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 American Idol Coming to 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 Walt 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. The American
Idol Experience will offer several shows for guests daily and is expected to open in January/February. Only guests age 14
and older will be able to audition, although anyone will be able to watch and judge. The Experience will definitely provide
a fun addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it might even be better than watching the show at home – no commercials! Be
sure to keep an eye out for this cool new attraction at the beginning of 2009, Grab your Discount Disney Tickets along with an exciting Orlando Vacation Package.
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 Sea World Annouces 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. Make sure to check
out the Orlando Vacation Packages for your next Sea World Vacations.
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 Harry Potter Coming to Universal's
Islands of
Adventure
In 2010, Universal's Islands 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. Check out all our Discount Vacation Packages for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.  Hollywood 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. 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. Make sure you grab one of our Orlando Vacation Packages for your next Universal Studios Vacation.
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