Disney Blog - Orlando Vacation Information

Second Anual Roar 'n Soar Event

2008-10-06T14:07:00.003-04:00

Gentlemen start your engines .. these famous words will kick-off the event that begin on land, sea and air at Fantasy Flight in Polk County located between Tampa and Orlando. Fantasy is hosting its second anual event which features the celebration of the finest classic land, sea, and air crafts.

This anual extravaganza combines a boating exhibition, air show, and land event for thrill seekers of all ages. Enjoy a taste of Polk county as local restuarants participate in this celebration with the finest cuisine in the county.

Jump aboard for a murder mystery

2008-10-06T14:00:00.002-04:00

Operating every Friday except the first Friday of the month is the RailStar Corp. Murder Mystery Express dinner. The show "Fat Louie's Pizza to Die For" is completely sold out.

The murder myster was launched fro mthe Inland Lakes Railway in Eustis and tickets are sellling for $59 + tax. During the show you can help solve a premeditated "murder" like Sherlock Holmes which includes dinner and a train ride.

Simply elementary my dear Watson.

Polynesian Spirit of Aloha show

2008-10-02T13:20:00.004-04:00

Immerse yourself in the whimsical atmosphere
of a South Seas Paradise at the Polynesian Resort Disney World. Frolic among the exotic plants & green folliage with sights and sounds of the South Pacific Islands. Babbling brooks, exotic birds, colorful picturesque themes, rustic huts and beautiful waterfalls.

The Polynesian South Seas Resorts offers an array of amenities including dining, recreation and guest rooms. One of the most delightful features of the Polynesian is the dining experience for their guests.

Of the many resturants including Ohana's Best Friends Breakfast, Kona Care sail away, quick service Captain Cook's, and American cuisine, is the famous Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show.

At the Spirit of Aloha show, celebrate an all-you-can-eat rich tradition Polynesian banquet with the whole family. Listen to the sounds of the South Pacific while endulging in heaping plates of pork chick, vegetables and rice.

Savor the taste and congeniality of the pacific islands with your friends Lilo and Stitch. Jump into the script as they make you a part of their intergalactic family).

Start your morning with a delicious American breakfast influenced by the exotic tastes of Polynesia.

The demise of Pleasure Island

2008-09-30T09:55:00.005-04:00

After 19 years of operation, the end of an era for a part of Disney World's has arrived. On September 27, 2008, Pleasure Island has closed it's doors forever.

Last Saturday, the remaining venues/ nightclubs closed their doors including Adventurer's Club, Comedy Warehouse, 8Trax, Mannequins Dance Palace, BET SoundStage Club, and Motion.

Rumor has it that guests implored a greater retail shopping and restaurant experience. That could be partially true, but most likely, part of the legacy of wholesome entertainment has been replaced with profitability.

Perhaps their rival Universal's City Walk and the local street gangs that were hanging out in the theme park had something to do with it's demise.

Once upon a time, the area known as downtown Disney was incially the MarketPlace or Shopping Village promoted as a pleasant shopping area. Later it became a ticketed area offering a quit different experience.

Back in the glory days of Pleasure Island when Comedy Warehouse and Adventurer's Club were the local buzz word, it represented a unique quality of Disney entertainment.

Some speculate that guests found it an unpleasant experience to travel on foot between the MarketPlace and the West Side by navigating around the Island.

But sudden the atmosphere changed when Disney stopped the New Year's Eve midnight celebration and removed the Westend soundstage.

Here is a quote from Steve Russo:

"I know that Disney is a business, and, like many businesses, they expect every nook and cranny of their enterprise to be profitable. I would hope that, just this once, they might look beyond the profitability of each establishment and recognize that unique entertainment offerings which improve the guests' experience might be best left alone."

Halloween at SeaWorld

2008-09-30T08:40:00.002-04:00

Get ready for Spooktacular activities this weekend as SeaWorld winds up its annual holloween spectacular. SeaWorld is offering safe trick-or-treat for children with it's friendly fantasy sea characters.

This year the parks walkways will be dressed up with it's fanta-seas zones with meet-an-greet exhibits including Sesame Street's "The Count." Many new themes will be unveiled including holloween breakfast, holloween music, and trick-or-treat activities.

Audition for Wheel of Fortune

2008-09-22T08:43:00.008-04:00

Fans from everywhere will show up at SeaWorld

This weekend, fans will show up at SeaWorld to apply for a shot on the Wheel of Fortune that will film several episondes in December. Visitors will have chance to fill out applications starting Saturday & Sunday from 2 to 6:00pm at the Wheelsmobile.

Each visitor will be given and opportunity to play a simulated version of the tv gameshow to determine if they are a viable contestant. Sessions starring Vanna White will begin taping December 11-15 at Bayside Stadium in SeaWorld.

It's going to be a madhouse when thousands of fans show up in front of the stage to apply for an opportunity to be a contestant on the Wheel of Fortune. Fans that show up will be brought up in groups of five to participate in a short version of the speed-up round and win prizes.

Hopefully, the famous game-player Esperanza will give it a spin this weekend.

Celebrate your birthday with Disney

2008-09-19T14:55:00.003-04:00

Disney wants to celebrate your birthday this year superseeding the Year of a Million Dreams promotion ending Dec 31, 2008. What can you get on your birthday? When you bring your photo id and a license, Disney will grant you access to one of it's major theme parks for the day abosolutely free during 2009.

Disney wants to capitalize on the growing trend of celebration vacation to mark the most important milestones in your life. This birthday celebration totals $75 dollars on a family vacation to Disney World Orlando, and Anaheim California.

The push is to get more native Floridians to visit the park with a family member who normally would not want to spend the money. People on 4oth birthday, 25 year anniversay, or bar mitzvah tend to splurge more on these important celebrations.

Disney's time-share kingdom grows

2008-09-16T09:19:00.005-04:00

Disney is taking some monumental steps forward by aggressively selling time share. Currently, the Disney vacation Club is battling some of the strongest financial headwinds.

Confirming suspicions that the 15-story building rising beyond Magic Kingdom was timeshare related, Disney finally revealed its plans for Bay Lake Tower. Disney who probably is having difficulty booking the secluded 60 Treehouse villas, is now trying to sell them as time shares.

By 2009, Celebration which has 350,000 members will sell more time shares during this year. With the slumping economy, lack of consumer confidence, big ticket items like timeshare are harder to sell. Could the kingdom be experiencing a real collapse since its inception in October 1, 1971?

According to Disney's spokesman Jim Lewis, Disney is providing a unique experience with these two timeshare resorts. Much of the excitement comes from the new Bay Lake tower that is linked to the Contemporary Resort by the fifth floor. Some of these units at Treehouse Villas will sell for the premium price of $18,000, which consist of 60 elevated homes at Saratog Springs.

The Bay Lake Towers with it's unique curved symmetry was design to complement it's larger brother the Contemporary Resort. Some of the final touches like wall-length windows providing panoramic views of the Magic Kingdom are hoped to make the Treehouse Villas the most sought after in the world.

Is Hanna's latest shift good for Florida?

2008-09-04T09:24:00.003-04:00

Tonight, Hanna's latest shift could mean cyclone type winds for the east coast of Florida. Officials at the Kennedy Space Center don't seem to be concerned based on their plans to roll Atlantis onto the launch pad.

During one of the most intense hurricane seasons, Hanna is among a trio of storms to blast the carolina coastline next week. While Hanna moves to the North, Ike is churning in the central Atlantic with 145 mph winds as a category 4 hurricane.

Ike is a storm to be respected and is heading to the Bahammas as a catostrophic hurricane. No one is quite sure how it will affect Florida by it's projected path would be to slam the east coast some time next week.

Is the Hollween Horror to intense at Universal?

2008-09-04T08:40:00.005-04:00

Universal's new campaign swing featuring the goul "Bloody Mary" does not seem to be getting tourists attention on I-4 in Orlando. These new billboards along the Orlando corridor attempts to elevate it's drive-by vieweres to a new level of provocation. Some groups like Metro Mommies are attempting to tone down Universals billboard adds as going to far regarding violence and blood.

This years after hours ticket will feature the icon Bloody Mary which is a ghost that can be summoned through mirros and she is often seen as a devil dripping in blood. Over 80 billboards for it's 17 anual horror-fest where employed to seduce viewers.

One such Metro mommy has written a letter to Universal Studios to dumb down their billboards due to it's potential influence on her children 3 & 9 months old. Each year Universal turns up the intensity with it's ungodly glamorized images of violence and cruelty influenced by the powers of darkness.

Universal's ungodly executives contend that their motives are purely entertainment and that there may be other options for these billboards.

Perhaps these billboard advertisement will not improve until one of Orlando's hoodlums plays out one of these billboards in real life provoking a violent crime in the Orlando community. Then maybe Universal will get the message.

Operating hours for Cypress Gardens 2008

2008-09-02T12:15:00.004-04:00

Fall operating hours

Sunday 10:10am - 6:00pm
Monday - closed
Tuesday - closed
Wednesday - closed
Thursday - closed
Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 7:00pm

Splash Island

Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm
Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 7:00pm

Some indicators suggest strong travel bookings for 2008

2008-09-01T11:33:00.005-04:00

Despite the economic status this year surrounding fuel prices, some agencies are reporting strong bookings. Expedia Trendwatch reports concluded that Americans booking hotels has not diminished this year compared with previous data.

Hotel bookings had increased by 10% reported Expedia in the second quarter. Expedia Travel Trendwatch denied the fact that Americans are staying home more this year according to it's own statistics.

Orlando, Las Vegas and New York City where the three most visited cities in the first 6 months of 2008. During this historically slow season, the Orlando County Convention has launched a 6 million dollar campaign from now until Nov 15, 08 offering special discounts for over 120 businesses in Orlando.

Get ready for Fun Spot Jr. to open Oct 1st an inflatable version of it's two sisters located near International Drive and U.S. Highway 192 located in Kissimmee.

Coming this Friday and Saturday, Night of Joy Disney World and Rock the Universe Universal Studios are winding up for another weekend of dualing music festivals. Both of these programs are designed to target the teens and young adult markets. Hollywood studios Night of Joy is gearing up for a high octane activities including rides and theme parks normally hosted by Magic Kingdom.

Portofino Bay Hotel - Italian Style

2008-08-28T12:10:00.007-04:00

With gas prices as high as they are, maybe a trip to Europe is not in your budget, so where can I go then?

Why not make a quiet escape to the sea-side village at Portofino Bay nestled in the middle of Italian shops and restaurants?

This beautiful resort will transport you to an Italian waterfront lined with gondolas and biege-burgandy-terra colored buildings.

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Italian music emanating from a sound system as you take a nice guided tour on a gondola a long the waterfront of Portofino. Choose the level of room you desire for a whimsical view of the pristine pool surrounded by mulberry trees. Portofino is the ultimate escape for pampering and catering to your every whim.

Imagine reclining in a 450 sq ft garden view terrace in an airy golden themed guest room with King size beds. Perhaps a more picturesque elevated view overlooking the Bay of Portofino. Villas and hospitality rooms can offer from 620 to 920 sq ft of complete bliss for every imaginable group that you can think of.

A trip to Italy is not complete without the classical Italian dishes for the entire family. For starters check out Mama Della's Ristorante offering a menu of endless delectables deliciously prepared by culinary chefs. With casual conversation in the air combined with old Italian plates and utensiles, make the perfection combination to cause your imagination drift into an Italian home.

Enjoy the evening along with a wonderful seranade of "Fly me to the moon" while you eat your garlic bread, spaghetti, and meatballs. After a nostalgic dinner with the family, let Portofino transport you in their infamous water taxi directly to Universal Studio and Islands of Adventure.

Once there, flash your VIP status green card for immediate access to all the rides in the park.

Buen viaggio

Get ready to speak Brazilian

2008-08-28T08:47:00.004-04:00

Orlando's visitors bureau has been courting brazilian TMA airlines in an effort to provide non-stop flights from Brazil to Orlando in the United States. Brazil is spending $1 million in a marketing campaign to promote Orlando's theme parks to it's local population.

Now that the American Dollar is weaker during this historic slow-down, Orlando has become quite attractive to such foreign markets like Brazil, United Kingdom etc.

It's been more than 7 years since announcements were made to initiate non-stop flights from San Paulo Brazil to Orlando this fall. This increase will add 225 seats to the flights inbound to Orlando airport. This notice has come on the heels of Orlando Internationals announcement at the beginning of the year to park flights due to high fuel costs.

Orange County Convention Bureau has decided to devote more attention to key international markets including Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Emphasis on Partnership Marketing which requires pooling its resources with other airlines, theme parks and other companies will be part of the strategy going forward.

Wizarding Harry Potter ride at Universal Orlando

2008-08-27T13:29:00.004-04:00

People are still in suspense when they walk by the presumtive site for the new Harry Potty theme ride. This ride has no lines or waiting while the rest of the park is cram packed. In order to see the spectacle, one needs to use the new bridge that connects Jurassic Park with the Lost Continent.

In order for construction to begin the colossal effort, they first had to begin demolishing the old restaurant/bar Enchanted Oak Tavern. The afore mentioned bridge provides the perfect viewpoint to watch the demolition process. Unfortunately, Universal is famous for being tight lipped about the rendition drawing of Harry Potter.

By this time the Enchanted Oak Tavern has been leveled which did raise a few eyebrows illustrating that Universal is prepared to go to great lengths to build this new monstrosity.

New changes for Disney's Fort Wilderness

2008-08-26T09:58:00.009-04:00

Get ready for Disney's biggest undertaking yet with new improvements that will give guests more options to choose from while staying in the wilderness camp. After 20 years Disney will be adding extra-large camper pads, cable tv, segway scooters, mini-water park, dog park, and electric cart rentals.

Really, Fort Wilderness which has been the crown jewel of Disney World carries a lot of wonderful memories over the years. Because of so much history, Disney World has been hesitating in making any substantial changes.

Due to many new innovations in technology, the theme park needs to change in order to keep up with guest demands. Even with the Wi-Fi limited areas of access installed several years ago, recent discoveries indicate that this is not enough for their guests taste especially with the younger generation.

Many guests like the abiblity to check e-mail, news, and the market while they are on vacation. Lately, the new trend is wider and longer RV's up to 40 feet and that means constructing wider pads to accomodate these new motor homes.

Also this means that Disney has to create new campsites to keep up with the demand and charge roughly from $69 - 116 which will depand on the season.

In addition, Disney also is designing a new themed water-slide & splash-zone located near the Meadows area pool. The old Fort Wilderness abuts River Country which closed a few years ago is now being considered by designers and engineers. They will probably recycle the park's water tower and build a new water slide

These new changes are a big investment and with current high gas prices Disney is wondering whether changing the theme will be cost efective in the near future.

Aquatic not opened due to hurricane Fay

2008-08-21T10:50:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard yet, Aquatica will not be opening today (8/21). Let me know if you have any questions; thanks! Have a great one.

Disney Cruise Tropical Storm Update

2008-08-20T17:09:00.002-04:00

Florida-Based Disney DestinationsTropical Weather UpdateWednesday, August 20, 2008
Disney Cruise LineThe Disney Cruise Line® continues to monitor Tropical Storm Fay very closely.

Tropical Storm Fay has stalled along the eastern coast of Florida near our homeport of Port Canaveral, and its path is uncertain at this point. For this reason, Port Canaveral has been closed by the Port Authority and the Aug. 21, 2008 sailing of the Disney Wonder® will set sail on its 3-night itinerary from Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Other than the departure port change, we do not anticipate any additional changes in the upcoming Disney Wonder itinerary.

Transportation will be provided for Guests with transfers and those arriving by private vehicle at Port Canaveral. It is important that departing Guests park at our terminal in Port Canaveral as the ship is scheduled to return there on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008.The Disney Magic® is currently on a 15-night Panama Canal voyage and is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008.

The safety and security of our Guests and Crew Members are always our top priority, and we monitor the weather very closely. If necessary, our Captains are always prepared to alter the ships' courses or itineraries to navigate away from inclement weather.

Walt Disney World ResortThe Walt Disney World® Resort safely withstood the wind and rain associated with Tropical Storm Fay. We have returned to normal operations in all areas

Busch Gardens Closed due to Hurricane Fay

2008-08-19T12:46:00.001-04:00

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will be closed tomorrow, August 19th, due to Tropical Storm Fay. It will re-open for regularly scheduled park hours on Wednesday, August 20th.

DIsney keeps it's eye on the storm

2008-08-19T12:28:00.008-04:00

As Walt Disney World® Resort continues to monitor the path of Hurricane Fay, recent forecasts illustrate that rain and wind may affect operations as early as Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 19, 2008.

At this time, Walt Disney World will operating as usual. To ensure our Guests have opportunities to enjoy our Parks and Downtown Disney® Area offerings, we will open early as follows:

All four Theme Parks will open at 8 a.m.
DisneyQuest® Indoor Interactive Theme Park will open at 9 a.m.
AMC Theatres will open at 10 a.m.

We will announce additional changes to our operations if the storm’s direction and intensity make it necessary to do so.

Closings during hurricane Fay

2008-08-19T12:10:00.001-04:00

SeaWorld will close at 5:00 p.m.

Discovery Cove will close at 5:30 p.m. (no Twilight Discovery)

Aquatica will close at 5:00 p.m. Busch Gardens is closed all day

Aquatica operating hours

2008-08-12T12:52:00.002-04:00

please be advised of the following hours of operation:

Aug 18th - Sept 1st 2008 close at 9:00 pm
open at 9:00 am

Cypress Gardens due to reduce hours

2008-07-30T14:17:00.003-04:00

Cypress Gardens known for it's Southern Belle and enchanted botanical gardens was originally owned by Dick & Julie Pope in 1936. Unfortunately, park attendance began to fall off in 2003 leading to a bankruptcy causing the park to close. It was then sold to Land South Holding LLC. for $16.9 million dollars.

In order to combat the changing economy, Steven Baker of Leisure Baker Group have decided to scale back the hours of operation. Most parks begin to slow down around September and change their hours to remain profitable. With only 200 people in the park at any one time, does not provide the atmospher with the excitement and thrills park goers are looking for.

Because of the rising cost of gasoline and other factors, Baker has decided to limit the park opening to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until further notice. One of the biggest problems is that the airlines at Orlando International Airport scaled back their seats by 6,900 seats and there is a drastic reduction in international tourism. Cypress Gardens also will open for big group events during the limited hours of opereation.

Scaling back park hours is probably in line with other attractions including Weeki Wachee Springs, and Silver Springs who will also reduce park hours to three days. Cypress Gardens employs about 200 people to operate it's park and the low attendance does not justify keeping it open for 7 days a week.

Feel the breeze during Summer Nights Busch Gardens

2008-07-29T19:27:00.003-04:00

Get the Quick Queue pass that allows front of the line access to nine incredible rides: including Tidal Wave, Flume Ride, Congo River, Rhino Rally, Gwazi Tiger, Gwazi Lion, Kumba, Sheikra and Montu.

Purchase your passes before their sold out in front of Desert Grill Information booth or the front gate.

cost
Regular $24.95
Passport member $19.95
exludes Fun Cards

Hours of operation
Aug 1-2 9am-10pm
Aug 3-16 9am-9pm
Aug 17, 24 9am-7pm
Aug 16-22 25-29 9:30am-6pm
Aug 23, 30-31 9am-7:30pm

Join Elmo and his Friends at SeaWorld

2008-07-29T16:19:00.004-04:00

Immerse yourself in a world of Elmo and his friends for a delightful character breakfast at SeaWorld. Eat a delicious buffet with some of the hottest characters in Sesame Street.

cost
Adult Tickets $16.95
Child tickets $14.95

Join in for a fun musical show with Elmo and Abby Cadabby. Embark on a treasure hunt with Elmo and friends including Grover, Rosita, Cookie Monster, and Abby. Show length will be about 20 minutes.

operating hours
Aug 1-17, 23-24, 30-31 9am-10pm
Aug 18/22, 25-29 9am-9pm