Florida Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Islands of Adventure’ Category

Orlando remains one of the world’s most popular destinations thanks in large part to the ongoing popularity of the area’s major theme parks and attractions. Based on this year’s recently announced Theme Park Insider Awards, Orlando should remain a tourism hotspot for years to come. 

Orlando area theme parks captured the top spot in three of the four categories in the Theme Park Insider Awards competition. The awards are based on average reader ratings at the website www.themeparkinsider.com over the past 12 months.

Registered users of the theme park insider site are offered an opportunity to rate attractions, restaurants and hotels on a scale from 0 to 10 and may vote once on each location. ThemeParkInsider.com combines those user ratings and computes averages for each location to determine the winners.

2011 Theme Park Insider Awards

Best Theme Park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure - home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure won the award for the second consecutive year. One of the runners-up was Busch Gardens in nearby Tampa, Fla.

Best New Attraction: Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (and Disneyland) - one of the runners-up was Cheetah Hunt at nearby Busch Gardens Tampa.

Best Theme Park Restaurant: Epcot’s Bistro de Paris - the popular Bistro won the award for a second consecutive year. Runners-up include Mythos at Islands of Adventure and Via Napoli at Epcot.

Best On-Site Theme Park Hotel: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, Calif. - runners-up included Universal’s Portofino Bay and Disney World’s Beach Club Resort.

For information on Orlando’s theme parks and discount Orlando theme park vacation packages, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

Universal Studios recently announced two new adventures coming to its Orlando, FL theme parks in 2012,

The first is an all-new 3-D ride experience based on the popular Universal Pictures’ film, Despicable Me. Opening in 2012, the ride features Gru, the world’s most lovable super-villain as his brings his high tech empire and three adopted daughters (Agnes, Edith, Margo) to Universal Studios for a new mission. After being transformed into fun-loving, mischievous minions, riders will set out on a fun-filled and comical 3-D experience.

Riders will explore Gru’s lair and descend into his secret lab while also taking the floor in a minion-inspired, interactive dance party!

The second adventure is actually an enhancement to the popular and innovative attraction, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® at Universal’s Islands of Adventure®. The ride will be re-animated to create an even more visually stimulating, high-definition experience designed to give the attraction’s towering visual spaces even more larger-than-life proportions.

The new 4K High Definition digital animation will create an even more life-like sensation by allowing riders to experience even finer details, such as the electricity arching through Electro’s body and the stitching on Spider-Man’s gloves. New details will also be added to the film to take advantage of the new high definition clarity.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter officially opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure on June 18 but already the new addition is taking the theme park to the top of the charts.

Islands of Adventure was voted the “best theme park” in the 2010 ratings released by ThemeParkInsider.com. And the park’s new signature ride, “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” was named “best new attraction.”  

The winners were recently announced in the 9^th annual Theme Park Insider Awards. Winners are based on ratings submitted by the Web site’s visitors.  Runners-up for the top theme park award included Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando. Runners-up for best new attraction included, “World of Color” at Disney’s California Adventure and the “Intimidator” roller coaster at Carowinds.

For more information on Universal Orlando Resort and Islands of Adventure as well as discount theme park tickets, go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

Don’t underestimate the power of Harry Potter’s wizardry.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter officially opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure on June 18, but that has been plenty of time to propel the theme park to the title of “best theme park” in the 2010 ratings released by ThemeParkInsider.com.

Winners announced in the 9^th annual Theme Park Insider Awards are based on ratings submitted by the Web site’s visitors.  Runners-up for the award included Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando.

The 2010 honor marks the fourth time Islands of Adventure has been named the top theme park. The Orlando-based park also claimed the honor from 2002-2004.

For more information on Universal Orlando Resort and Islands of Adventure as well as discount theme park tickets, go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

Guests at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park holding special Universal Orlando Resort hotel package deals were allowed into the park’s new Wizarding World of Harry Potter area earlier today.

Those guests were among the first to enjoy the new and highly secretive ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The ride, housed inside the signature Hogwarts castle, takes passengers on a virtual fly-along with Potter characters through various adventures and includes encounters with Dementors, dragons and a Quidditch match.

The official Grand Opening of the $200 million Wizarding World is scheduled for June 18, 2010.

The days are dwindling on the countdown to the June 18, 2010 official Grand Opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park.

One of the most highly anticipated new adventures in the theme park capital of the world, the Wizarding World will welcome to Orlando a worldwide audience of Harry Potter fans.

Guests will walk past the Hogwarts Express train and enter the streets of Hogsmeade^TM village where they’ll find a variety of familiar shops and establishments. You can dine at the Three Broomsticks^TM and enjoy a refreshing Butterbeer^TM or a pint of pumpkin juice at the Hog’s Head pub. Or you can pick up some of your favorite wizarding supplies at Dervish and Banges^TM.

At Honeydukes^TM you can find sweets ranging from Chocolate Frogs^TM and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans^TM to Cauldron Cakes and treacle fudge. Or you can visit the Owl Post^TM and send letters to friends and family with a real Hogsmeade postmark. Best of all, you can even visit Ollivanders^TM wand shop for an incredible interactive experience where a wand chooses YOU.

Of course, as part of the Islands of Adventure, the Wizarding World also offers plenty of excitement with rides like Dragon Challenge^TM, twin roller coasters that engage in a high-speed chase across the sky.

The Flight of the Hippogriff^TM is a smaller, family coaster perfect for the little one that will take you on a fun ride over the Hogwarts^TM grounds. Or you can join Harry and his friends on a thrilling new state-of-the-art attraction that will bring the magic, characters, and stories of Harry Potter^TM to life in ways never before experienced.

It’s all waiting for you at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. For more on Islands of Adventure and discount Orlando vacation packages, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

Universal Orlando is promoting vacation packages featuring the soon-to-open Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Islands of Adventure. Deals are valid for travel beginning May 28, 2010, meaning the long awaited Harry Potter adventure should be open no later than late May.

The $200 million theme park expansion project is taking shape with Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village as the central attractions.

For more information on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com. For details on discount theme park tickets, discount Orlando, Florida vacation packages and more, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.westgatereservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

The New Year has arrived and much of the nation finds itself in the midst of yet another winter’s chill. Snow, ice and bone-chilling temperatures can quickly cause “cabin fever” to set in throughout the Midwest and Northeast.

Now, with the holidays past and spring break still just a blip on the future horizon, is a great time to visit Florida – the Sunshine State. And what better place to start your winter thaw than in the centerpiece of Central Florida otherwise known as Orlando, the city beautiful. There’s nothing else quite like a discount Orlando vacation package.

Home to world famous Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and dozens of other popular attractions, Orlando is truly the theme park capital of the world and a renowned destination any time of year.

Whether you have been to Central Florida a number of times or are simply looking to go for the first time, Orlando is always full of new adventures and surprises. And 2010 is already teeming with big fun and even bigger adventures.

Universal Studios Resort offers up its newest roller coaster Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. And at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the world is already gearing up for the park’s upcoming grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Meanwhile, Orlando’s newest water park, Aquatica by SeaWorld, recently announced the March opening of an all new ride - Omaka Rocka.

For more information on winter getaways to Florida, discount Orlando, Florida vacation packages and discount SeaWorld tickets or discount Universal tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

The New Year is just around the corner and there’s plenty of New Years Eve excitement brewing in Orlando, FL!

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and all of Disney’s favorite characters are set to help ring in 2010 throughout Walt Disney World® Resort. The Disney parks are decked out in all their holiday glory as we reach one of the resort’s busiest and merriest times of the year.

The Disney parks will offer extended hours on New Years Eve and there will be plenty of year end fireworks to light up the night sky throughout Orlando.

At Disney’s Epcot, the park will remain open til 1:00 am while featuring a special version of the Illuminations at 11:40 pm.

Magic Kingdom Theme Park will also remain open til 1:00 am with a special showing of the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks taking place at 11:50 pm. Meanwhile at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, New Years Eve guest can stick around until midnight and enjoy the Lights! Cameras! Fireworks show starting at 11:50 pm.

Across town at Universal Orlando Resort, there’s also plenty of New Years activity on the horizon. Islands of Adventure theme park will offer extended hours til 10:00 pm while its sister park, Universal Studios Florida remains open for late night fun til 1:00 am. Best of all, Universal CityWalk will help rock in 2010 with a separate ticket event that offers live entertainment in every club, gourmet cuisine and a fabulous concert featuring the legendary music of The Temptations and The Four Tops and a midnight champagne toast!

Not to be outdone, SeaWorld® Orlando offers up its own special New Years Eve memories by staying open til 1:00 am. From 9:00 pm til 12:30 am, SeaWorld will offer continuous entertainment, music and an amazing midnight fireworks display.

Of course, the fun in Orlando rolls right on thru to New Years Day where the parks will again be filled with thrills and adventure. And sports fans will be delighted with a trip to Orlando’s nearby Citrus Bowl stadium where Penn State University is set to battle Louisiana State University in the annual Capital One Bowl. This high profile football game pits two of the most prominent and storied collegiate programs in a battle of highly ranked teams.

For discount Orlando theme park tickets, check out the deals currently available at www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for great rates on discount Orlando resort and Orlando vacation packages, visit www.WestgateReservations.com today.

Universal Orlando’s Dueling Dragons

Spend your dream vacation in Orlando, Florida where the options are endless for fun. Between Universal Studios, Walt Disney World and SeaWorld, a trip to Orlando is the ultimate family destination. Get a deal on Orlando vacation packages to save money on your trip if you plan on staying for more than just the day in Orlando. Vacation packages include anywhere from 3 days and 2 nights to 4 days and 3 nights of world class hotel accommodations, theme park tickets and discounts to local venues. Thinking about staying longer? It’s no problem with OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com, you can receive deals on discounted prices for staying extra nights in Orlando’s finest resorts.