What’s New in Orlando – and Around Florida!

There are lots of new offerings this year at some of Florida’s spectacular theme parks. Stop by your local AAA branch office (many now open Saturday) or check out online attraction tickets.

>Expedition Everest — New at Walt Disney World® Resort

>Enjoy Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando® Resort with the 2-Park Power Pass

>Busch Gardens features Pirates 4-D

>Cypress Gardens celebrates 70th Anniversary

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Expedition Everest — New at Walt Disney World^® Resort

Beginning this month, Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park will unveil Expedition Everest™—The Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. Discover the fearsome legend of the Yeti on a thrilling train ride through Mount Everest with a 112-foot lift and an 80-foot drop...the highest and longest at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Disney’s Imagineers bring ride to life

Walt Disney Imagineers trekked halfway around the world to the Earth’s mightiest peaks—the Himalayas—to create just the right experience for guests at Walt Disney World Resort. Rising nearly 200 feet, Expedition Everest immerses guests in the culture and spirit of the Himalayas before taking them on a perilous journey forward and backward through icy canyons, twisted tracks and a showdown with the Yeti.

In the quest to bring authenticity to Expedition Everest, Walt Disney Imagineers partnered with Discovery Networks and Conservation International in a scientific expedition to the Himalayas for firsthand exploration of the land and its legends.

Disney designers, architects and creative storytellers toured areas near Mount Everest, studying local traditions and architecture. Team members visited Buddhist temples and shrines, traveled through the foothills on donkeys and spent hours talking with locals to learn about their beliefs.

Their research is evident in Serka Zong, a mythical village created by Disney Imagineers. Buildings appear to have been transplanted directly from the Himalayan region, complete with “wear and tear” from the harsh environment. More than 900 bamboo plants, 10 species of trees and 100 species of shrubs re–create the lowlands surrounding Mount Everest.

The mountain itself is a marvel of artistry and engineering. It contains approximately 1,800 tons of steel—roughly six times the amount in a traditional office building of the same size. To create the sense of an enormous mountain range, Disney Imagineers painted a “mural” of shadows across the mountain face to add a feeling of distance called forced perspective.

The runaway train takes adventurers on a harrowing ride—racing forward and backward through darkened mountain caverns, icy canyons and a white–knuckle 80–foot drop. Plus, guests come face–to–muzzle with the guardian of the mountain, the Yeti, known to some as the abominable snowman.

Expedition Everest debuts this spring as part of the “Happiest Celebration on Earth,” a global jubilee honoring 50 years of Disney theme park magic and commemorating the 1955 opening of Disneyland®. The celebration also showcases spectacular new attractions and entertainment at Walt Disney World Resort.

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Enjoy Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando® Resort with the 2-Park Power Pass

Mardi Gras is back at Universal Studios. You can catch the Mardi Gras concerts, high-energy colorful parade, authentic cuisine and beads by the handful every Saturday through April 22.

AAA members can experience all the fun of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure again and again, including Universal Studios’ Mardi Gras, with the 2-Park Annual Power Pass, all for the exclusive AAA rate, during Mardi Gras, of $104.95…plus get an extra 3 months FREE!*  (*Special price offer expires 4/22/06.  Extra 3 months free only available at AAA.)

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Busch Gardens Features Pirates 4-D

Close to Orlando is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Be one of the first to experience Pirates 4-D—a swashbuckling comedy adventure film starring Leslie Nielsen. It combines the latest 3-D special-effects technology with multi-sensory theater effects to thrill guests of all ages. Guests experience sprays of water and a shipload of surprises during their adventure with the sea’s most hapless band of pirates.

Experience this great new movie and so much more with a Fun Card that is valid for unlimited visits through 12/31 for only $57.95 through 4/15 (Fun Card increases on 4/16 to $62.95)

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Cypress Gardens Celebrates 70th Anniversary

It’s back, and it’s better than ever! Florida’s first theme park, Cypress Gardens in nearby Winter Haven, celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. The park has been newly renovated and updated with exciting rides and attractions, while retaining the shows, the charm and the natural beauty that visitors have loved since 1936.

There’s also loads of fun for everyone who loves water. Splash Island is now open and ready to give you a soaking good time. The world-famous pyramid to the water ski show has returned, as well as the water ski school. And set sail for daytime sightseeing excursions and nightly dinner cruises on board the Cypress Belle.