OrlandoSentinel.com - Theme Park Ranger

Previews pack 'em in at theme parks' new Simpsons, Toy Story attractions

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Annual passholders hunger for new attractions in the theme parks. Heck, they'll stand in line for hours for preview privileges, as was demonstrated on two fronts in the past week.

SeaWorld's Bayside Ski Jam just in time for summer

Fri, 9 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

SeaWorld Orlando's summer push is on the horizon with a new ski show and a returning favorite in the works.

The Simpsons ride, Universal Studio's newest adventure, gives up its secrets

Fri, 2 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In which we reveal what you want to know but didn't know whom to ask about Universal's newest adventure

Universal Studios has opened The Simpsons Ride to the public, and we may be on the verge of an outbreak of bright-yellow fever. The attraction, based on Fox's long-running animated series, is prompting loads of questions, so here are a few answers based on multiple rides and insider information.

Animal Kingdom anniversary inspires safari down memory lane

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The 10th anniversary of Disney's Animal Kingdom this week puts me in a 1998 mind-set, back in the days before the official opening of Disney World's fourth theme park.

A thrill is in the air

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Hot Seat at Fun Spot USA takes riders on a high-flying adventure

I'm in the Hot Seat, about 100 feet in the air, parallel to the ground, facing blacktop below.

Readers' theme for parks? Better, cheaper food service

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A few columns back, I presented my wish list for Central Florida's theme parks. Some items were wistful, some witchy. Now you readers strike back with more e-mail than I have received on any other subject. The dominant theme: Improved food service, please, and make it less expensive.

'Garden Police' chief lays down the law

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Shirley Bovshow went from real-estate professional to stay-at-home mom/avid gardener to landscape designer to TV personality. She eventually landed her own show, Garden Police, on Discovery Home Channel. "I'm kind of like Rachael Ray with dirty hands," Bovshow says. Her last trip to Disney World was in December for a family reunion. This weekend, she'll speak during the Great American Gardeners series in Garden Town at noon and 3 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday.

Guide to Epcot's Garden Fest

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Let our sightseeing tips be your guide through Epcot's bevy of blooms

Disney World's annual salute to all things flowery is back, bursting with greenery, gardeners and assorted perennial activities. Now that the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival has grown to a record 75 days -- up from 60 -- there's more time to stop and smell the roses. Here are tips to get the most out of the event.

If all my dreams come true, theme parks will be even better

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome to spring, where one daydreams about future days, even at our theme parks. Here's my current "I wish" list:

Disney does a monster bash!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

You name it, and it's part of the high-energy parade at Disney's Hollywood Studios

I didn't spot the kitchen sink, but I bet it's there somewhere during the new Block Party Bash at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Everything else is tossed into this parade -- scooters, gigantic orange traffic cones, bouncy stilts, trampolines, hydraulic lifts, extensive choreography, crowd participation, Green Army Men barking orders, blowing banners, jump ropes, tambourines, vibrant costuming and characters from three Pixar movies. It's set to a party-mix soundtrack with (gasp!) only one Disney song.