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Archive for the ‘Orlando Discount Vacation Packages’ Category

Consider it, one small step for NASA and one giant leap for guests at the Kennedy Space Center.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has announced a special new close-up tour offering guests a unique glimpse inside NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

Other than NASA personnel and astronauts, few people have been inside the Vehicle Assembly Building where space shuttles were assembled and readied for launch.

However, the VAB will be part of a new Kennedy Space Center Up-Close tour to be offered eight times daily for a limited time beginning Nov. 1.  Also, for a very limited time, tour guests may actually see a space shuttle inside the VAB. Shuttles are being prepared for future display in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Florida.

Space shuttle Atlantis will be permanently displayed at Kennedy Space Center beginning in 2013.

Other stops on the two-hour Up-Close tour will include glimpse of the following:

• NASA’s KSC Headquarters.
• Operations & Checkout building - the astronaut crew quarters before each launch and where they boarded the Astrovan to ride to the launch pad.
• NASA Causeway and its panoramic view of the area and the coast.
• Crawlerway - the wide route that led shuttles to the launch platform
• Orbiter Processing Facilities - where orbiters were processed and maintained between flights.
• Solid Rocket Booster Storage Areas.
• Famed countdown clock.

Admission to the KSC visitor center is $43 for adults and $33 for ages 3-11. Admission for the Up-Close tour will be an additional $25 adults and $19 ages 3-11. Please note that the VAB stop is not part of the regular KSC bus tour that’s included with the regular admission.

For tour details or reservations, visit http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/. For details on discount attraction tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages, go to http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom recently welcomed a bouncing new baby boy, a healthy 311-pound African elephant.

The newborn elephant calf becomes a sixth born at Animal Kingdom. The theme park’s herd now includes 8 female and four male elephants. The mother, Vasha, was impregnated through artificial insemination in 2009 and gave birth following a 22-month gestation period. It was the second calf born to Vasha at Animal Kingdom. She previously gave birth to a female calf, Kianga, back in 2004.

Vasha is currently nursing her newborn and the baby elephant will gradually be acclimated to the rest of the herd in the coming weeks.

For information on discount tickets to Disney’s Animal Kingdom or to learn more about discount Orlando theme park vacations, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

It’s almost time to Rock the Universe at Universal Studios Florida. The annual fall Christian music festival returns to Orlando’s popular theme park on September 9-10 and, once again, some of the biggest names in Christian rock will be there.

The special separate ticket event runs from 4 pm til 1 am at Universal Studios on Friday and Saturday. The lineup for Friday, Sept. 9 includes:

• Switchfoot
• David Crowder Band
• Anberlin
• Grits
• Family Force 5
• Rhema Soul
• Hyland

Scheduled performers for Saturday, Sept. 10 include:

• Casting Crowns
• Third Day
• Relient K
• Red
• Tenth Ave North
• Brandon Heath
• Live Fish

In addition to the great music, Rock the Universe guests can enjoy all of the fun and excitement of Universal Studios’ thrill rides and attractions. The exciting Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit music video roller coaster will feature songs from many Christian bands during the two-day event.

For more information on Universal Studios tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages, go to www.westgatereservations.com.

SeaWorld Orlando has announced plans for its all new killer whale show - “One Ocean.” The new orca show will debut at the Orlando park in late April, replacing the ”Believe” show which has been running for almost five years.

“One Ocean” will highlight the acrobatic killer whales in a series of maneuvers where multiple orcas perform in unison amidst giant water fountains. As part of the park’s new safety regulations, there will be no in-water interaction between trainers and the killer whales. Trainers will work directly from the stage, but the show is designed to highlight the unique and special interconnectedness of the whales and trainers.

Another central focus ”One Ocean” is a series of images and messages that help convey SeaWorld’s ongoing oceanic and environmental conservation efforts and the park’s willingness to make a difference.

The show will key in on the unique personalities of SeaWorld’s killer whales and offer some guests with a chance to interact with the animals through the glass wall around the show pool.

The new One Ocean show will also result in substantial changes at Shamu Stadium. The complex will be revamped and construction will include the installation of fountains, new paint color schemes and the replacement of the existing video screens.

SeaWorld Orlando also features a wide variety of other animal shows and animal interaction attractions, plus thrill rides such as Manta the Flying Ray. For additional information on the park, visit www.Seaworldorlando.com. Or go to www.westgatereservations.com or www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com for discount Orlando theme park tickets and accommodations, including complete Orlando vacation packages.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park in Orlando, FL now offers a view like you’ve never seen before. It’s all part of a special backstage tour that offers an intriguing and up-close look at some of the park’s wild animals.

Wild Africa Trek is an all-new separate ticket hiking/viewing adventure designed to take small groups, up to 12 people, on a 3-hour guided tour through the forests and behind the normal guest viewing areas.

Tours cost are currently $129 in addition to regular theme park admission and are limited to guests 8 years and older. However, as you might expect, the trek is not for the light-hearted. Good hiking shoes are essential as your path takes you across rugged terrain with obstacles, inclines and stairs. You’ll even experience being safely tethered as you cross a rope bridge high above the pathway to the park’s safari vehicle crossing and the Safi River filled with crocodiles. Don’t worry, there’s a safety net.

Still, the trek is worth the effort as the ultimate rewards include up close encounters with some of Animal Kingdom’s most wonderful creatures including hippos, lions, elephants, flamingos, giraffes and elegant gazelles.

The tour includes a light snack during a rest stop at Boma where guests can sit and enjoy an amazing view of the African savannah and some of its wild creatures.

More details on the tour, visit www.disneyworld.com/disneyafricatrek or call for reservations at 407-939-8687.

You can also visit www.WestgateReservations.com for information on discount theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages.

Fans of Mickey’s Toontown Fair at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando beware. The children’s area at the theme park is getting ready to close in February to make way for the under-construction expansion of Fantasyland in the theme park.

Toontown Fair, home to Mickey Mouse and other Disney Character meet-and-greets, among other attractions, is slated to remain open through Feb. 11, 2011.  At that time, the area will be closed off for the next phase of the Fantasyland expansion project that includes a new Little Mermaid themed ride, interactive Disney princess areas and more.

 Those looking to visit with Mickey will still have their opportunities as Mickey, Minnie and other Characters will be moved from Toontown to other areas within Magic Kingdom. Eventually, they will have a new permanent home in the building currently known as Town Square Exhibition Hall, located along Main Street, U.S.A.

Fantasyland’s expansion will be opened in phases with most of the new experiences scheduled to be complete by 2013.

Check out the latest in Orlando discount vacation packages and resort accommodations at www.WestgateReservations.com.

There’s always something new on tap. Central Florida’s theme parks never seem to stop bringing new excitement to the Orlando area, from new rides and new shows to the unveiling of the epic Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Looking ahead to 2011 and beyond, you can be sure to expect even more thrills.

A list of the top 10 new U.S. theme park attractions for 2011 includes two highly anticipated rides that are slated to open in Central Florida in 2011. One is the Cheetah Hunt, a unique launch-style coaster being constructed at Busch Gardens Tampa that will feature a 130-foot drop and an adjacent live cheetah exhibit.

The other shining star is a revamped Star Tours simulator ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Star Tours will be offering a storyline that continuously changes the beginning, middle and end to create a new journey every time.

Not to be left out, SeaWorld Orlando has announced plans to launch an entirely new concept for its killer whale show. The new performance, scheduled for a spring 2011 debut, will replace “Believe” - now in its fifth year - as the theme park’s signature attraction featuring Shamu.

Meanwhile, Legoland Florida will make its debut in 2011, on the grounds of the park formerly known as Cypress Gardens. And Walt Disney World Resort continues to move ahead with its current expansion of the Fantasyland section of the Magic Kingdom park and the construction of a new Voyage of the Little Mermaid ride scheduled to debut in 2012.

If you would like additional details on discount Orlando theme park tickets or Orlando discount vacation packages, go to www.Westgatereservations.com or www.OrlandoThemParkVacations.com.

Surf’s up. And you won’t even have to go to the beach to find the perfect wave! That’s because indoor surfing is coming to the Orlando area this fall.

It’s all part of the excitement at Fantasy Surf, an all-new, indoor aquatic recreation facility currently under construction at FantasyWorld Resort in Kissimmeee, FL.

The new water park venue will utilize a FlowRider system to provide a controlled surfing style environment. When completed, the Fantasy Surf system will be 32 feet wide by 49 feet long. It will also included padded walls a 3-inch sheet of water will create the surf conditions.

The 14,000 square-foot surfing center is tentatively scheduled to open in October, 2010.

For more information on Orlando area hotels, water parks and theme parks, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or go to www.WestgateReservations.com to find discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando tickets.

SeaWorld Orlando began its annual summer celebration over the Memorial Day weekend by welcoming back its popular SeaWorld AfterDark activities and shows.

Back for another fun-filled summer season are the killer whale show “Shamu Rocks,” the comedic “Sea Lions Tonite” as well as “Reflections,” a fireworks-and-fountains finale, which is best seen from seats at Bayside Stadium.

There is one difference in this year’s “Shamu Rocks” show as it will be presented without trainers being in the water with the whales.

SeaWorld AfterDark festivities are scheduled to run through Aug. 15 and all AfterDark shows are included with regular park admission.

For more on SeaWorld Orlando and discount Orlando vacation packages, go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for discount Orlando hotel and resort information, visit www.WestgateReservations.com.

From Big Bird to Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster, all of your favorite Sesame Street characters can be found at Busch Gardens’ newest area, Sesame Street Safari of Fun.

Featuring some new elements along with some repurposed attractions from its Land of Dragons area, the Safari of Fun fits perfectly with the theme park’s African theme. One of the most popular new rides is the all new Air Grover, a junior sized roller coaster that allows children and parents to ride together. The ride takes youngsters on a “flight” over the Saraha Desert, with captain Grover in the front seat in full aviator gear.

Designed to be a child’s first roller coaster experience, Air Grover includes a 23-foot lift hill and two gentle loops designed to add just enough thrill for the little ones.

Another sure-to-be-fun new adventure is Bert & Ernie’s Watering Hole, a colorful water-play area and the perfect spot to cool off on a warm day.

You’ll also find two new Sesame Street shows at Busch Gardens. “A is for Africa” is a high energy stage show while “Lights, Camera, Imagination” is a 4-D movie with special effects.

Sesame Street Safari of Fun is included with regular Busch Gardens park admission. And children aged 3-5 can get in FREE throughout 2010 if they first register at www.SesameStreetSafariofFun.com.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for more information on central Florida theme parks and Orlando family discount vacation packages.