PREMiERdrum

The red pandas were more active this day than I've ever seen them. They've got this huge, beautiful exhibit and usually they're asleep in their treehouse! Fluffy died in December of 2010. Hanna (named for Jack Hanna), Fluffy's daughter was brought in the following spring. Honestly, between the Zoo, Zoombezi Bay (waterpark), Jungle Jack's Landing (rides park), and The Wilds (gigantic exotic wildlife preserve east of Columbus - operated by the zoo), there is easily a 4 day trip. The zoo itself commands an entire day. The Zoo and Zoombezi Bay make for an excellent 2 day trip, too. EDIT: I see you're from Indy, right? We've been to the Indy Zoo; very nice traditional zoo. Columbus Zoo is more comparable to a Busch Gardens, or Disney Animal Kingdom.

More distractions, drive for bigger profits over guest experience, sacrificing gate integrity chasing volume... But ultimately, it can usually come down to penny pinching results in diminished guest experience, leading to fewer guests, leading to discounted gate, leading to further penny pinching, repeat.

Amen. I'll take Epcot 1990 over "Epcot '94" and especially over its current, visionless iteration.

First night of your honeymoon - sure you'll be concerned with the waterslides? Seriously though, I'd say Kalahari or Castaway Bay would both be good choices. Kalahari is huge and has a good lineup of attractions, while Castaway Bay is smaller, but usually less crowded. I also prefer the atmosphere at Castaway Bay; the LED lighting slowly cycling through sunrise and sunset, the more intimate scale of the interior, and the rock-lined wavepool give it the edge in my book. If I were you, I would call both places and see what they do for honeymoons - I know the other CP resorts have done special packages with chocolate covered strawberries, bottles of bubbly, and other extras for newlyweds. Congrats on making the jump! May you have a lifetime of love and happiness.

You're preaching to the choir. I have the Horizons emblem tattooed on my left forearm.

I can't believe Knott's Chocolate Bacon Funnel Cake didn't make the list!

California is also aided by a much higher ratio of passholders and multiple-repeat visitors. WDW is typically a "once a year" to "once in a lifetime" visit, so a headliner attraction being down carries a lot of weight. In Anaheim, there is a relatively low proportion of those type of visitors, making it easier for them to cycle major attractions through refubrishment cycles, let alone altering two absolute staples (Haunted Mansion and it's a small world) with seasonal overlays.

Great pics. It's interesting that the new Soak City entrance building seems to be similar to the WIldwater Kingdom entrance up in Aurora, itself a leftover structure from the former SeaWorld Ohio. I approve, as I love the three-gabled design.

I agree, we're leaving 4 weeks from today, and a ride or 2 being down wouldn't have impacted our plans at all. I do worry what Epcot will be like during the busy summer months with one of its 2 marquee attractions down. They used to be able to reopen capacity monster Horizons when another major attraction was down (this was done while World of Motion was down during the conversion to Test Track, as well as during the extended downtime in Test Track's first few years due to the ride system issues), as well as a relevant Universe of Energy, CommuniCore / Innoventions, and a still somewhat entertaining Journey Into Imagination, as well as the entire Wonders of Life pavilion. Today, they have replaced Horizons with a much lower capacity and much less appealing Mission: Space, shuttered the Wonders of Life pavilion and gutted the attractions, and allowed Universe of Energy, Innoventions, and Journey Into Imagination to fade into obscurity to most guests. Spaceship Earth can still eat up crowds, but Test Track being down will be a major hit to park capacity this Summer. Luckily we'll be there with our 2 year old, all will be much more consumed with tracking down characters and riding Dumbo (I'm excited about the new Storybook Circus area, half of which is open) than doing a 60mph loop around Epcot's ring.

This has been a weird one to watch unfold. They announced vague details about the refurb a few months ago, then internal politics came into play and briefly cancelled / scaled back the plans to the point that the earlier releases were deleted from the Disney Parks media site, the formal closing was never posted to the Disney Parks website (which usually happens a few months ahead of time so guests can plan), and then miraculously it's back on the week before it goes down. The ride itself isn't changing too much - course is staying the same, with some show sets being swapped out, but the preshow and postshow are supposed to be dramatically overhauled. I'm not sure what the hold up was the last few months, but I know there was some concern within Disney brass about GM investing into an in-park attraction while still owing $Billions to the US Government. You didn't really miss it, it wasn't posted to the attraction closure list until this week. Bad show, Disney. Bad show.

Rays have been living at the zoo for years, in both the Discovery Reef and Manatee Coast exhibits, but this is their first time being a headliner. The new facility, which is both indoor and outdoor, is being added at the Animal Encounters Village area of Jungle Jacks Landing. This is the area where guests can get face to face with some of their favorite animals; Going nose to nose with Penguins, petting pretty pink flamingos, holding giant rabbits , and even getting a chance to touch a Cheetah. From the looks of it, the building is done and the tanks have been installed. I'd expect to see Stingray Bay open around Memorial Day weekend.

I can't say with absolute certainty, but it seems most of the "bad ones" have been squeezed out of the industry. Ringling Brothers Barnum & Baily have a sterling, and very transparent, operation, Armondo Loyal (elephants) and Adam Easley (tigers) do a superb job on the John Ringling North II owned Kelly Miller show, The Byrd family is running a very tight ship over at Carson & Barnes, and the independent guys like Adam Burck, Brian Franzen, and Casey Cainan are all incredibly good to their cats. While I do think there is an ethical argument as to if these animals should be "forced" to perform and travel (though that can get to be a very slippery slope, considering the agriculture and science industries), I have no reservations taking my family to see these shows. I've had the pleasure of meeting many of these people and getting to visit with them away from the crowds and spotlights, and I've always been impressed with the way they loved their animals. I'm glad you all enjoyed the photos! It was a great show. It looks like the Kelly Miller, Carson & Barnes, and Culpepper and Merriwether tented shows will be coming back through Ohio in May, June, and July, and I'd recommend you at least consider attending a showing nearby. The only way to keep this classic artform alive is to support it.

Thank you! Tell me about it. She has a little brother coming this August, too. She isn't going to know what to do! And Mr. Interpreter, I hope you checked out my other PTR posted today as well.

Call me old fashioned, but I've always been a circus fan. From the smallest bigtop mudshow, to the largest Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey arena spectacular, I just love the art form. I hadn't made the time, however, to see Columbus' Aladdin Shrine Circus in many years. The last time I saw the show (probably late '90s?), it was being played at the relatively huge Expo Center Coliseum and was being produced by the always sterling folks at Royal Hanneford Circus. In the last few years, the show has switched venues and switched companies, both with great result. The show moved from the Coliseum (basically an arena, former home of the Columbus Chill hockey club) to the gigantic, open concept Celeste Center, also at the Expo Center / State Fairground. This allowed them to switch up their concept: half the building is set up with tiered seating and a 3 ring circus, and the other half is a large indoor carnival with rides, games, and concessions. These weren't small rides, either. Durant Shows brought in a gigantic Ferris Wheel, Roundup, Fun Slide, Fire Truck pendulum ride, several kiddie spinners, and a large carousel. Besides being a hook to drive up popularity for the circus, it also surely helps drives up revenues for the great work that the shriners do. As I mentioned, the show is no longer produced by Royal Hanneford Circus of Sarasota, FL, it is now produced by Hamid Circus Incorporated, from New Jersey. I couldn't have been more impressed with the quality of show they put together. Plenty of top-tire acts, including the spectacular Flying Pages trapeze act opening the show, and the wonderful animal acts of Laura Herriott (Horse, Pony, Dogs, camel) and Brian Franzen (Tigers and Elephants). A rarity in today's circus, the show also featured a live band (keyboard and drums) providing about 75% of the shows music. They got a huge rise from the crowd when they played OSU's Across The Field to start the 2nd half of the show (OSU basketball was just taking to the court against Kansas in Final Four play that night). We started our evening (about 90 minutes prior to showtime) with something my daughter had been talking about for 2 weeks: Riding an elephant. Now, I thought she would change her mind once she was so close to these huge animals, but she was more convinced than ever once we arrived. We climbed aboard Okah, the first elephant owned by Brian Franznen's famous father, Wayne, and made several laps around the ring. The look on Avery's face was priceless! We rode a few other small rides, took her over to Ring #1 where a camel ride had been set up inside the steel arena (already inplace for the tiger act), where its handler very cordially let Avery meet and pet the camel, even though we didn't want to ride. I was shocked to see the amount of entertainment we got for our $30 worth of "reserve" tickets: We spent 6pm-7:30pm enjoying the rides, sights, and chatting with the Ringmaster on the show floor, the show began at 7:30, and the last act didn't end until nearly 10:30pm! Talk about value; I couldn't have been more impressed. Hamid Circus Inc produces several Shrine Circus dates around the country, as well as circuses for other fundraising organizations. Avery and I, at the back, aboard Okah the Asian Elephant Avery, still unsure of the loud music, provided by the Aladdin Shrine Band The show's setup, inside the Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds This camel was actually very affectionate, both with its handler and us As the show prepares to begin, large transport cages move in 6 tigers for Brian Franzen's cat act It's showtime! Ringmaster Peter Sturgis appears amidst beautiful showgirls in a cloud of smoke The Flying Pages Before the cat act started, this White Tiger (no more than 20' from our seats), kept staring at us. Snacks? The cats all went through their paces easily and without drama, with little more than verbal commands from Mr. Franzen. He could be seen petting and loving on the cats through the sides of their transport cages before the show The Laura Herriott mixed animal act, featuring Camel, Horse, Miniature Ponies, and Dogs Miss Mercedes and her Horseback Acrobatics She was captivated! Ending Act 1, a Copyright-infringing yet hilarious Clown act featuing Johnny Rocket and "America's Favorite Tow Truck" "When will the show start again, guys?" Mermaid-themed blacklight Aerial Ballet, staring an 8 year old performer on the center rope Laura Herriott presents her dogs The Brian Franzen Elephants were among the last acts (and our last pictures of the night) Okah is reportedly the only elephant in the world who can balance on a globe, a trick she mastered with Brian's father Wayne way back in 1979 DISCLAIMER: A note on the animals: This can be a divisive issue (and once I've found myself on both sides of), but I wanted to point out a few things about our experience. During the elephant rides, none of the 4 employees working the ride (1 on each staircase, 1 leading each elephant) had a bullhook (or any instrument, for that matter) at all. They led the elephants using vocal commands only, and could be seen giving the animals affectionate rubs and treats between rides. The elephants skin was clean and moist with no visible injuries, and their nails were all impeccably maintained (a big issue for pachyderms). During the act, trainer Brian Franzen did carry a bullhook, but never touched the animals with it, only using it as a pointing aide. Before the tiger act, as the transport cages were rolled into the arena, trainer Brian Franzen was witnessed pressing his hands and face against the sides, where the tigers chuffed and rubbed their heads against his. Other show workers could be seen doing the same thing, with positive responses from the cats. The ponies and horses all showed normal behavior and had clean and well groomed coats. The camel was oddly affectionate with its handler in the ring, as well as the man leading it for camel rides before the show and at intermission. While there are obviously multiple views on this issue, I came away from this show confident that these animals were loved, cared for, and generally healthy.

Beautiful Easter weekend weather here in Central Ohio beckoned us out to the incomparable Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for their annual Easter weekend "Eggs, Paws, and Claws" event. Like most other special events at the park (Boo! at the Zoo, Wildlights, Jack Hanna's Fall Fest), the festivities are all "free" with gate admission. Being members, we parked for free, made our way through the gate, and started our Saturday morning of fun. Much like the Halloween-time Boo! at the Zoo event, the park is set up with several dozen "treat stations", sponsored by local businesses (who surely pay a small fortune to get access to the zoo's captive audience), who give out generous handfuls of sweets and treats to the little ones along with pamphlets and business cards to mom and dad. There are also several special activities, including "Easter eggs" given to various animals (we got to see AsiaQuest's beautiful Monitor Lizard enjoying his...), as well as a scuba diving Easter Bunny featured a few times per day in the Shores region's Discovery Reef aquarium. A short parade, the "Character Carrot Caravan", made it's way around the central plaza 3 times per day, featuring zoo mascots along with Buggs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Frisch's Big Boy, all dancing to a springtime theme. As is quickly becoming the case anytime of year, the park was beautifully decorated for the spring season. Pastel tulle bows, big printed spring flowers, large inflatables, and impeccable landscaping all helped set the springtime mood. Chalk artists were showing their craft around the central Conservation Lake, drawing admiration from all. Unfortunately, the beautiful weather ensured big crowds: More than 20,000 guests came through the gate on Saturday. Fortunately, the park is large enough that we only really felt cramped at lunch time, choosing to dine indoors (right at noon, no less) at the park's popular Congo River Market footcourt, located at the entrance to the African Forest region. As always, the animals put on a great show, but the little extras involved in these special events make dealing with the crowds worthwhile. A treat station, set up inside of the AsiaQuest's themed buildings Sun Bear, through the glass Hanna, the reticulated python, and daughter of the well-known Fluffy (largest snake in captivity, until he died at the zoo last year) In addition to the zoo's normal characters, spring chicks and bunnies were brought in to greet kids Phoebe, Connie, and baby Beco were still spending their morning inside the Pachyderm building At more than 15,000 lbs and 9'5" tall, Hank is the largest elephant in North America. Seen here in the 2 acre north elephant yard It really was a beautiful day Busy lunchtime inside the Congo River Market, which features Charley's Steakery, Rotoni's Pizza, Jr Chef, Congo Grill, Fresh Selections Deli, and Jalapeno Mexacana (the barbacoa tacos and sopopillas were delicious!) As always, she can't leave without a ride on the historic Mangles-Illions 1914 Grand Carousel

More.. Continued, with video, at http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2012/03/27/powell-new-columbus-zoo-tool-allows-people-to-view-animals-from-home.html

Good move, in my opinion. Pricing isn't really the food issue in the CF chain; Quality is. Pricing is in line with most other captive-audience venues. What this move really signifies to me is that they might be getting serious about worthy in-park sit down dining. The implications and "trickle down" of one or two really good sit down restaurants inside the gate could do very good things for the lesser options.

Here's a neat new tool from the Columbus Zoo, that allows you to virtually visit the park. http://www.nationwide.com/cps/nw-your-zoo-view.htm As of now, the site allows you to take control of a live webcam in one of 4 zoo exhibits: Alaskan Brown Bears, Discovery Reef aquarium, Humboldt Penguins, and one of the zoo's Aviaries in Journey to Australia.

Honestly, the people who aren't being refunded could go to small claims court without needing a lawyer, but in the end the result will be the same: A piece of paper declaring The Beach owes you money, and a company being forced into bankruptcy protection. Can anybody here offer any insights into the park's debt situation?

The monorail was free in its opening year, and became a $0.50 upcharge for the 1975 season.

The slide parts in this photo are The Jet Stream (black) and Zuma Falls (tan), both bought from the Wyandot Lake auction. Were these ever erected? Zuma Falls was rather weak, but The Jet Stream was pretty intense.

Please tell me this won't be an eyesore like the screen was. Please please please. The new stage is being built to the side of the midway, in the spot formerly occupied by Iron Dragon's entrance and first set of switchbacks. The view of the CP&LE RR station and Millennium Force will still be unobstructed.

This is where Columbus is very blessed: The zoo has a separate, "for profit" organization which operates Zoombezi Bay and Jungle Jacks Landing which essentially pumps the profits directly back into the zoo. The last major addition, 2010's Polar Frontier, was a $20Million investment which was spent building "just" three superb habitats (Polar Bears, Alaskan Brown Bears, and Arctic Fox) and an education center. The next major addition, African Savannah, will open in 2014 and complete the zoo's 10 year, $180Million master plan. The new Savannah will be 70 acres, nearly doubling the zoo's current 100 acre size.

This is actually how they're advertising this season: The four different Columbus Zoo "Adventures". Obviously, the Zoo is one, Zoombezi Bay is another, joined by Safari Gold Course (more an adventure for dad, but I digress) and The Wilds (the gigantic wildlife center in Cumberland, which is now under the zoo's management). The ads are great so far. Thank you! The pics were taken with my phone, as somebody didn't clear the card in our DSLR before we left. I'll again encourage everyone to consider a trip up to Columbus. It has the "charm", attention to detail, and cleanliness you'd normally only find at a Busch park.

Hank also recently celebrated his birthday, and the zoo shared this video. You can really get a sense of his immense size here!