SeaWorld Orlando will add a new ski show, Bayside Ski Jam, for summer 2008 - “An all-new, nighttime action-packed ski show that jams on the lake and in the sky.” Bayside Ski Jam will take place at Bayside Stadium. Can’t wait!
For more information about the new Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios, visit http://www.orlando-florida.net/universal-orlando/universal-studios/world-expo/simpsons.htm.
The 2008 Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot will feature a great lineup of rock bands covering timeless tunes from such groups as U2, Bee Gees, Eagles and ABBA.
June 2008 Sounds Like Summer Schedule
2U - A Tribute to U2 - June 9-15, 2008
Stayin’ Alive - A Tribute to the Bee Gees - June 16-22, 2008
Hotel California - Eagles Tribute Band - June 23-29, 2008
Bjorn Again - ABBA Tribute Band - June 30-July 10, 2008
Concerts are subject to change without notice. All concerts will take place at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:45 PM, 7 PM and 8 PM, and are included with regular Epcot admission.
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival - Epcot, Through June 1, 2008
Mickey’s Pirate & Princess Party - Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park, Select Dates through June 4, 2008
Toy Story Mania! - Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Opens Late May 2008
Star Wars Weekends - Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, June 6-29, 2008
Sounds Like Summer - Epcot, June 9 - August 10, 2008
Journey into Narnia - Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Summer 2008
Night of Joy - Disney’s Hollywood Studios, September 5-6, 2008
Source: www.orlando-florida.net
Star Wars celebrities will be at each weekend of 2008 Star Wars Weekends for photos, Q&A, autograph sessions and Hollywood-style motorcades. All four weekends, Star Wars actor Warwick Davis (who portrayed “Wicket the Ewok”) will serve as celebrity emcee and host of the event. Here’s the list of celebrities scheduled to attend (subject to change without notice):
June 6-8, 2008: Jeremy Bulloch (”Boba Fett”) and Daniel Logan (young “Boba Fett”)
June 13-15, 2008: Peter Mayhew (”Chewbacca”) and David Prowse (”Darth Vader”)
June 20-22, 2008: Amy Allen (”Aayla Secura”) and Matthew Wood (”General Grievous”)
June 27-29: Dave Filoni (director of the upcoming “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”)
The Star Wars Weekends fun is included with regular admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests can access more information by visiting disneyworld.com/starwars or www.starwars.
The Tampa Bay Rays will face the Toronto Blue Jays April 22-24, 2008, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Disney Limited Edition Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Mini Bobbleheads will be distributed to the first 2,500 children ages 14 and under: Donald Duck Bobblehead (April 22), Goofy Bobblehead (April 23) and Micky Mouse Bobblehead (April 24).
Fine cuisine and some of the best “foodie” cities in the world will take a bow at the 13th-annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival September 26 through November 9, 2008.
Epcot guests can explore “Cities in Wonderland” - from trendy Cork, Ireland, to the melting pot of Cape Town, South Africa - around the World Showcase promenade while also discovering blissful bites at international and regional marketplaces brimming with exotic flavors and comfort foods.
The six-week festival will showcase tastes from countries on six continents. More than 25 international marketplaces will serve tapas-sized portions of regional specialties at $2-to-$5 each, and recommended wines and beers make perfect pairings at each kiosk. New festival flavors explore the culinary wonders of Lyon, France; Marrakesh, Morocco; Shanghai, China; Bologna, Italy; Tokyo, Japan; and Mexico City, Mexico. Daily complimentary wine and beer tastings serve up sips from around the world, and culinary demonstrations dish up featured taste treats. A series of special culinary programs features a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.
Musical entertainment pairs perfectly with culinary fun during the nightly Eat to the Beat! concert series featuring a varied lineup of classic rock, soul, R&B, oldies, jazz and funk hitmakers. Concerts are performed three times each evening at America Gardens Theatre along the World Showcase lagoon. New acts to appear include Kool & The Gang, Spyro Gyra, En Vogue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. David Sanborn, Jon Secada and Otis Day and the Knights are among returning crowd-pleasing acts.
Other festival highlights include: The Festival Welcome Center, complete with a Champagne and Wine Bar, complimentary wine seminars and book signings; some 250 Disney chefs and guest chefs conducing culinary demonstrations and hosting elegant dinners and tasting events; a weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting event featuring tempting tastes from eminent chefs, more than 70 wines and beers, and live entertainment.
Wine and beer seminars, cooking demonstrations, special book signings at the Festival Center, Eat to the Beat! concerts, culinary and cultural exhibits, and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.
The weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting, Food and Wine Pairings at select Epcot restaurants, Regional Feasts, Epcot Wine Schools, Cheese Tastings, Sweet Sundays, and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate admission.
Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-337 
for information and to make reservations for special events and programs.
Celebrate Latin culture and music at Fiesta Medina, which features national and international entertainers, exhibits, food and children’s carnival area. Musicians scheduled to perform include El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Domenic Marte, Ommy Cardona, Anthony Cruz, Son Bien Chevere, Nklabe, Paquito Acosta, Lizander and Carlos Vega. Fiesta Medina will take place from 11 AM to 8 PM at Festival Park in downtown Orlando on April 13, 2008.
Season tickets are now available for the 2008/2008 Broadway Across America season at the Carr Performing Arts Centre. Upcoming shows include The Wizard of Oz (October 21-26, 2008), Avenue Q (December 2-7, 2008), A Chorus Line (February 10-15, 2008), Legally Blonde (March 10-15, 2009), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (April 14-19, 2009) and Jersey Boys (May 6-24, 2009). Call 1-800-448-6322 or visit www.broadwayacrossamerica.com for more information.
Universal Orlando’s newest nightclub, CityWalk’s Rising Star, opened on March 21, 2008, at Universal CityWalk. The club showcases karaoke with a twist - performing guests are introduced to the audience by an emcee and sing with a full live band and back-up singers! State-of-the-art flat panel monitors and amplifiers throughout the club highlighteach performer and their song lyrics.
In celebration of the club’s opening, Universal Orlando Resort also introduces the CityWalk’s Rising Star Top 10 Karaoke Challenge, a contest that searched for the best karaoke artists in the area. If you think you have what it takes, there will be four opportunities to impress the judges - March 26 and 28, and April 2 and 4, 2008. Guests who would like to participate in the CityWalk’s Rising Star Top 10 Karaoke Challenge will be asked to fill out and submit an entry form, and a raffle will decide each night’s contestants. Finalists will be chosen based on scoring by a three-judge panel, as well as audience applause, with performers evaluated on their star quality, vocal talent and stage presence. The top 10 performers will receive a prize package, including a Universal Two-Park Annual Pass, annual CityWalk Party Pass and a spot to perform in front of hundreds of VIP and media guests during CityWalk’s Rising Star’s grand opening event in April 2008.
1. Disney’s Magic Kingdom - 17.06 million visitors
2. Disneyland - 14.87 million visitors
3. Epcot - 10.93 million visitors
4. Disney-MGM Studios (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) - 9.51 million visitors
5. Disney’s Animal Kingdom - 9.49 million visitors
6. Universal Studios - 6.2 million visitors
7. SeaWorld Orlando - 5.8 million visitors
8. Disney’s California Adventure - 5.68 million visitors
9. Universal’s Islands of Adventure - 5.43 million visitors
10. Universal Studios Hollywood - 4.7 million visitors
11. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - 4.4 millon visitors
12. SeaWorld San Diego - 4.25 million visitors
13. Knott’s Berry Farm - 3.63 million visitors
14. Busch Gardens Williamsburg - 3.16 million visitors
15. Cedar Point - 3.12 million visitors
Sources: Park World, InPark, TEA Inc., Economics Research Associates
The Moody Blues will perform at Hard Rock Live in Universal Orlando on April 1, 2008, at 8 PM. Tickets are on sale now . . .
Billed as “high-tech, cutomizable, multisensory entertainment,” the new Hollywood Rip, Ride and Rockit roller coaster will open at Universal Studios in the spring of 2009. One of the most technologically advanced roller coasters in the world, Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will combine audio and special effects engineering, sophisticated on-and off-board video and one-of-a-kind guest personalization to create a roller coaster experience unlike any other.
Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will boast six near-miss moments and first-ever thrills such as a record-breaking loop. Ride vehicles will feature the brightest and most innovative color-changing LEDs in the world. High-visual displays will fill the queue time. Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will also feature four ride vehicles on the tracks at any given time, concert lighting and special effects. Best of all, guests will be able to customize their ride experience by choosing what song will play while they’re on the roller coaster. LED boards in the queue lines will display song options from five genres (classic rock, rap, country, pop and disco). Once onboard, guests can choose their song or let the coaster’s digital sound system choose for them. When the ride is over, guests will be able to customize footage from the experience and compile it into a take-home music video.
Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will be located near the Jimmy Neutron attraction along the Southern perimeter of Universal Studios, over to the Universal CityWalk lagoon and back.
Spring Fiesta in the Park will take place April 5-6, 2008, at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. The event draws approximately 200 talented artists from all over the United States. Ceramics, jewelry, glass, painting, graphics, wood, sculpture and more are on display and for sale. Spring Fiesta in the Park also includes live entertainment and food. Admission is free.
Tickets are on sale now for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Amway Arena on Saturday, April 19, 2008, at 7:30 PM. Visit ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 407-839-3900.
The I-Ride Trolley had expanded its route to include new stops at Westgate Palace and Aquatica (SeaWorld’s new water park), as well as Point Orlando Resort. I-Ride Trolley service runs daily from 8 AM to 10:30 PM. Single fare is $1 for adults. Children ages 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. The I-Ride Trolley also offers unlimited ride passes.
5. Cinderella Castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom contains a secret apartment that was originally built for Walt Disney and his family. (Walt Disney died in 1966 - long before construction began on Cinderella Castle. The “Cinderella Castle Suite” used for Disney’s Year of a Million Dreams celebration was recently constructed out of an unused space in the castle.)
4. In case of a hurricane, the Cinderella Castle’s 10 spires can be easily removed to prevent them from damage. (Although the castle was built to withstand hurricane force winds, no part of it can be disassembled in the event of a hurricane.)
3. The plane from the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios OR from the Jungle Cruise at Disney’s Magic Kingdom is the same one that was used in the famous final scene of the classic 1942 film, Casablanca. (Actually, the plane from Casablanca was just a movie prop.)
2. A Disney World guest was decapitated after standing up while riding Space Mountain. (According to some reports, it was a “test dummy” that had its head severed during testing by Disney Imagineers before Space Mountain was opened to the public.)
1. Walt Disney’s body lies cryogenically frozen in a secret chamber buried deep beneath Disney’s Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. (Disney was actually cremated and buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.)
Source: www.orlando-florida.net
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” will be returning to Universal Orlando Resort for a third run at the end of March 2008. Episodes are set to air Monday, March 31; Tuesday, April, 1; and Wednesday, April, 2.
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres announced the trip to Orlando on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008: “We always enjoy it when we take the show on the road. One place we like to visit is Universal Orlando Resort . . . and guess what? We’re taking the show back there.”
Ellen also invited viewers to come along for the ride. Viewers can log on to the show’s website, www.ellentv.com, for more information on how to get tickets to the shows.
“Ellen’s connection with her fans is second to none, and we’re thrilled to have her back at Universal Orlando Resort,” said Bill Davis, Universal’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Her show and her style are the perfect match for us – and for our park guests.”
Guests joining Ellen in Orlando include, the hilarious Jeff Foxworthy and everyone’s favorite southern cook, Paula Deen and her sons Bobby and Jamie.
The tapings of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” will take place on the Lagoon Stage, located at Universal CityWalk in the heart of Universal Orlando Resort. The Lagoon Stage is an outdoor, waterfront amphitheatre, seating 1000 people and overlooking the entrances to the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks as well as the stunning 30-acre CityWalk dining, shopping and entertainment complex.
Nothing beats heading to the Anheuser-Busch Hospitality Center at SeaWorld Orlando and grabbing a free, ice-cold brew on a hot summer day. Add barbecue to the mix, as well as country and classic rock music, and you’ve got the Bud & BBQ festival, which will take place February 16 through March 9, 2008, at both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Africa. Apparently, this year’s menu will include Budweiser Pork Rib Tomahawks, Bud Light chili pepper baby back ribs, Michelob Ultra Amber Bock chili and Pulled Chicken with Amber Bock sauce. Sounds delicious!
The remaining concert lineup includes Creedence Clearwater Revisited on February 23, Craig Morgan & Pat Green on March 1 and Joe Nichols & Jason Michael Carroll on March 8. For Busch Gardens, Bud & BBQ will feature Styx on February 24, Clay Walker on March 2 and Gary Allan on March 9. Okay, so I’m a little underwhelmed by the concert lineup. However, if you’re interested in the above Bud & BBQ concerts, show times are at 4 PM Saturdays at Bayside Stadium (SeaWorld) and 4 PM Sundays at Gwazi Park (Busch Gardens).
Best of all, Bud & BBQ is included with regular park admission to either SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
