GET YOUR GREEN ON!

"Robin Hoodwinked" is open and thrilling our audiences.

"Best show yet!", "The script is funny and the costumes are beautiful", "We'll be back to see this gem many times.", are just some of the things our guests are saying.

The musical melodrama runs Friday through Sunday until May 2nd.

This show seems to be particularly popular with families who have children. The Melodrama saw lots of eager and cute little ones opening week, proving The Melodrama is the perfect family outing. With our "Kids Free" offer, a family can see live entertainment and enjoy tasty, fun food for the price of going to a movie.

Remember, and unlike "Avatar", we are always in 3-D! Call our Box Office today! (562) 495 - 5900.

Tickets may also be purchased at our website: http://www.allamericanmelodrama.com/

Date: March 12th - May 2nd

Location: 429 Shoreline Village Drive, Long Beach, California 90802

Phone: 562-495-5900

Editor's Note: Ken Parks has been a longtime friend to Theme Park Adventure and we support him and his theater - those within the dark industry know that Ken has contributed so much over the years to Knott's Halloween Haunt... he's awesome, talented and absolutely brilliant when it comes to entertaining the masses!
 
 
 
 
 
And now he owes us $20...  :-)

Las Vegas Update - CityCenter, Mirage Volcano and More!

Trip Report by Rick West

Recently, Theme Park Adventure took a trip across the Mojave under the cover of darkness; destination: Las Vegas.

We only had a few hours to spend in Sin City, and there was a lot that we hadn't seen before, so our work was cut out for us.

While I lived in Las Vegas for a few years, MGM Mirage's massive CityCenter was under construction. The $11 billion resort/casino/mall/luxury living/convention facility was the largest thing ever build in Vegas - actually, it's the largest privately financed development project in the United States. Ever! To see it with your own eyes is the only way to truly appreciate the mammoth size of this thing.

 

CityCenter sits on a sprawling 76 acres on the Las Vegas Strip. In comparison, Disneyland Park in Anaheim sits on roughly 85 acres (total - including "backstage" areas for Cast Members). So, to put it in theme park terms, CityCenter is just slightly smaller than Disneyland. No matter what terms you put that in, that means that CityCenter is huge. And the price tag - it's hard to even begin to fathom.

Within CityCenter's 76 acres sits some of the most extravagant luxuries in Las Vegas. The shopping mall, which acts as the property's centerpiece, is called The Crystals. Like many of the high-end shopping venues in Las Vegas, The Crystals is priced well out of the reach of mere mortals; in fact, the "lowest-end" shop we saw while exploring the mall was Tiffany & Co. And the only restaurant name we recognized was "Puck". Everything else was Italian and so high-end sounding that we really, simply disconnected.

And I think that is the major miss of The Crystals. We represent the majority of the population that visits Las Vegas - young to middle-aged Americans, mostly from Southern California. That segment of the population heads to Vegas typically with a couple hundred to a few thousand bucks to have fun with, usually spread between food, drinks, gambling and maybe a show somewhere. A nice room is good - but the majority of guests heading to Vegas are looking to get a room from $30 to $75; any higher then that, and you start your disconnect from the majority of visitors. People head to Vegas for a good time, looking to spend what they can afford; in today's economy, how anyone in Vegas expects tourists to pop several hundred dollars or more on a room alone - is hard to imagine. It happens; it happens every day. That's just not the majority of Americans these days.

Walking through The Crystals, I noticed several things. First, the mall is so new and so ultra high-end, it seems sterile; like a hospital. It's totally modern - even futuristic - and defenitely has incredible visuals to offer guests. At the end of the day however, it is so high-end that it may as well be an animal at a zoo. People walk by, look at it and move on. It's more of an extravagant "attraction" than shopping destination. I know that most of the people living in Vegas would never be able to routinely shop there. And most tourists don't fly in to Vegas and suddenly have the urge for a $20,000 shopping run. It's a whole other way of life for those who can and do exist like that - but not for most of us, ever. The mall itself is sleepy - while there are a lot of people walking through, very few are buying. Likewise, as we walked through a looked at the "zoo animal" shops - the employees looked almost bored, staring right back out at us. You could almost hear them thinking, for the love of God... just come in and say hello! I haven't talked to anyone in hours!

The trick with a mall such as The Crystals is that the merchandise they do sell is so expensive, one sale a day (or maybe every couple of days) is enough to pay rent and keep their doors open. It's a weird concept for most to think about, but that's the way it is for retailers like this. Plus, the companies that can afford to call The Crystals "home" have enough financial clout on the back end to withstand any sagging sales they might encounter in Las Vegas. And God knows, MGM Mirage won't let The Crystals fail - the money will come from somewhere to save face and deem the mall an "absolute success" at CityCenter.

There are some very cool "interactive" and visual displays, sculptures and elements set throughout The Crystals that kind of make walking through worth it; water funnel elements, illuminated ice columns and futuristic "trees" make The Crystals worth the trip alone. People can and do connect with these things - and it shows, by the amount of attention these displays get versus the traffic in and out of any of the mall's stores. The bottom line is, if you have the time, The Crystals is well worth a looksie. Just don't expect to find a Panda Express or Forever 21 on the property - that ain't this mall. If you do get turned around in The Crystals there are large touch-screen directories along the way that are really impressive; absolutely a fantastic, modern touch that has a good amount of "wow" behind it, as most people are use to standing and staring at large static mall map displays with the store listings lined up in columns.

I need to back up - and before writing any further about the rest of the CityCenter interior, I need to say a few things about the exterior...

Finding your way in to CityCenter is half the battle, kids. The complex is so big, that if you happen to drive right in like we did, you will find that it is very similar to cruising into LAX or any large-scale international airport. On-ramps, off-ramps, "Return to Terminals"-type roads, overhead people-mover/monorail-type trains zipping by, towering structures and lots of people directing traffic and taxis. To say it's confusing is an understatement of epic proportions. It is awesome on one hand because of the sheer size; intimidating on the other, because you just simply have no clue where the hell to go! I actually wanted to simply self-park the car and finally had to stop and ask where I could go to do that. Once we got directions (all CityCenter employees that we came into contact with were very nice - not at all stuffy, which is kind of expected at a high-end property such as this), we were on our way into the CityCenter parking garage. The confusion only continued a bit once more, as we were stopped and asked where we were going, Aria or The Crystals. Aria is one of CityCenter's towers, and is also the home to the property's only casino. Apparently, depending on your destination, the employees at CityCenter direct you to different parts of the under-property self-parking garage.

 

We arrived at Valet, which isn't what we wanted, but were assured by employees that it was free of charge. Knowing how the system works, I knew it wasn't truly free and that we'd have to tip them (unless we wanted to feel like tightwad losers) when getting back to our car. Whatever. We just wanted to get IN finally and SEE this thing. So away went the car into "complimentary" parking and into The Crystals we went.

Vegas tip for the beginners: There is actually very little in Las Vegas that is "free". Those "free drinks" you get when you sit at the slots or at a table game - they aren't free. When you order a Rum and Coke and the server takes 10 minutes getting back to you, how much cash have you cycled through the machine waiting for her to return with your free drink? How many $10 hands of Blackjack have you played? And when she does return, you really should feel obligated to tip at least a buck for your service, because honestly, those ladies work their asses off day and night; tips is where they make their money, really. Regardless of how badly I'm losing, I never tip less than a buck a drink, whether it's a cocktail or a beer.

Free rooms? Not unless you sign up for a slot club card somewhere and drop some cash in the casino; only then are you invited back (typically only from Sunday - Thursday) for a "free room". Because they know you're a player and they know just as well as you do that you're gonna come with more cash to feed the machines.

Valet parking - unlike the rest of the world, you can have your car valet-parked in Vegas and not pay a dime when you pick it up. It's really awkward though - like when you decide to stiff the guy at the car wash that's just busted his ass off cleaning your car in 90-degree weather while you sit inside and sip your Starbucks waiting for him to raise his towel in the air to let you know he's done. No matter how badly the casino has beaten me up, I will tip a valet between $2 and $5; these men and women are working in the desert heat, running like crazy people to fetch your car and bring it to you. A couple bucks won't kill you - and if it does, you should not be visiting the casinos anyway, kids. Period.

There are absolutely really helpful Las Vegas tipping guides out there on the Internet that will back up my crazy calculations and personal advice.

Okay, so once we actually had the car parked at CityCenter and ventured through The Crystals (bumping into Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria at a red carpet event she was holding inside one of the mall's entertainment venues), we found our way to Aria.

Aria is one of the towers that make up CityCenter. It also is home to the property's only casino, as well as numerous restaurants, lounges and shops (all high-end, of course; no $.99 shrimp cocktails at Aria, I'm afraid).

The check-in counter area at Aria is stunning; gorgeous, elegant and when we went, absolutely decorated for the large Asian population visiting, celebrating the Year of the Tiger. Just beyond the check-in area lies the casino.

Looking at it, the first thing that came to my mind was how dark it is. The casino at Aria is not light and cheery - it is dark, busy and it actually works. The dim lighting may put off older visitors or may be intimidating to others; it doesn't matter, because that's not Aria's target audience. This casino is gunning for young, or young-ish (or at least those that still feel young-ish), hip spenders looking for a sophisticated experience and a clean, ultra-modern experience. And I think the casino delivers that. The machines were packed with players and the tables were all full when we went through. Everyone seemed to be having a good time - from the guests to the floor staff. The machines at Aria are all new - and video. They may exist, but as we walked through, I don't recall seeing one reel machine at all; it was row after row of video slots.

Another Vegas tip: If you're not a fan of video slots, you'd better either give up playing or switch to tables, because all slots will be video before too long; that's evolution and it's much cheaper for the manufacturers and casinos - the extinction of reel machines everywhere eventually is a sure and safe bet, folks.

The casino at Aria uses the MGM Mirage Players Club card - so if you're a member (and you should not be playing at any casino without a slot card if you ever intend on visiting again), your card will work here just as well as it does at Excalibur, Luxor or Bellagio. We didn't play at Aria - but I imagine that's in the cards at some point in the future. Our trip was cramped for time, so we had time to look and move on, which is what we did...

CityCenter Las Vegas is so huge it uses its own internal tram system to take people to either side of the property - be it Monte Carlo to the property's south, or Bellagio to the north. The tram is free, and runs 24/7. The design itself is very futuristic and very appealing - the stations are very sterile and clean, with LED screens announcing the arrival times of various trains and their destinations. If ever we looked into the future of Las Vegas, this was it. You feel less like you're on the Strip and more like you're in a science fiction movie when waiting for one of CityCenter's trams.

 

Riding between the buildings of CityCenter aboard one of the trains, I couldn't help but look up at the towering structures that make up the property and be overwhelmed. The other buildings that make up CityCenter are Vdara, a 57-story hotel-condo tower; The Harmon Hotel and Spa, a 25-story boutique hotel; Mandarin Oriental, a 47-story hotel-condo tower; and the Veer Towers, twin 37-story condo towers that each lean five degrees in opposite directions from the center. CityCenter is a massive property that lies well out of the graps of casual Vegas vistors, and thus, will likely be lost and go unnoticed to most - which is the awesome irony of having such a huge and expansive property right on the Strip.

CityCenter's luxurious offerings are its own worst enemy, in my opinion. It's too rich. Too extravagant. And being as such, it will be an instant disconnect for the majority of tourists visiting Las Vegas. In fact, even considering the huge marketing that MGM has done for CityCenter online and throughout Southern California in the way of billboards and online ads - most fans of Las Vegas are virtually clueless about what CityCenter is, and those who do know... show little interest. In today's harsh economy, who the hell wants to be reminded that most of us can't afford luxury or live life like those people, you know? The Crystals is open to everyone, the machines at Aria's casino will pay out just as much as Excalibur's or even Circus Circus', the employees are very friendly wherever you turn. CityCenter itself however, is too big, too expensive and ultimately, is too "cold" for most people to connect with. And that is a serious long-term problem, I think. It will be interesting to watch CityCenter mature over the years; to see what tweaks MGM has to make in order to create a more welcoming, warm environment. Time will tell.

Should you check out CityCenter when you visit Las Vegas? Absolutely; it's a stunning property. Do I expect you to walk away raving about it being so awesome? Not at all. CityCenter is kind of a "been there, done that" resort, high on outrageous luxuries but completely lacking when it comes to basic connections with the common man.

We rode the CityCenter tram over to Monte Carlo, and walked from that resort to Excalibur, where we had dinner at Dick's Last Resort - a far cry from the other worldly elegance of the CityCenter restaurants. But like the average Joe, we go to Las Vegas to have fun. And Dick's Last Resort at Excalibur is just that - rowdy, loud, adult-oriented fun. They serve a decent steak and friggin' awesome mashed potatoes, kids! One word of warning - Dick's is LOUD at night. If you're cool with that, I would absoutely recommend it to anyone! It's what adult fun in Las Vegas is all about!

Excalibur itself has unfortunately, taken a turn for the worse since I left (I worked there for three years as a supervisor in the casino for the Players Club), with a change in management and a major shift in operational standards. I never thought I'd see the day that a Strip casino would have Beer Pong as one of its offerings. When I worked there, it was understood that Hooters was one of our main competitors at the south end of the Strip; it was never in the plans however, to become a secondary Hooters. Seeing Beer Pong and billards tables introduced to the Excalibur gaming floor really bothers me - already forever burdened with the stigma of being a "white trash casino"... this type of offering certainly has supported that general stereotype.

Forget the loud music and scantily-clad women dancing for players in the Party Pit... other Strip casinos now have that and it's very profitable; ridiculously profitable. But Beer Pong? Meh. It's hard to imagine any of the other MGM properties making room for such a thing. In my opinion, it's a bad, bad move. You will never convince me that a Beer Pong table brings in more revenue than a bank of slot machines. Never. It's impossible. And if the argument from management is that it's to appeal to the younger crowd, to make them feel more at home so they are comfortable playing and gambling - I say that Excalibur doesn't need to appeal to that segment of the population because they've come to party and drink anyway - NOT give the casino any kind of serious play! Hello!

 

Two of Excalibur's really nice restaurants have been closed for good, Regale and Sir Galahad's Prime Rib House. Galahad's was operational only part of the time when I worked at Excalibur, but Regale, the Italian restaurant was always busy and was always very good. It truly sucks that these have been shuttered, leaving a food court, Camelot Steak House, the Roundtable Buffet, Sherwood Forest Cafe and Dick's as the resort's only dining venues. I don't understand the killing off of Regale at all - but whatever; it's done and Excalibur management did it for whatever reason. It takes the value of the property down several more notches in my opinion. In fact, the only reason left for me personally to ever visit Excalibur is to say hello to old colleagues and friends. That's it. The property itself is a wash. Once grand and classy plans under the direction of CEO Renee West have long since been abandoned, and she is gone - now running Mandalay Bay. I see dark times ahead for Excalibur. Definitely not the direction the property was going in when I was there, and that's a real shame.

The casino at New York New York has been remodeled, and looks good. It's very busy, and there is a much nicer Party Pit area than Excalibur's. New York New York has never been a favorite of mine, so we wandered through to and from Excalibur without really stopping to look.

Monte Carlo is Monte Carlo - in my opinion, it's always been a "blah" property, with nothing much to offer in the way of originality or wow factor. For us, it was just a Starbucks stop and quick walk-through. If the CityCenter tram station wasn't there, I doubt I'd ever return.

On the other end of the tram route is Bellagio, which remains one of the most beautiful and classy properties in Las Vegas. From its stunning floral displays in the Conservatory (celebrating Year of the Tiger when we visited) to its awesome fountain show on the Strip... Bellagio is and always will be a Las Vegas classic. It's always a pleasure visiting. And this time, we found something really naughty at Bellagio, just a short walk from the CityCenter tram station: the world's largest chocolate fountain inside the Jean-Philippe Patisserie. This floor-to-ceiling masterpiece stands 27 feet tall, circulating more than 2,100 delicious quarts of dark, milk and white chocolate per minute as dumbstruck guests stand and gawk. We did! It's amazing and definitely worth a trip to Bellagio to see the next time you're in Las Vegas!

Our mid-Strip excursion was to see the new Volcano show at Mirage, which recently opened after an extensive $25 million rehab that lasted most of 2009. The word that best describes the new show: PYRO! Lots and lots of it! Now set to a driving musical score, the Volcano erupts bigger and better than ever before and guests along the Strip are treated to huge blasts of fire not just from the mountain itself - but from the lagoon in front of the resort now as well.

The only down side to the new Volcano show is that it is really short. Really short. Prepare to wait many times longer than the actual running time of the show - but know that it is worth it, down to the very last fire-filled explosion!

Most tourists watching seemed to really like it, which is great! In all honesty, I really thought that the management at MGM would dumb-down and economically downsize the show. That isn't the case, because what the show lacks in time is made up by intense presentation of music and pyro. The Mirage Volcano is a major piece of Vegas history and I'm very happy to say, lives on, continuing to remain one of Sin City's most beloved and well-known icons!

Between CityCenter and Mirage also sits Caesar's Palace, perhaps the leader of the pack when it comes to historical as well as classy Las Vegas resorts that have withstood the test of time. Caesar's is always gorgeous - and while we didn't venture in, we walked in front of the resort and took in its sheer awesomeness as we passed by! Always a pleasure to visit Caesar's whenever we have the opportunity. We were simply out of time this trip.

Back into the car we got (after tipping the "complimentary" valet) and away we went into the night, back across the Mojave, home to Los Angeles. Our trips to Sin City are frequent and always with the intent of seeing something new to report on.

In the coming weeks, we will return to Vegas and will bring back a trip report of our favorite newest spot to play on the Strip... Encore!

SeaWorld Rescues 11th Manatee This Year

Orlando, Fla. (March 9, 2010) -- SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue Team rescues a young female manatee today from a canal near Satellite Beach, Fla. This was the park’s 11th cold-stress manatee rescue this year – an unusually high number due to Florida’s unseasonably cold and extended winter. The approximately five-foot-long sea cow remains in guarded condition at SeaWorld’s Manatee Rehabilitation Center, where she is be treated by park veterinarians and animal care specialists in hopes of releasing her back to nature.
SeaWorld is the global leader in the rescue and rehabilitation of manatees. The park’s Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Team is on call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. SeaWorld has released seven manatees this year.

Wabash Co. Historical Museum Upcoming Events

NEW TEMPORARY EXHIBIT! Out From the Shadow of Lincoln: Stephen A. Douglas

We just completed installing our new exhibit on Stephen Douglas. Although today we recognize his name mostly from the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Stephen Douglas was a famous, powerful, and highly-respected politician in the 1850s. He died at the age of 48 in 1861, soon after Lincoln took office. He is overshadowed by Lincoln—no doubt—and this exhibit gives us a chance to see him on his own. (Did you know that after losing the election to Lincoln in 1860, Douglas embarked on a speaking tour of the border states, at Lincoln’s request?)

The exhibit also explores how politicians got their message out to the public, before the days of 24-hour cable news, Facebook, and Twitter. You’ll also get a look, through newspaper articles, at how Douglas was viewed by people living in Wabash County. The exhibit will be here until May 29, 2010. The collection then goes to the Old Statehouse in Springfield, Illinois, so there is no chance it will be held over. Make plans to see it now!


HISTORY HUNTERS EVENT – THURSDAY, MARCH 25 AT NOON

Our next speaker for the History Hunters event is Kyle Coble. Kyle has been researching the Big Four Railroad Shops for years and has developed an extensive collection of period photographs. The Big Four Railroad Shops were located on East Market Street, where Paradise Spring is today. As a result of having the railroad shops here in town, Wabash became quite a prosperous city of the time. This is a fascinating piece of Wabash County history. Don’t miss it! History Hunters events are sponsored by Peabody Retirement Community. Thank you Peabody! Reservations are suggested. This event is free for members or with a paid daily admission.


AUTHORS’ BOOK SIGNING AND DISCUSSION – SATURDAY, MARCH 27 AT 1 PM

Come hear authors Gladys Harvey and Ron Woodward discuss their new book, Wabash County Chronicles: Raucous Quirky and Essential Tales. This event will be held in the multipurpose room of the museum. Admission is free to the book signing and discussion. (Regular admission rates apply to the museum.)

From The History Press: “Just about fifty years before lights atop the courthouse put Wabash in the record books, a gang of squirrels came marauding through the area, denuding the trees and crops. Of course, the farmers fought back with guns; the kids with clubs. This happened just about the time of the Irish canal worker infighting; those boys attacked one another with everything they had. Oh, and there are the unexplained monster sightings and things of that nature. But really, it's not all bizarre. After all, Wabash was the first electrically lighted city, and there are scores of heroes and important businesses. There's just so much to hear about. Come along with authors Ron Woodward and Gladys Harvey as they share the strange and important history of this old Indiana county.”


THE AUTHORS

Ron Woodward was born and raised in New Albany, Indiana. He has taught in the Greater Clark County school system, Muncie schools system and Wabash City Schools. He has also taught at the Upper Wabash Vocational School and a methods class at Manchester College. He has served as president of the Wabash County Historical Society and Wabash County Genealogical Society, which he helped to form. He has served as Wabash County historian since 1981 and was a sponsor of the Indiana Junior Historical Society club for twenty-five years.

Gladys Dove Harvey was born on a farm in Daviess County, Indiana. Receiving a county scholarship, she attended and graduated from Indiana State Teachers College. After the war, she obtained a master's degree at Indiana University. She then taught in LaPorte County and West Lafayette. She became the Wabash High School librarian, a position she held for forty years. For a brief time, she served as interim librarian at the Wabash Carnegie Public Library and taught English at Ivy Tech College in Wabash.


FAMILY FUN DAY – THURSDAY, APRIL 8 FROM 10 am to 4 pm

Spring break is just around the corner! This is a great time to bring your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to visit the museum! Our theme for this event is “Down on the Farm” and we’ll have farm-related crafts (including a barnyard balloon animal craft that is just too cute!), games, and a critter or two to pet. Sponsored by The Bash 105.9. This event is free for members or with a paid daily admission.


INTRODUCING...THE RED CARPET CLUB!

The museum has a great little theater. There are so many movies with ties to Indiana and even to Wabash County. We’ve been tossing around the idea of a movie club for quite awhile and you are among the first to know that we are kicking it off on Thursday, April 22 at 6 pm. We will watch “Coal Miner’s Daughter” starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. The movie is about country singer Loretta Lynn.

What is the connection to Wabash County? Well, Loretta’s sister, Crystal Gayle, grew up in Wabash and their mother lived here for decades. Also, John Corso, a member of the WCHM’s Board of Directors, was an Art Director for Universal Studios, which produced the movie. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction for creating the sets in this great movie. John moved back to Wabash after he retired and will be here to talk about making this movie. DON’T MISS THIS! I guarantee you’ll be amazed at the stories John will share with you. His talk will start after the movie, about 8 pm.

Make your reservations NOW! The theater only seats 32 people! Admission is $5 per person.

2010 CENSUS PROMPTS LEGOLAND® CALIFORNIA TO SURVEY MINILAND RESIDENTS

Model Builders Conduct First Count Since Park Opening in 1999

CARLSBAD, Calif. (March 12, 2010) – Today Master Model Builders from LEGOLAND® California began the arduous task of surveying the residents of Miniland U.S.A. cities to compile statistical data based on gender, age, occupation and residence in concordance with the national U.S. Census. This month marks the launch of the 2010 U.S. Census and LEGOLAND has created its own Census Bureau to officially count the residents of Miniland.

When the Park opened in 1999, an unofficial count tallied the Miniland population at approximately 5,000. Miniland residents, fondly called “Minilanders,” are about 4 inches tall and depict the everyday people who live in the nine U.S. areas that make up Miniland U.S.A. – the heart of LEGOLAND California. New York; Las Vegas; Southern California; New Orleans; San Francisco; New England; Ferndale, California; Washington D.C. and Daytona are the areas represented in Miniland.

Since the Park opened, several areas have been added to Miniland including Las Vegas, the Miniland Marina and the Daytona International Speedway adding thousands of Minilanders to the Park. Other scenes have also been added including the Freedom Tower in New York, the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and a baseball field in Southern California featuring the Park View Little League team from Chula Vista, Calif., winners of the 2009 Little League World Series championship.

In honor of the Census, LEGOLAND Master Model Builders have also added six census workers to Miniland, U.S.A. The LEGOLAND Census Bureau (LCB) Minilanders are clad in uniform, knocking on doors, tabling and “talking” to crowds throughout the mini cities, much as U.S. Census workers will be doing over the next several weeks.

The new census scenes will remain on display in Miniland until July and guests are challenged to find all six Miniland census workers. The Miniland census will take weeks to conduct and the results will be released later this year. Like the U.S. Census, the Miniland census will be held again in 2020. For more information, visit http://www.legoland.com/.

NASHVILLE STAR MIRANDA LAMBERT TO SHINE AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION

The Party Continues Saturday, March 20

Bold and revolutionary, Miranda Lambert will bring her unique small-town-girl meets rowdy, head-banging rock star musical style to the stage when she performs live in concert at Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras on Saturday, March 20. The award-winning singer/songwriter got her start when she came in third on the talent competition “Nashville Star” in 2003. Since then she has become the third woman in country music history to debut three albums at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums. Lambert and has won numerous awards and accolades, including an Album of the Year trophy from the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2008. Some of Lambert’s most popular hits include, “Kerosene,” “Famous In a Small Town,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Gunpowder & Lead” and “White Liar.”

California Residents are Rediscovering The Queen Mary with the March BOGO Promo – Now with the chance to win FREE JetBlue flights!

California residents respond well to the special Buy-One-Get-One-Free March promotion aboard the Queen Mary with more than 1,000 visitors already this month

Long Beach, CA – Residents of California have already been taking advantage of the March resident special of Buy-One-Get-One-Free General Admission promotion which is showing great attendance numbers. Locals are rediscovering the ship with family and friends and enjoying the additional value of 10 percent savings on eligible merchandise at five of the ship’s gift shops, spa purchases and its four main dining destinations. And now, guests can enter into a sweepstakes while aboard to win free flights from JetBlue Airways.

“We have seen a great response so far to the program and are pleased to see so many local residents revisiting the Queen Mary, some for the first time in a while,” said Uwe Roggenthien, General Manager. “Guests are enjoying seeing the upgrades and renovations made to our guest rooms and restaurants and now our partnership with JetBlue provides residents another great reason to partake in the fun.”

General admission is $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors and military and $12.95 for children age five to 11 and includes the Ghosts & Legends Show and a Self-Guided Shipwalk Tour covering the ship’s 12 decks. State residents must present their California drivers license to receive a free admission for every full-price admission purchased. California residents can also receive a second tour of equal or lesser value when they purchase any of the following additional tours: Behind-the-Scenes, Haunted Encounters or World War II. The restaurant and retail discounts can only be redeemed at participating outlets on the day of the ticket purchase and by presenting the ticket at each location.

Participating retail outlets include Stacks, Queen Mary Couture, Queen Mary Store, Portside Necessities and Scottish Heritage Store; participating restaurants include Sir Winston’s, Chelsea, Promenade Café and Bakery, Hollywood Deli and California Shakes; and the Queen Mary Spa is also included.

For more information, call the Queen Mary at (562) 435-3511 or visit http://www.queenmary.com/.