Archive for the 'SeaWorld San DIego' Category
For ambitious travelers, Go San Diego card can offer good value
October 29, 2009 8:56am
Are you the kind of traveler who charts a vacation itinerary like a law student might strategize her semester’s course load? Do you consider an afternoon by the pool to be time wasted, preferring to check off items on an attraction-packed list that keeps adults occupied and/or kids happy (and contently and suitably exhausted come night)? Then you may be the ideal candidate for a Go City Card — a pass that gains you admission to select attractions in one of 13 U.S. destinations or in Toronto, Canada.
The Go San Diego Card caught my eye with its offering of entry to more than 50 attractions, including the San Diego Zoo, Legoland and Balboa Park museums. A pass valid for one day costs $65 for an adult, $50 for a child. But multiple-day passes offer far more value: two days for $95/$80 adult/child; three days for $113/$94; five days for $149/$117; and seven days for $180/$135. (The three/five/seven-day pass prices reflect a 10% discount currently available through an online sale.)
Deal or no deal? Well, it depends on how many attractions you can, and want to, visit during your San Diego stay. Getting value out of a one-day pass seems like it would be hard work. Read the rest of this entry »
San Diego: Halloween family fun at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay
October 11, 2009 12:53pm
Is your neighborhood a dud when it comes to Halloween? If you’re thinking about taking a quick getaway over Halloween weekend this year and haunted hotels and haunted houses are a bit too scary or inappropriate for your kids, you might want to consider a quick jaunt down to San Diego. The Hyatt Regency Mission Bay near Sea World is ramping up the Halloween fun for guests from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, and the room rates won’t scare you one bit.
Halloween travel deal: Room rates starting at $135 per night come with lots of family-friendly Halloween activities, including:
> Three waterslides with haunted music, spooky sounds and lights that will have kids lined up until 10 p.m.
>A spooky family movie in the pool, Halloween s’mores and monster-themed hula-hoop contest.
>Trick-or-treating at several locations in the hotel.
> Halloween-themed pool cabanas for adults.
“We encourage kids to trick-or-treat in costume in our safe family environment and enjoy our many spooky activities ranging from haunted waterslides to Halloween family s’mores,” said Prescott Yee, director of guest services and recreation at the HR Mission Bay.
Busch Gardens to keep name after sale; Clydesdales to depart SeaWorld
October 7, 2009 12:24pm
Anheuser-Busch’s sale of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens to the Blackstone Group for $2.7 billion should have little to no impact on the operation of the theme parks, officials said.
The Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla., and Williamsburg, Va., will retain the Busch name as part of the deal, said Jim Atchison, president and chief executive of Busch Entertainment.
The Clydesdale horses stabled at SeaWorld parks in Orlando, Fla., San Antonio and San Diego eventually will be redeployed to other Budweiser marketing initiatives, Atchison said.
Halloween bloodfest heats up at Southern California theme parks
October 2, 2009 8:58am
October marks the return of the annual death match between Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood for the blood-splattered title of best Halloween theme park event in Southern California.
Halloween Haunt, celebrating its 37th year, is universally regarded as the granddaddy of Halloween events. Halloween Horror Nights, which focuses on movie-set-quality authenticity, is the bloodier and gutsier upstart bent on Halloween supremacy.
My recommendation: Hit ‘em both. You won’t be disappointed.
Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain, which includes its Halloween event as part of general admission, can’t compare or compete with the big boys. Disneyland, Legoland and SeaWorld San Diego focus more on family-friendly fare.
In Northern California, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom delivers a similar Fright Fest event, and California’s Great America offers its slim-downed take on Halloween Haunt.
2009 Halloween events at California theme parks:
Halloween events at U.S. theme parks
October 1, 2009 12:16pm
If the calendar on the wall says October, then it must be time for Halloween mazes, monsters and mayhem to take over theme parks across the U.S.
Here’s a rundown of the haunted attractions:
SeaWorld San Diego combines acrobats and dolphins for new ‘Blue Horizons’ show
August 5, 2009 8:07am
SeaWorld San Diego will blend Cirque du Soleil-style acrobats, aerialists and divers with dolphins, whales and exotic birds to create a new show called “Blue Horizons” for May 2010.
The major overhaul of the aquatic park’s Dolphin Stadium will add 700 seats as well as a truss system for bungee swings and diving boards.
Best summer deals: Southern California theme park discounts
May 23, 2009 7:49am
With the Memorial Day Weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, here’s a look at the best deals at Southern California amusement and theme parks:
Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure (Anaheim) — Three-day summer fun pass for $99 after June 1. Check out Mouse Planet for the most complete list of Disneyland discounts.
Universal Studios Hollywood — Six-month pass for $60 starting June 15.
Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park) — All-you-can-eat barbecue, plus admission for $37.99 for adults and $28.99 for children and seniors. Weekends only.
More Southern California theme park deals after the jump.
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.
Photos: Cute baby penguins at SeaWorld San Diego
January 5, 2009 4:30pm
Thirty penguin chicks have been born at SeaWorld San Diego since mid-November, marking one of the most successful breeding seasons in the marine park’s history.
The newborns include 7 macaroni penguins, 6 gentoo penguins and 17 Adélies penguins.
See more penguins after the jump.
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.
