Busch Gardens Williamsburg did it again. For the 18th consecutive year, the European-themed park has been voted the “Most Beautiful Park” by members of the National Amusement Park Historical Association. The combination of European-themed architecture, lush landscaping and elaborate costumes contributes to the beauty and charm of the park.

Additionally, Busch Gardens has ranked highly in Amusement Today’s international “Golden Ticket Awards” survey in the “Best Landscaping – Amusement Park” category. Busch Gardens has won the award every year since 1998 when the category was established.

 The songs that move you. The faith that fills you. It all comes together in one weekend at Universal’s annual Rock the Universe extravaganza, September 5th and 6^th.   Some of the biggest names in Christian rock take the stage at Universal Studios to the joy of thousands of believers enjoying a weekend of soul-stirring music right next to the action-packed thrills of the number one movie and TV based theme park in the world.

Scheduled performers for Sept. 5 include Switchfoot, Reliant K, Newsboys, Skillet, Grits, Group 1 Crew and New Method.  Artists slated to perform Sept. 6 include Third Day, Jars of Clay, Jeremy Camp, Stellar Kart, Leeland, This Beautiful Republic and Special D.  In addition to these musical guests, the event also features two special celebrity guest speakers and a Sunday morning worship service on Sept. 7.  Scheduled to speak are AJ Styles of TNA wrestling and Head, former heavy metal guitarist and founding member of the band, Korn.

Gatlinburg offers a mountain of fun any time of year.  One of the area’s year round hot spots is Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park and there’s plenty of action at the top of the mountain any season. One of America’s largest Aerial Tramways departs regularly from downtown Gatlinburg, going directly up the side of Mount Harrison to the Ski Resort and Amusement Park. The two 120 passenger counter balanced cars provide a fun and scenic experience for all ages.

Even during the summer months, the amusement park offers plenty of downhill action, with fast water slides and a weaving, wandering and dipping descent down an 1,800-foot Alpine Slide.  A braking system allows you to control the speed of your sled as it races down the mountain curves, straight-aways and even hairpin turns.

You’ll also find a wide variety of other activities and attractions, including an indoor ice skating rink that’s open year-round.

Bring your Nintendo™ DS to Universal Studios Florida and be one the first to try out The Mummy™: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Video Game Demo, based on the upcoming theatrical movie release on August 1st.

Play as Rick or Alex, depending on the particular level of the game, and lead the rest of the O’Connell family on an epic adventure to stop a new Mummy nemesis, the evil Dragon Emperor. Throughout your mission, you will actively pursue and fight off supernatural enemies and ancient Terracotta warriors utilizing a variety of combat moves and weapons. You will avoid dangerous traps, explore ancient tombs, discover spectacular mausoleums, and reach the great heights of the Himalayas while on your quest stop the evil Emperors’ master plans.

After 19 years of partying, Disney’s six popular Pleasure Island nightclubs will be closed this fall to make room for a broader mix of family oriented restaurants and shops.  The clubs, which catered to young, single adults will close after Sept. 27, 2008.

This bold new approach is the result of Disney’s customers requesting more broad-based dining and retail opportunities and to address a need for more specialized entertainment options.

Pleasure Island opened in 1989 and we designed to look like a revitalized back-alley warehouse district.  However, the island known for its music, dancing, drinking and partying now creates an awkward link between two other popular entertainment districts: Marketplace and Disney’s West Side.  Those sections offer nightclubs that are operated as part of restaurants that appeal to a broader, family-friendly crowd.

SeaWorld’s exciting new water park, Aquatica, is currently open until 10:00 p.m. seven days a week.  Although the park’s summer operating hours are 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, if you purchase tickets in advance, you can receive early access to Aquatica starting at 8 a.m.  In other words, come early and play late!

Typically, the park’s capacity decreases after 4 p.m., so you might also choose to come later in the day to enjoy cooler weather and faster ride access. For current updates on park capacity, you can call the Aquatica toll-free hotline at 1-866-787-4307.

Aquatica also offers quick access to refreshments that will curb your appetite during a fun-filled day at the park.  Too busy to take time out for a full lunch…then stop by the “grab and go” Mango Market for a quick bite or refreshing beverage.  The Mango Market will even pack your meal in a picnic basket for you to take back and spread out on the beach or under a shady tree.

When spending a full day at SeaWorld, you can definitely work up a hunger.  But now you can eat and drink all day long at SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Aquatica - for one low price!

Purchase an all day dining wrist band at any of the SeaWorld parks and every time you go thru a food line, you can receive an entrée, one side or dessert and one soft drink or 20 oz. Aquafina water - meaning you’ll never go hungry…or thirsty!

Cost of the dining wrist band is $25.95 per adult and $11.95 per child.  Each purchase is for one day only so while it is good at multiple parks, the band must be used within one day.

 
Now it’s easier than ever to experience the hottest attractions at Busch Gardens Williamsburg when you purchase a Quick Queue ticket.

With the Quick Queue, you get priority access to the most popular roller coasters, rides and show in the park. It’s an awesome way to make the most of your time, whether you’re flipping over Alpengeist, splashing along the Roman Rapids or taking an over-the-top drop on the thrilling Griffon.

There’s no better way to speed up your fun.  That’s because only a limited number of Quick Queue passes are sold per day - ensuring priority access!  Simply stop by any admissions window as soon as you get to the park and add a Quick Queue to your regular admission ticket.  Quick Queue is valid on the purchase date only and for priority boarding once for each of the following rides:  Griffon, Alpengeist, Apollo’s Chariot, Escape from Pompeii, Big Bad Wolf, Curse of DarKastle, Roman Rapids, Log Flume, Corkscrew Hill, and Kinetix.

To use the Quick Queue, simply present your ticket to the attendant at the Quick Queue entrance.  You will then be escorted to the boarding area (assuming you meet all attraction requirements).

The always popular “Summer Nights” concert series returns to Busch Gardens in 2008. And this year’s lineup is as exciting as ever. Every Saturday and Sunday for five weekends starting July 19, some of the best rockers will take the stage. The Summer Nights concert series will take place at Festhaus Park in Busch Gardens. This year’s lineup includes:

Rick Springfield - July 19/20

Grand Funk Railroad - July 26/27

The Charlie Daniels Band - Aug. 2/3

Guess Who - Aug. 9/10

Peter Frampton - Aug. 16/17

Summer Nights concert series events are included with park admission.

In observance of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2009, the park is joining with its partners and neighboring communities to plan a wide variety of visitor activities surrounding this noteworthy milestone. Through a host of recreational opportunities and educational experiences, the celebration will showcase the Park’s significant cultural heritage, highlight the Park’s achievements in preserving its biologically diverse natural resources, and be an occasion to examine the current and future challenges facing the Park’s continued health.

Along with the Park’s planned activities, over 75 neighboring community events are part of the official 75th anniversary calendar. A 75th anniversary website, http://www.greatsmokies75th.org/, will be updated periodically to give visitors current information on the anniversary events planned in the Park as well as those being held in outlying communities that compliment the Park’s mission.