhibit. He manages aquarium exhibits and attractions and is responsible for the care of all sharks, eels, stingrays, alligators, and fish throughout the park. A former curator of fishes at SeaWorld San Antonio, Violetta began his SeaWorld career in 1977. He is a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium association.

Click below the cut to listen to the embedded MP3 and see a few more photos from the exhibit:

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Yes, “The Unusuals” is back after a two week break. Did you miss it? I sure did, in fact, between NBA playoffs and getting as many rides as possible on Manta, I forgot that it was on last night. Luckily my DVR worked and so I bring you the recap, slightly delayed.

This weeks episode starts with the end of a foot chase, in which Dets. Shraeger and Walsh run down a small child wearing a backpack and then flashes back to the previous day. Where we see that Dets. Banks and Delahoy interview and eighty-seven year old man who attempted to rob an armored truck unarmed.

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Although it’s been in soft openings for a few weeks, Orlando’s newest coaster (and it’s first flying coaster) Manta officially opens tomorrow. Today was press day at SeaWorld Orlando and one of the options was to ride with the ‘Manta Cam’ where you get a chance to scream like you mean it and they’ll put it on video for you. I couldn’t pass up a chance to act like a dork for y’all. So here you go.

Manta deserves all the praise its been getting. That first big look is the ‘Pretzel Loop’. I love how you can see where you’re going before taking the loop on your back. That’s the highlight of the ride, but the rest is a ton of fun as well.

With soft openings occurring regularly and the official grand opening just 10 days away, it’s time to get excited about Manta, the first flying coaster to hit Central Florida. If you aren’t yet one of the lucky ones to have experienced the attraction, here’s a new video from SeaWorld that will get the blood pumping.

Now, if they’d just open the aquarium portion to the public, we’d all get a look at the hundreds of rays and other creatures of the sea.

This year sees two major new coasters coming to Orlando. SeaWorld is first on the scene with its new Manta ‘Flying’ Roller Coaster. Guests will feel like they’re soaring over Orlando and aquatic life as they zoom around the park’s entrance area.

Thanks to @RealShamu and @Doterati I got the chance to experience the attraction three times tonight. It was a pretty intense experience, especially in the back row, so three times was just about enough. But I think I could have ridden it all night if I stayed in the middle rows (4 or 5).

Here’s a little video of the unique load and unload process that SeaWorld uses for Manta.

The Roller Coaster ‘Manta’ opens officially on May 22nd, but it’s unofficially open as of Noon on May 5th.

Click below the jump cut for some photos from the evening.

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