Busch Gardens’ Baby Cheetah Gets a New Puppy Pal

Guests Invited To Help Name Young Cat and Yellow Lab, Who Will Make Their Public Debut on Saturday

Thursday, April 14, 2011 (Tampa, FL) – Just a month after Busch Gardens took in a cheetah cub whose mother wasn’t caring for it, the park’s animal care team has identified the perfect four-legged friend for the 8-week-old cat: a 16-week old female yellow Labrador puppy.

The two were first introduced over the weekend and have been spending supervised play times together each day. Eventually, the pair will live together and even travel together, helping the park’s education team teaching the public about the plight of cheetahs in the wild and the importance of Busch Gardens’ conservation efforts.

Although this is Busch Gardens’ first cub-and-puppy combo, it is not uncommon in the zoological community for a single cheetah to be raised with a canine companion. “Male cheetahs are social and often live together in coalitions,” said Tim Smith, one of Busch Gardens’ animal curators. “This social bond will be a very similar relationship, and they will be together for life.”

Beginning Saturday, April 16, the cub and puppy will move to Jambo Junction in the Nairobi area of the park, where guests will be able to see them at select times throughout the day. Guests are also invited to help name the pair. Starting today, the public can “like” the Busch Gardens Facebook page (www.facebook.com/buschgardenstampabay) and vote for their favorite names. The polls will close at noon on Monday, April 18, and the winners will be announced that afternoon.

Cheetahs are included on both the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of vulnerable species as well as on the US Endangered Species Act list of threatened species. Only approximately 12,400 cheetahs remain in the wild.

Busch Gardens supports the conservation of and education about cheetahs through the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, which has donated nearly $100,000 to cheetah efforts in Africa since 2005 and also helps fund conservation programs for white rhinos, marine animals and many other species around the world.

New in 2011 – Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor

Construction Begins on Six Flag Great America’s Massive Water Park Expansion

WHAT: Construction begins on Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor, a 4 acre water park expansion

FEATURES: 10 new attractions including a double-sided surf simulator, 2 free-fall speed slides, 2 free-fall looping slides, activity pool and additional retail and dining locations. (fact sheet attached)

WHERE: Six Flags Great America / 542 N. Route 21 / Gurnee, IL 60031 / Employee Entrance

VISUALS: Assembling 5-story tall water slides, digging massive activity pool, pouring concrete foundations, building new restaurant and retail facilities.

INFORMATION: http://www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica/RiptideBay/riptidebay.html   (live webcam, fact sheet and high-resolution images available for download)

Gurnee, Ill.  (April 14, 2011)  – New in 2011, The Best Water Park in the Nation…Just Got Bigger!  Construction crews at Six Flags Great America are hard at work to make this summer Bigger, Better and Wetter!  Construction is underway on Riptide Bay, an all-new 4 acre water park expansion of Hurricane Harbor, Six Flags Great America’s water park that initially opened in 2005.  With the new expansion, Hurricane Harbor will span 20 acres and boast more rides and attractions than any other in the state.  The expansion will also create 80 new jobs at the Gurnee theme park.

Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor will feature five new daring slides including first-of-its-kind Skybox drop slides.  Bomb’s away as the floor drops out from beneath you and you free-fall 5 stories into the all-new Dive Bomber looping slides.  Count to three inside Mega Wedgie’s launching capsule and feel the trap-style door under your feet drop, sending you shooting down an 80 degree plunge at 40 mph.  Even race your friends on twin versions. New Riptide Bay features also include the only place to surf on Lake Michigan with our 5 foot wave-in-a-box Surf Rider, a double-funnel family raft slide, massive lagoon, luxury cabanas, gift shop and tiki snack bar.  Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor opens Memorial Day weekend.  Best of all, it’s FREE with a season pass or park admission. 

Six Flags Great America is located between Chicago and Milwaukee and offers fun for the entire family with 14 heart-pounding roller coasters, a FREE water park, spectacular shows and three children’s themed areas.

Testing Crews to Launch Cheetah Hunt For the First Time This Weekend

Cheetah Hunt’s Multiple Launch Points Will Undergo
Numerous, Repeated Tests Over The Next Several Days

Friday, April 15, 2011 (Tampa, FL) – This weekend, Busch Gardens’ Design & Engineering team will officially launch Florida’s first triple-launch coaster for the first time. But, the park warns, guests hoping to catch a glimpse of the testing in progress shouldn’t expect Cheetah Hunt to be up to full speed quite yet.

The process, which kicks off Saturday morning, begins by testing each launch point over and over again at partial power with both empty trains and cars loaded with “water dummies” that simulate the weight of human passengers.

After each launch, the train will be pulled back into position and launched again. Crews will start with the first launch point, which propels the train out of the station house; by weekend’s end, they plan to have moved on to the second launch point. At full power, launch point No. 2 will send trains up the 102-foot Windcatcher Tower. Trains testing at partial power, however, will not make it to the top of the tower.

Early next week, this phase of testing will wrap up with the third launch point – located just past the canyon in the northern end Cheetah Hunt’s footprint. Soon after, trains will start making complete circuits around the track’s 4429-foot run.

But how soon will actual people replace the water dummies? “We will run more than 3,000 cycles of the ride before we put humans on it,” says Mark Rose, Busch Gardens’ Vice President of Design & Engineering. When the time comes, Rose will be one of the first people to ride.

Giddy Up for Western Adventure!

Humpty's Western Round-Up
June 11, 2011 - 6PM to 10PM
Tickets on Sale Starting April 15!

Giddy Up! Fairytale Town is hosting its annual fundraiser. The Wild West will once again return to Fairytale Town to set the mood for a High Falutin' Hootenany of family fun - Humpty's Western Round-Up event is on June 11 from 6PM to 10PM.  Tickets are on sale beginning April 15 at www.fairytaletown.org.
 
Get on your cowboy duds and boots and ride into town because event activities include: live music from favorite country artist The Dave Russell Band, children's western activities, western ware vendors, bandit hide-outs, and unlimited access to all Fairytale Town attractions and playsets.

Ticket prices are $25 for adults, and $10 for children in advance. Tickets include park admission, all live entertainment and themed activities, dinner and a soft drink, Crystal ice cream, and saloon stations will be serving beer and wine for purchase.
 
This event is possible through the support of KNTY The Wolf, Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld, Downey Brand, Union Bank, Merchant's National Bank, Securitas, Jordan Blair, Wendy Holmquist and Jeff Chenu, Southwest Airlines, Foster Farms Dairy, Tony's Fine Foods, Scott Naake Paper Company, Sacramento Coca Cola, and Hoppy Brewing Company.
Tickets are available at www.fairytaletown.org.

Worlds of Fun Fans Campout For Opening Day

KANSAS CITY, Mo. −  Campout, countdown, then coasters! Opening Day at Worlds of Fun is always a special time, but with the second annual Opening Day Campout, fans anticipating the park opening can count it down together at the park's overnight party!  The all-nighters will be rewarded by the park with huge perks including $14.99 admission, a private ride session on the Prowler roller coaster, free food, and fun activities.

As the sun sets on Friday, April 15, the fun begins for anyone attending this free activity when the official line for the event begins to take shape. The park’s front gate area will be home to tents, sleeping bags, blankets, and fans ready to countdown the hours until the park opens for 2011. Worlds of Fun staff members will be on hand to provide the fun with prize drawings, snacks, and contests.

Throughout the night, fans will anxiously be awaiting sunrise, as those that stay at the park are rewarded with something better than morning coffee to wake them up, a full hour of exclusive ride time (ERT) on Prowler roller coaster before the park opens. Plus, during the ERT session, the park will provide a free breakfast for the night owls ready to conquer the park all Opening Day.  In addition, the park’s Season Pass Processing Center will open early for campout guests, and Season Passes will be sold at a discounted price to campout attendees only.  Those campers without a season pass can purchase a discount admission to Opening Day for only $14.99, a savings of $29 off the normal gate price.

All campout activities are free although park admission or a Season Pass is required to enjoy the exclusive Opening Day festivities. For a complete activity list, visit worldsoffun.com/camp or facebook.com/worldsoffun. Worlds of Fun opens for the 2011 season on Saturday, April 16, and a full calendar can be found at worldsoffun.com.

For those that prefer a good night’s sleep, prepare for the 2011 season now by purchasing a season pass at a reduced price. Through April 15, Worlds of Fun Gold Season Passes, a whole season of Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun, and free parking, are on sale for only $99. Those taking advantage of a season pass can bring up to four friends for only $9.99 on Opening Day, a savings of $33 per ticket.

BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA WELCOMES BABY THOMSON’S GAZELLE

Young Calf is Gaining Weight in Response to Care

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 (Tampa, FL) – Busch Gardens’ hoof-stock care team is currently hand raising a baby female Thomson’s gazelle. The baby weighed just over four pounds at birth on February 25.

When the calf refused to take milk from its mother, the park’s animal care team started bottle-feeding the baby.  She is now receiving five bottle feedings each day and is weighed daily to monitor her health.  At  about four weeks old, she has already gained more than two pounds.

Thomson’s gazelles, also called “tommies,” are one of three migratory species that make up the vast Serengeti migration. Like the zebra and the wildebeest, the Tommie population can reach more than 500,000 per migration.

This baby will remain in the park’s back area until she is healthy enough to join the herd of Thomson’s gazelles on the 65-acre Serengeti Plain. Guests can view the herd from Nairobi Walkway and get close-up views of the animals on the Serengeti Express Railway.

PRO ATHLETES AMP UP BUSCH GARDENS AT TAMPA’S FIRST RAMP JAM

Guests Can Pay For a Day, Come Back All Year For Exciting Entertainment and Non-Stop Thrills

TAMPA, Fla. (MARCH 2011) – This April, the ASA Action Sports World Tour amps up the excitement at Busch Gardens with the world’s best pro skateboarders, BMX riders and inline skaters “shreddin” a 14’ tall half-pipe. Live local bands, great food, the latest surf and skate gear complete the festival April 9-10 and 16-17.

This year’s event runs from noon to 6:30 p.m. in Gwazi Field and will feature jaw-dropping demonstrations by the sports’ top talent:

As a five-time X Games gold medalist and two-time Dew Tour Overall Champion Pierre Luc Gagnon has earned recognition as the No. 1 vertical skateboarder in the world. He is also currently starring on VH1’s “The X-Life.”

BMX vertical legend and Denver Big-Air star, Kevin Robinson has nine X Games medals and is best known for successfully performing the first-ever double-flair, a double back flip with a 180-degree rotation. He holds the world record for the highest BMX jump at 27 feet.

Simon Tabron has consistently been in the top three extreme athletes in the world for the past decade and is best known for always riding brakeless. He is an eight-time X Games medalist and has won more than 30 major contests around the world.

Eito Yasutoko is a three-time World Champion and is ranked No. 1 in the world as a vertical skater. Yasutoko has landed a place on the podium at every inline vertical competition he has competed in, earning him countless medals. His signature tricks include 1080 California Roll and the double back flip that he performs at explosive heights.

Anthony Furlong is a 13-year vertical skating veteran known for his consistency in competition and a three-time champion on the Action Sports World Tour. Furlong was born and spent most of his childhood in Tampa, Fla.

Jimmy Walker has been a top 10 BMX rider for the past 15 years. Walker’s fans enjoy how he utilizes the entire ramp with multiple variation tricks and pulls off extremely technical “runs” at great height.

Busch Gardens is keeping the adrenaline-pumping thrills coming all summer long with the all new mega-attraction, Cheetah Hunt. Florida’s first triple launch coaster brings guests face-to-face with the world’s fastest land animals, and then invites them to race across the Serengeti.

Catch both weekends of Ramp Jam and Cheetah Hunt’s opening with a 2011 Busch Gardens Fun Card. Just pay for a day and come back all year to catch all the excitement! It’s the best value for again-and-again access to all of the amazing animal encounters, world-class thrill rides, exciting big-name entertainment and family adventure Busch Gardens has to offer.

The 2011 Busch Gardens Fun Card is valid from the date of purchase through Dec. 31, 2011 and is available at the Busch Gardens’ front gate, online or by calling (888) 800-5447. Event dates, times and talent are subject to change. Performances are included with any daily admission or annual pass. Visit BuschGardens.com for more information.