If you have stayed at Emerald Island before, you will almost certainly have driven past the Splendid China Theme Park, but perhaps didn’t realize it.
Splendid China was a recreation of some of China’s landmarks in Kissimmee. The park unfortunately closed a few years ago and the site has been sold a couple of times since. The first time I drove past the junction of Funnie Steed Road and the 192 after the artifacts had been sold I was saddened. The landmark dragon had gone. OK, it was past its prime, but it really made a nice feature of the junction.
The location is prime for development and rumors are that it is one of 3 sites being considered for a sports complex in the area. Time will tell what will eventually happen to the land. My hope and wish is that it is something to benefit the thousands of visitors to the area.
During 2009, Walt Disney World is offering free admission on your birthday. You will need to provide proof of the birthday to get the free admission (even for children). Full details are available on Disney’s website.
So you are thinking “I have an annual pass, so I can’t take advantage of this offer” or “Oops, I already have a multi day ticket for my upcoming trip” Don’t worry, Disney have a couple of other offers for you including a birthday fastpass.
Even better, they have allowed you to register in advance to save time filling out paperwork at the gate - but you still have to bring your proof of birthday with you. To register for your birthday trip to Walt Disney World go here.
We hope that you can take advantage of this special offer on during your stay at The Manor at Emerald Island. A luxury 7 bedroom home that is perfect for family re-unions, birthday gatherings and multi-generational vacations.
One of my favorite things at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the Fantasmic Show. It is an attraction filled with special effects; fire, water, movies, characters and more. My family and I love it. A classic good versus evil type thing, although it can be too intense for some smaller children. It is, however on one of my list of things that we must do but from 2009 it will be harder to do. Harder, but not impossible.
From January 2009 the Fantasmic show will be cut from a nightly show to just two days a week. Monday and Thursday. This is rumored to co-incide with the new American Idol show schedule.
What does this means for visitors to Walt Disney World?
Firstly it means that if you want to see Fantasmic in 2009, you have a choice of Monday or Thursday. If you don’t want to see Fantasmic, then avoid Disney’s Hollywood Studios on those days as the crowds will be higher than on the other days.
Secondly, it means that the number of guests wanting to view Fantasmic will be heavy on both those days - seating is limited in the theatre and I would strongly recommend the Fantasmic Dinner Package. Basically it is dinner in a selected restaurant and seating in the theater. Please note that the seating is not guaranteed (Disney’s words, not mine) and you still are asked to line up an hour before the show. But it beats having to wait up to two hours before the show - and that is before they restrict the number of shows. I only expect the lines to get worse.
Lastly, if they retain the Fantasmic Dinner Package, it may become harder to get a slot. More people in the park on those days would mean more people booking dinners and possibly more people booking or trying to book the Fantasmic Dinner Package.
Two quick notes on the Fantasmic Dinner Package.
1. Currently you choose a restaurant - there is a choice of 3 or 4 - for dinner and once you have had dinner, you get a pass for the back entrance to Fantasmic. There isn’t much of a surcharge for the package (if any - when I last looked, we had a buffet meal and the meal and the Fantasmic Package were almost the same price).
2. As mentioned earlier, the seating is not guaranteed and not specifically allocated. If you turn up late and the seating area is full you are out of luck. Also the seating is not the best view. The view is fine, but it is not center stage. It is however the first block of seats as you enter the theater, which means you should be able to get out of the theater before the majority of the crowd. Another plus is that if you have a stroller, it is parked on the exit route from the theater, whereas if you enter through the regular line, you may have a slight detour to collect your stroller.
My concern with the reduction in hours is that Disney may change the Fantasmic Dinner Package. In Disneyland they have a Fantasmic Dessert Package which was $90 per person. - I sincerely hope that they do not follow that route. They may place a hefty $ premium on the package because it will become more popular.
Provided Disney do not raise the price of the dinner package greatly, I would still recommend booking that if you want to see Fantasmic. My touring schedule would, if possible, either have Fantasmic as late night entertainment for one evening and spend the day either in the pool at The Manor or doing another type of lazy day. If I has limited entries for Walt Disney World, I would consider spending the morning at one of the other parks and then going to Hollywood Studios for dinner and the show. For example visit Animal Kingdom in the morning and then head to Hollywood Studios for a 5.30pm dinner. When visiting the parks, we tend to have an early start (a.k.a being there BY opening time) to avoid the crowds and therefore end up with an early lunch and early dinner. Trust me, in conjunction with the fastpass system, it works - even at the busy times of the year.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios used to be called MGM Studios.
Seaworld Orlando today received a Golden Ticket Award from Amusement Today for Best Marine Life Park. The Golden Ticket Awards are issued annually by the magazine and are a sought after award. Amusement Today surveys amusement park afficianadoes from around the world and asks for their opinions. From those survey’s the award winners are calculated.
Congratulations to Seaworld Orlando.
If you are staying at The Manor at Emerald Island, Seaworld Orlando is a short and easy 15 mins drive away. It is a great attraction, especially for those families with younger children. In recent years, Seaworld Orlando has expanded their children’s play area to include several new rides and attractions especially for the younger set. Don’t miss their varied and interesting shows. Seaworld Orlando is now more than a single day attraction. I recommend allowing at least 1.5 - 2 days to fully experience Seaworld.
Watch out for 2009 when Seaworld Orlando launches their newest rollercoaster - The Manta. It looks to be awesome! I can’t wait.
Other winners of the Golden Ticket Awards are:-
Best Amusement Park
Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Best Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas
Best Children’s Park
Legoland California, Carlsbad, Calif.
Best Marine Life Park
SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Seaside Park
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Best Wooden Coaster
The Voyage at Holiday World, Santa Claus, Ind.
Best Steel Coaster
Superman Ride of Steel
at Six Flags New England, Agawam, Mass.
Best Kids’ Area
Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio
Friendliest Staff
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.
Cleanest Park
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.
Best Halloween Event
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla..
Best Landscaping
Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg, Va.
Best Christmas Event
Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood,
Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Food
Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.
Best Shows
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio
Best Outdoor Night Show Production
IllumiNations: Reflections of the Earth
at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, Orlando, Fla.
Best Water Ride
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.
Best Waterpark Ride
Master Blaster at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort,
New Braunfels, Texas
Best Dark Ride
Amazing Adventures of Spiderman
at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.
Best New Ride of 2008 - Amusement Park
Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park, Erie, Pa.
Best New Ride of 2008 - Waterpark
Dragon’s Revenge at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort,
New Braunfels, Texas.
Best Carousel
Grand Carousel at Knoebels Amusement Resort,
Elysburg, Pa.
Best Indoor Roller Coaster
Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Orlando,
Orlando, Fla.
Best Indoor Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas
Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction
Frankenstein’s Castle at Indiana Beach, Monticello, Ind.