Labor day events in Orlando Florida & theme parks

Labor day events in Orlando, Walt Disney, Universal Studios and Sea World

Well everyone, one more week and it’s Labor Day weekend in Orlando, Florida! That’s the signal that summer is over and fall is coming soon. Labor Day weekend sees many having outdoor cookouts, going to the beach and taking a dip in the pool. Here in Orlando it also means the last big crowds of tourist in the theme parks before school.

Last year I spent Labor Day weekend on the beach at Daytona Beach. Someone took a picture of me, and that’s why I’ve been working out ever since! Anyway,,,,, for those wondering what kind of events might be going on at the theme parks and around Orlando, there really is not that much more going on. The crowds will be bigger everywhere as many get in their last Holiday weekend of the summer.

But all the theme parks will just have their normal summer events. Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World will have their normal nightly fireworks, parades and events. They might have a bit more fireworks than normal, a few more sales. The smaller attractions, stores and outlet malls generally have some big sales and discounts going on during Labor Day weekend.
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Are Orlando theme parks still empty?

Are Orlando theme parks starting to fill up now

Sorry it’s been a while since I made a post here, life has a way of taking all your time! Because of the bad economy this summer has seen light crowds at the Orlando Florida theme parks. Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World has all seen attendance drop like a gold plated balloon! More and more however I keep reading about how things are getting better overall.

So, has things picked up at the theme parks? In a word, NO! This later part of the summer might be seeing a little bit more park attendance than the first part of the summer. But overall things are still down in the Orlando area. All the theme parks, hotels and rental agencies still report lower than normal sales. Of course I can see that just by going around town and looking with my own eyes.

It will not be too long before school starts. Once that happens things always slow down a lot, this year more than ever. This fall will be a fantastic time for that Walt Disney World or Universal Studios vacation. As I have said before fall has the best of both worlds in Orlando. It’s cooler, less humid and rains less than in the summer. Crowds are gone, prices go down and great deals can be had.

The only down side is that some rides in the parks get shut down for maintenance work, there are less fireworks and shows and less parades in the parks. But overall your enjoyment will be much better, especially since you can actually get on more rides and save money! So things might be picking up a little here, but the whole rest of the year promises to still be a slow one.

Disney, Sea World & Universal Studios 4th of July fireworks

Disney, sea world and universal studios fireworks in the 4th of july

Well everyone, soon it will be the 4th of July! As you can imagine Orlando has some major firework displays going on. For tourist most want to know about what types and when to see 4th of July fireworks at the theme parks. Just so you know, anyone can buy fireworks here in Florida, unlike some other states.

So watch out for people letting some loose around you, which they do. Last year it was very dry here in Orlando Florida. Because of that a lot of firework shows were canceled due to the fire hazard. But this year has been wet so everyone will be out shooting off their fireworks! The theme parks have some really good shows scheduled this year too.

The theme parks are always packed on the 4th of July, and some may stop admitting people in once they are full. So get there early and don’t leave the park until your sure your not going to stay anymore that day. Here’s a break down of what the major theme parks have in store for you on the forth of July:
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Sea World’s new roller coaster Manta open!

Well it’s time to get everyone up to date on the latest news around Orlando, Fl! So what better way then to announce the grand opening of Sea World’s new roller coaster, Manta! It will have it’s official opening the 22nd, Friday. But people already can ride it, and word of mouth is it’s a fantastic ride!

Billed as the only one of it’s kind in Florida, Manta has a sneak twist to it. You get in like any other roller coaster that hangs under the rail. But then once your all strapped in place it moves you all forward and down, until your stretched out almost like in a superman position. You can imagine how much faster it seems to be going when your face down looking at the ground zoom by.

Manta Puts you through loops and turns, followed by what looks like near misses of waterfalls and other objects. It has a nice aquatic theme in keeping with the parks animals and fish. It’s a very fun ride and the neat position you get put into is one you have to experience. A word of warning however.

Make sure you take EVERYTHING out of your pockets, off your head and around your neck! Nothing you try to keep on you will stay on unless it’s tied on you. Hats, sunglasses, flip flops, phones in your pocket, change, everything will fall off you. Use the lockers near the ride to store all your stuff. Then get ready for the ride of your life!

New flying roller coaster Manta at Sea World youtube video

It’s been pretty cool the past couple of nights here in Orlando, hope it warms up. Of course for those up north I’m sure it’s hot compared to up there! Anyways I wanted to give you a sneak peek at a brand new roller coaster being made at Sea World. It’s called Manta, and it will be what is called a flying roller coaster.

Okay so just what is a flying roller coaster? It’s one where you step into it and get all buckled up. Then the thing tilts you forward so your in kind of a “superman” position, neat huh! It will seat 4 across and your knees will still be bent, but your front body is extended out and flat to the ground, sort of. The sensation you get will be like flying.

The total height of the coaster is 140 feet, with a 113 foot first drop. It has a top speed of 56 mph, but in that flying position it will feel a lot faster! It will last about 2 and a half minutes, and the height requirement to get on is 52 inches or higher. It is scheduled to be open on May 22 of this year, 2009. So check out the youtube video of the flying roller coaster ride Manta at Sea World!

Orlando vacation theme parks and water parks

Well everyone, the title to this post seems pretty simple huh? Theme parks and water parks in Orlando. Heck we all know who they are, don’t we? Well actually maybe not! Orlando is growing very fast, and so are the theme parks. Also the major theme parks keep adding new parks! So it can be confusing to keep track of all the big theme and water parks in Orlando.

So I want to make a nice list of them. Now, when I say theme parks, I mean big ones, and I mean each different park in each complex. Disney World, for instance, is a giant mix of 7 or more parks. Water parks are a mix of ones in the big theme parks and other smaller ones all by themselves. I’ll start with the most popular ones first, shall we! [Read more…]

Tips on water rides at Universal Studios Orlando and others

Well with all the post I have made so far, I have not really gave out a whole lots of real tips huh? Silly me! Okay then, I’ll give you a real good one today, and you’ll be really glad if you take these tips! If you have kids, you know kids love water rides at the theme parks. Parents always make one classic mistake about them.

They look at the ride and think “well, maybe if we go on it we will get lucky and not get too wet”. HAHAHAHA!!! Trust me, you will lose on that bet! You ALWAYS get really wet on the water rides, that’s what they are designed to do. Maybe you think that surely they would not get you really, really wet on purpose, right?

WRONG! The people that make those rides don’t think that getting soaked is a really bad thing. Okay, so you go and get those overpriced raincoats they just happen to sell right outside the water rides. So now you’ll stay dry even if you do get a wall of water rushing over you. BUT, you forget the most important part of your body. [Read more…]

Sea World of Orlando, Florida raises prices

Well I see just in time for the New Year Sea World of Orlando, Florida has raised it’s basic one day ticket price up $5.00 for next month. The new cost of a standard one day ticket for an adult at Sea World will now be $74.95. All three big parks in Orlando; Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World, almost always raise prices once a year, if not more.

Of course most people never pay that price for a normal one day ticket. That’s because they want you to buy their multi-day tickets. I admit the multi-day tickets are a good deal. Or at least, they look like a good deal compared to the cost of a single day ticket. 😉 But that’s really the point of the cost increase, to make you get a multi-day ticket.

Now with Disney having four main parks, and Universal Studios having two, a multi-day ticket is the way to go. You’ll never see everything in a day, even at Universal. Plus kids always want to go back and do the rides again, they never get tired of them! So now Sea World is playing that game, but there’s one problem. [Read more…]

Youtube video of Sea World water park, Aquatica

Many people who have been to Orlando’s Sea World in the past might be surprised to know that they now have a full water park! It’s actually just across the street from the main Sea World park. I always thought that Sea World should have a water park, and now they do. I feel ripped off somehow, it was MY idea!

Sea World’s water park is called Aquatica, and it has many water flumes, shoots, rivers and wave pools. Since they have done so much work around water they really knew what to make when they made this water park. They even have a slide where you go right under water and see dolphins above you, is that cool or what!

I’ll have more detailed info on this park, as well as all the others once I really get this site going. But for right now enjoy the youtube video of Sea World’s Aquatica water park. To find out more about it right now, go to the Sea World’s Aquatica water park website here! It’s a fun water park that is state of the art, you’ll love it!