Zelda rumoured to replace Lost Continent

Hey Thrill Seekers,

The latest word on the street in the world of Orlando theme parks surrounds the Legend of Zelda rumour and where it will go (if the rumour is true that is)

If a new Zelda themed attraction area is coming to Universal, where better for it to go than Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure? ‍♀️ It has no IP attached to it, no merchandise, restaurants or attractions relating to a specific IP so naturally it would be the first to go. It sounds like if this were to happen that the whole space between Suess’ Landing and Hogsmede would be Zelda themed.

The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad is closing on the 15th of this month but it doesn’t look as though Mythos Restuarant or Poseidon’s Fury are going to be closing any time soon.. so what sort of a time scale are we looking at? Now as we know the Nintendo land is confirmed, this will have to open first (our bets on it being in a new Universal park or even Universal Studios) so if they’re going to spread it around and Zelda is going to have its own land then it would have to be done after Nintendo AND the Jurassic World Roller coaster which is rumoured to be coming to IOA in 2020.

Now this is all still a big fat rumour as Universal have not yet confirmed any of this but it’s fun to try and guess what’s coming in the future of the theme parks in Orlando no? 😀

What do you think of this rumour?

Smiles Included,

Abby

What’s Happening This Christmas At Universal Orlando Resort

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Is it ever to early to talk about Christmas?

Last year Universal knocked Christmas out of the park and this year is going to be no different. Today Universal confirmed that many of last years favourites are making a return and the festivities will officially begin on November 17, 2018, until January 6, 2019.

Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Last year saw the very first projection mapping experience on Hogwarts Castle and it was AMAZING. This amazing experience will be returning and that’s not all at the Wizarding World. At Hogsmeade you can take in the festive décor, listen to the Frog Choir sing holiday themed songs and grab a Hot Butterbeer.

At Diagon Alley you’ll be able to immerse yourself in stunning holiday decoration and witness s the talented Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees sing their holiday hits.

Universal’s Holiday Parade Featuring Macy’s

Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s is returning to the streets of Universal Studios Florida. This colourful parade fills the streets with music, confetti, and some of your favourite characters, including the Despicable Me Minions, Shrek and Fiona, King Julien, the Penguins of Madagascar, and more!

And, of course, there’s a visit from Santa as he rides high in the sky on a beautiful float, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season.

Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Aso making a return is Grinchmas. Hear the tale of the Grinch and help the Whos down in Whoville save Christmas during a wonderful live stage show. Sing along to all your favourite songs and get into the Grinchmas spirit.

Seuss Landing will also be decked out for Christmas by the bustling Whos as they get their final preparations in order for Christmas.

Mannheim Steamroller

Fan-favourite the Mannheim Steamroller will also be returning to perform live on the Music Plaza Stage. Their performances will take place on select night during the months of November and December.

Christmas is only 279 days away so you better start planning 😉

Smiles included…

Jamie

 

Universal Confirm New Dine With A Super Hero At Islands of Adventure

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Being a super hero is pretty cool…. you know what else is cool…. eating with one (maybe).

Today Universal have confirmed that starting from December 7th you can enjoy a dinner buffet with your favourite heroes at the all-new Marvel Character Dinner.

Where: Located in Cafe 4 in Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure,

Food: Dinner buffet. Enjoy fresh salads like orzo and mozzarella and tomato. We’ll also be serving up roasted rosemary lemon chicken, shrimp scampi and chicken scallopini (just to name a few). Penne Bolognese, stuffed jumbo shells and specialty pizzas are the perfect option for any superhero. And of course – we didn’t forget the desserts. A heroic portion of assorted desserts will end your meal on the sweetest of notes.
Who:  Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm and Rogue.

What: Each character comes to your table to sign autographs and take photos, so start practicing your superhero pose! And what better way to share this epic experience with your friends (bragging rights!) than with one digital photo from My Universal Photos – included in the experience.

When: Marvel Character Dinner will be available Thursday – Sunday, from 5p.m. – 7p.m.

How: Reservations are recommended and can be made online or by calling (407) 224-FOOD (3663).

Cost:  ADULT PRICE (AGES 10+) – $49 .99 PER ADULT, PLUS TAX,  CHILD PRICE (AGES 3-9) $24 .99 PER CHILD, PLUS TAX. Can only be booked directly with Universal Orlando.

This experience is one that any Marvel fan will not want to miss and we’d definitely recommend booking in advance. Entry in to the park isn’t included how you can purchase a Universal 3 Park Explorer Ticket directly from us.

Smiles included…

Jamie

A Few Clues On What We Can Expect From Skull Island: Reign Of Kong

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Set to open this summer at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Skull Islands: Reign of Kong is an attraction we’ve been looking forward to for sometime now. Not a lot of information has been forthcoming from Universal who generally like to keep details of new attractions very close to their chest however yesterday they updated their website and may have given us some clues…

So here’s the blurb Universal provided;

Live the brutal struggle of a 1930’s expedition that’s caught in a clash between prehistoric predators, man-eating beasts and the most colossal ape ever to walk the earth—King Kong. Around every thrilling turn, ferocious monsters fight for dominance, while you just fight to survive. It’s the multi-sensory, multi-dimensional ride for your life.

Ok so we already new that the ride cars we’re going to be designed to look like trucks, the rendering they provided earlier in the year showed us this.

Skull-Island-Reign-of-Kong-Main-Image_LR1-1170x731

They’ve also mentioned that the ride will be multi sensory and multi dimensional… Hmm… What could that entail?

Well digging a tiny bit deeper we found this information;  so no surprise that the ride will feature 3d elements as this seems to be all the rage at the moment, the ride is suggested for Teens and Adults which means it will either have thrill elements or will be a bit scary…

Open Captioning Available, is an interesting one. In the word of film, open captioning generally suggests subtitles, so we can assume we’ll be following a story, subtitling though doesn’t just begin and end at words it is also used to express sound to the hard of hearing. So perhaps the multi sensory will not only include your eyes but also your ears.

kingkongclue

With the success of Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, I’m imagining that perhaps Reign of Kong will be similar. Meaning that it wont be like your standard motion ride where you are stationary, I think you’ll be moving around allowing Universal to totally emerge its visitors in Skull Island. Hence perhaps the multi-dimensional part?

One things for sure we’ll find out more very soon.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Are Universal Working To Tie Up A Deal With Konami?

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Intellectual Property (IP) for theme parks is a big, big deal hence why Disney splashed out all those billions to own Marvel and Star Wars. Film IP has traditionally been the holy grail a great example of this is Harry Potter, although originally a series of books the films are the mechanism that drove it into the mainstream however could the tide be shifting slightly?

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Earlier this year we reported on Universal’s deal with Nintendo that would see Nintendo’s classic characters such a Mario & Sonic the Hedgehog be developed into theme park attractions. Well rumour (this is a rumour nothing confirmed) has it that Universal are in talks with another computer game company, Konami, to also add their long list of characters to Universal IP armoury.

The Konami Corporation is a Japanese based organisation and is the 5th largest in the World based on revenue. It’s current business model seems to suggest a large push to mobile gaming which might be something that has attracted Universal to them but I doubt this. I believe the main lure is probably Silent Hill & Metal Gear Solid, two of the companies more iconic brands.

Silent Hill is a survival horror game set in a fictitious U.S. town. Its renowned for its eerie game play and lends itself perfectly to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights or alternatively Universal might be interested in offering an all year round scare attraction?

Metal Gear Solid, I found it hard to describe this game so relied on trusty old Wikipedia who describe it as “an action-adventure stealth” video game. The main pull of this IP are the characters especially Solid Snake who is some what of an iconic figure. What type of attraction could be made is beyond me… but sometimes a name doesn’t have to dictate an attraction.

As stated above this is pure speculation, but imagine this was the case, Universal would have deals in place with two major video game companies and the option to open a Pixel Land would be very tempting.

Universal Gobe

In my opinion Islands of Adventure lends itself to such a move although space wise, I think Universal would have to look at replacing one of the exsisting lands rather than adding an entirely new park. Currently Islands has;

  • Marvel Super Hero Island
  • Toon Lagoon
  • Jurassic Park
  • Seuss Landing
  • The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade
  • The Lost Continent

I think it’s a pretty safe bet to assume Universal won’t be replacing Marvel Super Hero Island or The Wizarding World of Harry Potter anytime soon. Also with the investment in introducing King Kong and the success of Jurassic Park at the box office this year, Jurassic Land is safe as houses too.

Toon Lagoon is pretty popular as is Seuss Landing, but I feel one of these two could be sacrificed.

What do you think?

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Minions Taking Over Universal This Summer

Hey Thrill Seekers,

I can’t believe that even Universal knew how popular Stuart, Kevin, Bob and the other Minions would turn out to be. With their own dedicated movie hitting cinemas Worldwide Universal easily have a massive hit on their hands… and never one to miss a trick Universal Orlando is going Minion Mad this summer.

Advertising Dining Experience 071012

Throughout the summer, you can get to know more about Kevin, Stuart and Bob after Universal’s Superstar Parade in front of Mel’s Drive-In. This daily interactive parade features beloved characters from the park, larger-than-life floats, state-of-the-art technology and hundreds of street performers.

You can also hang out with Minions at the in-park Universal Superstar Character Breakfast featuring a full breakfast for the whole family and special appearances by characters from the Superstar Parade.

MinionsInPark2

Universal have also introduced some new exclusive treats available to purchase at both parks including;

  • Minion Sipper – Take a break from the heat with a cool beverage in a Minion shaped sipping cup, fill it up and refill throughout the day—even if you come back to the parks another day. Pick one up in the Production Central area of Universal Studios at Sliver Screen Soda, outside Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit or at Front Gate Popcorn.
  • Freeze Ray Drink – Sip on a refreshing and “freezing” smoothie available from the food & beverage kiosk in Production Central Music Plaza and Kid Zone Pizza.
  • Minion Cupcakes and Cookies – Who can resist snacking on oh-so-sweet-and-cute Minion cupcakes or cookies? Grab one at Beverly Hills Boulangerie or San Francisco Pastry.
  • Super Silly Banana Split Dippin’ Dots – Enjoy ice cream balls of banana joy at the Dippin’ Dots Cart near the Music Plaza Stage.
  • Minion Cotton Candy – Grab fluffy cotton candy enclosed in a special Minions bag from Silver Screen Soda.

Universal have also added as a bit of a bonus, the opportunity to snap a picture with a Minion at the Universal Studios arch. If you do get the chance we’d love to see your pics on our facebook page.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Which Florida Theme Park Is Best For My Teenager?

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Its hard to believe but yes, once, many moons ago I was a teenager. You know teenages they’re the moody, hoody, phones attached to their hands creatures that skulk around the house eating all the food. Well today I was chatting to a customer who asked my opinion on which parks best suited teenagers.

Here are the parks I picked;

Universal Studios

Universal Studios is perfect for teenagers, it has an uncanny knack of producing products that are on trend. Don’t let the exciting addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley distract you this park is much more than Potter.

For the Thrill Riding Teenager Universal Studios offers the brilliant Rip Ride Rockit a ferocious mix of music and adrenaline. Hugely popular this ride allows you to pick a music track to accompany you on the 167 feet high, 3,800 feet long , 65 miles per hour beast.

For the child in us all, Universal Studios is home the the widely popular Minions from Despicable me! I defy any teenager not to enjoy Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride, at the moment its rated our most popular ride at Universal Studios.

Plus you’ve got  TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D, The Simpsons Ride™ and the Revenge of the Mummy® ride! Whats not to like!

ÒTransformers:  The Ride-3DÓ OPENING

Busch Gardens

Probably my favourite of all the Florida theme parks, Busch Gardens Tampa blends big Thrill Rides with the grace and beauty of some of the worlds most fascinating animals.

Thrill Rides such as Montu, SheiKra, Kumba and Cheetah Hunt make this park a rival for any park in the World and the addition of Falcon’s Fury the 335ft face first drop ride should make any teenager put down their phone and take note!

For those teenagers who aren’t particularly into Thrills and Spills Busch Gardens offers the chance to view animals up close, lions, rhinos and the very popular giraffes are fantastic to see and photo. The Serengeti Safari tour gives guests the perfect up close encounter including the chance to feed the giraffes.

busch animalsUniversal’s Islands of Adventure

Universal’s Islands of Adventure is the original home of Harry Potter. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade opened in 2010 and has been so popular that they’ve not only decided to expand the Orlando one but also to build them at all their parks. The attention to detail plus the flagship ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey makes Islands of Adventure a must do park.

But its not all about Mr Potter, Islands of Adventure also boasts 4 other separate lands including their dedicated Marvel Super Hero Islands which includes the crazy Incredible Hulk Coaster® and the stomach turning drop ride Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®. Islands of Adventure has 4 coasters and 3 water rides.

Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges

 

So there we have it, my top picks for the best Orlando theme parks for teenagers… If you have teenagers and have visited any of these parks let me know if they enjoyed them.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Is King Kong About To Invade Universal’s Islands Of Adventure?

Hey Thrill Seekers,

I’ve been reporting on theme parks for quite a while now, rumour and speculation comeking-kong hand in hand but I’m failing to think of a previous time that Universal have been so prominent. If its not Potter related then its 3rd park rumours and if its not 3rd park rumours then its Jurassic Park speculation.

So when I get told about project 340 I’m obviously going to investigate. 340 is the alleged project number for a King Kong attraction which is apparently going to be built at Universal’s Islands of Adventure right next to the Jurassic Park area.

Universal already has a King Kong attraction housed at its Hollywood Park in California but I’m hearing that perhaps it wont be a complete replicate and may well be more of a dark ride incorporating indoor and outdoor features.. On top of this I’m being told (huge pinch of salt) that Universal will build a land around King Kong based on Skull Island.

Here’s a little taster of what the King Kong 360 ride is like in California;

We’re looking at a 2016 reveal date as Universal look set too keep to their word of  1 major attraction ever year.

Is a King Kong attraction something you’d be interested in?

Smiles included…

Jamie

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3 Famous Drinks You Just Gotta Sup at Universal Orlando

Hi Thrill Seekers,

If you’re like me (a Simpsons & Potter nerd) then you’ll be more than interested in getting your chops around these little beauties. Here are the top 3 most famous beverages available at Universal Orlando.

Duff Beer

duff-beer

If you’ve seen the Simpsons you’ll be well aware that Homer’s favorite pastime is to sup a nice cool glass of Duff beer while complaining about the wife and kids. Now you can do the same…except i’d leave out the complaining about the wife and kids bit since they will probably be with you at the time 🙂

Duff Beer is now available from Moe’s Tavern in Springfield USA at Universal Studios. I have read a few reports on this beer and by all accounts it actually a really decent beverage. Brewed by the Florida Beer Company located in Melbourne FL this beer is set to become a winner.

Prices are as follows;

Duff Beer on tap – 20oz in a disposable cup is $7.25
Duff Beer on tap – 23oz souvenir cup $9.25, refills cost just $6.50.

Available in Duff and Duff Lite this beer is nothing short of an icon!

The Flaming Moe

flaming-moe

The Flaming Moe is a non alcoholic cocktail served at Moe’s Tavern located at Universal Studios Orlando. Apparently its a fruit based cocktail which tastes a lot like orange soda. The drink itself comes in a glass which has a secret compartment at the base which houses dry ice – this makes the drink look like its bubbling when served – very clever indeed!

FACT Alert: Ah, but do you know the legend of the Flaming Moe? In 1991, episode 45 of the Simpsons, Homer tells Moe Szyslak of a secret alcoholic cocktail called a ‘Flaming Homer’ which includes cough medicine and fire – Moe steals the recipe and starts selling it in his Tavern but calls it a ‘Flaming Moe’

Prices are as follows;

Flaming Moe $7.99 – Signature Specialty Drink of Springfield

Butterbeer

butter-beer

Butter Beer available at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Islands of Adventure.

For all you Harry Potter fans out there Butterbeer is obviously a given when it comes to famous Orlando brews. Probably the most sought after beverage at Universal, Potter fans make a beeline to grab a sup. Its not surprising that this beverage is so successful given the amount of effort put into producing it. Did you know that it took the Universal team almost 3 years to perfect the taste? which incidentally had to be cleared by J.K. Rowling herself.

Actually we have a very simple Butter Beer recipe that you might want to try at home if you’re not going to be in Orlando anytime soon. Click here

Prices are as follows;

A Butterbeer will cost around $5.00. You can also buy a souvenir mug for $10.00

So there you have it Thrill Seekers 3 awesome beverages for you to add to your itinerary the next time you are lucky enough to find yourself  in Universal Resort Orlando. Speaking of fining yourself there, you’ll probably need a ticket to get in – here is the ticket information you’ll need.

Universal parks are available with the following tickets from OrlandoAttractionTickets.couk;

If any of you have already tried these fine beverages please leave a comment and let us know what you thought 🙂

Thanks for reading,

#SmilesIncluded

Karl

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Which Types Of Footwear Are Best For Orlando Theme Parks?

Morning Thrill Seekers,

Here at Orlando Attraction Tickets we are prepared to go that extraloads of shoes mile to make sure you smile (part time rapper). So today I’m happy to tell you we’ve finally solved one of the most important questions in the history of theme parks…. Which types of footwear are best for Orlando Theme Parks?… I know exciting huh!?

Our tests took part at Universal Studio’s and Islands of Adventure in May of this year, our intrepid pioneer was www.orlandoattractiontickets.co.uk staff member Kelly, her mission, to wear each of the following shoe styles for 1 hour throughout the day, Flip Flops/sandals, Trainers, Croc’s and High Heels!

As you can imagine it was a gruelling task, mostly trying to convince our fashion conscious 20 somthing to put on Croc’s but we managed it and here are our findings.

High Heels

We started with this one first assuming that this would be the least comfortable. The heels were approximately 3 inches in height and strapless. Kelly also wanted me to point out they are red and from some posh shop in London…

Conclusion: This won’t really be a shock but high heels were not the best for walking around a theme park. Kelly had issues keeping up with the rest of the group and complained about her feet being sore and hot. Also after one near shoe loss experience on The Hulk Ride she had to remove her high heels on every ride.

OAT Score: 2/10 It managed to get 2 out of 10 because Kelly loved them so much.

Crocs

Kelly couldn’t have been anymore despondent about wearing them.

Conclusion: Although she moaned initially, Kelly didn’t have the same issues as before, she was able to keep up with the group and found the open style design to be of benefit as her feet stayed cool. She had a brief issue with the Crocs rubbing her heel but after someone pointed out this could be altered it was plain sailing. She didn’t have to remove her shoes for any of the rides and never felt like they would fall off.

OAT Score: 8/10 Kelly marked it down for style points, but as far as theme park use was concerned it did the job well.

Flip Flops/Sandals 

The Flip Flops we used were the usual kind, open with no straps.

Conclusion: Kelly had no problem keeping up with the group however after a while she did complain that the inside of her big toe was beginning to hurt and she summarised that further wearing may have given her blisters. While riding coasters she did state that she felt they would fall off and therefore removed them. The big plus was that her feet stayed totally cool.

OAT Score: 6/10 Kelly felt that they had potential but would have prefered a Gladiator Sandal to help secure them.

Trainers 

The trainers Kelly wore are very popular at the moment and were white. The name rhymes with Longverse…

Conclusion: Kelly easily kept up with the group and at times was actually at the front. She had no issues on the coasters and felt much happier.

OAT Score: 9/10 Would have been 10 but Kelly felt that they had the possibility to make her feet very hot but she did state that these were the comfiest to wear  and importantly (to her) she thought they looked cool.

So there we have it, our totally scientific experiment has proven that Trainers are the best footwear to use while walking around theme parks with Croc’s a close second.

For clarity, I can confirm we did also try bare feet but we only managed 5 mins before a member of staff advised us to put our shoes back on.

What do you think about our findings here?

What footwear do you prefer?

Smiles included…

Jamie

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