Mardi Gras at Universal

Everybody loves Mardi Gras, in fact here at my home we anticipate it all year round. The only downfall to it is that we are always struggling to find a place or babysitter that the kids are happy with. I mean we are loving parents and we don’t want to leave our kids home unhappy. However this year Universal is celebrating their 15th Mardi Gras and they have this big special deal where you can bring your kids! And I don’t mean have the kids participate with the adults, but they have a section entirely dedicated to entertaining the kids.

It’s called the Kidzone Krewe Mardi Pardi, where the kids can enjoy music, some traditional Mardi Gras spirit that has been changed for the kids to enjoy and pure excitement. The idea is to get the kids into the pumping spirit with their parents while keeping them in a safe environment. This party zone for the kids is a fun way to get them out of the house and active, as well as safe while they party out with some of Universals coolest characters.

There is a whole bunch of entertainment for the kids to enjoy at their party area while we adults get to go off and have our yearly Mardi Gras fun. Were really anticipating this years because Universal Studios is going to make it bigger than ever on their 15th year anniversary.

Epcot

We recently purchased tickets to Epcot because we heard a few new things about the park. Not much has changed but apparently a lot of the rides have been cleaned up. That is to say we were very exited about visiting Mission SPACE, because we had never road it before.

When we first arrived at the theme park we decided we would ride Test Track , and it was a good pick because the line was short. If you have ever been on this ride you know that it is basically a short roller coaster. Before you get on the ride you go through a short little learning tutorial about how cars are tested, and then you actually get into a “test” car, hence the name Test Track. You speed around the course narrowly dodging one obstacle after the other. And finally it ends with you almost slamming into a concrete wall at 60 M.P.H. It’s an awesome little ride that definitely gets your heart pumping.

Later on towards the end of the day after several more rides the line for Mission Space finally had shrunk down a little. So we hopped in line and were anxiously awaiting the much raved about Epcot ride. Apparently it’s a four person mission, and you all have to work as a team to complete the mission. Since there were only two of us we had to pair up with another couple. When we got in the ride we all took our seats in front of our own individual screens and prepared for the ride. We were instructed on each of our jobs, I happened to be the Pilot and my husband was the Captain.

When the ride takes off you start to feel the incredible G-forces that hold you to your chair. You can’t move at all, your hands are smashed to wall. Then as you enter space the force eases up and you can move you arms. The mission is to land the rocket on Mars, and that is exactly what we did. Just as it appears that you have landed the shuttle, you release the controls, and then suddenly the landing pad crumbles. I reached for the controls quickly and saved us just in time. That is to say I pretty much ruined the big surprise for you, but its still great fun.

If you get a chance to go to Epcot and ride any of the rides there you should. Its great fun and we will continue to go back whenever we get the chance.

Blizzard Beach

So with the seasons changing and it finally starting to warm up for those of us that cant handle the Florida cold whether we got a large group of our friends to purchase tickets to Blizzard Beach with us. We thought it would be a fun little way to get out of the house and enjoy some more of Disney’s great theme parks.

Now our friends had a lot of children and we originally had intended to go to Typhoon Lagoon but then we remembered that Blizzard Beach has an awesome area for children. So we set off and arrived very early as usual… much to the dislike of our friends whom had some children that were very unhappy with waking up early. However when we were among the first in line they seemed to quickly lose their tired faces.

When we were in the theme park we quickly went to the kids section where we played with the kids for a few hours. After awhile we agreed to leave the kids with two of our friends while some of the rest of us went on the various rides around the park. The best part of it was just swimming in the massive wave pool. We really enjoyed the huge waves that came relentlessly and we must have just swam for a half hour before deciding we really wanted to go on some of slides and rides around the park.

The slides here are awesome, there are so many I’m not sure I could explain. Besides what is there to explain about a slide, you fly down it with a smile the entire time. The scenery at Blizzard Beach is all snow, so it was fun to look around as you speed down the slopes. The best one was the Toboggan where you lay on a flat piece of foam and race your friends down to the bottom. Most of the time I won, but the guys would not have it so they asked to race again and again.

If you get a chance to go to Blizzard Beach it’s a must. I love this theme park and I am so glad we got to go again recently. The best part is definitely the wave pool, if you go you gotta set some time aside to swim in the wave pool.

Hollywood Studios

So we went to Hollywood Studios this week, primarily for the new American Idol show… well it isn’t so new but it’s less than a year old and we hadn’t seen it yet. When we arrived very early in the morning there was no American Idol show for several hours, so we first headed off to see another one of our favorite shows, the Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular.

This is an awesome show, it really never changes but it’s always fun to watch. It starts off with Indiana Jones falling through the ceiling and coming inches from the ground on a rope. Then he proceeds to work his way through the underground temple to claim a golden artifact. Shortly after taking the object a massive boulder chases him, and he narrowly escapes peril. But that’s not the whole thing, no where near it, you should really watch this show, it’s fantastic.

Next we went to Star Tours, where our whacky robot pilot screwed everything up. We took our flight across the galaxy and got into a whole bunch of trouble. The best part is when you help the Rebels attack Death Star, at least in my opinion it was. The simulator is really fun, and the wait is usually really short.

Next we went on the Great Movie Ride, an often overlooked ride at the Hollywood Studios. This is a fun little adventure through some more of the memorable movies that came out during the turn of the century movie making process. The ride is a fun way to get into the movies and allows you to have up close encounters with a bunch of your favorite movie characters. Maybe a little to close when it comes to the alien, at least for me that is.

When it finally came time for the American Idol show we were the first people in line. Wow this show is just like the television show. I mean they have three judges, each with the same personality as the television hosts. Then they have a show host and I must say the one we had was hilarious. Now I don’t know if they have the same host every time, but if any of them are a fragment of how funny this guy was you will be laughing. The singers are Disney guests that volunteered to be onstage. Apparently they get to practice with professionals back stage and then they get to sing in front of you. It was fun to watch them, and at the end you get judge who wins. This is definitely a show I recommend you watch if you go to Hollywood Studios.

Aquaticas new rides 10'

Have you ever thought that Aquatica couldn’t get any better? Well guess what, you thought wrong. The park has announced that it will be expanding the park

I remember the first time I went on the Whanau Way it was probably one of the most fun rides I’ve ever been on in my whole entire life. I went with four of my friends in which it was a huge coincidence seeing that there was four tubes, of course us being guys we had to challenge each other to see who would get to the bottom first. Lets just say I came in second to someone who probably swims faster than Michael Phelps when he’s running from a shark. Luckily today is the last day that ride will be closed.

With some mind blowing rides, Aquatica is sure to jump ahead of the entire water park market. Planning on making a pair of inner tube rides that go uphill with the help of some handy dandy hydro-magnetic launching instruments. The ride is said to be able to launch a 6 person raft to the top of the ride where they will come face to face with a vertical waterfall.

Aquatica has not given an exact date and time for the completion of this rides but speculators say that it should be finished before summer of 2010.

I personally know I love a water ride. There is just a sense of thrill and excitement you just cant get on a roller coaster that you can on a water ride. I cant wait until Aquatica completes these attractions because I can Assure you I will be the first in line at the ticket office!

Expedition Everest

We got tickets to Animal Kingdom because we wanted to ride the new Expedition Everest. Its really not so knew, but we haven’t been on it since it came out. Anyway we were over there early in the morning which really is the best thing you can do when visiting a park. The second the gate opened we were in, rushing to be first in line for the ride.

We got there and got on the first cart for the day. I have never ridden such an awesome roller-coaster. It all looks like it’s wooden, and there is several times where you heart leaps as you turn a corner. You speed through the dark ice strewn caves of Expedition Everest on an old mining track. As you speed around corners there are suddenly broken and destroyed tracks that plunge into no-where. It’s awesome how you narrowly escape and keep going deeper and deeper into the mountain.

Now the real reason you’re here is to find out if the abominable snowman/yeti is real. And throughout the ride there are little clues as to whether the animal actually exists. We had to ride it several times, heck it wouldn’t have made a good blog if I didn’t tell you all about it. Anyway the cart makes a lot of sharp turns and even goes backwards at one point, which is brought on by a steep cliff your cart tries to go up. On your way back downwards your cart switches course and slides down a vacant shaft.

About thirty seconds of pure darkness take place while to twist and turn your way down the mountain. Then you’re suddenly in a massive cavern and there is this massive shadow of the yeti above you. Suddenly you plunge even deeper into the icy cavern and there he is; this massive yeti maybe two stories high hanging off the wall. He lashes out to grab you as you speed by. He is foaming at the mouth and covered in dark brown hair.

This ride is fantastic, a must for any Disney enthusiast like me. If you get the opportunity to ride it several times then do so, it just keeps getting better and better every time.

Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii

So we have been saving our money preparing to make a vacation to Hawaii in the next few years, so it’s nothing we intend to do in the next few weeks, maybe in a year well see. But when I got a little exited about the whole deal I began looking into hotels and resorts on the islands, and came across an article about Disney and the Aulani resort. This thing is going to be awesome, and we decided that is where we are going to go… when it opens.

Now we couldn’t get a conclusive date on when the resort is opening but we will definitely be watching this thing closely. They just recently named it Aulani which means “The place that speaks of the great ones” and “The place that speaks with deep messages.” This thing is massive and it’s right on the water. We considered getting a timeshare after reading about all the awesome things that will be here, but then we decided against it. Regardless this place is amazing!

The resort is massive, they have 360 rooms and it overlooks the beautiful clear water on the edge of the island. They have 481 timeshares, which means that you can get practically get a house in Hawaii with all the amenities that Disney offers.

We plan to go here mostly because of all the special activates that Disney promises will be available. It’s like visiting Hawaii and participating in all the fun and adventurous parts, just with the help of Disney. You can go exploring, snorkeling and join programs to tour the islands all while staying in one location. They even have their own lagoon!

Islands of Adventure

So the day after visiting Universal and enjoying all the fun and cool rides there in we found out that our hospitality tickets were for both the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme park. And so two days later we made our way across City Walk to the massive lighthouse marking the entrance to this mammoth theme park.

When we first entered we were in Marvel Super Hero Island so we figured we would jump on the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman before the lines go long. Now this is the first time I have been to Islands of adventure so the whole thing was a new experience. The Spider Man adventure was fun, they had the whole crew of super villains and they battled it out with Spider Man. Then we went to Doctor Doom’s Freefall, where you get on a large cart attached to a massive tower. Once onboard find out that Doctor Dooms machine is powered by fear, and he elevates you several stories above the ground, and then drops you in a complete free fall.

Next we went to Jurassic Park and went on the river adventure. You get to go through the exiting and dangerous forest filled with all kinds of dinosaurs. Then when all seems to be going wrong and a massive dinosaur tries to catch you… in-between its teeth you narrowly escape by plunging down a water-fall. The Discovery Center was pretty cool, inside there are a bunch of cool miniature games and computers where you can excavate dinosaur bones and fossils.

Next we went to the Lost Continent and found out that the times for the Sinbad Stunt Show was just minutes away, so off we went to see this show. It was awesome; they had some really cool effects and some interesting and fantastic stunts. There was also a bunch of sword fighting which was really cool. After that we went on the Dueling Dragons, we rode both and I must say that the Fire one is better. The roller-coasters are good, and trust me I know. Most roller coasters are rough but these two were both smooth and we really enjoyed them.

If you get a chance to go Islands of Adventure take it, it was awesome.

Korean park moves ahead 10'

Universal Studios has been making many changes to its theme parks this year. They have surprised the world when they announced on Monday that they have come to an agreement to build and entire new park in South Korea. The new park is surprising the Korean locals as well as theme park enthusiasts around the world; Universal Parks & Resorts has come out and said that they expect the new theme park to break ground early next year. When they say “break-ground” they mean a lot of ground, the project is said to sit on over 1,100 acres of property and it is expected to open in early 2014.

The development isn’t the cheapest investment Universal has made, in fact, it was a quite expensive one coming in at roughly $3 Billion The park will be located in South Korea's Gyeonggi province. The plans for this new park will include a Universal Studios theme park, a shopping-and-dining district called CityWalk, a water park, and golf course. The park will also come with many hotels and condominiums as well.

In a prepared statement Tom Williams states "Universal Studios Korea shows our continuous commitment to growing our business in Asia,” making it evident that Universal is very focused on growing their business in the Asian economy. Even though this project was initially talked about in 2007, Universal is now taking the necessary steps to proceed with their plans instead of letting the project fall behind. The credit market was somewhat responsible for the lateness in the project.

To make the process run faster and have a more reliable finish time, Universal recruited Lotte Group. Lotte already operates an indoor theme park called LotteWorld in Seoul, South Korea. The company was started as a chewing gum company and has expanded in many different fields. Lotte is the project’s largest shareholder with a 26.7% stake in Universal Studios Korea. There are also about 12 other businesses and governments holding shares for the new project.

Along with creating a new world for tourists and locates Universal is planning on opening job opportunities for more than 40,000 people, this will stimulate the economy a great deal which will benefit everyone.

Back to Universal Studios

So we haven’t been to Universal in a long time, and a long lost relative that we nearly forgot about gave us a phone call. We hadn’t seen him in years! I feel terrible admitting to this, but it’s true. Well we spent a few days with him, and found out that he works at Universal, and at the end of his trip to our house he decided to thank us with two hospitality tickets. Now if you know me, you know that there isn’t a chance in the world we would pass up the opportunity to go back to the amazing land of Universal Studios. Just the Rip Ride and Rockit roller-coaster is enough for us to open up the day and play hooky at work just to get in a few minutes of entertainment.

When we arrived we were some of the first people in line, and when the park opened we were the first to be in line at the Jaws ride. We came to the conclusion that we didn’t want to do anything to harsh while we were so tired, so we chose the ride that is pretty calm but still climatic. After that we went over to the new Simpsons ride, last time we were here this wasn’t even open. This new ride is great; you hop into a car with a large door before you, and suddenly you’re elevated into the air, completely flying above the door. This “adventure” could only be described as the usual “whacky” humor the Simpsons love to pursue.

Finally it was time for us to go back and enjoy every waking second of our favorite roller-coaster, the Rip Ride and Rockit. It took us awhile but we finally got front row seats on the roller-coaster, and wow what a difference. The speeds have always been high on this ride, but sitting in the front row just increased this intense feeling. This time we actually bought the video of us riding the coaster, which is a cool little souvenir. We ate at the Monsters Diner afterwards, the pizza there is fantastic and the atmosphere is… monster like.

Next we went to Men in Black, where we were recruited into the alien defense program. We hopped in our carts and took off to Manhattan where we battled twelve eyed monsters and slimy green aliens. Of course I won; there was nothing that could keep my score lower than my husbands. After Men in Black we went to watch the Stunt Show, where the cars did some amazing stunts and we learned about modified cars and vehicles used to perform in the show.

We absolutely love Universal Studios; it has to be our favorite park that we have ever been to. If any other long lost relatives want to give us a phone call be our guest, we don’t mind this kind of luxury every once in a while!

Legoland owners buys Cypress Gardens

Some would call it an unforeseen or not so clever businesses venture, but others such as Merlin Entertainment Group decided that it would be a good idea to purchase Cypress Gardens, its Splash Island water park and the series of botanical gardens which completed one of the favorite attractions in Florida. Merlin’s U.S. spokeswoman did not reveal much about the purchase; in fact some of the most important details were left out. The public does not know the sale price for this venture, and until Thursday no one would know Merlin’s plans for the park.

Merlin is known as the second busiest entertainment company and with such an impressive wrap sheet anyone could agree. The company operates 59 attractions, six hotels and two holiday villages. One of the companies’ more popular holdings includes Legoland. Legoland is a multi location park where buildings, sculptures and more are made of the tiny toys we have all played with as children. Legoland parks are located in Carlsbad, Calif., the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark. The company also operates other attractions including the Madame Tussauds wax museums which display some of the most life like replicas of celebrities. Another chain the company owns is Sea Life, a series of aquariums.

Though Merlin did not come out and state the price they paid for the land, the public records indicate that about 23.3 Million was spent.

Cypress Gardens has been an asset to Florida for over 73 years yet its sales have been slowly and slowly decreasing, their have been a number of investors and companies that thought they could turn it around but were not able to do so. Hopefully in the hands of Merlin, Cypress Gardens can make a huge comeback and strive as it once did.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TRIP

Sunday January 10, 2010. After my better half decided she wanted to do a theme park on her birthday. We headed out to Universal on the cold Sunday morning. The temperature was at a beautiful 28 degrees. For the first time in Florida I had to wear gloves to keep my hands warm. To my surprise when we showed up to the park, the parking lines were long. We did find parking in the first level since we showed up pretty early.

Once inside the park everyone was wearing their winter gear. The roller coasters were closed first thing in the morning due to the weather. We decided to go into the Nascar grill since they have an arcade and some pool tables in the second floor, and of course it is super warm inside the Nascar Grill. We played some pool and dance dance revolution. It was definitely warm after the DDR. By the time we went back into the park, the Dueling Dragons was already open, and We used our fast passes to skip to the front of the line. This ticket was very convenient since the wait was extremely long since it was the only coaster open at that time.

This was the best roller coaster ride ever!!!! lol, It was freezing cold. We went on Ice first and enjoyed it to the fullest, the fire was a bit colder than the ice, which was kind of ironic lol. Since the Hulk ride was closed along with the Dr. Doom ride, we switched over to the Universal Studios side. Rip Ride Rock was closed as well, so We went into the Revenge of the mummy and it was really warm in there, the ride was packed but again we had our fastpasses so we jumped to the front in no time. The Simpson's ride is an amazing simulator coaster, its a must do once in the park. The Jimmy Neutron ride was pretty cool. Not too intense nor too soft just perfect for the entire family. The Hulk finally opened up around 2 pm or so, and we used the fast pass in order to again skip the line. It was very helpful having that fastpass, otherwise it would have been about a 45min wait which would have set us back big time. The park was closing early that Sunday so we just had fun around the park. Once the park closed we all just decided it was too cold to hang around citywalk, so we ended the day by staying warm in the car and heading home early. Great day at the parks despite the weather. Lots of people and a whole lot of fun. I would do it again in a heart beat.

Mini Golf Adventure 10'

With this whole Tiger Woods epidemic going on, it kind of got my friends and I to want to go golfing. But seeing as we’ve never golfed before in our entire lives and didn’t want to be made fun of on a real course we decided not to go to a real course. Another reason we did not want to go to a real course is because our buddy Danny looks a lot like the Tiger himself, so to avoid being swarmed by the news we just laid low and spent the day playing mini-golf around the Orlando area. It really doesn’t sound like such a fun day, but it really is! We went to 3 different mini-golf locations and spent the entire day playing, it’s pretty weird how we’ve all worked so close to these places yet we never actually played a round of golf at one of them. The first stop on our list of mini golf fun was Hawaiian Rumble Adventure Golf. This is was one of the nicest designed mini golf courses, if it wasn’t so chilly outside I would have thought that I was on the island of Hawaii at some points of the game! It’s not hard to miss this course especially wit the gigantic 50-foot volcano-it’s quite a sigh to see when the fire and lava begin to pour out of it as well! During the entire game everyone was having a great time looking at the waterfalls and streams as they were periodically dancing to the smooth island feeling calypso music. The holes ranged from beginner to advanced, even though we never played golf before we played the advanced course because we thought the beginner course would be super easy! The end of the first game was coming close and I had a pretty good feeling that our buddy Rafael was in the lead, the tension was building and on the last hole we counted up the scores and I was right, Rafael was in the lead and that was not a good start for me! Our next stop on our golf expedition was Congo River Golf, this place was amazing, since I wasn’t feeling to well about my loss in the last round I sat this game out and went to the indoor arcade, I would consider myself an electronic gamer and I can honestly say I had a blast at the Congo River arcade. I went inside to warm up and grabbed a nice soda and played some random strangers in a high-tech arcade challenge. One thing that I really noticed was the alligators, they weren’t very active because it wasn’t a typical Florida day, and since they’re cold blooded animals I think they’d just be doing all they could to keep warm in this season instead of aimlessly roaming around their designated area like they always do. According to the tour guide you are able to grab a pole and go on an exclusive gator feeding adventure, this is something I would do if I were a tourists but since I live here in Florida if I ever want to feed a gator I can just walk into my back yard and throw some raw meat in a pond. After I got done staring at these alligators I made my way back to the entrance to meet up with my friends who just got done with their game, it turns out Rafael had won another round and began to brag. We all wanted to make him loose because we were tired of him winning! Our next stop of Adventure golf courses was Pirate’s Cove. Pirate’s cove is one of my favorite places to drive by, just because of the scenery. I’ve always liked pirate movies and have always wondered what it would be like to life in a pirate’s world. The trip to this golf course was pretty short, and so was the game, it was a pretty quick game as well mainly because it was getting cold and everyone was wanting to go back to someplace warm, I usually don’t like to brag but on this course I did pretty well. In fact I did so well that I beat Rafael, this time Rafael came in last place so that definitely affected his score. Once we left pirates everyone was freezing and could not wait to go home, we stopped at a local Taco Bell to fill up our stomachs before we went home. We counted up the scores and surprisingly I came in second place even though I didn’t play one game! I’m usually never happy about second place and would prefer to be first anyway but as long as I beat Rafael I was good! We had a great time playing Mini Golf and we look forward to doing it again especially since there are many more Adventure Golf Attractions in our area!

Indoor Fun 09'

Some people imagine Orlando as always being sunny and nice, well lets just say for the past two weeks I haven’t been hanging out it a t-shirt and shorts, I’ve been bundled up as much as I would be if I lived in New York. At this temperature it might as well snow because there really is no point to it. I once went to Alaska and they described their life in the winter time, which was comprised of one thing…Facebook. That may work for Alaska but that will not work for us young guys in Orlando, Florida. Even though going up to 65 miles per hour in a roller coaster is fun, it’s not that great when the weather is well below 40 degrees. Spending the day with my buddy Caesar and Rafael has never let me down; never in all my years have I had such a good time. We needed something to do and quick, usually Modern Warfare 2 would easily solve this problem but my buddy Caesar has a very intense rodent problem at his house. And when I say a rodent problem I don’t mean the small little mice that come in once or twice, I’m talking about a gang of squirrels. Now these aren’t your every day cute little tree dwelling squirrels, these are what some would call “biggons”. There’s one squirrel that will sit on a tree stump and growl at you when you pull into the driveway, it’s not a pretty site at all! I didn’t even know squirrels growled until I’ve seen this guy. The squirrel in the driveway was not that big of a deal, the worst part is that it somehow gets into the house, and just stares at us through the ceiling, we found no way how to get rid of these things so we just decided it would be best that we just avoid going to Caesars house. We decided that we wanted to do something fun that was also indoors so we didn’t have to worry about being cold all day. Two of Orlando’s greatest indoor attractions are Wonderworks and Disney Quest. We decided to spend the first half of the day at Disney Quest and the second half of the day at Wonderworks. The reason behind doing that is because Wonderworks has a dinner show that we all really wanted to attend plus we’ve all really been to Disney Quest many times so we’ve already seen everything it had to offer and we figured since we’ve done everything before it would get a little boring repeating the same thing over and over. My favorite thing to do in Disney Quest is the Virtual Jungle Cruise where it feels like you are taking a journey through the Jungle. The only reason I like this cruise is because I don’t think I have it in me to do the real thing. The fear of snakes, spiders, wild animals, and poisonous plants usually outweighs the fun I would have trekking through the wilderness. This ride however makes me feel like I’m really doing it without really doing it. When Rafael was younger he was quite the comic book fan, he knows of all the comics from the newest Spiderman to the old-school batman, whatever it was he was into it, that’s a big reason on why he was such a fan of the Ride the Comix ride. The ride basically feels like you’re battling super villains as you glide through the pages of a four dimensional comic book! After hanging out in Disney Quest for quite a while we decided it was best to head on out and drive over to Wonderworks. Caesar is more of a scientific person and loves all of the attractions at wonderworks, except the natural disaster simulator, I think its because he’s afraid squirrels will start falling from the ceiling but that’s okay because that ride usually gets my stomach all shaken up too so I’m not a big fan of it. We stayed at wonderworks for the rest of the day and patiently waited for the dinner show. It had some of the funniest jokes I’ve ever heard in my entire life and the part when they bring cast members on stage is even funnier. The food was excellent and I wish I left enough to bring some home. Rafael ate every last bit of his food, he had a great side of smoky macaroni which he demolished in no time flat. For such a cold day with nothing else to do this day was a success!

SkyCoaster 09'

One of our most favorite things to do here in Florida is the SkyCoaster, and when I say “us” I really mean my friends and I. On a random Friday night we decided it would be a great idea to ride the SkyCoaster, it was actually pretty cold outside but we didn’t let that bother us one bit! We made our way to old town to check out the car show where I was checking out all of the older model and newer model cars, it was great! I saw my dream car, well it’s not really my dream car it’s just the car I’ve always wanted since I was in the 4th grade! It was a 2001 Mustang Cobra; it was parked between two other Mustangs that I assume were in its car club. My friends and I had a blast at the show and made our way down a little bit more to watch one of my good friends’s dad play in his band. They performed some of the best classic songs I’ve ever heard in my life and it really put everyone in a relaxed laid back mood even though everyone was freezing! When the band finished we told my friend’s dad and his band what a great job they did and made our way to put the fun in Fun Spot. We got our SkyCoaster tickets and patiently waited in line for them to tell us to go, the first time I went, I went with my friends Richard and Lou who have never been on it before and were pretty scared. We had a top secret plan to mess with my friend Lou when we got up there and say things like “Oh no its broken! Oh man how are we going to get down?” and randomly pull the string when he least expected it. On the way up my friend Richard was screaming so loud that we did not hear them count down from three so we waited for them to say it again. Let me tell you looking face down from 330 feet in the air waiting on someone to tell you to fall is not something you want to do everyday, for most people its something they never want to do! We patiently waited for what seemed like forever until the guys finally replayed the recorded sound of them telling us to drop, without hesitating Richard pulled the cord and we went flying, even though we didn’t go by our plan our friend Lou still ended up screaming like a little baby which was still a great experience. When we got done swinging back and forth we met up with our buddies Brock and Felipe who planned on riding the SkyCoaster after us, it was so fun I just had to do it again, I went and got another ticket and got suited up and ready to go again! As we were waiting our buddy Felipe who was supposed to be the designated puller decided it would be a good idea to chicken out and not want to take the great responsibility of pulling the cord, after calling him a chicken I decided I would take his place and pull the cord but I wasn’t going to let Felipe have his way that easy! I promised him when we got to the top of the coaster I would wait for a second so he could look around before we dropped but as soon as we heard “you are now on the world’s tallest SkyCoaster pull on the count of 3. 1…2” and right after he said 2 I pulled as hard as I could so no one was expecting it, at this point it almost sounded like Felipe was crying! Brock wasn’t scared at all but that’s probably because he’s been on the SkyCoaster a million times before, he says its because oh his adrenaline addiction I just think its because he’s nuttier than a squirrel turd. After getting down Felipe sounded speechless and he couldn’t find it in him to talk, but that’s okay since he’s pretty annoying when he talks anyways! That was a great day, it was my 3rd time on the SkyCoaster and I plan on doing it again really soon, maybe this weekend if possible! The best possible way to end this night was to finish it off with a great quality meal at the local burger king! We all went and sat down to talk about how scared everyone was as we ate, I couldn’t have possibly had a more adrenaline rushing-french fry filled Friday any other way!

Will GM remain the sponsor of the marquee attraction Test Track?

GM, the beleaguered automaker of vehicles such as Cadillac, Buick, Chevy, and GMC was forced through bankruptcy last year.

Just before the company slipped into bankruptcy, the 10-year $100 million sponsorship for Test Tack expired in March of 2009. Negotiations with Disney disney for a 6-month extension with the car maker, were hindered when it's major investor became the United States Government.

Albeit there is officially no paying sponsor for the flagship attraction at Epcot's Future World, the GM logos still remain plastered all over Test Tracks pavilion. In the midst of the shakeup, various brands have disappeared from the GM pavilion including Saturn Hummer Saab and Pontiac.

The future of high-speed marquee attraction that transported guests through a series of car-safety tests is uncertain in the days to come. Because Test Track is older technology, updates are required making it difficult for Disney to find another auto company to sponsor the ride.

Negotiations between Disney and the auto-giant to keep GM as a sponsor have failed to date. Furthermore, $100 million sponsorship is an expensive proposition for a company emerging from bankruptcy. Even the post-ride showroom were guests can get sales brochures may cost over $1 million.

Rationalizing the sponsorship for such an expensive endeavour by other automakers is inconceivable since the global recession has hammered the industry. Making matters worst, how does it appear in the publics eyes when government loan money is used to subsidize the sponsorship of Test Track?

The same government that is keeping the automaker giant alive with billions of dollars in loans maybe in control of Talks with Disney. Sponsorship for Test Track does not even seem to appear on the radar for companies like Ford, Toyota Motor Sales, and American Honda Motor.

Test Track may have disappeared by now, if the marketing appeal for the GM brand drawing nearly 11 million customers a year was not so lucrative.

It is apparent that the lack of these types of sponsors due to the economic melt down may have impacted Disney in a way that is unimaginable.

great disney hotels deals

Buy a 5-night/6-day non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, and get a Disney Gift Card Free! Don't miss out on this one, offer lasts until March 27 of this year!

Aquatica closes during cold weather

Described as a soaking wet experience, Aquatica, Seaworld's whimsical waterpark offers a new world of entertainment in the water.

Combining two worlds, both water and animals, Aquatica has something for the whole family. From up-close encounters with white Commersion's Dolphins to amazing state-of-the-art water rides, Aquatica is the coolest place on the earth.

During January's unseasonal weather, it looks like Aquatica will have to remain closed until Monday the 11th. Currently Aquatica plans to reopen (weather permitting) on the 12th.

Space Shuttle era scheduled to end this year

With only 5 flights before the end of the space shuttle program, many businesses are indecisive on what to do with the delta shaped icon that adorns buildings, trucks, stamps, and businesses.

The symbol of mans conquest of space where dreams have been launched has existed since the first blast off in April of 1981. The spirit of exploration even graces the back of one of the coins used in Florida.

Perhaps thousands will be unemployed as other businesses struggle to reinvent themselves for survival like the Best Western Space Shuttle Inn near Titusville. Name changes for brands and businesses near Cape Canaveral will be common in the days to come.

A symbol that has become an icon to the gateway to space is rapidly becoming obsolete to many businesses along Florida's coast line. Many in Brevard county whose livelihood depends on the delta-shaped symbol are hard pressed to redefine themselves during a tough economy.

Hardships surrounding the space program are not new for Brevard County especially when Richard Nixon cancelled the Apollo program in 1972. Out of that hopelessness arose a new space program 7 years later.

Hopefully, the president doesn't cancel the new NASA Ares I rocket program because it is too costly.

Fantasy of Flight

Night-Flight: NEW Paranormal Investigation and Tour
Saturdays, Jan. 30, Feb. 13, Feb. 27, 2010 / nightFlight hours 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m

Now for the first time ever, Fantasy of Flight is sponsoring night Flight, an investigation into the supernatural.

Be transported to a place of encounters with the paranormal and discover the haunted history of aviation. Now your responsible for solving the mystery of strange visitations from space using the tools of the ghost hunting trade.

Living History Symposium: “They Dared to Fly” featuring Tuskegee Airmen
Thursday, February 18 – Saturday, February 20, 2010

Experience the excitement of wartime military service featuring Tuskegee Airmen in their element. What made these men unusual? "They Dared to Fly" the missions that others rejected. Personally meet these Black hero's for questions and answer sessions of these living legends.

Millions celebrate their birthday at Disney

Albeit attendance at Walt Disney World was flat for 2009, the "Free on Your Birthday" marketing campaign may have caused Disney to glean the benefit of exposing the brand to millions of people.

According to the entertainment giant, some 4 million fans registered for the free tickets in 2009. Perhaps some 30% of those registered acquired their tickets attending the theme-park of their choice.

Simple math deduces that some 1.2 million free tickets where awarded by December 31, 2009.

For 2010, Disney wants to give away some 1 million tickets in it's new marketing campaign. The newest promotion entitled "Give a day, get a day" requires participants to volunteer one day of community service making them eligible for their park tickets.

The proposed object to giving tickets away may be for the purpose of ancillary spending on food, souvenirs, and hotel accomodations to name a few. Promotions like this during economic downturns drive people to websites as well as promote awareness about Disney theme-parks.

The Greatest Restaurant Ever!

It was new years day and my good friend Jordan and I needed a great way to celebrate. I had heard rumors of this great restaurant known as Texas de Brazil and I knew I had to see it for myself. We made our reservations for 5:30 and went home to dress for success.

We arrived right at 5:30 and were seated immediately. As I was walking to my seat the first thing I layed my eyes on was this huge salad bar. This thing was amazing and had EVERYTHING. It had an assortment of cheese, meats, salads and dressings. That thing looked amazing. Next thing I know our waiter hands us a card. On one side it was green and on the other it was red. After handing us the cards he gave us very simple, yet important instructions. He said that the green means that you still want meat to be brought to you and the red side means that you are taking a break. At first I was a little confused by these instructions, but decided I would figure it out later. Right after our waiter left I immediately made my way to that great salad bar. I'm not a picky person what so ever and I'm surely not shy of trying new things. So I quickly filled my plate with everything I could possibly fit on it, sat down at my table and began to chow down. Out of all the food I tried from the salad bar my personal favorite items were the Brazilian Vinaigrette dressing and the Lobster Bisk and oh baby was it good.

Right after I finished my plate my tummy was hurting for more. I quickly stood up and made my way back to the salad bar, however on my way there I was cut off by a man carrying some filet mignon. I immediately froze in my spot, turned around and made my way back to my table. Those important instructions that the waiter left me were now starting to make sense. I looked over at my good friend Jordan as we both turned our red cards to green. No amount of training could have prepared us for what was about to happen.

In the beginning we only had a few people stop by our table with different types of meat; but as time went on that all changed. Next thing I know we are being swamped by tons and tons of different types of meats. Meats from Filet Mignon, Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon, Garlic Sirloin, Chicken, Brazilian Sausage, Pork, Lamb chops and leg of lamb to just name a few. In merely a few seconds my plate was full with a huge assortment of meats. With my plate totally full I switched my card from green to red in order to stop the madness.

With this full plate in front of me I began to dig in. The meat was so tender and juicy it was melting in my mouth each and every piece of meat was cooked to perfection. When you sit down they provide you with a knife, however the meat is so tender the knife is not even necessary. Just to prove my point, when I was eating the Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon I put my fork right in the middle of the meat and turned the fork counter clockwise, and the meat fell apart right on my plate. Absolutely amazing. My personal favorites were the Garlic Serloin, Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon, leg of lamb and lamb chops. The lamb dipped in a small amount of mint jelly is to die for.

After I finished my plate I turned my card straight back to green and was ready for more. After a few rounds I was totally stuffed, or so I thought. Right after my last bite the waiter came around with a huge tray with a whole bunch of different types of desserts. Even with my full belly, I couldn't resist getting me some of the famous Brazilian Cheesecake. Our waiter carried it to our table with all of its glory. It looked so good I almost felt bad eating it, but luckily it tasted just as good. Right after I finished my dessert I paid my dews and made my way to the exit. With great food and my belly full to the top it was nothing short of a great night. If you are looking for some great food in Orlando this is not a place that you would want to miss.

Disney completes Marvel purchase

Overseer of the Marvel business is the CEO Isaac Perlmutter approving on Thursday for the shareholders the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment Inc.

On Thursday, the $4.24 billion acquisition was completed by Disney adding to it's stable 5,000 new characters including Spider-Man said spokesman Disney CEO Robert Iger.

Disney was not able to overlook the creative and business potential the Marvel - Disney combination created because it could possibly help the growth of revenue-profits margins.

While Disney shares close at $32.25 on Thursday, shareholders at Marvel receive 0.74 Disney shares plus $30.00 worth of Marvel shares valued at $54.03 each.

The last time Disney made a big deal was back in 2006 when it acquired Pixar Animation Studios Inc. worth more than 47.4 billion in stock shares.

The co-creator of Pow's Spider-Man Stan Lee has a vast knowledge of the Marvel Universe and decided to give Disney a 3-year expansion of rights to participate in consulting services including creative scope and direction.

At least 10% stake in Pow! representing $2.5 million is owned by Disney based Burbank California.