The Other Orlando Blog

From a press release:

More than 125 soldiers and their family members celebrate their recent return home after deployment in Iraq with a special day at SeaWorld. The soldiers are enjoying a variety of events at the park including recognition during the Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island show and a family picnic. The soldiers are members of Company A, Third Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Florida Army National Guard and hail from throughout Florida.

Anheuser-Busch has a long history of honoring the men and women of the U.S. armed forces with tribute programs like Here’s to the Heroes. Here’s to the Heroes provides a single day’s free admission to any one SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park, Sesame Place, Adventure Island or Water Country USA for the service member and as many as three of his or her direct dependents. In addition, Anheuser-Busch was recently recognized as one of the “Top 50 Military-Friendly Employers” by G.I. Jobs Magazine.

Labels: military, orlando attractions, seaworld

I was introduced to a new (at least to me) blog covering Orlando's wacky and wonderful tourism scene.

But while I try to be (ahem) discriminating, TackyFabulous revels in the sort of excess of which only a tourist mecca like Orlando is capable. As the site's creator says, "Prior to 1964, things were either tacky or fabulous. But all that changed when a man named Walt Disney bought up swamp land in Orlando and created a home for quirky, cheesy and offbeat. Now the only thing missing is the world's largest ball of twine."

The blog features Orlando exotica like BuckedUp Shirts (that's not a typo!) and the "redneck fun" of Santa's Christmas Tree Farm in Eustis.

Give a look.

Labels: orlando attractions, orlando blogs, orlando tourism

For those bummed out by the fact that the Dudley Do-Right ride at Islands of Adventure has been down for maintenance, the good news is that the ride is scheduled to reopen December 3.

Labels: dudley do-right, islands of adventure, orlando attractions

Busch Entertainment is making an attempt to rebrand its family of theme parks as "Worlds of Discovery."

When Aquatica - the waterpark that only SeaWorld could create - joins the Worlds of Discovery parks in spring 2008, it will complement the SeaWorld experience. Along with Discovery Cove, these three parks in Orlando offer unique ways to connect with the world of the sea. The Worlds of Discovery parks also include SeaWorld parks in California and Texas, Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg, Va., their adjoining water parks, Adventure Island and Water Country U.S.A., and Sesame Place near Philadelphia.

I assume the parks will also retain their "traditional" names, so I'm not sure how much difference this is going to make in public perception. We shall see.

Labels: busch entertainment, busch gardens tampa, orlando attractions, seaworld

MurderWatch Mystery Theater, one of my favorite Orlando dinner shows, is relaunching in a new restaurant in a new hotel. Well, actually, a refurbished restaurant in a refurbished hotel with a new name.

You see, the old Grosvenor (nicknamed the Gross-venor by some) is now the Regal Sun Resort and the former Baskervilles Restaurant is now the Lakeview. Looks appropriately baronial, even if they've lost the Conan Doyle reference.

The creative minds behind MurderWatch are also launching a new show, MurderWatch CSI, which will be performed in repertory with their other shows. I wonder if the food will be as good as it was at Baskervilles.

Labels: dinner shows, lakeview restaurant, murderwatch mystery theater, orlando attractions, regal sun resort

(Photo: Gatorland)

Even baby alligators are cute. Don't believe me? Then get you to Gatorland where the latest batch of newborns is on display.

Gators mate in May and the results of all that lovemaking are now being born. Check 'em out. And to learn what else to do while you're there, click here.

Labels: alligators, gatorland, orlando attractions

(Photo: Universal Orlando.)

More haunted houses, more shows and more infamous villains stalking the sidewalks should result in customers spending less time in lines this year at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights events.

That's the word from Universal Orlando, via the Sentinel.
Another thing that could help keep the crowds down is the price — $64.95.

Now that's scary.

Labels: halloween horror nights, orlando attractions, universal orlando

Disney Co. lobbyists have been instrumental in wresting new legislation out of Washington that will (of course) benefit Disney but that will also prove a boon to other Orlando attractions and a shot in the arm for U.S. tourism in general.

Under the new law, more countries could qualify to send tourists to the United States without visas for up to 90 days. Only 27 nations can do that now, but tourism officials hope others will be added if required security improvements are made.

The immediate beneficiaries will be South Americans. Ole!

Disney deserves a lot of credit on this.

The [Orlando CVB] recently released figures that about 300,000 South Americans came to Orlando annually from 2003 to 2005. Western Europe, whose travelers often don't need visas, sent about 1.4 million visitors to Orlando in 2006.

That has pushed Disney and the $700 billion U.S. tourism industry to find ways to attract new tourists globally. To promote that goal in Washington, Disney last year joined top travel companies in a coalition called the Discover America Partnership.

The group was central in promoting the visa change, at one point hiring as a consultant Tom Ridge, former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The partnership now wants Congress to help promote U.S. travel in overseas markets.

"Disney has been very active in contributing to this process," said Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership.

Labels: Disney, inbound tourism, orlando attractions, visas

I've been to Disney," people will tell you, "But y'know what I think is the best thing they've got down there in Orlando? SeaWorld!" I heard it over and over again. In a way this reaction was somewhat surprising. After all, compared to the Magic Kingdom or Universal, SeaWorld is downright modest, with only a smattering of thrill rides.

Of course, this “I-liked-SeaWorld-best” attitude may be one-upmanship — that quirk of human nature that makes us want to look superior. After all, SeaWorld is educational and how much more flattering it is to depict yourself as someone who prefers educational nature shows to mindless carnival rides that merely provide “fun.” I’m just enough of a cynic about human nature to give some credence to this theory.

However, I think the real reason lies elsewhere. No matter how well imagined and perfectly realized the attractions at Universal or Disney might be, the wonders on display at SeaWorld were produced by a creative intelligence of an altogether higher order. The animated robotics guys can tinker all they want and the bean-counters in Hollywood can give them ever higher budgets and they still will never produce anything that can match the awe generated by a killer whale soaring 30 feet in the air with his human trainer perched on his snout. No matter how much we are entertained by Universal and Disney, at SeaWorld we cannot help but be reminded, however subliminally, that there are wonders in our world that humankind simply cannot duplicate, let alone surpass.

It’s a feeling of which many visitors probably aren’t consciously aware. Even if they are, they’d probably feel a little awkward trying to express it. But I am convinced it is there for everyone — believer, agnostic, or atheist. It’s the core experience that makes SeaWorld so popular; it’s the reason people will tell you they liked SeaWorld best of all. To paraphrase Joyce Kilmer’s magnificent cliché about human inadequacy,

I think that Walt will never do
A wonder greater than Shamu.

(Excerpted from The Other Orlando.)

This video gives some idea of what it's all about.

Labels: orlando attractions, seaworld, Shamu

As a follow up to the earlier post on Orlando's Holy Land Experience . . .

Labels: holy land experience, orlando attractions

Here's a complete rundown on the latest pricing info (including tax, except as noted) at Universal Orlando:

1 day/1 park: $75.62 (adults)/$63.90 (kids)
1 day/2 park: $85.15/$74.50
2 day/2 park: $124.56/$113.91 (expires in 7 days, including 1st day of use)
2 day/2park (Non-expiring): $135.21/$124.56
2 park Unlimited: $91.57 (advance purchase) / $102.23 (immediate use)
Preferred Annual Pass: $202.30
Power Pass: $138.40
Citywalk party pass: $11.99 plus tax
Citywalk party pass and movie: $15.98
Citywalk movie and meal deal: $21.95
Citywalk movie and party deal: $21
Regular parking: $11
Preferred parking: $16
Single/Double stroller: $11/$17
Wheelchair (deposit): $12 ($50)
ECV (deposit): $40 ($50)
One park meal deal: $19.99/$9.99 plus tax
Two park meal deal: $23.99/$11.99 plus tax

Labels: admission, orlando attractions, theme parks, universal orlando

'Bout time I got around to reviewing the recently opened Blue Man Group show at Universal Orlando's CityWalk. So here goes:

Blue Man Group

What: Avant garde theater performance
Where: Across the waterway next to Hard Rock Cafe
Tickets: Adults $59 to $69; children 9 and under $49 to $59; annual passholders get a 10% discount
Hours: Varies widely. Generally there are two shows daily, but fewer shows during slower periods. Call.
Web: www.blueman.com or www.universalorlando.com

Back in the eighties, three “performance artists” created Blue Man Group in New York’s seedy East Village. They were weird, hip, edgy, incomprehensible. They were the most avant of the avant garde. Today they are family entertainment. Such is cultural progress.

Now an international phenomenon, the Orlando edition of the troupe holds forth in an industrial looking thousand-seat theater at the end of a long, winding pathway next to the Hard Rock Cafe.

And just what awaits at the end of that path? Well, perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid Blue Man Group is that it is pretty much indescribable. Three very bald, very blue, very silent guys in black pajamas (could they be space aliens?) appear on a stage that seems to be part of a strange factory and do a series of odd things, some of which take real skill, some of which are very funny, and some of which are just plain wacky. They are at once consummate masters of ceremony and befuddled innocents who seem constantly surprised by the presence of the audience.

Some of the best segments involve the trio’s considerable skill as percussionists (a four-man, day-glo combo assists from overhead). And who could have guessed how much entertainment value there was in pouring colored liquids on drum heads? There’s plenty of audience interaction and the show wraps up with a chaotic finale that involves everyone and sends the crowd out in a festive mood.

So what’s it all about? Some see a critique of modern society, others detect commentary on modern art. My advice is to check your brain at the door and let the fun of the evening take over. I found the more I tried to analyze, the less I enjoyed the experience. They do not recommend the show for children under three; personally, I’d stretch that to five or six.

There is a tendency to compare this show to La Nouba, the Cirque du Soleil show over at Downtown Disney. I think this is unfair. La Nouba is a multi-million-dollar extravaganza with a large cast. Blue Man is, essentially, a three-man show that has grown over the years but that still sticks close to its Off Broadway origins. It’s really an apples and oranges comparison.

Tip: The show lasts one hour and forty-five minutes, there is no intermission, and beer vendors work the crowd beforehand. You have been warned!

The best seats in the house. All things being equal, the closer and more centrally located your seat, the better. The first four rows are designated as the “poncho zone” and those seated there are issued cheap plastic cover ups, just in case. But it’s a far cry from a “splash zone” at SeaWorld and more marketing than anything else. Besides, I find the ponchos uncomfortable. Sitting a few rows farther back won’t decrease your enjoyment a bit. Zone 1, center is just about ideal. The “cheap seats” (Zones 3 and 4) are on a steeper incline and offer good sight lines of the whole stage.

Tickets can be ordered over the phone by calling (888) 340-5476 or (407) 224-3200 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily; you can also order online at the two web sites above (follow the prompts). There is a box office at the theater as well. You may also see offers combining a Blue Man ticket with theme park admission and a CityWalk Party Pass.

The show schedule is somewhat erratic. Typically there are two shows a day at 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. or 6:00 and 9:00. But some days there is just one show and some days there are none. Call or check the web sites for show times during your visit.

Labels: Blue Man Group, CityWalk, orlando attractions, reviews, universal orlando

One of my favorite places is The Dessert Lady, hidden away in a mall just north of Universal Orlando.

Just in case you ever need an excuse to drop by for one of Patti Schmidt's sinfully delicious desserts, you can now point to their regular schedule of literary and art events. Here is the July line up:

July 9th, Monday, 7:00-9:00PM
Meet the…DREAM INTERPRETER & Author
Do you have a reoccurring dream? Are you curious to know what your dream means? Come meet and speak with Jean Benedict Raffa, Ed. D. Jean, a student of Jungian psychology and writer on psychological and spiritual issues. Jean will answer any of your “Dream” questions during this special event. Jean will also be autographing her books Dream Theatres of the Soul, if you’d like to interpret all of your dreams! So, write those dreams down and bring them with you on the 9th!
Please call us with your RSVP!

July 18, Wednesday, 7:00-9:00PM
Meet the…ARTIST
Our frequent The Dessert Lady Café patrons have already enjoyed some of the very unique paintings displayed on our walls. During this week’s special event meet Elizabeth Nelson the painter of “Desserts”! Come mingle with Elizabeth and ask our guest artist about her creative process. If you like to own one of Elizabeth’s paintings…you better hurray…they very seem to hang on our walls for very long! Please call us with your RSVP!

July 24th, Tuesday, 7:00-9:00PM
Meet the…Jewelry Artist
Something a little different tonight! Our Germany born guest artist, Gisa Kusserow-Hanson, will create one of a kind jewelry during this evening’s special event. Mingle with our artist, watch her create and enjoy her array of accessories. Your creative juices will flow with an exhilarating feeling of “I could do that”…well, almost! Please call us with your RSVP!

July 30, Monday, 7:00-9:00PM
Meet the …Author
Need to put a little romance back into your life? Come meet and chat with the Author of Great Dates Orlando: 52 ways to experience Orlando’s romantic side, Kristen Manieri. Join Kristen as she sips some wine and enjoys her favorite dessert, at one of her preferred romantic spots, The Dessert Lady Café. Ask Kristen to help you figure out the best romantic spot for that special occasion you have in mind. Books will be on hand, just in case you’d like to know all 52 spots. Please call us with your RSVP!

The RSVP number is 407-822-8881.

Labels: dessert lady, orlando attractions

You've already read Seth Kubersky's take on the new American Adventure show at Epcot. Now the Sentinel has its say. It's less a review than a backgrounder.

As always with sensitive material, the update was tricky, particularly dealing tactfully with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Historians are included in the process, said Rick Rothschild, the executive show director. Rothschild, who's also a senior vice president with Walt Disney Imagineering, helped develop the original show and the first update. In dealing with 9-11, he and planners focused on how Americans came together afterward to cope and recover, he said.

Labels: american adventure, epcot, orlando attractions

Gatorland will be raising its prices July 1, 2007. The new rates will be $22.95 for adults and $14.95 for kids 3 to 12.

Of course, you can easily find coupons that will give you $2.50 off these prices and Florida residents can pay for one day's admission and get in free for a year!

Also coming in July is a new live show called "Vera's Critter Corner."

More info here.

Labels: gatorland, orlando, orlando attractions

The Sentinel is reporting that The Mercado "has a date with a wrecking ball in September," which would suggest that Titanic - the Experience will have to find new digs.

David Christensen, Titanic spokesman, issued a somewhat cryptic statement today:

WLM, Inc., parent company of the Orlando based and family owned Titanic-The Experience, is finalizing agreements with developer Unicorp to ensure the attractions continued growth and success for many years to come on International Drive; the location the world renowned attraction has been proud to call home since 1998.

“We are excited and inspired by Unicorp’s bold and dynamic visions for International Drive” stated G. Michael Harris, a noted Titanic expert and expedition leader as well as WLM, Inc. President. “I look forward to our continued relationship with Unicorp and bringing Orlando a new and improved Titanic-The Experience”.

This doesn't really say that the attraction will stay put, merely that it will remain on International Drive. But where exactly?

Let me put on my Matt Drudge hat and breathlessly type . . . Developing . . .

Labels: International drive, Mercado, orlando attractions, Titanic

Wow! The new owners of Midway Airboats have been busy.

In my original review I talked about how desolate the place looked. And the "before" picture to the left will give you an idea of what I was talking about.

It was really kind of cool in a Mad Max sort of way.

The setting is still wonderfully "untouched by human hands," but the buildings themselves have been touched a lot. They're now covered by some pretty nifty murals as the "after" photo at the right illustrates.

Prices have gone up too, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who's filled up their gas tank recently. Fuel is the single largest expense for an airboat operator.

For more information, visit their web site.

Labels: airboat rides, midway airboats, orlando, orlando attractions

Multi-story go-karting has arrived on US 192. The Vortex is part of Fun Spot USA's expansion next door to Old Town.

Read more.

And check out the review of the original Fun Spot in Orlando on International Drive.

Labels: fun spot, go karts, kissimmee, orlando attractions