Seaworld

Disney plans to introduce the Avengers, X-Men,  Spider-Man and other Marvel characters in a theme-park setting for the first time since acquiring the comic book company in 2009. PHOTOS: Marvel characters coming to Middle East theme park The Marvel Adventure family entertainment center is expected to open in late 2013 in the United Arab Emirates with superhero-themed attractions, restaurants and shops. The eight-acre indoor mini theme park will be part of the $5-billion City of Arabia entertainment, commercial and residential development in Dubailand.

The smooth, quick and quiet Manta family coaster that debuted over Memorial Day  weekend at SeaWorld San Diego is just the type of thrilling ride the marine park sorely needs. PHOTOS: Manta roller coaster at SeaWorld San Diego The knock on the sea life show-heavy park has always been that it doesn't have enough rides. Over the past few years, SeaWorld has added a number of kiddie rides, but this summer the park finally got around to satisfying the tween set. For a 30-foot-tall family coaster with a top speed of 43 mph, the $35-million Manta manages to pack a lot of surprises into its modest proportions while even delivering a pair of firsts for a U.S. coaster.

Real Madrid plans to open a $1 billion soccer-centric theme park on a United Arab Emirates man-made island in January 2015 that celebrates the history, triumphs and hubris of the richest football club in the world. PHOTOS: Real Madrid Resort Island in the Middle East The 100-acre Real Madrid Resort Island  will feature a roller coaster that extends out over the water, a SeaWorld-style dolphin show and a hologram soccer movie inside a climate-controlled theme park.

Not everything is bigger in Texas. The new Aquatica water park at SeaWorld San Antonio will be one-third the size and cost half as much as the innovative Aquatica water park at SeaWorld Orlando . PHOTOS: Aquatica water park at SeaWorld San Antonio Debuting May 19, the Aquatica park in Texas will feature 18 water slides on 20 acres at a cost of more than $24 million. That's considerably smaller than Florida's $50-million-plus Aquatica which debuted in 2008 with 36 slides on 60 acres as the new high-water mark for water parks.

David W. Kenney, SeaWorld's first veterinarian, who played a key role in bringing the original Shamu to the San Diego amusement park as well as a gray whale believed to be the first raised by humans, died Feb. 14 in Montrose, Colo. He was 77. The cause was cancer, said his sister, Meredith Maler. Kenney was hired by the park a few weeks before its 1964 opening and over the next several years displayed an ingenuity and dedication that helped the fledgling tourist attraction build and maintain an impressive collection of marine animals.

A federal judge appeared dubious Monday about a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that seeks the release of orcas from SeaWorld on anti-slavery grounds. PETA attorney Jeffrey Kerr told U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller that invoking the anti-slavery 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in hopes of freeing the orcas is "the next frontier of civil rights. " But Miller told Kerr that he cannot find a legal precedent for allowing a lawsuit to be filed on behalf of the orcas under the 13th Amendment.

SeaWorld San Diego will add a manta ray-themed family roller coaster on May 26 that marks the U.S. debut of a highly anticipated prototype ride. PHOTOS: Manta roller coaster at SeaWorld San Diego Paired with a 100,000-gallon aquarium and outdoor ray pool, the Manta coaster will twist and turn over low terrain in the relatively unused back corner of the marine park near the Skyride and Flamingo Cove, SeaWorld officials said....

SeaWorld Orlando has announced a multi-year plan to add a 3-D movie, a swim-with-sea-life attraction and a new themed land in an effort to counter increasing competition in Florida's crowded theme park marketplace. The largest and most expensive expansion in the marine park's 38-year history comes on the heels of the successful debuts of Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 and Legoland Florida in 2011. During that same period, Walt Disney World announced plans to open a Fantasyland makeover at the Magic Kingdom starting in 2012 and Avatar Land at Disney's Animal Kingdom starting in 2015.

The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Florida's amusement park belt has opened a new pool play area with water slides, water jets and a water windmill designed for kids, and the hotel has lowered rates to $89 a night for families. The deal: The Splash & Stay package includes a standard room that sleeps up to two adults and two children. It also includes a free breakfast for kids 12 and younger with each adult meal. To get this deal use the promo code "SUM" when making a reservation.

For the first time in more than four decades, a new Shamu show premiered Saturday at SeaWorld San Diego without animal trainers performing stunts in the water with the marine park's iconic killer whales. Photos : "One Ocean" killer whale show at Sea World San Diego After a fatal accident at SeaWorld's sister park in Florida, the San Diego park unveiled the conservation-themed " One Ocean " show, featuring orcas performing in unison against a new backdrop of giant LCD screens surrounding a tie-dye-colored whale fluke.