Busch Gardens, near Tampa, has some amazing roller coasters – but that’s not all, it also has animals, plenty of them – from giraffes to elephants, rhinos to cheetahs. So it is no surprise that their new roller coaster combines both. Called ‘Cheetah Hunt,’ this new roller coaster will open in the late spring of 2011, hopefully by the end of May, and it will be themed around those large cats, the cheetahs. Busch Gardens, of course, has three world class roller coasters already – ‘Kumba,’ ‘Montu’ and ‘Gwazi,’ but this new coaster is set to beat them all with its innovation and speed.

When completed, ‘Cheetah Hunt’ will be Busch Garden’s longest roller coaster at 4,429ft, and it will mimic the speed and agility of a cheetah. The total ride time, including loading and unloading will be three and a half minutes, with the actual ride lasting one minute 20 seconds. Cheetah Hunt is a launch coaster, with three acceleration points, one of which will propel the riders from zero to 60 mph in a matter of seconds. There will also be an inversion and a 130 ft drop into an underground trench. Most interestingly, part of the ride will speed across part of the Serengeti Plain at speeds of up to 60 mph.

For those roller coaster buffs who also like statistics, Cheetah Hunt will be a Linear Synchronous Motor Launch coaster, with more than three quarters of a mile of track. This system uses the force of repelling magnets to launch its riders from 0 to 60 mph in a matter of seconds. In fact, this motor will do so three times. It will exert forces of up to 4G, and its peak height will be 102 ft – truly scary! There will be five trains, each with a total of 16 passengers, and it is expected that 1370 passengers will ride this coaster each hour. There is a height restriction of 48 inches, so younger children will be excluded.

The coaster starts with a launch which propels the train out of the station, which was once the former monorail station, and into the grassland surrounding the area. It is only a few moments later that the second acceleration takes place, propelling riders to 60 mph and up to the tower which climbs over 10 stories above the African countryside. It will then plunge 130 ft into a subterranean trench before its final section where there is a third burst of speed as the train catapults itself back across the plain an into the station. For those experts in roller coasters there will be heartline roll inversions, air time parabolas and over-banked turns. Or to the layman, pretty scary manoeuvres!

In addition to this there will be a new cheetah habitat where visitors can view the cheetahs close up. In order to give visitors the very best view of these, the fastest land animal, there will be a glass panelled viewing area overlooking the plains. Five cheetahs have already arrived on site ready for the opening of this new cheetah habitat, and in addition, there will be touch screen panels with educational information.

And if all that wasn’t enough there has been some exciting news with the arrival of a new baby cheetah last month. This little cub was born to a mother who was unable to care for him, which meant he was losing weight. The decision was made to hand raise him and he is now doing well, growing stronger, putting on weight and exploring his new home. Although he was not born at Busch Gardens he was brought there on the recommendation of the SSP (Species Survival Plan) from Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. At the moment he requires regular feeding round the clock, but when he is a little older he will join the group of cheetahs who will live in the Cheetah Run alongside the new Cheetah Hunt roller coaster. It is also hoped that, when he matures he could become part of the breeding programme which will help boost the numbers of these critically endangered cheetahs. Sadly, only about 12,000 cheetahs remain in the world.

I know my children can’t wait to try out this new roller coaster. As for me, well I will be quite happy to keep my feet firmly on the ground, and watch the wonderful cheetahs in their habitat.

Article written by “ellie” an Orlando Villa owner. You can view her property at Orlando Villas

For some reason that I cannot understand, my children love getting soaking wet and scared to death when they visit Islands of Adventure, so Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls is one of their favourite water rides. Being a wimp, I prefer to watch from the side

Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls was one of the park’s original attractions, opening in May, 1999, and it was inspired by the rather dim-witted Dudley-Do-Right, a cartoon character created by Jay Ward and Alex Anderson. The story is that Canadian Mountie, Dudley Do-Right, is pursuing the evil Snidely Whiplash, who has captured his sweetheart, Nell Fenwick. As they leave Wontyabee Mine passengers in the logs can see the wicked Snidely tying Nell to the train tracks, joined later by both Horse and Inspector Fenwick.

Passengers travel in a log, into an outdoor sawmill, before the final climactic drop of 75 ft, where they plunge headlong into a dynamite shack, which on entry ‘explodes’ spraying the passengers, and spectators with water. The ride then passes an area where viewers can spray riders with water from hoses – great fun for a small fee. Finally, Snidley can be seen in Alottapoopoo Island Prison, where, in a parody of the scene in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, he can be seen trying to persuade a beaver, who is holding a set of keys in its mouth, to pass them to him. In a final scene, Inspector Fenwick is seen awarding Dudley Do Right a medal for capturing Snidley and saving his daughter, Nell. Unfortunately, Nell appears to be more interested in Horse than Dudley Do Right!

Over the years this flume ride has undergone several modifications, including an adjustment in 2007 to the ride’s most intense drop, to make it less intense, followed in 2007 by the addition of lap bar restraints. Recently an on-ride camera was added.

However, on New Year’s Day, 2011 a fire of unknown cause damaged it significantly enough for it to be closed for 2 months. Universal has kept the cause of the fire a closely guarded secret, but at around 5.00 pm a fire started, whilst guests were enjoying the water flume ride. When the fire started all riders were evacuated safely, as well as everyone in the Toon Lagoon area. No guest was badly injured, and nobody required hospital treatment, although some required first aid. Forty firefighters from the Orlando Fire Department quickly extinguished the flames in less than an hour, and Toon Lagoon was closed for an hour and a half. Guests in the area reported seeing clouds of black smoke billowing into the sky, but it would appear that it was the roof structure which was mainly affected rather than any of the areas which the log vehicles travel through. The smell of burning plastic was said to have pervaded the whole area, but it is believed that the fire was caused accidentally, and damage was thought to be extensive.

Universal’s reaction was to bring forward maintenance work which is normally carried out during the winter season, so they closed the whole ride down. Universal have been unwilling to disclose how extensive the damage was, or where it started, or why, and they have not even give details of what maintenance was carried out. However, it is obvious that the whole area has been repainted and it certainly looks fresher and brighter now. The ride re-opened on March 3^rd, and this will be welcome news for those who enjoy its stomach churning drop.

If you happen to be near this ride look out for the ‘People Driers’ which are now in permanent kiosks. These driers can be used by anyone who gets drenched and who wants to get dry quickly – at a price, of course! Sit at the front of the log and you will definitely get the wettest, sit at the back and you might not get quite so wet. And remember, if you escape getting to wet during the ride, you may well get a soaking from the hoses at the end! But if the Florida sun is shining you will soon dry out.

Written by Ellie, an Orlando Villa owner. You can see her property on Orlando Villas.

Hollywood Studios is one of my favourite Disney parks, not least because it has the wonderful 'Fantasmic' laser and lights show. But it wasn't always called Hollywood Studios. It opened with the name 'Disney-MGM-Studios' in 1989, the third of the Disney parks to debut in Orlando. Here are some of the interesting facts which I have discovered over the years.

Hollywood Studios covers around 135 acres, and its theming was based on the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s, and of course the movie industry. It is amazingly popular and is the seventh most visited theme park in the world, and the third most visited in the USA. In 2009 it welcomed 9.7 million people through its doors.

Michael Eisner's dedication of 1989 really sums up what Hollywood Studios stands for, and what Disney had in mind when it opened:

'The world you have entered was created by The Walt Disney Company, and is dedicated to Hollywood - not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists whenever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was - and always will be.'

Each of the Disney parks has its own icon. At Epcot it is the huge Spaceship Earth at the entrance, at Magic Kingdom it is Cinderella's Castle, and for Animal Kingdom it is the wonderful Tree of Life. - for MGM Studios it was the Earful Tower, a copy of the water towers found in Hollywood studio backlots in the early 1900s. These water towers served an important purpose - that of safety, as should a fire have happened on set, the water from these towers would have been used to douse the flames. Mickey's ears could be found atop the Earful Tower, and these were lit by special lighting which outlined them at night. The Earful Tower was built by Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, Kentucky in 1988, and during the Christmas season a huge Father Christmas hat was placed over it. Indeed, during the Fourth of July festivities in 2001 Mickey's ears were decorated with the American flag. Of course, the name, Earful Tower is a pun on Eiffel Tower.

However, in 2001, as part of the 100 Years of Magic celebration, a new icon was unveiled - the huge Sorcerer's Hat which stands in front of the Great Movie Ride, and which originated in that much loved classic Disney animated film, Fantasia. It stands 122 ft high, and underneath the hat you can see Mickey Mouse's ears and hand emerging from the ground. In fact this huge fibreglass hat is completely empty as nothing has been built within its 60,000 ft of interior space.

After a rather rocky relationship with MGM it was eventually decided that they should go their separate ways, and this gave Disney the opportunity to re-invent this wonderful theme park as Disney felt that it should have a more modern image. In the words of Meg Crofton, the Walt Disney World President, the theme park would become Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the name would reflect how the park had grown 'from representing the golden age of movies, to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer - in music, television, movies and theatre.' Thus is was that the MGM name finally disappeared on January 7th, 2008, although it took several more months before they were able to complete all the changes to the signage that was necessary.

This name change actually resulted in a huge operation, as every single sign had to either be removed and replaced with a new sign, or it had to be painted over. The original logo of MGM Studios featured the iconic MGM lion roaring, with Mickey below it holding a clapboard. Every trace of the old logo had to be obliterated, and that included merchandise in the shops, on maps, and on such things as bus stops. It was a mammoth task, and one which took a huge amount of money to complete. The new Hollywood Studios logo shows the torso, arms and head of Mickey Mouse, holding a film-maker's clapboard, and it has a retro feel about it.

For more interesting facts about Hollywood Studios, read Part 2.

Submitted by "ellie" view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

Universal have announced the dates for this years Halloween Horror Nights. Calling it “20 years of fear.”

The Dates Are:

Sept: 24, 25 & 30

Oct: 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 20, 24, 27 & 31.

Prices are $74.99! which does seem quite expensive but well worth it. If you are a HHN fan then you can buy a Frequent Fear Pass with Express Access which costs $154.98. these tickets gain entry on 14 selected nights, complete with front-of-line rights to the haunted houses and designated park attractions.  Please note: The front-of-line part is one time per attraction per evening.

There is so much to see and do at Animal Kingdom, that it is hard to fit it all in, but one thing I would not want to miss is the wonderful and very spectacular ‘Festival of the Lion King,’ in Camp Minnie Mickey. We normally try to catch a performance later in the day, after we have visited most of the attractions. It is quite a long walk to the huge auditorium, but its well worth it, even if your feet are killing you by then. Try to arrive reasonably early as it gets pretty full and you can then choose where you sit.

The 1000 seat auditorium is now fully enclosed, and benefits from the addition of air conditioning. When we first visited Animal Kingdom it was open at the sides, and sometimes, during heavy showers or thunderstorms it was difficult to remain focused, because of the deafening noise of the rain and thunder. It could also be rather hot and humid, but now it is great.

The atmosphere is electric as the show starts, and the huge animatronic animals emerge from behind the curtains, accompanied by colourfully dressed cast members who sing and dance. Their tribal costumes are extravagant and stunning, with bold colours and vivid use of a variety of materials, and their typical African headdresses are very spectacular. There are 4 animatronic animals, Simba, who sits atop Pride Rock, a swaying giraffe, an elephant, and, in the jungle, Pumba and Timon. The theatre, which has 4 banks of seats, is then divided up so that each bank represents an animal – elephant, wart hog, lion and giraffe. The audience is encouraged to make appropriate noises for their allotted animal, and a member of the audience is coaxed down onto the floor to demonstrate their prowess at making animal noises. It is no problem for elephant or lion, but giraffe and warthog have a bit of a struggle. After a quick practice, this fast moving show is on the road.

There are acrobatic monkeys, in their startling orange striped costumes, who cavort and tumble on the trampoline that rolls out of the central area. They swing on the trapeze and provide a fast moving and intricate display of acrobatics. They tumble and twist and turn, whilst the song ‘Hakuna Matata’ plays.  There is a high speed finale, and then, almost in the bat of an eyelid the trampoline is folded away and disappears.

The mood changes dramatically and the auditorium is filled with pounding drums. The lights are lowered and in come the tribal warriors on stilts, their spectacular costumes, red and yellow striped, grass skirts, topped off with feathered tribal headdresses. There is a fire show, with plumes of flame rising out of the central stage area. The whole floor looks to be alight, and there are spinning torches, surrounded by colorful dancers – but there is an air of foreboding. Fire eaters make us gasp as they swallow flames.

The mood changes yet again, and all is calm and lightness. A turquoise and red bird dances in front of us, the female lifted high into the air, spinning and swooping. They perform to the sounds of that beautiful duet, and one of my favourite songs, ‘Can you feel the love tonight?’ which is sung with such feeling that it brings a lump to your throat. It is enchanting and romantic, and a spine tingling moment as you listen to the glorious harmonies. The female bird spins high in the sky, and as she circles above the audience there is orchestral music – a world in perfect harmony, connected in the circle of life. This wonderfully emotive song is sung with great power and emotion – the whole auditorium is simply transfixed by the beauty and emotion of it all.

Then it’s straight into the powerful, exciting and joyous ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ with its rhythmic chorus of ‘Whimoweh!’ and everyone joins in the singing and clapping, with a parade of eager children drawn into the centre of the auditorium.  More songs follow – Hakuna Matata – ‘no worries for the rest of your days’ – indeed your worries simply disappear in the magic of it all.  The birds return for another beautiful song, followed by the powerfully song ‘Be Prepared’ when an atmosphere of menace and evil emanates.

Simba reappears and sings ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’ a happy, rhythmic song in which the whole audience participates.  ‘The Circle of Life’ brings the ‘tingle’ factor once more, and delicate birds are brought out on tall sticks, swooping and gliding high above the audience. The finale, itself, is truly spectacular, engulfing you in song and music and dancing, drawing us all together in the circle of life. All too soon it is over, and the huge animatronic animals glide silently backstage. If you are quick, you might just get a photograph before they disappear.

I always leave with a feeling of great calm, awe and wonder, after this truly memorable show, which although offering just a brief taste of the magical musical, The Lion King, brings a visit to Animal Kingdom to a remarkably beautiful end. It is one of Disney’s best shows, combining wonderful sound systems, superb singers and dancers, remarkable animatronics, fast action, suspense, romance, and beautiful songs, in a way that only Disney can do. Don’t miss it, whatever you do.

Submitted by "ellie" a vacation home owner, view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

When we visited our beautiful villa in Orlando in June we made a trip to Hollywood Studios to see the new interactive ride, 'Toy Story Mania'. However, we were not there early enough, having 'hopped' from Epcot first, and found that the queues were horrendously long - over two hours - and there were no fast passes left. We left disappointed, vowing to make sure that next time we would go there first. So when we visited our home again, in December, we made sure that Hollywood Studios was first on our list of parks, and that 'Toy Story Mania' was the first attraction we headed for when we reached the park.

So it was that we set off bright and early for Hollywood Studios, and luckily our villa is only a few short minutes away so we arrived at the gates just as they opened. We made a beeline for the Pixar area, which can be found behind Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat, which dominates the central area of Hollywood Studios. Located in the area which once housed 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,' this new attraction has been a huge success. The first view of this attraction is when you walk under the huge 'Pixar' sign which is suspended above the walkway. Even outside there are some great features - look up and see the giant Scrabble board which hang down the front of the building.

We were delighted to see that the wait times were only about 20 minutes, so we dashed over to get our fast passes for later in the day, and then stood in line at the entrance. We were not to be disappointed, as this is a really stunning attraction, and the fun starts the minute you walk round the corner into the main waiting area. As we entered we picked up 3-D glasses, and then made our way round and round the queuing area. This was brightly decorated with an amazing array of huge toys - giant crayons, bricks etc.

All of this makes you feel as if you have been shrunk to the size of a toy, when in reality the toys have been made to a large scale.  Despite quite a long queue, the time went quickly as there was so much to look at around the room, and hanging from the ceiling. As we reached the rear of this area we could see Mr Potato Head, interacting with the crowd and cracking jokes. Occasionally a body part would pop loose which is highly amusing.

The time seemed to pass in a flash and we soon found ourselves walking through to the vehicle area.  The vehicles themselves are partitioned, so that each couple face a different way. You sit back to back with the other couple, with a partition between you. In front of you is a toy cannon, which fires when you pull a string, and there are two cannons in each section of the train. The aim is to fire at targets in the game booths on the way.

We sat down quickly and familiarised ourselves with the cannon, before donning our 3-D glasses, ready for the off! The vehicle started on its way and we were soon in front of a practise target. A good tip is to keep firing, as you never run out of ammunition. The practice over, we were off to the real games. The route is themed, with about 12 scenes, each hosted by a character from Toy Story and Toy Story 2. We saw Buzz, Woody, Bo Peep, Hamm, and the Little Green Men who cheer you on. The aim is to hit the targets, and rack up the highest score. The cars do spin, but it is fairly mild. Each of the targets has a different score - the ones at the bottom of the game are often higher, so look out for the highest scoring targets and aim for them. It is surprisingly easy to get the hang of it, much easier than the Buzz Lightyear attraction at Magic Kingdom.

There are six mini-games including Pie Throw Practice Booth, Hamm and Eggs, Bo Peep's Baa-loon Pop, Green Army Men Shoot Camp, Buzz Lightyear's Flying Tossers, and Woody's Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gallery. The detail is brilliant, and your score is recorded on an onboard display screen.

We really enjoyed this attraction, and had great fun zapping away. We couldn't wait to do it again, although our fast passes were not for another couple of hours. Second time round it was even better, and it is definitely on our list of 'must do's' for the next time we visit Orlando. Make sure you go there first if you want to be sure of doing it, and get your fast passes first so that you can try it again later in the day. It's brilliant!

Submitted by "ellie" view her property here:  http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183