My top 5 places to eat at the parks

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Visiting Orlando can be overwhelming at the best of times. How much money you need, where to go, what to see, what to eat..

Here at OAT towers we try to make it as easy as possible to help you prepare for your holiday of a lifetime so here I am putting our experience to good use. I’ve gone round a few of the minions in our offices to find their favourite restaurants around the parks to give you your top 5.

My favourite restaurant has got to be the Sharks Underwater Grill at SeaWorld. It’s not often you get to enjoy your meal while gazing at the sharks swimming past you. Not only that, but you can go downstairs and walk through the aquarium with the sharks swimming above you. It truly is amazing!

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Karl our CTO says his favourite restaurant is The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co at Universal’s CityWalk which I hear nothing but good things about. If you’re a fan of Forrest Gump, you’re a fan of Bubba Shrimp! It’s a family friendly, worldwide restaurant with a great atmosphere, like any restaurant on CityWalk.

Jess can’t get enough of the Rainforest Cafe located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park and Disney Springs. If you’re looking for something ‘different’ the Rainforest cafe is definitely a place to try. Enjoy your meal while surrounded by tropical animals and wait for your surprises throughout the evening. I can guarantee you won’t be bored!

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The Leaky Cauldron in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Diagon Alley at Universal Studios is our CEO, Gavin’s favourite restaurant. I think this may be something to do with his beard…he thinks he’s a wizard! I guess there really is no place like home seeing as the Leaky Cauldron serves traditional British meals. Yum!

Kelly is always competing with Lauren about who’s the biggest Disney fan (although I think it’s definitely Lauren) so she has chosen the Be Our Guest restaurant in FantasyLand at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. If you want to feel like royalty, this is where you want to go for your meal. It is absolutely stunning and the attention to detail is unreal.

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So there’s a few ideas of where to go to eat. Don’t forget there are so many restaurants that you will never get to visit all of them in one trip so make sure you pick carefully!

Smiles Included…

Louise

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Lauren Vs Mako at SeaWorld Orlando

Hey Thrill Seekers,

So I know I’ve been back a while now, but trying to get 5 minutes to tell you about my FAM trip has proven to be more difficult than I thought! I’ve decided to start off with my review of Mako at SeaWorld.

Mako is now my favourite ride ever. This is the first time I’ve been on a hypercoaster as there are only a few in the whole world,  and my gosh it was amazing.

Representing a Shark chasing his prey along the 4,760 ft track at 73mph, you’ll feel like you’re floating. (Well I did sitting in the middle of the coaster). Rumour has it the front feels the fastest! Standing at 200 feet tall, Mako is the tallest, fastest roller coaster in Orlando so it’s definitely one for the thrill seekers.

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You’re probably thinking ‘what is a hypercoaster?’ A hypercoaster is a type of coaster that is known for high speeds and steep drops creating a feeling of weightlessness throughout the ride. As you reach the crest of each hill along the tracks, you will feel yourself floating out of your seat, hence the feeling of weightlessness.

Some roller coasters can be quite rough and rickety, maybe even make you feel like you’ve got a headache when you get off; Mako on the other hand is so smooth that you barely feel where the track has been joined together – unreal!

Not only have SeaWorld built in Mako the coaster, they’ve redesigned the whole area surrounding it fully themed to sharks. There is so many more educational activities about sharks as well as the shark encounter and shark interaction pool.

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In case you haven’t already realised, I wasn’t joking when I said Mako is now my favourite coaster. You just can’t beat it! I was lucky enough to ride the coaster twice in a row and it’s fair to say that I had so much adrenaline running through my body afterwards! If you haven’t already, you have to try it out. Don’t be put off by the lap bars!

Smiles Included…

Lauren

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Kraken Set To Be The First VR Coaster In Florida

Hey Thrill Seekers,

We’re not one’s for burying the lead, so the headline pretty much says it all! Today SeaWorld Orlando will announce that their awesome coaster Kraken will become the first coaster in Florida to have a permanent virtual reality experience.

kraken VR

Scheduled for the summer of 2017 Kraken will be fitted with headsets that will plunge the rider into the depths of the sea where they will encounter mythical (obviously a Kraken) and prehistoric beasts.

Brian Morrow, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Vice President of theme park experience design told the Orlando Sentinel;

We’re developing sort of our own technology on how we’re going to pull this off, It’s nothing that you’ve seen from other parks.

Riders will be given the option of using the headset or not, which will cover not only the visitors eyes but also their ears.  Music specially composed for the ride will accompany riders and SeaWorld hope this along with the VR experience will offer a new ride perspective. SeaWorld wouldn’t comment yet on whether the images will be 3-D.

SeaWorld will also be revealing a new night time show called Electric Ocean, which will play at the Bayside Theatre. The show will feature music, fountains, bioluminescent lighting and fireworks. They will also confirm that their Dolphin Nursery will also receive a makeover. All these changes are expected for the summer of 2107.

We’ll keep you updated if SeaWorld release anything further.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Kelly Reviews SeaWorld Orlando

Hi Thrill Seekers,

I am unhappy to say that I am now home and my FAM trip hosted by the wonderful team at Seaworld Parks and Entertainment went far too fast for my liking, but I am very excited to tell you all about my time in Orlando.

Once I reached Florida (I missed my original flight, but thats another story) we were given our itinerary for the week, Day number 1 would take place at Seaworld, Orlando. This was literally a few minutes walk from our hotel and couldn’t have been easier to get to.

Arriving at SeaWorld we were lucky enough to be met by a Seaworld tour guide who was going to show us around so we didn’t miss anything. I was keen to get as much information from the guide as I could and she  proved to be very knowledgeable and helpful. First stop was to the amazing Dolphin Cove to feed the Dolphins.

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Dolphin Cove gives you the opportunity to watch a playful group of bottlenose dolphins in their everyday habitat, you can also touch them and feed them I found this amazing. Before this trip I had never physically seen a Dolphin let alone touched or fed one so this for me really was a dream come true. I would advise if you don’t want to get wet don’t get too close as they are very playful and splash around an awful lot, I think I came away looking as though I went for a swim with them.

Once the tour guide had peeled me away from the Dolphins we then headed off to feed the Stingray’s at Stingray Lagoon. This is where I discovered I’m not the biggest fan of Stingray’s. I did try to feed them but I just couldn’t keep my hand in the water long enough, I can honestly say I acted like a complete girl when they got close to me (This became a bit of a theme, see Kelly V’s Falcon’s Fury). This wasn’t the same for the rest of the group or in fact anyone else around the Stingray Lagoon – one of the Stingrays did show their appreciation of me dropping their food by splashing me in the face!

After all the fun with the animals, it was onto our first ride “Manta” and not Mantra as I’d been calling it previously. Manta is the only flying roller coaster of its kind in the World. Once seated and all strapped in, your seat is tilted so you are facing the floor. I won’t lie my hands got extremely sweaty at this point and I kind of wanted to get off, but before panic could set in we were off travelling up a 140 foot chain lift, there was no going back now, when we reached the top Manta began by nose diving back down the 140 feet adding loops, twists and turns throughout the ride plus a few of my screams. I can honestly say my stomach has never been left behind before as much as it was on Manta but I loved it! I could have stayed on it all day but we had a tight schedule and a lot more of the park see. So we thought it was best to get the rides in before lunch so it we were straight onto Kraken.

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Kraken is the only floorless roller coaster in Orlando. It features a total of seven inversions including two vertical loops, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll and a corkscrew – its safe to say I felt like I was a space cadet when I came off my head was definitely in a spin.

After lunch and a very nice one at that – it was onto the Shamu Stadium for the One Ocean Show home to the majestic Killer Whale. One Ocean touched me in a way I didn’t think was possible. Although the whole show from start to finish is breathtaking with its vivid colors and vitality it is also extremely emotional and you really do connect with these thrilling sea creatures. I didn’t shed a tear but I did leave with a very big lump in my throat.If you are there in the right season you can also catch the seasonal Shamu’s Celebration: Light up the night and Shamu Christmas Miracle night shows.

If just seeing the Whale’s is not enough for you – you can also Dine with Shamu, this is a memorable family dining experience where you can enjoy a delicious poolside meal and get a glimpse into the interactions that occur between the Seaworld trainer and the beautiful Killer Whales. Unfortunately I was not lucky enough to do this experience with our busy schedule – so if you do get the opportunity please share this with me as I would love to know about it.

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Next on our list was Turtle Trek a 3D 360 degree dome theatre experience which tells the story of a Sea Turtle’s journey through life from birth to adulthood. The theatre uses 34 projectors to seamlessly cover the entire surface of the dome allowing you to watch from every angle, even above you. This attraction surprised me, it was quite fascinating to see the life of a Sea Turtle and all the dangers and hazards they face as they mature. I would definitely try and fit this into your day if you are visiting SeaWorld.

Before entering the dome you can visit two natural habitats one filled with manatees and several species of freshwater fish, the other home to more than 1,500 saltwater fish and over a dozen Sea Turtles – these I think is a brilliant touch to an attraction like this.

Our day was nearly over but last but not least we head to Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin this is SeaWorld’s newest attraction. The attention to detail that has gone into this area is unreal, it feels as though you are actually in Antarctica, it’s truly stunning. The Antarctic: Empire of the Penguins ride itself is aimed at families and tells the story of Puck, a young Gentoo Penguin who gets lost in a snowstorm. You have the option of a wild or mild ride. We did the Mild ride which I have been told is not too much different from the Wild. Once the ride was over we were able to get close to some real Gentoo Penguins, as well as Adelies, Kings and Rockhoppers. A little tip when visiting, the environment has obviously been built for the Penguins so it can feel pretty cold, so take a jacket or jumper in with you if you have one, so you can look at the penguins in detail.

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So that was it the end of my very busy day at SeaWorld – one I did not want to come to an end, but everything has to right? Roll on day 2 which was Aquatica so look out for my next blog where I will explain in detail all about Orlando Attraction Tickets first experience of Ihu’s Breakaway falls.

Smiles included…

Kelly

 

10 Coasters To Ride In Orlando Before You Die

Hey Thrill Seekers,

I love roller coasters… no really, I love ’em. I’d gladly (and have) ride them until I felt sick. I know I’m not alone on this one as I get to speak to customers everyday who also share the love of a good coaster.

I’ve been pretty privileged to have ridden almost all of the coasters available to ride in Florida so I thought I’d take the time to name the 10 Coasters you have to ride before you die.

Just a little disclaimer,

  • The 10 aren’t listed in preference order.
  • I can, and will include coasters I haven’t ridden or haven’t been built yet!
  • By coaster, I’m including all attraction types, Dark Rides, Drop rides, 3D rides…everything (its my post my rules) 🙂
  • I suffer from terrible motion sickness, so Forbidden Journey, Spider-Man and the like, will not be included this doesn’t mean they aren’t great rides.

1) Manta at SeaWorld

Manta at SeaWorld is a very special coaster, there isn’t another ride in Florida that offers the same experience, its the closest you’ll ever get to being Superman!

i love manta

Riders are taken on a 3,359ft long thrill ride above the park, reaching a top speed of 56 miles per hour while tackling four inversions. But its the unique rider position that gets Manta on my list, on a typical coaster the occupant is sat in a seated upright position, on Manta the ride is in a prone position facing the ground!

The experience is totally different and I defy anyone not to love this coaster…

Ride it like you’re Superman

2) The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Ask anyone who’s ridden this beast of a coaster what they remember most about the ride and 9 times out of 10 they’ll mention the start! Like many coasters The Hulk starts at the bottom of a launch hill, on “normal” coasters you’ll climb this hill slowly until you reach the top and then the ride begins… Not The Hulk though! The launch hill is used to catapult the rider from 0 to 40 mph in approximately two seconds, it creates an amazing rush that in my opinion should be crammed in to every coaster ever made. 😉

The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is 3,700-foot-long and features a top speed of 67 miles per hour.

Ride it before you’re 40

3) Sheikra at Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens is packed with great coasters but the ride that gets the most “oooh thats amazing” has to be Sheikra!

SheiKra reaches a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour  and has a total track length of 3,188 feet which is all very impressive but its the 200 foot drop that’s the real star of this ride!

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Once the train reaches the top of the 200 ft hill climb it turns right and  moves over the first drop, it then stops for about four seconds (seems a lot longer) and then descends the 90-degree drop hitting speeds of 70 miles per hour! Looking straight down before you drop if a special experience and one that really gets the blood pumping…. love it!

Ride it before you’re too scared to.

4) Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Imagine The Incredible Hulk Coaster but indoors!!! That’s pretty much what Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is… and I love it!!!

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starts with a whiplash inducing 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds burst as riders experience 4.5 G’s as they enter the first inversion, to put this in perspective, it’s more G’s than an astronaut feels on a space shuttle launch!

Setting the coaster inside is a really unique experience as it’s only lit by the fluorescent signposts darted around the track I found I lost all bearings and didn’t know if I was going to go left, right, up or down…

Ride it like you’re Steven Tyler

5) Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts Bank at Universal Studios

Yes, yes, yes I know its not even out yet… and Universal have been very short with the details they’ve released but as per my rules at the start of the post… I can add whatever I like! 🙂

Also I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a detailed video (which I can’t share with you I’m afraid) of exactly what the coaster will be like. Set inside the Goblin run bank, Gringotts at Diagon Alley, the coaster is an indoor ride with some unique “breakaway” track sections and incorporates the use of visual 3D elements. Riding position appears to be the seated position but unlike traditional coasters I believe this one will go forwards, backwards and even sideways!

Ride this as soon as you can!

6) Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa

Another entry for Busch Gardens but well deserved Montu is the first coaster you see when you pull into the car park and all thrill riders will instantly say “I’m riding that”…

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An unsung hero of coasters Montu stands 150 feet tall. With a top speed of 60 miles per hour, the ride features seven inversions including two vertical loops measuring 104 and 60 feet, respectively, an Immelmann loop, a zero-g roll, a batwing and a corkscrew. In other words its a Beast of a Coaster! Riders experience up to 3.8 times the force of gravity on the 3 minute ride.

Ride it first!

7) Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios

The most temperamental coaster on our list, it feels like every six months or so we hear a report of it breaking down (safely)… but that’s the attraction.

Rip Ride Rockit is an amazing coaster experience, its unique selling point isn’t the massive 167 ft drop you encounter almost immediately, its not even the 65 mph top speed you hit… its MUSIC!

Before your train leaves the station you’re given the opportunity to select a song to listen too, there are over 30 songs available covering all genres, you have to be quick though or your choice will be selected for you at random. The design of the seats means that you can only ever hear your selection… one thing to remember is that you’re being filmed during the ride! You don’t want to be that person caught on camera singing to Britney Spears like no tomorrow…like some… 😉

Ride it like a rock star.

8) Falcon’s Fury at Busch Gardens Tampa

Yeah like I said read my small print 🙂 Falcon’s Fury hasn’t even got an official release date yet but this is one ride I cannot wait to experience. For those who don’t know Falcon’s Fury is a drop ride measuring 335 feet in height, the height alone is pretty impressive and will make it North America’s tallest free standing drop ride… but this isn’t the best part… the best part is the unique riding position… FACE FIRST!!!

Yup for those brave enough you’ll be taken 335 feet up in the air, turned so you’re looking at the floor then dropped at speeds up to 60 mph creating a G-Force of 3.5!!!

Ride as soon as its open 

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9) Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios

The Revenge of the Mummy ride at Universal Studios as the name suggests, is based on the movie franchise. It makes my top 10 based heavily on how I felt when I first rode it.

The coaster is set indoors and has a great knack of telling a story at the same time as thrilling the rider. Unlike other coasters it also has an element of 4D by blasting the rider with a heat blast that fells so real you naturally recoil.

Ride with your Mummy

10) Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa

I was very lucky to be one of the first people to ride Cheetah Hunt when it originally opened and I’ve loved it ever since. The 3 launch coaster is like nothing else in Florida and for me is the coaster that represents its theme the most.

The idea behind Cheetah Hunt is that the rider gets to experience the thrill of the hunt from the point of view of a Cheetah, the ride has three launch areas throughout the ride which gives the rider a boost which literally removes you from your seat 🙂

Ride when your feeling animal like

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So there we have it my 10 Coasters you must ride before you die…

Which rides would your list include?

Smiles included…

Jamie

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What’s Busch Gardens Falcons Fury Going To Be Like?

Hey Thrill Seekers,

On Saturday I posted a photo on our facebook page showing what a 300 foot drop looks like to symbolise Busch Gardens Falcons Fury ride due to open this year.

Well today Busch Gardens have bested me by releasing this video…

How mental does this look?

Just to remind you Falcons Fury is a 300 ft plus drop ride that positions the rider at a 90 degree angle, meaning you fall face first looking at the ground!!!

Smiles included…

Jamie

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SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium To Close Until Spring

Hey Thrill Seekers,

This January through Spring, maintenance work will be carried outseaworld on the main pool at SeaWorld Orlando’s Shamu Stadium. While the park’s signature killer whale show, One Ocean, and the park’s dining experience, Dine With Shamu, won’t be available during that time, guests will see all-new, above and underwater interactions and sessions with killer whales at Shamu Up Close.

Shamu Up Close

Celebrate the majesty and miracle of killer whales – the ocean’s royal family – at the never-before-seen Shamu Up Close experience – only at SeaWorld Orlando. It’s an intimate and moving look at the whales, SeaWorld trainers and the awe-inspiring bond between them. Through music and moments, our trainers will take you behind the watery curtain into a fascinating world, with walk-through appearances all day long. Shamu Up Close is much more than an experience. It’s the living story of SeaWorld and its passionate commitment to the care of killer whales and their ocean world. And this is your opportunity to be a part of it like never before.

One Ocean is scheduled to re-open 7th April 2013.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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SeaWorld Parks Special Offer 3 Parks For The Price Of 2

Morning Thrill Seekers,

Yey! We all love a special offer and today I’m happy to tell you 3for2about a special offer we’ve been given by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. 🙂

SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment own and operate 3 major parks in Florida they include their flagship Theme Park SeaWorld Orlando, their amazing water park Aquatica and their roller coaster fuelled Tampa park Busch Gardens.

Throughout the majority of 2013 SeaWorld Parks has offered 3 ticket types,

The  2 park ticket types have been priced obviously at a lower price than the 3 park, however from today and covering tickets used in 2014, SeaWorld Parks are offering;

3 Parks for the price of 2

Not only that but they’ve frozen the 2013 prices for use in 2014. I’m sure you’ll agree this is a cracking offer and one to take full advantage of.

The offer can be removed by SeaWorld at anytime without notice, so we would urge our customer to get this booked as soon as possible, remember you can take advantage of our 25% deposit scheme and Pay YOUR Way feature to secure your tickets.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Aquatica Confirms Operating Calendar Amendment

Afternoon Thrill Seekers,

We’ve just had work here at Orlando Attraction Tickets of a slight aquaticaamendment to SeaWorld owned water park, Aquatica’s operating calendar.

Please note that the park will now be closed on the following dates;

November 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, and 25

December 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, and 19

The closures are pretty standard for Orlando’s water parks and I’m sure we’ll see further information from Disney and Universal over the upcoming weeks.

Aquatica has proved to be a massive hit as 2012 attendance figures show, despite only being 4 years old the park managed to serve over 1.2 million customers in 2012 and only looks to be getting stronger.

At the time of writing you can purchase a 2 Park SeaWorld and Aquatica 14 day ticket for only £82.00 per adult.

Smiles included,

Jamie

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SeaWorld’s Antarctica Empire Of The Penguin To Open Next Week

Afternoon Thrill Seekers,

SeaWorld’s Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin’s is set for its big launch next week and Orlando Attraction Tickets will be there for the big night.

The new land represents SeaWorld’s biggest ever expansion and they are rightfully excited about the launch. Last week I got this leather bound Expedition Itinerary (pic) through the post detailing our trail and what we should expect.

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Going by the Itinerary, we will be at the official launch on the 22nd May.

Today through the post I received this….

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1) SeaWorld branded case with the words “Join the Expedition” on it.

2) Two x post cards. One with a Penguin on the front the other with a   picture of Antarctica.

3) A compass….

On the lid of the box are coordinates “28.4108 N, 81.4625 W”, can you guess where these coordinates lead to?

seaworld coordinates

That’s right… SeaWorld…

We will be trying to blog from the event and we’ll try to upload as many photo’s as possible.

So join us for an Expedition of a lifetime…

regards,

Jamie

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