Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/157113
•pg_3-13_ICI__BMT_pg3-58 8/12/13 5:18 PM Page 9 RESORT NEWS The Westin Phoenix Downtown invites guests to personalize their "Westin Weekend" experience with a 3 p.m. check-out on Sundays, extended breakfast hours until 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, a special cocktail recipe so guests can enjoy a taste of Phoenix back at home, and a token (amenity) of appreciation for enjoying the Westin Weekends program. Stay two weekend nights and receive a complimentary third night's stay available through Dec. 31, 2013. The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is pleased to announce discounted summer rates starting from $139 per night, based on availability, for stays through Labor Day. Those who book this package will receive a $30 Kierland FlowRider daily credit to be used during their stay. The Phoenician will mark its 25th anniversary on October 1, 2013, but Arizona's premier AAA Five Diamond resort destination is providing guests with a reason to celebrate this summer with an extraordinarily luxurious offer. Reserve one night at a special starting rate of $199 and get every other night for Westin Phoenix Downtown Pool Deck $25 and is valid on stays through September 30, 2013. ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT A new destination attraction Butterfly Wonderland, the largest butterfly pavilion in America, opened May 25, 2013. Spanning a 5-acre parcel of land, this state-of-the art new facility, located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, features a magnificent glass atrium that brings a tropical rainforest environment to the Arizona desert, as well as educational laboratories and interactive exhibits, a 3D movie theater, gift shop, and a café-style dining area. Butterfly Wonderland is the first phase of a planned "Odysea in the Desert" 522,000-sq. ft. entertainment complex that will eventually include the largest aquarium in the southwest, an IMAX theatre and a Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. ENTER THE WORLD OF SPRINGFIELD LIKE NEVER BEFORE - ONLY AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT! Woo Hoo! Springfield, hometown to America's favorite animated family, The Simpsons, comes to life at Universal Orlando Resort this summer. The expansive, new area within Universal Studios will be anchored by the mega-attraction, The Simpsons Ride, and will allow guests to enter the world of The Simpsons like never before. It will be the only place in the world where guests can walk the streets of Springfield. It will include a brand-new outdoor attraction, places and foods pulled right from the show and two new Simpsons characters who will make their debut with the new area – Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob. And yes – there will be Duff Beer, brewed exclusively for Universal Orlando. For the first time ever – anywhere – fans will be able to walk down Fast Food Boulevard and visit the places that helped Springfield stake its claim as "Shelbyville by the Sea." They will be able to grab a Krusty-certified meat sandwich at Krusty Burger, snatch the catch of the day at the Frying Dutchman, get a slice at Luigi's Pizza, go nuts for donuts at Lard Lad, enjoy a "Taco Fresho" with Bumblebee Man and imbibe at Moe's Tavern. The new attraction – called Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl – will take "foolish humans" on an intergalactic spin designed to send them into orbit. "This will be a must-see experience for Simpsons fans all over the world," said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. "For the first time ever, they're going to be able to enter a world that they've only seen on television – and we're really excited to bring that world to life." B M & T ••• July/August 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 9