Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Joy In The Sun - Highgate Park Orlando

Brand new Disney villa providing luxury, max comfort and relaxation, easy/fast access to Disney attractions and golf courses.

We believe that when you are on a vacation, you want to be away from your ordinary daily stress and the noises from surrounding areas. We believe that you want to feel comfort, relaxed, safe, joyful and ultimately fun! We believe that you want to enjoy the time together with your families and friends and leave a lasting memory for everyone. We believe you want to be in a place it’s convenient and close to major attractions, shops and restaurants; and after a joyful, yet tiring long day in theme parks, you can soak in the pool and spa to relax and recharge.

If you share our belief, “Joy In the Sun” Villa is for you!

The villa (built in 2005, totally renovated in July 2011) locates in a “5 stars” gated Orlando Disney Vacation community – Highgate Park. The villa is newly renovated inside out with brand new carpet, paint, linens, furniture, and appliances. The villa is close to all of the major attractions including Disney, Sea World, Universal Studios, Wet ‘n ‘Wild and Cypress Gardens are within 15-25 minutes drive. The Gulf and Atlantic Ocean Coasts and Kennedy Space Center are only an hour and a half away. There is a 24-hour Walmart store and Publix super market 2-3 miles away for groceries and household goods.

The villa features with the following,

• 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms with 1 King master bedroom suite, 2 Queen bedrooms, 2 twin bedrooms, and 1 sofa sleeper.
• 1 crib, 1 highchair, 1 large sitting room
• 1 game room with air hockey/ping-pong and pool/billiards tables
• A fully equipped kitchen with brand new appliances
• A large private SOUTH facing (keeps pool water warm all day long) heated pool with spa, installed with full child safety fence. Poolside toilet/shower, and BBQ Gas Grill provided. The whole pool area is covered by lanai with extended patio equipped with loungers, table and chairs.
• Laundry room with washing machine, dryer, iron and ironing board
• Hardwood floor through the whole downstairs with open floor plan
• 5 large cable LCD TVs.
• free high speed FiOS wireless Internet connection
• free local and USA/Canada phone services.

We have a Coded Door lock so no need to collect keys from anywhere on arrival and a reliable, friendly local Management Company who is a short drive from the villa, available for any assistance you may need during your stay.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Hibiscus Haven Highgate Park Orlando

Luxury 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom premium home located in the prestigious, gated community of Highgate Park, Legacy Park. This beautifully decorated, fully air-conditioned home offers a private screened pool with spa as well as a games room. With easy access to the I-4 and major roadways, this vacation villa is close to Disney, other theme parks and attractions, world class golf courses, various shopping venues and restaurants.

Hibiscus Haven offers everything you need for the perfect holiday.

The open concept living space has vaulted ceilings and looks out to the private pool and deck. This area includes a living room, formal dining area, breakfast area and kitchen. The modern kitchen is fully equipped with all conveniences including a large fridge with freezer, dishwasher, large oven and microwave. All cutlery and crockery is provided. Laundry facilities, which include full size washer and dryer, are conveniently located in the villa. The villa is furnished to the highest standard and includes cable television, DVD, wireless internet, and unlimited free calls in the US, Canada and US Territories.

This villa hosts a master king suite, queen suite plus 2 twin bedrooms. All bedrooms have accommodating furnishings, lighting and televisions. The master king suite has a huge king-sized bed, en-suite washroom with soaker tub and separate shower, “his & hers” walk-in closets, and patio doors leading to the pool area. The queen suite has a queen-sized bed, private en-suite washroom and walk-in closet. Both twin bedrooms have two single beds with ample closet storage. In addition to the bedrooms, the living room has a queen-sized sleeper-sofa.

The private pool and spa area is great place to relax during your vacation. This area is fully screened with protective mesh to provide a pest-free environment. Comfortable sun loungers and chairs are located poolside as well as a separate table and chairs under the cooling lanai with ceiling fan – a great place for alfresco dining. For those wishing to grill poolside, a BBQ is available for use at no extra charge. The pool is serviced and cleaned weekly, and arrangements can be made to have the pool heated during the cooler months.

When you are not relaxing by the pool, you can enjoy the air-conditioned games room which has a pool table, dart board and cable television.

For guests traveling with small children, the villa has a highchair, pack’n’play and stroller which are available for use at no extra charge. For additional security, a removable child-safety fence surrounds the pool.

Our professional management company ensures that the home is thoroughly cleaned and equipped with fresh linens and towels before your arrival. And, our property manager is just a phone call away if you have any questions during your stay.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Highgate Park - Cape Clear Villa

‘Cape Clear’ is a luxurious Villa, is built on a large corner site,. It is situated within High Gate Park, a gated community, at Legacy Park. A Conservation area lies to the south of the community.

Disney is a 15 minute drive away. Numerous shopping malls, restaurants, golf courses, including the world renowned David Ledbetter Golf Academy are within easy reach.

‘Cape Clear’ is fully air conditioned and can sleep up to 10 persons. There are 2 master bedrooms with en-suites, one of which opens directly through patio doors onto the extended screened pool area. This en-suite contains a corner bath, shower and separate WC. Both twin bedrooms have access to the third bathroom.

The living room opens onto the pool area complete with Spa and extended deck. Ceiling fan and pool furnishings are provided. For additional safety there is a pool safety screen.

The living area is comfortably furnished and the kitchen is well equipped. For your convenience there is also a washing machine and dryer.

High Gate Park is ideally located close to all the attractions Orlando has to offer.

Amenities

This property is located on HW 27, close to the I-4 and HW 192.
The bedding in this home is as follows and sleeps a maximum of 10 persons:
Bedroom #1 One King
Bedroom #2 One Queen
Bedroom #3 Two Twins
Bedroom #4 Two Twins

Living Room – Queen Sofa Sleeper

Also included is:

* Private Pool & Spa (Heating Optional)
* All Kitchen Appliances
*Central Air & Heat
* Full Size Washer & Dryer
* 5 TVS
* DVD and CD Player

The following are to be found nearby:

*Grocery Stores (Publix and Wal-Mart’s)
* Drug Stores
* Hair and Nail Salons
* Dry Cleaner
* UPS Store
* Movie and Game Rental Store
* Numerous Restaurants

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Luxury 4 Bed / 3 Bath Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Royal Palms - Highgate Park Orlando

If you are considering a vacation in the Disney/Orlando area with your family and/or friends, this home is the perfect alternative to staying in a cramped hotel room. This fully furnished vacation rental property is located in the exclusive gated community of Highgate Park, which is a part of Legacy Park in the Davenport area of Florida.

You get a spacious house in a well-kept, secure gated community with your own private pool and with all the comfort of your own home at a fraction of the cost of staying in a hotel.

This home is located just off Highway 27 and is conveniently located near local shopping (Publix, Super Wal-Mart, etc.), restaurants, golf courses and the main Central Florida interstate. It is located just 7 miles (15 minute drive) from Disney and is close to all the major theme parks.

The home has a spacious king master bedroom, a queen and 2 twin bedrooms, living/dining room that opens up to the screened pool/spa area and large kitchen with breakfast nook. The pool comes with free solar pool heating.
The house comes with all the appliances including a super-size laundry pair as well as a fully furnished kitchen (toaster, coffee-maker, cooking and baking utensils, etc.).

Our professional management company ensures that the home is professionally cleaned and equipped with fresh linens and towels before your arrival; our property manager is just a phone call away.

This home comes with the following amenities:

• 42” HDTV in the living room with 180+ channels including 50+ HD channels (carried over a fiber optic network). Includes ESPN, Discovery, TNT, USA, MTV, CNN and many more.
• DVD Player
• TV with basic cable in all bedrooms.
• Free high speed internet (Wi-Fi)
• Free unlimited local & long distance calling across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico on a fiber optic line (not VoIP).
• A games room with a large pool table, foosball and air hockey.

Good deals are available for longer term stays of 2 weeks or more.

Please note that no smoking or pets are allowed.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Villa Monaco - Highgate Park Orlando

Our Luxury 4 Bedroom Villa with South facing pool is privately owned . Renovated in July 2011, this villa keeps in mind the magic of Disney. Your stay will be a continuous fantasy. Also within close proximity are the numerous attractions that have made Orlando, Florida the vacation capital of the world. World-class entertainment, dining and shopping are all within minutes from your doorstep, yet our villa is situated in a quiet and secure neighborhood.

Extra info : Villa Monaco

• Your children will enjoy either the Mickey Mouse bedroom (sleeps 3) or for the little princesses in your life in their own princess carriage bed.
• For the adults, a very fashion Damask bedroom with a king size bed (memory foam mattress) or let you self go in the Giraffe bedroom with it’s Safari feel.
• You can all unwind as a family in our very well equipped air conditioned Game room.
• Board games, play station, pool table, big air hockey table, popcorn machine, Jukebox (bring your IPOD or MP3), basketball hoops, darts board, etc.
• Brand new front load metallic red washer and dryer will accommodate you.
• Keep in shape while you are on vacation in our private gym inside the villa.
• A high chair and play pen also in the villa along with 2 strollers (one Mickey Mouse and one Princess) that you can use during your stay.

Accommodation and Amenities for Villa Monaco

• Floor Area: 2050 sq. ft.
• General: Gym, towels provided, hair dryer, air-conditioning, central heating, cold water dispenser, alarm clock, telephone.
• Kitchen: refrigerator, microwave, blender, oven, coffee maker, ice maker, toaster, utensils, dishes, pots and pans, dish washer, 4 ring stove.
• Laundry: Washing machine, clothes dryer and iron and board.
• Dining: dining room, child’s highchair, seating for 8 people plus 4 stools at lunch counter.
• Bathrooms: 2 Bathrooms, PALM TREE BATHROOM – Toilet, Tub, Shower, MICKEY MOUSE BATHROOM – Toilet, Combination Tub/Shower , POOL – Outdoor Shower.
• Bedrooms: 4 Bedrooms, Sleeps 10, GIRAFFE – 1 King, DAMASK – 1 King, PRINCESS – 2 Child Bed, MICKEY MOUSE – 3 Twin/Double, ZEBRA RELAXATION ROOM – 2 Sleeper Sofa (red).
• Game Room: Video game console and games. TV, pool table, air hockey table, basketball hoops, dartboard, Jukebox, popcorn machine and popcorn.
• Internet Access: wireless broadband, Internet access.
• Outside: Outdoor grill gas, screened porch/lanai, 6 garden chairs, 4 beach chairs.
• Swimming Pool: South Facing Swimming Pool & Spa (with safety fence for the safety of your children), shower & Optional pool heat 25$ per day.
• Suitability: non smoking only, long term renters welcome, pets not allowed.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Alba - Highgate Park Orlando

Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

ALBA (sleeps 8/10)
“Alba” is a large 4 bedroomed property with private pool,Jacuzzi,games room and free Wi-Fi internet.

There are 4 bedrooms. The master has a king sized bed with a lovely en-suite bathroom. The second bedroom has a king sized bed and bedrooms 3 & 4 have 2 twins in each. There is a further queen-sized sleeper settee in the lounge,if required.

There are two lounge areas to relax in after a busy day at “the parks”,One is equipped with a 52″screen tv and a dvd player. There are further tvs in bedrooms 1,2 and 3.
There is ample space for dining. As well as a formal dining room there is further dining in the “nook” and of-course pool -side.

The pool and jacuzzi has a large patio area with ample chairs and loungers for everybody to soak up that Florida sunshine in.

There is a fully equipped kitchen should you decide to prepare a meal and utility room with clothes washer and dryer to help keep the laundry under control.

The games room consists of pool ( 7feet table),air hockey,basket ball and darts.

The villa has recently been completely re-decorated and re-equipped so everything should be just so should you decide to visit.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Sunset Villa Highgate Park Orlando

Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 4.5 Occupancy: 10
Amenities: 2 Masters, 2-Storey, Conservation view, Covered Lanai/Patio, Games Room, Gated Resort Community, Heatable Electric Pool, Free Internet, Outdoor Jacuzzi, South West-Facing Pool

Property Description:
Completed in March 2007 our executive 5 bedroom fully air conditioned villa is furnished to a very high standard, the furnishings having been individually chosen to make it a real home from home. Set on south/west facing lot the villa enjoys an open aspect onto a conservation area, benefiting from privacy, all day sun and superb sunsets. The villa has Free Wireless Internet an extended deck (including bathroom), offering plenty of space for those wishing to relax by the pool. The pool is 30ft x 15ft with a Jacuzzi spa.

The pool is screened for your comfort and a child safety net is erected for your children’s safety. There are table and chairs, and loungers for your use around the pool. The pool area also has a cabana shower, whilst the large lanai offers shade together with light, fan and an outside pool bathroom for your convenience. The pool is serviced and cleaned weekly.

The villa has 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, sleeping 10 people, all bedrooms having Cable TV/DVD units and ceiling fans. Downstairs the villa has an open plan Kitchen, Breakfast Room and Family Room. The Kitchen has a breakfast bar and comes fully equipped with all modern conveniences, oven, fridge-freezer with an ice-maker, dishwasher, waste disposal, microwave oven and plenty of cutlery, crockery and glasses. The breakfast area overlooks the pool and conservation area. Access to the pool and deck area is through patio doors leading from the Breakfast Room. The Family Room is light and airy with a high ceiling and galleried landing upstairs, offering ample room to relax together with a 42’’ inch Widescreen TV/DVD and Cinema surround sound system. There is also a Formal lounge and dining area for quieter seating away from the family room.

The villa has 2 bedrooms downstairs, 1 Queen Room and 1 Twin room. Both downstairs bedrooms have large closets TV/DVD and each has their own ensuite with shower over bath, vanity unit, toilet and hairdryer. The Queen room has the lovely aspect of having patio doors opening onto the pool area.

Upstairs there are 3 further bedrooms, Master Suite, Queen Room and 1 Twin room. The Master suite has a King size bed, TV/DVD, large closet, ensuite with large bath, large walk in shower, twin vanity units, separate toilet and hairdryer. The Master suite has the added bonus of patio doors leading out onto a balcony (12’x 9’) where you can sit and relax at the end of a busy day to watch the sunset. The Queen room and the Twin bedroom both have plenty of closet space, their own TV/DVD and share an adjacent bathroom with shower over bath, vanity unit, toilet and hairdryer. Finally upstairs there is a loft area where young and not so young can sit and enjoy a game on the playstation 2 with a selection of games.

The garage has been converted into a Games Room housing a pool table, air hockey, foosball, 20’’ Cable TV and bar table with stools. The Games Room is also air conditioned. The garage incorporates the Utility room which has a full size washing machine, tumble drier, iron, ironing board and vacuum cleaner.

All bed linen, towels and pool towels are provided. Maid service is available at a reasonable fee. The pool is serviced and cleaned weekly and can be heated during cooler months at an extra cost.

WE HAVE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO MAKE SURE YOUR STAY IS AN ENJOYABLE ONE. OUR EXCELLENT MANAGEMENT TEAM ARE FRIENDLY, AND ARE THERE FOR YOU.

ENJOY YOUR STAY.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

House Of JoLiMo Highgate Park

Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Our executive luxury fully air-conditioned spacious 5 bedroom 3.5 bathroom Villa with private pool, is situated on the impressive gated community of Highgate Park at Legacy Park on Hwy 27, Davenport.

House of JoLiMo is considered by many to be one of the best 5 star luxury vacation homes in Orlando in it’s class. The community provides a tennis court and children’s play area.

Our luxury Villa is ideally situated for your vacation, just over 10 minutes to Disney world and in easy reach of all major Hwy’s leading to other theme
parks, attractions, shopping malls, restaurants and Golf courses.

Within a few minutes drive there is the convenient small shopping mall of Berry Town comprising of a Publix supermarket, Applebee’s restaurant, Chinese takeaway, fish & chips takeaway, Indian takeaway, liquor store, pizza store, sports bar, and two Banks. At Cagens Crossing less than 5 minutes drive from the villa on US27 you will find a Wall-Mart (open 24 hours) Chilli’s restaurant.
House of JoLiMo has over 2,637 square feet of luxury living space.

Two comfortable living  areas: the formal lounge area for quiet moments and the family room which has cable television, DVD-players and patiodoors leading onto the pool deck.
4 dining areas; the breakfast nook seats 4 around the table with patio doors leading onto the pool deck, adjacent to the kitchen the breakfast bar seats 4, dining room seats 6 and of course the best of all; outside under the lanai for breakfast on the sun deck overlooking the pool.

The 5 bedrooms
3 of the bedrooms are located on the first floor. Two twin rooms sharing one bathroom and the Master bedroom with a King bed, cable television, walk in shower, tub, twin sinks, and
toilet. On the ground floor are the other two bedrooms; one twin room and a Queen room with patio doors leading onto the pool deck. Both have cable television. Ground floor bedrooms share a third full bathroom with a bath over head shower, sink and toilet.
All bedrooms have remote controlled cable TV and clocks.
There is also a downstairs cloak room with toilet and sink.

Pool Deck
The extended sunny deck houses your very own huge 30 x 15 ft private,
stunning, blue sparkling swimming pool. There are comfortable
luxury loungers for those who wish to relax around the pool and
soak up the sun. For those who wish some shade there is a large lanai patio
table and chairs with electric fan. There are 3 sets of patio doors leading to
the pool area. For security of children there is a child safety fence around
the pool which is removable if children are not present. For those wishing
to cool off without using the pool there is also a cabana shower. For great
outdoor dining we have also provided a BBQ.

The villa is ideal for more than one family with enough space to sleep 12.
There is a full size large washer and dryer for all your laundry needs and an extra fridge for your convenience. The villa also has an upstairs loft area overlooking the family room with cable television with DVD.
There is also highspeed wireless Internet enabling you to bring your own laptop if you prefer. For infants we provide travel crib and highchair.
The modern fully equipped kitchen includes a fridge/freezer with ice maker,
range/cooker, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, juicer, sandwich maker, and
coffee peculator and all crockery and cutlery.

Our wonderful home away from home in the sunshine state is perfect for
your family vacation.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Woodland View Highgate Park

Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Executive class with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sleeps 10.

Backing onto a conservation area this fantastic holiday villa provides the perfect place to relax & unwind, to us the owners, the main feature is the larger than average pool facing dead south onto a woodland backdrop, just in case you’re not sure about the “dead south” bit, it simply means the sun shines on the pool all day. Located only 9 miles drive from Disney. Upgraded furniture throughout the villa includes a games room with pool, foosball (table football), darts & internet access. There are TV’s in bedrooms, & PlayStation 2 in one.

The extra large swimming pool includes a spa and extended lanai. Sit back poolside or in the spa & watch the beautiful sunsets & wildlife. Open outlook provides a private & peaceful setting.

Highgate Park is an exclusive, sought after gated community situated on Highway 27 just under 2 miles west of the junction with the US192, taking you directly to Disney. A variety of excellent golf courses are close by. 15 minutes along Highway 27 is Lake Louisa State Park, activities include canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, horse & nature trails. Wal-mart & Publix are nearby.

The Villa

The kitchen is fully equipped with double sink with waste disposal, oversized fridge & freezer, dishwasher, oven & hob and microwave. The washer & dryer are located in a separate utility cupboard.

MAIN LIVING ROOM

Furniture includes two large sofas one of which coverts into a double bed for extra guests and matching armchair. There is large dining table with 6 chairs, and smaller one with 4, cable TV, telephone and internet access.

MASTER BEDROOM SUITE

King sized bed. TV with cable, access to the pool through patio doors as well as large walk in wardrobe and a luxury bathroom that includes garden tub, huge separate shower and his & her vanity basins, with theatre style lighting.

BEDROOM FOUR

Equipped with a Queen Size bed, this stylish suite has en-suite bath and shower.

BEDROOMS 2 & 3

Both share on an en-suite that has access to both bedrooms via an inner hallway, but separate lockable bath, shower and toilet facilities. Both twin bedded rooms are furnished with kids in mind. Bedroom 1 has a Toy Story theme bedroom 2 a mixed theme with Disney pictures and “night owl pillows”

The entire villa is fully AIR CONDITIONED/HEATED and in addition there are ceiling fans in the main room, master bedroom and on the covered lanai.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

The Zip Orlando course is located adjacent to Green Meadow Farm, but participants must first check in at 4509 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Kissimmee, and then be transported the 2 miles to the eight zips and three suspension bridges. The longest stretch is 950 feet, where zippers are said to reach speed of 30 mph. The highest point of the course is 65 feet, said Laura Ureta, manager of Zip Orlando.

The new course is owned by Experience Based Learning Inc., an Illinois company that designed and constructed the Zipline Safari at FloridaEcoSafaris at Forever Florida near St. Cloud two years ago.

The Zip Orlando experience takes 2.5-3 hours and runs through forest land, where zippers may spot deer, turkey, alligators, cattle and other animals.

The tour costs $95, but a Florida-resident discount brings that down to $75. Zippers must weigh between 70 pounds and 270 pounds, but there are no age restrictions. Reservations are recommended, and they can be made at the website (www.ziporlando.com) or at 407-080-4947.

Meanwhile, Gatorland will open its Screamin’ Gator Zip Line to the public on June 16. Its course includes flights over many of their reptile residents, including jumping Cuban crocodiles.  One link begins seven stories in the air and goes over the alligator breeding marsh. It’s called “The Widow Maker.”

Resrevations are required at www.Gatorland.com or 800-393-5297. Cost is $69.99, which includes admission to Gatorland, which is at 14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando.

On Saturday and Sunday, divers will use scuba gear authentic to the times of the TV show in the springs. Visitors in the park’s famed glass-bottom boats will have optimum view of the divers reenatcting knife scenes from the series, which starred Lloyd Bridges as a former frogman.

“Sea Hunt” expert Alex Peirce will display his collection of TV items and memorabilia from the show.

For more information, go to www.silversprings.com.

(Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)

While Busch Gardens has their hands full with new roller coasters this week, the folks at the Busch Gardens blog posted about some new baby lemurs at the Jambo Junction attraction. It’s a cute alert post, and who doesn’t love those.

The newborns (2 of them) are red ruffed lemurs, the offspring of a couple of 4-year-old residents, Maditra & Bozeny, who also have a couple of 1-year-olds.

The lemurs are native to Madagascar, a big island larger than the state of California off the southeast coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.

Read more about the lemurs and see more photos here.

The night, reserved for ages 21 and up, will also include competitions for NCAA Football 11 (winner gets a $50 Wall Street drink voucher), Pong Toss Pro (highest scorer of the evening gets a $25 Wall Street drink voucher) and Cornhole Toss (also a $25 Wall Street drink voucher).

Admission is $5, but if you wear a school logo, it’s $3. (Free for history center members). There will be a cash bar, plus treats from Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and food from Sauced for purchase. Admission includes a wristband for admission to  Wall Street after the event.

For more information, call 407-836-7010 or go to www.thehistorycenter.org.

 Meanwhile, the history center will be offering free admission to all active-duty military personnel and their families from May 30 (Memorial  Day) through September 5 (Labor Day). The offer is part of Blue Star Museums, a partnership of the National Endownment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and 1,300 museums in the United States.

To find other participating museums, go to www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Bridgewater Haven - Highgate Park

Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

EXECUTIVE PLUS BRIDGEWATER HAVEN
Sleeps 8. 4 bedroom, 3 bath, Executive Plus Villa with extended pool spa deck.Gated community with tennis court / children’s play area. Just 15 mins to the gates of Disney and conveniently located for all the other major theme parks and close to numerous golf courses.

The villa has FREE unlimited international calls, PC/ internet & WI-FI also 47″HDTV with over 300 channels.

Accommodation

Bedrooms:
Bedroom 1: king bed, cable HD LCD TV, walk in closet, patio doors to pool.
Bedroom 2: queen bed, cable HD LCD TV, walk in closet.
Bedroom 3: with twin beds,cable HD LCD TV, walk in closet.
Bedroom 4: with twin beds, cable HD LCD TV, walk in closet.

Bathrooms:
Very large en-suite bathroom to master bedroom. Large walk-in shower and separate bath, his/hers sinks, separate wc.
Front bedroom and bedroom 3 share a Jack and Jill bathroom with shower, bath, sink and wc. Bathroom 2 with bath and shower, sink and wc.

Kitchen:
Our open-plan kitchen provides a spacious and relaxed atmosphere for even the busiest of mealtimes!
Our kitchen and dining area are well equipped with the latest appliances allowing full self-catering facilities, overlooking pool area and lanai.

Utility Room:
Washer and dryer along side each other. Ironing board, iron, washing basket, hoover, brush, dustpan.

Living Rooms:
Beautiful great family room, with 47′ LCD HD TV with over 250 channels/100 HD, DVD Player, large comfy leather sofa suite with coffee table and side tables. Patio doors lead out to the swimming pool area.

Other:
Computer area with stereo sound system and CD’s with comfy chair.

Amenities/Facilities provided

• hob/stove,
• oven,
• fridge/freezer,
• microwave,
• dishwasher,
• washing machine,
• tumble dryer,
• iron/ironing board,
• cable tv,
• tv,
• telephone,
• internet access,
• air conditioning,
• room fans,
• cot,
• high chair,
• private pool (for sole use of guests),
• pool heating

Accessibility
Double Doors to enter the home and door ways are wide enough for wheelchairs and the villa is open plan in the living area.

Outside
Our luxuries pool/spa deck overlooks a grass area with 3 sun loungers and has a large patio table with 4 chairs and 2 foot stools. The pool/spa area has a large lanai with a hedge either side for privacy. The extended pool/spa deck area enjoys full sun. The large patio and table area has a light and ceiling fan, this area is nicely shade. A removable fence is fitted around the pool for the safety of small children. The pool deck is accessible from the lounge and master bedroom.

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Luxury Florida Vacation Home in Orlando near Disney

Color is at the center of the sixth video in our series “Beneath the Surface”.
Reflecting the palate of nature, the colorful “One Ocean” set visually transforms Shamu Stadiumwith the vibrant colors of sea and sky.These colors brilliantly adorn the center-stage set, which is shaped as an 80-foot-wide killer whale fluke.

The window for its debut previously had been narrowed to “sometime in October,” but a specific date has now been given to aid in vacation planning.

“I’d estimate 80 percent of the inquiries we’ve received have been about our opening date,” Legoland Florida sales manager Todd Andrus said in a news release. “Guests are all but begging to know the date, so they can book their flights and accommodations, and purchase admission tickets.”

Admission tickets can be purchased at www.florida.legoland.com.

Legoland is being built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens park. It will cater to the 2- to 12-year-old crowd and their families with rides, shows and attractions across 150 acres.

Construction | Large Map | Video | Complete coverage

We're getting very close to opening The Grand Reef at Discovery Cove in Orlando.  Take a look at this video showing the construction progress.  Vice President Stewart Clark walks through some cool facts about the sand and water being used to create this beautiful new area at

After Universal Orlando’s announcement that it will open a Despicable Me ride at Universal Studios next year, four of animated film’s overalled, goggled, yellow minions led a group of Universal team members in a flashmob-esque dance to “Boogie Fever” Thursday morning. Nearly every ride was represented by dozens of employees in their official costumes.

The walkaround minion characters are fun — and the end of the ride will feature an interactive dance party, so it all makes sense in a theme-park sort of way.

Film producer Chris Meledandri is a fan.

“It has been an extraordinary experience to travel around the world for the last two years around the opening of the movie, with these minion characters,” he said. “I’m generally not someone who loves walkaround characters. But there is something about [them] , whether I’m in China or Mexico City or Detroit, there is something about these minions.

“There is a chemical reaction, whether you’re 5 years old or 55 years old. I’ve never seen anything like it. They’re simple characters, but they have a very specific spirit and it’s very infectious.”

 Read details about Universal’s plans for a Despicable Me ride and a digital upgrade to the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction at Islands of Adventure here.

McGuinn will not be in concert during the June 10 preview event. He will share tales of his 50-plus years in the music business, including his work as a songwriter in the famed Brill Building, his credit on “Ballad of Easy Rider” (courtesy of Bob Dylan) and his invention of the HD-7, a guitar with a second G-string.

The new exhibition, which debuts to the public on June 11, works its way through the history of the guitar with artifacts, video screens, interactive displays and kiosks. Displays will include international precursors to and relatives of the guitar, including the lute (Europe), tanbur (Persia), oud (mesopotamia), Luo nyatiti (Africa), pipa (China) and sitar (India).  Modern guitars also will be on hand, including mainstays such as the Fender, Gibson and Rickenbacker plus loaners from musicians Steve Vai, Johnny Winter, Andrian Belew and Joe Bonamassa.

Scientific and educational aspects will show how vibrating strings create sound, the electromagnetic properties associated with an electric guitar and the environmental issues tied to how wood used in guitars in disappearing with the rain forests.

The world’s largest guitar — 43.5 feet long, 16 feet wide and certified by Guiness World Records — is included in the exhibit, which was curated by The National Guitar Museum.

The event with McGuinn begins at 7 p.m. on June 10 with a cocktail reception followed by his appearance. Guests will have a preview of the exhibit before it opens to the public. Tickets for the McGuinn preview are $50, and proceeds support the science center’s mission to “inspire science learning for life.”

Seating is limited. To purchase tickets, contact Janie Black at 407-514-2272 or email jblack@osc.org.

“Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World” will open to the public June 11-Sept. 11  and be included in general admission to the Orlando Science Center, which is $17 general, $12 ages 3-11. For more information, go to www.osc.org or call 407-514-2000.

Dr. Oz is nationally syndicated. Check local listings for air times, or visit: DoctorOz.com

Scheduled performers for Friday, Sept. 9, include  Switchfoot, Dave Crowder Band, Anberlin, Grits, Family Force 5, Rhema Soul and Hyland.

Performers for Saturday, Sept. 10, include Casting Crowns, Third Day, Relient K, Red, Tenth Ave North, Brandon Heath and Live Fish.

Universal also lists a new Fan Zone this year that will include live music from Jason Castro, Dara Maclean and For King and Country.

Advance tickets, available via  www.UniversalOrlando.com, are $46.99 for a one-night ticket and $71.99 for a two-night ticket. Universal also offers a “Rock Your Weekend” option that covers both nights plus three days of park-to-park access at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for $95.99 and a Rock the Universe Express pass that grants front-of-line access to select attractions on an event night for $15.99.

Prices are for advance purchase and good for a limited time.

The events will run late in the day, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., using telescopes during daylight for solar viewing and starry night observation. Astronomers will answer participants’ questions about stars and planets.

A live planetarium show called “Orlando by Night” will be held at the science cneter’s Dr. Phillips CineDome at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The day’s “SunWatch” will be noon to 4 p.m., followed by “SkyWatch” from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., weather permitting.

A telescope will be given away during the activities. The recipient must be present to win.

The astronomy event is included in regular admission to the science center: $17 general, $12 for ages 3-11. Admission includes access to its exhibits, demonstrations and big-screen films.

For more information, go to www.osc.org or call 407-514-2000.

Note: The Orlando Science Center is in Loch Haven Park, site of the Orlando International Fringe Festival, which will be in full swing this weekend. Build in time for parking and traffic congestion.

The sixth video in our series “Beneath the Surface” focuses on the whales and their trainers. The presentation of these extraordinary animals connects guests to the sea with a new level of energy and excitement, all while educating and inspiring guests to make a difference in this world.

Big Time Rush, a band straight out of the Nickelodeon TV show “Big Time Rush” visited Universal Studios Saturday, where they also had a concert on Saturday. The group includes James Maslow (from left), Carlos Pena, Logan Henderson  and Kendall Schmidt , who play friends shoointg for stardom. The quartet also visited the Studios’ sister park, Islands of Adventure. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski, Universal Orlando).

Enter Oktoberfest and as you pass by Das Festhaus you see it rising into the sky – the massive spire known as Mach Tower. Craning your neck to see the top, you notice a group of revelers being lifted, spiraling into the stratosphere. Suddenly, in a rush of wind and screams, they drop. So does your jaw.

As the holiday season approaches, the biggest question I get is, "What do you do for the holidays?"  All of the animal staff are at the park 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  There isn't one of us who hasn't shared a Thanksgiving or Christmas with the animals we care for.  Whenever Thanksgiving comes along there is also that inevitable question, “What are you thankful for?”

With The Grand Reef opening soon at Discovery Cove, and all of the incredible things you can do -- swimming with dolphins, hand-feeding birds and snorkeling, we can't let you forget about the amazing food available too (yes, included with your admission!). Laguna Grill's coconut curry chicken is a Caribbean delight with a sweet flavor fused with a dash of spice. This chicken recipe is a perfect dish to liven up your summer. Try it out, and tell us what you think!

+ It’s the final weekend of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. This weekend’s HGTV guest is designer popular Vern Yip, who will speak at noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Festival Center. The Flower Power performers will be Herman’s Hermits at 6:15, 7:30 and 8:45 daily. For more information, go to www.disneyworld.com/flower.

+ Epcot will also be the scene of the Pixar 25th Anniversary Weekend celebration. On hand will be loads of meet-and-greet areas for Pixar characters from “Toy Story 3,” “Cars,” “Up,” “Ratatouille,” “A Bug’s Life” and more. Pixar creative types Jay Ward, Jonas Rivera and Michael Giacchino will be giving talks at  World Showplace, the building wedged between the U.K. and Canada pavilions. For more details, go to www.pixarweekend.com.

+ There’s even more Pixar activity over at Downtown Disney in the form of Car Master Weekend. There will be large radio-controlled versions of Lightning McQueen and Mater alongside a classic car show. That runs today through Sunday.

+ Big Time Rush, the musical group featured in the Nickelodeon series “Big Time Rush,” will perform live at Universal Studios at 7  p.m. Saturday. Earlier in the day, there will be opportunities to see a not-yet-seen episode of the show that will be screened at the park’s Animal Actors Theater. Show times are 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. The concert is included in regular theme-park admission.

+ A new big-screen feature debuts Saturday at Orlando Science Center. “Animalopolis” is a fanciful, kid-friendly look at wildlife, including cheetahs, bears, sea lions and the ilk. Show time is 2 p.m. Returning to OSC after  a successful showing last year is “Ultimate Wave: Tahiti” at noon. Films are included in regular science-center admission. Go to www.osc.org for more information and future show times.

+ At Ripley’s Odditorium on International Drive, Orlando’s own seven-time lottery winner Richard Lustig will be doing a book signing and appearing with Ripley’s cartoonist John Graziano, who included Lustig in a Believe It or Not panel. It’s an eclectic piece, of course, with Lustig sharing space with the eggs of a chambered nautilus and Iran flying jets built in the United States.  The event, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m, and open to the public, but if you want to tour the museum, regular admission applies. For more information, go to www.orlando.ripleys.com.

+ Road trip time? Tampa’s Busch Gardens hosts Glory in the Gardens on Saturday, featuring Christian singers Michael W. Smith and Sidewalk Prophets. Showtime is 5 p.m. at Gwazi Field. It’s included in regular theme-park admission.

Kasi made his national late night TV debut.

Jay got up-close and personal with a few owls. Although one had his eye on something in the rafters!

If you didn’t know about the croc monitors markings before the show aired, you do now.

The segment wrapped up with a pair of ‘vocal’ Asian small clawed otters who sure had an appetite.

What animal was your favorite guest on Tuesday’s show? Tell us in the comments.
 

This morning in San Antonio, SeaWorld and Southwest Airlines rolled out the red carpet for a lemur, a wallaby, and Pete a Magellanic penguin (you may remember Pete from his debut at 30,000 feet).

The courses will be located below the first level of CityWalk, next to the AMC Cineplex, and visible from the walkway that connects CityWalk and the Universal Orlando parking garage.

The look of the courses will be inspired by 1950s horror and science-fiction movies. Universal says it has planned elaborate theming for its courses, which will be called “The Haunting of Ghostly Green” and “Invaders from Planet Putt,” which will take players through a flying saucer, into a graveyard, near a giant spider and into the basement of a haunted house.  It will be open day and night, Universal says.

“We created Hollywood Drive-In to be fun and different and something everyone can enjoy,” said Ric Florell, senior vice president and general manager of resort revenue operations. “We used creative theming and state-of-the-art technology to take the experience to the next level.”

SeaWorld Orlando jumped into action on Friday, May 6 when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requested assistance caring for pilot whales that had beached themselves in a 12-mile radius near Cudjoe Key, Fla. 20 miles north of Key West.

Animal trainer/educator Julie Scardina will explain why the two animals are living together and their impending move to Cheetah Run, Busch Gardens’ animal habitat that is scheduled to open alongside the Cheetah Hunt roller coaster on May 27.

Also scheduled to appear are two Asian small clawed otters from SeaWorld San Diego and some unusual lizards.

“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” airs locally on WESH-Channel 2 at 11:35 p.m.

American Express Lounge is set to open Tuesday at Universal Studios.

The American Express Lounge is scheduled to open within the Universal Studios theme park on Tuesday, May 10.  The area will be open to guests who purchase a multi-park ticket or annual pass with an American Express Card at the front gate of the park or at UniversalOrlando.com.

The  lounge, located on the street that runs between Shrek 4-D and Monsters Cafe, will give air-conditioned comfort along with complimentary beverages and light refreshments. It will also have a charging station for cameras and cell phones.

The lounge, which will be staffed with a concierge for dining reservations and other services, will be open seven days a week.

Lounge access begins with purchases made Tuesday. To access the lounge, guests need to show their receipt (or confirmation page if purchased online) along with their AmEx card and ticket.

The event will be at Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza, 8031 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, on Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Near Whole Foods).

See further details (a.k.a drink specials) are at www.orlandosentinel.com/meetup. I plan to be there, so say hello (@themeparks).

However, the “DNA Day” event at the science center will continue as planned on Saturday.  From 10 a .m. to 4 p.m.,  there will be activities, speakers, tours and presentations that explore DNA in the aspects of health, research, everyday life and careers.  It’s included in regular science-center admission. For more information, go to www.osc.org.

Didn't get enough of Cinco de Mayo? Give this weekend’s dinner some sizzle with these not-too-spicy chicken fajitas. This flavor-packed recipe feeds about five people and also makes for great leftovers!   

“Turtle: the Incredible Journey” follows the life and migration of a loggerhead turtle from hatching to maturity and a return to its original Florida nesting grounds. The loggerhead turtle, a threatened species, has one of the longest and most difficult migratory patterns of any marine animal: Sea turtles newly hatched on the East Coast of the United States (usually in Florida) make their way from the sand into the ocean, and then begin a voyage that can span the entire Atlantic Ocean, only to return decades later to that same beach.

The film is directed by National Geographic Explorer’s Nick Stringer and narrated by Academy Award nominee Miranda Richardson. Stringer’s documentary team follows the loggerhead turtle on an adventure of more than 9,000 miles guided only by instinct. The crew spent two years following loggerhead turtles on their trips across the ocean, and have captured on film the remarkable life cycle of a beautiful creature that struggles to survive in an increasingly unforgiving environment.

The film does what our parks have been doing for more than five decades: inspire, enrich and entertain. Helping bring this film and its powerful message of the fragility and beauty of our oceans to the public is what SeaWorld is and what we have always been about.

SeaWorld is a global leader in the care and conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtles. The Rescue Team has rescued more than 1,500 injured or ill sea turtles over the past three decades. The team recently released its 1,000th rescued sea turtle back to nature, and the parks provide a permanent home to those animals whose injuries are too debilitating to survive in the wild.

The film will be released to theaters in both standard theatrical formats as well as 3D in selected locations starting June 24. This is the the same week as the opening of SeaWorld San Diego’s Turtle Reef, a new attraction that showcases this extraordinary species in a 300,000-gallon aquarium with a massive underwater viewing gallery.

The fifth video in our series “Beneath the Surface” takes you to the creative world of set design for the “One Ocean” show.

Cypress SkyCycle is scheduled to open above Osceola County's Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida in July.

An upcoming addition to Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida will have guests pedaling their way up in the treetops. The Cypress SkyCycle attraction will be a ride — picture a reclining bicycle — suspended from high-tension steel cables over forested wetlands and over a pond that’s home to a 13-foot alligator named George.

Cypress  SkyCycle is set to be completed in July. It will then be the first of its kind in the United States and only the second in the world. The ride technology, developed by ECO-Adventure Technolgies, has been used at Hidden Worlds Adventure Park in Mexico for four years. Florida EcoSafari’s version will be a companion for its zipline canopy tour known as the Zipline Safari. It opened in 2009.

“Our goal is to provide our guests with outrageously fun adventures first and foremost but at the same time get them an up-close and person view of this vitally important area that we’re helping to conserve,” Ken Wilshire, general manager of Florida EcoSafaris, said in a new release.

The attraction is still under construction, but the height is expected to be about 22 feet above the ground. The atmosphere should be more mellow than the zipline, meandering through foliage. The experience should take about an hour.

Ticket for the Cypress SkyCycle will be $45. Participants must be at least 10 years old and weigh less than 275 pounds. A combo ticket that includes SkyCycle and the Zipline Safari will go for $120, a $10 savings.

Advance reservations will be required at 407-957-9794, ext. 1.

A portion of the safaris’ revenue goes to support the Allen Broussard Conservancy, a nonprofit group trying to preserve and the ecosystems of Florida’s native wilderness. Forever Florida is in Osceola County, east of St. Cloud, about an hour’s drive from Orlando. For more information, go to www.FloridaEcoSafaris.com.

YouTube sensation Greyson Chance, 13, grabs a butterbeer while visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure on Monday. Chance gained popularity from a video of him singing an acoustic version of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at his sixth-grade music festival. (Photo by Universal Orlando)

Australian teen singer Cody Simpson posed with Homer Bart Simpson (no relation) at Universal Studios theme park in Orlando on Tuesday. Cody has recored a single with hip-hop artist Flo Rida (Photo by Dan LeClair, Universal Orlando).

The Friday before Easter, a group of dedicated SeaWorld Orlando team members hosted an Easter party for the children at Arnold Palmer Hospital in downtown Orlando. Kids were able to take a break from their treatments and enjoy a special Easter celebration just for them, featuring some famous SeaWorld characters.

Classic girl group Go-Gos will lead off the event at Music Plaza on June 11, followed by Nelly on June 18 and Third Eye Blind on June 25.

In July, theme-park guests can see Trey Songz on July 2, Boys Like Girls on July 9 and Drake on July 16.

Show times are at 9 p.m. each night. The concerts are included in regular theme-park admission.

November 15 marks the annual America Recycles Day, which brings awareness to importance of reducing our nation’s waste. According to the Houston Chronicle, America Recycles Day got its start thanks to Texas Recycles Day back in 1994.

Chef Robert Irvine, host of “Dinner: Impossible” on the Food Network, prepares fruits and vegetables with his daughter, Talia, while visiting Busch Gardens in Tampa.  They later fed the park’s Asian elephants with the finished products. As part of Talia’s 10th birthday celebration, they also tackled the theme park’s roller coasters with Irvine’s daughter, Annalise, and his girlfriend Gail Kim, who is a WWE wrestler. (Photos by Matt Marriott, Busch Gardens).

The crested caracara is the national bird of Mexico, and with Cinco de Mayo occurring this week, it seemed like a perfect time to spotlight this festive bird.

Kowalczyk released his first solo album, “Alive,”  last year  in the wake of the band’s 2009 breakup. Live catapulted to fame with back-to-back No. 1 albums, “Throwing Copper” in 1994 and “Secret Samadhi” in 1997. Their best-known single may be “Lightning Crashes,” which was released in 1995.

Kowalczyk will perform May 26 at the hotel. Velvet Sessions is a combination cocktail party and lobby concert. Admission is $29 in advance, $35 at the door. That includes specialty cocktails and finger foods from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., when the music (and the cash bar) kick in.

For more information, go to www.velvetsessions.com.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Design & Engineering Project Manager Iulia Lopez Siemen sat down with us to talk about what her role is with The Grand Reef project at Discovery Cove in Orlando.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Design & Engineering Project Manager Iulia Lopez Siemen sat down with us to talk about what her role is with The Grand Reef project at Discovery Cove in Orlando.

The Jazz Lounge will open in the Treasure Tavern space at 11 p.m. tonight and Saturday and will feature Latin jazz percussionist Orlando Sanchez and tropical jazz band Akanagana on stage until 2 a.m. Akanagana was the house band for TV’s “Emeril Live” and can been heard on the Nickelodeon show “Taina.”

A cover charge of $15 includes two well drinks. Hospitality workers with ID or check stub receive a $5 discount on the cover charge.

The address is 6400 Carrier Drive, Orlando, with guest parking on Canada Ave.

  The results of the 25th annual NAPHA Amusement Park and Attractions Survey have been released by the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA). We are honored to announce we have been voted the World’s Most Beautiful Amusement Park for 21 years in a row. Our commitment to creating memorable guest experiences with each visit to our park cannot be executed without the dedication of our landscaping team.

The film features cheetahs, lions, bears, otters, hippos, sea lions and more, including “scary crabs that hold a town hostage and even attempt to cuddle with children,” according to the science center press release.

That last part might sound a bit unnerving, but “Animalopolis” is aimed at a wide audience, all the way down to 3-year-old moviegoers, who may or may not have an aversion to cuddling with scary crabs. The film’s tone is designed to be light-hearted, told in a rhyming, humorous tone.

Returning on May 14 is “Ultimate Wave Tahiti,” which ran at the science center last year. Exiting is “Forces of Nature.”

All films are included in regular admission to the Orlando Science Center: $17 general, $12 for ages 3-11. For more info, go to www.osc.org.

It’s part of the Polk County attraction’s observance of National Military Appreciation Month.

The offer includes admission to a symposium called “D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy,” featuring World War II veterans, on May 13-14. The event includes an open-forum/question-and-answer session, followed by meet-and-greet/autograph signing session.

Guests must present a current military ID to qualify for the free ticket. The offer is not valid with any other offers or discounts.

For more details, go to www.fantasyofflight.com.

The fourth video in our series “Beneath the Surface” delves into some of the new whale behaviors in the “One Ocean” show.

While caring for both a rescued adult sandhill and an orphaned chick, SeaWorld’s Aviculture team put their problem-solving skills to work to create a successful surrogacy.

+ The Smithereens perform Thursday night as part of the Velvet Sessions concert series at Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. The event begins at 6:30 p.m., with showtime at 8:30. For more info, go to www.velvetsessions.com.

+ HGTV’s John Gidding is the guest speaker at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. He’ll give a presentation at the Festival Center at noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Musical guest is Paul Revere and the Raiders, who will perform three shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Show times are 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. For more info, go to www.disneyworld.com/flower.

+ Famed animal expert Jack Hanna will give talks at SeaWorld Orlando on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Catch him at Nautilus Theater at 1:15 and 3:15 p.m. those days. For more info, go to www.seaworldorlando.com.

+ The U.S. FLOW Tour, an indoor-surfing competition, stops at Fantasy Surf in Kissimmee on Saturday. Among the local competitors will be world champions Amanda McCormick and Sean Silveira. Admission is free.  Read more about the U.S. FLOW Tour coming to Fantasy Surf. For more info, go to www.ultimateindoorwave.com.

+ Christian-music group Jars of Clay will perform at Silver Springs in a 5 p.m. concert on Saturday. Prior to Jars, look for performances by Audrey Assad, Derek Webb and Matt Maher. For more info, go to www.silversprings.com.

+ Finally, a heads-up on a last chance offer: Saturday is the last day to buy annual passes to Legoland for $99. In fact, you get more than a year as the tickets will be good for unlimited use between the time the Winter Haven theme park opens this October and the end of 2012 — about 15 months’ worth. Tickets must be purchased online at www.florida.legoland.com.

On Saturday, May 7, author Marianne Berkes will have a reading and book signing from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Berkes, who lives in Hobe Sound in South Florida, will read from her books “Over in the Ocean,” “Going Around the Sun,” “Some Planetary Fun” and others.

Nature is a driving force in her books — the first one, “Marsh Music,” was inspired by the frogs she could hear after moving to Florida. She also emphasizes the importance of research.

Berkes’ appearances are included in regular science center admission.

On May 14, the tone gets more mature with “The Science of Wine,” which will be part fund-raiser, part tasting, part wine workshop. More than 130 wine from around the world will be available, along with food offerings from local restaurants from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Among the wines featured will be Rodney Strong, Gloria Ferrer, Ferrari Carano and Stags Leap Winery.

Interactive workshops will cover topics such as “Appellations, Can You Taste the Difference?” and “The Super Palette — Simple Sensory Evaluation of Wine.”

Tickets are $65 per person. Sponsorships are available from $1,500. Proceeds will benefit the science center’s educational programs for youth.

For more information, visit www.osc.org.

And since this is Legoland Florida, there’s what looks to be a slew of Lego oranges in the works.

The video release coincides with the final days in the park’s initial annual pass plus offer. If you order an annual pass now, it’s good for the park’s 2011 months and all of 2012. The offer is $99 until May 1, when it goes up to $129. You can purchase the passes at Legoland.com.

The exhibit now will close May 30 — that’s Memorial Day — rather than the previously announced May 29.  Here’s a preview I wrote last month for “The Working White House.”

The White House displays are included in regular admission to the history center: $12 general, $7 for ages 3-11. History center hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Also currently at the history center is “Florida in the Civil War,” which is set to stay at the downtown Orlando museum through June 12.

Performing on May 7 will be Mary Mary, a three-time Grammy-winning duo, and Lecrae, a hip-hop solo artist.

Artists for May 14 will be Michael W. Smith, who has won 44 Dove Awards, and Sidewalk Prophets, a group that won the Dove Award for “new artist of the year” in 2010.

The concerts will be at Gwazi Park, beginning at 5 p.m. both days. They are included in regular park admission, but a V.I.P. ticket that reserves a seat and includes a meal sells for $27.95. The V.I.P. deal is available at www.buschgardens.com and at the Adventure Outpost store.

By 12:45 p.m. Friday, the 1:30 “One Ocean” show had filled Shamu Stadium to capacity. That’s not unheard of at SeaWorld during peak times — the park takes pains to warn guests to arrive at shows early. But what was unusual: There were already close to 100 guests in line for the 3:30 “One Ocean.”

Parking gave a clue at how busy the park would be: I was parked in some grass near the Renaissance Resort. I’d never been back that far, to what’s called the Arthur C. Turtle Lot. Employees directed drivers out of the main parking lot, across the street, past a sign marked “Employee Overflow Parking,” through another lot and then to the grass. A tram took us to the entrance.

“One Ocean,” which replaced the long-running “Believe” show, plays several times throughout the day. On Friday, the showtimes posted inside the park did not match what’s on the SeaWorld website. Your best bet: Get to the park early, and prepare to wait.

"Our parks celebrate Earth Day every day. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens care for more than 60,000 animals, including 200 endangered and threatened species. At the heart of our commitment to these animals is a passion for celebrating and strengthening the human/animal connection. You will see this passion in the stories below, from a new Shamu show that inspires conservation to kids creating eco-projects. This Earth Day I hope you find your own passion and make a difference in preserving the world we share."

SeaWorld Orlando Celebrates Earth Day with New Shamu Show

“One Ocean,” an all-new Shamu show, debuts today at SeaWorld Orlando. The show connects guests to the sea and killer whales with a new level of energy and excitement while it educates and inspires. The message of caring and respect for the world we share is woven throughout the show – encouraging guests to make a difference through their own everyday actions. ”One Ocean” will debut at SeaWorld San Diego in May and SeaWorld San Antonio in June. Read more.

Enviro-students Come to the Earth's Aid

From creating fundraisers to help endangered turtles to designing a “green” river barge, kids across the U.S. are coming up with creative ways to conserve. April 28-29 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is honoring eight groups with a SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Award. Each winning group receives $10,000 to fund their efforts. Since 1993 the company has awarded $1.8 million to nearly 160 schools. Read more.

For more stories like this, sign up for SEAmail by clicking here. 

Young visitors to the Orlando Science Center can meet critters in the "Natureworks" exhibit. (Photo from Orlando Science Center)

The Walmart Foundation and the Orlando Science Center will host “Walmart $5 Day” at the Orlando Science Center this Saturday, April 23. All guests to the Science Center on that day will enjoy exhibits, films and live programs for the significantly discounted price of $5. (General admission fees are usually $17 for adults and $12 for children ages 3-11).

“Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are dedicated to make an impact in communities where our employees and customers live and work,” said Rick Tomb, Walmart market manager for Central Florida. “We are very proud of programs like Walmart $5 Day because we immediately see the result on the faces of the visitors to the Orlando Science Center.”

This event will feature Earth Day adventures for the entire family.  Little ones can enjoy eco-activities in the KidsTown preschool area and adults can experience behind-the-scenes green-building tours, including the facility’s new 144 panel solar array and cutting edge new HVAC system.

On level four, guests can indulge in delicious s’mores that they create using solar ovens or check out water-conservation experiments in Dr. Dare’s Lab. Guest artist Dale Wayne will work with visitors of all ages to create artwork out of recycled plastic containers.

In addition, encounter live swamp critters in NatureWorks or test your meteorology skills in the severe weather center within the earth and space science exhibit, “Our Planet, Our Universe.” In between exhibits, watch movies on the eight-story screen within the Dr. Phillips CineDome.

“Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees” invites viewers to be among the few humans to venture into the jungle to see these creatures at close range.  Chronicling Dr. Jane Goodall’s more-than 40 years of legendary work among the chimps at Gombe Park in Africa, this film immerses you in the world of the chimpanzee.

Little ones can spend time with another curious creature by venturing into the exhibit “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious.” Based on the familiar characters in H.A. and Margret Rey’s classic stories published by Houghton Mifflin, the exhibit inspires children’s natural curiosity as they explore early science, math and engineering through hands-on interactive play. Young visitors will also be able to enjoy exhibits such as the echo tube in “Science Park,” dinosaur fossils in “DinoDigs,” and the live reptiles in “NatureWorks.”

“Walmart $5 Days make a huge impact on the families of our community and we so appreciate Walmart’s support with this event,” said JoAnn Newman, president and CEO of the Science Center. “Families have a wonderful day of fun and discovery.”

For more information on Walmart $5 Day on April 23,  call 407-514-2000 or go to  www.osc.org.

In July of 1989, a young orphaned manatee was rescued near Daytona Beach, FL and brought to SeaWorld’s Manatee Rehabilitation Facility. Weighing only 42 pounds, this tiny calf was named Lil Joe. After hands-on care, Lil Joe would grow to become a special, not-so-little manatee.
 

Florida
On Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23, SeaWorld Orlando educators will engage guests with interactive educational experiences throughout the park. Guests can pick up an Earth Day passport at the first participating exhibit they visit and receive animal cutouts at each successive location. Each area has exciting opportunities to learn about animals, ecosystems, conservation and more.

On Saturday April 23, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa volunteers will help Tampa Bay Watch restore oyster reefs on Weedon Preserve in St. Petersburg, Fla.

California
SeaWorld will show San Diegans what the park’s Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program is all about during the 21st annual EarthFair in Balboa Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 17. Some of the park’s animal care specialists will be on hand to talk about how SeaWorld rescues an average of 200 stranded sea lions, seals, pelicans and other marine species each year, giving a second chance to animals that would otherwise not survive. The interactive booth will include a game that illustrates how ocean animals get injured by items such as fishing hooks and plastic trash bags and kids will also get to see SeaWorld’s rescue truck. San Diego’s EarthFair in Balboa Park is the largest free annual environmental fair in the world. For more information, visit www.earthdayweb.org.

SeaWorld will join volunteers from all over the county for this year’s I Love a Clean San Diego’s Creek to Bay Cleanup, 9 a.m. to noon, April 30. As one of the site captains of the event, SeaWorld will oversee the cleaning of the Mission Bay-South Shores Boat Launch. Since its inception in 2003, the Creek to Bay Cleanup has drawn more than 17,000 volunteers, who have removed close to one million pounds of trash and recyclables, covering 679 miles of San Diego’s inland areas and coastal shorelines. SeaWorld’s participation is part of the park’s Green Week 2011 activities. For more information, or to register for the Creek to Bay Cleanup, visit www.creektobay.org.

Virginia
On April 22 Busch Gardens and Water Country USA will participate in the annual Earth Day Fair in Yorktown. Participants will learn how to live green and what green initiatives are in place at local businesses like the parks. The fair also features free on-site document shredding and electronic equipment recycling.
 

The baby cheetah and its Lab puppy friend get names (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)

The facebook poll is closed and the baby cheetah at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and its Labrador puppy friend now have names.

The cheetah is named Kasi, Swahili for “one with speed” and the puppy is named Mtani, Swahili for “close friend.”

The 8 1/2-week old cheetah was born at the Jacksonville Zoo, but its mother was not able to care for it, so it was sent to Busch Gardens for nurturing, and it will eventually move near the new Cheetah Run attraction slated to open with the Cheetah Hunt roller coaster later this year.

Kasi nabbed 44 percent of the 1,103 votes while Mtani received 512 percent of 1,360 votes in the online polls.

Fans also offered their own suggestions such as Sugar and Spice or Will and Kate.

The public was able to view the baby cheetah and puppy for the first time this past weekend during supervised visits in their new playroom at Jambo Junction. The two will live there for the next several months before moving to a large outdoor area near the Cheetah Run habitat and make regular sidewalk appearances as part of the park’s education team.

Cheetahs are included on both the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of vulnerable species as well as on the US Endangered Species Act list of threatened species. Only approximately 12,400 cheetahs remain in the wild.

Check out Cheetah Run and Cheetah Hunt photos in this gallery.

SeaWorld's "Believe" show wraps up Thursday. (photo by Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

There are just a few performances left of SeaWorld’s signature “Believe,” the Shamu-starring show that helped raise the bar for the park’s entertainment offerings when it debuted in the spring of 2006.

“Believe” had lofty ambitions to be much more than an animal-tricks show. It had a theme — it was about dreaming and empowerment just as much as getting soaked by Shamu. It had a stirring musical score by Christopher Ward, recorded by the Czech Film Orchestra, and dynamic songs by John Stothers, sung by Nancy Coletti.

Detractors said the touchy-feeling aspects of the show took the focus off the killer whales and put it on the trainers, but I disagreed. I always felt “Believe” highlighted SeaWorld’s pro-nature message of “We’re all part of one big family.”

After the tragic death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, killed while interacting with the killer whale Tillikum, SeaWorld pulled all trainers out of the water during shows and reworked “Believe” on the fly.

But without the human-whale interaction that “Believe” celebrated, the show’s concept seemed awkward, and it was just a matter of time until a new show was created.

“One Ocean,” the replacement show debuts Friday. But I’m grateful to SeaWorld that it preserved the original show on DVD — and the show’s inspiring soundtrack on CD. Both are still available in the park, and are being sold for only $5.

“Believe” plays at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. through Thursday, April 21, according to the SeaWorld website.

Participants brought child-friendly, non-perishable food items to help “pack the pickups” that will transport the food contributions to the Home. After the race, acknowledging Dawn’s passion for children and learning, SeaWorld Orlando’s education and pavilion area was named the “Dawn Brancheau Educational Complex.”

For the second video in our series “Beneath the Surface”, we invite you to follow the musical journey of “One Ocean’s” original score.
Music has the ability to bring people together in friendship and celebration and SeaWorld’s new killer whale show soars with a contemporary symphonic score.

So that means the concert by the Beach Boys will be at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and the preceding parade will begin moving through the streets of the theme park at 8:30 p.m.

The same will be true the following weekend for the 30 Seconds to Mars concert, which will be the last event of this year’s Mardi Gras at Universal.

The events are included in regular theme-park admission. For more information, go to www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.

+ At Epcot, the  Flower Power concert series continues with Juice Newton (trivia: her given name is Judith). She perform hits at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. at the America Gardens Theater on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, this week’s HGTV guest as part of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will be Patti Moreno of “Garden Girl.” She’ll speak at the Festival Center at noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, go to www.disneyworld.com/flower

+ Look for Easter-egg activity early at Orlando Science Center, which will have a preschooler-oriented “Eggtastic Easter Workshop” from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. We wrote a bit about this earlier this week, but reservations are required. More information, go to www.osc.org.

Cats and dogs living together! That’s what Busch Gardens has with its little 8-week old cheetah and a 16-week old yellow Labrador. The cheetah came to the Tampa theme park after its mother could not care for it at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. Last weekend, this duo was introduced and eventually they will live and travel together as part of Busch Gardens’ education team.

As of this Saturday, they will be visible to guests at select times at Jambo Junction in the Nairobi section of the theme park.

The park is asking the public to help name both animals through a poll on its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/buschgardenstampabay. I just clicked on the polls and got error messages, but the choices for the cheetah appear to be Kasi (“one with speed”), Matuko (“grace”), Ravanta (“breaker of speed”) and Umeme (“lightning”). Dog choices appear to be Njano (“yellow”), Tiifu (“loyal”), Thabo (“joy”) and Mtani (“close friend”). The polls close at noon on Monday, and the names, which are Swahili, will be announced that afternoon.

This is the park’s first cub-puppy combo, but it says that the arrangement is not uncommon in zoo circles.

“Male cheetahs are social and often live together in coalitions,” said Tim Smith, an animal curator at Busch Gardens. “This social bond will be a very similar relationship, and they will be together for life.”

SeaWorld takes pride in the fact that each and every day our team members come to work, they make a difference -- Jennifer Hite is no exception. Working for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment for more than six years has inspired Jennifer to dedicate her career and personal time to animals.

Its “Eggtastic Easter Workshop,” set for Saturday, April 16, includes hands-on activities, treats and educational moments for little ones.  Kids will learn about eggs and what happens when the Easter bunny isn’t feeling well and just can’t hop to it. 

Partipants will bring home a certificate and a handicraft project.

Workshop hours are 10 a.m. to noon, at which time guests can explore the rest of the science center.

Cost is $25 per parent and child ($5 for additional parent). This is in addition to regular science-center admission.  

Reservations are required and space is limited. For more information, go to www.osc.org or call 407-514-2112.

Tomorrow, April 12 SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove will be featured on the site. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens single-day admission tickets will be available for sale for only $39 each. Discovery Cove’s all-inclusive dolphin experience packages will be on sale for only $175 each. What a deal!

All proceeds go directly to the USTA to promote travel within the United States.

For terms & conditions please visit the links below and click on the 'Terms & Conditions' tab

SeaWorld

Busch Gardens

Discovery Cove 

NASA officials and astronauts will spotlight the accomplishments of the shuttle fleet and Kennedy Space Center workers during a  public presentation at 4:30 p.m.

Also making an appearance: a shuttle-themed cake presented by Buddy Valastro, a baker featured on “Cake Boss.”  Other activities will be musical entertainment by the Space Connection band, face painting, educational activities and recognition of 30-year space shuttle workers. Guests can enter to win a pair of V.I.P. tickets for the launch of STS-135 space shuttle Atlantis.

Tuesday celebration is include with admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For more information, go to www.KennedySpaceCenter.com or call 877-313-2610.

Your vote will help them secure the “Top 50 Shelter” spot needed to be a national finalist. Imagine the good they could do for homeless pets in our communities with this prestigious grant.

Tell everyone you know to vote every day now through April 14 for Orange County Animal Services (located in Orlando, Fla.) or Animal Care Services (located in San Antonio, Texas) at www.votetosavelives.org.

“SeaWorld’s Happy Tails” provides two free tickets to SeaWorld to animal lovers who adopt a dog or cat from a participating shelter. So far more than 1,000 animals have been adopted since the program’s launch! Visit www.seaworldcares.com for more information.

Thank you so much for your support.

SeaWorld parks across the United States are counting down the days to the debut of the all-new killer whale show "One Ocean."  The show connects guests to the sea with a new level of energy, excitement and vibrancy as it educates and inspires them to make a difference in this world.  "One Ocean" opens at SeaWorld Orlando on Earth Day, Friday, April 22; at SeaWorld San Diego on Memorial Day weekend and SeaWorld San Antonio in June.

If you are interested in signing up to receive SEAmail, click here and check out a sneak peek below. 

Letter from Jim Atchison:

Every day in our parks, team members' passion and ingenuity create extraordinary results -- from saving a newborn dolphin calf that would die in the wild to helping scientists better understand the biology of elephants. One of these innovations occurs this month at Sesame Place. They are making a difference for children with autism, making sensory and dietary accommodations so that these children can enjoy the park with their families. We hope to make a difference.  One child. One guest. One animal at a time.

Baby Beluga Saved by SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Website "Sounds" Great

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Unlocking Animal Mysteries

Animal experts at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are working on research projects that will provide valuable information for the zoological community. One project uses infrared technology to determine how the park’s Asian elephants regulate body heat. By documenting how these elephants shed excess heat into the environment at night and how they cool down during the day, park experts are gaining valuable insight into this important aspect of animal biology. Read more.

SeaWorld Orlando Returns 1000th Sea Turtle to the Wild

SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue Team returned its 1,000th sea turtle to the wild.The team's success rate in caring for threatened or endangered sea turtles is remarkably high. Sixty-eight percent of the turtles brought to SeaWorld in the past 30 years have been returned to the wild after hands-on care and TLC by turtle experts and veterinarians. Each sea turtle was rescued by the staff or brought to the park due to cold stress, injuries from nets, fishing line and hooks, ingestion of trash such as plastic bags, boat strikes, natural causes and, most recently, oil contamination. Read more.

SeaWorld San Antonio Provides Permanent "Roost" For Pair of Resuced Pelicans

SeaWorld’s goal for all rescued animals is to successfully rehabilitate them for return to the wild. A small percentage of rescued animals have injuries too debilitating to permit release. Such was the case for Holly and Flo, two brown pelicans at SeaWorld San Antonio. Both birds suffered from broken wings – Holly’s wing had to be amputated – making their return to the wild impossible. They are now animal ambassadors for their species, helping guests appreciate the beauty and fragility of the natural world.

Conservation Takes Flight at One of America's Historic Settlements

Every year Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s animal ambassadors and their handlers visit dozens of schools, community centers and festivals to educate the public about wildlife conservation. Recently at Historic Jamestowne the park’s feathered friends, including a bald eagle, helped teach more than 200 visitors the importance of habitat protection. Read more. 

SeaWorld San Antonio Provides Permanent "Roost" For Pair of Resuced Pelicans

Approximately one in 150 children in the U.S. has autism or a related disorder. In April Sesame Place is opening its doors to children diagnosed with autism for an exclusive fun-filled day at the park. Accommodations are being made to adjust to the children’s sensory and dietary needs such as altering the park’s shows and offering gluten- and casein-free foods. Read more.

9205 South Park Center Loop, Suite 400 | Orlando, FL 32819
Privacy Policy | © 2010 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

April 2011 Edition

SeaWorld parks across the U.S. will soon debut an all-new Shamu show this spring and summer, connecting you and your family to the sea with a new level of energy, excitement and vibrancy as it educates and inspires you to make a difference in this world.
SeaWorld Orlando launches One Ocean on April 22. 

+ But the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival rolls on. The musical guest for the Flower Power concert series is Marilyn McCoo, who will perform Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. at America Gardens Theatre. This week’s HGTV-oriented speaker is Ahmed Hassan of “Yard Crashers,” whose topic will be “Life, Love and Landscaping” at noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. McCoo and Hassan appearances are included in regular park admission. For more information, go to www.disneyworld.com/flower

+ Lifehouse, the rock band behind “Hanging by a Moment” and “You and Me,” will perform the Mardi Gras concert at Universal Studios on Saturday. Show time is 8:30, and it’s preceded by the usual parade through the streets of the theme park. All that’s included in regular park admission. For more information, go to www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.

+ On Sunday, the Orange County Regional History Center will present Civil War re-enactors who will interact with guests. It’s in conjuction with the “Florida in the Civil War” exhibit, and it’s designed to show the lives of a variety of 1860s people. Plus, there will be desserts of the era. Hours are 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. on Sunday at the current admission prices of $12 general, $7 ages 3-12, which includes access to all history center exhibits. For more information, go to www.thehistorycenter.org.

The devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Northern Japan on March 11 greatly impacted several zoos and aquariums in the area. The facilities have been dealing with a wide range of issues including flooding, structural damage, power outages, and gas and fuel shortages. Food and drinking water for both staff members and animals have also come into short supply. One zoo, The Aquamarine Fukushima, suffered damage that required the transport of their animals to another aquarium.

Which Orlando park can you find this thrilling ride? 

Meet Project Manager Iulia Lopez Siemen as she takes you through a construction update in this video focusing on the installation of the acrylic panels at The Grand Reef at Discovery Cove in Orlando. 

Who’s the most expensive marine mammal to feed at SeaWorld San Diego? A young, rescued California sea otter (weighing in at 20 pounds) is trying to take that top honor, eating a whopping 6 to7 pounds of shrimp, crab and clams every day. Wow, that’s about 32 percent of her body weight!

Three of the original members of the Smithereens are still with the group: Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken. They are joined by Severo “The Thrilla” Jornacion.

Admission at the door is $35; buying online costs $29. There’s a VIP option available for $50.

Concert time is 8:30 p.m., but starting at 6:30 p.m., there are free finger foods along with some specialty drinks. When band starts, so does the cash bar.

Parking is included with admission.

For more information, go to www.velvetsessions.com.

A video on the SeaWorld blog (www.insideseaworld.com) touts the show’s colorful backdrop (which can be already be seen as a work in progress at the stadium), new orchestral music and new trainer wetsuit/uniforms  that are a medium blue with a printed area that includes details of a whale tale and a line pattern.

SeaWorld has said it is moving forward with plans to have trainers back in the water with the whales, but it has not announced a time frame. Last week, Tilikum, the whale involved with the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau last year, returned to the “Believe” show after an absence of more than a year.

Grammy winner Ne-Yo poses with two  ”Men in Black” characters while at Universal Studios on Satuday. The singer/songwriter was the musical guest at the theme park’s Mardi Gras celebration this weekend. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Universal Orlando)

Ellen DeGeneres taped episodes of her daytime talk show at Universal Orlando again on Sunday. It’s the fifth time in six years that “The Ellen DeGeneres Sh0w” has been produced at Universal CityWalk and other Universal locations.

 The company certainly got some love during the two episodes: All three Universal hotels got prominent mention during pretaped bits as did many attractions at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, including Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (though the name was fumbled repeatedly), Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster, Jurassic Park River Adventure and  Dr. Doom’s Fear Fall. there was talk of Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but not nearly the footage seen during DeGeneres’ visit last year before WizWoHaPo had even opened.

Shoot, they even went inside the rarely opened triceratops attraction for DeGeneres and a young dinosaur fan. (“I’m not sure I needed to see a dinosaur peeing,” DeGeneres noted. Me either.)

OK, so we won’t give away too much here, but if you’re severely allergic to spoilers, turn away … now!

Can’t be sure what all will get cut in editing — both tapings exceeded the hour mark. We did hear Duran Duran do three songs for Tuesday’s show and Kelly Clarkson did a medley of her hits for Wednesday. Actually, she did it twice, I think, for technical reasons. Both times the CityWalk crowd automatically jumped and pumped to “Since U Been Gone.” It may be genetic.

For both shows, an Ellen-type game was constructed in the lagoon called “CityWalk the Plank.” Don’t answer the question right? Into the water you go. I was surprised, pleasantly, that both LL Cool J and Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”) were game to play the game — and, of course, had to jump in.

In a prerecorded bit for the Tuesday show, the “Dance Assassin” assumed several camoflague costumed (rock, vines, trash bag) and startled theme-park guests (and allowed for more footage in the parks). It’s mean and funny — and worth a haunted-house treatment at a future Halloween Horror Nights, if you ask me.

Spotted in the crowd, down front: Portia De Rossi, DeGeneres’ wife.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” airs locally on WESH-Channel 2 at 3 p.m. weekdays.

As always, DeGeneres interacted with the crowd. And there was a lot of dancing.

DJ Tony (far right) had a station above stage level along the edge of the amphitheater, a bit farther from the action than usual.

This is Duran Duran on stage with the Riff Raff-ers before them. Trust me.

Finally, Kelly Clarkson waits to go on — and belt out that medley.

Actress Cheryl Hines feeds a giraffe with her daughter Catherine at Busch  Gardens in Tampa this week.  She’s best known for being in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and she’s also an alum of the University of Central Florida.

Participants are encouraged to bring child-friendly, non-perishable food items to help “pack the pickups” that will transport the food contributions to the Home that afternoon. After the delivery, Foundation members and volunteers will stay to complete several major projects on the Home’s property.

After the race, acknowledging Dawn’s passion for children and learning, SeaWorld Orlando’s education and pavilion area will be named the “Dawn Brancheau Educational Complex.”

Also on April 16 the Foundation will participate in the “Adopt-A-Villa” program at Give Kids the World. Foundation members and volunteers will spring clean the Foundation’s special villa and assist with the completion of other projects on the property.

Volunteers interested in helping at one or both events can sign up by e-mailing the Foundation at DawnsFoundation@gmail.com.

Dawn Brancheau’s passion for life and true love of others inspired the formation of The Dawn Brancheau Foundation. The Foundation inspires others to follow the principles Dawn held dear: follow your dreams, be active in community service and show compassion to others.

Schedule of Events for Saturday, April 16

Dream Big 5K and 1-Mile Family Fun Walk at SeaWorld Orlando
6 a.m. – Registration.
7:15 a.m. – Race start time

Community service at Give Kids the World and The Central Florida Children’s Home
11 a.m.

The event will include the full show of “A Tale of Two Genies,” a special presentation of the horses and a  brunchy menu with choices including chicken cordon bleu with asparagus and mashed potatoes; quiche Florentine with mixed fruit and blueberry muffin; or chicken tenders with macaroni and cheese for children.

All mothers at the matinee will receive a pink carnation. (I was all set to be snarky and say “but does she get a fork?” … But one of the FAQ on the Arabian Nights site is “Do I have to eat with my hands.” The answer is no — Arabian Nights provides utensils. Who knew?)

Ticket prices are $40 for adults, $25 for children, including gratuity.

Reservations are required. Call 800-553-6116 or 407-239-9223.

For more info, go to www.arabian-nights.com.

Poaching is a serious and growing concern all across the African continent that affects the survival of not only individual animals but entire populations. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy serves as a refuge for elephants, endangered black rhinos, Grevy’s zebra and multitudes of other species.

 + But if you want to brave the elements and start early, tonight is the Velvet Sessions concert at Universal’s Hard Rock Hotel with Taylor Dayne. Showtime is 8:30, but it’s preceded by two hours of free finger foods and specialty drinks. For more information, go to www.velvetsessions.com.

+ It’s another set of back-to-back Mardi Gras nights at Universal Studios. Along with the usual bead-crazy parade, look for concerts by rapper Sean Kingston (“Beautiful Girls,” “Fire Burning”) on Friday and Ne-Yo (“So Sick,” “Miss Independent”) on Saturday. Show times are 8:30 p.m.; the parade runs just before that. Mardi Gras activities are included in regular park admission. For more information, go to www.universalorlando.com.

+ The weekend’s Flower Power concert features Starship starring Mickey Thomas. Show times are 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. at Epcot’s America Gardens Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s part of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The HGTV personality making appearances at the Festival Center will be Taniya Nayak from “Designed to Sell.” Her topic will be “Adding Value to Your Home Without Breaking the Bank,” and she’ll speak at noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The concert and speeches are included in regular park admission. For more information, go to www.disneyworld.com/flower.

+ Puerto Rican singer Ednita Nazario puts the exclamation point on SeaWorld Orlando’s Viva La Musica on Saturday. It’s the last day of the Latin cuisine and culture event, which begins at noon. Narazio goes on stage at Bayside Stadium at 3 p.m. Viva La Musica is included in regular park admission. For more info, go to www.seaworldorlando.com.

+ Ellen DeGeneres returns to Universal CityWalk to tape two episodes of her talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Sunday. All tickets for seating have been distributed already, but the public can still participate in the Riff Raff Street Party up on the plaza level. (That view is usually pretty good for the musical artists, which have typically performed on a stage up near the CityWalk clubs.) The noon taping will feature LL Cool J, a performance by Duran Duran and an appearance by the Dance Assassin (a.k.a. Robert Hoffman). The 3 p.m. taping will include a performance by Kelly Clarkson and an appearance by Eric Stonestreet of “Modern Family.” Hanging with the Riff Raff is free, but be prepared to pay for parking in Universal’s mega-garage. I’ll be Tweeting from the “Ellen” tapings. Follow me at www.twitter.com/themeparks.

Busch Gardens in Tampa has shared these pictures of a baby Thomson’s gazelle that its animal-care team has been hand-raising. The baby female was born on Feb. 25, weighing in at just more than 4 pounds. She soon began refusing to take milk from her mother, so the Busch Gardens team started bottle-feeding the baby — five bottles a day. She has gained more than 2 pounds, Busch Gardens says.

The young “tommy” will stay in the theme park’s back area until healthy enough to join the herd on Busch Gardens’ Serengeti Plain. Guests see the herd from Nairobi Walkway or from the Serengeti Express Railway.

It’s amazing what you can do with a good plan and a good team. Recently, bird keepers at SeaWorld San Diego led a flock of flamingos from their public display at the park to a behind-the-scenes aviary to make way for construction for our 2012 attraction, Manta. Trick is, this was a flock of 166 birds and our keepers had never executed a move quite like this before.

The rail is in position throughout the park. From the vantage point mnear the entrance of Rhino Rally, we could see a ride vehicle dangling.

A closer look reveals some of the cheetah marking on the vehicles.

More twisting and turning of the attraction.

The rail loops over the lines for the Skyride attraction, which has been closed during the Cheetah Hunt construction. The Skyride will be coming back, Busch Gardens officials assure me. This looks like a close call to my eye, but I’ll reserve judgement until we see it in action. It could be more excitement than has ever been on the Skyride (That’s the Crown Colony station in the background.)

Most of the visual interest is the funky hands-toward-heaven sort of knot that’s the high point of the coaster. There’s still some decor/banners to be added to the structure.

When you see the full length (say, from a crack in the construction wall), it looks a bit perilous — in a good, roller coaster way.

The view from beneath looks like a figure 8 or a pretzel. It might be fun to watch it from the ground as well.

The quartet Big Time Rush, stars of a Nickelodeon series of the same name, will perform at Universal Studios theme park’s Music Plaza on Saturday, May 14. The concert will be included in regular theme-park admission.

The foursome play high-school students/best buds who have the opportunity for stardom as a boy band in California.  Their first album, “BTR,” consists of songs from the series, and it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. Their current single (featuring Snoop Dogg) is called “Boyfriend.”

Theme park guests on May 14 will also be able to see a yet-to-be-aired episode of “Big Time Rush.” Viewings of the “Big Time Prom” episode, in which all four guys vie to be prom king, will be shown throughout the day at the Animal Actors on Location theater.

The series stars/band members are Kendall Schmidt, Carlos Pena Jr., Logan Henderson and James Maslow.

This tiny eastern Australia native is known for its not-so-tiny voice, and with a big voice comes an even bigger appetite! Kookaburras eat a variety of mice, lizards and sometimes even venomous snakes.

SeaWorld wants our loyal fans to be the first to preview our brand new Web sites for San Diego and San Antonio. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below. Our fans’ feedback is important to us as we continue to enhance the SeaWorld online experience.

I can’t say that a Charo concert was on my bucket list. But the prospect of her and her cuchi-chuchi did draw me to Busch Gardens this weekend, where she was the final performer in the Tampa theme park’s Real Music Series. It was remarkable in a number of ways, not the least of which was her constant pacing/running in place/cha-cha-cha sort of movement in high-high heels. (Charo says she’s 60, although other sources say 70.)

If you’re too young to see Charo in her “Love Boat” heyday, it’s hard to explain her appeal — or even her genre. At Busch, she was introduced as “international star Charo.” Her performance incorporated songs — including a cover of Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” and accompanying shimmy-ing with audience members — and a couple of her guitar solos. During Charo’s costume change, a couple danced Latin numbers.

The act had stand-up comedy thrown in, much of it making fun of herself and her accent. But she said she didn’t want to be on “Dancing With the Stars” because she didn’t like judge Bruno Tonioli. “His accent sucks,” she said.

Charo, who was on her way to Europe to promote her single “Sexy, Sexy,”  said this was a mini-version of her Las Vegas stage show, where tickets are $250. I liked the price we paid instead: Included in theme park admission.

+ It’s another double dose of Mardi Gras at Universal Studios with concerts on both Friday and Saturday nights. Friday features OneRepublic, the band behind “Stop and Stare” and “Apologize.” Country star Blake Shelton performs Saturday. Show time is 8:30 p.m. both nights at Music Plaza, and the concerts are preceded by the Mardi Gras parade and associated festivities.

+ Melissa Manchester (“Don’t Cry Out Loud”) takes to the stage for Epcot’s Flower Power concert series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There are three concerts each day at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. at the America Gardens Theater. (OK, we don’t think he’ll burst into song, but HGTV’s Brian Patrick Flynn of “Design Happens” will appear at the Festival Center those days at noon and 3 p.m.)

+ Jerry Rivera will perform Saturday at SeaWorld Orlando’s Viva La Musica festival, which celebrates Latin cuisine and culture. Festivities begin at noon, with Rivera on stage at Bayside Stadium at 3 p.m.

Legoland Florida is on schedule to open in Winter Haven in October.

Construction of  Legoland Florida has left the preliminary stages, and we’ll soon start seeing rides and attractions go up at the Winter Haven site where the Cypress Gardens theme park resided for decades. I wrote a story about Legoland’s progress for Thursday’s paper, but here are some odds and ends gleaned from our media helicopter tour and subsequent interviews with general manager Adrian Jones and Jill Swidler, marketing manager.

+ The park is scheduled to open in October, but they are not releasing a more specific date yet.  “We need the flexibility really in case of weather, acts of God, whatever,” Jones said. “At the moment, it’s all going to plan, which is great news.”

+ When Legoland Florida opens, there will be a shuttle running every day from the Orlando Premium Outlets in Lake Buena Vista. There will be a “minimal fee” for the transportation, Swidler said.

+ Returning to the landscape will be the Flying Island, an observation area that was grounded in the final years of Cypress Gardens (it’s the round structure at the bottom of photo above). Jones said it will be ready by opening day — probably sooner. It has been repainted and is getting a “complete overhaul” of bearings and structure, he said.  “All being well, that will be one of the first things we actually have up and running,” Jones said.

+ Another segment set to be complete early is Miniland USA, the Lego recreation of cityscapes and landmarks, which will include Kennedy Space Center, the Daytona International Speedway and Key West’s Mallory Square. In fact, it’s mostly complete now, but currently in other countries where it was assembled — as far away as Malaysia, where Legoland is constructing another park.

+ The botanical gardens are being maintained. The bridges and pathways are being repaired, and the banyan tree is thriving (it was heated over the winter), Jones said. “We’ll be having a number of treasure hunts, we’ll be looking at Lego  Cypress Belles as well, and trying to find creative ways of bringing people into the gardens,” he said.

+ Both sets of stadium seating along Lake Eloise are being restored, although they only expect to use the northernmost (and older) one for the show. Details are mostly under wraps about the show still.  “It’s going to have classic ski elements in there,” Jones said. “It’s going to be all themed around Lego pirates, but there are a few surprises that I don’t want to really reveal yet, obviously, as it relates to the usage of the pirates figures themselves.”

+ Cypress Gardens’ Triple Hurricane coaster is being rethemed into a dino-coaster. It will be the first wooden coaster at any Legoland park.  “It’s something that we would love to build in some of the other parks,” Jones said.

+ The $99 annual pass deal continues at www.legoland.com through April 30. It will be good from the time the park opens in October through the end of 2012, so “annual” in this case will really be closer to 15 months of admission.

+ There are nearly 300 construction workers on site now. When Legoland Florida opens, it will have about 1,000 workers (a.k.a. “model citizens”), and about half of those will be full-time employees. Swidler said to expect the hiring to ramp up around June 1. Positions will be posted at www.legoland.com, and applicants can post their resumes there.

+ The initial hires have come from other theme parks (including Legoland California) and have an international flair, Swidler said.  “it’s really interesting to be sitting in Polk County with such an international and diverse group,” she said.

Legoland Florida is on schedule to open in Winter Haven in October.

Construction of  Legoland Florida has left the preliminary stages, and we’ll soon start seeing rides and attractions go up at the Winter Haven site where the Cypress Gardens theme park resided for decades. I wrote a story about Legoland’s progress for Thursday’s paper, but here are some odds and ends gleaned from our media helicopter tour and subsequent interviews with general manager Adrian Jones and Jill Swidler, marketing manager.

+ The park is scheduled to open in October, but they are not releasing a more specific date yet.  “We need the flexibility really in case of weather, acts of God, whatever,” Jones said. “At the moment, it’s all going to plan, which is great news.”

+ When Legoland Florida opens, there will be a shuttle running every day from the Orlando Premium Outlets in Lake Buena Vista. There will be a “minimal fee” for the transportation, Swidler said.

+ Returning to the landscape will be the Flying Island, an observation area that was grounded in the final years of Cypress Gardens (it’s the round structure at the bottom of photo above). Jones said it will be ready by opening day — probably sooner. It has been repainted and is getting a “complete overhaul” of bearings and structure, he said.  “All being well, that will be one of the first things we actually have up and running,” Jones said.

+ Another segment set to be complete early is Miniland USA, the Lego recreation of cityscapes and landmarks, which will include Kennedy Space Center, the Daytona International Speedway and Key West’s Mallory Square. In fact, it’s mostly complete now, but currently in other countries where it was assembled — as far away as Malaysia, where Legoland is constructing another park.

+ The botanical gardens are being maintained. The bridges and pathways are being repaired, and the banyan tree is thriving (it was heated over the winter), Jones said. “We’ll be having a number of treasure hunts, we’ll be looking at Lego  Cypress Belles as well, and trying to find creative ways of bringing people into the gardens,” he said.

+ Both sets of stadium seating along Lake Eloise are being restored, although they only expect to use the northernmost (and older) one for the show. Details are mostly under wraps about the show still.  “It’s going to have classic ski elements in there,” Jones said. “It’s going to be all themed around Lego pirates, but there are a few surprises that I don’t want to really reveal yet, obviously, as it relates to the usage of the pirates figures themselves.”

+ Cypress Gardens’ Triple Hurricane coaster is being rethemed into a dino-coaster. It will be the first wooden coaster at any Legoland park.  “It’s something that we would love to build in some of the other parks,” Jones said.

+ The $99 annual pass deal continues at www.legoland.com through April 30. It will be good from the time the park opens in October through the end of 2012, so “annual” in this case will really be closer to 15 months of admission.

+ There are nearly 300 construction workers on site now. When Legoland Florida opens, it will have about 1,000 workers (a.k.a. “model citizens”), and about half of those will be full-time employees. Swidler said to expect the hiring to ramp up around June 1. Positions will be posted at www.legoland.com, and applicants can post their resumes there.

+ The initial hires have come from other theme parks (including Legoland California) and have an international flair, Swidler said.  “it’s really interesting to be sitting in Polk County with such an international and diverse group,” she said.

Cheetah Hunt roller coaster under construction in March 2011. (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)

Thanks to Busch Gardens blogger Lauren Skowyra for providing more images from the new Cheetah Hunt roller coaster set to open May 27 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

The coaster track is assembled and now the team there is testing to make sure the cars roll smoothly on the track, and testing the “envelope,” meaning they make sure a rider on the coaster with fully stretched out arms doesn’t hit anything on the way around the track. (Read Lauren’s blog on it here)

You can view more images of the coaster cars on the track in our gallery here. Plus as an added treat…more images of the baby cheetah Busch Gardens is taking care of after the cheetah’s mom at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens was not able to care for it. (Read more on that see video here.)

Get complete Busch Gardens Tampa Bay coverage on our attractions channel.

What is it?

Corporate teams and individuals compete over 18 holes of  “best ball” tournament play on two courses at ChampionsGate Golf Club.

O’Leary, who guided the UCF team to a school-record 11 victories and a Liberty Bowl championship last year, will speak exclusively to tournament participants. Foursomes and single spots are still available for $1,750 and $450, respectively. To register or for more information, call Kathy Lopus at 407-514-2233.

Participants must bring their Florida Teaching Certificates, a pay stub from the past 30 days and a photo ID that matches all those.

This is the 13th year that SeaWorld has offered free admission to teachers. A new element this year is that those teachers can buy up to six single-day tickets that are discounted by $20 for friends and family. That offer is good through May 31.

SeaWorld says the pass is designed to be an inspiration for study lessons and curriculum. For more information, go to www.SeaWorldOrlandoTeachers.com.

The event, for children in kindergarten through sixth grade, is designed to teach engineering concepts and about spatial relationships using the popular building blocks. They will build bridges, race cars and design game boards.

Participants also will have access to all science-center exhibits, including “Our Planet, Our Space,” “Your Healer Within” and “Science Park.”

The camp wil run 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Cost is $225 to the public, $195 for science-center members.

Reservations are required. To learn more or to register, call 407-514-2112 or go to www.osc.org.

But first, let’s talk about “The Working White House,” an exhibit opening at the Orange  County Regional History Center on Saturday.

The above picture is a great illustration of the exhibit theme.  Here, Roland Harlem holds an umbrella over President and Mrs. Reagan on the day he returned to the White House after he was shot in 1981. The Reagans are front and center, but Harlem is keeping them dry. The White House staff, featured in “The Working White House,” is made up of such unsung heroes.

I had a sneak preview of the exhibit on Thursday. I recommend getting an audio guide because it’s nice to put a voice with the faces portrayed throughout. Two light tidbits of note: I learned why White House caretakers aren’t thrilled with soft-sole shoes … and that Leslie Nielsen played the chief usher in “Backstairs at the White House,” a 1979 miniseries.

On a more serious note, I appreciated how the exhibit didn’t pussyfoot around the issue of slavery. But it does illustrate the progression into civil rights and how things have changed. Could a slave living in the White House ever imagined an African-American president?

The exhibit will remain at the downtown Orlando museum through May 29. Click here for more details and a story about the curator of “The Working White House” now at the Orange County Regional History Center.

OK, back to the theme parks:

+ It’s a double dip at Universal Studios’ Mardi Gras with concerts on both Friday and Saturday evenings.  Musical guests Friday are Neon Trees, and the Roots will perform on Saturday.  Concerts are at 8:30 p.m. both nights (the parades are at 8). Click here for more details about Universal Mardi Gras.

+ Manny Manuel performs during Viva La Musica at SeaWorld Orlando on Saturday. Show time is 3 p.m., but the Latin culture/cuisine festival activities begin at noon.

+ The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival continues with Chubby Checker performing at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the America Gardens Theatre. The HGTV expert for the weekend is Kim Myles (“Myles of Style”), who will speak at the Festival Center at noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Busch Gardens has released photographs of a 4-week-old cheetah that it has been caring for since adopting from Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, where the newborn’s mother wasn’t able to care for him.

The Species Survival Plan and the Jacksonville Zoo advised that the cheetah be moved to Busch Gardens’ facilities in Tampa, where there may be breeding opportunities in the future.

The cub, which now weighs 2 pounds, eventually will be part of Cheetah Run, the upcoming animal exhibit opening in conjunction Cheetah Hunt, a roller coaster set to open this spring.

The new cheetah is gaining strength and exploring his new home, Busch Gardens officials say.

Busch Gardens supports the conservation of cheetahs via the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, which has donated almost $100,000 to cheetah efforts in Africa since 2005.

Universal Studios has added characters from the upcoming live action/animated film “Hop” to its theme park lineup.  Through April 5, characters will perform on the French Quarter stage then meet-and-greet theme park guests. The Universal Pictures film, which debuts April 1, stars James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco and Russell Brand as the voice of the Easter Bunny. Also listed among the stars is David Hasselhop, er, David Hasselhoff “as himself,” according to the International Movie Database.

Birds of a feather flock together! Afternoons at SeaWorld Orlando are a great time to see our flamingos up close as they take their daily walk around the park.

Here is a time-lapse video of the construction of the one of the zip line’s launch/landing towers (provided by Gatorland):

The $1.5-million attraction will carry guests  above the breeding marsh and some of Gatorland’s most notorious residents. General admission is not expected to change, but there will be an upcharge to complete the course, which will include five zippy stretches (one with side-by-side lines) and a swinging bridge.

Click here to read more about plans for Gatorland’s Screamin’ Gator Zip Line.

The company — the folks behind the “It’s Huge!” campaigns — runs amusement operations on International Drive and in Kissimmee, where taping will be done on Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Fun Spot seeks 30 people in their 20s, dressed in their nightclubbing best — but still able to drive a go-kart. Clothing with logos, words, companies or slogans will not be allowed. Note: A smoke machine will be used.

Participants will receive a $20 gift certificate for use in the Fun Spot parks.

Interested parties should email marketing@fun-spot.com.

Fun Spot expects the new commercials to start airing in a couple of weeks. A new campaign — don’t worry, it’s still HUGE — begins this week, with routines to the tune of “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” 

Click here for the video of the 1000th turtle release, at Canaveral National Seashore, Friday.

Click here for the photo gallery of the release on OrlandoSentinel.com

ABOVE: A crowd watches as a 100-pound Loggerhead turtle returns to the ocean at Canaveral National Seashore, during a release by SeaWorld Orlando, Friday. The animal marks the 1,000 turtle rescued by SeaWorld and returned to the wild since 1980.

(Photos and video by Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Universal did not give details about the replacement attraction, but Internet speculation revolves around the “Despicable Me” movie that was released last year.

Universal’s press release says the new attraction will be “a natural fit” for the theme park and that it’s “just one of many exciting things planned for the next couple of years.”

Although the attraction will be shuttered April 1, Universal says it will reopen periodically this spring and summer. It will close permanently on Aug. 18, Universal says.

Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon blast is a simulator ride near the front of Universal Studios theme park, recognizable by Nickelodeon splatter of paint near the top of the building. It opened in April of 2003, replacing The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, which was one of the first rides in the Universal park when it opened in 1990.

These penguin youngsters are being raised by the avian experts at SeaWorld Orlando.   Make up your own caption for the picture below.  Our favorite is "Honk."  Next-best caption is "Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey ..."

Outside the Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, water becomes a scarce commodity during the dry season. This causes neighboring communities to enter the park to collect water, along with wood and other resources for their domestic use; creating habitat degradation and threat to the survival of the endangered gorillas that call the park home.

SeaWorld Orlando’s animal experts today returned 15 rehabilitated and now-healthy Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles to the wild.  The highly endangered reptiles were released at Winterhaven Park in Ponce Inlet, Florida, near Daytona Beach.

Another sea turtle life saved!! A 250-pound green sea turtle with serious injuries is on the road to recovery after receiving life-saving medical treatment at our SeaWorld San Diego’s Animal Care Complex. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrative (NOAA) brought the adult male, named Bruce, to us Jan. 25. NOAA researchers spotted the animal breathing slowly, lethargic and pretty much non-responsive during a routine turtle survey in San Diego’s South Bay.

SeaWorld’s legacy of animal rescue is being showcased in one of the zoological industry’s leading publications, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ “Connects” magazine. The story features an in-depth look at the passion and ingenuity displayed by the zoological professionals that comprise the SeaWorld Rescue Team.   Here is a snippet. SeaWorld: A Legacy of Animal Rescue

In Kenya, innovative technology is being used to help track elephants by cell phone, which due to the intersecting living spaces of humans and animals, helps to minimize conflict between locals and these amazing, yet potentially dangerous animals.

Welcome to the first Species Spotlight, where every Monday we'll feature an awesome species and suggest ways you can make a difference in their conservation. In today’s Species Spotlight, we shine the light on an Arctic Circle native, the polar bear.

Around SeaWorld Orlando, this loggerhead sea turtles is known as "Mr. 1,000."

A high point -- literally -- of Seddiqui's trip was working on stilts at Universal Studios. (Orlando Sentinel file photo)

Whatever happened to Daniel Seddiqui, the young man who tried to travel to every state in the United States and work a different job for a week in each one of them? Well, mission accomplished, aided by his experience at Universal Studios, and now his trek  is available in a book called “50 Jobs in 50 States, One Man’s Journey of Discovery Across America.”

During his Florida stop, Seddiqui worked the front lines of Universal Studios theme park and worked his way up to stilt walker, where he interacted with guests as a very tall Egyptian figure outside the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster.  (Read our 2009 story about Daniel Seddiqui’s work at Universal Studios here.)

I’ve read portions of the book — the chapters devoted to the states I’ve lived in: Florida, Kentucky, Texas and Kansas.  In Kansas, he was a meatpacker. He describes a pretty gruesome scene wherein, within minutes of his arrival, he witnessed a cow being shot in the head.  In Kentucky, it was the other side of the circle of life, where he helped birth a colt. I mean reached in and grabbed the about-to-be newborn. In both instances,  Seddiqui jumps right out of his comfort zone, which was one of the points of his yearlong project.

In Texas, he noted that Texans are mighty proud of Texas. It’s true, many, many businesses have “Texas” built into their name. Seddiqui’s style is informal and breezy and although I meant to stop after Texas, I found myself drawn into the next chapter, where he visits Louisiana where he becomes a New Orleans bartender during Mardi Gras — even though he’s a non-drinker.

In the Florida chapter, we follow Seddiqui’s stilt training (when you fall, land on your shoulder, not your wrists). The normal two-week training was condensed to two hours, which also included tips on dealing with theme-park guests.

“Learning how to walk on stilts was demanding, but learning how to play my character was also a challenge,” he writes. “As a character on stilts, I could not talk or smile; I had to look scary and come up with weird poses when guests took pictures. Admittedly, I had a hard time keeping a straight face.”

Other temporary vocations he explored included wine cellar master, peanut shller, rodeo announcer, boilermaker, meteorologist, golf caddy, cheesemaker and marine biologist.

Since wrapping his journey and his book, Seddiqui, a graduate of the University of Southern California, has developed a college program designed to highlight career options for students. He’s also a inspiration speaker, working off themes developed during his mission, including perserverance, risk-taking, adaptability, networking and endurance.

“Fifty Jobs in Fifty States” is available in bookstores. Seddiqui is on a book tour that, according to his website (www.fiftyjobs.com), will bring him to Orlando and other points in Florida in August.

Saturday marks the beginning of this year’s Viva La Musica at SeaWorld Orlando. The festival includes Latin music, culture and cuisine beginning at noon for four consecutive Saturdays.  This Saturday’s concert features reggaeton due Chino & Nacho, with a showtime of 3 p.m. For more details, go to www.SeaWorldOrlando.com.

Foreigner takes the stage at this Saturday’s Mardi Gras celebration at Universal Studios. Concert time is 8:30 p.m., and it’s preceded by the traditional bead-tossin’ parade. For more details, go to www.UniversalOrlando.com/mardigras.

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival’s Flower Power series continues with The Guess Who (“American Woman,” “No Sugar Tonight,” “Clap for the Wolfman”) with concerts at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The HGTV guest speaker at the Festival Center is Lisa LaPorta from “Designed to Sell.” She’ll appear at noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For more details, go to www.disneyworld.com/flower.

View more photos of the cars and construction shots of the coaster in our photo gallery.

Cheetah Hunt cars arrive at Busch Gardens

Be sure to check out more Busch Gardens coverage on our attractions channel.

The science center is planning hands-on workshops held by industry experts. Proposed topics include knowing the ins and outs of a restaurant wine list, the health aspects of wine and simple sensory evaulation of wine. Also on tap will be gourmet and casual  food offerings.

Tickets are $65 per person. Science-center members can get tickets for $50. Sponsorships, which include event tickets and admission to a V.I.P. champagne reception, are available from $1,500. Call Kathy Lopus at 407-514-2233 for details.

Proceeds benefit the science center’s drive for educational programs for youth.

Venezuelans Chino Y Nacho perform at SeaWorld's Bayside Stadium on Saturday.

No sooner has SeaWorld Orlando wrapped up its Bands, Brew & BBQ festival than it’s starting its Viva La Musica festival. The Latin-flavored event begins Saturday, May 11, and features a concert by reggaeton duo Chino & Nacho. (Showtime is 3 p.m.)

Beyond music, Viva La Musica spotlights Hispanic arts, crafts and cuisine. The menu has been expanded this year under the leadership of SeaWorld’s new executive chef Hector Colon. He is including traditional favorites from Mexico, South America and the Caribbean.

Viva La Musica runs for four Saturdays, beginning at noon. Other upcoming musical acts include Manny Manuel (March 19), Jerry Rivera (March 26) and Ednita Nazario (April 2).

The event is included in regular  SeaWorld admission, although there are some V.I.P. options for concert seating and meals. For details, go to www.SeaWorldOrlando.com.

Busch Gardens in Tampa has a companion Viva La Musica that begins Sunday. Performers include Elvis Crespo (March 13), Jose Alberto “El Canario” (March 20), Angel Y Khriz (March 27) and Ismael Miranda (April 3).

On Thursday, March 3, SeaWorld Orlando’s animal team returned Kringle, a male manatee, to waters near Port St. John in Titusville on Florida’s east coast. Kringle is not your typical rehabilitated manatee.  He’s a two-time resident of the park, having been rescued just days after Christmas in 2008 (and with his rescue came his holiday name), and again in December 2010.  We think he likes staying at SeaWorld during the holidays!

As advertised, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls has reopened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park.  It had been closed since a fire at the attraction on Jan. 1.  Aside from those necessary repairs, Universal says it also used the down time for the ride’s seasonal maintenance. And it does makes sense to take the water ride down during the coldest, least busy time of the year.

Universal officially declines to give details about the changes, although it’s pretty evident that there was an exterior paint job. Several team members unofficially confirm this, and I’ll collectively paraphrase them as “Oh, yeah, it ALL got painted.” To my eye, the yellows and aquas really pop, as if freshly painted, but not so much for the reds. Your results may vary. When I stood back and took in the whole attraction, I appreciated the paint undertaking which is designed to look haphazard but, of course, is not.

And for those of you who asked, yes, there are still lap bars in the logs.

And the People Dryers are there. I don’t recall them having “permanent” hutches before, but maybe a gentle reader can correct me.  Not a big fan either way. When I’ve used them, it’s only made me warmer, not dryer. Might work on a cold day, but on a cold day, I’m not going down Ripsaw Falls.

Meanwhile, at the nearby Incredible Hulk coaster, it appears that its paint job is underway. It may be difficult  to detect in the photo, but the Cobra  Roll area (background) is more faded and worn when compared to the brighter descent on the right.

Farther down, near the water, it’s easier to see the contrast. A wise frog once said, “it’s not easy being green.”

You’ve probably seen mindless behavior at theme parks, but this is Mindless Behavior, a  hip-hop/pop group that checked out  Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and other attractions at Universal Studios this week. The foursome — Prodigy, Ray Ray, Princeton and Roc Royal — recently toured with Justin Bieber. They were visiting Universal Orlando with family and friends. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Universal Orlando)

The two-alarm fire, which started in the late afternoon of  Jan. 1, prompted response from 40 firefighters and the evacuation of theme-park guests of the log flume ride, which is in the Toon Lagoon section of IOA.  Although some guests required first-aid attention, none were hospitalized.

In addition to finding the cause of the fire, Universal said the ride was due for its regular seasonal maintenance later in January, which was another reason for the extended closure.

Universal has not disclosed the exact nature of the fire damage or the required repairs. It also would not provide specifics on what happened during the maintenance period.

“Everything from appearance to performance is part of our maintenance program,” Universal Orlando spokesperson Tom Schroder said Thursday.

+ Saturday and Sunday is the Festival of Chocolate at the Orlando Science Center.  There will be chocolate sculptures, hands-on activities for kids, a chocolate museum, eats and educational experiences. For details, go to www.orlando.festivalofchocolate.com and www.osc.org.

+ Fantasy of Flight, an aviation attraction in Polk County, presents forums with WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) and Rosie the Riveter types on Friday and Saturday. For details, go to www.fantasyofflight.com.

+ It’s the first weekend of this year’s Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Making appearances Friday, Saturday and Sunday is HGTV’s Genevieve Gorder (“Dear Genevieve”) at the Festival Center. (Read about Genevieve Gorder’s appearance at Disney World here.) The Flower Power concert series begins with Jose Feliciano, who will be in concert three times daily on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  (Flower & Garden details at www.disneyworld.com/flower) And ESPN the Weekend is underway daily through Sunday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. For schedules and celebrity appearances, go to www.espntheweekend.com.

Josh Turner performs Saturday at SeaWorld's Bands, Brew & BBQ fest.

+ Last week, I tried to think of singers with canine names to go with Universal Mardi Gras singer Pitbull — but my list was sad, reaching only Snoop Dog, (L’il) Bow Wow and Bowser from Sha Na Na, which is a major reach. This week, I tried to come up with band names with 4 Y’s and no other vowels to go with Mardi Gras act Lynyrd Skynyrd. Unless “Why Why Why Why” is an up-and-comer, I’m striking out. Anyway, Skynyrd is Saturday’s concert at Univeral Studios. Concert time is 8:30 p.m. … Details at www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.

+ Finally, it’s the final weekend of SeaWorld Orlando’s Bands, Brew & BBQ fest. In concert at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday will be country singer Josh Turner (“Why Don’t We Just Dance?”). Next weekend, SeaWorld shifts into Viva La Musica mode with Chino & Nacho.

You Can’t Rain on our Parade!   Although it was a soggy Southern California morning, the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of nearly 1,000 walkers, including NBA legend Bill Walton, as they sloshed and splashed their way through SeaWorld San Diego in support of the second annual “Walk for Wishes.”

 Former Orlando Magic player — and current community ambassador — Nick Anderson reads from Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat” to children as part of the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day on Wednesday. Universal brought two classrooms of youngsters to Seuss Landing at its Islands of Adventure theme park for the event. (Photo by Kevin Kolcyznski/Universal Orlando)

To purchase the ticket, go to www.aquaticabyseaworld.com. Upon completion, buyers get a e-Ticket to print out, so they’ll be able to go straight to the turnstiles at the water park.

Proof of Florida  residency — a photo ID — is required.

See the website for operating hours on specific days, but if in doubt, call 1-888-800-5447.

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The team is sharing rescue stories that include assisting hundreds of oil-impacted turtles, an amazing dolphin rescue, caring for a near-death pilot whale and rescuing hundreds of California seals and sea lions, all just in the past year. 

Also during the visits, the teams are providing tips for the kids to share with their families on how together they can make a difference in the lives of animals through ordinary, everyday actions such as conserving water, picking up litter, properly disposing of fishing line and other trash and participating in local cleanups.

Upcoming stops on the tour include: New York, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Sacramento and Los Angeles.

SeaWorld's animal rescue team is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to save injured, abandoned and orphaned animals, including manatees, dolphins, whales, birds and turtles. Over the past four decades, the parks have rescued more than 18,000 orphaned, injured or ill animals.
 

Dayne, who first shot onto the the charts with “Tell It to My Heart” in 1987, will sing at the Orlando venue on March 31.  Other hits include “With Every Beat of My Heart,” “Prove Your Love,” “Naked Without You” and “Love Will Lead You Back,” which topped the Billboard singles chart in 1990.

Advance tickets are now available for $29 at www.velvetsessions.com. (They’re $35 at the door.) There are a limited number of V.I.P. tickets that sell for $50. Admission includes free specialty drinks and finger foods starting at 6:30 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., the concert begins and the cash bar kicks in.

Dayne, who first shot onto the the charts with “Tell It to My Heart” in 1987, will sing at the Orlando venue on March 31.  Other hits include “With Every Beat of My Heart,” “Prove Your Love,” “Naked Without You” and “Love Will Lead You Back,” which topped the Billboard singles chart in 1990.

Advance tickets are now available for $29 at www.velvetsessions.com. (They’re $35 at the door.) There are a limited number of V.I.P. tickets that sell for $50. Admission includes free specialty drinks and finger foods starting at 6:30 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., the concert begins and the cash bar kicks in.

+ The ride vehicles for Cheetah Hunt, the under-construction coaster at Busch Gardens, have arrived in Tampa.  The cars will have a feline theme, of course. The ride is scheduled to open May 27. For more details, photos and video visit the Busch Gardens Tampa Blog.

+ Sentinel colleague Jason Garcia writes that The Incredible Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure is receiving a new paint job — retaining its trademark green look. The work won’t require a shutdown of the ride. Read details about the Incredible Hulk repainting at the Tourism Central Florida blog.

Welcome to the first Species Spotlight, where every Monday we'll feature an awesome species and suggest ways you can make a difference in their conservation. In today’s Species Spotlight, we shine the light on an Arctic Circle native, the polar bear.

Opening June 2011 -- The Grand Reef at Discovery Cove -- There's something new to discover!

Last year, the American Camp Association (ACA) launched a campaign entitled “Because of Camp…” With YouTube videos and bill boards, it got people thinking about the benefits of camp: friendship, responsibility, skill development, self confidence, etc. People from all walks of life can experience camp and I think no two people get the same thing out of the camp experience.

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando marked its 10th anniversary with a special edition of its Velvet Sessions lobby concerts with the band Sugar Ray on Wednesday night. Pictured are hotel general manager Carlton Hudson (from left), Loews Hotels Chairman and CEO Jonathan Tisch, Universal Parks & Resorts Chairman & CEO Tom Williams, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray and Hamish Dodds, President & CEO of Hard Rock International.

If you haven’t already met Pearl, let me introduce you to the most adorable beluga whale in the world! Pearl was born last year here at SeaWorld San Diego and she has quickly become an important part of our family of beluga whales at Wild Arctic.

+ If you’re ready to jump in feet first, tonight is the Velvet Sessions concert at Universal’s Hard Rock Hotel. The musical guest is Sugar Ray. Festivities begin at 6:30. Go to www.velvetsessions.com for more information.

+ On Friday, Epcot will be home to The Orchestra, which is made up of former ELO members and ELO Part II members. The six-member group will perform at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

+ On Saturday, there are a couple of free opportunities.

The Orange County Regional History Center is recognizing hearth-health awareness month by giving free admission to folks wearing red. Hours are 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., and the same deal is good this Sunday, noon-5 p.m. For more info, go to www.thehistorycenter.org.

Meanwhile, at the Ripley’s museum on International Drive on Saturday, there will a sword-swallowing demonstration beginning at 1:30 p.m. as part of World Sword Swallowers Day. The event is marked at Ripley’s outlets around the world.

Elements of many movies make up the jacket of the Arnold statue at Ripley's on I-Drive

While at Ripley’s you might see a new exhibit for free as well. In the lobby is a new statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator. Sculptor Enrique Ramos created the figure using scenes and images from actors in movie history, including “Jaws,” “Rocky,” “The Wizard of Oz,” Johnny Depp, Charlie  Chaplin, John Wayne and more. The statue is currently on display in the lobby of Ripley’s.

Miami's Pitbull performs Saturday at Universal Studios.

+ Pitbull is the musical guest at Universal Mardi Gras on Saturday. Show time is 8:30, and his show is preceded by the park’s Mardi Gras parade. All Mardi Gras festivities are included in regualr park admission.

+ REO Speedwagon, a staple from the 1970s,  performs at SeaWorld’s Bands, Brew and BBQ event on Saturday. Show time is 4:30 p.m. at Bayside Stadium. It’s included with park admission.

+ Busch Gardens’ sister BB&BBQ is Sunday and features two groups, the Commodores and the Pointer Sisters at 5 p.m. at the Tampa theme park.

Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam on Nickelodeon series ‘iCarly,’ visited Honeydukes, the candy store at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the newest section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, this week. McCurdy was visiting Orlando with family and friends. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Universal Orlando)

Country music icon Willie Nelson meets up with Seamore the Sea Lion last weekend at SeaWorld Orlando. Nelson was the featured performer at the theme park’s Bands, Brew & BBQ event, which continues this weekend with REO Speedwagon. (Photo from SeaWorld Parks)

Teachers will be required to present a photo ID and proof of employment at the time of admission.  This deal cannot be used in conjunction with field trips or group outings to Gatorland.

Regular admission to Gatorland is $22.99 general, $14.99 for ages 3-12. The attraction, which has stood on Orange Blossom Trail since 1949, is currently running a $9.99 admission special for Florida residents and all guests over the age of 55, but that deal is scheduled to end on Feb. 28.

For more info, go to www.gatorland.com.

They have set aside two days for rehearsals and one day of taping at the Fun Spot location near International Drive in Orlando.  Rehearsals will be at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, and 3 p.m. on  Friday, Feb. 25. The taping will be at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 28.

 They want 6-10 dancers to attend all three days, 20 to 30 more for just Friday and Monday, and then 30 more for just Monday. The more rehearsal you have, the bigger role you’re likely to have in the commercial.

Each dancer gets a $20 Fun Spot gift certificate for each day of participation. Come three days, and that’s a total of $60. (Say it with me, you know you wanna: “It’s huge!”)

Participants must sign a waiver permitting the use of their images in the commercial. If you’re under age 18, a parent or guardian must sign the waiver.

To sign up for the event, send an email to marketing@fun-spot.com.

The steel coaster will be different from the theme park’s other coasters in that it will be propelled magnetically and have three distinct launch points. There is no lift hill. It will top out at 60 mph.

The ride will have a companion attraction called Cheetah Run, a habitat featuring a dozen or so cheetahs. They will have a 250-foot straightaway for running, and there will be observation windows for closer views of the animals.

The coaster’s 4,000-foot-plus track will wind through other animal areas and twist around the park’s  Skyride, steam train and walkways.

The coaster trains will seat 16 passengers apiece. Cheetah Hunt will have a height requirement of 48 inches.

The show is exactly what you love about our parks – thrilling entertainment that educates and inspires you to celebrate, connect and care for the one world and one ocean we share. Check out the video below to get the scoop from Julie Scardina, our curator of animal training.

Whether you’re looking for a summer job to help raise a few bucks, or a career with a great company, SeaWorld is the place to be. But before you begin, there are a few steps you can take to help better your chances for getting hired. Our application process is totally online, so in order to apply, you will need a computer with internet access. Another option is that you stop by our Human Resources department, open Monday through Friday, 9:30am-5:00pm, where computers are set up for applicants.

In Kenya, innovative technology is being used to help track elephants by cell phone, which due to the intersecting living spaces of humans and animals, helps to minimize conflict between locals and these amazing, yet potentially dangerous animals.

+ There are Mardi Gras concerts on both  Saturday and Sunday at Universal Studios. The B-52s are set to perform Saturday, followed by the omnipresent KC & the Sunshine Band on Sunday. Parade time is 8 p.m., concerts at 8:30 p.m. Click here to see pictures of last weekend’s Mardi  Gras parade at Universal Studios. For more information, go to www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.

+ Willie Nelson is the musical guest Saturday at SeaWorld Orlando’s Bands, Brew & BBQ event. Things get cookin’ at 11:30 a.m., and the concert starts at 4:30 p.m.  Click here for our quick quiz on Willie Nelson. For more information, go to www.seaworldorlando.com.

+ Saturday is Walmart $5 at Orlando Science Center. Admission is, well, $5 per person for the day and includes all exhibits and films there. New to the science center are “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious,” an exhibit for preschoolers, and the big-big-big screen movie “Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees.” For more information, go to www.osc.org.

+ In the slightly-far-flung category, Rodney Atkins performs at Silver Springs at 3 p.m. on Saturday. (Details at www.silversprings.com) And Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will appear at the Bands, Brew & BBQ event at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Showtime is 5 p.m. (Details at www.buschgardens.com/bgt)

1. “Willie” is Willie Nelson’s real first name. True or false?

2. In what city will you find Willie Nelson Boulevard?

3. What is the name of Willie’s longtime guitar?

4. Which of these songs was NOT written by Willie Nelson: “Crazy,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” or “On the Road Again”?

5. In what film did Willie Nelson make his film debut?

6. In “The Dukes of Hazzard” movie, what role did Willie play?

7. What year was the first Farm Aid, the benefit concert organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young?

8. In what year did Willie marry Annie D’Angelo, his fourth (and current) wife?

9. Willie has had 14 No. 1 country hits as a singer. What is his highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as a vocalist?

10. Last year, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” was released as a duet by Willie and what singer?

ANSWERS AFTER THE JUMP

ANSWERS

1. True. He’s Willie Hugh Nelson.

2. Willie Nelson Boulevard is in Austin, Texas.

3. The guitar’s name is Trigger.

4. Nelson didn’t write “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”

5. Nelson’s film debut was in 1979 in “The Electric Horseman,” starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

6. Nelson played Uncle Jesse Duke.

7. The first Farm Aid was in 1985.

8. They were married in 1991.

9. Willie reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart with both “Always on My Mind” in 1982 and “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” with Julio Iglesias in 1985. He was a collaborator on “We Are the World,” which topped the chart in 1985.

10. He sang with Norah Jones.

SeaWorld’s legacy of animal rescue is being showcased in one of the zoological industry’s leading publications, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ “Connects” magazine. The story features an in-depth look at the passion and ingenuity displayed by the zoological professionals that comprise the SeaWorld Rescue Team.   Here is a snippet. SeaWorld: A Legacy of Animal Rescue

Also Saturday is its fourth “Mission Nutrition” event, which shows off the latest medical technology plus information about fitness and nutrition with a bit of pet health tossed in. It corresponds to a current exhibit called “The Healer Within,” which deals with the immunity system and the nervous system.

Brand new to the science center are “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious,” an imagination- (and little monkey-) based exhibit for preschoolers, and  the film “Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees.” Both arrived last weekend. All exhibits and films are included in admission.

Admission usually is $17 general, $12 for ages 3-11. Hours on Saturday are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 407-514-2000 or go to www.osc.org.

We have a lot of fun here at SeaWorld - amazing shows, exciting rides, and endless opportunities for families to have a great time together.  But the most important thing we do has always been taking care of animals - both in our park and out in the natural environment. Ever since the very first SeaWorld opened in San Diego CA back in 1964, we have consistently been there to answer the call when animals need our help.

An elephant with gold-tipped tusks (trust me) is the centerpiece of the earth float.

Wind is front by a colorful bird, followed by a hot-air balloon and a windy face that blows a special effect (not shown here).

 Fire is bright red, a bit menacing and has bursts of flame upfront, a first for Universal Mardi Gras.

Water has an array of sea creatures, but the high point may be up top: lights that “drip” water from a shell.

 BONUS: The music float, which isn’t new, but has a new addition: a large guitar with lights for strings.

The new floats have accompanying stilt characters that are also new to Universal. These folks walk around well before the parade (8 p.m. step-off) and make for fun photo ops. Here are a few pictures:

A lion is part of earth’s menagerie.

Winged creatures go with the wind float.

Fire.

And finally, sea horses set to march with the Water float.

Another sea turtle life saved!! A 250-pound green sea turtle with serious injuries is on the road to recovery after receiving life-saving medical treatment at our SeaWorld San Diego’s Animal Care Complex. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrative (NOAA) brought the adult male, named Bruce, to us Jan. 25. NOAA researchers spotted the animal breathing slowly, lethargic and pretty much non-responsive during a routine turtle survey in San Diego’s South Bay.

The events take place on the Bayside Stadium segment of SeaWorld. When I arrived for the 4:30 p.m. concert at 4 p.m., the stadium was getting pretty populated, lower and upper deck, for the concert by Huey Lewis and the News.

 Local barbecue outlets are represented, including Texas Cattle Co. (pictured — remember, lots of folks were in the stadium already), Smokey Bones and 4Rivers. (I can enthusiastically recommend their cheese grits, which I like to call a brick o’grits. Mmmmm.)

Added to my Only in Orlando files: Shamu line-dancing.

 A new Beer Garden is back in the Ports of Call area. You don’t have to buy a sampler package to go back there. (“Heck, no,” was what the cowboy couple told me when I asked.).

 Actually, it’s pretty serene back there, in a good way. Different breweries are set up at various stations. It’s worth exploring.

The stadium crowd enthusiastically greeted The News. Seems there’s more News members than back in the day … at least eight members beyond Huey. Maybe they should be Huey Lewis & the News, Weather and Sports. (Seems they started off in the ’80s with four or five members, three of which are still in the group.)

Huey did eventually enter, to the heartbeat noise of “Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” He sounded like, well, Huey Lewis, and in a good way. Although you can’t see it in this picture, the fountains of the SeaWorld lagoon were somewhat choreographed with the music. It’s a nice touch.

Don’t want to hassle with the stadium crowd? Huey was livestreamed over to the BBQ area.  The structures that were SeaWorld’s Christmas village have been shrewdly repurposed for this festival. I also liked that the signage in those buildings showed the discounts for annual passholders. That’s a good seed to plant.

Finally, the gratuitous T-shirt shot ($14.95).

Coming up to BBBBQ: Willie Nelson on Feb. 19, followed by REO Speedwagon (Feb. 26) and Josh Turner (March 5). The festival is included in regular park admission, but SeaWorld offers VIP packages that include reserved concert seating and beer samplers. Go to www.SeaWorldOrlando.com for more information.

The attraction, which opened in October, is offering prizes up to $400 in the “Winter Flow” competition. Categories include youth bodyboard/flowboard (ages 12 and younger), junior flowboard (ages 13-17), men’s flowboard, women’s flowboard, expert flowboard, open bodyboard and expert bodyboard.

Application fee for amateurs is $35; for experts, it’s $40. Registration includes a competition T-shirt plus practice time on Fantasy Surf’s double FlowRider system.

Registration forms are available at Fantasy Surf (5151 Kyngs Heath Road, Kissimmee), on the Fantasy Surf Facebook page or www.UltimateIndoorWave.com. For more info, call 407-396-7433.

+ Bands, Brew & BBQ begins Saturday at SeaWorld Orlando. The event features a new beer garden with 60 varieties from 21 breweries plus barbecue, including fare from local favorites such as 4Rivers and Smokey Bones. This musical guest this week is Huey Lewis and the News. Showtime is 4:30 p.m. It’s all included in regular park admission. Click here for more information about SeaWorld’s Band, Brew & BBQ. (Looking ahead: next Saturday’s musical guest is Willie Nelson.)

+ Universal’s Mardi Gras starts its 11-weekend run this Saturday. The first concert will be Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The parade starts at 8 p.m., followed by Valli at 8:30 p.m. The Universal Studios event also incorporates Cajun cuisine and music from New Orleans-based bands. Mardi Gras is included in regular park admission. Click here for a preview of Universal’s Mardi Gras parade and other event details. (Looking ahead: Musical guests next weekend are the B-52s on Saturday, then KC & the Sunshine Band on Sunday.)

+ Orlando Science Center welcomes two animal-based attractions on Saturday. The exhibit “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious,” designed to develop math, science and engineering skills is based on the fictional monkey. Meanwhile, “Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees” debuts on the big screen of the Dr. Phillips CineDome.  Both are included in regular science center admission. Click here for more information about the Orlando Science Center exhibits.

+ Tuskegee Airmen will be making appearances this weekend at Polk County’s Fantasy of Flight attraction.  Click here for more details about the Legends and Legacies Symposium Series at Fantasy of Flight.

+ Also newish: “Florida in the Civil War” at the Orange County Regional History Center. Included in the display is a 150-year-old doll that was used to smuggle supplies to Conferate forces.  Click here for more details about “Florida in the Civil War” at Orange County Regional History Center.

“SeaWorld’s Happy Tails” is a new animal adoption program that will provide pet lovers two free single-day admissions to SeaWorld when they adopt a dog or cat from a participating animal shelter. Shelters include the SPCA of Central Florida shelters in Orlando and Sanford, and the Orange County Animal Services shelter in Orlando. Details can be found on www.seaworldcares.com.

SeaWorld has long supported local animal shelters by providing homes, and a second chance at life, for hundreds of abandoned and neglected animals. Considered by many untrainable, these adopted animals now steal the stage -- and fans’ hearts -- as stars in the parks’ popular shows “Pets Ahoy” in Orlando and “Pets Rule” in San Diego. Promoting the importance of shelter adoptions, these furry ambassadors bring smiles to thousands of guests every day.

“Name Something You Pass Around” – Watch more Funny Videos

Talk-show host and comedian Jon Stewart visited Zonkos joke shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure on Tuesday.  Clowning around with “The Daily Show” personality were his son Nate (front) and nephews Gavin (left) and Colin. (Photo by Roberto Gonzalez/Universal Orlando)

Check out more celebrities seen at the Wizarding World in our gallery.

View more photos, videos, reviews and stories in our Wizarding World section.

Ripley’s Entertainment will salute the performers with appearances at their museums — including the International Drive and St. Augustine locations — at 2:26 p.m. on Feb. 26. Last year, 22 performers swallowed more than 138 feet of steel at 10 Ripley’s Odditoriums.

Sword swallowing has a long history with Ripley’s, dating back to the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago.

“There, three performers, two of whom were ladies, mesmerized the huge crowds,” says Tim O’Brien, vice president of communications for Ripley Entertainment Inc. “Ripley’s has been home to sword swallowers around the world ever since.”

The event raises funds for esophageal cancer research and the Injured Sword Swallower’s Relief Fund.

This month, we are launching a new periodic e-newsletter, SEAMail, that highlights our favorite of these inspirational stories. This newsletter will connect you with our company and our local communities, and is guaranteed to give you a lift in your day. 

If you are interested in signing up to receive SEAMail, click here.

Rescued Turtles Find Warmth
at SeaWorld

This winter, harsh weather is taking a toll on endangered sea turtles off the coast of Florida and NewEngland. Over the last two months, SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Team has been working tirelessly to care for 55 cold-stunned sea turtles that were rescued from the frigid waters. Read more.

SeaWorld Comes to Aid of Baby Sperm Whale

The SeaWorld Rescue Team is on call 24 hours a day. At midnight on December 13, they rescued a baby sperm whale after it had stranded near San Diego. Fighting the pounding surf and darkness, the team was able to guide the young whale into open water about a quarter mile off the coast, where it quickly swam into the ocean. Read more.  

Busch Gardens Works to Conserve Wildlife for Future Generations

A recent birthday signified a great step in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s work to preserve endangered western lowland gorillas. Bolingo, the first gorilla born at Busch Gardens, turned five. Bolingo is part of a Species Survival Plan, a program between Busch Gardens and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to conserve threatened or endangered species. Read more.  

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Helps to Conserve Wolves

At Busch Gardens Williamsburg, endangered gray wolves serve as conservation ambassadors, and guests and employees join forces to preserve this amazing species. The park donates a portion of every “Wolf Training Spotlight Tour” to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, which supports wolf conservation. In addition, employees have raised thousands of dollars through the “Spare Wolves” bowling fundraiser. Read more.

Sesame Place Spreads Cheer
at Children’s Hospital

To lift the spirits of hospital patients, Cookie Monster and his Sesame Place pals recently visited the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The characters put on a show in the hospital’s main lobby for patients, siblings and parents to enjoy. The visit was in partnership with The Joshua Kahan Fund. Read more.

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Winter 2011 Edition

In the episode, the American Chopper team visits the park where they spend the day swimming with dolphins, snorkeling among thousands of fish and rays, and hand-feeding exotic birds.                                                                                                                                          

"American Chopper" follows the drama that unfolds as the Teutul family continues to build world-famous custom bikes.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and Julie Scardina, animal ambassador for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens is visiting TODAY to explain the different mating systems in the animal world. Matt, Meredith, Al and Ann will meet serially monogamous spoonbills, monogamous owl monkeys and promiscuous bamboo sharks. TODAY airs nationally on NBC; check your local listings for more information.

Five pilots — including Oviedo’s Raymond Cassagnol and Hiram E. Mann of Titusville — will participate in forums and autograph sessions from Thursday through Saturday. They will share stories about their military service in the then-segregated units. Of the original group of 1,000 pilots and 15,000 ground personnel of the Tuskegee Airmen, about 100 pilots and 200 ground crew are alive today.

The attraction also has a permanent, multimedia exhibit about the airmen.

Most activities are included in regular Fantasy of Flight admission: $28.95 general, $14.95 ages 6-15. In addition to the symposium, Fantasy of Flight will have a reservations-only luncheon with limited seating to honor of these original aviation veterans. The luncheon will be held Friday, Feb. 11, at noon at the Orlampa Conference Center at Fantasy of Flight. Tickets are $65 per person. Reservations are required.

For more information, call 863-984-3500 or go to www.fantasyofflight.com.

Florida’s population in 1861 was about 140,000, and about 44 percent of those people were slaves. There were only two battles in the state, at Olustee in 1864 and at Natural Bridge at 1865, but Florida had a key responsibility.  It fed the troops — literally. Cattle provided Confederate forces with beef, and salt from Florida was used as a preservative for the food.

According to a display in the history center, Florida cowman Jacob Summerlin agreed to ship 600 herd of cattle each week to North Florida during the war. He provided a total of 25,000 animals but was never paid. Meanwhile, high-quality sand from the Goose Creek Wetlands south of Tallahassee was a valuable assets. One plant could produce up to 200 bushels of salt a day.

Among the displays in “Florida in the Civil War” are artifacts from the Maple Leaf (a Union ship that sank in the St. John’s River about 12 miles from Jacksonville), Confederate uniforms, a stars-and-bars battle flag,  correspondence, weapons and other personal belongings.

Particularly well-preserved are the everyday items from the Maple Leaf, which was located in 1984. About 3,000 artifacts were taken from the ship, and some of those are currently at the history center, including a plate, a pitcher, a toothbrush, pencil, coins and a scale.

“This is the first time these have been seen outside North Florida,” says Cynthia Cardona-Melendez, curator of collections.

Of local interest is a long photo on the wall, a group shot of Civil War veterans, taken in 1920 in front of the Orange County courthouse, which was then where Heritage Square is today — right in the front yard of the Orange County Regional History Center. Take a look at the faces — and the medals — of the survivors.

Included in the display is the story of Winston and Octavia Stephens, told in the form of personal letters between the husband and wife. Their descendents have loaned some of the Stephenses personal items to the history center, including a photo album, family silver, swords and a Confederate belt buckle. An oddity is a musketball found at the site where Winston Stephens was killed during the war.

One item not yet installed is a baby doll named Nina.  The Confederates used her to smuggle medicine and supplies past Union blockades.  Her arrival in Orlando has been delayed because she is being x-rayed and undergoing forensic testing in Virginia to determine what she once hid in her papier-mache head. Nina is on load from the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va.

“She’s torn and tattered but that just shows how often she was used to transport things,” Cardon-Melendez says.

Nina is expected to be in place early next week. “Florida in the Civil War” will remain in place at the history center through June 12. It’s included in regular admission, which is $9 general, $6 for ages 5-12. (Note: admission March 19-May 29 will be $12 general, $7 for ages 5-12.)

For more information, go to www.thehistorycenter.org or call 407-836-8500.

Q: Jo G: Hi Julie will "One Ocean" be set to music? Coming over from the UK in October and can't wait to see the new show :) And will it just be children that get chosen to interact?
A: Julie Scardina: Hey Jo! You'll love the new inspirational music. We'll have the flexibility to introduce Shamu to all ages.

Q. Blake F: I can't tell from the picture, are those the moving screens? Or will they just stay put?
A. Julie Scardina: Just like in Believe we'll have the spectacular screens choreographed to music.

Q. Beverly A: When in April will it open in Orlando?
A. Julie Scardina: Late April!

Q. Marilyn B: Julie, in what ways will the audience be able to interact with the whales during the show?
A. Julie Scardina: Be careful you might get WET!

Q. Paige G: What kinds of new behaviors will be featured in the show? How will the whales interact with the water? And will the show be educational in the sense that guests will learn about the whales like in the original Shamu Show?
A. Julie Scardina: The show will be more fun and whale personality driven, but you'll still see spectacular aerials and multiple whales interacting. These days it's easy to look up facts, but to be inspired is harder. Shamu will inspire people to care for his and our One Ocean.

Q. Beverly T: Will it include the trainers in the water interacting with the whales?
A. Julie Scardina: Not at this time but we are hoping and working towards that for the future.

Q. Blake F: Also, will any more pictures/models of the set be released?
A. Julie Scardina: Stay tuned!

Q. Jeannette G: Hey Julie... (Hoping this is how we ask our questions) Believe was a show that really touched my heart and many others as well. Should we expect the same from this new show? Sea World has always had incredible shows. And as an expecting mom to be i cant wait to bring my new family in time to share the experience of SeaWorld!
A. Julie Scardina: Absolutely! In fact, this show will inspire you to connect with and care for our One Ocean.

Q. Lisa G: Hi Julie, this question is from a friend. He wants to know if there is a possibility of waterworks still coming into this show in the future, and also what the new wetsuits look like? :)
A. Julie Scardina: The wetsuits are cool. Check back later for marketing released photos.

Q. Lisa G: I was wondering if Tilikum will be in this new show? Thank You!!
A. Julie Scardina: We are working towards that and hoping to add him when the time is right.

Q. Elena J: Hi Julie!! How are you today? My question is how will this new show be different from the other orca show? Thank you for all you have done.
A. Julie Scardina: Thank you! This show will be fun. You'll see more whale personality along with more audience interaction facilitated by the trainers.

Q. Stephanie C: Julie, how does some attain a job like yours?
A. Julie Scardina: Love of animals, hard work, long hours and a fishy smell! But boy is it worth it. Seriously, a focus on animal behavior, swimming skills, public speaking and passion will get you far.

Q. Jessica C: Hi Julie, it's not a question about the new show (which sounds awesome by the way) but how is little Makaio getting on?
Have an awesome day all the way from the UK :) xx
A. Julie Scardina: Makaio is doing great. Already showing us some spunky behavior!

Q. Marilyn B: Julie, will there be any physical barriers between whale and trainer during the new show?
A. Julie Scardina: We'll still have our protocols as we do now.

Q. Joseph G: Will the new show be built around a beautiful musical score like Believe was?
A. Julie Scardina: Great music, beautiful scores and inspiring lyrics.