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Universal Orlando replaces Jaws ride with Harry Potter world expansion
DestinationsFans of Harry Potter and magic, rejoice: Universal Orlando is expanding its Wizarding World of Harry Potter with a new area based on the books’ fictional scenes in Diagon Alley and London. Universal Orlando announced Wednesday the new area will open in 2014. “For Harry Potter fans, this is an opportunity to go to multiple [...]
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Americans are back at Disney Parks, profits up 73 percent
DestinationsProfits soared across the Walt Disney Co.’s vacation businesses during the first three months of 2013, surging 73 percent on the strength of new investments in cruise ships and theme-park attractions in Florida and California A booming parks business helped lift Disney to 32 percent profit growth during the second quarter of its fiscal year, [...]
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Prince Harry and Kate play Batman and Harry Potter at new theme park outside London
DestinationsThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry tour the Warner Bros studios near Watford where the Harry Potter films were made, with Prince William trying out the Batmobile and Batman’s bike, the Batpod. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry were all smiles as they arrived at the studios where the [...]
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Harry Potter to join Universal Hollywood theme park in $1.6 billion expansion
DestinationsNBCUniversal plans to begin construction this summer on a $1.6 billion, 25-year expansion of its Los Angeles-area theme park, offices and production facilities. The company owned by Comcast Corp. announced Tuesday that it would start building The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at its Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, along with upgraded TV production studios [...]
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Theme parks in Asia experience sudden visitation boom
DestinationsAsia is becoming home to a growing number of major theme parks as the region’s wealth and leisure time grows. This is good news for families based in Asia who used to have to travel as far afield as Orlando to get their theme park fix. Now, the likes of Universal Studios, Disneyland and Legoland [...]
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After spending $1 billion on wireless tickets Disney lobbies to change Florida laws
DestinationsWalt Disney World has spent close to $1 billion developing its “MyMagic+” system, which includes replacing conventional tickets with wireless-transmitting wristbands that serve as all-in-one park passes, room keys and credit cards. Now Disney wants to make sure those “MagicBands” are protected by Florida law. The giant resort is lobbying the Florida Legislature this spring [...]
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Star Wars park coming to Disneyland? Survey says ‘maybe’
DestinationsThe people who run Disney Parks want to know your feelings on Star Wars. A survey is going around to select Annual Pass holders and other Disney fanatics that asks the question “How interested would you be in visiting a Star Wars themed land at the Disneyland Resort?” Obviously that doesn’t mean you should book [...]
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Orlando theme park battles: Legoland wants some credit
DestinationsLegoland Florida is set to announce details of another park expansion Tuesday, one possibly based on Lego’s Legends of Chima franchise. The Winter Haven theme park said the new area will include a ride and an interactive play area. The park has billed the project as a “major expansion” of the park’s current lineup of [...]
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Japan’s weakened yen is bad for trade, but fantastic for tourism
DestinationsThe yen’s slide may ripple through Japanese companies beyond exporters, underscoring pressure on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to prevent the currency rebounding from close to the lowest since 2010. Softbank Corp. and advertising agency Dentsu Inc. stand to reap higher earnings from abroad after taking part in the nation’s record $113 billion of overseas acquisitions [...]
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DreamWorks licenses Shrek and Kung Fu Panda to Russian theme park
DestinationsDreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. says it is licensing its characters to a developer of theme parks in Russia. The Regions Group of Companies plans to open parks in St. Petersburg, Moscow and the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg in 2015. DreamWorks said Friday that the parks will be Europe’s largest year-round indoor entertainment zones. The [...]
