Find Out What’s New for

2008 at SoCal Theme Parks

No matter what your age, there’s always something delightful and exciting about going to a theme park! It takes adults back to childhood, it takes kids on a journey beyond their imagination, and it brings your family together as you depart the grind of the daily routine. With the arrival of spring, everyone is ready to get outside, and this couldn’t be a better time to visit one of Southern California’s theme parks. There are so many new things happening! A forgotten city has been found at Legoland; California Adventure has a new Pixar Parade; The Simpsons Ride is opening at Universal Studios Hollywood; the Sesame Street gang has dropped anchor at SeaWorld, and Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Buena Park has gotten more medieval than ever before. Read on for all the fun details! You’ll be so excited that you’ll want to sit down right away and make your travel arrangements.

A Forgotten City is Unearthed at LEGOLAND California

Land of Adventure transports guests into 1920s Egypt!

Land of Adventure, LEGOLANDÒ California’s eighth and brand new attraction, transports guests into 1920s Egypt. Comprised of four innovative attractions, Land of Adventure includes the Park’s first-ever dark ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure. Based in ancient temple ruins, Lost Kingdom Adventure puts guests inside desert jeeps and takes them on a journey to recover stolen treasure. Along the way, guests blast targets with laser guns, and their scores are recorded. Competition is fierce as skill and determination are the keys to a successful expedition. Brave riders encounter nine different scenes along the journey, including a spider’s lair, professor’s lab, mummy relics and a skeleton band that requires riders to hit the correct targets to make the bones “pull themselves together” and become musicians. A LEGO® pharaoh, standing more than 16-feet tall, guards the entrance to Lost Kingdom Adventure staring down at all those who dare enter.

Adjacent to the hidden ruins are new rides Cargo Ace and Beetle Bounce. Your kids’ imaginations will soar when they become airplane pilots on Cargo Ace and fly up to six feet into the air. Beetle Bounce boosts children to even bigger heights, nearly 15 feet to be exact, as they are launched up one of two towers nearly touching the gigantic LEGO beetles above them. At Pharaoh’s Revenge, children and parents can fire thousands of foam balls at targets and each other in an oasis of fun.

A small bazaar featuring snack and sundry items complete this forgotten village that is guaranteed to bring out the adventurer in every member of the family. For more information, visit legoland.com.

Explore Springfield Like Never Before with

TheSimpsons at Universal Studios

“The Simpsons Ride” will be located within “Krustyland,” a new fantasy theme park within a theme park!

Calling all Simpsons fans! A new mega thrilltacular-attraction, starring the very animated residents of Springfield, lands at Universal Studios Hollywood this May. “The Simpsons Ride”

show has taken to the road in an unprecedented collaboration between Universal and “The Simpsons” creators to create the first-ever mega-attraction based on the blockbuster TV series.

“The Simpsons Ride” will be located within “Krustyland,” a new fantasy theme park within a theme park, created by the show’s cantankerous Krusty the Clown. It features 29 colorful Simpsons characters, all voiced by the original actors, including Hank Azaria, Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith. In this fully immersive experience, guests will be rocketed along with The Simpsons family on an exhilarating adventure that will expose them to a previously unexplored side of Springfield.

As they stroll along Krusty’s outstretched tongue, guests will find themselves in an exterior Carny queue, dressed with posters of the various Krustyland Rides. From there, they’ll move to the internal Midway-queue, reminiscent of a carnival and lined on either side with Krusty games and Carnival booths, each featuring original Simpsons videos:  The Milk Bottle Toss featuring Groundskeeper Willy, Krusty Snacks manned by Apu, an Information Booth featuring information-less Hans Moleman and a Finder’s Keepers, Loser’s Weepers Lost & Found with Patty and Selma.

A live satellite feed from a boisterous Krusty located from somewhere within Krustyland is transmitted to awaiting guests. With all the sincerity of a shyster, Krusty welcomes them and introduces The Simpsons, the first family randomly selected to experience Krustyland’s new “thrill-tacular” ride.

Finally, guests will be ushered to the Funhouse “pre-show” holding room just prior to boarding the ”Krusty Mobile.” Through closed circuit video monitors located within each Funhouse room, guests will become re-acquainted with Krusty as he leads The Simpsons on a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Krustyland. A ride safety video hosted by Itchy & Scratchy follows on the monitor and ends with The Simpsons boarding the “Krusty Mobile” in tandem with guests, who are simultaneously ushered to do the same. Then the real  “thrill-tacular” adventure begins!

More information about “The Simpsons Ride” and Universal Studios Hollywood can be found at simpsonsride.com or universalstudioshollywood.com.

Do You Know How to Get to Sesame Street?

Just Head to SeaWorld this Spring!

For more than three decades “Sesame Street” has been engaging audiences around the world, and they’ll be dropping anchor this May at SeaWorld San Diego. The Park will feature Shamu’s newest friends, Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and other Sesame Street favorites.

When the Sesame Street crew sets its sail at SeaWorld, it will embark on “Sesame Street Bay

“Sesame Street Bay of Play,” a whimsical new play area with three family-friendly rides

of Play,” a whimsical new play area with three family-friendly rides:  Elmo’s Flying Fish, which gently soars up and down on a swimming journey through an imaginary ocean; Abby’s Sea Star Spin, a 36-passenger teacup-type ride that turns ’round and ’round as it whirls and twirls; and Oscar’s Rocking Eel, which rocks and spins and slides from side to side. There will also be Sesame Street character meet-and-greets, photo opportunities, an aquatic-themed production, and boatloads of laughs and hugs along with autograph sessions.

In March, Sesame Street will first fly its colors at SeaWorld when it premieres a dazzling new 4-D movie. Sesame Street presents Lights, Camera, Imagination! in 4-D has Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster and Big Bird swimming through the ocean and flying through the sky. Guests will not only see and hear the action — they’ll feel it in their seats! March also finds Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters on stage in a musical production of “Big Bird’s Beach Party” If this isn’t enough fun and excitement, guests will have a chance to join Elmo and his Sesame Street friends for breakfast. A variety of other Sesame Street friends will mingle and pose for pictures with diners before and during breakfast buffets at SeaWorld’s Garden Plaza.

SeaWorld's Summer Nights starts May 24 and runs thru September 1

Spring into Night features extended hours and nighttime entertainment from March 15–30 and weekends April 5 – May 18. SeaWorld stays open late so guests have more time to enjoy all their SeaWorld favorites. The extended nighttime fun happens nightly with Summer Nights at SeaWorld, starting May 24 to September 1, featuring extended park hours, fireworks, live music and special nighttime animal shows. During Summer Nights, guests experience the park after dark as specialty acts, percussionists, hip-hop dancers and gymnasts entertain at the front entrance plaza in an award-winning show called “Riptide”; Clyde and Seamore get into the act with the hilarious “Sea Lions Tonite”; and Shamu Rocks” cuts loose on a 20-minute musical voyage through natural settings around the globe. For further information, visit seaworld.com.

Disney Animated Films Come to Life in Pixar Play! Parade

Debuting March 14 is Disneyland Resort’s colorful and interactive Pixar Play! Parade at Disney’s California Adventure® Park. The parade encompasses all the electrifying worlds of Monsters

Disneyland Resort’s colorful and interactive Pixar Play! Parade at Disney’s California Adventure® Park

Inc., A Bug’s Life, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars and Toy Story. Bursting with bubbles and new water effects, guests cheer on their favorite Disney characters as they dance along to the parade’s dynamic soundtrack. From daring acrobatics to bungee-jumping rats, the playful parade is a whirling, spinning, fun-for-all, fully equipped continuation of the “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration. Additional information can be found at disneyland.com.

Discover the Golden State at Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival

Also at Disney’s California Adventure® Park is the California Food and Wine Festival, bringing the magic of cooking and the artistry of fine wines to the Disneyland Resort. The third annual festival begins April 11 and continues daily through May 5, and features a variety of Golden State culinary demonstrations with Disneyland Resort chefs.

The “Taste of California” Marketplace offers unique foods created especially for the festival. Guests will be able to purchase gourmet cooking products, wine specialty items, wine by the bottle and exclusive merchandise at the Festival Wine Shop. The Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival events are included with admission to Disney’s California Adventure park. For more information, visit disneyland.com/foodandwine.

Medieval Times Launches New Live Production

North America’s longest running and most popular dinner attraction has “gotten medieval” all over again at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Buena Park. More than 30 months in the making, Medieval Times’ all new show includes audience favorites such as live jousting, swordplay, horsemanship and falconry. Guests are taken back in time and encouraged to cheer for one of six knights of the realm, named after historic regions of medieval Spain.

In addition to a new script, the production includes new lighting, choreography and battle scenes, new horse dressage elements – executed by Medieval Times’ famed Andalusian

North America’s longest running and most popular dinner attraction has “gotten medieval” all over again at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Buena Park.

stallions – and a new soundtrack composed in the USA and performed by the Czech Republic-based Czech Film Orchestra. A new theatrical element, Medieval Times’ first use of a high-output snow machine, also adds an unexpected magical element to the guest experience.

The all new show opens with a sneak attack on the castle’s Prince, sent by his father the King to deliver a peace treaty. While the audience enjoys a feast and authentic tournament of Knights, the action unfolds in the arena with elements of high drama and romance as the Prince’s young bride and King await word of his fate.

Medieval Times Entertainment launched in Majorca, Spain, in 1973 and opened its first North American Castle in 1983. Visit medievaltimes.com or call 1-888-WE-JOUST (888-935-6878) for reservations and information.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our mini tour of some of Southern California’s theme parks and the exciting, new attractions they have to offer. Once you arrive here, we know you’ll have a great time visiting them. Before you leave home, be sure to log on to welcometosocal.com and buy your discount admission tickets. Because after all, why wait in line when you can buy online!