It’s that time of year again.  Time for the annual Bud & BBQ Weekends at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.  Beginning Feb. 16-17 and running for four consecutive weekends, the highly popular Bud & BBQ festivals allow visitors to these theme parks an opportunity to enjoy ice cold Budweiser, hot spicy BBQ and fabulous live music!

 Bud & BBQ events are held at SeaWorld each Saturday and at Busch Gardens each Sunday throughout the month-long celebration.  Please note that there is an additional charge for all food and beverage items and you must be 21 years of age or older to purchase alcoholic beverages. 

Seating capacity for the live music is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bud & BBQ entertainers include:

Saturdays at SeaWorld

2/16   Trisha Yearwood

2/23   Creedence Clearwater Revival

3/1     Craig Morgan & Pat Green

3/8    Joe Nichols & Jason Michael Carroll

Sundays at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

2/17   Sara Evans

2/24   Styx

3/2     Clay Walker

3/9     Gary Allan

Visitors to SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are entitled to receive a 2nd visit FREE!  The second visit free ticket is valid for one additional visit to the same park during regularly scheduled park hours for up to 7 consecutive days from the date of first visit.

Don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy a second great day of theme park fun - free! 

SeaWorld Orlando is a place where up-close encounters connect you to the energy, excitement, and mystery of the sea and sea life.  And now you can enjoy that excitement and energy for a second day – at no additional cost.  When you purchase a one-day ticket to SeaWorld or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, you now get a second visit to the same park – at no extra charge – during regularly scheduled park hours for up to 7 consecutive days from the date of your first visit.  When you visit is up to you!  You can visit the park one day and come back to enjoy the night shows another evening.  Or come back for another full day.  It’s up to you.  Don’t miss your opportunity to double your fun and adventure - with a second day at SeaWorld!  Parking is not included.

SeaWorld rings in the New Year on Dec. 31 with a musical celebration that includes the best in pop, Latin and swing music and dancing.

The party begins with Michael Andrew and his 18-piece Atomic Big Band who will keep the crowd on their feet and dancing the night away. Then, at the stroke of midnight, the nighttime sky above SeaWorld will shine even brighter with a vibrant and exciting fireworks display.

For those who prefer to end the year with a splash, the park’s attractions and thrill rides will remain open until midnight.  Don’t miss your opportunity to spend a special New Year’s celebration with Shamu and all the rest of SeaWorld’s many aquatic friends!

The Polar Express is rolling through SeaWorld Orlando this holiday season.

SeaWorld Orlando, Warner Bros. Pictures and Iwerks Entertainment are reprogramming the theme park’s Wild Arctic simulator ride, transforming it into a simulated train ride to “Santa Town,” based on Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book The Polar Express and the 2004 animated movie of the same name.  The reformatted ride debuts Dec. 7 and will be in place through Jan. 1.  After that, the ride will be returned to its original Wild Arctic format.

The ride uses motion technology and big-screen video to simulate a wild, fast-moving trip. Normally, it offers visitors a simulated helicopter flight to an Arctic animal-research station, complete with swooping maneuvers to spy various animals and to avoid danger. Under the new format, the ride will simulate a train excursion powered by a massive steam-locomotive. In the film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment, children rode the train, conducted by a character voiced by actor Tom Hanks, up snow-cloaked mountains, across frozen lakes and along perilous, icy passes. Wild Arctic also serves as SeaWorld’s exhibit of polar bears, beluga whales, walruses and other Arctic animals.  They will remain part of the post-ride show, and will still be available for people to view separately if they choose to skip the ride.  But the exhibit area is also being made up as a winter wonderland, to match the film’s locations, for the holiday season.

Now through December 31, 2007, Discovery Cove Orlando is offering special pricing on all-inclusive packages at this relaxing, yet fun-filled park.  With December’s average high temperature in the mid 70’s, now is the perfect time of year to visit Discovery Cove.  Imagine a holiday photo with a tropical oasis as your backdrop while you enjoy a spectacular and personal swim with an exquisite dolphin in the beautiful Florida sunshine!  And what better gift than such a truly memorable adventure.

The dolphin swim package is now just $259 plus tax (now thru 12/31/07) and includes first-class park amenities.  You get: 30-minute dolphin swim; unlimited access to Coral Reef, Tropical River, Ray Lagoon and Aviary; All meals including a light continental breakfast, freshly prepared lunch and all snacks and beverages; use of all swim gear, towels, lockers and beach chairs; a pass for 7 consecutive days of unlimited admission to SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

A non-dolphin package is available for $159 plus tax.  Florida resident rates are $199 for dolphin swim package and $99 for non-dolphin package (plus tax) - now thru Dec. 20.

Visitors to SeaWorld Orlando are invited to hand-feed sea lions, dolphins and stingrays in various areas of the park. These daily events provide an exceptional opportunity to get up close and personal with these beautiful and exciting creatures and can provide an extra special memory for the kids. Pick up a park map and check the feeding times when you arrive…then plan to be in the area well in advance of when the feeder booths open to ensure your unique opportunity to participate in these fun-filled feeding events.