Posted on Sat, Jan 31, 2009 @ 06:44 AM
Universal's Rip Ride & Rockit Roller Coaster
Universal is buzzing with anticipation of the opening this spring of Rip Ride & Rockit. Adrenaline pumping and music thumping, you find yourself heading straight toward the sky. Suddenly, you are doing 65 mph, 17 stories over Universal Studios Orlando. Gasping with excitement, you rock out to a song you picked before strapping in. And, it's all on video. Once the adventure is over, you edit the video to send to your friends.
This is true high-tech, customizable, multi-sensory entertainment. Scheduled to open in Spring 2009, Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will stake its claim as the most technologically advanced roller coaster in the world. The Universal Creative team is combining audio and special effects engineering, sophisticated on- and off-board video and one-of-a-kind guest personalization to create a roller coaster experience unlike any other."This is the perfect intersection of the digital age and theme park entertainment," said Mark Woodbury, President of Creative for Universal Parks & Resorts. "Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit blends roller coaster intensity and guest interaction in a way where no two experiences will be the same."
Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit touts six near-miss moments and first-ever thrills including a record-breaking loop. Ride vehicles feature the brightest and most innovative color changing LEDs in the world. High-energy visual displays fill the queue line. With up to four ride vehicles on the tracks at any given time, and with concert lighting and special effects mixed in, Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will be a true high-intensity, multi-sensory experience that is unmatched.
Guests can customize their ride experience by choosing what song will play while they're on the roller coaster. LED boards in the queue lines will display song options from five genres (classic rock, rap, country, pop and disco). Once on-board, guests can choose their song or let the coaster's digital sound system choose for them. When the ride is over, guests will be able to customize footage from their experience and compile it into a take-home music video.
Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will be located near the Jimmy Neutron attraction traveling the southern perimeter of the Universal Studios theme park, over to the CityWalk lagoon and back.
Posted on Fri, Jan 30, 2009 @ 06:39 AM
Harry Potter Going Good at Islands of Adventure
In 2010, Universal's Island of Adventure will open a new Harry Potter-Themed Island, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, possibly incorporating elements from The Lost Continent. It will feature three different areas: The Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade Village, and Hogwarts Castle itself. Three attractions (not known yet) will come with this land, as well as many Harry Potter themed shops and restaurants.
Posted on Fri, Jan 30, 2009 @ 06:29 AM
American Idol is at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Do you love watching American Idol every season? Do you avidly root for your favorite performers from start to finish? Or do you, perhaps, have a dream of one day appearing on the show yourself? With the new American Idol Experience coming to Disney World in 2009, you can enjoy all these aspects of your favorite show and more!
At the American Idol Experience, a new attraction opening in Disney's Hollywood Studios, guests will be able to get a taste of America's most beloved reality competition. Following the model of the high-energy show, Disney guests will get to experience the change of auditioning and the rush of performing on stage in competition. For those who don't fancy themselves to be stage-savvy enough, you can walk in the shoes of Simon Cowell or Paula Abdul and judge performances in a live interactive entertainment setting. Or, you can just sit back, watch, and enjoy the show.
The Experience will include an audition process, open to all, where guests perform "live" in front of a Hollywood Studios producer. If the producers choose you as their next star, you'll be taken backstage to prepare for a live show later in front of an audience and panel of judges. You'll even get to work with a vocal coach and get pampered by a make-up artist in preparation for your big stage finale.
The performers with the highest votes will compete in an end-of-day Grand Finale, where the winner will receive a special Dream ticket - a guaranteed reservation to sing in front of an American Idol representative at a future regional stadium audition. Best yet, winners of the Dream Ticket will get to bypass all those dreadfully long lines at the regional audition.
The Experience truly replicates every aspect of the TV show, from the nerve-wracking audition experience to the set. When guests perform on stage in front of a live audience, they'll be doing so in the Experience's main theater, which is designed to look just like the American Idol stage. Audience members also get to vote like they would at home, with electronic keypads at their seats. You'll feel like Ryan Seacrest is about to pop out at any moment - and at Disney's Hollywood Studios who knows? They might even have an animatronic version of him! (Wouldn't that be creepy?) Even America's most recent Idol, David Cook, will be making a special appearance in the new attraction, via video.
Posted on Thu, Jan 29, 2009 @ 12:00 PM
Universal Studios 2009 Mardi Gras Concert Lineup
Starting Feb.7th, Universal Studios Orlando is unleashing the biggest Mardi Gras celebration this side of the bayou with the most powerful and diverse concert series in the event's history. With a combined total of more than 300 million records sold and a dozen Grammy Awards, this year's Mardi Gras line-up features 13 of the most popular names in pop, rock, R&B, country, hip-hop and more.
Guests will experience a Mardi Gras concert series like no other, with performances by Billboard Chart-topper Ne-Yo, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, country music-duo Montgomery Gentry and Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly. Other headliners include the hit artists behind classics such as "Hit Me with Your Best Shot," "Too Legit to Quit," and "Y.M.C.A." - Pat Benatar, MC Hammer and The Village People, respectively. In addition, New Orleans bands will showcase their authentic bayou music in the French Quarter, a replica of New Orleans' famed district.
"This year's Mardi Gras will be our best party ever," said Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort. "We've got the best music line-up in the history of the event, along with a non-stop celebration filled with an amazing parade, floats, food and all of the beads you can catch."
Guests will experience the most authentic Mardi Gras celebration outside of The Big Easy when the event kicks off on February 7th and runs every Saturday night through April 18th, with additional dates on Sunday, February 15th and Friday, March 27th. Guests will enjoy hundreds of costumed characters, tons of souvenir beads, Cajun cuisine and an elaborate parade featuring floats designed by Blaine Kern Artists, Inc, who designs floats for the New Orleans parade.
This year's parade theme is "Stories," giving guests a glimpse into the world of literature. Themed floats featuring iconic characters and settings from the pages of the most popular and beloved books featuring genres such as Mystery, Romance and Horror will cruise the streets of Universal Studios throughout the event.
Posted on Thu, Jan 29, 2009 @ 11:27 AM
SeaWorld Getting Ready for Manta:
Following the announcement in April and set to open in Summer of 2009, there has been speculation around the construction of the newest coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. We were told that the new coaster will as suggested at the time be called Manta. Manta will be Seaworld Orlando's second major coaster, the other being Kraken.
Following on from the mix of animal/ride combinations at the recently opened Aquatica water park, Manta will show riders underwater animal habitats and then soar them skywards on a Manta styled flying coaster. Early artwork suggests that you'll sit under the Manta face down in a hand-gliding position.
Designed to give the ride the feeling of gliding, swooping and diving, Manta will reach a height of 140 feet, top speeds of 60mph moving through four inversions on 3,359 feet of track covering 7 acres of the park. The ride will be constructed by swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard who were also responsible for the construction of Kraken, Hulk Rollercoaster and Duelling Dragons to name a few.
The attraction is to begin when visitors enter a mythical village filled with artisan-created engravings and artwork that celebrate ray legend and lore. In the queue line, visitors will wind through caverns adorned with ray-inspired art in marble, jewels, and mosaics, all hand-created.
If you're not a coaster fan, then you'll still get the opportunity to view the aquarium that forms part of the ride, which will be filled with rays, as well as thousands of fish and other creatures native to oceans all over the world.