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Capture the Memories at Universal Studios
 When we go to a theme park, we want to have fun; that is a blatantly obvious fact. However, we generally also want to document that fun as much as possible. That’s getting easier to do these days with cell phones that have built in cameras and handy digital cameras that fit right in your pocket. However, all that technology doesn’t always guarantee a great shot. That’s where photo opportunities come in. Universal Studios Orlando is particularly famous for having some of the most photogenic areas of any other theme park in Orlando. And let’s face it – you haven’t really been to the park unless you’ve taken a goofy picture with a friend at one of the following spots. One of the most entertaining photo opportunities is definitely the 24-foot-long shark hanging at the entrance to the JAWS attraction, located in the San Francisco/Amity area. Complete with an open mouth and several rows of sharp teeth, this giant fish would never be mistaken for a real one in a photograph. However, taking a shot with your head inside it is still a must. And over at Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone, the next most popular photography spot is at E.T.’s Toy Closet at the E.T. Adventure. There, you can be photographed riding your very own bicycle…that just so happens to have an alien in the basket. Another great photo backdrop recreates the scene in which E.T. hides in the closet with toys. A pro is available to take your picture here, although it’s not required that you use him or her. Another one of the most photogenic areas at Universal Orlando is the entrance to Islands of Adventure, Port of Entry. Filled with unique shops, weird wares, and an overall exotic theme, Port of Entry is one of the most detailed areas in the park. While you’re at the Islands, also be sure to stop by the Jurassic Park area; there, you can pose next to one of the actual vehicles from blockbuster movie – just watch out for the T-Rex hovering above your head. In addition to some of the older, more tried-and-true backdrops at Universal, some of the newer attractions are gaining popularity among the picture-taking crowd. Outside Shrek 4-D, a photo with the talking donkey (he really talks) is always fun. And near the Simpsons Ride, be sure to pose outside the Kwik-E-Mart or from the inside of Krusty’s mouth. If you’re photography impaired, however, and can’t think of a good place for a souvenir photograph, look for signs denoting Kodak Photography Spots throughout the park. These backdrops are specially designed to create an interesting momento of your day at Universal. And if you forgot your camera at home, don’t fret; a professional photographer is conveniently waiting to take your picture at quite a few locations at the park. Finally, one of the most basic and fun of photo ops is with the characters – at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, Spiderman, Shrek and Fiona, Cyclops of the X-Men, the Cat in the Hat, and the entire Simpsons family are just a few of the folks who will kindly pose with you. If you don’t have rolls and rolls of memorable pictures at Universal Studios sitting at home, there’s just one thing to do – get down to the park and start shooting! Scoping out fun backdrops is a great way to enjoy the parks, and you’ll always remember the fun you had taking the pictures. And by saving money with Universal Studios tickets from OrlandoFunTickets.com, you’ll be able to afford more film – or maybe a new digital camera. Labels: Cheap Universal Tickets, Discount Universal Tickets, Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando
Character Breakfasts at Universal
When you think of character breakfasts at the theme parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are not the first parks that come to mind. However, they should be! Universal Studios Resort Orlando offers great character breakfast options for your entire family. The character breakfasts are not included in your park admission ticket and must be purchased separately, but they are definitely worth the extra cost! For only $17.95+tax for adults (age 10 and up) and $11.95+tax for children (age 9 and under), you can enjoy a hearty breakfast with all of your favorite characters of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. There is one character breakfast offered at each park. At Universal Islands of Adventure, you can dine with all of your favorite Universal characters. Join Spiderman, the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Storm and Wolverine from X-Men, and other Marvel comic book characters. The characters arrive at random at each breakfast, but your children are guaranteed to meet at least a few of the characters. What better treat for your children than to be able to dine with their favorite comic and story book characters? The Islands of Adventure character breakfast is held from 9 am to 10:30 am at the Confisco Grille. New to Universal Studios Orlando is the Simpsons Ride. What better way to welcome the new ride to the park than having a character breakfast with your favorite Simpsons characters. You and your family can enjoy an all-inclusive breakfast buffet with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie at the International Food and Film Festival area of the park. These character breakfasts are the perfect time for great family photo ops with all of your favorite characters. Your children will be thrilled to see one of their favorite cartoon families come to life! The Universal Studios Simpsons character breakfast is held from park opening to 10 am. So, when you are planning your next Orlando vacation, make sure to consider Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure as one of your character breakfast destinations. Tickets for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure can be purchased at OrlandoFunTickets.com. Tickets for the character breakfasts can be purchased by calling (407) 224-4012 or over the internet at Universal Orlando Resort’s website. Labels: character breakfast, Cheap Universal Tickets, spiderman, The Simpsons Ride
Universal Orlando Resort Promises a Scary (But Fun) September
The summer is almost over, and fall is looking to be super scary at the Universal Orlando Resort with the annual celebration of all things evil: Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. In fact, most experts of evil find Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando to be the biggest scare of the year. Halloween Horror Nights isn’t the only exciting event going down at the Universal Orlando Resort this fall either. The Universal Orlando Resort will be home to ballroom dancers and Christian rock bands in the coming months as well! Universal Orlando Resort – Ballroom Dance Competition
The Loews Royal Pacific Resort at the Universal Orlando Resort is playing host to the hottest ballroom dancers in the world this September, with the 38th Annual U.S. Dance Championships. This ballroom dancing extravaganza hits the dance floor from Tuesday, Sept. 2, through Saturday, Sept. 6, and will whittle down the best dancer out of 700 men and women from 30 countries. Universal Orlando Resort – Rock the Universe 2008That same weekend brings some of Christian music’s best talents to Universal Studios Florida, with concerts on both Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6. Here’s the hot lineup for this year’s Rock the Universe: - Friday features the Newsboys, Relient K and Switchfoot.
- Saturday features Third Day, Jeremy Camp and Jars of Clay.
Rock the Universe 2008 at Universal Studios Florida is a separate Universal ticket event. Attendance at the concerts and special events associated with Rock the Universe is not included with your regular Universal ticket.
Universal Orlando Resort – Halloween Horror Nights
The scariest event of all spans the entire month of October and is promising the most immersive Halloween party ever. Halloween Horror Nights features the scariest haunted houses, fright-filled scare zones, and some of the zaniest live Halloween shows in town. The dates for Halloween Horror Nights 2008 are: - September 25 and 26
- October 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 22-26, 29-31
- November 1
It’s no secret that Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is the scariest Halloween event in town. Universal Studios Florida totally transforms into a theme park fit for nightmares. As such, this is not a Halloween adventure recommended for children. In the interest of guest safety, there are no costumes or masks allowed at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Halloween Horror Nights is a separate Universal ticket event held at Universal Studios Florida, and admission is not included with any regular Universal ticket. Labels: ballroom dancing, Cheap Universal Tickets, halloween horror nights, rock the universe, Universal Events
Is Universal Orlando Getting Their Own Harry Potter Mini-Film?
A London newspaper announced last weekend that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universals Islands of Adventure may be getting a unique “Harry Potter” mini-movie of their own. Although our friends at the Universal Orlando Resort have not given any official word, it would seem that there is a good possibility that J.K. Rowling herself wrote something completely new that will be used exclusively at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is scheduled to open at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 2009. It has been over one year since the Universal Orlando Resort officially announced the addition of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park. But the latest rumors began just a few days ago, when London newspaper, The Sunday Mirror, published an article saying that Rowling has penned yet another Harry Potter adventure that is independent from all of the others. The Mirror reported that the latest Harry Potter story is being made into a mini-film that will be shown solely at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed area located inside Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park. So when Universal’s new “theme park within a theme park” finally does open sometime next year, a Universal ticket will likely be required to get a glimpse of this unique Potter mini-flick. According to the story published June 15, many of the Harry Potter regulars will star in the unique mini-movie. That includes the top trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who play best friends Harry, Hermione and Ron in all of the “Harry Potter” films. The report said that the stars are already working on the mini-film that will be used at the Universal Orlando Resort theme park, and will wrap it up before they start filming the final two “Harry Potter” movies. The Mirror added that Potter cast members “are also working on extra sequences and clips which will be part of the rides” at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be the “world’s first fully immersive Harry Potter themed environment,” according to Universal’s original announcement about the “theme park within a theme park” released last year. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expected to open in late 2009. It will be located inside Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park and a Universal ticket will be required for admission. Labels: Cheap Universal Tickets, discount islands of adventure, harry potter, New attractions
Universal Backlot
Universal Studios Florida is the No. 1 movie and TV-based theme park in the world, serving as a real, working film and television studio while also featuring many action-packed attractions and productions as well. Universal Studios Florida has nine sound stages, and the Universal Studios Backlot has a wide variety of locations that can serve as backdrops for shooting, such as sets of New York, Hollywood Blvd., a fishing village and much more. And, with additional production locations at Islands of Adventure, CityWalk and the three hotels on property, you never know what – or who – you will find at the Universal Orlando Resort during your next vacation! Because of the plethora of options and different scenes available, as well as the multiple sound stages, chances are that you have seen something on TV or in a film that was shot at the Universal Orlando Resort. Just last year, the rock band Creed filmed an entire music video at Universal Studios, using different areas of the park as settings for the video. Tiger Woods also recently used one of the sound stages there to film one of his promotional commercials for Gatorade, while Ellen DeGeneres also recently taped her daytime talk show directly from Universal as well! If you are a wrestling fan, you can also take part in tapings of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling live at Universal Studios. This Spike TV show’s tapings and Pay Per View events are free for Universal Studios day guests at Universal Studios’ Soundstage 21 at the park. Tapings are held on select dates (the current schedule goes through May 27, 2008), and all seats are first-come, first served. Even non-Universal guests can enjoy these tapings for free – simply proceed to the SHARP Aquos Theatre at CityWalk, head to the right and follow the signs for the taping. For the most up-to-date information on the show, call 407-224-6000. If you and your family would like to have the opportunity to see Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, or to see what else might be filming at the Studios, you only have one thing to do – come visit the Universal Orlando Resort for yourself! And for an inexpensive way to see everything at Universal, including Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Blue Man Group at nearby CityWalk, you have come to the right place. OrlandoFunTickets.com is your No. 1 online source for discounted theme park tickets, and all of this fun, along with all of the top attractions in Central Florida, including Disney, Sea World and local dinner shows, among others, is just a short click away! Labels: Cheap Universal Tickets, filming at universal, universal backlot, universal orlando tickets
Latest News From Your Favorite Orlando Vacation Destinations
Even in this lagging economy, Orlando vacations are still super popular. And if saving money is on your mind, no worries. You can always get the best discounts on Orlando theme park tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com, the Web’s best Orlando ticket site. No matter where you plan on going during your Orlando vacation, here’s the latest news from around O-Town. Medieval Times Tickets Free For KidsYes, your royal highness, you read that right. At least through the end of May, kids under 12 don’t need a Medieval Times ticket for admission as long as they are with a paying adult. That’s a savings of over $30 per child. Adult Medieval Times tickets are just $39.21, and you can get them right here today! Wheel of Fortune Is Spinning Into SeaWorld OrlandoPat Sajak and Vanna White will be heading south this winter to tape Wheel of Fortune at our very own marine mammal paradise, SeaWorld Orlando. The actual show tapings are scheduled for December 12, 13, 15 and 16, with a rain date on December 17, and they are expected to air sometime in 2009. Wheel will tape 5 episodes per day at Bayside Stadium inside the SeaWorld Orlando theme park. A SeaWorld ticket should be required to be a part of the audience at the tapings in December, since they take place within Sea World. More information will be posted as it is announced. Jungala at Busch Gardens Tampa Partially Closed After Orang EscapeThe newest attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa – Jungala – had to be temporarily shut down after a 10-year-old Bornean orangutan escaped from its habitat by climbing up the windows of the new exhibit. Only the western side of the Jungala area of the park is closed while the folks at Busch Gardens make adjustments to prevent any future orangutan outings. If you want to check out the monkey business for yourself, grab some Busch Gardens tickets, head over to Busch Garden Tampa and get a glimpse of their impish orangs. Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders Meet the Stars Of Discovery Cove
Discovery Cove added some new Dolphin performers to its dolphin collection for awhile last week when the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders showed up for a photo shoot. The pics will be used for next year’s calendar, so check it out if you get the chance. And should you desire a trip to Discovery Cove to click some pics of your own, you can get the best deals on Discovery Cove tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com right now! Labels: Aquatica at Sea World, cheap disney tickets, Cheap Universal Tickets, Discount Discovery Cove, Orlando Attractions, Sea World, summer in orlando
Ways to Beat High Prices on Your Summer Vacation in Orlando
High gas prices have finally come full circle and we are now seeing the resulting price increases all over in the grocery store at the mall and they threaten to ruin many a summer vacation. If you plan on making Orlando your summer vacation destination, there are many ways to ease the financial burdens higher prices mean to an Orlando vacation. Orlando Vacation Cost Cutter #1The first thing to do if you want to save money on your Orlando vacation is get all of your Orlando theme park tickets at the best one-stop Orlando ticket shop on the Web, OrlandoFunTickets.com. Whether you want Disney tickets, Universal tickets, SeaWorld tickets or tickets to your favorite Orlando dinner theater, OrlandoFunTickets.com has all of the Orlando attraction tickets you need for a cost conscious Orlando vacation.
Orlando Vacation Cost Cutter #2To save money on transportation costs during your Orlando vacation research the options available to get from the airport to your hotel. Many Orlando hotels offer free shuttle service to and from the airport, and there are also transportation companies that will drive you to your hotel for a fee. Choosing either one of these options can save you the cost of a rental car and gas. If you decide to stay at the Walt Disney World Resort in a Disney-owned hotel, you can catch a ride on Disney’s Magical Express. Disney’s complimentary shuttle service picks you up at the Orlando International Airport and drops you in front of your Disney hotel. They also take care of your luggage and return you to the airport at the end of your trip.
Orlando Vacation Cost Cutter #3It’s no secret that the cost to fly anywhere has soared in recent months. No matter where you are coming from, flying into Orlando for your summer vacation has gotten pretty pricey. Before gas prices spiked, driving to Orlando was a valid option, but no longer. Have you considered traveling by train? Amtrak has routes that bring you into Orlando or Kissimmee, and you can easily grab a taxi or shuttle to your hotel from either station. Train travel can be much cheaper than flying or driving– not to mention a lot more comfortable. The important thing to remember when planning your Orlando vacation is to do some research and make sure you get all of your Orlando theme park tickets at the Web’s best Orlando attraction ticket shop, OrlandoFunTickets.com! Labels: cheap disney tickets, cheap seaworld tickets, Cheap Universal Tickets, cost cutting in orlando, Orlando Attractions, orlando dinner shows, vacation tips
Save the Planet During Your Orlando Vacation
 Earth Day brings to mind the many ways we can all contribute to saving the planet. Enough information is out there by now so that no one has an excuse for not conserving, even on vacation. Even though you are taking time off from work, that doesn’t mean you can take time off from saving the world. One of the best ways to conserve both time and money is to get all of the theme park tickets you need for your Orlando vacation in one place. OrlandoFunTickets.com is the best one-stop-shop on the Web for Disney tickets, SeaWorld tickets, Universal tickets, Busch Gardens tickets, Discovery Cove tickets, and tickets to all of your favorite Orlando attractions. We can even get you tickets to your favorite Orlando dinner shows! Great Ways to Conserve on Your Orlando VacationAfter you save time and money by getting all of your Orlando attraction tickets right here, keep these suggestions in mind to stay green during your Orlando vacation: - Recycle! The fact that you’re staying in a hotel doesn’t mean you can throw away those bottles and cans. Check with your hotel’s front desk and make sure they provide a way for you to recycle during your vacation, especially since we all tend to use more disposable items when we are away from home.
- Use those buses, trams, boats and monorails. If your hotel offers transportation, take advantage of it. First of all, this gives the driver a vacation from driving (and you are on vacation after all, right?). Second, it saves energy by transporting a few larger groups of people (15 families sharing one shuttle bus) instead of many smaller groups (15 families in 15 cars) cough-cough.
- Turn off the lights and TV. We know you’re not paying the electric bill during your Orlando hotel stay. But that doesn’t give you license to be wasteful. If you’re not using it, turn it off. Even if the money to pay the bill isn’t coming out of your wallet, in the long run everyone on the planet will pay for wastefulness.
Following these few suggestions will help you to stay green during your Orlando vacation. But remember the best savings of all is to get your cheap Orlando theme park tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com! Labels: Aquatica at Sea World, cheap disney tickets, Cheap Universal Tickets, discount aquatica, discount busch gardens, Discount SeaWorld Tickets, Discovery Cove, earth day
Universal Studios Will Rock Your Universe This September
 The Universal Orlando Resort will hold their annual Christian music concert bash Rock The Universe on September 5 and 6 2008 Universal Studios Orlando just announced a rocking roster that includes some of the most popular Christian music stars, and tickets to Universal Studios’ hot Christian concert weekend are already on sale. Rock the Universe Performers are some of Christian Music’s Most PopularRock the Universe has been drawing contemporary Christian music fans to Universal Studios for many years, and this year’s pop performers will no doubt thrill concert goers yet again with their soul-rocking shows. Your ticket to Rock the Universe gets you in to see these highly favored Christian rockers: Friday, September 5: - Switchfoot
- Relient K
- Newsboys
- Plus: Skillet, Grits, Group 1 Crew, and New Method
Saturday, September 6: - Third Day
- Jeremy Camp
- Jars of Clay
- Plus: Stellar Kart, Leeland, This Beautiful Republic, and Special D
- Celebrity guest speaker: Head, formerly of Korn
TNA Wrestling superstar AJ Styles will be a guest speaker on both nights.
Rock the Universe is a Special Ticket Event at Universal Studios Theme Park
Rock the Universe is a separate ticket, night-time concert series at the Universal Studios theme park, so a regular Universal ticket cannot be used for admission to Rock the Universe. Rock the Universe ticket holders can enter Universal Studios as early as 4 p.m. on their ticketed day, and Universal Studios will remain open for these special guests until 1 a.m.
Your Rock the Universe ticket also gives you access to all of the amazing attractions at the Universal Orlando theme park.
Rock the Universe Makes a Weekend of it at Universal Orlando Resort
Saturday night at Rock the Universe is not just an evening of cool Christian music. There will also be an inspirational candle-lighting service as well as a faith-boosting message delivered by Dr. Jay Strack.
After you have rocked out to all of the great contemporary music this Christian concert weekend dishes up, you can end it on a high note at a non-denominational Sunday morning worship service. Admission to the Sunday service is free with your Rock the Universe ticket. Reservations are highly recommended, as seating for this event is limited. Labels: Cheap Universal Tickets, christian concert, concerts at universal, hard ticket events, rock the universe, Universal Orlando Events
Celebrate St Patricks Day at Your Favorite Orlando Theme Park
 Saint Patricks Day is a colossal celebration and the Orlando theme parks are joining in the festivities with parties at CityWalk and Pleasure Island. Get your Disney tickets or Universal tickets today, and wear your green for a festive frolic at any Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando theme park. After a gleefully green day, step out in your Irish colors for a real St. Pat’s party at CityWalk or Pleasure Island. Both nightlife niches are offering fine Irish celebrations that are sure to be fun for all. CityWalk is celebrating “St. Patty’s Day…With Attitude” at Pat O’Brien’s from 2 p.m. – 2 a.m. where you will find: - Traditional Irish fare
- Live Irish music and dueling pianos
- Hurricanes (Pat O’Brien’s specialty drink) just $7.95 all night
- Bud drafts only $2 all night
- Admission $12; Must be 21 years old to get in
- Leprechauns, bagpipers, and beads for all!
If you really want to honor St. Patrick in style, go for the VIP package ($20 per person). This special pass includes: - Line jumping (and on St. Patrick’s Day, this is really a time saver!)
- Access to exclusive balcony with private upstairs bar
- Delicious hors d’oeuvre buffet
- And…even more beads!!
Over at Pleasure Island, there is no admission charge and the party goes on all weekend with: - Live music featuring the band “Seven Nations”
- Irish music videos for your viewing pleasure
- Leprechaun appearances and stilt walkers to enhance the evening
- 3-Days of partying: March 14, 15, and 17 from 7 p.m.-2 a.m.
This is the biggest day of the year at the Raglan Road Irish Pub in Pleasure Island, where traditional Ireland is always in abundance. For this year’s party they invite you to enjoy: - U2 Elevation. (The U2 cover band is back by popular demand!)
- Tuskar Rock, the house band straight from the heart of Ireland.
- Top notch Irish dance performances by Danielle Fitzpatrick.
- Kilts and competitions and mayhem for all!
- Party starts at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 16. (Cover charge on March 17.)
Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so get your Orlando theme park tickets now and join in the wearin’ o’ the green. Eringobragh! Labels: cheap disney tickets, Cheap Universal Tickets, City Walk Clubs, Downtown Disney, Green Beer, Pat O'Briens, Pleasure Island clubs, Raglan Road, Saint Patricks day
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