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Ocean Park will be filled with a host of delightful Christmas-themed entertainment and animal-themed educational programmes this season, with the launch of Ocean Park Christmas Sensation on 17 December 2016. The highlight of the festivities is Cyber Illusion Spectacular at Applause Pavilion, a magnificent and breathtaking show presented by master illusionists, including finalists from the reality show, Australia’s Got Talent. Another all-new, must-watch show is Penguin Dress-Up Delights, featuring the Park’s energetic performers who will show off their dance moves while grooving to live music, all while dressed as adorable penguins. Guests can also explore Waterfront Plaza, which will transform into a winter wonderland with offerings such as Santa’s Whimsical Garden, a Christmas-themed park filled with musical instrument topiaries; and amidst the greenery will be a ‘living statue’, ready to pose for photos, ‘interact’ with and perform for guests. For festive and fun photos, guests can also snap a selfie with Santa Claus and his elves at Santa Tree Hut or pose in front of Ocean Park’s iconic 40-foot-tall Christmas tree. And there is more! The Park will offer a series of Christmas-themed education programmes, including Joyful Christmas Village and Ocean Park Nighttime – Christmas Edition, where kids can learn about science or watch as the ocean comes to life at night.
Matthias Li, Chief Executive of Ocean Park, said, “Ocean Park Christmas Sensation is set to offer fun-filled experiences for everyone this Christmas, and will be the perfect location for guests to spend quality time with family, friends and loved ones this December. From exploring festive attractions, feasting on delectable dishes that warm the body and soul, to learning about animal conservation, our comprehensive Christmas celebration will make this holiday truly unforgettable.”
Cyber Illusion Spectacular, a stunning stage show that revolves around illusion, acrobatics and dance, will take guests on an edge-of-their-seat journey. This extravaganza is produced by Susan Porrett, best known for her work on The Great Moscow Circus – 50th Year Anniversary. On a futuristic, cyber stage flanked by walls of LED lights, performers will wow audiences with a series of jaw-dropping acts. Highlights of the show include master magician Michael Boyd, an internationally acclaimed illusionist and Australia’s Got Talent finalist, who will astound audiences with death-defying acts, such as being sawn in half by a mechanical scorpion right in front of audiences’ eyes. Soul MystiqueTM, another finalist from Australia’s Got Talent will perform an astonishing quick change act comprising more than ten costume changes, all mixed together with high-energy Latin ballroom dance and magnetising showmanship. For an extra dose of magic, entertainment industry veteran Cassandra Gasser will make her assistants appear from thin air during her Fire Trunk act, which will feature scorching flames. Audiences will also be astounded by Po Cheng, a master fan manipulator who will transform soft silk handkerchiefs into fans or make fans appear out of thin air. He will also leave audiences gasping, as he conjures up a one-metre fan out of nowhere.
Cyber Illusion Spectacular will take place at Applause Pavilion with four to five shows a day. It will run from 17 December 2016 to 12 February 2017 (available daily from 17 December 2016 to 2 January 2017, and 28 January to 12 February 2017; available only on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 to 22 January 2017).
Guests will be surrounded by holiday cheer at Ocean Park Christmas Sensation, with the Park decked out with festive decorations. At the heart of Waterfront Plaza will be Santa Tree Hut, where guests can snap a selfie with Santa and his elves. The photo fun will continue at Santa’s Whimsical Garden, an expansive Christmas-themed park filled with numerous musical instrument topiaries that are perfect for photos. Guests should remember to look for the ‘living statue’ in Statue Alive! in Santa’s Whimsical Garden, and snap a photo with this renowned ‘piece of stone’.
For a high-energy experience, guests should keep an eye out for the Penguin Dress-Up Delights show. Dressed in adorable penguin costumes, entertainers will be dancing or bouncing in stilts around the Park’s signature Aqua City Lagoon, as they hand out candy to get guests in the holiday mood. And as a heartwarming end to their evening, guests should remember to gather early at the Park’s iconic 40-foot-tall Christmas tree to witness the lighting ceremony – Light Up the Night; this will be the perfect location for guests to snap a holiday photo with friends, family or that special someone.
For some Christmassy fun, guests can explore two seasonal education programmes, the Joyful Christmas Village or Ocean Park Nighttime – Christmas Edition. In Joyful Christmas Village, participants will transform into elves and learn about the science behind different forms of energy, so they can build a special contraption to help Santa deliver all his presents (Santa’s Energy Lab). The learning fun will continue with Christmas DoReMi, in which participants will dive into the science of sound to customise extraordinary musical instruments, and have some fun making original Christmas music. Guests looking for a truly unique experience should spend Christmas or New Year’s Eve watching how the ocean comes alive at night in Ocean Park Nighttime – Christmas Edition. After savouring mouthwatering dishes at Neptune’s Restaurant and the Panda Café, guests can set up camp at ‘the bottom of the ocean’ at The Grand Aquarium and watch as the seabed comes to life in the twilight hours. As a special souvenir, kids can decorate their own DIY Christmas Gift Bag with fish, sharks or whatever comes to mind.
Ocean Park is also launching a brand-new, long-term Get Closer to The Animals programme, Meet the Giant Panda, beginning on 18 December, where participants as young as three years old can have an up-close encounter with the Park’s giant pandas and learn how to care for them. Participants will enjoy access to restricted back-of-house areas, where they will prepare snacks for the pandas, and feed them to these iconic mammals. They will also visit the pandas’ den, and chat with the panda keepers about their work and the threats wild pandas face. Most importantly, kids will learn how they can help keep these adorable and intelligent animals safe.
Matthias Li, Chief Executive of Ocean Park, said, “Ocean Park Christmas Sensation is set to offer fun-filled experiences for everyone this Christmas, and will be the perfect location for guests to spend quality time with family, friends and loved ones this December. From exploring festive attractions, feasting on delectable dishes that warm the body and soul, to learning about animal conservation, our comprehensive Christmas celebration will make this holiday truly unforgettable.”
Cyber Illusion Spectacular, a stunning stage show that revolves around illusion, acrobatics and dance, will take guests on an edge-of-their-seat journey. This extravaganza is produced by Susan Porrett, best known for her work on The Great Moscow Circus – 50th Year Anniversary. On a futuristic, cyber stage flanked by walls of LED lights, performers will wow audiences with a series of jaw-dropping acts. Highlights of the show include master magician Michael Boyd, an internationally acclaimed illusionist and Australia’s Got Talent finalist, who will astound audiences with death-defying acts, such as being sawn in half by a mechanical scorpion right in front of audiences’ eyes. Soul MystiqueTM, another finalist from Australia’s Got Talent will perform an astonishing quick change act comprising more than ten costume changes, all mixed together with high-energy Latin ballroom dance and magnetising showmanship. For an extra dose of magic, entertainment industry veteran Cassandra Gasser will make her assistants appear from thin air during her Fire Trunk act, which will feature scorching flames. Audiences will also be astounded by Po Cheng, a master fan manipulator who will transform soft silk handkerchiefs into fans or make fans appear out of thin air. He will also leave audiences gasping, as he conjures up a one-metre fan out of nowhere.
Cyber Illusion Spectacular will take place at Applause Pavilion with four to five shows a day. It will run from 17 December 2016 to 12 February 2017 (available daily from 17 December 2016 to 2 January 2017, and 28 January to 12 February 2017; available only on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 to 22 January 2017).
Guests will be surrounded by holiday cheer at Ocean Park Christmas Sensation, with the Park decked out with festive decorations. At the heart of Waterfront Plaza will be Santa Tree Hut, where guests can snap a selfie with Santa and his elves. The photo fun will continue at Santa’s Whimsical Garden, an expansive Christmas-themed park filled with numerous musical instrument topiaries that are perfect for photos. Guests should remember to look for the ‘living statue’ in Statue Alive! in Santa’s Whimsical Garden, and snap a photo with this renowned ‘piece of stone’.
For a high-energy experience, guests should keep an eye out for the Penguin Dress-Up Delights show. Dressed in adorable penguin costumes, entertainers will be dancing or bouncing in stilts around the Park’s signature Aqua City Lagoon, as they hand out candy to get guests in the holiday mood. And as a heartwarming end to their evening, guests should remember to gather early at the Park’s iconic 40-foot-tall Christmas tree to witness the lighting ceremony – Light Up the Night; this will be the perfect location for guests to snap a holiday photo with friends, family or that special someone.
For some Christmassy fun, guests can explore two seasonal education programmes, the Joyful Christmas Village or Ocean Park Nighttime – Christmas Edition. In Joyful Christmas Village, participants will transform into elves and learn about the science behind different forms of energy, so they can build a special contraption to help Santa deliver all his presents (Santa’s Energy Lab). The learning fun will continue with Christmas DoReMi, in which participants will dive into the science of sound to customise extraordinary musical instruments, and have some fun making original Christmas music. Guests looking for a truly unique experience should spend Christmas or New Year’s Eve watching how the ocean comes alive at night in Ocean Park Nighttime – Christmas Edition. After savouring mouthwatering dishes at Neptune’s Restaurant and the Panda Café, guests can set up camp at ‘the bottom of the ocean’ at The Grand Aquarium and watch as the seabed comes to life in the twilight hours. As a special souvenir, kids can decorate their own DIY Christmas Gift Bag with fish, sharks or whatever comes to mind.
Ocean Park is also launching a brand-new, long-term Get Closer to The Animals programme, Meet the Giant Panda, beginning on 18 December, where participants as young as three years old can have an up-close encounter with the Park’s giant pandas and learn how to care for them. Participants will enjoy access to restricted back-of-house areas, where they will prepare snacks for the pandas, and feed them to these iconic mammals. They will also visit the pandas’ den, and chat with the panda keepers about their work and the threats wild pandas face. Most importantly, kids will learn how they can help keep these adorable and intelligent animals safe.
