SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THEME PARK ROUNDUP
By
Steve Zall and Sid Fish
Summer 2013
The weather is really heating up now, and so are our area theme parks, with tons of fun for everyone, such as:
Disneyland Resort, Bursting with More Live Entertainment, Kicks Off Summer with Lineup of New Shows and Thrills
New Stage Show ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Joins Fantasy Faire, Disney Princesses and Cars Land
for the Family Vacation Season
The Disneyland Resort, now bursting with even more live entertainment, has a lineup of unforgettable thrills and enchantment to welcome guests for a summer of fun. Well-known as the Happiest Place on Earth, the Disneyland Resort Just Gets Happier with the spectacular, new stage show “Mickey and the Magical Map” and Fantasy Faire, a new storybook village with Disney Princesses and two Princess-themed shows at the Royal Theatre, all at Disneyland Park.
The new, live shows extend the resort’s legacy as a magical stage for live entertainment, a place where children often enjoy their first experience with live performers and theatrical storytelling. In addition, Cars Land is going full throttle with excitement for the whole family, and Buena Vista Street creates an entertaining new vibe at the reimagined Disney California Adventure Park. Guests also are enjoying Limited Time Magic, experiences that surprise and delight guests in fanciful ways throughout 2013.
The Disneyland Resort promises a Summer season of fun inspired by the upcoming Disney•Pixar comedy adventure, “Monsters University”. Screams and giggles are in store during this action-packed season as guests discover monstrous surprises in the parks, including Mike and Sulley scaring up some school spirit.
At Disneyland Park
New ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’
“Mickey and the Magical Map” is a spectacular, live stage show presented at the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland Park. It takes guests on a musical adventure with a mischievous Mickey Mouse and the biggest character on stage, the Map. It spans the entire stage and has magical powers that come to life through amazing theatrical wizardry, colorful visuals and wonderful music. The journey includes encounters with such classic Disney characters as Pocahontas, Mulan, King Louie from “The Jungle Book,” Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” and others. “Mickey and the Magical Map” is designed for Disneyland guests of all ages and represents Disney storytelling at its most thrilling.
New Fantasy Faire
Fantasy Faire, a new storybook village near Sleeping Beauty Castle, immerses guests in timeless Disney tales. They can meet several Disney Princesses as they stroll through the beautiful Royal Hall, and then enjoy two Princess-themed shows at the Royal Theatre. The musical shows tell the tales of Rapunzel (“Tangled”) and Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”) as presented by Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones, a pair of vaudeville-style Renaissance storytellers full of good humor. The princess heroine, Rapunzel or Belle, joins in the fun and remains with the audience to greet guests following the story.
New Iron Man Tech Exhibit
“Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries” gives Disneyland guests the chance to see Tony Stark’s Hall of Armor, featuring Iron Man suits Mark I-VII – the same suits featured in “Iron Man 3”. Through simulation technology, guests will also be able to see what it’s like to operate the latest pieces of the Mark 42 Iron Man armor, even getting the chance to test out its repulsor blasts. The exciting new exhibit awaits guests at Innoventions in Tomorrowland, featuring actual set pieces from the film.
At Disney California Adventure Park
Cars Land and Buena Vista Street
The newly expanded Disney California Adventure continues to be a popular vacation destination, with guests enjoying Cars Land, based on the popular Disney•Pixar animated feature "Cars," and Buena Vista Street, an area themed to 1920s-1930s Los Angeles that adds more stories and entertainment experiences. Cars Land re-creates the town of Radiator Springs, along Route 66, and the highlight of the fuel-driven fun is Radiator Springs Racers. Racers never know which car will win as they go for the Piston Cup. On Buena Vista Street, entertainers such as “Five and Dime” and the Carthay Circle Theatre Restaurant offer guests more to do, day and night.
"Disney Junior – Live on Stage!"
Fans of the Disney Junior television hits “Sofia the First” and “Doc McStuffins” will enjoy interacting with these characters at “Disney Junior – Live on Stage!” They join the gang from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” in a show that invites preschoolers to sing, dance and play with enchanting puppets, fanciful scenery and lively music. Sofia the First, Disney’s first little girl princess, and other characters in the show share ideas with guests, encouraging them to become part of the stories. Doc McStuffins consults her Big Book of Boo Boos to help diagnose and mend her toy friends.
Disneyland Resort features two fantastic theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment, and shopping experiences. The resort’s three hotels are the luxurious 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the magical 970-room Disneyland Hotel and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its day-at-the-beach fun.
Disneyland Resort in Anaheim is open daily year round. For more information call 866-603-4763 or visit www.disneyland.com.
Knott’s Berry Farm Harvests
Fresh Family Fun All Summer Long
Knott’s Berry Farm, Southern California’s friendliest theme park, is offering new rides, new entertainment and new food options this season making it the ideal family destination.
The new and improved Timber Mountain Log Ride is now open again to take guests through an 85-foot-high by 330-foot-long mountain range themed to a nineteenth-century lumber camp. The ride, housed in an eight-story building, includes 24,000 gallons of water that circulates free floating logs past 39 all-new audio-animatronic human characters and a variety of various realistic animals culminating in a forty-two-foot free fall drop.
The Boardwalk Pier is open for business with three new attractions for all ages. The new Coast Rider will have everyone clinging to the handrails as they ascend 52 feet for a harrowing journey down a 1,339-foot track filled with hairpin turns, twists, and spins. The focal point of the Boardwalk area, Coast Rider, is a great family coaster and will give you the feeling of riding along the California coast. The Surfside Gliders let guests take the ride into their own hands as they pilot their two-man aircraft for a bird’s eye view of the entire Boardwalk area. Rounding out the trio of attractions is the Pacific Scrambler where everyone gets caught in the spin.
Making its summer debut over at the Charles Schulz Theatre is “Snoopy…..Unleashed!” Snoopy is off the chain and ready for action – going where he wants to go, doing what he wants to do in a way that only Snoopy can. This spectacular ice skating production includes the Peanuts characters, professional ice skaters, elaborate sets, and music that will have you singing along.
Also new this summer is “Boom Town” where the Wild West, at the peak of the Gold Rush, becomes a Cirque performance that really strikes it rich. A cast of nine amazing acrobats brings to life what it was like to live in the small town of Calico in the 1860s. You’ll be inspired to pick up your picks and pans and hop in an ore cart and come along for the ride!
“Snoopy’s Starlight Spectacular” returns for its fourth season and is bigger and brighter than ever. When darkness falls over Knott’s Berry Farm, Snoopy’s Starlight Spectacular brings Camp Snoopy to life with a continuous light show filled with PEANUTS’ figures, themed music, sound effects, and colorful projections. In “Snoopy’s Starlight Spectacular” guests will see their favorite characters in scenes that personify them – Lucy’s dream of being a Hollywood starlet, Schroeder’s musical genius, even Woodstock gets into the act as he and Snoopy go on a camping adventure.
For the younger set, “Hooray for Hollywood” tells the story of the PEANUTS® Gang as they try to make it big in Tinseltown. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and their friend JT pay homage to the golden days of Hollywood in a show that’s sure to delight kids of all ages.
Back by popular demand are the Citizens of Ghost Town. Sherriff Jebedeiah Smith, Beau Regard the Saloon owner, the delightful Sweet Adeline and others will again be roaming the streets of Ghost Town to make guests feel as if they have stepped back in time to the 1890’s.
Live musical entertainment will be farm-wide from morning till night with performances by Jumpin’ to the Beat, which combines jump roping gymnastics with a heavy drumbeat, and the ever-popular Big Fat Steve Band on the Boardwalk Midway. To entertain guests while they dine al fresco the interactive country, blue grass quartet, the Ghost Town Miners, will be returning to Spurs Restaurant.
Just across the street from Knott’s Berry Farm, Knott’s Soak City is ready for another fun-filled season starting Memorial Day weekend. Cool off in Tidal Wave Bay or take a ride through Pacific Spin’s 132-foot long tunnel.
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park is open daily year round. For more information call 714-220-5200 or visit www.knotts.com, where you can also download the Knott’s Berry Farm mobile app for your smartphone, or save time and money with Knott’s Print@Home tickets.
LEGOLAND® Hotel at LEGOLAND® California Resort is
Officially Open for Bed and Brickfest!
A knight riding in on a horse, an adventurer arriving in a sidecar motorcycle, a pirate repelling down the porte cochere next to a LEGO® smoke-breathing dragon, and a little girl who figured out how to put a larger-than-life room key together…that’s how the nation’s first LEGOLAND® Hotel at LEGOLAND® California Resort officially opened its doors to the public recently in Carlsbad, California.
Created to bring children’s imaginations to life, the 250-room, three-story LEGOLAND Hotel opened its doors with the three room themes based on the most popular LEGO toy lines inside the family theme park: Kingdom, Adventure, and Pirate. The Hotel contains an interactive LEGO world designed for children age two to 12 and their families.
Each room is LEGO themed from the carpeting to the walls and bedding and contains at least eight LEGO models. There are more than 3,500 LEGO models throughout the Hotel using more than three million LEGO bricks. Five thousand minifigures line the wall behind the reception desk as a LEGO model of a bicycle riding surfer highlights the individual figures with his magnified wheels.
LEGOLAND Hotel offers themed and premium themed rooms along with junior and family suites. Premium themed rooms have additional LEGO models and décor such as themed wallpaper. Suites include an extra TV and doors that adjoin to the next room. Children have their own sleeping area in every room complete with bunk beds, a trundle bed, and their own TV. Special amenities in each room are designed with children in mind, such as the lowered peephole and toilet training seats that can be used with every toilet.
Interactive features include a Castle Play area, a talking and water spraying dragon on the patio, a LEGO play pit in the reception area and a treasure hunt inside the rooms where younger guests search for clues to open a locked safe filled with LEGO treasure! The Castle Play area is the hub for imagination and fun at LEGOLAND Hotel. Based on the LEGO Kingdom, Pirate, and Adventure lines, the area features a pirate ship attempting to dock in a LEGO filled moat next to an interactive castle. Young guests can pull on a handle as they enter the castle causing the LEGO ogre above them to roar. Nightly entertainment takes place on the castle stage as a pirate, princess, knight or adventurer interact with young guests to get them ready for bedtime.
A family of four LEGO dragons live within the Hotel: One smoke-breathing dragon at the entrance, a playful young dragon in the lobby sits on top of a handle and slowly spins it to make a LEGO river flow, a baby dragon peers over the ledge of the castle in the Castle Play area and an interactive bubble-blowing dragon named “Bubbles” is taking a bath on the patio as she playfully sprays water and “speaks” to young guests.
In keeping with the high standards of food served within LEGOLAND California Resort, the LEGOLAND Hotel features a variety of healthy and flavorful food options for the whole family. Bricks Family Restaurant serves a breakfast and dinner buffet with a station designed specifically for kids at a height they can reach. Mini’s Lounge is adjacent to the Castle Play area and provides guests an opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy some beverages and quick snacks. The Skyline Café features a LEGO city skyline with 35 fun scenes including a woman fighting a turkey that came out of her oven, a man swimming in his apartment being chased by a shark and a woman holding a banana to try to entice a monkey off her balcony.
The outdoor pool area, featuring a gradual incline 5-foot-deep swimming pool and a plethora of lounge chairs, gives guests a place to cool off after a day at the Park. Swim Up movies are shown at poolside Friday and Saturday nights during peak season. Surrounded by LEGO palm trees and views of the Hotel, even this pool area is a LEGO fans dream.
LEGOLAND California Resort includes LEGOLAND California, SEA LIFE Carlsbad Aquarium and LEGOLAND Water Park, all geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. LEGOLAND California features more than 60 rides, shows, and attractions including LEGO Star Wars™ Miniland and the all-new Pirate Reef where guests board boats that drop down 25 feet between two battling pirate ships! SEA LIFE incorporates LEGO models into a child’s voyage to the depths of the ocean and features play zones, fun facts, quiz trails, and the all-new Claws exhibit.
LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad is open daily through September 2, and the LEGOLAND Hotel is open year round. For more information call 760-918-5346 or visit www.legoland.com.
SeaWorld Presents
Summer Nights at SeaWorld®
All new Aquatica Waterpark has Water Slides, Wave Pool, and a White Sandy Beach
Complemented by Animal Encounters and the new Madagascar Live stage show at SeaWorld
SUMMER NIGHTS AT SEAWORLD: During Summer Nights at SeaWorld®, guests can enjoy all their favorite SeaWorld attractions during the day, then hang out for a whole new park after dark with fireworks that light up the sky and special nighttime animal shows including the nighttime killer whale rock ’n’ roll show, Shamu Rocks and the hilarious Sea Lions Tonite sea lion and otter show. Summer Nights at SeaWorld continues on select dates through September 2.
CLUB ATLANTIS: As part of Summer Nights, kids of all ages can dance the night away at SeaWorld’s Club Atlantis Presented by Coca-Cola, nightly through August 11. Channel 933’s DJ Marc Thrasher keeps the party going from 7 to 10 p.m. with dance team performances, nightly Coca-Cola dance-offs, giveaways and plenty of time to just dance, dance, dance!
MADAGASCAR LIVE! OPERATION: VACATION: Guests can sing, clap and dance along to the ultimate interactive show — Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation, an original live musical show featuring the characters from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.’s beloved “Madagascar” franchise. SeaWorld San Diego is one of only two theme parks in the United States where fans can see this incredibly funny and engaging new show at the park’s renovated Mission Bay Theater. The 20-minute musical show follows the antics of Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien, Mort and the Penguins during a vacation adventure. The production features rock/pop music performed by a live band and include classic and original songs. Guests even get the chance to be part of the party! The stage production runs year-round and features up to eight shows per day. The characters also conduct meet and greets with park guests.
Summer Nights, continuing on select dates through September 2, feature extended hours, fireworks and nighttime animal shows Shamu Rocks and Sea Lions Tonite. During the day, guests can enjoy Cirque de la Mer this summer and, kids of all ages can dance the night away at SeaWorld’s Club Atlantis Presented by Coca-Cola, nightly June 15 to Aug. 11. Manta® features a double-launch coaster and 100,000-gallon aquarium with bat rays and other marine-life. Turtle Reef is an attraction featuring a 280,000-gallon turtle aquarium, interactive game, touch-screen turtle map and ride. SeaWorld’s Shamu show One Ocean, features the park’s majestic killer whales as ambassadors of the sea, and the ocean as the center of our natural world. Blue Horizons is a spectacular show featuring energetic bottlenose dolphins, magnificent pilot whales, a colorful array of exotic birds and amazing human performers. The 190-acre marine-life park features thousands of fascinating mammals, fishes, reptiles and birds including; 10 species of sharks at the Shark Encounter; more than 300 penguins representing five species at the Penguin Encounter; and polar bears, beluga whales and walruses at Wild Arctic. Other attractions include Sea Lions LIVE, a hilarious new sketch-based comedy show starring Clyde and Seamore; Sesame Street® Bay of Play®, a whimsical play area for kids with family-friendly rides, Sesame Street character meet-and-greets and photo opportunities; Journey to Atlantis®, Journey to Atlantis®, a wet and wild water coaster; Pets Rule! — a zany show where clever canines, curious cats and unpredictable pigs take charge and show humans who’s the boss; Shipwreck Rapids® water raft ride; spectacular animal shows, interactive attractions, aquariums, rides and dining facilities.
AQUATICA GRAND OPENING: AquaticaSan Diego is a lushly landscaped waterpark with up-close animal experiences, high-speed thrills and the amenities of a beachside resort. Among dozens of slides and rides at this whimsical, South Seas-themed waterpark is Big Surf ShoresTM. One of the largest wave pools in Southern California, it features more than 500,000 gallons of water to take a swim in and a huge sandy beach for basking in the sun. Caribbean flamingos and freshwater turtles will round out the experience, as only SeaWorld can.
Aquatica SeaWorld's Waterpark™ is making a splash this summer just minutes from SeaWorld®. Aquatica San Diego features guest experiences from serene to extreme, with water play as endless as the sea itself, and is home to a variety of exotic animals, providing an educational component to a waterpark visit that is both unexpected and enriching. Aquatica SeaWorld's Waterpark, at 2052 Entertainment Circle in Chula Vista, Calif., is now open (daily through September 2 and weekends only September 7 through October 20).
Aquatica San Diego is a lushly landscaped waterpark with up-close animal experiences, high-speed thrills and the amenities of a beachside resort. Among dozens of slides and rides at this whimsical, South Seas-themed waterpark is Big Surf Shores™. One of the largest wave pools in Southern California, it features more than 500,000 gallons of water to take a swim in and a huge sandy beach for basking in the sun. Adventurers should check out HooRoo Run®, where they have a choice of two enclosed and two open-air slides that take them down an 80-foot descent. Caribbean flamingos and freshwater turtles round out the Aquatica experience, as only SeaWorld can.
Rides/Slides:
- Whanau Way: Boasting a 60-foot water slide complex featuring six slides, four enclosed and two open air, this ride is a must on any waterpark enthusiast's list.
- HooRoo Run®: Guests can choose their own adventure: two enclosed and two open-air slides await for a thrilling descent down this 80-foot ride.
- Woohoo Falls®: Adventurers embark on one of three water slides with speedy twists and turns, including one in the dark for those up to the challenge.
- Kiwi Curl®: Guests can put their adrenaline level to the test as they ride down one of three 60-foot-tall water slides. Thrill seekers have the option of sliding in the dark.
- Walhalla Wave®: This 78-foot ride is designed for families to enjoy together (height requirement is 42") in a gigantic tube. A tube lift means no lugging it up the stairs!
- Tassie's Twister: Plunge down a 75-foot water slide in a multi-person raft through thousands of gallons of swirling water before dropping into a six-story funnel.
Attractions:
- Big Surf Shores™: One of the largest wave pools in Southern California, guests swim in more than 500,000 gallons of water with period swells of up to five feet. A white sandy beach (43,000 square feet!) allows visitors to relax on lawn chairs or luxuriate in nearby cabanas.
- Loggerhead Lane: Guests can swim or float along in an inner tube down a winding 1,250-foot long lazy river, with the added surprise of more than a dozen Caribbean flamingos on display. Playful fountains provide plenty of opportunities to splash while soaking up the sun.
- Walkabout Waters: This four-story interactive and colorful outdoor attraction features loads of hands-on fun with slides, hoses, jets, geysers and more. Every five minutes, a 500-gallon bucket unloads water on everyone below!
- Kata's Kookaburra Cove®: Children can splash and play safely in this children's area featuring a pool and ropes. This kooky, quirky cove has a way of making even a grown-up want to jump right in and play.
- Slippity Dippity®: Families with toddlers can splash the day away and let their imagination run rampant as they explore an endless sea of fun at this attraction, which includes kid-sized slides.
Animal Exhibits:
- At Loggerhead Lane, guests enjoy not only a lush tropical attraction with a winding 1,250-foot-long lazy river, but also an up-close view of more than a dozen Caribbean flamingos.
- A habitat with dozens of freshwater turtles, representing several species, live in an exhibit that features under- and above-water viewing.
Guest Amenities:
- Guests can enhance their Aquatica experience with personal cabanas, available poolside at Big Surf Shores.
- Small and large lockers are available for adventurers who need a place to store their land gear before they embark on their water voyage.
- Gift shops and merchandise carts have waterpark necessities available for purchase, including towels, sunscreen and flip-flops for guests who forgot their waterpark necessities at home.
- Complimentary life vests in all sizes are available for guests as they enter Aquatica.
- Guests can relax on comfortable lounge chairs, with shaded seating located throughout the waterpark.
Aquatica SeaWorld's Waterpark is located at 2052 Entertainment Circle in Chula Vista, Calif. Operational dates are daily through September 2; weekends, September 7 to October 20. For more information visit www.aquaticasandiego.com or call (800) 257-4268.
SeaWorld San Diego in San Diego is open daily year round. For more information call 800-257-4268 or visit www.seaworldsandiego.com.
Six Flags Magic Mountain Opens “Full Throttle”
World’s Tallest and Fastest Looping Coaster
FULL THROTTLE, the world’s tallest and fastest looping coaster is now open to the public. Unlike traditional coasters, this unique, one-of-a-kind triple launch coaster takes the coaster experience to the next generation as riders face a never-been-done-before launch up and over a “Top Hat” that traces the outside of a world-record loop, towering 160 feet—plus a zero to 70 miles-per-hour acceleration on two forward launches and one backward launch into and out of a special effects tunnel. FULL THROTTLE is located near the front of the park in a newly themed five-acre section where guests experience high-energy thrills through fast-paced imagery, sound and lights. With this addition, Six Flags Magic Mountain, the Thrill Capital of the World, firmly holds the coveted “Coaster Capital of the World” crown—with a total of 18 roller coasters—more than any other theme park on the planet.
To begin their journey through the park’s distinct mountainous terrain, riders are loaded onto sleek black and silver trains, sitting two abreast, and are suddenly accelerated from zero to 70 miles-per-hour in the first of three launches, experiencing their first inversion and thrill of navigating a world-record 160-foot tall loop. Riders then enter into a high-banked curve to the right and then to the left as they approach the second inversion—a Dive Loop that drops them rapidly into a special-effects tunnel. While in the tunnel, the train is dramatically decelerated and stopped, only to be suddenly launched backward up to the high point of the Dive Loop. After a momentary pause, the train drops and is magnetically launched a third time, racing out of the tunnel and through a high G-turn to the left. Riders then race up and over a “Top Hat” that traces the outside of the World Record loop, where riders experience significant air time and a breath-taking view of the park before dropping back down, rapidly decelerating and taking the final 180-degree turn to the left and returning to the station where riders can catch their breath.
FULL THROTTLE is the perfect addition to the park’s coaster collection, joining other adrenaline-pumping coasters, including Tatsu—the tallest, fastest and longest flying coaster in the world, X2—the world’s first and only 5th dimensional coaster, Apocalypse—the next generation of wooden coasters and Goliath—the “giant among giants” mega coaster.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia is open daily through September 3. For more information call 661-255-4100 or visit www.sixflagsmagicmountain.com.
Universal Studios Hollywood Continues
Transformers: The Ride-3D
Transformers: The Ride-3D is an immersive, next generation thrill ride blurring the line between fiction and reality. Fusing HD 3D media and flight simulation technology, this epic ride creates an experience unlike anything this planet has ever seen. Based on the popular movie franchise, this mind-blowing new Transformers adventure puts you in the middle of the ultimate war zone. Fight alongside Optimus and try to survive as you protect the AllSpark from Decepticons over four stories tall. Remember, the future of the human race is counting on you.
Universal Studios Hollywood'sSM epic thrill ride, “Transformers™: The Ride—3D” sets the bar for unparalled, immersive theme park rides. Envisioned to completely and uniquely revolutionize the next-generation of themed rides, “Transformers: The Ride—3D” is a monumental tour de force helmed by a roster of Hollywood heavyweights, including award-winning filmmaker and creative consultant Michael Bay, the Oscar®-winning, visionary special effects masterminds and technical luminaries at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), TRANSFORMERS brand stewards at Hasbro, Inc. and the award-winning, progressive and inspired minds at Universal Creative.
Based on the electrifying TRANSFORMERS blockbuster movie franchise and celebrated for its multi-generational appeal, inventive storyline, spectacular action sequences and ingenious special effects, this exciting ride breaks new ground in the world of theme park attractions, stretching the medium’s potential as a powerfully engaging storytelling vehicle.
Infused with an adrenalized multi-level ride-track, visceral special effects, one of the most elaborate flight simulation ride systems ever created and the highest, most sophisticated resolution of 3D-HD technology available, “Transformers: The Ride—3D” propels guests into the dynamic, action-packed robotic world of TRANSFORMERS.
Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City is open daily year round. For more information call 800-864-8377 or visit www.universalstudioshollywood.com.
BODIES…The Exhibition and Titanic the Experience
Open Side By Side at the Former Movieland Wax
Museum
The all-new exhibition features excitement and educational journeys through beautifully lit presentations with interactive displays and LED panels highlighting various aspects of relevant factoids. The exhibition is produced by Premier Exhibitions, Inc., a leading presenter of museum quality exhibitions throughout the world.
Bodies...The Exhibition
Experienced by more than 15 million people worldwide, Bodies...The Exhibition offers an intimate and informative view into the human body. Using an innovative preservation process, the Exhibition allows visitors to see the human body's inner beauty in educational and awe-inspiring ways. The Exhibition features over 200 actual human bodies and specimens meticulously dissected and respectfully displayed, offering an unprecedented and wholly unique view into the amazing body.
“The educational impact of this exhibition is immeasurable,” said Dr. Roy Glover, professor emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Michigan and chief medical director for BODIES. “For centuries, the medical community has learned about the inner workings of the human body through the study of real human bodies, and now it’s possible for the public to gain an intimate knowledge as well.”
The Exhibition takes visitors through galleries providing an up-close look inside the skeletal, muscular, reproductive, respiratory, circulatory, and other systems of the human body. Many of the whole body specimens are dissected in vivid athletic poses, allowing the visitor to relate to everyday activities. In addition, authentic human specimens illustrate the damage caused to organs by over-eating and lack of exercise. A healthy lung is featured next to a black lung ravaged by smoking in a vivid comparison more powerful than any textbook image. The Exhibition will change the way people see themselves. It is designed to enlighten, empower, fascinate, and inspire.
The human body specimens in the exhibition are preserved through a revolutionary technique called polymer preservation. In this process, human tissue is permanently preserved using liquid silicone rubber that is treated and hardened. The end result is a rubberized specimen, preserved to the cellular level, showcasing the complexity of the body's many bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and organs. The full-body specimens can take more than a year to prepare.
Titanic the Experience
Titanic the Experience is an unprecedented opportunity to travel back in time and experience the wonder and tragedy of the world’s most famous ocean-liner, Titanic. Visitors interact with trained actors in period costume that portray Titanic notables such as Captain Smith and Margaret Brown.
The Exhibition features over 250 authentic artifacts that have been recovered from the wreck site of Titanic, 2.5 miles beneath the ocean surface. These amazing objects, once thought to be lost forever, along with authentic recreations of some of the most famous rooms on board Titanic, offers visitors an educational, emotional, and poignant look at this iconic Ship and its passengers.
“The incredible story of Titanic is timeless and knows no generational boundaries. Young and old alike are always enthralled with both the beauty and tragedy of the ill-fated ocean liner that is the story of Titanic. With more than 25 million visitors to date, we consistently see how Titanic resonates and touches everyone,” said Alexandra Klingelhofer, Vice President of Collections for RMS Titanic, Inc.
Visitors are quickly drawn back in time to 1912 upon entrance, as each receives a replica boarding pass of an actual passenger aboard Titanic. They then begin their chronological journey through the life of the Titanic, moving through the Ship’s construction, to life on board, to the ill-fated sinking and amazing artifact rescue efforts. They will marvel at the re-created rooms from the famous Ship, and press their palms against an iceberg while learning of countless stories of heroism and humanity. In the “Memorial Gallery” guests take their boarding pass to the memorial wall and discover whether their passenger and traveling companions survived or perished.
Over the past 15 years, more than 25 million people have seen the powerful Premier Exhibition, Inc. produced Titanic Exhibition’s worldwide. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. and its subsidiary, RMS Titanic, Inc. is the only company permitted by law to recover objects from the wreck site of Titanic. The Company was granted Salvor-in-Possession rights to the wreck site of Titanic by a United States federal court in 1994 and has conducted eight research and recovery expeditions to the Titanic rescuing more than 5,500 artifacts.
New Additions for Titanic the Experience Buena Park
Lifeboat Gallery
Making its debut in Buena Park, the Lifeboat Gallery is the first significant design addition to the Premier Exhibition’s produced Titanic exhibits in the last 15 years. This gallery allows visitors to experience one of the most poignant and emotional moments in the sinking of Titanic from the viewpoint of a survivor in one of the 20 lifeboats that were launched from the doomed Ship.
Visitors are lead into the gallery by an Officer from Titanic, and placed into a stylized representation of a lifeboat. A large projected image of Titanic in her final moments, coupled with photos and quotes from survivors, provides a haunting emotional connection to this heartbreaking and historical moment. The experience ends with the sun rising and the welcomed sight of the Carpathia, the ship that rescued the survivors in the aftermath of the sinking.
“Our Exhibitions has always done a wonderful job of transporting visitors back in time to the sailing and sinking of Titanic, but conveying the moments before the Ship submerged to its watery grave is one experience that has been nearly impossible to capture. Using survivors accounts and eye witness testimonies from the senate hearings, we attempted to piece together a snapshot of the sights, sounds and feelings that the 705 survivors must have had in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912,” said Mark Lach, creative director for Premier Exhibitions.
Seabed/Recovery Gallery
Another dramatic addition to the Buena Park Exhibition is the glass floor in the Seabed Gallery. Visitors will feel as though they are 2.5 miles beneath the ocean at the wreck site of Titanic, as they walk on an elevated, glass floor over a portrayal of the ocean floor. Visitors end their journey in present day, seeing Titanic how she currently rests, 101 years after her tragic sinking. The content in this gallery is newly released outputs from the most recent dive to Titanic, “Expedition 2010”. This includes some of the most complete and intimate photo mosaics, maps, images and video ever seen of the most famous wreck.
The RMS Titanic sank at 2:20 a.m. on 15 April 1912. Titanic lies in two separate sections at 2.5 miles depth in the North Atlantic and is surrounded by debris filled with personal items and pieces of the actual Ship. For 73 years Titanic was alone and lost. Since the wreck was discovered in 1985, RMS Titanic, Inc. has made eight expeditions to recover more than 5,500 objects, which were carefully cataloged and preserved. The Recovery gallery takes visitors to the wreck site, giving them a sense of adverse conditions and silence surrounding the resting place of the Ship.
BODIES…The Exhibition and Titanic the Experience features two fantastic exhibits – BODIES…The Exhibition and Titanic the Experience side-by-side under one roof. Tickets are available separately for each exhibit or as a combo pack for both exhibits. BODIES…The Exhibition and Titanic the Experience is open daily through February 28, 2014. For more information call 888-647-2789 or visit www.BuenaParkExhibitions.com.
So get yourself up and out of the house to see what’s up for yourself at one of these great attractions soon!
