Harry Potter studio tour with intricate models of Hogworts!

Posted on March 9, 2012 by admin

Hi Everyone,

So you love Harry Potter but you can get to Orlando this year. Dont panic, there does seem to be an alternitive solution that may temparily feed your Potter based cravings.

On the 31st of March a 150,000 square foot museum in Leaversden near Watford junction will be showcasing an intricate scale model of the Hogwarts castle from the Harry Potter films.

Stuart Craig, production manager, unveils a model of Hogwarts castle

The design and special effects employed in the Harry Potter films will go down as a benchmark in British filmmaking. So it stands as a great testament to the wizarding academy of Hogwarts, a turreted gothic castle, that the films’ Art Department have named this model as their “jewel”.

This 1:24 scale model, with details taken from the original sets at Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, will be the final trump card played at the end of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, which opens this month.

Jose Granell, model supervisor

It took 86 artists and crew members to construct the first version which was then rebuilt and altered many times for the next seven films.

The work was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years.

All the doors are hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are housed in the Owlery.

The model, which sits at nearly 50 feet in diameter, has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even gave the illusion of students passing through hallways in the films.

To show off the lighting to full effect a day-to-night cycle will take place every 4 minutes so visitors can experience the changing atmosphere at the castle.

The attraction will contain some of the most iconic Harry Potter film series sets including the Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office, the Ministry of Magic, Harry Potter’s famous cupboard under the stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Gryffindor common room, the boys’ dormitory, the Potion’s classroom, Professor Umbridge’s office, the Weasley kitchen, the Hogwarts bridge and others still to be announced.

The whole thing looks pretty amazing and should be enough to tide over manic Potter fans until they can get themselves over to the Wizarding World or Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. If you are one of the lucky ones that gets to go and see this amazing exhibition please take a couple of pics and send them into us :)

Cheers

Frank


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SeaWorld reveal opening date for their newest attraction Turtle Trek!

Posted on March 8, 2012 by admin

Hey Everyone,

Last month we posted that SeaWorlds newest attraction Turtle Trek was in the process of being completed.

Just for those that don’t know; Turtle Trek is a one-of-its-kind attraction that brings guests closer to sea turtles and manatees by immersing them in a sea turtle’s epic journey with the world’s first 3-D, 360-degree movie screened in a domed theatre allowing guests to experience a turtle’s eye view of the ocean’s wonders.

Now I know you were all like “woaaah!” and “when is this awesome attraction opening?” and we were like “OK, OK, we’ll let you know” Well we said we’d keep you informed and because we are good like we have some exciting news!

We have just received confirmation from SeaWorld that Turtle Trek is to open on the 27th April.

So now the wait is over why not experience the attraction for yourself. Visit Orlando Attraction Tickets for the latest SeaWorld ticket prices.

For those of you that are lucky enough to see Turtle Trek this year why not drop us a line and let us know what you thought about it. We’d really love to hear from you.

Cheers

Frank

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Visitors spend, spend, spend at Universal theme parks

Posted on February 16, 2012 by admin

This is not really going to surprise anyone but it seems that the popularity of Universals theme parks isn’t going to die down anytime soon. Over the last couple of years all the buzz and hype surrounding Orlando has largely been focused on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But its not just potter mania that is getting the crowds through the turn styles. Universal have also seen year on year growth in California thanks largely to the King Kong attraction which opened midway through 2010.

Philadelphia-based Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBCUniversal from General Electric a little more than a year ago said Wednesday that sales at NBUniversal theme parks rose 4 percent during the final three months of 2011, propelled by higher per-guest spending at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.

Combined revenue at NBCUniversal’s theme-parks business, which includes licensing fees from overseas parks inJapanandSingapore, totaled $498 million for the quarter, up from $478 million during the same period a year ago. That capped a year in which theme-park revenue surged 24 percent to $2 billion.

“This segment had a terrific year,” Comcast Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Michael Angelakis said during a conference call with analysts.

NBCUniversal earlier this year announced plans to build a second Harry Potter attraction in California and expand The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Orlando Resort, though details remain vague.

For more information on the latest Universal tickets available in Orlando visit Orlando Attraction Tickets.

Cheers

Frank

 

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SeaWorld’s TurtleTrek dome nears completion – take a sneaky peek inside!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by admin

The colourfully decorated construction walls are still up hiding SeaWorld’s newest attraction ‘Turtle Trek’ There are murals featuring tropical fish and turtle graphics which lend promise a new attraction in a corner of SeaWorld that is often overlooked.

TurtleTrek is a “world’s first” a new exhibit, with a signature 3-D movie presented in a domed theatre. In a constant effort to offer visitors the best experience possible  SeaWorld believes that the new TurtleTrek 3-D experience will make quite a splash.

The project has advanced in a big way this week with the completion of the dome screens.  Seen below is the last piece being installed.  Remember, TurtleTrek, opening this spring, is going to be the world’s first 3D, 360 domed theatre experience.  So it’s kind of a big deal when the screens are all in so we can start loading in the movie and begin the testing phase.

 

TurtleTrek is a one-of-its-kind attraction that can only come from SeaWorld, bringing guests close to sea turtles and manatees then immersing them in a sea turtle’s epic journey with the world’s first 3-D, 360-degree movie in a domed theatre. SeaWorld guests experience a turtle’s eye view of the ocean’s wonders and are inspired to be everyday heroes who can make a difference in nature.

Designers married a state-of-the art animated film and powerful stereoscopic 3D projection system with a fully domed theater, allowing for a seamless 3-D virtual environment, all around the guests, even over their heads!

The dome itself is 32-feet tall and64 feetin diameter, making the movie visuals massive in this space as you stand watching the turtle and other sea creatures come alive on the screens.

It took more than five weeks for the panels to be installed because each panel was measured and cut after the previous panel was installed.  This effectively means that every panel is precise for each individual location on the dome.

As mentioned above this exciting new edition to SeaWorld is planned to open in the spring. We’ll keep you posted with updates as they are released…and of course, that all important opening day!

Let me know what you think so far, will you make time to check it out this summer?

As always cheap SeaWorld tickets are available via Orlando Attraction Tickets. Right now as park of our 2012 price reductions you can upgrade from a 2 Park SeaWorld ticket to a 3 Park SeaWorld ticket for just £3!

Cheers

Frank

 

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LEGOLAND Florida announce date for water park to open!

Posted on February 4, 2012 by admin

Back in January we blogged about LEGOLAND’s plans to open an exciting new water park at the LEGOLAND theme park in Florida. Now it seems that those plans have been going swimmingly (hah! see what I did there?…oh never mind) The Water Park is now scheduled to open on the 26th May 2012.

The water park itself is incorporated into the main part of LEGOLAND and looks like its shaping up to be one of the stars of the summer. Visitors will be able to experience the Lazy River, water slides and other features at an additional cost on top of the regular park entrance fees. There is currently no plans for a ‘water park only’ option.

For current rates for LEGOLAND theme park Florida visit Orlando Attraction Tickets

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7th February – Last chance to catch ‘old’ Spider-Man ride

Posted on February 3, 2012 by admin

For all you old school’ers out there that still get dizzy on the nostalgia when you think about that awesome time when you rode The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride at Universals Island’s of Adventure, I have some sad news…it’s closing! But dont panic, no need to do anything silly…relax…it will be opening up again in March! and the good news is it will be even more awesome – Hurrah!

According to Universal, Tuesday the 7th of February will be the last day of the current edition of the ride which has been thrilling visitors to Marvels Super Hero Island since 1999.

The new version of the ride will of course maintain its original story line where Spidey battles with a variety of super-villains, however its the technology that is getting a re-boot. The new version will add fresh details right down to the threads of Spidey’s costume to greatly enhance the visual experience. Plus the new version will also feature a cameo from Marvel comics legend and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee.

Among the incoming additions are a new projection system, 4K digital high-def animated picture, new optical glass 3-D glasses and improved lighting.

Some work to the real-life sets that the ride travels through and the queue also will be updated or enhanced, Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative, said last week.

“Because it’s a very seamless experience between the film and the surrounding sets, a lot of the surrounding sets had to be redone in order to match the new light qualities of the picture,” he said.

So, Spider-Man fans there is no need to freak out…its all going to be OK! in fact its going to be more than OK, its going to be better with even more Spideyness! Oh and before you say anything…I know,  ’Spideyness’ isn’t really a word :)

For more details of other updates at Universal see our recent post: Universal Updates for 2012

For those of you lucky enough to be travelling when the upgrade has been opened please get in touch and let us know what you thought!

Cheers

Frank

 

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Universal Orlando The Year To Be Here?

Posted on January 25, 2012 by admin

As we mentioned on the 19th, today Universal Orlando hosted a webcast detailing why 2012 was “the year to be here”, here being Universal.

Universal didn’t reveal anything we didn’t already know, how they did provide more information on specifics. Here’s the break down

February 2012 – Will see the Blue Man Group launch its new show at Universal, we will also see the mini golf areas open up to the public.

March 2012 – Will see the Amazing Spider-Man ride release its enhanced look and feel, see this video for a glimpse.

Spring 2012 – Will see two new parades at universal called Universal Studios Superstars this parade will feature Spongebob, Dora, Despicable Me and Hop themes plus Lagoon Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular – 100 Years of Movie Memories.

 

Summer 2012 – Will see the launch of the 3D stimulator, Despicable Me! Minion Mayhem…

 and Wet & wild’s new play area rumoured to have 15 slides & 100 “soakers”.

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First Look at LEGOLAND Florida’s new water park

Posted on January 24, 2012 by admin

Splash Island – once one of Florida’s hidden gems is now just a disused dried up water park. But not for long! LEGOLAND Florida is now in the process of turning this shell of a park into a happy place again. In order to transform this once popular water park its wave pool, lazy river and assorted slides had to be drained in order to check their condition.

The good news is General Manager Adrian Jones said “The condition of the infrastructure has actually surprised us how good it is considering its been idle for the last 2 years” This has given LEGOLAND a jump start on creating the new water park which should be up and running in time for peak season this summer. An exact opening date is expected within the next few weeks – we’ll keep you posted when we know more! However, until then check out a few images of its current state along with an artists impression of what’s to come :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can be one of the first to splash around in Florida’s newest water park this summer, simply visit our friends at Orlando Attraction Tickets for the latest rates for LEGOLAND Florida tickets.

LEGOLAND Ticket Options

 

Its good to see that LEGOLAND are making the most of  Winter Haven. The water park will add another exciting dimension to Florida’s newest theme park.

Dont forget to post a comment once you have had a chance to sample the park for yourself – we’d love to hear what you thought!

Cheers

Simon

 

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What’s Happening At LEGOLAND Florida in 2012

Posted on January 23, 2012 by admin

Florida’s youngest theme park has released its proposed itinerary for 2012 on top of offering hours of endless fun the Merlin owned attraction also has the following planned.

LEGO Friends Weekend March 24th – 25th 2012 -This daytime party is LEGOLAND’s first ever and celebrates the girls that love LEGO! This LEGO event compliments LEGO’s newest release of construction toys, which has also been created with girls in mind. This LEGO packed party is full to the brim with a ton of fun and games and a Lego Friends building event.

Winter Haven Hospital Foundation Citrus Classic 5K April 14th 2012- This year Legoland will host this community event which helps to raise funds for the Winter Haven Hospital. The event is welcome to all ages and it’s entirely up to you whether you walk, run or play your way around the 5K. (not included with Legoland Florida tickets admission)

4th July/ Independence Day - There are many firsts for Legoland Florida this year and LEGOLAND’s Independence Day celebration, titled Red Brick and Broom, is one of the big ones. Park guests will be given special 3D glasses that will turn fireworks into millions of exploding bricks falling from the sky. This innovative Lego-tastic firework display is one you won’t want to miss.

Brick or Treat Weekends in October 2012 – This child friendly Halloween party is the ideal way for families with young children to celebrate this spooky holiday. Details are yet to be revealed, but you can expect the land of Lego to embrace the spooky yet festive spirit, tons of bricks and lots and lots of ‘candy’!

Legoland’s First Anniversary 15th October 2012 – Celebrate a whole year of Legoland’s residence in the theme park capital of the world. It’s almost impossible to imagine Florida without it. Details of Legoland Florida’s birthday party are yet to be revealed, but we have no doubt the park will soon start to build the excitement!

Christmas Bricktacular Weekends in December 2012 – Now we move back into familiar territory with LEGOLAND Florida’s Christmas Bricktacular, featuring the 270,000 brick Christmas tree and the Countdown to Kids’ New Year’s Eve 26th -30th December with fireworks over Lake Eloise.

You can book LEGOLAND Florida Tickets at orlando attraction tickets

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Episode 1 of the SeaWorld TurtleTrek Experience

Posted on January 20, 2012 by admin

SeaWorld today launched the first of their “webisodes” about the different aspects of TurtleTrek, opening this spring at SeaWorld Orlando.  This video will give you an insider’s look into how this amazing attraction will come to life.

Remember, TurtleTrek is going to be the world’s first 3D, 360-degree domed theater experience that takes you on a sea turtle’s incredible journey and invites you to become an everyday hero.

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