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Be immersed in SeaWorld's theme
By Peter Couture, Times Staff Writer
Published June 24, 2007
ORLANDO - If you regularly hop between Disney and Universal on your Central Florida visits, SeaWorld may be the odd park out. - If that's the case, it may be time for a refresher visit. - It was a pleasant surprise on a recent trip to see the changes that Busch Gardens' sister park has made to update its attractions and to become more family friendly.
From the overhaul of Shamu Stadium to the Waterfront shopping and dining area, SeaWorld seems more like a unified theme park and less like a series of marine exhibits punctuated by rides. Even the landscaping is more welcoming.
"Your experience at SeaWorld is far more than looking at some fish swimming around, " says park spokesman Greg Smith.
Indeed.
Some of the newer attractions:
- "Believe" is the makeover of the whale show at Shamu stadium that most of us remember. Gone is a trainer-led aquarium show. The trainers still interact with the whales, but now they're all choreographed players in a multimedia show with a movie-type score and four 20-foot video screens that move, join together and rotate to give underwater views. And, yes, you still get soaked if you choose to sit in a splash zone.
A nighttime show, "Shamu Rocks, " features the park's stars in a show that combines the whales' movements with rock, pop and country music. It runs through Labor Day weekend.
- Smaller kids, especially, will enjoy Shamu's Happy Harbor, which reopened last month after doubling in size. The play area has added the Sea Carousel, the Flying Fiddler and Ocean Commotion, which join three rides added last fall. The Fiddler is a miniature version of a "drop tower" ride think Dr. Doom's Fear Fall at Universal's Islands of Adventure. The crab-shaped gondola holds six riders, giving kids a lift-and-drop experience of their own and seems a fun way for parents with some children to share a ride. Why should grownups have all the fun?
Ocean Commotion is a simulated boat ride that takes up to two dozen riders on a gentle back-and-forth, swirling ride atop ocean swells. The Sea Carousel is a merry-go-round with sea animals substituting for horses. One of the rides added last year was the Shamu Express - a starter roller coaster.
- "Elmo and the Bookaneers." The live-action show features Elmo and his Sesame Street pals singing and dancing in a new pirate adventure.
- "Mistify" takes place on SeaWorld's center lake and features marine animals projected on 60-foot screens of mist. There are also fountains, flames and fireworks.
Other Orlando news
- Epcot: Chevrolet's Rev It Up 2007, which bills itself as the world's largest performance driving school, will be in the parking lot July 27 and 28. The event offers a day of instruction and exhibits for $25. Space is limited. See www.revitup.com.
- Magic Kingdom: The Haunted Mansion will be closed until mid September while the attraction is updated to welcome more ghosts.
Peter Couture can be reached at pcouture@sptimes.com.
[Last modified June 21, 2007, 10:50:47]
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