Summer thrills: Whats on in Orlando

Orlando’s famed theme parks and attractions have been busy at work, developing exciting new rides and shows  to entertain and delight. Plan your Orlando vacation now and be among the first to experience these great new attractions.

The countdown is on for the May 25 debut of The Shuttle Launch Experience at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Until now, only astronauts could experience the sensations of a shuttle launch. Starting on Memorial Day, you can feel the heart-pounding excitement on this authentic simulation designed by NASA and a team of astronauts. This immersive experience takes you through the launch sequence, the rattle and roll of lift-off as well  as a breathtaking view of the Earth as seen only by a few hundred astronauts.

They’ve entertained crowds around the world and, now they are coming to Orlando. Blue Man Group is taking up permanent residence at Universal Studios Florida, beginning on June 7, 2007. Part rock concert and part performance art, the Blue Man Group experience is both unique and memorable. Tickets are on sale now.

Wise-cracking Mike Wazowski, the one-eyed star of Disney-Pixar’s film, “Monsters Inc.,” has taken up permanent residence in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Mike and his friends have cooked up a plan to power the city of Monstropolis with laughter – they’ve transformed the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor (shown left) into a comedy club for visiting humans.  The show is highly interactive and, with the “performers” trading jokes with audience members, it’s never the same show twice!

Young visitors will find more to make them smile at SeaWorld Orlando this Memorial Day weekend. Shamu’s Happy Harbor, the park’s children’s play area, is doubling in size with the addition of three new rides. Ocean Commotion is a giant tugboat that takes riders on a swinging boat ride. The Flying Fiddler is a giant, fiddler crab that fills its belly with riders and lifts them more than 20 feet in the air, then jumps in a quick series of short drops.

The elaborate Sea Carousel is a marine-themed masterpiece featuring 65 fanciful sea creatures such as exotic fish, sea lions, sharks and dolphins. The park’s icon – Shamu – is also starring in a new show, “Shamu Rocks,” which opens on Memorial Day weekend. This is a rock concert like no other as giant killer whales perform improvisational movements to hit music from Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira among others. And, plan to join Elmo and his Sesame Street friends for “Elmo and the Bookaneers,” a daily stage show.

The fun at Gatorland just got a little wetter with the opening of the new Gator Gully Splash Park. This park-within-a-park offers over a quarter-acre of water fun including five water sources ranging from birds and gators to jalopies and a bucket tree. You’ll also get to meet the Gator Gully Gang, the splash park’s mascots.

Wet ‘n Wild Orlando warns that you may lose your grip on reality as you careen through its newest ride, Brain Wash (shown right), opening this spring.  After boarding a two- or four-person raft, you’ll climb the walls on this six-story extreme tube ride – with a 53-foot vertical drop into a 65-foot domed funnel. Once in the funnel, you’ll spin round and round, threading the needle-nose funnel before the final, refreshing splashdown!

Your little adventurers will appreciate Bugsville, the all-new children’s play area at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park in nearby Winter Haven. Adopt a “bug’s eye view” in this area featuring rides, “A Bugsville Adventure” stage show and, eventually, a large interactive play structure. Kids can also interact with Bugsville’s stars – Buzzby, Lady B and Whiff.

If you want to be the first to experience these exciting new rides and shows, check out these great deals on Memorial Day and early-summer Orlando vacations. This is just a sneak peek at the exciting new attractions awaiting you in Orlando. More excitement is on the way with additional rides and shows debuting later this summer.

Report by Chitra Mogul