Walt Disney World isn’t the only place in Orlando where you can get fun free treats on your birthday (read up on the What Will You Celebrate? promotion if you have no idea what we’re talking about). At Busch Gardens in Tampa, the park is now offering a free Serengeti Safari if you come to the park on your birthday. Great thrill rides, fun animal encounters, and a one-of-a-kind journey into the park’s animal habitats – what else could you ask for on your birthday? Except for cake, of course.

An up-close, 30-minute-long open-truck tour, the Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens takes guests into the wild of the park’s 65-acre Serengeti Plain, where they’ll see some magnificent animals from a perspective most guests don’t get to enjoy. Safari riders will get nose-to-nose with a giraffe, learn a thing or two about zebras, and understand exotic species like bongo, eland, and ostrich. They’ll even get to hand-feed giraffes and antelopes. Guests are guided on their trek into the wild by a Zoo Educator, who’ll help bring them closer to the wildlife while sharing their seemingly infinite knowledge.

Normally, the Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens is only available with an extra fee of .99. But from now through the end of the year, if you come to Busch Gardens on your birthday, you can explore the Serengeti Plain for free! Simply visit the Adventure Tour Center located in the Moroccan Village area of the park to reserve your safari expedition.

If you plan on taking advantage of this great offer, be sure to bring proof of your birth date to the park in the form of a valid driver’s license, government-issued ID, or an original or certified copy of a birth certificate. The offer is valid for the birthday adventurer only, who must be five years of age or older to participate, and it doesn’t include free admission to Busch Gardens, which is still required.
Incidentally, this free birthday Safari is being offered in honor of Busch Gardens’ 50th anniversary. To kick off a year-long celebration of 50 years of fun, the park is also hosting Summer Nights at Busch Gardens, a summer-long series of nightly parties filled with entertainment, music, and food. Busch Gardens has also opened a brand-new exhibit dedicated to the history of the park, featuring a historical photo timeline and artifact displays including vintage uniforms, classic coaster cars, ride designs, and more.

To join in on the celebrations and to take advantage of a free Serengeti Safari if your birthday’s coming up soon, plan a trip to the wildest theme park in Tampa. Take a look at discount Busch Gardens tickets on DWTickets.com and have fun safari-ing!

Now that Manta is open and soaring high over at SeaWorld, it’s time for roller coasters aficionados to turn their attention to the other big attraction opening this summer, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (HRRR or “Rockit” for short). To the eye, this new coaster at Universal Studios might not seem as innovative as Manta, but it actually packs a wallop as big as its name with fun technological elements and never-before-attempted roller coaster maneuvers.

We’ve discussed in previous blogs how the HRRR will feature six special maneuvers, three of which have never been attempted with a coaster before. There’s the 17-story high vertical lift, a non-inverted loop (the world’s first), a spiraling negative gravity move, and much more, including a 95 degree angled swoop over the crowd as they wait in line for their turn.

Now, even more details are coming out about the Rockit’s unique design. Particularly important to the coaster is its ultra-maneuverable X-CAR passenger car, which allows the Rockit to have the moves of many different styles of coaster. Each will feature only a lap-bar restraint, which will leave the upper body less restricted, allowing for extra thrills during those crazy loops and drops.

In addition, the trains will reportedly never stop at the loading station thanks to a groundbreaking new loading area design. We’re not sure how it works, but plans dictate that the Rockit will dispatch a train roughly every 23 seconds.

And though plenty has been said about the technological elements of the Rockit, most probably aren’t appreciating how tech-equipped this ride really is. The HRRR has six on-board cameras and eight high speed special effects cameras for capturing each rider’s experience. Needless to say, that goes way beyond the one camera that most rides flash at you when you’re donning your goofiest expression of terror. With 54 special effects shots, guests will not only be able to see their ride in full, but they’ll even be able to produce their own unique ride video and buy a DVD of it, download it at home or onto their phone, and send it to their friends.

Moreover, the Rockit will feature a 55-watt on-board speaker system that will blast out one of 30 songs from 5 genres; the song choices will include both classic and contemporary artists.

Though the Rockit was originally set to open in spring of this year, the opening was delayed to summer due to what we hear were some difficulties constructing that sky-high lift. Since then, however, the ride’s been coming along swimmingly; all pieces of the track are in place, the trains have been placed on it, and they’ve already begun testing of the ride.

We’ve even heard whispers that the HRRR will be debuted on July 4, meaning that it will coincide with the park’s Independence Day celebrations and the last day of the Summer Concert Series (check out our blog on that here). If that’s true, then the 4th of July is sure to be filled with good times all around at Universal.

In the meantime, if you do happen to see the ride being tested out while you visit Universal and are surprised at how slow things are running, don’t fear – the ride’s speed will pick up significantly once it’s out of testing phase!

Crowds are sure to gather for the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit when it opens, so you’ll want to save time by getting your Universal Studios tickets well in advance from DWTickets.com. We’ll see you in line for this exciting new coaster!

If you need something to jolt you into a summertime state of mind, follow the sound of your favorite hits to Walt Disney World, where a rockin’ and rollin’ concert series will be sure to set you straight. You’ll be swept back to youthful memories of beach trips, backyard cookouts, and long carefree days when the Sounds Like Summer concert series features summertime songs by legendary musical icons at Epcot.

From June 15 through August 9, the Sounds Like Summer concert series will host multiple performances nightly under the stars. An annual event, the series is returning to the America Gardens Theatre this year with a great lineup of popular tribute bands. Seven bands in total will recreate the sounds of legendary artists like the Bee Gees, Eagles, U2, and more, providing a great end to a day at Epcot.

The lineup is subject to change, but so far, the performers for the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series include Stayin’ Alive, a tribute to the Bee Gees performing from June 15 through 21; Hotel California, a tribute to the Eagles performing from June 22 through 28; Slippery When Wet, a tribute to Bon Jovi performing from June 29 through July 8; 52nd Street, a tribute to Billy Joel performing from July 9 through 17; Sounds of The Supremes, a tribute to The Supremes performing from July 18 through 26; and 2U, a tribute to U2 performing from July 27 through August 2. Finally, Petty Theft, a tribute to Tom Petty, closes out the concert series from August 3 through August 9.

Throughout Sounds Like Summer, multiple nightly performances will take place at 5:45 pm, 7 pm, and 8:15 pm except on July 4. On Independence Day, park guests can rock out at 5:15 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:45 pm, and 9 pm before enjoying a great fireworks extravaganza in the sky.

Though other summer concert series and nighttime entertainment are being offered at Busch Gardens and Universal Studios, the Sounds Like Summer concert series at Epcot is the only one offering performances every night. Best yet, the series is also free with regular admission to the park, so all you need to rock out is a Walt Disney World ticket.

And of course, there’s only one place where you can get Walt Disney World tickets and save – DWTickets.com. Check out Magic Your Way passes today and begin planning your trip down a memory lane of summertime fun at Epcot.

There are only a handful of occasions worthy enough to cause Cinderella Castle to be lit up in colors different from its usual color scheme. But when the Orlando Magic are playing in the NBA Finals, we’d say that’s certainly one of those worthy occasions. In support of its local team, Walt Disney World has lit up the iconic symbol of Magic Kingdom, Cinderella’s Castle, in Magic blue and white.

The lights were first switched on Thursday, June 4, the date of the Magic’s first game in the 2009 NBA Finals. In California, Disneyland also illuminated its Sleeping Beauty Castle in Los Angeles Lakers colors, purple and gold.

Incidentally, the two parks even made a wager over who would win what’s become known as the Disney World vs. Disneyland Finals. Just as the mayors of their respective city’s teams traditionally make a bet on the outcome of a championship, Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton and Disneyland President Ed Grier are betting on their local teams with some very interesting terms.

If the Magic win, Grier will have to walk down Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland wearing a pair of special Mickey Mouse ears in Magic blue and white. If the Lakers win, Crofton will don a pair of Laker’s purple and gold mouse ears and walk down Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom.

“The Lakers are going to make your team very Grumpy this week,” bantered Grier to Crofton.

“But we have ‘Magic’ on our side,” countered Crofton. “And isn’t that what Disney is all about?”

The two presidents went through their respective parks last week looking for supporters and posing with fans. In front of Cinderella Castle, Crofton was accompanied by Minnie, Goofy, Chip, and Dale as she passed out Orlando Magic hats, t-shirts, balloons, and basketballs to park guests.

If the Magic win, not only would it be their first Championship win in history, but fans would be able to expect a wild celebration at Disney World. Magic Kingdom, as it usually does with the Super Bowl and other game championships, would likely hold a spectacular parade featuring players from the team. After all, when all major sports players and American Idols celebrate a major victory, they go to Walt Disney World – just ask Kris Allen.

While everyone awaits for a winner to emerge from the Finals, fans at Walt Disney World can support their team with newly released Disney/Magic t-shirts. Available at Walt Disney World and Amway Arena, the shirts are available in three blue and white designs, with Mickey dressed in Magic gear on the front of two designs and a Magic basketball with Mickey ears on the third.

And of course, you can always bide the time with fun at Walt Disney World! Check out Walt Disney World tickets on DWTickets.com to enjoy the parks or preemptively get your passes for the Orlando Magic victory celebrations. Not that we’re biased, of course…

As we’ve previously reported, Busch Gardens is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, the park will be pulling out all the stops this summer with extended hours, special entertainment, and festive food and drink every night. Summer Nights at Busch Gardens will heat up Tampa Bay every evening from June 6 through August 16, and it’s sure to be the best event of the season as the park marks half a century of providing family adventures.

The fun kicks off this Saturday, June 6, with music from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s performed by original artists in Gwazi Park. The night will be capped by a spectacular fireworks display. Then on July 3, guests will be able to groove to David Cassidy in Concert, while the 4th of July features Starship and Mickey Thomas, along with another amazing fireworks show.

On every night in between this Saturday and the festivities in July and thereafter, Busch Gardens will also feature Darren Romeo, the voice of magic, presented by master magicians Siegfried and Roy. Romeo will thrill the crowds with his captivating mix of magic and music in the Moroccan Palace. Meanwhile, at the Marrakesh Theater, Jeff Civillico will present his amazing blend of comedy, juggling, balancing, athleticism, and audience participation. And every night, an infectious new dance choreographed expressly for park guests will keep the energy in the park amped, while DJs spin party songs from four different spots throughout Busch Gardens.

While guests enjoy the hot tunes, fun shows, and the thrill of riding their favorite coasters in the dark, they can also visit the new exhibit honoring Busch Gardens’ 50th birthday. Hundreds of items, including photos, souvenirs, and artifacts, are on display, along with a 70-foot timeline marking milestones from the park’s humble beginnings as a bird garden and brewery tour, all the way to its present day status as a world-renowned adventure park. The exhibit is located between the Crown Colony House Restaurant and the Clydesdale Hamlet and is open during regular park hours.

While normal park hours usually end at 7 pm, during Summer Nights at Busch Gardens, the park will be open until 9 pm Sundays through Thursdays and until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Best yet, all these extra hours of fun and excitement are included with regular Busch Gardens admission, making it one of the summer’s hottest deals.

So if you love the atmosphere of a high-energy street party, check out discount Busch Gardens tickets on DWTickets.com to get your pass to summertime dancing, music, and partying at the hottest theme park in Tampa, Florida.

On July 4, the historic Hall of Presidents exhibit at Magic Kingdom will reopen after the biggest makeover in its 38-year history. But in meantime, the New York Times got to have the first look at the exhibit’s latest addition: an animatronic President Barack Obama, or as the folks at Disney like to call it, Robobama.

The 44th President of the United States has been recreated in animatronic form for his induction into The Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World, which pays tribute to each of the presidents in an entertaining and educational show. Lincoln, Carter, Bush - they’re all present in robotic form in the attraction, and former presidents Bush and Clinton even provided their voices for the presidential ‘roll call.’ But as the Times learned, Obama not only provided his voice, but even his measurements for his figure, which DIsney says is the most lifelike president they’ve created yet.

Supposedly, when President Obama saw renderings of the figure, he said Disney Imaginaeers made the figure “better-looking than he was.”

Similar to presidents before him, Robobama will have a speaking role in the attractions. He’ll recite his oath of office in addition to a newly drafted speech written by Disney writers and tweaked by Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau. President Obama recorded the speed in March inside the White House Map Room, which was apparently the best room for recording in Disney high-definition sound.

Joining Robobama in speaking to the crowd will be Abraham Lincoln, who has always had a speaking role in the Hall of Presidents. However, after the July 4 unveiling of the attraction, Lincoln will be delivering the Gettysburg Address in its entirety. Also, George Washington will have a speaking role for the first time ever.

These are just a few of the new additions to the attraction, which will also feature a new film narrated by Morgan Freeman. The hall itself will also get an upgrade, including new digital-video projection systems and new, longer spotlights for each president with modernized controls.

And of course, former president George W. Bush will be added to the attraction in the form of a less sophisticated animatronic figure. Robobama is actually the same figure as the old Robobush, simply recycled, reprogrammed, and given some significant plastic surgery.

However, one would never guess that Robobama was once another president, as the Times reports that Disney has gone to great lengths to accurately convey not only the President’s expression, but his mannerisms as well.

“Thus the audio-animatronic Obama purses its lips to pronounce its b’s and p’s in a way frighteningly evocative of the real one, and raises its hands, open-palmed, while shruggiong its shoulders, in a way that can only be described as Obamaesque. Even the president’s wedding ring, with its braided design, has been recreated,” wrote Jacques Steinberg.

One of Disney’s oldest attractions, the Hall of Presidents was first conceived by Walt Disney himself when he produced a “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” attraction for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. The Hall has been featured in Magic Kingdom since the park opened in 1971 and features all 43 presidents of the United States in a celebration of American history.

The Hall of Presidents officially reopens on July 4, a very appropriate day for the reintroduction of the most patriotic attraction at Disney. In addition to all the other Independence Day festivities at Disney, you won’t want to miss seeing the latest Presidential figures in action. Check out Walt Disney World tickets on DWTickets.com now to come face to face with President Obama - Robobama, that is.