Starting at 8:00, there will be a rally “pitting fans of Black Anaconda against fans of The Scorpion’s Tail in a battle to determine America’s Most Thrilling Water Ride!”

The only negative – you need to be in the park by 8:00 a.m. to take advantage of th $10 admission offer.

For more information and to RSVP, check out the Noah’s Ark Facebook page.

Just as Fort Dells was gobbled up by Walgreens, McDonald’s and Starbucks years ago, Storybook Gardens is now just a memory.  This news is sad to me, as I have fond memories of visiting Storybook Gardens.  My first visits were with my brothers and parents when I was a child.  After outgrowing Storybook Gardens long ago, I returned there a few summers back for the first time with my own family.

True, Storybook Gardens was old, tired, and outdated.  Many of the displays from my childhood 30 years ago were still there.  Despite the drawbacks, there was something special about visiting.  The train ride and carousel were simple, but still fun.  Visiting Storybook Gardens was like taking a step back to my own youth.

In recent years, the operators of Storybook Gardens added a wildlife element and included exotic animals throughout the grounds.  Timbavati Wildlife Park breathed much needed new life into this artifact.  Unfortunately the animals weren’t enough to keep Storybook Gardens afloat.

In the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, the kiss from a prince breaks the spell to bring the princess out of her slumber.  What is next for the property?  What will be Storybook Gardens’ prince?  Only time will tell…

R.I.P Storybook Gardens

With your reservation, you get the choice of 3 of the following free upgrades:

• Suite Upgrade
• Breakfast for 2 adults & 2 Children (ages 12 & under)
• 2 games of bowling with shoes for 4 people
• Horse-back Riding for 2 people
• 4 Indoor Theme Park Ride Passes
• 20″ Pizza & 4 Sodas
• Duck ride for 2 adults and 2 children
• $40 Dinner Credit for Great Karoo or Kahunaville
• 2 In-room Movies

If I were going, I would defintiely select the suite upgrade to give us a little more breathing room.  I would also chose one of the meal options – probably either the breakfast or the $40 dinner credit.  My third choice would be the Indoor Theme Park passes.  We had so much fun at the Indoor Theme Park the last time we were there, that I think the family would want to do that again.  The horse-back riding and the Duck tours are also good options.  I don’t think the in-room movies would appeal to me.  We can watch movies at home any time!

The Kalahari Choose Your Own Adventure promotion can be found on the Kalahari Specials page.  Make sure you select the month that you’re going to see the specials available for that month.

To purchase the deal, visit the Groupon website. At the top of the site, click on Visit More Cities, and click on Dayton. This offer is available for purchase today only!

Mt. Olympus is celebrating its 40th birthday* by offering free admission to the water park for several days in July!  Free admission is available on July 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th 2010.  The free passes are for the water park only, and do not include admission to the Mt. Olympus Theme Park.  Also, you are not allowed to come and go with these passes, once you leave the park, you would need to pay if you wanted to return.

In order to get the free passes to Mt. Olympus, you need to reserve them on the Mt. Olympus website.  Free admission is only available with an advance reservation, and won’t be available at the gate.

* I am not quite sure how Mt. Olympus came up with the number 40 for their birthday (unless the Greek gods age faster than the rest of us).  The name Mt. Olympus wasn’t used until 2004.  Prior to 2004, the property was owned and operated as separate entities – Big Chief Go Carts and Treasure Island Waterpark Resort.  In 2004, the family that operated Big Chief bought Treasure Island (formally Family Land), and changed the name to Mt. Olympus.

The all-in-one Dells attraction pass that was introduced just 2 years ago is no longer.  The Dells City Pass debuted in 2008 with 9 attractions for $79.  In 2009, the participating attractions increased to 12, and the price went up to $99.

Although the concept of an all-in-one pass was good, it didn’t catch on with enough visitors to the Dells.  The biggest reason was most likely the price.  $400 for a typical family of four is a lot of money to shell out in a weak economy.  The Dells City Pass most likely didn’t appeal to visitors staying at any of the Dells mega resorts since there are so many activities already included in the room price.  The appeal was also limited for visitors who stay in one of the many Dells motels that include Mt. Olympus passes with their rooms.

Another problem with the Dells City Pass was the number of attractions that were offered.  Sometimes “Less is More”.  With 12 attractions and only 3 days to use the pass, some people may have thought that they were being stretched too thin, or were paying for admissions that they never were going to use.  Not all of the attractions appealed to all visitors too.  Families with kids might not be interested in golf, comedy club admission, and a haunted house.  Visitors without kids may not have been interested in a train ride or admission to the deer park.

If you’re visiting the Dells in 2010 and wanted to buy the Wisconsin Dells City Pass, there is a good alternative.  The Dells Passport to Savings offers several attractions at a reduced price.  The difference in the Passport to Savings program is that it is ala carte – you only pay for the attractions that you’re going to use.  Participating attractions include the Tommy Bartlett Show, The Tommy Bartlett Exploratory, Upper Dells Boat Tours, Jet Boat Adventure Tours, Original Wisconsin Ducks, Adare Go Carts, Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, Wizard Quest, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, Dells 4D Special FX Theatre, Timber Falls Adventure Park & Knuckleheads, Noah’s Ark, Kalahari Indoor Theme Park & Circus World.  The savings increases with the number of attractions you purchase tickets too.  You can save up to 35% if you buy tickets to 6 attractions.

It would be nice to see the Wisconsin Dells City Pass return in future years.  A program overhaul would be in order.  The pick and choose method of the Passport to Savings program seems to be the way to go.

The tickets to Mt. Olympus are valid from June 1st through June 30th.  When you make a qualifying purchase at Pick ‘n Save or Copps, your receipt will contain a voucher for the free water park passes.  You must bring your receipt showing the purchase and the voucher to get free admission.

The 2010 dates are as follows:

• Friday, January 15
• Friday, February 12
• Friday, March 12
• Friday, April 30
• Friday, May 28
• Friday, June 4
• Sunday, Monday & Tuesday, June 13, 14, & 15
• Friday, August 27
• Friday, September 10**
• Friday, October 1
• Friday, November 19
• Friday, December 3

The September 10th weekend also includes a free breakfast buffet on Saturday, September 11th and free passes to the Kalahari Indoor Theme Park (all for only $109!).  There are also discounted dates available for the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio.  For more information all of the dates available and how to book the specials, check out the Kalahari Family Nights website.  Reservations can be made on the Kalahari Family Nights website, or by calling the Kalahari at 877-525-2427  and mentioning the “Don White Block” to get the special rate.

• 2 nights in your choice of hotel room
• Unlimited meals at the Market Fresh Buffet & Lounge and Crash Landings Restaurant
• Unlimited drinks at 2 bars
• Unlimited use of the Lost Rios Indoor Waterpark

The special rate is valid for Sunday – Thursday night stays through January 30, 2010 and is based on double occupancy. Children between the ages of 3 and 21 are an additional $46 per night, and children under the age of 3 are free. Blackout dates are December 23rd through January 3rd and January 17th.

This is a very popular promotion, and some dates will sell out quickly.  Reservations can be made on the Chula Vista website, or by calling Chula Vista at 800-388-4782.

There is a great deal available at the Kalahari for the night of September 11, 2009. For $109, you get your choice of a Hut or Desert Room and a breakfast buffet the next morning (other room types are also available at additional cost). As an added bonus, for just $5 more per person you can get passes to the new Kalahari Indoor Theme Park. Typically these passes are $20 each for hotel guests.

This deal is available through the Kalahari Family Nights program.  In addition to the September 11th date, several other dates are available for the reduced rate of $109:

• Friday, September 18, 2009
• Friday, October 9, 2009
• Friday, November 13, 2009
• Friday, December 4, 2009
• Friday, December 11, 2009
• Friday, December 18, 2009

The breakfast buffet and $5 Indoor Theme Park special is only available for the September 11th date.  Additional specials are available for certain dates including a Saturday night stay available for the same rate, and another free Indoor Theme Park offer on the weekend of December 18th.  Check out the Kalahari Family Nights website for more details on those offers.