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Hi all,

Day 3 of my personal favourite Thrill rides and roller coasters in Florida. At present I’ve covered Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and Manta, today’s coaster is Busch Gardens adrenaline boosting SheiKra, a drop coaster that you’ll never forget.

SheiKra at Busch Gardens, Tampa

SheiKra was actually the last coaster I rode on my trip around Florida, and it turned out to be one I’d never forget.

The unique selling point of SheiKra is the 200 ft delayed drop. Let me explain…

After getting on board and leaving the station, you begin to climb a 47 degree 200-foot lift hill. SkeiKra is in no rush to get you to the top so you get a great look round the park while at the same time building the suspense. The train then makes a U-turn and approaches the holding brake, which suspends the train for about 3–5 seconds on the precipice of the sheer 90-degree drop, now I’m quite confident in stating that at this point I have never been on a ride that produces so many screams from its riders. At the height of these screams you are released and plummet down and into a loop.

The ride does continue on from this point but not for long and to be honest I was so taken back by the drop I can’t remember much after it.

Ride Facts

• 200-foot 45-degree chain lift hill
• 195-foot 90° drop
• 140-foot-tall Immelmann
• 138-foot 81° drop
• Top speed 70 mph.

The very obvious talking point of this ride and one I still mention today is the 3-5 second delay, it really builds the suspension. Top tip, if you don’t like screaming wear ear plugs!!!

usrentacar.co.uk offer great rates of Florida attraction tickets the Orlando Flex Ticket or the Bonus  tickets get you entry in to Busch Gardens for up to 14 days.

What’s your favourite Theme Park Ride?

regards,

James

Hi all,

Recently I had the chance to sit down with our Managing Director, Gavin Boswell to discuss his recent trip to Orlando, we actually featured his review of the newly open Cheetah Hunt last week.

The idea of this interview was not to be in depth but just to get some quick fire answers. I think the more bulky answer are probably best suited to a podcast. Anyway the interview took place in Gavin’s office roughly 3 days after his return.

Interview

James: Favourite Theme Park?

Gavin: Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The Marvel themed area is great, big, bright and in my opinion full of the best rides.

J: Favourite ride?

G: Tricky one. I love loads of them, I liked Cheetah Hunt, the new ride down at Busch Gardens, I think the Spider-Man 3d ride at Islands of Adventure is amazing and once they’ve completed the upgrade to the new software, it will be even better.  I’m a big fan of the Hulk Coaster and I like Kraken at SeaWorld but I think for an overall experience I’d have to go with Manta.

J: Why?

G: Its the fact that its something different, facing down, looking straight at the ground gives you a totally different ride experience than anything else in Florida.  Loved it.

J: What was your opinion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter?

G: I was truly blown away, the level of detail is quite astonishing. You can see all the hard work they have obviously put in. If you have a child who is in to Harry Potter, then Ollivanders Wand Shop is a must, be prepared to queue and also to end up parting with your hard earned cash but it is quite magical… Sorry couldn’t resist.

J: and did you enjoy The Forbidden Journey Ride?

G: Ha James! You know I didn’t…. I admit it, I can’t handle motion based rides. They make me feel very sick. I tried my best to enjoy it but basically had my eyes closed the entire time. The other people I rode with told me it was very good though!

J: Best Memory?

G: Hmm, tricky cos there were loads but feeding Giraffes at Busch Gardens and Dolphins at SeaWorld are pretty high up there… Oh and singing madly on Rip Ride Rockit then having the embarrassment of watching it back as a video afterwards!

J: Hidden Gem?

G: Well its not exactly hidden but I really enjoyed Wet N’ Wild, the water park run by Universal. I believe, and I could be wrong but it has the most group based rides of any theme park in America! Its something like that anyway. The rides aren’t that scary but they are great fun.

J: Top tip?

G: Wear comfy shoe’s, I wore flip flops and they destroyed my feet in less than 30 mins. Did you know you’re not allowed to walk round the parks bear footed? Well you do now!

Sorry it was only a short interview but Gavin’s a pretty busy man (or so he tells us). We have something scheduled for late August to sit down and podcast his impressions of Orlando, so once this is done we’ll pop it up.

regards,

James

Hi all,

Following on from yesterdays 2010 Top 20 USA Theme Parks By Attendance I thought I’d share with you the 2010 Worldwide theme park attendance figures.

Top 25 Worldwide Theme Parks

1. Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
2. Disneyland
3. Tokyo Disneyland
4. Tokyo DisneySea
5. Epcot
6. Disneyland Paris
7. Disney’s Animal Kingdom
8. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
9. Universal Studios Japan
10. Everland, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
11. Disney California Adventure
12. Universal’s Islands of Adventure
13. Universal Studios Florida
14. Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea
15. Hong Kong Disneyland
16. SeaWorld Orlando
17. Ocean Park, Hong Kong
18. Universal Studios Hollywood
19. Walt Disney Studios Paris
20. Nagashima Spa Land, Kuwana, Japan
21. Europa Park
22. Busch Gardens Tampa
23. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Yokohama, Japan
24. De Eftleing
25. SeaWorld San Diego

Amazing to see how dominate Disney still remain, the Potter factor has obviously helped Universal in 2010 but how long can it continue?

What are your thoughts?

regards,

James

Hi all,

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, I’ve just returned from a great trip to Orlando, where I got exclusive access to some of the greatest parks and rides in Florida, I will be blogging about that later, however while I was away the 2010 USA theme park attendance results were posted.

U.S. Top 20 for 2010:

1. Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, 16.92 million, -1.5%
2. Disneyland, 15.98 million, +0.5%
3. Epcot, 10.83 million, -1.5%
4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom, 9.69 million, +1.0%, up one position
5. Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 9.60 million, -1.0%, down one position
6. Disney California Adventure, 6.28 million, +3.0%
7. Universal’s Islands of Adventure, 5.95 million, +30.2%, up two positions
8. Universal Studios Florida, 5.93 million, +6.1%
9. SeaWorld Orlando, 5.10 million, -12.1%, down two positions
10. Universal Studios Hollywood, 5.04 million, +26.0%
11. Busch Gardens Tampa, 4.20 million, +2.4%, up one position
12. SeaWorld San Diego, 3.80 million, -9.5%, down one position
13. Knott’s Berry Farm, 3.60 million, +8.0%
14. Canada’s Wonderland, 3.38 million, +7.0%
15. Kings Island, 3.11 million, +3.7%
16. Cedar Point, 3.05 million, +3.7%
17. Hersheypark, 2.89 million, +3.0%, up one position
18. Busch Gardens Williamsburg, 2.80 million, -3.4%, down one position
19. Six Flags Great Adventure, 2.70 million, +2.5%
20. Six Flags Great America, 2.70 million, +10.2%

Having a quick look at these attendance figures the most striking statistic is the huge popularity of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which has helped Universal Islands of Adventure increase attendance by 30.2% to 5.95 Million.

Regards,

James,

Hi all,

Following on from yesterday’s How do eTickets work at Universal, today I will talk about how the eTicket work’s at SeaWorld, Aquatica and Busch Gardens.

Probably the most technically advanced of all the parks SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment’s eTickets do not have to be exchanged.

• Once purchased the customer receives an email with the tickets attached, each ticket has a bar code.
• When the customer visits the appropriate park, they go straight to the gate (pictured) .
• No need to queue at guest services or go to the self service ticket machines.
• At the gates, simply scan your eTicket for entry. (pictured)

With the 2 Park Ticket or the 3 Park Ticket, entering the parks couldn’t be easier. Remember with an eTicket if it gets damaged or wet simply print off another one!!!

I hope this helps, please feel free to write about your own experiences below.

regards,

James

Hi all,

Only 5 days left until the 3 parks for the price of 2 special offer ends!!!…

At the moment you can get 14 consecutive days admission to Aquatica, SeaWorld Orlando, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

For the low price of only £71 per adult, £65 per child, this includes delivery and still no credit card fee’s.

Summary

• Enjoy 14 days unlimited admission to Aquatica™, SeaWorld Orlando® and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for the price of the 2-park SeaWorld and Busch Gardens ticket!
• Get Aquatica for FREE!
• 14 consecutive days admission to Aquatica, SeaWorld Orlando, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
• Free bus transportation is available to Busch Gardens on the Busch Gardens Shuttle Express. This service departs from various locations in the International Drive and Kissimmee areas (subject to change). Reservations are a must and can be made by calling 1-800-221-1339.

To Book

You can either add these tickets to your car hire booking during the reservation process or alterntively you can contact our reservations department on 0845 226 8523 and speak to our reservations department.

Regards,

James

Hi guys,

I know, I know Halloween is miles off…. however Busch Gardens have just given us details of this years Howl-O-Scream!!!!

What happens at Howl-O-Scream?

Admission is granted at 4.30pm to those customers who have pre-purchased a Howl-O-Scream ticket, they will be free to enjoy the whole park through until 6pm. Guests with H-O-S tickets will then be directed towards the Stanleyville and Timbuktu areas at the rear of the park.

Once here, the Howl-O-Scream guests will be identified and given a wrist band that should be worn throughout the night. They will be free to explore the attractions within Stanleyville and Timbuktu, which include SheiKra, Kumba and Congo River Rapids. The Zambia Smokehouse will also be open at this time for guest dining.

The park reopens at 7.30pm for Howl-O-Scream and from this time not only will the guests be allowed to explore the various Haunted Houses, Scare Zones and shows on offer throughout the park, but they will also be able to ride the coasters in the dark – a unique element to Halloween at Busch Gardens.

Howl-O-Scream Event Dates and Times

Howl-O-Scream runs for select dates through October. The special Howl-O-Scream Shuttle Express service (detailed below) has been laid on for Friday and Saturday nights only –

Howl-O-Scream Busch Gardens Shuttle Express

A free transportation service for those customers purchasing the Howl-O-Scream ticket product will be available for the dates identified above. Details are as follows;

Outbound

Pick-Up Location:             Crab House – 8291 International Drive, Orlando, Florida, 32819

Pick-Up Time:                    3.00pm

Drop-Off Location:          Busch Gardens bus drop off

Drop-Off Time:                 Approximately 4.30pm

Upon arrival, guests will need to make their way to Guest Services, where after showing their Howl-O-Scream ticket or voucher they will be issued with their return ticket back to Orlando.

Return

Pick-Up Location:             Busch Gardens bus drop off

Pick-Up Time:                    12am (midnight)

Drop-Off Location:          Crab House – 8291 International Drive, Orlando, Florida, 32819

Drop-Off Time:                 Approximately 1.30am

Reservations are essential for this service; guests should call 1-800-221-1339 once in resort to reserve their seat and to reconfirm the pick-up location and times as the service is subject to change.

Friday 7^th October & Saturday 8^th October

Friday 14^th October & Saturday 15^th October

Friday 21^st October & Saturday 22^nd October

Friday 28^th October & Saturday 29^th October

Friday = 7.30pm – 01.00am

Saturday = 7.30pm – 02.00am

Cost

Price per ticket is £25.00 and can be purchased by calling 0845 226 8523.

regards,

James

Hi all,

Just had notice that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment will be  issuing a rate increase effective as of the 01/06/11.

The very popular 3 parks for the price of 2 is due to expire and will be replaced by the standard pricing.

At present you can still purchase the 3 Park Ticket for the very low price of £71.00 including entry in to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica with no Credit Card or delivery charges. To take advantage please call our reservations department on 0845 226 8523, you do not have to have booked a rental car with us to take advantage of these great rates.

I have no official pricing to confirm yet however it does appear to be an increase of approximately £5 per ticket.

Tickets available will be

3-Park Ticket – SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica.

2-Park Ticket – SeaWorld & Busch Gardens or SeaWorld & Aquatica.

regards,

James

Hi all,

Not only do we offer amazingly cheap florida car hire but we are now offering you a better deal on your theme park tickets.

At the moment and for a limited time, usrentacar.co.uk is offering the popular  3-Park SeaWorld®, Aquatica® and Busch Gardens Ticket for an incredible £71.00 per adult and £65.00 per child.

The ticket offers 14 days unlimited admission to Aquatica®, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld® offering truly great value.

Not only are we offering these tickets at a great price we promise not to add on any nasty extra’s like credit card charges or delivery charges.

So don’t delay, book today by calling usrentacar.co.uk on 0845 226 8523.

regards,

James

Hi all,

As many of you know Busch Gardens will be opening a new theme park ride in late May called Cheetah Hunt.

Part of the new ride will be an innovative new habitat opening alongside the Cheetah Hunt launch coaster that will bring guests face to face with the cheetahs.

Well Busch Gardens Tampa animal care took delivery of this little chap yesterday,

the 4-week-old baby cheetah has to be fed regularly and pack on a few more pounds before it joins others at the park’s Cheetah Run habitat.

Vet’s at Busch Gardens have been caring and hand-raising the cub since its mother could not care for it, the feline was born in the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and had trouble gaining weight.

Jacksonville zoo officials recommended the baby cheetah be raised in Busch Gardens in the Tampa, the Busch Gardens blog said.

The cub now weighs about 2 pounds and is eating well.. Once the cub is old enough, he will be introduced into the Cheetah Run habitat.

The cub may also become a part of a breeding program to boost the population of the endangered species. About 12,400 cheetahs remain in the wild, according to Busch Gardens.

How CUTE!!!

regards

James