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Captain EO is coming back to Disney World's EPCOT
As any child of the 1980s can tell you, Disney's Captain EO ride -- starring the "King of Pop", Michael Jackson himself -- was one of the best attractions to ever grace the park. EO debuted at Disney World in Florida back in 1986 and ran for eight years before closing in 1994. Now, Captain EO is back (and not just temporarily like they did after he died). The ride has reopened at Disney World's EPCOT in all of its hokey, 3D glory. Michael Jackson's ragtag team of freedom fighters are set to "bring freedom to countless worlds of despair" -- and keep you entertained for 17 minutes with a mix of '80s futurism and 30-year-old nostalgia.
Nintendo rides are coming to Universal's theme parks
Over the years, Nintendo has crafted a diverse roster of beloved video game characters. They're colorful and instantly recognisable, so inevitably some fans have wondered whether a Disney-style theme park could be built around them. Well, wonder no more. Nintendo announced today that it's teaming up with Universal to build new rides in some of its theme parks. It's staying tight-lipped on the details, but says to expect "spectacular, dedicated experiences" based on Nintendo games, characters and worlds.
GoSelectPass makes it easy to buy discount attraction tickets
A lot of Americans are planning on taking vacations starting this Memorial Day weekend, and now Smart Destinations wants to help iPhone-toting tourists get discount tickets to more than 400 attractions around the US. GoSelectPass.com provides a way for tourists to browse attraction info in seven major cities, purchase tickets online, and get valuable discounts in the process. At present, there's not an iOS app for GoSelectPass, although one will be available soon. For now, you can point your device browser to GoSelectPass.com to check out the mobile site and set up an account. Once you select the attractions you wish to visit, you pay one fee for a discounted pass. That pass appears as a QR code on your device that you show for entry to the attraction. As Smart Destinations adds more cities to the mobile site and future iOS app, this will be a very handy way to visit museums, aquariums, TV studios, and other attractions. Be sure to check out the press release for more info. Show full PR text Smart Destinations Launches Groundbreaking Mobile Ticketing Platform at More than 400 Attractions in Major U.S. Travel Destinations Go Select Provides Easy, Secure Purchase of Attraction Tickets via Smartphone to Allow Creation of Personalized, Dynamically-priced Mobile Attraction Pass and Fast, Real-time Validation at the Gate BOSTON (May 22, 2012) -Smart Destinations today released a groundbreaking mobile platform that turns any smartphone into an instant, money-saving pass for guests at more than 400 museums, tours and top attractions in major U.S. cities. The patent-pending Go Select mobile platform is the industry's first real-time dynamic mobile ticket pricing and validation system that is already accepted at the industry's largest network of attraction partners, including Boston's Museum of Science, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bay Cruise, and the NBC Studio Tour in New York. "Our attraction partners now have access to the massive amount of travelers who expect the convenience and security of instant ticketing on their phones," said Kevin McLaughlin, CEO and co-founder of Smart Destinations. "It's the only such platform for attractions that combines real-time dynamic pricing and validation with the convenience of secure paperless ticketing." Today's launch at GoSelectPass.com means attractions nationwide can instantly accept mobile passes at their gates, while their guests enjoy big savings and flexibility of simply showing their phone for admission. A recent PhoCusWright study found three out of four travelers already use a mobile device while on business or leisure travel, and eMarketer predicts that 15.1 million Americans will book travel using their smartphone this year. Go Select includes major attractions in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Oahu, Miami and Orlando, with more cities being added in the coming weeks. YEARS OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY Since 2003, SmartDestinations.com has built the industry's largest network of popular tourist destinations using its proprietary dynamic pricing and packaging technology. More than 1.25 million travelers have used the company's popular Go City Cards to save money on ticket prices, get extra discounts at restaurants and gift shops and enjoy the convenience of admissions passes to dozens of attractions through one card at one low price. Now the company's partners and mobile customers and can take full advantage of the technological ease of instantaneous ticketing on a single phone – while competitors are still forcing customers to use flimsy coupon books that are easily lost or damaged. ATTRACTIONS GET MOBILE QUICKLY AND EASILY For attraction partners, Go Select is easy to implement, saving both time and money for the attraction, as well as guests. That's because admission fees are immediately credited to the attraction upon admission with secure, digital ticketing – avoiding the extra hassle of submitting paper vouchers for reimbursement. It also speeds ticket purchase lines as guests arrive with their pass in hand. Plus, the system is more secure than paper tickets that can easily be photocopied or counterfeited and Go Select is the only platform in the world that allows multiple attractions to be purchased on a single QR code to be scanned at gates. No printing is needed–unlike other mobile purchasing solutions. "It's fantastic that we can now welcome guests who have purchased Go Select passes through the convenience of mobile," said Deleyse Langdale, associate director of travel industry sales at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. "By partnering with SmartDestinations, the implementation for us was simple and the timing was just right as we gear up for the summer travel season. We expect this to catch on fast." TRAVELERS GET GUARANTEED SAVINGS AND CONVENIENCE "Go Select is the only mobile technology platform of its kind that allows guests to buy and redeem multiple attraction tickets all from their smartphone and get guaranteed savings off the gate price," McLaughlin said. To get mobile passes, travelers simply: • Use their smartphone to choose the attractions they want to see (2 or more), • Pay one low, dynamically generated price for admission to all, • Receive a secure QR code immediately on their phone for scanning at the front desk or admission gate upon arrival at each attraction, similar to an airline mobile boarding pass. The more attractions travelers add to the pass, the more they can save-up to 40 percent off the retail cost of admission at the gate. Plus, at many attractions, Go Select Pass holders can skip the ticket line, as they already have a pre-paid ticket, saving both time and money. Go Select provides all visitors with full access to photos, maps, directions, hours and other insider tips about all the attractions plus much more at no cost. The passes are available now at GoSelectPass.com and will soon be available as iPhone, Ipad, and Android apps.
Walt Disney World reportedly testing iPads for Fast Pass system
According to a Twitter account that is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company (@DisneyProjects), Walt Disney World is testing a new iPad-based FastPass ticketing system. The system would use RFID technology and an iPad-based scanner to let visitors schedule ride passes before their visit. If visitors wanted to ride Space Mountain in the morning and Splash Mountain in the afternoon, they could schedule their time in advance and not have to wait in long lines. When they enter the park, visitors would be given an RFID-enabled wrist band that they will scan at the entrance to each attraction. Their information would then be sent to a nearby Disney employee who is equipped with the iPad. Disney World is reportedly testing this system for a few weeks starting in May. There's a first-person report of the test experience at the Touring Plans blog. The system, known as either X-Pass or FASTPASS+, may not use iPads for the final system. [Via MacNN]
What else is around BlizzCon?
If you're coming along to BlizzCon, you might want to do more than simply come to the con. There is plenty to do in and around the area, and I thought that I might, as a former Southern Californian, point to some of the alternatives around town. Yes, we know there's a mouse who lives in Anaheim, but if you're not in the mood to visit the Temple of Disney across the street from the Anaheim Convention Center, there are other options. Food at the convention center will be basic, so if you get the chance to slip away for a meal elsewhere, I recommend it. My favorite place to eat, for instance, during the last BlizzCon was actually a little Red Robin just down the street, where I sipped my chocolate shake and listened to Warcraft-related conversations at the tables around me. If you don't mind a little walk, there is Storyteller's Cafe, one of my favorite restaurants at Downtown Disney, located at the Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. The prices are fairly reasonable, and the food is of good quality, with high class service. The one place I have been meaning to go ti but never have is Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, where they have a Renaissance-esque meal served during a jousting show.If you are in town for a couple of days and like theme parks, you are definitely in luck. I am not a huge fan of Knott's Berry Farm, but I did spend my formative years at the Six Flags Magic Mountain north of Los Angeles and can highly recommend the Riddler. South of Anaheim along the Interstate is Legoland in Carlsbad, and further south in San Diego are three attractions perfect for the animal lover in the group: The San Diego Zoo, The Wild Animal Park, and Sea World. The weather should be nice next weekend, so why not take a drive down to Dana Point and enjoy some sea air? It's just down the Interstate 5 from Anaheim, and the area is dotted with shops and restaurants surrounding a lovely marina. These are just a couple of suggestions, and there's an excellent thread on the forums that details plenty of other options for dining and entertainment around BlizzCon. For those who are going, what are you planning on doing besides going to the con?
