Destination: Theme Park » Seasonal Events

Ferrari World Offers Free Day To Moms On Mother’s Day

Donna — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:23:29 +0000

Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi — the world’s largest indoor theme park — will embrace Mother’s Day this year by offering complimentary admission to moms with families on Sunday, March 20.

For those attending, there will be a Mother’s Day raffle where one lucky family will be able to enjoy free admission to the Emirates theme park. Ferrari World has more than 20 rides and attractions tailored around the Ferrari story. Tickets are free for Moms with the purchase of any other ticket and are valid on Sunday, March 20, 2011 from 12PM to 10 PM.

We have to wonder how many moms will ask their families for an actual Ferrari for next year’s Mother’s day.

Source: Abu Dhabi City Guide

Love Is In The Air At Disneyland

lizette — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 09:16:31 +0000

What better place to spend Valentine’s day than the happiest place on earth? Disneyland has love in the air with decorations galore, ranging from hanging hearts and heart-shaped eatables to red, pink and white florals. These decorations definitely make you feel lovey-dovey!

Take a look at the decorations in the gallery below (courtesy of disunplugged.com) that may inspire you, if you’re a Disney fan, to bring your significant other to Disney and enjoy the decorations and dinner at Catal on Valentine’s Day.

Here’s the Valentine’s Day Weekend Dinner menu:

Catal Restaurant

Valentine’s Celebration Menu

Friday, February 11 to Monday, February 14 beginning at 5 pm

First course selection

Organic greens

Mine Shaft bleu cheese, shaved market pears, Ceylon cinnamon, Marcona almonds, Noble tonic vinaigrette

Grilled oysters

shaved radish, ginger, Indonesian lemon vinegar, artichoke crudo

Lobster bouillon

poached laughing bird shrimp, toasted garlic, piquillo pepper, tarragon

Hand rolled saffron pasta

suckling pig confit, espelette pepper, petite spigariello

Butternut squash agnolotti

smoked cashew sauce, shaved pata negra, baby arugula

Roasted mushroom soup

house made truffle cheese, mushroom chips

Main course selection

Licorice-scented duck breast

grilled dates, bacon, pressure cooked pine nuts

Jidori chicken breast “Milanese”

grilled peppers, heirloom polenta, salsa verde

Australian Sea bass, baby potatoes

maché greens, toasted coriander-green olive vinaigrette

Roasted filet mignon

oxtail hash, mushrooms, veal reduction, horseradish pearls

Hand rolled cavatelli pasta

Opilio crab, sea urchin, red chilies, garlic

Champagne risotto

zucchini blossoms, grilled diver scallops, lemon agrumato oil, finger limes

Dessert selection

Rose petal macaroon

lychee sorbet and fresh raspberry sauce

Chocolate sable cake

citrus sorbet and kumquat confit

The three-course dinner menu costs $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations can be made by calling Catal at 714-774-4442.

You have the option of going to a couple of other dinner locations located on Main Street, U.S.A in the Disneyland park as well. Choices include two restaurants that have Valentine’s Day menus: Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel and Carnation Cafe.

Source: DISUnplugged

Holiday Crowds Pack Universal’s Island Of Adventure

Donna — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 07:52:17 +0000

Universal Orlando had to suspend admission to Islands of Adventure on Tuesday and Wednesday of this (12/27/2010) week due to a huge amount of visitors. It seems that the main attraction is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, just six months old, is attracting the lion’s share of the crowds. It is the first time ever in the history of Universal’s Island of Adventure that the park had to halt admission since opening its doors in 1999. Guests were asked to visit Universal Studios Florida until Islands of Adventure re-opened.

Universal has seen a 36 percent increase in attendance between the months of July and October.

It’s 12 o’clock Somewhere!

lizette — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 02:48:00 +0000

It’s 12 o’clock somewhere! Disneyland Paris just celebrated its New Year’s countdown with a breath-taking fireworks show over the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Only two hours till we Floridians celebrate as well!

Plenty To Do On New Year’s Eve In Orlando-Tampa Area

Donna — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:42:53 +0000

Welcome the New Year by attending one of the many scheduled events in the Orlando/Tampa theme parks. There’s definitely something for everyone, including:

Bret Michaels will be in concert at Universal’s CityWalk
SeaWorld Orlando will have a fireworks show at midnight
The Guess Who will be performing in Gwazi Park at Busch Gardens, and
Walt Disney World will have all kinds of special events throughout the theme park, including parades, fireworks, and music

Hit the source for an in-depth list of the various events held at the theme parks of Central Florida. What will you be doing this Friday? Let us know in the comments!

Tom Felton Visits The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

lizette — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 04:30:50 +0000

It looks like Tom Felton — also known as the actor who plays Draco Malfoy — felt home Hogwarts sick today. So what better way to get a Hogwarts fix than to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure? According to reports, Felton indulged in some sweet Butterbeer, visited the Hogwarts castle, and spent rest of the day enjoying the rides and attractions at both theme parks.

Did you happen upon Mr. Felton at the parks — or around the Central Florida area — today? If so, let us know how it went in the comments below!

Christmas Day At The Magic Kingdom – Photos

lizette — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:37:13 +0000

Here are some photos from Christmas day at the Magic Kingdom. The park’s decorations are always beautiful this time of year and it’s always magical to experience them on Christmas day… which is why I visit with my family every year!

Stranded: Christmas Day At Magic Kingdom Ends On Less Than Magical Note

alex — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 05:59:25 +0000

Line for the monorail at Magic Kingdom on Chrirstmas Day, 2010. When the ferries tasked with carrying guests out of the park became "out of operation," crowding, long lines, and all sorts of unpleasantries ensued.

Being the theme park mongrel that she is, Destination: Theme Park co-founder Lizette Gagné decided to spend a magical Christmas Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Upon arriving at the park this morning, Lizette found out that the park has reached capacity and not accepting any more guests. But since Lizette is an annual pass holder, she — along with her parents — was still allowed into the park to enjoy this most festive of days. Little did she know what was expecting her at the end of her magical journey.

Upon approaching the park’s exit points (the ferry and monorail) around 11:30pm, Lizette was surprised to see a huge gargantuan line. What was all the commotion about? As it turns out, the ferries that carry guests in and out of the park were “out of operation” (direct words of a Magic Kingdom representative) — leaving the monorail the only way out of the park.

This doesn’t seem like a big problem until we underscore the fact that the park was already operating at capacity — which, according to various websites — is 100,000 guests. What ended up transpiring is anything but magical. Lizette saw a most unpleasant fight break out in line to the monorail and even witnessed a female visitor give a Disney cast member a good yelling-over. It turns out that the female visitor (and her son) in question have been waiting in line to the monorail for the last two hours, in 64 degree rain. Sure, the 64 degree part doesn’t seem that cold at first… until one realizes that it’s Florida we’re talking about — and residents as well as visitors aren’t expecting a spirited night-time chill. How’s that for a perfect storm?

Not wanting to stand in line after having been on her feet for most of the day, Lizette decided to wait out the exit lines (and their negative by-products) inside Magic Kingdom. In fact, she’s still there — I’m writing this report on her account. As of publish time, Lizette has been trying to get out of Magic Kingdom for the last two hours — starting at 11:30pm.

While it may be too early to draw conclusions at this point, one question lingers in Lizette’s mind: “Why in the world are the ferries out of order on what is usually one of the busiest days in the theme park industry?”

While this incident is nowhere near as important as that of life and death, it does leave a bitter taste. Perhaps one quote from a guest addressed to her small child sums up the night’s sentiment:

“We’re not coming back here… at least for a long time.”

PS: we’re aware that the quality of the pictures provided is anything but stellar. As soon as Lizette gets to her hotel, she will upload pictures of better quality.

A Mickey-Holiday Family Tradition

lizette — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 16:49:29 +0000

What kind of theme park mongrel would I be if I didn’t spend Christmas with Mickey? Well, not a very good one! Christmas time happens to be one of my favorite times to enjoy the parks. Sipping some of Disney’s famous hot coco while indulging in all the lights and decorations around the park — all on a chilled winter night — is simply a one-of-a-kind experience that I look forward to all year long.

Ever since I was a youngin’ it’s been a family tradition every Christmas to bundle up and enjoy the holiday celebrations at an Orlando theme park.

I remember being five years old and planning my Christmas trip to Disney World with my parents just like it was yesterday! My dad would put all the theme park names in a hat and have me pull out a name. Whatever name I would pull out would be the park at which we would spend Christmas. Sometimes — if I was really good that year — I’d get to pull out two names, for double the theme park joy!

My Christmas celebrations were a little different than that of most children. On Christmas eve we would drive to Orlando, listening to Christmas tunes along the way (a part of the tradition that has made me conditioned to think of Disney whenever christmas music plays). And instead of waiting ’till Christmas morning to open my presents, I would open all of my presents at 12 am right after Christmas eve. I’d enjoy them that night and then on Christmas morning I would wake up to go to Disney, the biggest present of them all!

Well, 17 years later, we’re still enjoying a family tradition. This year we’re going to The Magic Kingdom and The Animal Kingdom. Oh, I can’t wait to see Mickey and indulge in some of his famous hot chocolate!

I’ll be updating the blog with photos throughout the day, documenting the exciting Christmas celebration at the Disney parks. If you have anything that you’d like me to snap a photo of or find out while I’m enjoying the festivities, drop a comment below and I’ll do my best to get it for you!

Now, I’ve got to get my beauty sleep for Mickey. See you tomorrow!

And Happy Holidays!

Fun Disney fact: There are over 8.5 Million lights strung throughout the Walt Disney Resort. That’s a lot of lights!

Students To Particpate In WDW Candlelight Processional

Donna — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:35:58 +0000

50 students from Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in Suffolk, Virginia school chorus will perform in Walt Disney World’s Candlelight Processional on December 17. They have been practicing since the end of August. This isn’t the first time the school chorus play in the Processional – as they have done so five years ago.