theme parks – Orlando Attraction Tickets blog

April 1, 2017

Theme Parks Announce In-Coaster Dining Plans!

Hey Thrill Seekers,

According to recent reports, one theme park in Orlando is planning to offer their visitors ‘In-Coaster’ dining options!

The Park has stated that more and more people that come to Orlando are not getting enough quality time at the parks due to the inconvenience of having to take a break to eat breakfast, lunch or a snack. They have stated that according to research carried out on one of their most popular roller coasters, visitors can save an additional 22 minutes per day by choosing to eat their meals during their ride on a roller coaster.

Some of the dishes already planned for the menu include the following;

Soup of the day
Rahmen Noodles
Curry and Rice
Nachos with Cheese
Fish and Chips
Burgers
Ice Cream
Custard

The park in question [currently choosing to remain anonymous for commercial reasons] say that although some people may find it difficult to eat a full meal while riding a coaster we hope in time that this will become part and parcel of visiting a theme park.

When asked what they planned to do for riders that exited the ride covered in food the park official stated “We already have a post dinner schedule for clean up, customer can pay an additional $20 to be hosed down after”

Although this does seem a radical idea and many are sceptical of its success, some have even speculated that their is a 1 in 3 chance of people ‘chundering’ during and after the ride, this aside, we are keen to see this food related freak show in operation.

Official opening is planned for 1st April 2018 – so we will be able to provide more information closer to the time. In the meantime if any of our readers have any idea which park this may happen in please leave a comment below.

Happy munching and Smiles included…

Jamie

May 12, 2016May 12, 2016

Motion Sickness And How To Deal With It

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Now straight off the bat, I’m no Doctor… I have no medical qualifications apart from a first aid badge I got in the Cubs many, many moons ago. So this post has no medical basis at all and you should always consult a professional rather than this blog.

Today’s post is one close to my heart… or should I say stomach! Its about Motion Sickness, with theme park trends pushing towards more 3D based attractions those of us who suffer with motion sickness are having a rough ride, literally. Just a quick look at Universal Studios is enough to make those of us who suffer tremble with fear, The Simpson’s Ride, Minion Mayhem, Transformers 3D and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts all use 3d elements and can cause motion sickness, they even warn you before hand.

So I thought I’d investigate, to try and create a guide for those of us who suffer but still want to experience the ride. I’ll start off with some of the less scientific methods I personally have used in the past.

Close your eyes

I don’t want to be the one who didn’t go on a ride and spoiled it for everyone else. I know my family wouldn’t give me grief (much) but I still feel if I’ve flown all the way to Orlando I should be giving it a go.

So my first way around motion sickness is to simply close my eyes……. and pray. FOr me closing my eyes and going to my happy place stops me from getting motion sickness. The downside being, I see nothing of the ride.

Sit out

Don’t be like me! Motion Sickness can really spoil a day at a theme park. If you don’t think you can do it then don’t do it. There are plenty of other rides to go on… plus every party needs a bag holder!

Now for some science…

Treating motion sickness

Mild symptoms of motion sickness can usually be improved using techniques such as fixing your eyes on the horizon or distracting yourself by listening to music.

Other self care techniques you could try include:

Keep still – if possible, choose a cabin or seat in the middle of a boat or plane, because this is where you’ll experience the least movement. Use a pillow or headrest to help keep your head as still as possible.
Look at a stable object – for example, the horizon. Reading or playing games may make your symptoms worse. Closing your eyes may help relieve symptoms.
Fresh air – open windows or move to the top deck of a ship to avoid getting too hot and to get a good supply of fresh air.
Relax – by listening to music while focusing on your breathing or carrying out a mental activity, such as counting backwards from 100.
Stay calm – keep calm about the journey. You’re more likely to get motion sickness if you worry about it.

Medicines

Or you could get yourself down your local pharmacy and look in to purchasing yourself some of these;

Hyoscine

Hyoscine, also known as scopolamine, is widely used to treat motion sickness. It’s thought to work by blocking some of the nerve signals sent from the vestibular system.

Hyoscine is available over the counter from pharmacists. To be effective, you’ll need to take it before travelling. If you’re going on a long journey – for example, by sea – hyoscine patches can be applied to your skin every three days.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are used to treat symptoms of allergies, but can also help to control nausea and vomiting. They’re less effective at treating motion sickness than hyoscine, but may cause fewer side effects.

They’re usually taken as tablets one or two hours before your journey. If it’s a long journey, you may need to take a dose every eight hours. Like hyoscine, some antihistamines can cause drowsiness. Your pharmacist can advise you.

Acupressure bands

Acupressure bands are stretchy bands worn around the wrists. They apply pressure to a particular point on the inside of your wrist between the two tendons on your inner arm.

Some complementary therapists claim that using an acupressure band can help to treat motion sickness. Although acupressure bands don’t cause any adverse side effects, there’s little scientific evidence to show they’re an effective treatment for motion sickness.

I know its a pain but don’t let your inner ear and eyes spoil your theme park holiday.

Have you got any secret Motion Sickness cheats you use, if so please feel free to share them with us below…

Remember: I’m not a doctor. Medical information was researched using the NHS website.

Smiles included…

Jamie

December 2, 2014

New Things I’m Looking Forward To In Florida

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Some of you may have read one of my previous blogs about how excited I am to be visiting Orlando in September 2015 with my family the post also included attractions that I’m particularly looking forward to. Well, there have been a few more announcements since my last blog, that you may or may not have heard about through our blog posts so my excitement has now doubled and there are so many more attractions that I just can’t wait to try out.

I can’t wait to ride Falcon’s Fury at Busch Gardens Tampa especially since Kelly bottled it on her recent trip to Orlando. When I’m in Florida next year I will be making sure that this is one of the first rides that I go on. All of us here at Orlando Attraction Tickets have just been dying to experience it ever since we first heard the official announcement wayback in 2013.

Kelly should have been the first person in the company to experience the rush of dropping 335 feet face first but of course as we all know …she bottled it. Although I was gutted for her it does give me the opportunity to officially be the first OAT employee to ride it and as has been pointed out several times to her “how can you go all the way to Orlando and not ride Falcon’s Fury”.

I’m also absolutely distraught that the SkyScraper roller coaster doesn’t open until 2017. This coaster looks incredible AND it’s taller than Falcon’s Fury, at a whopping 535 feet tall! If you haven’t already read through Jamie’s blog about the SkyScraper, it’s well worth a read. This roller coaster will last over 4 minutes with ups and downs, twists and turns and of course some fairly big drops. The SkyScraper is not just going to be your normal roller coaster. The building will contain restaurants and other various attractions along with the roller coaster going around the outside. No wonder they have prolonged the opening date to 2017 as it sounds as though there is going to be a lot of hard work going on to build it over on International Drive.

I’m so excited that Clyde and Seamore are returning to SeaWorld with a new show, I wasn’t lucky enough to see the previous show as both times I visited Orlando the show was on hiatus. I’ve heard so much about what these crazy Sea Lions get up to and how funny the shows are. Not only have SeaWorld got the Dolphin Theater for Blue Horizons and the Shamu Stadium for One Ocean but they are going to build another theater called the Sea Lion and Otter Theater for Clyde and SeaMore’s Sea Lion High. In my opinion, SeaWorld are always expanding in the most brilliant ways and I cannot wait to be there to witness yet another fantastic new experience. SeaWorld have estimated the Clyde and SeaMore Show to be opening in the Spring of 2015 so I just hope it will be open by the time I get there so I can finally see it.

I just hope that my 14 days in Orlando is actually going to be enough time to fit everything in that I want to do. I can honestly say that I was not aware of how much there was to do there. Now that I work at Orlando Attraction Tickets, I will be sure to squeeze in as much as I can while I’m there so I can come back and tell you all about it.

Smiles included…

Louise

March 11, 2014March 10, 2014

5 Marvel Characters I’d Like To See Feature At Theme Parks

Morning Thrill Seekers,

Ever since Disney got its huge wallet out and purchased Marvel, the internet has been awash with thoughts on how Disney will use Marvels almost endless list of popular IP’s.

The major stumbling block of course is that Universal have the rights to quite a few of the major IP’s for use in Florida including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and Storm. Not surprisingly Disney would love these rights back… again not surprisingly Universal aren’t really keen to give them back. So what we’re left with is a bit of a Mexican standoff. Universal are unable to add or make any changes to their Marvel Super Hero Land at Islands of Adventure without permission from Marvel, who of course owned by Disney are really going to oblige and Disney can’t take full advantage of a niche area that, at the moment, is very popular.

However that doesn’t stop me from think about a few characters from Marvel’s library that I’d love to see brought to life and featured at an Orlando Theme Park.

Daredevil

Forget that terrible Daredevil film, this character is one of Marvels gems. Matt Murdock was Marvel’s very first blind superhero, using his heightened other senses, he looks after New Yorks, Hell’s Kitchen area.

As an attraction I’m thinking an indoor dark roller coaster would be best suited for the Man without Fear.

Ghostrider

Again, forget the films… Ghost Rider when done properly is one of Marvel’s coolest anti-heros. A real Jekyll and Hyde character, the first Ghost Rider is a demon that inhabits Johnny Blaze (a stunt motorbike rider) and appears as a hell’s angel type biker but with a flaming skull for a head.

I’m imagining a ride similar to Stealth at Thorpe Park in the UK, a very fast 0-60 mph take off (like the Hulk) then a sharp rise simulating the a motorbike jumping over some cars. A fast, intense ride for the Demon Motorcyclist.

Ant Man

This character is not the best known in the Marvel Universe but he soon will be, as Marvel are planning to release a stand alone film telling his origins.

Ant Man is the story of brilliant Scientist Henry Pym, who finds a way to alter his size after discovering “Pym Particles”, he also has a helmet that lets him talk to ants (as you do). In the comic’s he is one of the founding members of the Avengers.

For me an Ant Man attraction is perfect for the wave of 3d rides we’ve been seeing. Telling the story of one of Pym’s adventures you could easily imagine the attraction giving you the sense of shrinking and growing…. plus riding on a flying ant.

Captain America

I’m surprised there isn’t a Captain America ride in Florida already. The most patriotic of all the Marvel Super Heroes, Captain America is hugely popular and recognisable not only that but he’s in films that actually don’t suck, which is a massive advantage he has over Daredevil and Ghost Rider.

I see the Captain America ride as something for the kids, perhaps just a very simply waltzer style ride where riders sit in or on a larger version of Captain America’s shield.

Thor

A massive part of the Avengers film and two of his own, Thor is very popular, based on the Norse God of Thunder he lends himself perfectly to a high speed coaster.

There we have it, 5 Marvel Characters I’d like to see given attractions and amazingly I didn’t even include Iron Man or Guardians of the Galaxy, I can see Rocket Racoon selling merchandise by the millions!

Are there any Marvel Characters I’ve missed off that you’d like to see given the Disney theme park treatment?

Smiles included…

Jamie

December 11, 2013December 10, 2013

My Day At Aquatica

Hey Thrill Seekers,

I have already posted several blogs about my trips to SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens during my recent FAM trip to Orlando. My fourth and final day was spent at Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park. This park is perfect for some unforgettable thrills, along with a bit of relaxation.

After stashing our personal belongings in one of Aquatica’s handy lockers we decided to try out Roa’s Rapids, a river ride with a bit of a difference. The strong currents propel you around the rapids, through waves, swirls and sprays. For those not-so-strong swimmers or if you’d just prefer to float along the river and let the current do all of the work there are life jackets located at the entrances to the rapids. We had a go with and without the life jackets. Personally I prefered the ride with the life jackets as you seem to sail along much faster. I also advise keeping an eye out for the great view into the Aquarium. The turning is in the middle of the rapids so it can be easy to miss when you are going along at speed.

After a few laps of Roa’s Rapids we decided to hit some of the thrilling water rides. First we got a little bit competitive on Taumata Racers, a high-speed competitive mat ride. Unlike most rides of this kind it begins with a twisting enclosed tube slide before opening out into a straight, steep hill drop to the finishing line which I think improves the experience greatly.

You start by placing your mats at the top of the slide whilst you wait for the countdown to hit ‘GO!’. You’ll then need to launch yourself and the mat into the tunnel. After that gushing water and gravity does the rest of the work. I found that the best technique for a quick start time was to place the mat as far forward as possible without letting go and pushing yourself forward as you jump on. This is a great ride for groups and families. I cannot count how many times we went on throughout the day!

Walhalla Wave was a personal favourite of mine. This is a thrilling raft ride, seating up to 3 people making it perfect for families or groups. After being nudge off of the edge by a member of staff you slide around the first corner, through one of the many waterfalls and straight into a tunnel. Once you have rounded the first corner of the tunnel you will find yourself in complete darkness. As we had not really checked out the ride before getting on, this is something that we had not been expecting, however this definitely added to the experience. It also meant that we had no idea what was coming next! You go through lots of twists turns, climbing one side of the tunnel until you feel as though you may fall out before spiralling up the other side. You are then plunged back into daylight and into the pool at the bottom. I think that the best ride experience is had with a full raft of 3 people.

HooRoo Run shares a tower with Walhalla Wave so we decided to head back up to the top to give this one a go. This uses the same rafts as Walhalla Wave, so again up to 3 people are able to ride together. This is where the 2 rides similarities end as unlike Walhalla Wave, HooRoo Run is an open, straight run to the bottom making it an extremely fast ride. Once you are nudged off of the edge by the staff member the raft plummets over several seat-lifting ridges before diving into pool at the bottom.

Next we headed for Dolphin Plunge, Aquatica’s signature ride. As you enter the park you will see an underwater viewing area containing beautiful black and white Commerson’s dolphins. Dolphin Plunge runs right through their enclosure. You begin by getting ready at the top of one of the two enclosed tube slides. Once the light has turned green you are free to propel yourself into the tunnel, lying down with arms and legs crossed. This part of the tube is opaque and will take you through a series of twists and turns as you gain speed. After about 250ft the tube becomes transparent and you will find yourself in the middle of the dolphin’s enclosure. The tube then changes back to opaque before hurtling into the pool at the bottom of the slide. I advise trying slow yourself down as you begin to see the light of the transparent tunnel to give you the best opportunity to see the dolphins as you will be travelling at speed.

We spent the remaining time that we had left in the park sun bathing, with short intervals too cool off in Cutback Cove and Big Surf Shores, Aquatica’s side-by-side wave pools. Cutback Cove offers constant high waves, whereas Big Surf Shores changes between high or slow.

That wraps my unforgettable trip to Orlando. A big thank you to SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment for hosting a fabulous FAM trip! I will follow up with one last blog featuring my top 5 rollercoasters of the trip so keep an eye out.

Smiles included…

Rachel

December 10, 2013

How Free WiFi Pays For Itself At Orlando Theme Parks

Hi Thrill Seekers,

One thing that always puts me off about using my phone in parks is the data roaming fee’s. Wouldn’t it be great if all theme parks offered free Wifi… but the Parks are there to make money I hear you say, what would the benefit?

Well today Facebook released their review of 2013, its their annual look at what’s been popular. They include most talked about topics, top life events and the most popular Check-Ins. Below is Facebook’s top 10 most checked in locations in the U.S.

Top Check-Ins in the U.S.

1. Disneyland & Disney California Adventure (Anaheim, CA)
2. Times Square (New York, NY)
3. Epcot – Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
4. Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)
5. AT&T Park (San Francisco, CA)
6. Rangers Ballpark (Arlington, TX)
7. Universal Studios Hollywood (Universal City, CA)
8. Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
9. MGM Grand Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV)
10. Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo (Houston, TX)

As you can see Disney hold the number 1 spot and the number 3 spot. Universal’s California park snatches the number 7 spot. Although I can’t find any hard figures on how many check-ins this relates to I think we can safely say its in the millions.

When we take a look at the top 25 Worldwide check-ins Disney comes out even stronger, claiming 4 spots Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland.

So what?

As I’m sure you know, when you check-in using Facebook its shared on your timeline for all your friends to see, along with a check-in you’ll probably chuck on a photo or two of you having an amazing time. Its the best advertising a theme park can get and its free!

Now imagine how much social sharing, check-ins, photo’s uploaded and people being tagged a theme park could get if they offered free Wifi… The cost to offer it would pay for itself. Now I’m sure the big bosses at Disney, Universal and SeaWorld know this already, so what’s the hold up?

Well it could be that they’re busy, prioritising Magic Plus and opening a new Wizarding World takes time and plenty of cash however I’ve been to all of these parks and I’ve seen the Wifi connections already built in! Perhaps for now the theme parks don’t see a good return on investment but surely it can only be a matter of time before theme parks go the same way as hotels?

Smiles included…

Jamie

November 13, 2013

Mobile Technology And How We’re Using It In Theme Parks

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Here at Orlando Attraction Tickets we love our smart phones, we love taking photo’s of our favourite rides and our instagram account is full of awesome examples of this.

Today we received an interesting report from the good people at Thinkwell detailing a survey they conducted regarding usage of smart devices at theme parks, they surveyed U.S. residents, aged over 18 who had visited a theme park in the last 2 years. Here’s what they discovered;

Looking at the overall survey it seems to suggest that visitors would like more mobile interaction at theme parks.

Is this something you’d be interested in?

Smiles included…

Jamie

September 9, 2013

Which Orlando Parks Took Home A Golden Ticket?

Afternoon Thrill Seekers,

If you were an actor you’d want an Oscar… in the World of theme GTA 2013 Parks the Oscar equivalent is a Golden Ticket. On the 7th September the great and good of the Theme Park industry gathered for the 15th annual awards ceremony with some of our favourite friends rightfully up for awards.

The Golden Ticket Awards (GTA) relies on a panel of voters from all over the world consisting of experienced park enthusiasts. The U.S. ballots are divided into four geographical regions, with approximately the same number of voters in each region. In addition to the American voters, Amusement Today invites a number of international voters to participate.

Voters are asked to submit one choice in each of the categories (except best coaster). The results are tallied and the park or attraction with the most votes is awarded the Golden Ticket for that category. For roller coasters, we ask that each voter submit a list of their top ten coasters — wood and steel — in order from one to ten, taking into consideration the overall experience including capacity, operations, reliability and re-rideability.

So without anymore delay the winners are;

CATEGORY	WINNER
Best Amusement Park	Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Best Waterpark	Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas
Best Children’s Park	Idlewild and SoakZone, Ligonier, Pa.
Best Marine Life Park	SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Seaside Park	Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Best Wooden Coaster	Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce, Bristol, Conn.
Best Steel Coaster	Millennium Force at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Best Kids’ Area	Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio
Friendliest Park	Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Cleanest Park	Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.
Best Halloween Event	Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Landscaping	Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Va.
Best Christmas Event	Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Food	TIE! Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.
Best Shows	Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Outdoor Night Show Production	IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Walt Disney World’s Epcot, Orlando, Fla.
Best Water Ride	Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.
Best Waterpark Ride	Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.
Best Dark Ride	Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.
Best New Ride of 2013 – Amusement Park	Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City, Branson, Mo.
Best New Ride of 2013 – Waterpark	River Rush at Dollywood’s Splash Country, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Carousel	Grand Carousel at Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.
Best Indoor Roller Coaster	Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Indoor Waterpark	Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas
Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction	Noah’s Ark at Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pa.

Orlando based winners were

SeaWorld Orlando, best marine-life park.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, best Halloween event.
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot, best outdoor night show production.
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls at Islands of Adventure, best water ride.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Islands of Adventure, best dark ride.
Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Orlando, best indoor roller coaster.

Congratulations to all the winners.

Smiles included…

Jamie

November 19, 2012

THEA Not So Kind To Orlando

Afternoon Thrill Seekers,

For the first time in 10 years Orlando was snubbed in the prestigious THEA (Themed Entertainment Association) Awards. The Thea awards are given to projects whose achievement has been determined to be of “outstanding” quality. The award is for people or parks in the themed entertainment industry, selected by people from the industry.

The winners

The Buzz Price Thea Award (formerly the Lifetime Achievement Award): Joe Rohde, Walt Disney Imagineering
Thea Classic Award: Puy du Fou: Le Grand Parc and Cinéscénie, Vendée, France
Attraction: Space Fantasy: The Ride at Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan
Attraction on a Limited Budget: Barnas Brannstasjon (Children’s Fire Station) at Kongeparken, Ålgård, Norway
Attraction: Arthur, L’Aventure 4D at Futuroscope, Poitiers, France
Attraction Refresh: Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, USA
Museum Exhibit: NatureQuest at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta, USA
Museum Exhibit: YOU! The Experience at Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, USA
Science Center Attraction on a Limited Budget: The Changing Climate Show at Science North, Greater Sudbury, Canada
Cultural Heritage Attraction on a Limited Budget: Ghost of the Castle at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, USA
Show Spectacular: Crane Dance at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
Show Spectacular: The Magic, The Memories and You at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, USA
Live Show Event Spectacular: Yo México, Celebration of the Century of the Mexican Revolution, Mexico City, Mexico
Live Show Spectacular: The House of Dancing Water at City of Dreams, Macau
Themed Restaurant Experience: FoodLoop at Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
Ingenious Use of Technology: Animation Magic in the Animator’s Palate Restaurant aboard Disney Cruise Line’s ship Disney Fantasy

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the annual Themed Amusement Awards were given out during a short ceremony that took place inside the Orange County Convention Centre during the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions conference.

So a bad year for Orlando in the awards but lets see what 2013 brings…

regards,

Jamie

December 14, 2010

Cheetah Hunt Build Update

Straight off the SeaWorld blog a great look at the construction of Busch Gardens, Cheetah Hunt.

cheetah_hunt_tower4_0-300x335 — Cheetah Hunt Tower

cheetah_hunt_tower1-300x200 — Cheetah Hunt

cheetah_hunt_tower5-300x200 — Cheetah Hunt

As you can see by these images the ride is really beginning to take shape and is on course for the ambitious spring 2011 launch, rumoured to be in May.