About Discovery Cove

When the park first opened on July 1, 2000, it was an anomaly in the world of Orlando theme parks: a reservation-only experience limited to approximately 1,000 guests per day. At 15 acres, Discovery Cove opened with three signature experiences: guests could swim with dolphins, snorkel with rays and tropical fish, and hand feed exotic birds. During the last 15 years, the park has flourished in size, earned prestige worldwide for guest service and proved its commitment to conservation and animal care.

Grand Reef photo courtesy of Discovery Cove

Some of Discovery Cove’s Milestones

• Rated the “#1 Amusement Park in the World” in the TripAdvisor® Travelers’ Choice awards 2013 & 2014
• Grew to more than 22 acres
• Expanded to include five signature experiences
• Opened The Grand Reef®, which contains more than 10,000 tropical fish and dozens of rays
• Added SeaVenture®, where guests can experience an underwater guided walking tour
• Opened Freshwater Oasis® with playful Asian otters and curious marmoset monkeys
• Witnessed hundreds of significant animal births and hatchings, from dolphins to birds to sharks
• Pioneered the first C-section on a shark
• Hosted thousands of marriage proposals, birthdays, military homecomings, bucket-list wishes, and more
• Participated in conservation initiatives such as Rising Tide, which helps protect reef ecosystems
• According to guest research, more than 90 percent of visitors have a greater commitment to conservation following a day at Discovery Cove
• To learn more about the milestones visit the Discovery Cove 15 years of Discovery page.

Discovery Cove is a one-of-a kind experience where you can swim with bottlenose dolphins, feed tropical birds, play inches from a family of otters, and even walk on the ocean floor—all in one day. To reserve your all-inclusive day at Discovery Cove visit the Discovery Cove website.

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$50 Weekday Ticket

Busch Gardens® Tampa and SeaWorld® Orlando think weekdays need to be celebrated – especially weekdays during spring break. Both parks are offering a special $50 Weekday Ticket, on sale for only 50 days, good for a single weekday admission to either park, now through May 5, 2014, including spring break.

Now, that’s cause for celebration!

Busch Gardens Tampa is the ultimate family adventure, offering 300 acres of fascinating attractions, like Florida’s first triple-launch coaster Cheetah Hunt. At SeaWorld Orlando, guests will find themselves surrounded by SeaWorld’s 50th Celebration and a Sea of Surprises.

The $50 Weekday Ticket is available online to U.S. residents at SeaWorldOrlando.com or BuschGardensTampa.com or by calling (888) 800-5447. The $50 Weekday Ticket is valid for one weekday’s admission to either SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa and must be used by May 5, 2014.

Regular cost for a one day ticket for a non-Florida resident not purchased in advance to Busch Gardens or SeaWorld is $92.00.

FREE Adventure Island Fun Card for Florida Residents

Guests can take advantage of an unprecedented offer and receive an Adventure Island® Fun Card FREE with the purchase of a Busch Gardens® Tampa Fun Card. This new, limited-time offer let’s guests enjoy unlimited thrills at Busch Gardens and the water-soaked fun of Adventure Island for $92 for adults and $87 for children (ages 3-9) with no blackout dates.

“We’re excited to bring this extraordinary offer to the loyal Busch Gardens and Adventure Island fans and guests,” said Busch Gardens Park President Jim Dean. “In addition to experiencing the thrilling rides, world-class entertainment and over 12,000 animals that Busch Gardens offers, guests can also cool off at Adventure Island all season long.”

In addition to the unparalleled combination of thrill rides, animal attractions and entertainment, each Fun Card includes admission to the incredible line-up of events at each park, such as the Real Music Concert Series, Bands, Brew & BBQ, Island Nights and Summer Nights.

Offer is valid through March 31, 2014 and provides unlimited access to Busch Gardens through Dec. 31, 2014 and Adventure Island through Oct. 12, 2014. Guests can take advantage of this unprecedented offer online at buschgardens.com, by calling (888) 800-5447, at the front gates at Busch Gardens or at select AAA locations.

So, which epic deal is right for you?

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For the best deals and latest information about SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration visit SeaWorldOrlando.com and “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Clyde & Seamore’s Christmas Countdown

Returning Seasonal Favorites Include:

Families and friends can once again enjoy the spirit of Christmas during SeaWorld’s holiday-themed shows and festivities:

• O Wondrous Night tells the greatest story never told, with more than 30 carols, based upon the Christmas Story and told through the eyes of a variety of live animals. Everyone will be entertained by this touching, light-hearted and glorious celebration featuring a host of angels, animals and the true glory of Christmas. And new this year, guests will have the opportunity to take photos with some of the stars from the show!

• Winter Wonderland on Ice is an ice skating extravaganza where Christmas comes to life through towering water fountains, magnificent fireworks and some of the most talented ice skaters in the world. This is a don’t-miss, holiday sensation.

• SeaWorld invites guests to experience the grace and beauty of our Shamu family at Shamu Stadium, during the night-time show, Shamu Christmas…Miracles. Thrilling seasonal music rings out as whales soar through the air in a performance that will take the audience on a stirring voyage into the heart of the holidays.

• Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas features Santa’s helpers, Clyde and Seamore, who are bringing their own brand of comedy to Christmas this year. Our loveable sea lions, along with a few mischievous otters, a comical elf, and a wintery walrus or two, search for Santa.

• A Sesame Street Christmas is a festive and fun musical celebration that will have the little ones smiling all the way home. Through dance, laughter, and interactive sing-a-longs, Elmo, Telly Monster and the rest of Abby Cadabby’s Sesame Street friends teach her what Christmas means to them.

• SeaWorld celebrates the season during Holiday Reflections: Fireworks and Fountains Finale, with soaring fountains, dazzling lights, and festive fireworks, choreographed to joyous holiday musical favorites. Experience a wondrous SeaWorld Christmas connection that lights the night.

The Polar Express Experience

All Aboard! At the park’s Wild Arctic attraction, guests embark on a heart-warming journey to the North Pole aboard THE POLAR EXPRESS Experience, based on the film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment, inspired by the beloved Caldecott Medal children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. Discover the sights, sounds, and smells of the season as family and friends are immersed in the dazzling wonder of this beloved holiday classic. Upon arrival at the North Pole, guests can meet Santa Claus himself, and encounter astounding animals in a wintery wonderland.

THE POLAR EXPRESS Experience is based on the film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment, inspired by the beloved Caldecott Medal children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg about a young boy doubting the magic of the holidays who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

In addition to the incredible seasonal shows and attractions, the amazing Sea of Treesincludes more than 100 massive trees, each sparkling, lighted and choreographed to classic holiday tunes, making a dramatic display around SeaWorld’s center lake.

Sea of Trees

The Christmas Market, located on the park’s Bayside Pathway, features unique artisans and culinary delights. At this festive, bustling market, guests can find one-of-a-kind gifts and dine on scrumptious holiday delights.

Plus, enjoy a delicious dinner of Christmas favorites with Santa and Mrs. Claus during Santa’s Fireside Feast, a charming, warm-hearted holiday experience. Meet Santa himself, and listen to a classic holiday poem told onstage as never before to create Christmas memories that will last a lifetime. This sumptuous, all-you-can-eat seasonal meal takes place weekends of SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration. Reservations are required, and include reserved seating at select holiday shows. To book your reservation, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com.

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Earlier this week I had the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in July at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. We were greeted by employees wearing festive red shirts with “Christmas Town” embroidered on them all wishing us “Merry Christmas”. As we entered the theater we were offered festive coffee or chocolate milk drinks and candy canes. Once inside the theater the anticipation built as the crowd of media and passholder families waited for the presentation to begin. Here is a shortened version of the presentation.

Busch Gardens Tampa is getting ready to launch the biggest Christmas celebration ever! Christmas Town will transform the park into a nighttime holiday wonderland of wintery surprises and all things Christmas, filling guests’ senses with seasonal sights, sounds and flavors, and creating a beautiful new tradition for Tampa’s families.

For the first time in the park’s 53-year history, visitors to Christmas Town will experience all-new evening attractions, shows and shopping from 6 to 11 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, Nov. 30 through Dec. 23.

Even Busch Gardens’ most familiar fans will barely recognize the portions of the park that convert to Christmas Town through special entertainment, live music, festive treats, holiday shopping and thousands and thousands of twinkling Christmas lights:

•  Celebration Village brings together the rich, warm colors of Christmas and heartfelt voices lifted in song to welcome guests as they enter Christmas Town. Draped in jewel-tone ornaments and glowing lights, the Moroccan Village comes alive with local choirs in the Marrakesh Theater and shops full of holiday gifts.

Ice Wonder Way Fountain photo courtesy of Busch Gardens

• Family and friends will cozy up to brave the chill in the air along Ice Wonder Way. The frozen pathway sparkles and shimmers in the night as snowflakes dance down the front of the Moroccan Palace, welcoming guest for special performances of the all-new Christmas Town ice show.
• Wild colors, exotic decorations and intricate animal patterns create the kind of Christmas found only in nature! Stretching along the Cheetah Hunt walkway, Jungle Jubilee welcomes guests to Florida’s only triple-launch coaster and the iconic Crown Colony restaurant, featuring special holiday fare and the new Carol of the Bells light show.
• Just around the bend, Candy Cane Lane gives Christmas Town a peppermint twist. Red and white lights twinkle in the trees throughout the Nairobi area, calling to mind the beloved Christmas confection and pointing guests down the path to the Christmas Town Express and Santa’s House.

Miracle Way photo courtesy of Busch Gardens

•  Experience the humble magnificence of that first Christmas night and remember the real “reason for the season” and along Miracle Way. Guests will marvel at a topiary representation of the Holy Nativity and illuminated angels, set along the Stanleyville Bridge in the warm glow of Christmas lights and sacred holiday music.
•  Christmas has come to Sesame Street! Elmo and his friends are all dressed up in their holiday best at Sesame Street Season of Fun, ready to pose for pictures and plenty of hugs with kids of all ages who stop by to wish them a funny, furry Christmas.
• When it’s warm in December and there’s more sand than snow, celebrate a Floridian Christmas with a touch of the tropics in the Enchanted Flamingo Valley. Guests will be “thinking pink” as they encounter decorated palm trees and a flock of festive flamingos created from thousands of twinkling pink lights.
•  Christmas is in full bloom along Poinsettia Parkway, where guests can lose themselves among hundreds of the traditional holiday flowers and feast their senses on delicious holiday treats.
• On your way to play in the snow, stop by Jingle Bell Junction and climb aboard a pint-sized train for a holly-jolly ride designed especially for young guests, located at the crossroads of Christmas Town in Gwazi Plaza.
•  Guests can find the perfect holiday gift or indulge in a delicious seasonal treat as they explore Christmas Town Village. Set along the Gwazi Park walkway, tiny Christmas cabins will scent the air with seasonal treats like apple pies and strudels, gingerbread cookies, eggnog and roasting nuts, as well as a delicious array of flavored popcorns, roasted nuts, waffles with ice cream, fruit-filled crepes, rustic sandwiches, homemade potato chips and Starbucks coffees and hot chocolate.

Jars of Clay photo courtesy Busch Gardens

•  Enjoy a nostalgic white Christmas – in Florida! – in Christmas Town Park. Guests can experience real, frozen snowdrifts in the Snow Wonderlandsnow play area, meander among quaint cabin shops, pose for pictures with strolling snowmen, and finish off the night with an exclusive concert with the Grammy Award-winning group Jars of Clay.

And while Christmas Town will offer guests the opportunity to ride some of Busch Gardens’ most popular roller coasters, including Cheetah Hunt, SheiKra and Gwazi, the special event will also offer some equally special rides and attractions exclusive to the nighttime experience:

• All aboard the Christmas Town Express for the biggest Christmas carol sing-a-long on wheels! Friends and family are invited join in singing traditional songs of the season like “Jingle Bells,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” while circling the park on a beautifully lit vintage-style steam locomotive.
•  The Claus family invites you into their North Pole home at Welcome to Santa’s House. While the elves are busy preparing for Christmas, Mrs. Claus is in the kitchen baking holiday treats, but even Santa himself will take a break from his busy holiday schedule to meet and take photos with families in his private study.
•  Straight from the South Pole, the Christmas Town Penguins have brought a bit of ice and snow all the way to Florida! Come chill with these dapper little creatures and marvel at their underwater antics at the penguin habitat, located near Candy Cane Lane in the Nairobi area.

Guests who have come to love Busch Gardens’ traditional holiday shows will still be able to see Christmas on Ice, Christmas from the Heart and Christmas Celebration during the day. But at Christmas Town, new shows and surprise guests who will provide a very special evening of family-friendly entertainment:

•  Busch Gardens’ Crown Colony House restaurant sets the stage for a stunning ballet of music and light each night under the stars. The Carol of the Bells features tens of thousands of Christmas lights covering the façade of the stately building, set in motion to a choreographed presentation of stirring seasonal songs.
•  World-class skaters will bring to life favorite Christmas songs both traditional and contemporary, in a cool, all-new snow-inspired ice show, produced especially for Christmas Town by the creators of Christmas on Ice and Iceploration.

Jimmy Osmond photo courtesy of Busch Garden

• Jimmy Osmond’s Christmas Jukeboxfeatures Jimmy Osmond and his family singing favorite Christmas tunes and sharing special holiday memories each night in the Stanleyville Theater. In the true spirit of Christmas, Busch Gardens is joining Jimmy in his work with the Children’s Miracle Network, and will be making a donation to local Tampa Bay-area kids in need.
• For those who can’t wait to get their night at Christmas Town started, guests are invited to pull up a chair at Mrs. Claus’ Family Feast for a special evening filled with stories, songs, a delicious buffet of traditional holiday fare, plenty of opportunities for holiday hugs and photos with Mrs. Claus and her favorite elves, and exclusive no-wait access to Welcome to Santa’s House and Snow Wonderland after dinner.

“When Christmas Town opens in November, it will be the beginning of a unique holiday tradition for Tampa Bay area,” says Jim Dean, Busch Gardens Tampa’s park president. “We are creating a season-long celebration for family and friends unlike any other event our guests have ever seen – the kind of Christmas fun only Busch Gardens can provide.”

Similar to the park’s popular Halloween event, Christmas Townwill be a separate-ticketed night event, and regular daytime admission is not required or included. General admission for Christmas Town is $39.99 plus tax. Buy your tickets in advance and save! For a limited time, save $10 when you purchase your tickets online. Admission starts at $9.99 for children (3-9) and $29.99 for adults. Busch Gardens annual pass members will receive the deepest discounts, and special offers are available for guests wishing to upgrade their paid daily admission to Busch Gardens and through promotional codes from select retail partners. Families with children ages 3 to 9 will enjoy a special advance-purchase price of $9.99 for their youngest members.

Christmas Town will also offer some magnificent new opportunities for groups looking to book a unique holiday party. For details, call the Busch Gardens Events Team at (813) 987-5523. For the latest park news, “Like” Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook.

I cannot wait to add this to our family holiday traditions!! What about you? Which show or attraction are you most excited about seeing? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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photo courtesy of Chip Litherland

Families can have a blast for less cash this summer at LEGOLAND® Florida. With over 50 rides, shows and attractions and the all-new LEGOLAND® Water Park, Central Florida’s newest theme park offers two great ways to save so families can take part in the ultimate LEGOLAND® Florida experience. Special offers on both Premium Passes and single day Water Park combo tickets add up to a summer of fun. Guests will also enjoy extended summer hours where families can stay and play until 8pm daily Jun. 23 through Sept. 2. From roller coasters to the Build-a-Raft Lazy River, LEGOLAND Florida is the perfect combination of thrill and chill for families with children ages 2 to 12.

New Florida Resident Premium Pass Offer: This 6-week promotional offer allows Florida Residents to get an unlimited, 12 month Premium Pass to LEGOLAND Florida and the all-new LEGOLAND Water Park for just $159 plus tax. The Premium Pass has no black-out dates and includes admission to a year filled with special events at LEGOLAND Florida including the Red, Brick and Boom 4th of July Celebration, the Brick-or-Treat Halloween events, Christmas Bricktacular, a Kid’s New Year’s Eve Celebration and more. Free parking, discounts on food and merchandise and a complimentary subscription to LEGO® Club Magazine are also included. Guests can purchase the Premium Pass at the front gate or online at www.LEGOLAND.com through Jul. 31.

$10 Off Single Day Combo Ticket: A new online discount offers $10 off combo tickets for single day admission into LEGOLAND Florida and the all-new LEGOLAND Water Park. Families can now enjoy both parks for only $77 for adults and $67 for children ages 3-12 and seniors. This promotional offer is only available when purchased online now through Oct. 28 at www.LEGOLAND.com.

Existing Plus and Premium Pass members will also be receiving their own special offer from LEGOLAND Florida. Visit www.LEGOLAND.com for more information.

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Key areas of LEGOLAND Water Park attraction include:

• LEGO Wave Pool – Families can catch a gentle wave or simply cool off in this perfectly sized wave pool where the waves are just big enough for all ages to enjoy
• Build-A-Raft River – Families can imagine, design and build a unique LEGO vessel and set afloat on a maiden voyage around the 1000-foot-long lazy river, set amongst playful LEGO Friends, flowering vegetation and palm trees
• Twin Chasers – Friends ride tubes 375 feet down an intertwining pair of enclosed water slides before plunging into a refreshing pool below
• Splash Out – The thrill seekers of the family can ascend to the tallest point of the water park attraction and choose from one of three unique slides, then speed down a 60-foot drop and “splash out” into the water below
•  Joker Soaker – A fun, interactive playground with various lengths, heights and types of slides that offer something different for every member of the family. Guests can wade in the surrounding pool and be surprised with a torrential spill from a 300-gallon bucket
• DUPLO Splash Safari – Toddlers will rule at this water play area with shorter slides and interactive, larger-than-life DUPLO creatures

Admission to the water park attraction is included with an all-new LEGOLAND Premium Pass, which offers 12 months admission to LEGOLAND Florida and seasonal access to the LEGOLAND Water Park for just $179 for adults and $149 for child/senior. Single-day LEGOLAND Florida guests may upgrade to a water park attraction ticket for an additional $12 per person (children under 3 are $3). The Premium Pass is now available for purchase at www.LEGOLAND.com or AAA Auto Group branches.

We have visited every water park in central Florida and we cannot wait to visit the LEGOLAND Water Park when it opens May 26, 2012.

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Paint Drumming

The Blue Man Group show is a mixture of music and interactive comedy and is entertaining for the entire family. the classic Paint Drumming was awesome to see in person and the gum balls and marshmallows really show off the cast’s excellent timing and skill. (Beware of the marshmallows, one ended up under my son’s shoe and by the end of the show it was a sticky mess that had to be cleaned off in the bathroom sink!)

My favorite part of the show were the new Gi Pads (think gigantic iPads). The way they poke fun at those of us who live our lives fully on line was funny and entertaining. The apps on the GiPads were hilarious and we couldn’t wait to see what would happen each time they clicked into a new app.

There is a good bit of audience interaction in the show so who knows, you might just end up in the show! The show is very loud and because of that I wouldn’t recommend it for very young children or those who have issues with loud noises but other than that, this show is a must see for everyone in the family.

The show schedule varies by season so make sure you check the schedule when you plan your trip. Tickets range in price from $69+ for ages 10+ and $29+ for children ages 3-9. For more information visit http://www.universalorlando.com/blueman.

Disclosure: we saw the show as guests of Universal Orlando. All opinions are 100% ours.

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Miniland-Las Vegas

Imperial Soldier

Full size Ford Explorer made from LEGOS

Model Citizen of LEGOLAND

If you’d like to read my full post about LEGOLAND Florida please click HERE.

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photo courtesy of Discovery Cove

Discovery Cove’s Mother’s Day Escape package is the perfect gift for a memorable Mother’s Day that includes something very “splashy” to show how much mom is appreciated — a “love note” delivered by an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.

Located in the heart of Orlando, Discovery Cove provides a secluded, tropical retreat where families can enjoy extraordinary adventures through up-close encounters with exotic marine life and other animals. In the sparkling Tropical Reef, families can snorkel, swim and wade among thousands of tropical fish and hundreds of velvety rays. In the Explorer’s Aviary, guests can hand-feed more than 250 exotic birds. A winding river, sandy beaches and resort pool add to the paradise, but the highlight of Discovery Cove is the dolphin experience, where guests enjoy interacting with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins – for most, a dream come true. And for Moms, a dolphin delivers a personalized “love note” on a keepsake buoy for a fantastic finale.

In addition, this special Mother’s Day Escape package features Crabtree & Evelyn® La Source spa essentials gift basket, photo and frame, champagne and a private cabana, and is available April 26 through May 9, 2010 for $329. Package prices are in addition to park admission and require the purchase of at least one dolphin-swim, which start at $199 per person, plus tax.

With approximately 1,000 guests per day, guests can enjoy the all-inclusive benefits of a light continental breakfast, freshly-prepared lunch, as well as snacks and beverages throughout the day. Other park amenities include complimentary snorkel gear, towels, lockers and parking, as well as a 14-day, unlimited-use pass to SeaWorld or Aquatica in Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

For those looking to “wow” Mom this Mother’s Day, visit DiscoveryCove.com or call
1-877-434-7268 to make a reservation.

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