I spent the morning at the Magic Kingdom. Crowds were light, and early afternoon storms rolled in and drove many to the gates, including us. Must have felt like you owned the park between then and the 7pm start of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.… Read More »Tornado Reported Near Disney’s Animal Kingdom today
It’s almost showtime as Disney’s Hollywood Studios prepares to raise the curtain on its newest showbiz-themed attraction, “The American Idol Experience.” The giant TV Screen you see here will be used to let the expected over-flow crowds see what’s happening in the American Idol theater… Read More »Prepare for “The American Idol Experience” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The IAAPA Attractions Expo opened on Monday. But the show doesn’t really get going until the “What’s New” presentation which was yesterday morning. This year the kickoff session featured performances from Universal and The Blues Brothers, dancers from Busch Gardens, and a new song from beautifully performed by a singer from Walt Disney World Resort. All in all a great showcase for central Florida.
Three new IAAPA members were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Arto Monaco (Land of Make Believe) and Edgard “Eddy” Meeus (Walibi Parks)Â both played key roles in the early days of theme park development and were awarded posthumously. Larry B. Cochran helped open Six Flags over Texas and rose to the top of the company during his 41 years of service and team building. He gave a wonderful speech with a tribute to his family and team members.
The bi-annual Applause Award went to Xetulul a theme park in Retalhuleu, Guatemala. I’ve never heard of this park, but it looked like a lot of fun. San Diego SeaWorld cam in a close second.
After the morning performance everyone heads down to the show floor to make some deals and see what’s hot from vendors old and new. I only managed to cover about 20% of the show floor yesterday but click through the cut to read a few things that caught my eye.
The International Associations of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) swings into Orlando this week for its annual Attractions Expo. Industry leaders, companies and hangers on swarm over the Orange County Convention Center for a week trying out all the new things the industry has to… Read More »IAAPA Attractions Expo hits Orlando
ICE! at Gaylord Palms Resort is back for its sixth season. I was lucky enough to go last night and found the new displays to be a lot of fun. It’s amazing to see how huge blocks of ice have been transformed into wonderful works of art.
A little advice: make sure you buy your tickets online ahead of time to save a few dollars. Plus plan to eat somewhere else either before or after the event. The restaurant selection at Gaylord Palms are good, but very expensive, even more than what you might find on Disney property.
The ornaments are a whole new room this year and my favorite of the show. There are a few more pictures below the cut.
First, a tropical depression has formed in the Caribbean and looks likely to reach hurricane strength this week. This is not a rumor, but it’s not likely to affect Central Florida either. I’ll post again if things change. Second, the Disney Gossip blog has some… Read More »Walt Disney World Rumors
The experiment that turned the beautiful, but dying, Cypress Gardens into an amusement park may be nearing an end. It pains me to write this rumor, but I completely understand the reasoning behind it. Winter Haven is just too far off the beaten path to… Read More »A Cypress Garden Rumor
With the Presidential election just days away, one fact not often overlooked by the Disney fan, is that this choice will make a difference as to who will be up on stage next year in Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom.… Read More »Changes Afoot at Hall of Presidents