The excitement just keeps on building at Orlando’s world famous theme parks. It seems you never have to wait long for one of Orlando’s top parks to announce something new. This time it’s Universal Orlando that’s ready to make its next big splash.

The theme park announced a variety of new attractions set to open in 2012, including a new parade, an after-dark show, a new Blue Man Group show and more.

The new attractions should help Universal Studios regain some of the traffic it lost to sister park Islands of Adventure when it opened up the highly popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010.

The new “Universal’s Superstar Parade” becomes the park’s first daily parade event. The interactive parade will stop to allow characters, dancers and performers a chance to engage with spectators. Highlights include large floats, street performers and characters from “Dispicable Me,” “Dora the Explorer,” “SpongeBob Squarepants” and “Hop.”

Universal is also expanding its nighttime fun by adding “Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Moments.” The end of the night event on the theme park’s lagoon offers a salute to Universal Pictures based on a movie history projected on both sides of a series of 30-foot by 30-foot waterfall curtains. The show also includes lasers, pyrotechnics, fountains and a special narration by actor Morgan Freeman.

Other new attractions at Universal include a revised Blue Man Group show and two new miniature golf courses at Universal CityWalk. Later this summer, the park will open a new attraction based on the film “Dispicable Me” called Dispicable Me Minion Mayhem. The park is also introducing new high tech adjustments to its popular Spider-Man ride such as some re-animation and a more vivid high definition projection system.

For information on discount Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando family vacation packages, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

The frights return to Universal Orlando again this fall with Halloween Horror Nights 21.

The annual Halloween fright-fest will kick off Sept. 23 and continue on for 25 nights, offering the usual mixture of haunted houses and scare zones at Universal Studios theme park.

HHN 21 dates include: Sept. 23, 24, 29, 30; Oct. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

For complete pricing details and other preliminary event information, visit www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando.

Get ready Disney fans. You can now double your Disney pleasure.   

Disney has announced that it is selling new annual passes good for admission to both Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando and Disneyland in Anaheim.

The new annual ticket, called the “Disney Premier Passport” costs $700 plus tax and includes admission to all four Orlando theme parks and both Orlando water parks, PLUS both Disney theme parks in California.

The Mardi Gras party keeps on rolling at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. The popular spring Mardi Gras celebration continues now through mid-April with a variety of rocking musical guests appearing each weekend. This week’s artist is the amazing Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Her list of achievements goes on and on, including a dozen million-selling singles, 20 Number 1 R&B hits, a cover story in Time magazine, the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 15 Grammy Awards with a lifetime achievement award in 1995, and a roll in the movie, The Blues Brothers.

Now the legendary singer brings her smooth voice to the big stage at Universal Studios Florida starting at 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 13, 2010.

You can go to http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/ for additional details on Universal Studios, Mardi Gras and the many other Orlando area theme parks and attractions. Or check out the list of discount theme park tickets and money-saving Orlando vacation packages. If you would like information on discount Orlando resort and hotel lodging, you can also visit www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights Ripped from the Silver Screen

Book your Orlando Discount Vacation Package!

Step inside living cinematic terror at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights® as the most demented films of all time come to life. Torn from their upcoming films, The Wolfman and Saw join with Chucky to descend upon you, with a host of terrifying horrors close behind.

On select nights in September and October, Universal Studios Florida® theme park is transformed into the nation’s premier Halloween event. Venture into a nightmarish maze of horrid Haunted Houses, lurid Live Shows, and shocking Scare Zones while an army of mutants, monsters and maniacs roam the darkened studio streets.

Now in its 19th year, Halloween Horror Nights annually draws hundreds of thousands of horror fans from around the globe to this one-of-a-kind event. Tony Timpone, Editor of Fangoria Magazine, said, “After visiting scream parks all across the US for the last 20 years, I can easily say that Universal’s is the best in the business… Halloween Horror Nights is the ultimate Halloween experience.”

It’s the greatest exhibition of pure terror ever unleashed anywhere, and you can experience it all, LIVE, only at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Select Nights
• September 25-26
• October 1-4, 8-11, 15-19, 21-25, 28-31

WARNING! EVENT MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13. NO COSTUMES OR MASKS ALLOWED.

SAW – © 2004 Saw Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2009 Universal Studios. © 2009 Universal Orlando. All rights reserved

Metallica was easily the best, most influential heavy metal band of the ’80s. Responsible for bringing the genre back to Earth, the bandmates looked and talked like they were from the street, shunning the usual rockstar games of metal musicians during the early ’80s. Metallica also expanded the limits of thrash, using speed and volume not for their own sake, but to enhance their intricately structured compositions. The release of 1983’s Kill ‘Em All marked the beginning of the legitimization of heavy metal’s underground, bringing new complexity and depth to thrash metal. With each album, the band’s playing and writing improved; James Hetfield developed a signature rhythm playing that matched his growl, while lead guitarist Kirk Hammett became one of the most copied guitarists in metal. Don’t miss your chance to see these heavy metal legends and enjoy the Florida sunshine! Click here for your discount Metallica tickets!

December 5-8, 2009
African-American entertainer Bill Cosby, in his own words, “started out as a child,” the son of an eight-dollars-a-day maid and an absentee father. A product of grinding poverty, Cosby escaped his rundown Philadelphia neighborhood by dropping out of high school and joining the navy. He earned his diploma via correspondence course, then earned a football scholarship to Temple University. Working nights as a bartender, Cosby discovered he had the ability to make people laugh, so he temporarily shelved his plans to become an athletics teacher and set out to become a nightclub comedian. Don’t miss your chance to see this comedy legend live in this amazing theatre! Click here for the Best Bill Cosby Ticket Prices on the Internet!

Walt Disney World in Orlando is one of the most visited destinations in the country. It has a lot of fun activities for the entire family. Disney World in Orlando offers a variety of theme park options, including Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Each of these theme parks offer a different experience and each is big enough that you can spend a full day or more to cover it completely. So, it makes sense to buy your Disney vacation packages which covers multiple park options. You can get packages online to save a lot time that you would otherwise spend waiting in the long lines at the ticket counter.

Orlando is home to many theme parks that offer a variety of family activities. These theme parks so are big and so full of fun that you can easily spend days at each one. However, whenever you go to Orlando, you may also want to experience as many theme parks as you can in the time allotted. Therefore, it is recommended that you consider an Orlando ticket package available online. These convenient vacation packages offer different options depending on how many days you want to spend at each theme park. Not only do these packages save you money, but by getting tickets in advance, you’ll save time and energy by not waiting in line at ticket counters when you get to the parks. For your discount Orlando ticket package, check out http://www.orlandovacationsonline.com