January 2012: Universal Studios Orlando released new information about rides, shows and even parade upgrades debuting this year. Overall, it shows a clear push to boost attendance at the Universal Studios park rather than Islands of Adventure, where a boy wizard named Harry Potter continues to draw in tourists. The lineup also reflects a shift [...] Read more...
January 2012: As announced, Universal Studios’ closed the Jaws ride – its giant man-eating shark – but the axe swung farther than that. In shutting down the Jaws ride, Universal also shuttered the entire town of Amity. It closed the Nathan’s hot dog restaurant; it closed the games of chance; it even closed the beer-and-ice-cream [...] Read more...
January 2012: It’s official. Forbes – the financial guru that analyzes money in all its forms – released its first-ever list of bargain shopping in America, and Orlando secured the top spot. According to Susan Lomax, VP of publicity for Orlando, shopping is now the No. 1 activity for international tourists, which must come as [...] Read more...
January 2012: During the day, Universal Studios Orlando is a theme park, but at night it’s a party from Feb. 11 through April 14 when it celebrates Mardi Gras. Modeled on the R-rated New Orleans version, Universal cleans up the festivities to roughly a PG-rating as it strives to turn jazz, liquor, and sin into [...] Read more...
January 2012: In 2012, Disney’s upgrades can be found mainly in the Magic Kingdom as part of the Fantasyland expansion, which is a huge undertaking. But Universal is upgrading some rides in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, while SeaWorld also has attractions debuting. Expect a lot of small upgrades – Orlando constantly changes – [...] Read more...
Here’s what’s known: Universal Orlando will expand the world of Harry Potter. Here’s what we don’t know: Where, when, and how. However, Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider, says he’s seen internal plans that link the recent closing of the Jaws ride in Universal Studios to the upgrade, with the fish-infested waters of Amity [...] Read more...
For many families, renting a vacation home beats hotels because it costs less yet offers more – more privacy, more kitchen, and a home-away-from-home atmosphere. However, a handful of Florida tourists – mainly travelers from outside the U.S. – have pre-paid for a vacation rental home only to discover on arrival that they’ve been [...] Read more...
December 2011: For guests who drive to Walt Disney World, the main parking lot for the Magic Kingdom is a massive sea of asphalt separated by an occasional line of trees. In the past, guests memorized A) their row number and B) the general name of the section (Mickey, Minnie, etc.) if they wanted to [...] Read more...
In the past five years, SeaWorld boosted its holiday spirit, and it now ranks as one of the top Orlando parks for celebrating the holidays. Every park has one or two holiday events, but no other converts as many shows to a holiday theme without requiring a separate admission for the party. While SeaWorld features [...] Read more...
