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Time Out Dubai
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
Where kids go free during Eid Al Adha
Eid Al Adha is just around the corner, so if you're a parent, you're almost definitely planning how to amuse your kids over the four-day long weekend. But day trips out with the whole fam don't need to break the bank — there are plenty of places letting the kiddos visit for free. If you like this: Eid Al Adha itinerary: All the fun things to do during the long weekend From swish staycations to magic shows and more, here's everything the little ones can attend without you paying a dirham. 5 activities where kids go free Expo City Credit: Supplied Running from Friday June 6 to Sunday June 8, kids under 12 can explore three different attractions for free at Expo City — Terra, Alif and Vision. From travelling through time and space to learning about what lives in the world's forests and oceans, the interactive exhibits will definitely keep the kids occupied for a few hours. Free entry (kids under 12), from Dhs80 (adult). Jun 6-8 10am-6pm. Expo City, Madame Tussauds (Credit: supplied) The waxwork attraction is offering a kids-go-free offer from Wednesday June 4, meaning you can redeem free entry for one child per adult ticket purchased. Snap a selfie with one of your favourite celebs from tennis stars to A-list movie actors. Free (kids under 11) with every adult ticket (offer ongoing from Wed Jun 4). From Dhs95. Open Mon-Fri 11.30am-8.30pm; Sat-Sun noon-9pm. Bluewaters Island, (04 873 3042). Magic Planet The games arcade in City Centre Deira will be offering a series of free magic shows, bubble shows and face painting between Friday June 6 and Sunday June 8. If the little ones want to use the similators or indoor rides, you will still have to top up a gaming card as usual, but up until Sunday June 15, you'll get 30 percent extra bonus points on the Dhs350 package. Free shows/entry. Jun 6-8. Open Mon 10am-11pm, Tue 10am-1am, Wed-Thu 10am-11pm, Fri-Sun 10am-midnight. City Centre Deira, (600 599905). Times Square Centre (Credit: Times Square Centre) From Friday June 6 to Sunday June 8, the community mall will be packed with free events for the little ones, including a live show from Magic Phil, teddy bear workshops, face painting, storytelling and even a sing-along or two. Free. June 6-8. Centre open Mon-Thu 10am-10pm; Fri-Sun 10am-11pm. Times Square Centre, Al Quoz, (04 341 8020). voco Dubai The Palm (Credit: Supplied) If you fancy a family staycay, you'll be pleased to hear that kiddos under 12 can stay for free at voco Dubai The Palm. Not only that, but they can dine all day for free from a dedicated kids' menu at Maison Mathis, enjoy unlimited ice cream by the pool or beach, as well as free-flowing soft drinks. If you like this: We've found the best Eid Al Adha staycation deals in Dubai Each room can accommodate up to two children per booking. From Dhs580 per night. Sun June 1 to Sun Aug 31. West Beach, Palm Jumeirah, (04 249 5555). Looking for things to do during Eid Al Adha? Eid Al Adha itinerary: All the fun things to do during the long weekend Where to go and what to see over the break 23 fun things to do at night in Dubai, no matter your budget The best evening activities in the city for every price point Exploring Dubai? Here are 10 incredible things to do that are (almost) free Explore like a local without breaking the bank
USA Today
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Can you stay at Epic Universe? These hotels put you closest to the action.
Can you stay at Epic Universe? These hotels put you closest to the action. Show Caption Hide Caption Dive into Universal's Epic Universe immersive worlds Universal's Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida, is the first theme park to open in the area in 25 years with five different, immersive worlds. ORLANDO, Fla. – If money were no object, there'd be no question about where to stay while visiting Universal's new Epic Universe theme park. Hands down, it would be Universal Helios Grand Hotel because it's connected to the park and has an exclusive entrance. 'You can ... almost literally roll out of bed and into the theme park,' Dennis Quinn, senior vice president of Hotel Commercial Strategy at Universal Orlando Resort, told USA TODAY. 'It just brings a whole new level to the guest immersion into our entertainment environment.' The location not only puts guests at a huge advantage for being among the first to enter Epic Universe each morning, but also for midday breaks, when they can saunter back to their rooms or hotel pool to recharge. 'It's not like you have to have a dedicated pool day,' he added. 'You could hop in and out on any given day.' Alas for most travelers, money matters, and Helios Grand is one of the priciest hotels at Universal Orlando Resort. Starting prices vary widely depending on factors like time of year, length of stay and available promotions. Prospective guests can find pricing for their specific travel dates on Universal's website. With 11 hotels and 11,000 rooms on property, there's something for every budget. And some hotels, co-owned by Universal and Loews, have arguably better perks. Here's what you should know before booking an Epic Universe vacation. What hotels can you walk to Epic Universe from? Three hotels are within walking distance of Epic Universe. Helios Grand is adjacent. Universal Stella Nova sits across the street from the park, about a 12-minute walk away. Its twin, Universal Terra Luna, is a bit further, diagonal from the park. All three hotels opened this year and were inspired by Celestial Park, the heart of Epic Universe. 'With Stella and Terra, we liked the celestial aspect of Celestial Park within Epic Universe, so we took that field and tried to not capture space travel but tried to capture the aura and wonder of space,' explained Russ Dagon, senior vice president of Resort Development, Universal Creative. He said the same creatives who worked on the park drew early concept art for Stella Nova and Terra Luna. For Helios Grand, he said, they leaned into the look of historic world's fairs, which also influenced the architecture of Celestial Park. 'We knew when we were designing this hotel that this would be the backdrop to virtually every picture taken within the park, so it's highly integrated,' he said. Most of Universal's other hotels are not walkable from Epic, located on an entirely different campus along with Universal's two other theme parks, Volcano Bay water park and CityWalk shopping, dining and entertainment. CityWalk's transportation hub is about 15 minutes away from Epic Universe by resort shuttle. Universal's two Endless Summer hotels are exceptions. They're not connected to either park campus or within easy walking distance, but located between them. On the plus side, their rooms and suites are generally the cheapest at Universal. Free transportation is provided between Universal hotels and parks, but guests will consider where they plan to spend most of their vacation when choosing where to stay. What is the difference between Stella Nova and Terra Luna? These sleek, space-themed hotels are very similar, but there are a few slight differences. Outside, both are paneled in shiny, multicolored tiles, but Stella Nova's tiles extend all the way to the ground near its front entrance, while Terra Luna's do not. On the inside, they're mirror images, with Stella Nova's cafe and quick-service dining venue to the left side of its lobby, when entering from the front, and Terra Nova's to the right. The venues are also designed differently and have different menus. The predominant color in both hotels is white, but as their names imply, Stella Nova is accented with cooler tones and starry vibes while Terra Nova has warmer, more terrestrial theming. By and large, their spacious two-queen guest rooms look the same, but they have different artwork. Both hotels have a lobby bar and pool bar, gym, game room, hot tub and expansive pool with ample lounge seats. For families with young children, Stella Nova also has a splash pad. Terra Luna does not, but its pool offers zero-depth entry, unlike Stella Nova's. Is it worth staying off property? What Universal, Disney guests should know when visiting Orlando What are the benefits of staying at the Universal Helios Grand Hotel? Aside from its unparalleled proximity to Epic Universe and exclusive park entrance, Helios Grand is a beautiful hotel. 'One of our biggest challenges – and I think we did a great job of addressing this – was making it rich, making it sophisticated and making it approachable all at the same time,' Dagon said. 'We've all been in hotels where you felt it was too fancy for you ... It's all still very, very comfortable.' Half of the hotel faces the park, offering spectacular views that can be seen from its top-floor bar, Bar Helios, and guest rooms where curtains automatically open and close with the touch of a button. Like any Universal Orlando hotel, guests staying there enjoy early entry to select parks each day with paid admission, free resort transportation, free delivery of in-park purchases back to their hotel, room charging privileges – and the feeling of staying inside the Universal bubble. 'That's the big part of it, feeling like you're not really leaving the resort grounds, the fact that it's a continuous vacation experience,' Quinn said. One big difference, however, from other Universal hotels at similar price points is Helios Grand guests do not get free Universal Express Unlimited passes to cut waits at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. Those passes typically cost between $149.99 and $349.99 per person, per day, but they're free with stays at Loews Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Travelers planning to visit Universal's other theme parks should consider if the perks of staying at Helios Grand outweigh the opportunity cost of the Universal Express passes and time saved in line. (Free Express passes can't be used at Epic Universe.) Alternately guests could split their stay between hotels for the best of both worlds. 'None of our hotels are designed to be all things to all people, and because of that, you can create a unique stay at each property and you can find something for everyone,' Dagon said. The reporter on this story received access from Universal. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Scientists Can Tell When A Volcano Is About To Erupt Using This 'Green' Cue
Scientists can predict when a volcano is about to erupt by looking at the vegetation nearby. A new study collaboration between NASA and the Smithsonian Institution claims that the greenness of the trees around a volcano can indicate a potential imminent blast. As volcanoes get charged up to explode, they push magma close to the surface, releasing higher levels of carbon dioxide. In turn, the health of the surrounding trees is boosted with the leaves becoming greener by consuming the excess CO2. "The remote detection of carbon dioxide greening of vegetation potentially gives scientists another tool - along with seismic waves and changes in ground height-to get a clear idea of what's going on underneath the volcano," read a NASA statement. Up until recently, scientists had to trek to volcanoes if they wanted to measure the CO2 levels, as a volcano emitting modest amounts of carbon dioxide does not show up in satellite imagery. However, with a number of volcanoes located in remote areas, assessing the greenery could help scientists avoid the trouble of trekking through the dangerous terrains. "There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis," study lead author Nicole Guinn, a doctoral student in volcanology at the University of Houston in Texas, said in the statement. Researchers analysed images collected by Landsat 8, NASA's Terra satellite, ESA's (European Space Agency) Sentinel-2, and other Earth-observing satellites to monitor trees around the Mount Etna volcano on the coast of Sicily. Results showed 16 clear spikes in both the amount of CO2 and vegetation's greenness, which coincided with upward migrations of magma from the volcano. The findings could have important real-life implications as 10 per cent of the world's population lives in areas susceptible to volcanic hazards. Predicting a volcanic eruption in advance could help move out people who live or work within a few miles of the volcano and face dangers that include ejected rock, dust, and surges of hot, toxic gases.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Everything You Need to Know To Get into Magic the Gathering's Final Fantasy Set
Few game franchises can match the pedigree of Final Fantasy, but one that arguably comes close is the long-running trading card game Magic: the Gathering. Much like FF, Wizards of the Coast's TCG has been around for decades, bringing in new players regularly and exciting existing ones continualy. This June, the card game istrying its most ambitious plan yet: collaborating with Square Enix to release a set of cards starring characters, locations and creatures from Final Fantasy history. However, those new to MTG, or trading card games in general, may be overwhelmed by all the different products available. This guide will help you break down all of the offerings to choose what's right for you. These are probably the poster child for the collaboration as these are decks created specifically for Magic's popular commander format. 'Commander' is a spin on the rules of MTG where more than two players at a time have a 100-card deck with no duplicates that includes a leader card to offer special abilities when playing. Read More: How To Pick The Right Commander Deck For Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy Set For the Final Fantasy set, there will be four Commander decks available, each for a different game. There is the FFVI deck starring Terra, FFVII starring Cloud, FFX starring Tidus, and FFXIV starring Y'shtola. These decks are pretty expensive going for around $70, but you are getting a wide variety of cards and these builds are fairly competitive. This is a great pickup for those who want to be able to play one of Magic's most popular game-types, or if you love one of the titles being offered here. There are also Collector's Editions of these decks that have foils for every card inside at a much higher are your normal booster packs. They should be around $7 USD each, or you can pick up a box for a little over $200. Each pack will contain 14 cards but all will be Final Fantasy themed. This is a great option for those who love FF and just want to collect some Boosters are like your standard Play Boosters but have a chance of higher rarity cards. Collector's Boosters are for those who want to try to get the coolest looking cards. These are for those who want to try to get the most valuable cards from the set; however, Collector's Boosters will most likely not be reprinted and will be very tough to find, so if you don't already have some on order, you may be out of the name implies, this is basically a bundle of booster packs with some extras. You get nine play boosters, 32 lands, 16 which are full-art and 16 which are foil, a spindown (which is used to track health in a MTG match) and a deck box. This retails for $69.99 and is a good option if you are planning on picking up a handful of boosters and want some is basically an improved version of the standard bundle. It includes nine booster packs, a collector booster, 32 full-art lands (16 foil, 16 non-foil), a spindown, and a storage box. This should retail for around $ The Gathering holds special events called 'Pre-Releases,' which allow fans the opportunity to get their hands on new cards a week early. Unlike the other products on this list, the Pre-Release Pack is available for purchase at these events. Each box contains six booster packs, a special rare or mythic rare card, a deck box and spindown die (Editor's note: No, you can't use spindowns for D&D even though they have 20 sides). Once your packs are opened, you will build a limited, 40-card deck and play in a tournament with other players, with most game shops offering prizes for winners. This is a great way to get involved in the game and see what it's like to actually play Magic: The Gathering in a competitive there is a starter deck pack that contains two pre-built decks (Cloud vs Sephiroth). Retailing for $19.99, this is a good option for those who want to try out MTG in a more casual Fantasy and Magic: The Gathering fans have a lot to look forward to summer 2025 when this collaboration releases on June 12th. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Unique Cavan whiskey liqueur set to take Bloom by storm – ‘You have to taste it to believe it'
Shanky's Whip, a black Irish whiskey liqueur and hybrid of Irish whiskey and Irish cream liqueur will be available to taste at Bloom over the bank holiday weekend Today at 04:00 The Bord Bia Bloom Festival is due to kick off over the upcoming June Bank Holiday weekend, the makers of 'Shanky's Whip' are preparing for their Bloom debut. Shanky's Whip founder Elwyn Gladstone told the Irish Independent: 'It's a black Irish whiskey liqueur that is made in Ballieborough, Co Cavan, by our friends at a company called Terra.
