July 2005
TAKE BACK YOUR SUMMER AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO
FROM NEW CHARACTERS TO ACTION-PACKED STUNTS – UNIVERSAL ORLANDO IS THE PLACE FOR SUMMER FUN
For the First Time Ever Guests Can Horse-Around with Donkey During Interactive Meet and Greets
Orlando, Fla – Summer fun is in full swing and this year, Universal Orlando Resort offers an exciting new list of entertainment throughout the entire destination. Thrilling shows, a destination-wide July 4th celebration, unique resort activities and new characters together make Universal Orlando the best place in Florida to beat the heat.
Waffles anyone? Universal Studios has a new resident and he’s got a lot to say about it. Shrek and Fiona have welcomed their faithful steed, Donkey, to the park for an interactive experience unlike any other. Located in the brand new “Donkey’s Photo Finish” stable just outside of the exit of the Shrek 4-D attraction, Donkey entertains guests of all ages as he chats, teases, smiles and brays with the best of them. Donkey has literally leaped from movie screen to real-life stable and has already become one of Universal’s favorite meet and greet characters.
From the comforts of the Central Park Zoo, to the thrills of Universal Orlando, five new characters are spending their summer chilling out at Universal Studios theme park. Alex, Skipper, Rico, Kowalski and Private, the stars of the DreamWorks feature film, “Madagascar,” have arrived. Universal Orlando is the place to find today’s most popular and entertaining characters and these newcomers are the perfect addition. The lion and his four penguin friends will appear daily for photographs until mid-August.
Action, intensity, exhilaration – all describe the addition of Universal Orlando’s newest shows. Fans will be amazed again this summer with the return of Mat Hoffman’s Crazy Freakin’ Stunt Show. This action-packed 30-minute show blends a variety of thrilling bicycle and skateboard stunts with a live DJ, an MC and audience participation. Top world-class athletes from the X Games, Gravity Games and the Boom Boom Huck Jamby fly more than 23-feet in the air with video hosting by Mat Hoffman. The stunt show takes place July 1 – August 14 in Toon Amphitheater at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
If fear is not a factor for you, then taking part in Universal’s newest attraction, Fear Factor Live, may be the perfect way to complete your summer vacation. Opened earlier this month at Universal Studios, Fear Factor Live is the world’s first audience participation attraction based on a reality television show. Guests can participate in thrilling stunts including the Desert Hat Ordeal, the Stuntman’s Challenge and the Eel Tank Relay. The audience has just as much fun as the participants and each show has a different outcome.
Finally, no summer is complete without fireworks. Beginning with a Fourth of July spectacle that really rocks, Florida’s most anticipated fireworks display returns to Universal Orlando. The destination-wide celebration will light up the skies over Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and CityWalk. Beginning at 9:50 pm, this year’s explosive show is the one July 4th tradition that can not be missed.
The awe and excitement of Universal’s fireworks continues throughout the summer. From July 5 thru August 13, Universal Studios will end the day with a bang. The “Shooting Stars Fireworks,” set to the music from your favorite movies, will take place over the Studio Lagoon each evening at 9:50pm.
Guests of Universal Orlando’s three on-site resorts can also enjoy entertainment just outside their hotel rooms. The Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific Resort all offer summer entertainment for the entire family. New this year, the Portofino Bay Hotel, a Loews Hotel, presents Musica Della Notte (“Music of the Night”) each night at sunset. The hotel’s Harbor Piazza comes to life with a live musical and culinary celebration that captures the charm of Italy and the allure of Mediterranean hospitality.
Over at the Royal Pacific Resort, a Loews Hotel, the Wantilan Luau entertains guests of all ages Friday and Saturday evenings. The luau offers an exotic menu of Polynesian island cuisine, hula dancing, knife twirlers and fire dancers that delight and entice the audience to join in the fun.
A favorite summer tradition is a trip to the movies and every Friday night the Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific Resort invite hotel guests to the weekly dive-in movie. Families can enjoy movies outside on the big screen, while floating in the pool on inner tubes. The Portofino Bay Hotel also features dive-in movies every Saturday night.
The Universal Orlando resort destination www.universalorlando.com includes two dramatically distinct and adjacent theme parks, the Universal Studios motion picture and television theme park and Islands of Adventure, Orlando's most thrilling and exhilarating theme park. Universal Orlando also includes CityWalk, a 30-acre dining, shopping, club and live-entertainment venue as well as premier on-site Loews hotels and world-class film and television production facilities.
HOLIDAYS AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO CELEBRATED WITH DESTINATION-WIDE FESTIVITIES BEGINNING DEC. 9, 2005
Resort Showcases Authentic Macy's Parade, the Grumpy Grinch, Special Holiday Shows, Jubilant Marching Bands and More
ORLANDO, FL - Universal Orlando kicks off the holiday season Dec. 9 through Jan. 1 with resort-wide festivities and events that even a Grinch would love.
At Universal Studios theme park, a holiday tradition returns as the merriment and pageantry of the Macy's Holiday Parade comes to life. Beginning at dusk each evening, the parade features Macy's high-flying balloons and colorful floats, straight from their appearance in New York City's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as marching bands from across the country.
At Islands of Adventure theme park, guests can meet the grumpy Grinch and his loveable dog Max, frolic with whimsical Whos in Dr. Seuss' "Whoville," and enjoy the nightly Whoville Whobilation Show during the Grinchmas celebration. Both Macy's Holiday Parade and the Grinchmas celebration are included in the price of admission to each park.
