Orlando Eye Riders Stuck at 400 Feet

OrlandoNightSkyline66 riders were stranded on the Orlando Eye and had to be evacuated from the 400-foot attraction last Friday afternoon.

At about 3:45 p.m. the operating systems that monitor the position of Ferris wheel indicated a technical default. The wheel had initially stopped for 45 minutes. Andrea Alava, a public relations manager for the Orlando Eye said in a statement that as a safety precaution, the wheel is designed to automatically shut down when communication with the system is interrupted. Continue reading “Orlando Eye Riders Stuck at 400 Feet”

Disney World Bans Selfie Sticks from Its Theme Parks

Selfie_Stick_in_Rom_(16454073048)Are you thinking of visiting Walt Disney World next month? You’d better keep your selfie stick at home.

Disney World is banning selfie sticks from its theme parks as they have become “a growing safety concern” for both its guests and cast, Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty said Friday morning. After June 30 selfie sticks will no longer be allowed in any of Walt Disney World’s four Florida parks and two Disneyland parks, California and DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive, Orlando. The sticks will be banned from Disneyland in Paris and Hong Kong on July 1. Disney hotels and resorts will still allow the selfie devices. Continue reading “Disney World Bans Selfie Sticks from Its Theme Parks”

Wet ‘n Wild Orlando to Close in 2016

Wet_n_Wild_Orlando_-_The_Storm_2Universal Orlando is closing Wet ‘n Wild for good on December 31, 2016, the theme park officials announced via its blog Wednesday.

The International Drive water park opened in 1977 and has been owned by Universal since 1998. The company was leasing the 52 acres land on the corner of I-Drive and Universal Boulevard until 2013 when it purchased it for $30 million. That included the water park, a parcel under its adjacent lagoon and the parking lot across Universal Boulevard.

Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder wrote on Universal’s official blog that it was too soon to discuss what would happen next with the land. However, the land will reportedly be used for hotel development. Continue reading “Wet ‘n Wild Orlando to Close in 2016”

The Next Orlando’s Tallest, Longest and Fastest Roller Coaster is Coming

450px-Kraken_at_SeaWorld_Orlando_21SeaWorld Orlando has recently announced that it is building a new hypercoaster that will be the tallest, fastest and longest ever in Florida.

Named Mako, the new attraction is inspired by mako sharks, also called “blue pointers”, the fastest of all species of sharks in the world and known for making extreme jumps and the ability of quickly change course when they are hunting for food.

The new hypercoaster will feature Continue reading “The Next Orlando’s Tallest, Longest and Fastest Roller Coaster is Coming”

Avatar Land is Taking Shape at Animal Kingdom in Orlando

800px-Rainforest_-_Liffey_Falls_2008_-_aSlated to be Animal Kingdom’s largest expansion in history, Avatar Land which is currently under construction, is scheduled to open in 2017. The massive project that is a collaborative partnership between Disney and Lightstorm Entertainment was announced in 2011 and the construction works started in 2014.

Walt Disney Imagineering has recently revealed details of the design of the new attraction, called Pandora, the mythical land based on the wildly popular movie Avatar. Continue reading “Avatar Land is Taking Shape at Animal Kingdom in Orlando”

A Farewell to Mickyard: Walt Disney World Speedway Closing in June

800px-California_Speedway,_NEXTEL_CupThe Orlando motor sports track, Walt Disney World Speedway, will close in late June, officially confirmed Petty Holdings, operator of Richard Petty Driving Experience and Exotic Driving Experience. Walt Disney World is planning to use the land to make “transportation improvements”. Further details on what happens from there were not provided and exactly what Disney plans to do with the land remains unclear. Rumours say a new parking lot for the area south of the Magic Kingdom would be built there.

The track opened in Orlando Continue reading “A Farewell to Mickyard: Walt Disney World Speedway Closing in June”

Disney World Lamborghini Crash Kills Man

800px-Porsche_race_car_Verschuur_amkA 36-year-old driving instructor from Davenport died last Sunday after a Lamborghini, in which he was riding, went out of control at 100 mph on one of the courses at the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World, Florida. The customer behind the wheel of the vehicle lost control and properly crashed into a guard rail.

Gary Terry, the man in the passenger seat, was a senior operations manager at the exotic driving racing attraction at Walt Disney World, and he also was a professional driving instructor. Continue reading “Disney World Lamborghini Crash Kills Man”

Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Get New Name

800px-Echo_Lake_at_Disney's_Hollywood_StudiosIt looks like Disney is planning to give its Hollywood Studios theme park a new name. During the company’s annual shareholders meeting, held only two weeks ago in San Francisco, a young guest, a six-year-old child in the audience, asked Walt Disney Co. chairman CEO Bob Iger if Disney’s Hollywood Studios would be renamed. Iger confirmed that there would be a name change; Continue reading “Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Get New Name”

New Water Park Coming to Orlando

800px-Magic_mountain_water_park_monctonCompetition among Orlando’s water parks will get a little tougher. Universal Orlando Resort is planning a construction of a water park that will be named Volcano Bay.

On February 13, Universal filed plans with South Florida Water Management for a proposed water park to be built on vacant land east of Turkey Lake and south of Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. The parcel of land for the planned water park at Universal Orlando Resort is more than 50 acres. Previously, Universal has filed for trade marks for the names Volcano Bay and Wondersea Island, according to the details released on the theme park blogs. Continue reading “New Water Park Coming to Orlando”

The Fury 325 Giga Coaster in North Carolina Hits Speeds Up to 95 mph

Banshee_(roller_coaster)Are you seeking for new adrenaline fuels? If you are brave enough, then book a trip to Charlotte to take a ride on the brand new Fury 325 at Carowinds Amusement Park in North Carolina. Once the giga coaster opens on March 28, it will be one of the tallest, fastest and longest roller coasters in the world.

The new attraction began construction on September 2014 as a part of a planned $50 million multi-year expansion at Carowinds amusement park. The coaster was officially announced by Carowinds on August 21, 2014 at an event that was held at the parks Harmony Hall Marketplace. Only a few days ago, Carowinds released a video showing off a stomach-turning virtual ride on the brand new Fury 325. Continue reading “The Fury 325 Giga Coaster in North Carolina Hits Speeds Up to 95 mph”