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Party With Friends at Universal Studios Florida Mardi Gras

Last weekend I was invited to Universal Studios Florida for a lesson in fun. We got to see behind the scenes at Mardi Gras, learn how to cook up some authentic New Orleans gumbo, caught some beads, and then partied into the night at a marvelous concert featuring the B-52s. It as an amazing experience.

The night started off with a cooking lesson from the resort’s executive chef Steven Jayson.

Thankfully there was no slicing and dicing required. All the ingredients for our gumbo were ready to go when we arrived as well as a cooking station.

The final product was supposed to look like this

but mine was more like this…

we didn’t really have the time required to bring out all the flavors, but it was still pretty good.

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Harry Potter pulls Universal Studios, Hotels out of Recession

The boy wizard from the mind of J.K. Rowling just gave Universal Orlando it’s best year since 2004. Not only that, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is fattening the long-slimmed wallets of Orlando’s hotels. Particularly those near Universal. Wizarding World’s success has spilled beyond… Read More »Harry Potter pulls Universal Studios, Hotels out of Recession

Islands of Adventure closes gates due to high attendance

Walt Disney World and Disneyland aren’t the only parks eexperiencing high attendance this time of year, Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios Orlando has had to close its gates for the first time in its existence. This is, of course, largely due to the popularity… Read More »Islands of Adventure closes gates due to high attendance

Orlando Thrill Park – More details emerge, why Disney should take note

The latest player on the amusement park scene in Orlando still has to cross quite a number of hurdles before construction can even begin, but the people behind it are busy talking up its features and its benefits to the community. A good plan that… Read More »Orlando Thrill Park – More details emerge, why Disney should take note

SeaWorld to lay off 129 in Orlando

SeaWorld announced today that they will lay off 129 people in their Orlando theme parks. No word on which kind of employees, but one assumes salaried cuts provide the most bang for the buck. Disney reported essentially flat attendance for the most recent quarter, while… Read More »SeaWorld to lay off 129 in Orlando

Jan Stratton, Universal and Orlando has lost a star

The community of Orlando has lost one of its real stars. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Jan Stratton was pronounced dead at ORMC tonight. My heart felt condolences go out to her husband Jack Cudworth and their children. Stratton was Vice President of Community and… Read More »Jan Stratton, Universal and Orlando has lost a star

Thrilling Amusement Park Proposed for Orlando

A group from Baker Leisure Group, a themed design consultancy who has worked with pretty much everyone in Orlando at one time or another, is proposing to bring a new amusement park to the International Drive area of Orlando. The park would focus on big… Read More »Thrilling Amusement Park Proposed for Orlando

When you evacuate an attraction, how long should it take?

The 911 tape for the heavily reported on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey evacuation has been released. On it, one of the ride’s passengers claims they had been kept waiting 15 minutes in an uncomfortable position without any notice from ride attendants when help… Read More »When you evacuate an attraction, how long should it take?