Archive for the 'San Diego Wild Animal Park' Category
San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park — Kids get in free through October
October 20, 2009 9:58am
Family travel tip: Don’t forget that kids get free admission to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park during October. The deal is valid for kids 11 years old and younger when accompanied by a paying adult. Normally ticket prices for kids ages 3 to 11 are $26 per child; adult tickets, for ages 12 and older, are $35. If you’ve visited these parks before, here are a few reasons you might want to take another trip.
San Diego Wild Animal Park: The park is celebrating Halloween with “Pumpkins at the Park” on weekends. Have fun with a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt, the Extinct Animal Graveyard and the Hidden Jungle, which has been transformed into the Creepy Crawly Crevasse — with frogs, spiders, scorpions and other creatures that crawl and creep. And kids who bring in a decorated pumpkin for display will get a free carousel ride for their pumpkin donation. The park has set up an area for carnival games, including a beanbag toss and animal races, and there’s also a full pumpkin patch. View the Pumpkins at the park website for a full list of activities, photos and more info.
San Diego Zoo: The Children’s Zoo has a new Discovery Playground presented by Fisher-Price, which features a net tunnel, climbing wall, periscopes, scramble net, talk tubes and a tube slide. Also, if you haven’t seen the zoo’s new Elephant Odyssey, there are lots of play areas for the kids to have fun in addition to viewing the pachyderm’s new $45-million habitat.
Contact: San Diego Zoo
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
Photo: At San Diego Wild Animal Park, giraffes munch on leafy branches tied to telephone poles. Credit Fred Greaves / For The Times
Theme Park news: interactive Space Mountain queue; Witch Mountain motion simulator; Dino Mountain returns
June 13, 2009 7:02am
A round-up of my theme park Twitter updates for the last week (I sense a mountain theme):
* Dream job: Get paid $25,000 to ride 67 rides in Orlando. (Coaster Critic)
* Construction permits call for addition of an “interactive queue” as part of $12.3 million Space Mountain rehab at Walt Disney World. (Orlando Sentinel)
* Tightrope-walker Nik Wallenda to walk a high wire 80 feet in the air without a net or safety line at Knott’s Berry Farm on Sunday, June 21 at 2:30 p.m. The King of the High Wire will pull a similar stunt at Worlds of Fun in Missouri on Sunday, June 14. (Amusement Today)
2009 shaping up as a low-key year for California theme parks
May 4, 2009 8:03am
Disneyland sets the pace for theme parks in California. And with the Happiest Place on Earth taking a breather on major new attractions in 2009, the rest of the state’s amusement parks are following suit, opting for smaller fare this year over multimillion-dollar additions.
The lone exception: Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia adds the $11-million Terminator Salvation, a 2,850-foot-long wooden roller coaster which opens Memorial Day weekend with movie tie-in visual effects and a loading station fly-through. (Watch POV video)
A roundup of 2009 additions at California amusement and theme parks:
* Disneyland rehabbed the “It’s a Small World” boat ride in February, adding 29 Disney characters and a new “Spirit of America” scene to the mix. The Anaheim theme park also debuted the Celebrate parade in March and bundled a series of nighttime shows under the Summer Nightastic banner (running from June 12 through August 23).
* Across the way at Disney’s Construction Adventure, the five-year-long $1.1-billion overhaul has begun in earnest, with the Ferris wheel getting a new Mickey Mouse theme (opens in May).
* Universal Studios Hollywood brings “Creature From the Black Lagoon” to the stage in July as a campy Broadway-style musical (I kid you not) with special effects, dance choreography and romance (still not kidding).
* Legoland California unveiled a new “Bob the Builder” 4-D movie in March. The 30-foot-tall Dune Raiders racing slides opens at the Carlsbad kiddie park in time for the Fourth of July weekend.
* Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park offers absolutely nothing new of note for 2009. Here’s hoping they’re saving up for next year.
Wild Animal Park zip line not for the faint of heart
April 27, 2009 11:50am
I’m not so much afraid of heights as I am afraid of death.
So I was relieved to discover the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park was sending only test dummies down its new $3-million zip line attraction during my recent visit. Flightline officially debuts May 1, but park visitors are already taking to the skies during the ride’s “soft opening.”
During my pre-opening tour, I asked all the requisite questions — saving my worst fears until the very end. Can I fall out of the safety harness? What if I get stuck in the middle of the line? Or if the cable breaks? If I don’t die from the fall, will the animals eat me?
I was assured by Michael Ahlering, the Wild Animal Park’s director of operations, that my fears were unwarranted.
“It’s a nice experience, almost comfortable,” Ahlering said, trying to reassure me. “There’s no falling off.”
Yeah, right. That’s why they have every rider sign a waiver releasing the Wild Animal Park from any liability in the event of “personal injury” or “wrongful death.”
And what’s with the vultures circling overhead?
San Diego Zoo adding $45-million Elephant Odyssey
April 26, 2009 7:25am
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey habitat will travel back in time to explore the ancestors of animals that roamed California 10,000 years ago or more.
Opening May 23, the new $45-million pachyderm playground brings together the zoo’s three elephants with four from its sister Wild Animal Park into a single herd. The elephants’ new home features a 2.5-acre yard, a 120,000-gallon pool and a medical facility where visitors can watch zookeepers and veterinarians feed and care for the massive animals.
In an adjacent 4.5-acre area of the new habitat, a series of secondary exhibits showcase lions, jaguars, wild horses and camels in naturalistic environments, while smaller habitats house pond turtles, rattlesnakes, tree sloths and dung beetles.
Roundup: New $1-billion hotel coming to L.A.; Butterfly Jungle at San Diego’s Wild Animal Park; Dogs travel 2,000 miles for canine cancer
April 3, 2009 9:00am
Good morning, travelers. Aloha Friday!
Los Angeles | Wilshire Grand hotel out — new Korean Air buildings in. Within this space will be a $1-billion hotel plus retail space. Read: South Korean firm unveils plans to put its stamp on L.A. skyline
Family Travel: Second day free at San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld San Diego & Legoland California
August 8, 2008 11:14am
How long has it been since you’ve taken the kids to any of the theme parks in the San Diego area? I’m always curious to know which park kids under 10 like best — the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld, or Legoland? Now we’ve found a deal so good you’ve got the incentive to take them to more than one.
Deal: The Second-Day Free deal is an online-only special, and each theme park has its own rules as to how many days you have to use the second-day pass, or if there are any blackout dates. Note that the deal is not offered on the parks’ websites, but on various travel websites. I’ve linked below to San Diego Attractions, one of the sites I like best.
San Diego Zoo: Regular adult admission (ages 12+) is $34 per day and children (3 to 11) are $24 per day. By booking online your price becomes $31 for adults and $22 for kids and includes the second day free, good for zoo admission and unlimited use of the Guided Bus Tour, Express Bus, and Skyfari Aerial Tram. The second day must be used within five days of the first visit. The offer is good through Sept. 1, 2008.
Funland amusement + theme park blog
December 11, 2007 3:54pm
The Los Angeles Times Funland blog covers news, trends, issues and changes at the major California theme and amusement parks as well as the latest information on new rides, attractions, shows and parades.
Most Popular (See ALL Funland stories)
> How the Disney-Marvel deal affects Universal Studios theme parks
> Wizarding World of Harry Potter to open at Universal Studios Orlando in 2010
> Iger: No plans to bring ‘Captain EO’ back to Disneyland
> Knott’s Berry Farm to add 1980s-era thrill ride in 2010
> Snoops reveal Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park secrets
> Disneyland unveils Halloween theme for Space Mountain, fireworks show
> Walt Disney World monorail crash kills driver
> Could ‘Flash Mountain’ return, in light of Disneyland job cuts?
> Disneyland fires Jack Sparrow — but don’t believe the salacious rumors
> Universal Studios Hollywood to replace ‘King Kong’ with new attraction
Most Commented
> Disneyland passholders: Watch out for birthday blackout dates
> Jonas Brothers tape Christmas Day Parade at Disneyland
> Miley Cyrus’ dad to join her onstage at Disneyland Sweet 16 birthday party
> Man hit by roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain
> Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon throw wedding reception at Six Flags Magic Mountain
> Coaster Wars II: Magic Mountain vs. Cedar Point
> Exclusive tour inside Disneyland’s Dream Suite
> Magic Mountain relinquishes coaster crown
> Dearly departed – on Disneyland rides!
Series Recaps
> Complete coverage: Toy Story Mania at Disney’s California Adventure
> Complete coverage: X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain
> Complete coverage: Pony Express at Knott’s Berry Farm
> Complete coverage: The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood
> Complete Coverage: Land of Adventure at Legoland California
> $1.1 billion California Adventure expansion preview
> 2008 amusement & theme park preview
Park by Park
> Disneyland
> Disney’s California Adventure
> Knott’s Berry Farm
> Universal Studios Hollywood
> Six Flags Magic Mountain
> Legoland California
> SeaWorld San Diego
> San Diego Zoo
> San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park
> Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
> California’s Great America
> Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
> Magic Kingdom
> Epcot
> Disney’s Hollywood Studios
> Disney’s Animal Kingdom
> Disneyland Paris
> Tokyo Disneyland
> Hong Kong Disneyland
> Universal Studios Florida
> Islands of Adventure
> Cedar Point
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During the summer months, Funland will also focus on California’s water parks: Raging Waters (San Dimas, San Jose and Sacramento), Knott’s Soak City (Buena Park, Chula Vista and Palm Springs), Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (Valencia) and Wild Rivers (Irvine).
You’ll also find occasional Funland posts on national and international theme and amusement parks.
Funland Friends
Enthusiast sites
> Screamscape – The Ultimate Guide to Theme Parks
> Theme Park Review – News, updates, photos and videos
> Theme Park Insider – Ride reviews and reader ratings
> Roller Coaster Database – Searchable information on coasters worldwide
> Theme Park Syndicate – Theme park news aggregator
> CoasterBuzz – Portal to the thrill
> Lifthill – Roller coasters, thrill rides and theme parks
> News Plus Notes – Amusement industry news and notes
> Theme Park Rangers — Inside scoop on Orlando attractions
> Westcoaster — News, reviews and rumors on California coasters
> Roller Coaster Pro — “High quality amusement information”
> About.com Theme Parks — Guide to Florida & California parks
> Bear-y Tales — Unofficial Knott’s news and information
> IOA Central — Universal Studios fan site
> Orlando United — Universal and Disney parks in Florida
> Thrill Ride — Ride reviews & random notes
> Ultimate Rollercoaster – Definitive guide to coasters, thrill rides and amusement parks
>
Disney fan sites
> MiceAge – A different look at Disney
> MousePlanet – Consumer’s guide to Disney and theme parks
> Blue Sky Disney – Insider info on Imagineering
> Jim Hill Media – News, reviews, history and commentary
> Yesterland – Discontinued Disneyland attractions
> DoomBuggies – Tribute to Disney’s Haunted Mansion
> The Disney Blog – Disney news and information
> Mickey News – Your complete source for everything Disney
> Laughing Place – Connecting Disney fans around the world
> Mouse Links — A Little Dose of Disney column
> Inside the Magic — Weekly podcast
> Original D — Dedicated to the original Disney park
> Broke Hoedown – The PG-13 ramblings of a Disney fan
> Disney Report — Breaking news from the world, land & company
> Visions Fantastic — Trip planning, discussion, audio & video
>
>
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>Industry sites
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> BlooLoop – Networking the Attraction Business
> Amusement Parks USA – Carnivals, fairs, festivals and amusement parks
> Amusement Today – All about the business of fun
> Funworld – Amusement industry magazine
> Park World - News, commentary, profiles, interviews, trade show reports and new ride information
> InPark – Covers theme parks, water parks, zoos, aquariums and museums
> Amusement Today — Amusement industry trade newspaper
> InPark Magazine — Theme park, water park & museum industry news
— Brady MacDonald / Los Angeles Times staff writer + theme park blogger
Arr! Pirates be camping in Legoland
December 11, 2007 12:35am
Legoland California plans to offer overnight camping inside the theme park’s new Pirate Shores area as early as summer 2008.
While the sleepovers are still in the planning stages, park officials envision families playing games and watching shows after the park closes at 8 p.m., camping overnight in tents inside the pirate-themed land and riding attractions the next morning before the park opens at 10 a.m. — all for an additional fee, of course.
Pending approval from Carlsbad city officials, the Legoland camping program would accommodate up to 275 park visitors nightly in up to 85 tents during the summer months, according to North County Times.
Despite fires, San Diego Zoo’s light show goes on
December 8, 2007 9:06am
The Wild Animal Park’s Festival of Lights will continue this year, even though all of the San Diego Zoo’s holiday decorations were destroyed by the recent wildfires.
A tradition for nearly two decades, the animal-themed holiday light display begins today and runs through Dec. 30 (except for Christmas and Dec. 26).
New light sculptures featuring life-size elephants, giraffes, tigers and zebras were rented to prevent the festival’s cancellation.
