Opening at Discovery Cove this spring is Freshwater Oasis, an all-new attraction featuring wading adventures and face-to-face encounters with playful otters and curious marmosets. Designed with a rainforest canopy above and sparkling-clear springs below, Freshwater Oasis is a natural fit within Discovery Cove’s tropical atmosphere.… Read More »Discovery Cove’s Freshwater Oasis – A Sneak Peek
Congratulations are due to SeaWorld San Diego for opening a terrific eco-friendly enhancement. If you have an electric car and are helping reduce green house gases in the environment, you can now “top off you batteries” while visiting Shamu and his friends. As part of… Read More »Electric Car Recharging Stations Added to SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld Orlando has released the first webisode focused on the construction of TurtleTrek, the next big attraction coming to the park. The new attraction brings guests close to sea turtles and manatees then immerses them in a sea turtle’s epic journey with the world’s first… Read More »SeaWorld Orlando Preps TurtleTrek for late 2012
For me, the highlight of the day were the hula-hoop artists from China.
Went to SeaWorld Orlando on Saturday to sample their new “Just For Kids” festival. While there we checked in on the construction for TurtleTrek, schedule to open later this year, and Antarctica, targeted for Spring 2013. The park was very busy, but not too crowded and we definitely had a good time.
SeaWorld has a number of events through-out the year, but none focused on the youngest park visitors. Just For Kids gives families with pre-school and elementary aged children some activities and shows that are just for them. With the addition of Legoland to central Florida, this audience has become the latest battle ground.
There are some good savings for families with kids too. For the next three Saturdays, parents can rent strollers at half-price, and the following items are free for kids with each paid adult: all-day dining deal, sky tower ride, and free Penguins Up-close, Dolphins Up-close, or Behind-the-Scenes tours. The all-day dining deal is a great value if you’re planning on eating twice while in the park.
My biggest criticisms with the event were a) it was hard to get information about the event and b) the big stage show wasn’t as good as it could be. The shows are advertised using the original cast members from the TV show, but the actors were all different, with different voices. The kids around me picked up on that pretty quickly, but for the youngest kids, it didn’t appear to matter. I understand why the cast was different, and the actors did give it their all, but something was lacking. Part of the problem was also the poor puppet design and the fact that it was basically a 4-person cast. Lazy Town should be populated with many more of the citizens from the show.
That’s on the ticky-tack side of complaints. Who knows, the next three sets of shows could be a lot better. Plus the opening act featured a small troop of acrobats from China. The women hula-hoop performers were particularly talented. I would rather have seen a half-hour show of them then Lazy Town.
Festivals like “Just For Kids” are at least partially targeted at getting locals into the park. Flyers advertising SeaWorld’s Summer Camp opportunities were seen all over the place.
Join me below the jump for more photos of Just for Kids and construction around the park:
Read More »SeaWorld Orlando Update – Just For Kids, TurtleTrek, Antartica, and more
The Orlando Sentinel reports that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has given its employees (both hourly and salaried) an across the board 3% raise. This is good news after three difficult years, from 2008 through 2010, where wages were frozen and many employees were let go.… Read More »SeaWorld offers Employees raises after Good Year, Is this a Sign?
SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens sit at opposite ends of the I-4 corridor and count on the tourist traffic that Central Florida delivers. When a newcomer targets what SeaWorld perceives as their target market, it makes sense that they’d counter with something. That newcomer is Legoland Florida and they’re going directly after families with young kids, the core of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.
Both SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are now offering a Preschool Pass good for free admission for all of 2012 for kids 5 and under. You have to sign up online, but it’s a great deal. Especially when combined with an AP or Fun Card for locals. SeaWorld Orlando is also adding an all-new festival that’s “Just for Kids” with concerts by some kids shows that will be very familiar to the pre-school set.
Update: Great minds think alike, the Orlando Sentinel has a story with more details on the theme park’s fight for kids.
The full press release is below the jump:
The week between Christmas and New Years is always a busy one in Orlando. This year with both major holidays falling on weekends and twin bowl crowds in town, everyone was expecting it to be crazy. The first part of this week has actually been… Read More »Orlando Theme Parks Reach Capacity
SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica is usually warm and tropical, but for one day only they’re chilling down their wave pool so the brave of heart can experience the “thrill of the chill” by plunging into cold water, while supporting a great cause! Supporters of Special Olympics… Read More »Polar Plunge for Special Olympics at Aquatica January 21st