larrygator

So I made a quick 2 hour stop at SFGAdv to start the day last Saturday. Sunday morning an e-mail arrived with the next Funatics Reward. An additional Bring a Friend Free Pass valid through October 12th, 2009. I believe that is the last of the rewards, as there was no teaser in this e-mail regarding a reward on my next visit.

I have attached the press release below. Summary: Dolphin Discovery will have its' last show on Labor Day 2009. A special dolphin show will run in Shamu Stadium starting in late November. Blue Horizons will start its' run in May 2010 in Dolphin Stadium. SOMETHING NEW ON THE HORIZON AT SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO: NEW DOLPHIN SHOW IS THEATRICAL SPECTACULAR SAN DIEGO (Aug. 5, 2009) – There’s something new on the horizon at SeaWorld: a breakthrough theatrical spectacular that unites sea and sky with visions of Broadway as it showcases majestic animals and spirited performers. “Blue Horizons” — featuring energetic bottlenose dolphins, a colorful array of exotic birds and amazing acrobatic performers — is scheduled to open May 2010 at SeaWorld San Diego. “We’re delighted to bring ‘Blue Horizons’ to SeaWorld,” says the park’s general manager and executive vice president, Andy Fichthorn. “Dolphins are one of the most beloved and adored animals in the world, and it’s exciting to combine the grace and energy of such an amazing creature with a theatrical production that will be truly spectacular. We believe our guests will love this new and fantastic show.” To create “Blue Horizons,” SeaWorld collaborated with the entertainment industry’s most inventive and artistic experts, marrying great theatrical extravagance — seen in the larger-than-life set, dramatic costuming and intriguing show development — with the awe inspiring feats of SeaWorld animals and trainers. At the center of “Blue Horizons” is Marina, a young girl whose vivid imagination sets the stage for an extravaganza of graceful dolphins, magnificent pilot whales and a rainbow of exotic birds. “Blue Horizons” features action both above and under the water, as a cast of divers and aerialists, dressed in eye-catching costumes symbolizing sea and sky, plunge off the elaborate set into, and also propel out of, the deep blue water. “ ‘Blue Horizons’ is truly unique as it seamlessly blends the amazing power and grace of SeaWorld’s dolphins and pilot whales with the lavish splendor of Broadway,” said Stanley Meyer, “Blue Horizons” set designer and show consultant. Meyer, best known for his work designing the Broadway musical ”Beauty and the Beast,” created the set for SeaWorld Orlando’s “Blue Horizons,” which has been a hit with audiences there since 2005. “Only SeaWorld could create such a spectacular concept, a type of show that can be seen nowhere else in the world,” said Meyer. “It sets a completely new benchmark for awe inspiring entertainment.” Using elements of the sea and sky — and a young girl’s vivid imagination — as his inspiration, Meyer designed a whimsical, yet dramatic, atmosphere with an immense rising sun, hundreds of iridescent bubbles, and an elaborate, 40-foot-high framework which envelops the pool and balances divers and aerialists as they plunge from bungees and soar on “cloud swings.” While these characters sway through the sky and dive off the set, the true stars of the show grace the waters below. SeaWorld’s dolphins and pilot whales leap their way into this dreamy adventure. African crowned cranes, coral bills, black vultures and other bird species soar over the audience as they ascend toward the horizon. The stirring, original musical score for “Blue Horizons” is performed by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. At SeaWorld San Diego, Dolphin Stadium will be completely transformed for “Blue Horizons,” including an entirely new set; trusses, diving boards and bungee swings for the aerialists and divers; a new sound system; high-tech water features; and an additional 700 seats for guests. SeaWorld’s current dolphin show, “Dolphin Discovery,” debuted in 1996 and is one of the longest running shows in the park’s 45-year history. It showcases SeaWorld’s family of bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales in a high-energy show with some surprise comic moments. The “Dolphin Discovery” finale will take place Labor Day weekend so that construction can begin. During construction, guests will still be able to enjoy a special dolphin show, which will take place at Shamu Stadium beginning in late November 2009. General park information is found at www.seaworld.com. --SeaWorld--

The nightly fireworks, boat parade should not be missed, people start camping out for it 90 minutes before it starts. The only show in the park that I watched was the Wild West Comedy Show (Fort Frenzee), it was mostly physical comedy/stunt show so it was easy for me to understand (I didn't speak Spanish). I can't speak for food at the hotel. My favorite food in the park is right across from Furius Baco, I love the croquettas. In the Mexico restaurant the outdoor restaurant has very good Mexican food, with roaming Mariachi band that will serenade your table. All the water rides will get you wet. The pre-show safety video for Sea Odyssey (the 3D simulator) is better than the ride and worth waiting i line just to see the safety video. Temple del Fuego is a very good walk through attraction with special effects, FIRE!!!!!!. A list of all the shows is very easy to find on the Port Aventura website: www.portaventura.co.uk/portaventura/html/PortAventura_Park/Espect_culos/Presentaci_n.html

Eric, Gregg and original poster. I agree it is unique and special being able to walk in Walt's park for those of up that grew up with Wonderful World of Disney, but does the same mystique exists for kids today?

Grona Lund and Liseberg were also my 2 favorite parks of the trip. it's hard to put one above the other. The hospitality from Grona Lund was top notch, that's not to say there was anything wrong with Liseberg, but the personnel attention from the owners and a show slide from the park historian put Grona Lund over the top. Both parks gave us free beer and at both parks I had excellent fresh salmon for lunch. Then again the hospitality from PowerPark was awesome, also. Oh man, the Scandi Trip was just so phenomenal. Annual Scandi Trip - I'm in!

This coupled with the possibility that saved money can lead to Annual Passes to WDW makes me say the Legoland trip is the best option for your kids.

Everyone's taste vary, but the general consensus is that food at Busch Gardens is superior to Kings Dominion.

^Like Elissa suggested I would never try to use the old ticket before visiting guest relations, if I could find it. This ticket is 20 years old, I would never expect it to scan properly. Actually, I don't even think they scanned tickets back then. I think it has a perforation at the bottom that the ticket taker ripped off. I remember this because back in those days you had to get a hand stamp to switch between Epcot and Magic Kingdom and one of my friends stupidly left Epcot without getting his hand stamped.

Since Disney is not my cup of tea, I'll agree that $79 is too much FOR ME! But for someone like my sister who loves Disney, it is not a cost barrier. However, I'll admit as someone who rarely thought about Disney over the past 20 years and I was unaware of the existence of a 10 Park Hopper option, with no expiration date option before Theme Park Review. I expect that 10 Day Hopper to last me for a couple of years, at an average cost of close to $50 a day. So I thank TPR for introducing me to this option. Now that Elissa says old tickets can be exchanged, I might try to dig up a 20 year old one-day Park Hopper ticket that I never used in 1989. I think it is in a box of college memorabilia. However, I can see how a large family, shelling out the cost of four 10-Day Park hoppers at the same time as travel and hotel accommodations could be a tough one-time hit. Then again any big vacation needs to be budgeted over time for a large family.

thank you, always good to see photos of Europa Park

Craig - Are you finally going to write that article?

You might want to consider replacing Oslo with Stockholm (which includes Grona Lund.) But I guess it all depends on what your family prefers to do outside of amusement parks. As Elissa said, most Scandinavians (probably near everyone in the hospitality field) in the major cities speak English. However, don't take it as a given if you are working around that some of the older people will be fluent. English classes in school have been mandatory in most of Scandi for about 30 years.

^KC is probably a little bit more out of the way than he is looking for.

Do you have any pictures of the awesome all you can eat taco bar that we had 12 minutes to partake in?

It's hard to say exactly what you should try to add that might be close to your route (not sure of your planned route). But if you could squeeze in the following: Lake Compounce (could do it at night using the after 5PM discount price) right after you leave SFNE Knoebels (could be on the way between SFNE and Hershey) Kennywood (between Hershey and Cedar Point) Indiana Beach (should be between CP and SFGAm) Holiday World, Kings Island, Dollywood (all could be on the way as you drive from SFGam back to Florida). Having primarily ridden in Florida you may be prediposed to Steel vs Wood coasters, but all the parks I listed (except KI) have above average wood coasters.

Hobbit - thank you for the contribution but please use the search function before starting a new thread. I merged your thread with an existing thread we have for the Ferrari Park.

^What amusement park is at Coney Island? I don't think Deno's Wonder Wheel Park or the temporary rides set-up by Joe Sitt satisfy the needs of someone looking for an "amusement" park.

9/20 - After getting the first 3 correct. I don't even remember any of the character's names from Rollercoaster The Movie. Sad thing is I was fairly certain of 7 of the ones I got correct, but only guessed 2 out of the remaining 13 correctly.

Stupid me. My bad. I'm not used to reading such lenghthy and well written park reviews. I must have skimmed ans skipped through that part.

No reference to the Bumper Cars or The Haunted Mansion??? Did you forget about them. Shame to hear about Cosmotron, it ran a much better cycle when i rode last year. Maybe they did shorten the cycle because of the weather.

^I'm just a stupid tour participant that doesn't pay attention. I can't remember if I was told by an operator or if it was actually on the wristband somewhere. But that's part of why they scanned your band every time you got on a ride. That makes sense. I initially just thought the scanning for each ride was to verify ridership, since many of the rides are independent operators the scanning verification would help in dividing the wristband take amongst the vendors. But there's no reason why the scanning could not serve two purposes.

SFGAdv has minimal crowds in throughout April. I hope you get a chance to take in at least a couple of the finer parks in Europe next summer.

Astroland used to have a similar policy with The Cyclone, I think you were only allowed 4 rides. Keansburg also has this policy with their Lusse Auto Scooters. I did not realize that, did you try to ride something 10 times and get denied? Or did I miss when that was announced?

^By the quality of most of your posts, I don't have confidence that you could make ice!

And for those who click on Robb's "In Development" link, but sure to select a larger/popular US, European or Japanese park to see where we stand. Content had not been input for the smaller parks, all of this takes time.