Theme Parks

SeaWorld, Busch offer pass for tots

SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, sister parks, are offering a free Preschool Pass for Florida residents age 5 and younger. The pass is good for unlimited admission at both parks through Dec. 31, with no blackout dates.

The pass is available only through an online registration process. Parents must register their children at www.BuschGardensTampaBay.com or www.SeaWorldOrlando.com. They can then pick up the Preschool Pass by bringing a printed confirmation and a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate to any ticket window at either park.

Florida Panhandle

Panama City Beach project completed

Panama City Beach has completed a three-month, $16 million beach renourishment project along 7 1/2 miles of waterfront. The city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pumped in 1.4 million cubic yards of sand, extending the shoreline by 100 feet in some locations.

The Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau projects that 6 million people will visit the area this year.

The city completed two prior renourishment projects in 1998 and 2005

Theme Parks

Disney again offers ‘Wild for 3’

Disney World has re-introduced an early year ticket deal for Florida residents. The “Wild for 3” pass offers three days in its theme parks for $99.

There are limitations. The tickets must be purchased by May 21 and used by May 24 — and not during the blackout periods of Feb. 18-20 and April 1-13. The tickets are not park-hoppers — that is, you are limited one park per day. They are valid for all four Disney World theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Guests can add a water-park option or convert the tickets into park-hopper for a total of $126.50 per person. Tacking on both water parks and park-hopping powers costs $154.

Airport Security

Military express lanes coming

Military members could soon fly through airport security, thanks to the Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act. It gives the Transportation Security Administration six months to create a plan for expedited screening for soldiers in uniform and on official orders and “to the extent possible, any accompanying family member,” and to establish guidelines for screening military uniform items, such as combat boots.

National parks

Mesa Verde

waiving fees

Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park is waiving its entrance fees through March 3.

Park Superintendent Cliff Spencer said he’s waiving fees to start the year because he wants to encourage visitors to come at a time when the park generally isn’t as busy.

Private vehicles typically pay $10 to $15 to enter the park, with the fee good for seven days.

Mesa Verde also is among national parks that plan to waive entrance fees April 21-29 for National Park Week; June 9 for Get Outdoors Day; Sept. 29 for National Public Lands Day; and Nov. 10-12 for Veterans Day weekend.

Miami Herald

wire services