Archive for the 'Southern States' Category
SeaWorld Aquatica’s 2010 expansion to include 4 new water slides
November 20, 2009 11:33am
The recently opened SeaWorld Aquatica water park in Orlando, Fla. will add four first-of-a-kind water slides in 2010, including a pair of inner-tube rides that go uphill with the help of a hydro-magnetic launch.
The twin Tornado Walls are V-shaped slides that start with a magnetic launch that shoots a six-person inflatable raft up the face of a vertical wall. One of the two launch sequences travels through a tunnel. After reaching the top of the water wall, the rafts race down the incline and along an uphill outrun with a small whoop-de-do hill.
Also on tap for Aquatica in 2010:
Ride-makers roll out new thrills for 2010 at Las Vegas expo
November 19, 2009 5:34pm
Roller-coaster and thrill-ride manufacturers from around the world descended on Las Vegas this week for the annual amusement park convention, offering a sneak peek at what we can expect to see in 2010 and beyond.
In my conversations with show exhibitors, I came away with one overarching message as I toured the massive International Assn. of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) show floor: All the latest and greatest rides are heading to Asia and Europe in 2010. By and large, recession-weary American theme parks are sitting on their thin wallets.
Here’s a few of my favorite new rides and attractions on display at the expo:
> Twist N’ Splash from Germany’s Mack Rides combines a spinning teacup concept with a Splash Battle water ride. Riders squirt each other and landlubbers with water cannons. Two European parks will get the new ride, officials said.
Timing’s good, says Virgin America CEO as airline launches Fort Lauderdale service (with $99 sale fares)
November 18, 2009 10:42am
A few months ago, after Virgin America announced plans to add Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to its route map (with twice-daily nonstop flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles), Chief Executive David Cush was “cautiously optimistic” about the state of fall travel.
How’s he feeling about the timing of the launch right now, as he is, this morning, aboard one of the inaugural flights of the new service?
“The timing of this route is very good. South Florida is a warm-weather destination that does very well in the first quarter,” he said. “While we are excited about Fort Lauderdale as a destination, we are also pleased that it is giving our network a bit more seasonal balance — a warm-weather destination. While first quarter is the weakest quarter for most routes, it is the strongest for Florida.”
And yes, he’s enjoying the first flight, which is laden with WiFi and cocktails, though he added, “not as much as some of the other guests, if you know what I mean.” And the fun continues after landing in Florida (at 3:15 p.m. EST), where passengers will receive “a champagne-soaked red carpet runway welcome” by Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson, according to a news release.
Those of us who aren’t part of the party can celebrate by — how else? — shopping. To mark the official addition of its 10th destination, Virgin America has launched a 24-hour “Go Golden” sale, which ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. PST. Read the rest of this entry »
Marriott New Orleans and other hotels offer ‘Papa Noel’ deals
November 16, 2009 5:59am
With sleigh bells ringing –– and surely an appetite for etouffee –– Papa Noel (that’s Santa Claus to us out-of-towners) is readying himself for a holiday destination guaranteed to be brimful with festive cheer.
Boasting a full holiday calendar in December, New Orleans will be offering its visitors free jazz and gospel cathedral concerts; caroling; themed meals and free cooking demonstrations; and the nightly Celebration of the Oaks tour in City Park.
And, as has become tradition, numerous hotels about town are offering “Papa Noel” rates for December stays. For a full list of participants, see the Christmas pages on New Orleans’ tourism site. One such deal, by New Orleans Marriott, is detailed below.
Deal: This Marriott, located on Canal Street in the French Quarter, is offering “Papa Noel” rates from $89 to $159 per night (pretax) for stays Dec. 1-24, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
First look: Phineas and Ferb characters at Disneyland
November 11, 2009 8:05am
Phineas and Ferb may not have any idea what they’re doing for summer vacation, but they know how they’re spending their Christmas break: “We’re going to Disneyland.”
The perpetually bored stepbrothers from the Disney Channel’s “Phineas and Ferb” animated show turned up as costumed characters at Disneyland this week for a taping of the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, which airs Dec. 25 on ABC.
It was the first time that the costumed characters have appeared in a Disney theme park, officials said.
Hurricane Ida: Airline advisories, travel waiver information [Updated]
November 9, 2009 2:07pm
Hurricane Ida weakened to a tropical storm today after the U.S. Gulf Coast braced itself for more troubling weather. In Nicaragua last week, Hurricane Ida destroyed homes, damaged schools and bridges as it moved through the Caribbean. Currently, the National Hurricane Center has a public advisory on its site.
“A tropical storm warning remains in effect from Grand Isle Louisiana eastward to the Aucilla River Florida … including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.”
[Updated at 9 a.m. Nov. 10: Ida made landfall in Alabama but has weakened considerably and was headed toward the northeast, the National Hurricane Center said.]
U.S. airlines are alerting travelers that flights may be affected in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Here are some change policies listed on their websites:
Delta: States that you may make a one-time change to your ticket without fee if you are scheduled to travel to, from, or through the following destinations: Fort Walton, Fla. (VPS), Gulfport, Miss. (GPT), Mobile, Ala. (MOB), New Orleans, La. (MSY), Panama City, Fla. (PFN), Pensacola, Fla. (PNS) and Tallahassee, Fla. (TLH) for impacted travel on Nov. 9-10. Read the Delta Weather Alert page for Hurricane Ida for full details and restrictions. Contact: (800) 221-1212.
Continental: Offers the option to reschedule or re-route your travel once, without penalty, if you are ticketed to/from one of these cities with original travel dates on Nov. 9-11: New Orleans, La. (MSY), Baton Rouge, La. (BTR), Lafayette, La. (LFT), Lake Charles, La. (LCH), Gulfport/Biloxi, Miss. (GPT), Mobile, Ala. (MOB), Pensacola, Fla. (PNS), Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (VPS). If your flight has been cancelled, a refund to the original form of payment can be requested. Get full information about their re-accommodations policy here.
National World War II Museum rallies the troops, plus Tom Hanks, for premiere
November 6, 2009 10:14am
Everyone from war veterans to movie luminaries are rallying today, Nov. 6, in New Orleans to inaugurate the expanded National World War II Museum, which has doubled in size and added a theater with a film experience that promises to plunge visitors into the wartime world, complete with (fake) falling snowflakes, seats that shudder as munitions explode and other special effects.
Among today’s attendees is Tom Hanks, executive producer and narrator of the 35-minute movie “Beyond All Boundaries” (photo above), which will screen at the museum’s new theater. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Patricia Clarkson, Neil Patrick Harris, Brad Pitt and many others.
Today’s events were sold out, museum spokeswoman Kacey Hill said. But there was still plenty of room on Saturday, dubbed “Family Fun Day,” when a range of free activities will be offered, she added. Here’s the 411:
The Michael Jackson theme park that never was, but still could be
November 5, 2009 12:29pm
Michael Jackson dreamed of a theme park based on the J.M. Barrie story of “Peter Pan,” complete with looping roller coasters, 3-D flight simulators, water rides, stunt shows, dinner theater, nighttime spectaculars and hotels.
The Disney and More blog has the full story of how the dream nearly became reality, including blueprints and concept art from the envisioned project.
In the late 1990s, the King of Pop partnered with Burbank-based Landmark Entertainment Group — the creators of the Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure and the Jurassic Park water ride at Universal Studios Orlando — to draft a plan for Peter Pan’s Neverland theme park.
The concept looks remarkably similar to Disneyland past and present, with all the Peter Pan parts of the park (pirate ship, dark ride, skull rock) amplified and embellished with plenty of pixie dust.
Peter Pan’s Neverland envisioned a grand entrance into Victorian London with replicas of Kensington Gardens, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.
On Neverland Island, reached by boat, there were six themed lands:
Read the rest of this entry »
First look: ‘Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee’ opens at Disneyland for a limited run
November 5, 2009 7:28am
I got a sneak peek at “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee” last night, and I have to say I really enjoyed the latest Disneyland show.
The limited-engagement show, tied to the upcoming “Princess and the Frog” animated movie from Disney, begins its daily run at the Anaheim theme park starting Friday (Nov. 6). The 20-minute production — presented four times a day — continues through Jan. 3.
About three dozen performers dressed in 1920s-era Mardi Gras costumes dance through the crowds in second-line fashion near New Orleans Square before boarding the Mark Twain Riverboat for a floating musical revue.
The hybrid parade-show combines two of my favorite experiences at Disneyland: Read the rest of this entry »
For a sane holiday, consider Hotels.com’s Thanksgiving sale
October 31, 2009 6:51pm
If bunking up with Cousin Lenny sounds like the worst way to spend your Thanksgiving holiday away, why not treat yourself to your own peaceful quarters this year? Booking a room close to (but not with) the family doesn’t have to break the bank, thanks in part to promotions like Hotels.com’s Thanksgiving sale. Through it, you can find a range of properties for up to 30% off in 100 cities.
One of those is Denver, where 30%-off rooms at the Burnsley All-Suite Hotel are attainable. In Orlando, Fla. — where, it must be said, accommodations bargains are never rare — you can get a room for $41 per night, pretax, at the Seralago Hotel, a few miles from Disney World. Up in New York, stay for 20% off at the Time Hotel, close to Broadway shows; rates here around Thanksgiving start at $183 per night (the usual average is $229).
But there are lots of options closer to home too, for instance:
Palm Springs
I stopped into Riviera Resort & Spa’s reservation system for a stay Wednesday through Friday of that week, and got a total of about $600, after taxes and fees, for the two nights. The total price I found via Hotels.com was $478. Read the rest of this entry »
