If you havent been to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida in a while, you really need to head over there on your next Florida vacation. The face of the park is truly changing. They are upping their ante with there new attractions like the Mummy Ride, an indoor roller coaster adventure based on the hit movie, and now their newest addition, The Simpsons Ride!

The Simpson’s Ride truly adds a whole new dimension to the park. Taking over the original Back to the Future Ride space, Universal completely gutted the interior and exterior of the building turning it into what you would imagine Springfield to be like from the world-famous cartoon! A crazy and whimsical world, with bright colours, and all of your favourite characters awaits you. As you enter the ride queue it looks just like a giant carnival. But, this time the carnival has been created by Krusty the Clown so expect some bumps and turns along this attraction. Krustyland is the newly created theme park by Krusty the clown and you are invited to ride along with the Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, too, as they experience the park.

The ride is an action simulator ride that goes along with an 80-foot dome surface digital projection. The screen projects the movie adventure to four times that of the high definition you may use in your home. The surround sound and movement of the ride make it seem like you are right in the middle of all the action. The ride, as well as the outside queue area, uses brand new Simpsons animation that was created specifically by the Simpsons animation crew for Universal Studios. All of the character voices are performed by the original stars of the show.

The Simpsons Ride can be found on the Studios side of the Universal Theme Park in the World Expo area. Make sure you check out Universal Islands of Adventure, as well, while you are visiting the parks for some of the best roller coasters and attractions in the country! Get your Universal tickets ahead of time to avoid waiting in the long lines outside the par

We have done a lot of great amusement park stories like Disney, Seaworld and zoos and stuff so we thought it was about time we told you about a really crap one. This one’s called South of the Border and its on US interstate 95 in South Carolina. It’s called South of the Border not because its Mexican like Pedro it’s poncho and sombrero wearing mascot it’s because its just over the border from North Carolina. The attraction if we should call it that features a gas station and road house restaurant, a motel and a small amusement park and some shopping but we will come to that a bit later.

The whole complex is a bit kitsch and tongue in cheek, the owners really must know its bad, and having a bit of fun, everyone does, but they do a pretty good job promoting it for what it is- crap. It is well worth a look if traveling down Interstate 95, but don’t spend the day getting there, there are so many other things to do. And as for the shopping there, well they sell fireworks and adult items- as you would expect- not sure if you could buy guns and liquor there but I’d expect so. For the newly weds they have some lovely hotel rooms too, $99 gets you married, a night in an “heir-conditioned” honeymoon suite champagne and even breaky the next morning for both of you if you are still together, probably good if your trailer park isn’t romantic enough for the big night.

http://www.pedroland.com

Puroland in Tokyo is an indoor theme park dedicated to the Sanrio characters of whom the most famous is everyone’s favorite cat, Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty is something of a phenonemum in Japan and elsewhere across the world with fans unable to get enough of Kitty and her merchandise. If you are a Hello Kitty tragic you will enjoy the video above of the park’s boat ride, if you cant make it through the whole 7 mins this park may not be for you. Don’t get us wrong we love Kitty but we still have cute overload flashbacks from Disney’s “its a small world” ride. Sanrio Puroland is located in the Tama New Town district of Tokyo approx 40 mins by trian from Shinjuku station.

http://www.puroland.co.jp/english/welcome.html

We love a Disneyland story and this one is a real bummer, well literally. One of the most memorable rides ‘It’s a small world’ attraction and its closing for a while for a bit of a refit. The boats are going to be made a bit bigger and the water a bit deeper and a few other high tech changes. Disney are quoted as saying the ride is getting a bit out of date and needs some new equipment while others are suggesting that the people riding the attraction are getting a bit heavier and the boats are not quiet coping with the extra weight. The ride opened in 1964 and is one of the most popular boat rides in the park but the boats are starting to bottom out and stopping the ride. Time will tell- and let’s hope they don’t change that can’t get it out of your head song….i’ts a small world after all, its a small world after all…

www.disney.com

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2007/11/its-a-fat-world.html

You have probably noticed Tripandom loves a good Disney Story well here is a real exciting one. The Disney corporation has just announced that it will spend squillions on its California Adventure park in Anaheim to bolster visitor numbers. They plan to give the park a huge overhaul and ad some great new attractions including a Toy Story attraction, 3 Cars attractions where you will be able to visit Radiator Springs and a Little Mermaid attraction. It is not yet known if it will be similar to the Mermaid attraction at DisneySea in Tokyo. It is expected the attractions will start coming on line late 2008 and be complete in around 5 years. The company has also just started work on a huge expansion of its California Hotel & Spa resort.

For more information: www.disney.com

Pleasure Beach is an amusement park in the popular holiday town of Blackpool UK, it is most well known for its huge rollercoaster the Pepsi Max Big One. The imaginatively named “Big One” was opened in 1994 and at the time it was the tallest in the world but has since lost the title to two other coasters in Rust, Germany and Fujiyama, Japan. The coaster was featured in the TV series “engineering at the cutting edge”. Sitting on the edge of the beach it takes a bit of foundations to get the thing to stay where it is, reportedly costing as much as the coaster itself. There are many tourist attractions and amusements in Blackpool, hit the next page to see the satellite view of Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach and follow the beach along to Blackpool’s famous tower and piers.

Satellite view of Pleasure Beach

Orlando in central Florida is home to plenty of retirees in Bombay shorts and white shoes and socks and the world’s biggest theme parks. There’s the huge Disneyworld complex, Universal Studios, Seaworld just to name some of the big ones. Then there’s the smaller more kitschy ones like Gatorworld or Ripley’s Believe it or not and even The Holy Land Experience. Orlando would have to be one of the best places for family fun especially if you like standing in a queue.

Links

Disneyworld
Universal Studios Florida
Sea World Florida

Gatorland Florida
Ripley’s Believe it or Not
The Holyland Experience

Map of Orlando Florida

One of Disney’s most exciting rides from the Orlando’s Disneyworld the tower of terror has now opened in both Tokyo Disney Sea and the California Adventure park in Anaheim. This ride takes visitors on a 13 story fall in an lift to an amazing and thrilling climax through the wonders of the Twilight Zone. Strap your seats in and enjoy this video of the ride.

Links

Disneyland�Anaheim California�

Map of Disney Resort Anaheim

Luna Park is one of Melbourne Australia’s most loved and recognizable icons. This old world amusement park has been operating since 1912 and has entertained young and old ever since. The parks opening features a rather scary Mr Moon and the boundary is made up of the rickety wooden rollercoaster- the Scenic Railway which holds the claim of the oldest continually operated rollercoaster in the world. The park also boasts a historic carousel dating back to 1913 which has recently been restored to its former glory. There’s all the other fun of the fair including Ferris wheel, a pirate ship, dodgems and arcade style games. Luna Park is located in the bayside suburb of St Kilda and there is a sister park on Sydney Harbor overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House.

Weblink – Luna Park Melbourne

Satellite map showing Luna Park Melboune