Fairytale Town Hosts Read-Aloud Workshops for Teachers & Parents

Fairytale Town will host educator Francie Dillon for two upcoming workshops on simple and effective read-aloud techniques. Dillon will present "Giving Voice to Children's Literature" for teachers on Wednesday, Apr. 25, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and for parents on Wednesday, May 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The workshops include one hour of play in the park and a one-hour presentation.

The workshops cover seven tangible techniques for interpreting stories and engaging young audiences. The easy-to-use techniques can be utilized both by teachers in the classroom and parents in the home.

"Everyone knows it is important to read to children," said Kathy Fleming, executive director of Fairytale Town. "But for some of us, it can be a struggle to keep reading aloud fun and engaging, for both ourselves and children. Francie Dillon's techniques make reading and learning fun for everyone."

An adjunct professor at Sacramento State University, Dillon is a nationally recognized educator and artist. Her efforts in promoting language, literacy and the arts have reached over 125,000 elementary students regionally and thousands of children and families statewide. Dillon's talents can also be heard throughout Fairytale Town on the park's Magic Storybook Boxes, which feature Dillon's original songs, recitations of classic nursery rhymes and more.

Both workshops are free, but advance registration is required. To register, email rsvp@fairytaletown.org. These workshops are made possible by Target.

For more information, visit www.fairytaletown.org or call (916) 808-7462.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT ANNOUNCES JOINT GRAND OPENING FOR NEW SUPERSTAR PARADE AND CINEMATIC SPECTACULAR…REVEALING THE NEXT CHAPTER IN UNIVERSAL’S “YEAR TO BE HERE”

Universal’s Superstar Parade Will Be A First-Ever Interactive Entertainment Experience;

Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular Dramatically Showcases Powerful, Emotional Moments from Modern Film

Orlando, Fla. (April 3, 2012) – Universal Orlando has set a joint grand opening date for two new spectacularly entertaining guest experiences.  The new Universal’s Superstar Parade and Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories will have their grand opening on May 8.

Both experiences follow this year’s re-opening of The Blue Man Group Show, the re-launch of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and the opening of the new Hollywood Drive-In Miniature Golf experience at Universal Citywalk.  They will be followed by this summer’s launch of Universal Orlando’s newest blockbuster ride – Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.

Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories will present some of the world’s best and most popular films in an innovative, high-tech symphony of imagery, light, sound and special effects.  The show highlights some of the most fun, dramatic, awe-inspiring moments from nearly 200 films – representing approximately 300 Academy Award nominations and 100 Academy Award winners.

Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor and Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille honoree Morgan Freeman, Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular celebrates Universal Pictures’ most iconic films. Their most powerful moments will be shown in crystal-clear clarity on cutting-edge waterfall screens within the Universal Studios lagoon -- surrounded by colorful, dramatically synchronized fountains and pyrotechnics and all against a powerful musical score.  The experience will take guests on an emotional journey through epic cinematic moments filled with heroes, horror, laughter, good vs. evil and triumph. The new show will run year-round except during annual and special events.

Universal’s Superstar Parade will offer an entirely new form of interactive entertainment that will give guests and entire families the opportunity to join in the fun.  Some of today’s most beloved characters and stories will bring new adventure to the streets of Universal Studios during the parade, an all-new show experience that features larger-than-life floats, state-of-the-art technology and hundreds of energetic street performers. Guests will get to sing and dance along with their favorite characters including the minions from the blockbuster animated feature Despicable Me, E.B. from the hit comedy, Hop, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora & Diego. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy performances and character meet-and-greets prior to the parade at select locations throughout the day.

SeaWorld Orlando Now Caring for Orphaned Sandhill Crane Chick

(April 3, 2012) Orlando, FL – SeaWorld Orlando’s Aviculture team recently received the first sandhill crane chick of the year -- an orphan, brought in by a concerned resident from St. Cloud, Fla.

Once SeaWorld’s veterinarians thoroughly examined the bird, it was determined to be in perfect health. However, at an estimated 3-4 days old at the time it was brought into SeaWorld’s care, it was simply too young to survive on its own. The chick was then paired with a rescued adult crane, in order to learn the specific crane behaviors essential for life in the wild.

While sometimes difficult for orphaned chicks to be tolerated by older cranes that are not familiar with them, the adult crane accepted the orphaned chick, which is now thriving. Eric Reece, SeaWorld’s Supervisor of Aviculture, adds, “The chick is doing fantastic. It’s eating on its own and gaining weight”.
It is the intent of SeaWorld’s Aviculture team to return both cranes to their natural habitat together once the chick has fledged, or grown the feathers necessary for flying.

SeaWorld's animal rescue team is on call 24/7 to save and care for injured, orphaned or ill animals. So far in 2012, SeaWorld Orlando has taken in 11 rescued cranes.

KNOTT’S BERRY FARM TO JOIN ART

Knott’s Berry Farm will be a stop on the Anaheim Resort Transportation Service

Buena Park, CA – It just got a little easier to visit the Farm.  Starting April 4, Knott’s Berry Farm, one of Southern California’s most popular tourist destinations, will become part of the Anaheim Resort Transportation service or ART.  The service which has been in operation for 10 years transports over 3 million guests annually between 65 local hotels as well as the Disneyland Resort entertainment complex, Anaheim Stadium, Honda Center, Anaheim Metrolink Station, and the shops at GardenWalk on sixteen different routes.

            With the addition of the two new routes, service will expand to include stops at Knott’s Berry Farm, Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, Pirates Dinner Adventure and the California Welcome Center in the City of Buena Park and the Discovery Science Center and the WestField Mainplace mall in the City of Santa Ana.  In addition to transporting guests to top tourist destinations in Orange County, ART also provides an important community resource by transporting residents who live and work in the Anaheim Resort area, and will now service the Buena Park and Santa Ana residents as well.
            “Knott’s Berry Farm is thrilled to be included on the expanded ART route.  Taking away the anxiety of how to get to a destination makes everyone’s experience more positive. The Anaheim Resort Transportation system will not only benefit tourists to the area but also assist Knott’s employees as well,” said Raffi Kaprelyan, Knott Berry Farm’s general manager.

            Knott’s Berry Farm welcomes over 3 million guests from all over the world and offers not only a first-class theme park but a waterpark, Knott’s Soak City, and a resort hotel, the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel.

                       

Busch Gardens Welcomes New Baby Aardvark

 Tampa, Fla. (March 30, 2012) – Busch Gardens welcomed its newest resident earlier this week: an adorable aardvark born Monday, March 26. The healthy baby weighs about 4.8 pounds and is expected to grow to more than 120 lbs. within its first year.

It is currently living behind the scenes at Jambo Junction – located in the Nairobi area of the park – and is receiving care from members of the animal care team. The baby will join mom “Izzy” and dad “Friz” in the upcoming weeks and will be an Animal Ambassador for the park, along with its older brother “Zawadi,” who will be a year old on April 10.

There are fewer than 40 aardvarks in zoos in North America. They are solitary by nature, and aardvark births are not common.

Stay tuned to Busch Gardens’ Facebook and Blog to find out when this healthy baby aardvark will make his public debut at Jambo Junction for guests to see. For further details, visit www.buschgardens.com

LEGOLAND® California Invites Make-a-Wish Child to Cut Ceremonial Ribbon Opening New LEGO® STAR WARS™ Gallery

March 29, 2012 (Carlsbad, CA) -  Seven-year-old Phillip Engdahl from Escondido used a lightsaber alongside LEGOLAND® California’s General Manager Peter Ronchetti to cut the ribbon opening LEGO® Star Wars™ Gallery during an official ceremony today at the family theme park in Carlsbad. Engdahl was just one of 22 children from Make-A-Wish Foundation who were invited as special guests to be the first to see the new area which is a part of the expanded LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland.

Stormtroopers, Han Solo, Yoda, Obi Wan Kenobi and other members of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers and Rebel Legion were part of the ceremony which unveiled LEGO Star Wars Gallery featuring large-scale LEGO minifigures from each episode. Each LEGO model is 3-feet-tall and displayed on a podium for guests to get an up-close look. The 12 characters feature: Wicket, Princess Leia, R2-D2, Clone Captain Rex, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, Boba Fett, Chewbacca, Yoda and Darth Maul. Another LEGO Darth Maul model is being introduced honoring the release of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 3-D. He is life-sized, posed in a combat position grasping his double-bladed lightsaber and created out of more than 25,000 LEGO bricks.

“LEGO Star Wars Miniland proved so successful last year with our guests, we knew we had to expand it,” said Ronchetti. “The LEGO Star Wars Gallery is just icing on the cake to the additional details that have been added to each of the seven scenes in LEGO Star Wars Miniland. Our Model Builders, Animators, Technicians and Maintenance Team have done an incredible job bringing the popular saga to life!”

LEGO Star Wars Miniland includes a scene from each of the six live-action Star Wars movies, as well as a scene from the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars™ all made out of more than 1.5 million LEGO bricks and built in 1:20 scale. New LEGO models in each scene include an amazing “underwater” scene featuring an opee sea killer as it pursues Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Jar Jar Binks as they try to reach the city of Theed. Other new LEGO models include a Jawa sandcrawler on Tatooine; Rebels caught in a net trap set by Ewoks on Endor; and a new Crystal Tower standing more than 6-feet-tall on Christophsis.  

The fun for guests continues this weekend with LEGO Star Wars Days! On March 31 and April 1, the park will feature out-of-this-world fun activities including a Droid Hunt with the 501st Legion, Star Wars Costume Contest, Jedi Trivia, eight-foot LEGO Yoda Build, Star Wars T-shirt Contest and more. For the first time, the LEGO® Star Wars experience is continuing through April 15 with additional Star Wars™ activities for guests to enjoy.  For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com.

Actor Richard Gere and Wife Carey Lowell Visit Universal Orlando Resort

On March 29, 2012, Golden Globe award-winning actor Richard Gere and his wife, Carey Lowell, vacationed at Universal Orlando Resort. During their hosted visit, the couple experienced iconic theme park attractions, including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The Simpsons Ride and Revenge of the Mummy, and explored The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Gere is best known for iconic films such as “Pretty Woman,” “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Chicago” and stars opposite Susan Sarandon in the upcoming film, “Arbitrage.”