Bret Michaels Meets Busch Gardens' Own "Hair Rocker," Harry the Sloth, at Bands, Brew & BBQ

BRET MICHAELS MEETS BUSCH GARDENS’ OWN “HAIR ROCKER,” HARRY THE SLOTH

TAMPA, Fla. (February 20, 2012) – Just minutes before taking the stage at Busch Gardens’ Bands, Brew & BBQ festival on Sunday, Feb. 19, former Poison frontman and reality TV star Bret Michaels met the most popular – and hairiest – of Busch Gardens’ Animal Ambassadors team, Harry the sloth.

Thanks to its thick, shaggy hair, the sloth has an unusual, symbiotic relationship with algae, which grows on its coat and aids in camouflaging the sloth as it hangs from tree branches.

The Busch Gardens’ zoo educators also brought a young southern ground hornbill named Tufts to meet Michaels and his band backstage.

Michaels’ 2010 album, Custom Built, rose to the top of Billboard’s Hard Rock list at #1 and his current “Get Your Rock On” tour is selling out venues across the country. He also took the reality television world by storm in the past few years on VH1’s “Rock of Love,” the 2010
docu-series “Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It” and as the winning contestant on the third season of Donald Trump’s NBC hit, “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay combines world-class thrill rides, live entertainment and one of North America’s largest zoos in an unforgettable adventure for the whole family. This year, the park’s smokin’ hot Bands, Brew & BBQ festival fills every weekend, February 11 – March 4, with unlimited sampling of more than 80 specialty and craft beers, saucy barbeque from some of the bay area’s most popular restaurants and live concerts with the biggest names in classic rock, including 38 Special on Feb. 26 and REO Speedwagon on March 4.

Visit BuschGardens.com for details.

Orangutan Celebrates Half-Century Birthday As Part of Absolutely Apes Event

Animal care staff at the San Diego Zoo offered the orangutans at the Zoo specially made cupcakes and gifts as part of a birthday celebration for the Zoo's oldest orangutan.  Janey, a Bornean orangutan, turns 50 years old this year, an advanced age for this species.  She arrived at the Zoo in 1984 and has become one of its best-known personalities.

     To celebrate her half-centennial mark, animal care staff have created four days of special treats for the orangutans from February 17 - 20 at 9:30 a.m.  The treats include cupcakes made of folivore biscuits and gelatin frosted with banana baby food.  Decorated gift boxes and bags with sunflower and peanut treats inside will also be given to them to add to the fun.

     Famous for their problem-solving abilities, orangutans are great apes native to Asian rain forests.  They are a critically endangered species, as more than 80% of their native forests have been destroyed.

Register Now For 'Wooden Warrior' Day At Quassy Amusement Park

Greetings!

Thanks to all of our great fans, Quassy Amusement Park is pleased to announce 'Wooden Warrior' day for May 5, 2012. For one price, pre-paid registrants will receive all of the following:.

  * Exclusive ride time (10:30 a.m. to noon) on the 'Wooden Warrior.'
  * Exclusive ride time (6 to 7 p.m.) on the 'Wooden Warrior'
  * Great buffet lunch (in private area only for paid registrants) including barbecued chicken, pene al la vodka, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, beverages and more! (served noon to 2 p.m.)
  * Special guest speaker from The Gravity Group, designers of the 'Wooden Warrior.' (During lunch buffet)
  * Free 'Wooden Warrior' Day T-shirt for pre-paid registrants.
  * All-day ride pass - so you can enjoy the other rides at Quassy noon to 6 p.m.
  PURCHASE YOUR EVENT TICKETS NOW BY CLICKING 'Register Now."

  Day of the event, pre-registered attendees will be greeted at 10 a.m.  at the entrance to the 'Wooden Warrior.'  Wristbands, T-shirts and the day's schedule will be distributed at that time.

If you have any questions about 'Wooden Warrior' Day, please give us a call. Yes, you can pre-pay for your guests!

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO ’S NEWLY-ENHANCED BLUE MAN GROUP SHOW OPENS ON FEBRUARY 24

Enhanced Show Features New Stage, New Technology, New Music and New Experiences

ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2012) – Universal Orlando’s Blue Man Group show is taking its unique and captivating brand of live entertainment to another level – complete with a new show environment, new music, new technology and new experiences. 

Opening to the public on Friday, February 24, the show will take guests on an incredible journey where they’ll join the Blue Men as they discover, engage and explore the world’s obsession with cutting-edge technology.  New sections include Blue Men interacting with “GiPads” (think Gigantic iPads), a funny and perceptive look at contemporary modes of communication; and a pulsating new finale featuring an original Blue Man Group music score that will have guests jumping to their feet.

“The heart of our show is, and always has been, the Blue Man, and his inquisitive, wide-eyed take on the world,” said Chris Wink, who co-founded Blue Man Group with Phil Stanton and Matt Goldman. “Our team of artists at Blue Man Productions has created fun, even astounding new visual aspects of the show, and our music team has given us a great new sound. We are really excited to incorporate these elements into the show at Universal Orlando Resort “

“This show will take one of Universal Orlando’s most popular experiences to a whole new level,” said Alice Norsworthy, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Universal Orlando Resort.  “It’s the perfect complement to the incredible entertainment we offer at our destination.”

Several of the signature moments that have made Blue Man Group one of today’s best-loved theatrical productions will remain in the show, although in most cases, they have also been updated.  And as always, the production will fuse innovative theatrical spectacle with improvisation and vaudeville-inspired comedy, art, science and irresistible music performed by the Blue Man Group live band.

“Many of our audience’s favorite pieces, including ‘Paint Drumming’ and ‘Gum Balls/Marshmallows’ will continue to be a part of the production – and yes, the first few rows will still need to wear ponchos,” added Phil Stanton, Blue Man Group co-founder. “But we have developed some brand new elements of the show that provide a larger-than-life, rousing, interactive experience that I hope will really speak to all cultures and give some of our most devoted fans a new reason to check us out again.”

For more information about Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando Resort – or to purchase tickets – visit www.universalorlando.com/blueman. 

Universal Studios Hollywood’s ‘King Kong 360 3-D,’ Created by Peter Jackson, Honored with Prestigious Creative Arts Award for Outstanding Achievement by the International 3D Society

Universal City, CA – Universal Studios Hollywood’sSM acclaimed theme park attraction, “King Kong 360 3-D,” created by Oscar®-winning Director Peter Jackson, received the International 3D Society’s Lumiere Award at its 3rd Annual Creative Arts Awards ceremony in early February 2012. This prestigious award, the first-ever presented to a theme park ride, recognized “King Kong 360 3-D” for its creative and technological achievement, demonstrating significant impact and innovation in the world of 3-D.
    Previously, “King Kong 360 3-D” was awarded “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project” by the esteemed Visual Effects Society, the entertainment industry's only organization dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects .
Universal Studios Hollywood broke new ground in themed entertainment with the landmark introduction of “King Kong 360 3-D,” the world’s largest, most intense 3-D experience.  The attraction, based on Peter Jackson’s 2005 blockbuster, integrates spectacular three-dimensional visual media and the world’s largest 3-D projection installation ever produced with physical effects.
A signature ride on the world famous, behind-the-scenes Studio Tour featuring video host Jimmy Fallon, “King Kong 360 3-D,” transports guests to Skull Island and catapults them into the middle of a terrifying struggle between a giant T-Rex and “the eighth wonder of the world” – King Kong.  Guests find themselves launched into the film, projected on the world’s largest wrap around, 3-D compound curved screens.
    Universal Studios Hollywood will continue to set the bar for immersive theme park rides when “Transformers:  The Ride–3D” opens in May 2012, based on the iconic brand from Hasbro and electrifying film franchise, directed by Michael Bay, and celebrated for its multi-generational appeal, inventive storyline, spectacular action sequences and amazing special effects.
    The thrill ride will tell a new “TRANSFORMERS” story using original, photo-realistic 3D-HD media, sophisticated special effects masterminded by Industrial Light & Magic, and one of the most elaborate roaming flight simulator ride systems ever created.  Fusing high-tech elements with an epic new “TRANSFORMERS” tale, “Transformers:  The Ride–3D” will be Universal Studios Hollywood’s most ambitious ride ever created and will set a new standard in the world of theme park attractions, stretching the medium’s potential as an immersive and powerful storytelling vehicle.
    The International 3D Society is an organization of professionals devoted to the innovation of art and technologies of stereoscopic 3-D content.  The Society provides individuals with opportunities for artistic display, acknowledging accomplishment and encouraging creative development in the art of 3-D.
Universal Studios Hollywood SM, The Entertainment Capital of L.A.SM, includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas, the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue, and the Gibson Amphitheatre concert and special event arena.  World-class rides and attractions include the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3-D” on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, “The Simpsons RideTM,” “Revenge of the MummySM —The Ride” indoor roller coaster and “Jurassic Park® —The Ride,” as well as the much-anticipated mega-attraction, “Transformers™:  The Ride—3D,” opening in May 2012.

CRABZILLA” Invades Miniland New York at LEGOLAND® California Resort

Creatures for SEA LIFE™ Carlsbad Aquarium’s new “Claws” Exhibit Arrive

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Feb. 15, 2012) – LEGOLAND® California could have been the set of a 1950s horror movie today as a gigantic Japanese spider crab hovered over buildings in Miniland New York. This alien-like creature was on its way to SEA LIFE™ Carlsbad Aquarium’s new “Claws” exhibit opening on March 1, 2012.

Miniland USA replicates nine different cities completely made out of LEGO® brick on a 1:20 scale. “Often times guest enjoying Miniland USA comment on how fun it would be to step inside the cities and pretend they are a creature from one of those horror movies,” muses Bob Burhans, Curator of SEA LIFE Carlsbad Aquarium. “So our staff thought it would be fun to stop by New York on the way to the Aquarium before bringing this amazing creature to his new home. Who says Aquarists don’t have a sense of humor?”

Along with Japanese spider crabs and two coconut crabs, the five new displays in the interactive exhibit feature fiddler crabs, lobsters and nephrops. Claws also includes a touch display allowing guests to feel the shell textures of different crabs; a mechanical claw that guests can control and use to pick up objects; plus a new daily educational presentation.

More than a standard Aquarium, SEA LIFE provides an educational and interactive dynamic unlike any other. The SEA LIFE experience incorporates LEGO models into a child’s voyage to the depths of the ocean, presenting the wonders of the underwater world to them in a way specially designed for their understanding. Featuring play zones, fun facts and quiz trails, SEA LIFE is designed to be a child’s guide to the life of the sea.

SEA LIFE Carlsbad Aquarium admission is $20 for adults and $15 for kids 3 to 12. For more information on SEA LIFE, visit www.sealifeus.com.

WASHINGTON MAN CELEBRATES 102nd BIRTHDAY AT LEGOLAND® CALIFORNIA!

Master Model Builders Create Personalized LEGO® Mosaic for Birthday Guest!

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2012) – Edward “Ed” Burney Baker showed his inner child today as he celebrated his 102nd birthday at LEGOLAND® California. Baker, originally from Pine Lake Plateau, Wash., turns 102 on Feb. 17, but celebrated one week early at the family theme park in Carlsbad with his surrogate family, the Austin’s.

Baker, a huge LEGO® fan, has been visiting LEGOLAND California every year on his birthday for ten years. After his traditional visit to the LEGO Factory tour, LEGOLAND Master Model Builder Gary McIntire presented Baker with a custom LEGO mosaic he built created out of more than 2,000 LEGO bricks.  Baker was also treated to a sneak peek of a few new LEGO® Star Wars™ models that are being created for LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland.

“It’s an honor to have Ed Baker visit us today for his 102nd birthday,” said General Manager of LEGOLAND California Peter Ronchetti. “LEGOLAND California brings out the child in everyone and Ed is true example of that!”

Baker was born in Seattle in 1910, discovered the joy of LEGO in the 1980s through his life-long love of building and has been an avid LEGO builder ever since. For many years, Baker volunteered in the Issaquah School District, bringing LEGO bricks in to work for first grade students. Baker currently attends Elder and Adult Day Services (EADS), a day care for adults in Bellvue, Wash. where he spends his free time building with LEGO.

Baker is already making plans to visit LEGOLAND again in 2013 to celebrate his 103rd birthday.