In an effort to stay as up-to-date as possible, here is a quick look at what has beaten our deadline since the most recent edition of the Brit's Guide was sent to press. And there are a couple of major new recent announcements among them.
DISNEY WORLD: single-day admission has gone up by $2; multi-day tickets remain unchanged.
Disney's Extra Magic Hour - after months of prevaricating over the suspension of Early Entry (and refusing to say if it might be brought back!), they announced a new system to allow Disney resort guests in to one of the parks an hour early each day. And, in a complete break from previous practice, they have included the Animal Kingdom for the first time and changed the typical daily rota for each park. This means the Busy Day guide at the back of the book is seriously affected by this new system. The full list of Extra Magic Hour parks are:
Sunday -----Magic Kingdom
Monday -----Disney's Animal Kingdom
Tuesday----- Disney's MGM Studios
Wednesday --Epcot
Thursday -----Magic Kingdom
Friday ---------Disney's Animal Kingdom
Saturday------- Disney's MGM Studios
This means those days will now be the Busy Days for each park, and should be avoided unless you are staying at a Disney hotel and can take advantage of the early entry facility.
The Character Caravan visiting each Disney resort has now been cancelled, but Disney promise there will now be many more Character meet 'n greet opportunities throughout the parks instead. At the Magic Kingdom, park opening will be accompanied by major character gatherings outside City Hall and in front of Cinderella's Castle, while many new characters will be out and about the park itself. At Epcot, World Showcase will get a host of new characters at different times of the day around the various pavilions. There will be more characters in the other two parks as well.
Disney's Swan and Dolphin Hotels are undergoing a $75million refurbishment throughout 2003, completely re-styling and up-grading the rooms. Gone will be the 'fun architecture' styling, to be replaced by a more sophisticated, modern look. Rooms will also feature the Westin hotels group 'Heavenly bed,' a wonderfully comfortable deep mattress with high thread-count cotton sheets, down comforters and duvet.
Cirque du Soleil have a new pricing arrangement for their amazing La Nouba show in Downtown Disney. You can now buy premium seats in the most central section for $86 (and $51 for children 3-9) instead of $71 and $41 (all inclusive of tax). IMHO, stick with the regular price seats - the theatre has great views from every seat and I wouldn't be keen to pay the extra just to guarantee a seat that bit closer.
Due to start at the Living Seas pavilion at Epcot is a new tour that takes guests to the heart of things. The Aqua Seas Tour is a 21/2-hour backstage tour, with 30 minutes spent in the water. Mask, fins, tank, regulator are provided, and no certification is necessary (unlike the Dive tour). Ages 8-16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian, cost is $100 per person, and it's given daily at 12:30 p.m.
OUTSIDE DISNEY
At SeaWorld the Terrors of the Deep attraction has been renamed Shark Encounter, to include the new Sharks Underwater Grill (which I haven't sampled yet) and an even more daring Shark Dive opportunity, where you go down into the shark tank in a special steel cage (more details to follow). Also under construction until May 2003 is a new Mediterranean Village area around the waterfront from Shamu Stadium to the Sky Tower ride. This will be a heavily-themed area of new shops and restaurants, including more upscale merchandise and the park's first true fine dining opportunities.
Busch Gardens has introduced a first-of-a-kind Rain Guarantee with every ticket whereby, if it rains during your visit, you can redeem your ticket for another free visit at any time in the following 7 days. Also new here is Howl-O-Scream, a 15-night Halloween programme of extra shows, haunted houses and 'scare zones' throughout the park from 7.30pm (normal closing time) to 2am. From Sept 27-Nov 2, you can visit the six haunted houses (with wonderful titles like Escape From Insanity and Ripper Row), four scare zones (X-ecutioner, Cursed, Grisly Gardens and Agony Express), plus 2 new shows, RIP TV2 and Fiends, as well as try out all the rides and the park's thrilling coasters - in the dark! With the huge success of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, this is sure to be a big draw. The 2002 prices are $39.95 (and I wouldn't recommend it for younger children!). Check out www.buschgardens.com for the latest info.
Just announced (Oct 18) is a new 4-D cinema show. Based on the Goosebumps stories of American author RL Stine, this will be a major new attraction for May 2003, with a clever new film and the full range of in-theatre special effects.
The Sheraton Four Points Lakeside hotel has changed to La Quinta Inn Lakeside. This suggests a slight downgrade in the overall quality of this usually good-value hotel. The Sheraton brand is normally a notch above La Quinta, although the La Quinta properties in the Orlando area are all some of the best examples of that brand. I'll keep a check on this in months to come.
That's all for now (!), but I'll add more as it occurs.
Dec 5 - and here's one. As of today, Alamo Rent A Car have moved to a full-service counter on-airport at Orlando International. Their old depot about 10 minutes' drive away is closing in the New Year and they instead have masses of counter space and covered car parking just a short walk from the baggage hall (down one Level). This means anyone taking advantage of the Brit's Guide - Alamo disount gets even better value for money with the convenience and service Alamo can offer.
Jan 2003 - more news!
Just confirming earlier reports, at Universal Studios Florida Kongfrontation (which closed without much notice last September) is to be replaced by a new indoor coaster themed on the Mummy series of films. There is no firm opening date for this yet, but early saummer 2004 looks like the best bet. Sadly, until then Universal is without one of its (for me) standout attractions in this park.
Some reader have also noticed there is no mention of the Titanic -Ship of Dreams exhibition in the 2003 edition. This is because our information was the exhibit was due to close at the end of 2002 and go on the road. However, there was a change of mind when business picked up in October and Titanic (at The Mercado on Internation Drive) will now be staying throughout 2003. So, for those interested, here is what we said about it in the last edition of the book:
A new attraction in 1999 inside The Mercado was Titanic Ship of Dreams, the first permanent exhibit to the great maritime disaster of 1912. With a mixture of genuine artifacts, full-scale re-creations of the ships interior, several clever scene-setting presentations (including a visit to the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast during building of the unsinkable liner), film memorabilia from Titanic and A Night to Remember, plus live interpretations by storytellers in period costume, you will see, hear and feel just about everything there is to know about the Titanic and her tragic fate. The excellent actor participation, which is carried right through the exhibit, makes for an enthralling and quite moving depiction of the tragedy. The full experience takes at least an hour, with the inevitable gift store at the end, and, while the basic premise is a touch macabre, there is no disguising the on-going fascination with the ship. Even the ticket hall is suitably atmospheric, and entry is $16.95 for adults and $11.95 for 612s (5 and under free). It is open 10am9pm daily (last guided tour at 8.30pm). Attraction rating: AAAA.
I actually revisited this in December and still find it extremely well presented (and it kept the attention of our 6-year-old, too). The character interaction is the key and, while there are still not a huge number of real Titanic artefacts to see, you are free to wander through at your leisure after the main tour.
I also got to look over the new Mall at Millenia shopping complex just off I4, which we preview in the book. And this is every bit as good as the advance publicity and planning details suggested. It is distinctly up-market and extremely smart (think of a high-tech, Gucci version of Bluewater, for anyone familiar with the Kent mall) and is well worth a visit, even if you don't usually like shopping.
There are two new stores to look out for at Downtown Disney. Disney's Wonderful World of Memories offers a new collection of Disney World-branded scrapbook supplies, including albums, pre-packaged kits, adhesive tape pens, glue sticks, scissors, and a wide assortment of colorful Disney stickers. Also available are Disney books, stationery, pens and postcards, plus several stations where guests can create scrapbook pages and postcards. Now open, Disneys Wonderful World of Memories is located next to Art of Disney and replaces the 2Rs Reading and Riting shop.
Basin, scheduled to open in mid-January, will feature natural bath and skin care products in a beautifully rustic setting across from World of Disney. The shops interior will evoke the feel of a 19th century market where guests can browse among pine bins and metal tubs filled with fragrant soaps and lotions or watch soap cut by the pound from all-natural blocks. Basin replaces the Generation BeneFITS shop, in the former summer sands location behind Ghiradelli and next to World of Disney.
Starting Jan 6, SeaWorld will again be the priciest park in town. They are raising single-day admission $2 to $51.95 for adults and $42.95 for children 3-9, before tax.
Finally (for this update!) the Hard Rock Vault is officially opened on January 16 with some 1,000 significant items (and many interactive elements) from the fabled Hard Rock collection. I will be reviewing this (hopefully) in the spring.
On the heels of SeaWorld Orlando's admission price increase Jan. 6, Universal Orlando has quietly raised its single-day ticket price by $2 for both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios parks on Jan. 9. Both Universal and SeaWorld now charge $51.95 for a one-day admission. And talking of Universal, the DIS now has it's own information site for all the latest on the two parks, CityWalk entertainment district and Wet n Wild water park - check out www.usoinfo.com
Travel City Direct are increasing the frequency of their own direct jumbo jet air service to Orlando Sanford Airport to make it year-round. Instead of just Easter-September daily, it will now also be be twice a week from November-March, with one flight from Gatwick and the other from Manchester on a Saturday. There are also some excellent fly-drive deals to be had outside peak periods this year.
On a slightly more personal note, Keith Prowse have decided the Brit's Guide is so invaluable they will be including a free copy with every family Orlando FlexTicket purchase in February!
More from the Magic Kingdom with the news that the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue has just closed (as at Feb 1) and is due to be replaced in the near future by an all-new character revue, but maintaining the Western theme (look for Goofy and Co in cowboy suits, and probably Woody and Jessie from Toy Story!). The new show will be The Country Character Round-Up, provisionally starting in 'spring 2003.' Details are apparently still being worked out, but this will give people a chance to interact with Disney characters in a unique way. The Saloon will be closed temporarily to allow the necessary refurbishments to be carried out to the venue for its new revue.
The long-awaited new shopping development of Festival Bay [/b] at the top of International Bay has finally announced its completion date - April 3, 2003 (only 2 years behind schedule!). It sounds like it should be a top-class and quite original mall. Here's a link to the Orlando Sentinel article with all the details: Click here!
More news from SeaWorld concerning their major refurbishment of the lakeside area of the park opposite the Atlantis bayside Stadium. This area will open on May 26 as the Waterfront area, a three-part sub-division consisting of new shops, restaurants and live entertainment, intended to be the new hub and focus of the park. It breaks down as follows: 1) High Street, featuring the SeaFire Inn (with a 30-minute show called Rico and Roza's Family Feast,) and Katie's Kats, a show offering "an incredible display of purebred felines from throughout the seven seas. The beauty, wonder and charm of more than 10 exotic breeds of cats, including Bengal, Sphynx, Persian and Siamese, will wow the crowd with their amazing feats -- and paws." (Not sure about that idea myself). The main shops will also be here, too (although there is no word yet on what they will be); 2) Harbor Square, the centre of the Waterfront district, with daily performances of the Seaport Symphony, an unusual band of 'chefs' who include pots and pans among their instruments (this does sound quite fun, especially if you have seen Rhythmo Technico at the Walt Disney Studios at DLP). Also here is Voyagers Wood-Fired Pizza, the largest resaurant in the area, with 'performance art' chefs (watch out for flying pizzas!); 3) Tower Island completes the picture, built around the Sky Tower, with the SandBar for various speciality drinks and more live entertainment. Throughout the Waterfront there will be other various street entertainers, "including a salty old sea captain who regales travelers with fish tales and plays music with bottles or brandy glasses (!!). The Longshoremen mesmerize visitors with street comedy and stunts. Others might bump into sailors and their colorful tropical birds."
The idea sounds pretty good and, if the live entertainment lives up to SeaWorld's usual standards, it should add quite a bit to the park's appeal (as well as, hopefully, some better food options). Also new later in summer 2003 will be a show in the nautilus Theatre, replacing the current (and excellent) Cirque de la Mer. Billed as a 30-minute spectacular, it "combines gravity-defying acrobatic feats, lively music and dazzling special effects within a spectacular set that transports guests into an underwater world filled with whimsy and fantasy." Let's hope it lives up to their Cirque standards.
Oh, anyone looking to use the Airwave Communications mobile phone services which we mention in the book is likely to be disappointed as they have gone out of business, which is a great shame as they offered excellent service. However, I have two possible alternatives so far - Radio Rentals, at 1412 West Colonial Drive, Orlando (call 407 835 9500), offer rates at $40 for 2 weeks hire of a cellular phone (calls cost 65 cents per minute, no minimum charge). They also do two-way radios at $40 per unit for two weeks; and a more specialist firm, CellURent, at 407 522-6565 or 1-888-817-3681, or look up www.cellurent.com. I have recently checked out the latter and rate their services very highly. Very efficient.
More info from a recent trip (two weeks ago; April 3-10), starting with the sad closure of Cypress Gardens, Florida's oldest theme park, on April 13, with it looking unlikely it will ever re-open.
Other thoughts from the trip - arriving at Sanford Airport continues to be a doddle. Landed at 2.10pm, was down at Lake Buena Vista by 3.30pm. Good flight with Thomas Cook - Airbus A330, seatback TVs, nice and clean, decent food, standard legroom. Stayed at Summerfield Suites and was very impressed by their service and spaciousness of the suites (and all the mod cons). The property is seven years old already, but doesn't look it. Decent free buffet breakfast and nice pool area. Had dinner at the new Seasons 52 restaurant on Sand Lake Road (west of I4), which includes a rapidly proliferating area of fine places to eat. Seasons 52 is an upscale eaterie, boasting health conscious, changing (by the week) menus, where the speciality is whatever happens to be fresh or in season. Wonderful service, extensive wine list, a little pricey, but excellent food in an elegant, refined atmosphere. Quite popular with families early evening, but very popular with everyone, so booking is highly advisable. Other highlights: lunch at the Sheraton Studio City on I-Drive, where a new restaurant manager is revamping the dining options to include a mini-cinema for kids in the main restaurant, poolside buffets and one evening a week (Thursdays, I think) that sees an early evening pool party. The hotel itself still looks fabulous (especially for their prices), and the film theme continues to work well. Lots of inventive, pro-active management here. Next door is the new (refurbished) Red Horse Inn. Formerly the rather tired and plain Universal Inn, it is now fully part of the Grand Theme Hotels group (Sheraton Studio City, Castle Hotel, Grand Bohemian, Celebration Hotel) and has been extensively revamped in a kind of South-West style (not dissimilar to the Santa Fe at DLP, but smarter), with a wonderful new paint job, refurbished rooms and a neat pool area that is a mini-oasis seeing as it is right on I-Drive. Another new restaurant in the Sand Lake Road corridor is Moonfish which should be sought out by all lovers of fine seafood, shellfish and sushi. This is again not a cheap option but the food (I tried a selection of starters and a sushi platter) is just to die for. The bill here was around $84 for two, and that with only one alcoholic drink (
) but it was again highly popular. Other new restaurants here worth checking out are Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Thai Passion (a fabulous-looking oriental restaurant), Antonio's (high-quality Italian) and The Melting Pot (fondue specialities). There is also a new Border's Books store in the vicinity, and about another six restaurants I didn't look into!
I also looked into all the refurbishment at Orlando International Airport where their major redo of the central area is well under way. A spacious new food court is being created behind all the hoardings (which are quite well disguised), with a whole range of new shops being added. The new main Disney store (the Earport!) is cute and the Anheuser Busch shop is quite excellent. Universal will open a new store there in a couple of months, while there is also a new Barnes & Noble bookstore, Starbucks and Seattle's Finest coffee shops. The airport also remains one of the cleanest and most efficient I have ever seen.
Sanford Airport is also revamping its food and beverage operations with a new company moving in to sort out their rather tired, uninspiring offerings. This is under way and should be completed in a couple of months. The Harley-Davidson store has closed and will re-open as a new cafe. The Guest House remains a great way to finish your holiday for just $20 - a little haven of tranquility and relaxation before the flight. However, with all the new security procedures in place, you need to allow 3 hours for check-in, etc, at peak periods (two weeks ago it took just 10 minutes!).
Went to the Hard Rock Vault for the first time since it opened last December and this really appeals to me (for the music style and 60s/70s/80s music nostalgia). There is a clever entrance walkway full of video screens and music of the different decades, leading into the main hall which is an extensive array of pop/rock memorabilia through the ages, all in elaborate, themed cases and with some interactive elements. They are loosely grouped into musical themes, like Blues, Heavy Rock, The Who, Bruce Springsteen. Some great rock 'n roll exhibits and trivia to be found here (more than 1,000 individual pieces, including 113 star guitars); there is a cafe, poster room, Sounds room (great for chilling out to some excellent music tracks). Then there is a CD creation room, where you can supply the vocals or rhythm sounds to a number of well-known tracks and take the production-quality CD home with you (for $19.95). The highlight is the Total Immersion Tour, a guided tour with one of their highly knowledgeable Hard Rock specialists through six differently-themed rooms, where you get more close-ups with rock memorabilia, with the music and ambience of the periods, and a host of anecdotes from your guide. Rooms include the Intro Room, the Back Alley (featuring the Punk era), the Dressing Room (check out outfits by Madonna, Elton John, etc), the White Room (Hendrix, etc), and the Light & Dark Room (Beatles and Stones). All brilliantly presented and guided. You need a good hour for this tour alone and it is well worth the $14.95 entrance fee, IMHO. Of course you exit into the Gift Shop, via a timeline of sound systems, which concludes things in suitably eclectic fashion.
I also stayed at one of my favourite hotels, the Celebration Hotel in Disney's town of Celebration, which is maturing quite nicely. Just walking back into their elegant lobby (with welcome desks instead of a counter - a neat touch) is a breath of fresh air, and even the lack of a proper car park (valet parking is a rather pricey $10 a day) didn't worry me that much this time. The rooms are all beautifully furnished and very spacious, and the lakeside setting is wonderfully tranquil and relaxing. I thoroughly recommend this boutique-style hotel for anyone who wants a more romantic stay, and it is perfect for honeymooners.
I had a day at Busch Gardens where there is a lot going on this year. The Dolphin Theatre show has closed to make way for a new 3-D film spectacular this summer called the Haunted Lighthouse (based on stories by RL Stine), and early signs are it will be a real highlight. The Sultan's Tent and snake-charmer have gone, while Das Festhaus (the rather out-of-character German-themed diner) is being completely revamped to something called Kalahari, with a proper African theme. Rhino Rally is still a bit hit-and-miss. I rode it in the morning with the full water part of the ride, but the water had to be shut down later on with a technical issue (and this is a massively complex ride). The Stanleyville Theatre now features a brand new show featuring the Mapapa Acrobats from Kenya, who are genuinely good fun and will put a smile on your face with their antics. Also new is the Wild Wings of Africa show in the Bird Show Theatre, although the general idea is similar to the old For The Birds show, with various birds showing off their style. The Koala Display in the Bird Gardens has gone, but a bungee trampoline and rock wall have been added as additional options ($6 each) next to Gwazi (for which there was no line!). Akbar's was closed for a minor refurb, but should be open again now. There is also some thought that the great ice show at the Marrakesh Theatre will change by this time next year, but there is no word on the theme yet. The Crown Colony restaurant no longer accepts reservations, but is a first-come, first-served option now, with a new family dinner option at an excellent $10.95/adults, $5.95 for kids (virtually an all-you-can-eat deal).
More soon!
Simon.
DISNEY WORLD: single-day admission has gone up by $2; multi-day tickets remain unchanged.
Disney's Extra Magic Hour - after months of prevaricating over the suspension of Early Entry (and refusing to say if it might be brought back!), they announced a new system to allow Disney resort guests in to one of the parks an hour early each day. And, in a complete break from previous practice, they have included the Animal Kingdom for the first time and changed the typical daily rota for each park. This means the Busy Day guide at the back of the book is seriously affected by this new system. The full list of Extra Magic Hour parks are:
Sunday -----Magic Kingdom
Monday -----Disney's Animal Kingdom
Tuesday----- Disney's MGM Studios
Wednesday --Epcot
Thursday -----Magic Kingdom
Friday ---------Disney's Animal Kingdom
Saturday------- Disney's MGM Studios
This means those days will now be the Busy Days for each park, and should be avoided unless you are staying at a Disney hotel and can take advantage of the early entry facility.
The Character Caravan visiting each Disney resort has now been cancelled, but Disney promise there will now be many more Character meet 'n greet opportunities throughout the parks instead. At the Magic Kingdom, park opening will be accompanied by major character gatherings outside City Hall and in front of Cinderella's Castle, while many new characters will be out and about the park itself. At Epcot, World Showcase will get a host of new characters at different times of the day around the various pavilions. There will be more characters in the other two parks as well.
Disney's Swan and Dolphin Hotels are undergoing a $75million refurbishment throughout 2003, completely re-styling and up-grading the rooms. Gone will be the 'fun architecture' styling, to be replaced by a more sophisticated, modern look. Rooms will also feature the Westin hotels group 'Heavenly bed,' a wonderfully comfortable deep mattress with high thread-count cotton sheets, down comforters and duvet.
Cirque du Soleil have a new pricing arrangement for their amazing La Nouba show in Downtown Disney. You can now buy premium seats in the most central section for $86 (and $51 for children 3-9) instead of $71 and $41 (all inclusive of tax). IMHO, stick with the regular price seats - the theatre has great views from every seat and I wouldn't be keen to pay the extra just to guarantee a seat that bit closer.
Due to start at the Living Seas pavilion at Epcot is a new tour that takes guests to the heart of things. The Aqua Seas Tour is a 21/2-hour backstage tour, with 30 minutes spent in the water. Mask, fins, tank, regulator are provided, and no certification is necessary (unlike the Dive tour). Ages 8-16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian, cost is $100 per person, and it's given daily at 12:30 p.m.
OUTSIDE DISNEY
At SeaWorld the Terrors of the Deep attraction has been renamed Shark Encounter, to include the new Sharks Underwater Grill (which I haven't sampled yet) and an even more daring Shark Dive opportunity, where you go down into the shark tank in a special steel cage (more details to follow). Also under construction until May 2003 is a new Mediterranean Village area around the waterfront from Shamu Stadium to the Sky Tower ride. This will be a heavily-themed area of new shops and restaurants, including more upscale merchandise and the park's first true fine dining opportunities.
Busch Gardens has introduced a first-of-a-kind Rain Guarantee with every ticket whereby, if it rains during your visit, you can redeem your ticket for another free visit at any time in the following 7 days. Also new here is Howl-O-Scream, a 15-night Halloween programme of extra shows, haunted houses and 'scare zones' throughout the park from 7.30pm (normal closing time) to 2am. From Sept 27-Nov 2, you can visit the six haunted houses (with wonderful titles like Escape From Insanity and Ripper Row), four scare zones (X-ecutioner, Cursed, Grisly Gardens and Agony Express), plus 2 new shows, RIP TV2 and Fiends, as well as try out all the rides and the park's thrilling coasters - in the dark! With the huge success of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, this is sure to be a big draw. The 2002 prices are $39.95 (and I wouldn't recommend it for younger children!). Check out www.buschgardens.com for the latest info.
Just announced (Oct 18) is a new 4-D cinema show. Based on the Goosebumps stories of American author RL Stine, this will be a major new attraction for May 2003, with a clever new film and the full range of in-theatre special effects.
The Sheraton Four Points Lakeside hotel has changed to La Quinta Inn Lakeside. This suggests a slight downgrade in the overall quality of this usually good-value hotel. The Sheraton brand is normally a notch above La Quinta, although the La Quinta properties in the Orlando area are all some of the best examples of that brand. I'll keep a check on this in months to come.
That's all for now (!), but I'll add more as it occurs.
Dec 5 - and here's one. As of today, Alamo Rent A Car have moved to a full-service counter on-airport at Orlando International. Their old depot about 10 minutes' drive away is closing in the New Year and they instead have masses of counter space and covered car parking just a short walk from the baggage hall (down one Level). This means anyone taking advantage of the Brit's Guide - Alamo disount gets even better value for money with the convenience and service Alamo can offer.
Jan 2003 - more news!
Just confirming earlier reports, at Universal Studios Florida Kongfrontation (which closed without much notice last September) is to be replaced by a new indoor coaster themed on the Mummy series of films. There is no firm opening date for this yet, but early saummer 2004 looks like the best bet. Sadly, until then Universal is without one of its (for me) standout attractions in this park.
Some reader have also noticed there is no mention of the Titanic -Ship of Dreams exhibition in the 2003 edition. This is because our information was the exhibit was due to close at the end of 2002 and go on the road. However, there was a change of mind when business picked up in October and Titanic (at The Mercado on Internation Drive) will now be staying throughout 2003. So, for those interested, here is what we said about it in the last edition of the book:
A new attraction in 1999 inside The Mercado was Titanic Ship of Dreams, the first permanent exhibit to the great maritime disaster of 1912. With a mixture of genuine artifacts, full-scale re-creations of the ships interior, several clever scene-setting presentations (including a visit to the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast during building of the unsinkable liner), film memorabilia from Titanic and A Night to Remember, plus live interpretations by storytellers in period costume, you will see, hear and feel just about everything there is to know about the Titanic and her tragic fate. The excellent actor participation, which is carried right through the exhibit, makes for an enthralling and quite moving depiction of the tragedy. The full experience takes at least an hour, with the inevitable gift store at the end, and, while the basic premise is a touch macabre, there is no disguising the on-going fascination with the ship. Even the ticket hall is suitably atmospheric, and entry is $16.95 for adults and $11.95 for 612s (5 and under free). It is open 10am9pm daily (last guided tour at 8.30pm). Attraction rating: AAAA.
I actually revisited this in December and still find it extremely well presented (and it kept the attention of our 6-year-old, too). The character interaction is the key and, while there are still not a huge number of real Titanic artefacts to see, you are free to wander through at your leisure after the main tour.
I also got to look over the new Mall at Millenia shopping complex just off I4, which we preview in the book. And this is every bit as good as the advance publicity and planning details suggested. It is distinctly up-market and extremely smart (think of a high-tech, Gucci version of Bluewater, for anyone familiar with the Kent mall) and is well worth a visit, even if you don't usually like shopping.
There are two new stores to look out for at Downtown Disney. Disney's Wonderful World of Memories offers a new collection of Disney World-branded scrapbook supplies, including albums, pre-packaged kits, adhesive tape pens, glue sticks, scissors, and a wide assortment of colorful Disney stickers. Also available are Disney books, stationery, pens and postcards, plus several stations where guests can create scrapbook pages and postcards. Now open, Disneys Wonderful World of Memories is located next to Art of Disney and replaces the 2Rs Reading and Riting shop.
Basin, scheduled to open in mid-January, will feature natural bath and skin care products in a beautifully rustic setting across from World of Disney. The shops interior will evoke the feel of a 19th century market where guests can browse among pine bins and metal tubs filled with fragrant soaps and lotions or watch soap cut by the pound from all-natural blocks. Basin replaces the Generation BeneFITS shop, in the former summer sands location behind Ghiradelli and next to World of Disney.
Starting Jan 6, SeaWorld will again be the priciest park in town. They are raising single-day admission $2 to $51.95 for adults and $42.95 for children 3-9, before tax.
Finally (for this update!) the Hard Rock Vault is officially opened on January 16 with some 1,000 significant items (and many interactive elements) from the fabled Hard Rock collection. I will be reviewing this (hopefully) in the spring.
On the heels of SeaWorld Orlando's admission price increase Jan. 6, Universal Orlando has quietly raised its single-day ticket price by $2 for both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios parks on Jan. 9. Both Universal and SeaWorld now charge $51.95 for a one-day admission. And talking of Universal, the DIS now has it's own information site for all the latest on the two parks, CityWalk entertainment district and Wet n Wild water park - check out www.usoinfo.com
Travel City Direct are increasing the frequency of their own direct jumbo jet air service to Orlando Sanford Airport to make it year-round. Instead of just Easter-September daily, it will now also be be twice a week from November-March, with one flight from Gatwick and the other from Manchester on a Saturday. There are also some excellent fly-drive deals to be had outside peak periods this year.
On a slightly more personal note, Keith Prowse have decided the Brit's Guide is so invaluable they will be including a free copy with every family Orlando FlexTicket purchase in February!
More from the Magic Kingdom with the news that the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue has just closed (as at Feb 1) and is due to be replaced in the near future by an all-new character revue, but maintaining the Western theme (look for Goofy and Co in cowboy suits, and probably Woody and Jessie from Toy Story!). The new show will be The Country Character Round-Up, provisionally starting in 'spring 2003.' Details are apparently still being worked out, but this will give people a chance to interact with Disney characters in a unique way. The Saloon will be closed temporarily to allow the necessary refurbishments to be carried out to the venue for its new revue.
The long-awaited new shopping development of Festival Bay [/b] at the top of International Bay has finally announced its completion date - April 3, 2003 (only 2 years behind schedule!). It sounds like it should be a top-class and quite original mall. Here's a link to the Orlando Sentinel article with all the details: Click here!
More news from SeaWorld concerning their major refurbishment of the lakeside area of the park opposite the Atlantis bayside Stadium. This area will open on May 26 as the Waterfront area, a three-part sub-division consisting of new shops, restaurants and live entertainment, intended to be the new hub and focus of the park. It breaks down as follows: 1) High Street, featuring the SeaFire Inn (with a 30-minute show called Rico and Roza's Family Feast,) and Katie's Kats, a show offering "an incredible display of purebred felines from throughout the seven seas. The beauty, wonder and charm of more than 10 exotic breeds of cats, including Bengal, Sphynx, Persian and Siamese, will wow the crowd with their amazing feats -- and paws." (Not sure about that idea myself). The main shops will also be here, too (although there is no word yet on what they will be); 2) Harbor Square, the centre of the Waterfront district, with daily performances of the Seaport Symphony, an unusual band of 'chefs' who include pots and pans among their instruments (this does sound quite fun, especially if you have seen Rhythmo Technico at the Walt Disney Studios at DLP). Also here is Voyagers Wood-Fired Pizza, the largest resaurant in the area, with 'performance art' chefs (watch out for flying pizzas!); 3) Tower Island completes the picture, built around the Sky Tower, with the SandBar for various speciality drinks and more live entertainment. Throughout the Waterfront there will be other various street entertainers, "including a salty old sea captain who regales travelers with fish tales and plays music with bottles or brandy glasses (!!). The Longshoremen mesmerize visitors with street comedy and stunts. Others might bump into sailors and their colorful tropical birds."
The idea sounds pretty good and, if the live entertainment lives up to SeaWorld's usual standards, it should add quite a bit to the park's appeal (as well as, hopefully, some better food options). Also new later in summer 2003 will be a show in the nautilus Theatre, replacing the current (and excellent) Cirque de la Mer. Billed as a 30-minute spectacular, it "combines gravity-defying acrobatic feats, lively music and dazzling special effects within a spectacular set that transports guests into an underwater world filled with whimsy and fantasy." Let's hope it lives up to their Cirque standards.
Oh, anyone looking to use the Airwave Communications mobile phone services which we mention in the book is likely to be disappointed as they have gone out of business, which is a great shame as they offered excellent service. However, I have two possible alternatives so far - Radio Rentals, at 1412 West Colonial Drive, Orlando (call 407 835 9500), offer rates at $40 for 2 weeks hire of a cellular phone (calls cost 65 cents per minute, no minimum charge). They also do two-way radios at $40 per unit for two weeks; and a more specialist firm, CellURent, at 407 522-6565 or 1-888-817-3681, or look up www.cellurent.com. I have recently checked out the latter and rate their services very highly. Very efficient.
More info from a recent trip (two weeks ago; April 3-10), starting with the sad closure of Cypress Gardens, Florida's oldest theme park, on April 13, with it looking unlikely it will ever re-open.
Other thoughts from the trip - arriving at Sanford Airport continues to be a doddle. Landed at 2.10pm, was down at Lake Buena Vista by 3.30pm. Good flight with Thomas Cook - Airbus A330, seatback TVs, nice and clean, decent food, standard legroom. Stayed at Summerfield Suites and was very impressed by their service and spaciousness of the suites (and all the mod cons). The property is seven years old already, but doesn't look it. Decent free buffet breakfast and nice pool area. Had dinner at the new Seasons 52 restaurant on Sand Lake Road (west of I4), which includes a rapidly proliferating area of fine places to eat. Seasons 52 is an upscale eaterie, boasting health conscious, changing (by the week) menus, where the speciality is whatever happens to be fresh or in season. Wonderful service, extensive wine list, a little pricey, but excellent food in an elegant, refined atmosphere. Quite popular with families early evening, but very popular with everyone, so booking is highly advisable. Other highlights: lunch at the Sheraton Studio City on I-Drive, where a new restaurant manager is revamping the dining options to include a mini-cinema for kids in the main restaurant, poolside buffets and one evening a week (Thursdays, I think) that sees an early evening pool party. The hotel itself still looks fabulous (especially for their prices), and the film theme continues to work well. Lots of inventive, pro-active management here. Next door is the new (refurbished) Red Horse Inn. Formerly the rather tired and plain Universal Inn, it is now fully part of the Grand Theme Hotels group (Sheraton Studio City, Castle Hotel, Grand Bohemian, Celebration Hotel) and has been extensively revamped in a kind of South-West style (not dissimilar to the Santa Fe at DLP, but smarter), with a wonderful new paint job, refurbished rooms and a neat pool area that is a mini-oasis seeing as it is right on I-Drive. Another new restaurant in the Sand Lake Road corridor is Moonfish which should be sought out by all lovers of fine seafood, shellfish and sushi. This is again not a cheap option but the food (I tried a selection of starters and a sushi platter) is just to die for. The bill here was around $84 for two, and that with only one alcoholic drink (
) but it was again highly popular. Other new restaurants here worth checking out are Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Thai Passion (a fabulous-looking oriental restaurant), Antonio's (high-quality Italian) and The Melting Pot (fondue specialities). There is also a new Border's Books store in the vicinity, and about another six restaurants I didn't look into!I also looked into all the refurbishment at Orlando International Airport where their major redo of the central area is well under way. A spacious new food court is being created behind all the hoardings (which are quite well disguised), with a whole range of new shops being added. The new main Disney store (the Earport!) is cute and the Anheuser Busch shop is quite excellent. Universal will open a new store there in a couple of months, while there is also a new Barnes & Noble bookstore, Starbucks and Seattle's Finest coffee shops. The airport also remains one of the cleanest and most efficient I have ever seen.
Sanford Airport is also revamping its food and beverage operations with a new company moving in to sort out their rather tired, uninspiring offerings. This is under way and should be completed in a couple of months. The Harley-Davidson store has closed and will re-open as a new cafe. The Guest House remains a great way to finish your holiday for just $20 - a little haven of tranquility and relaxation before the flight. However, with all the new security procedures in place, you need to allow 3 hours for check-in, etc, at peak periods (two weeks ago it took just 10 minutes!).
Went to the Hard Rock Vault for the first time since it opened last December and this really appeals to me (for the music style and 60s/70s/80s music nostalgia). There is a clever entrance walkway full of video screens and music of the different decades, leading into the main hall which is an extensive array of pop/rock memorabilia through the ages, all in elaborate, themed cases and with some interactive elements. They are loosely grouped into musical themes, like Blues, Heavy Rock, The Who, Bruce Springsteen. Some great rock 'n roll exhibits and trivia to be found here (more than 1,000 individual pieces, including 113 star guitars); there is a cafe, poster room, Sounds room (great for chilling out to some excellent music tracks). Then there is a CD creation room, where you can supply the vocals or rhythm sounds to a number of well-known tracks and take the production-quality CD home with you (for $19.95). The highlight is the Total Immersion Tour, a guided tour with one of their highly knowledgeable Hard Rock specialists through six differently-themed rooms, where you get more close-ups with rock memorabilia, with the music and ambience of the periods, and a host of anecdotes from your guide. Rooms include the Intro Room, the Back Alley (featuring the Punk era), the Dressing Room (check out outfits by Madonna, Elton John, etc), the White Room (Hendrix, etc), and the Light & Dark Room (Beatles and Stones). All brilliantly presented and guided. You need a good hour for this tour alone and it is well worth the $14.95 entrance fee, IMHO. Of course you exit into the Gift Shop, via a timeline of sound systems, which concludes things in suitably eclectic fashion.
I also stayed at one of my favourite hotels, the Celebration Hotel in Disney's town of Celebration, which is maturing quite nicely. Just walking back into their elegant lobby (with welcome desks instead of a counter - a neat touch) is a breath of fresh air, and even the lack of a proper car park (valet parking is a rather pricey $10 a day) didn't worry me that much this time. The rooms are all beautifully furnished and very spacious, and the lakeside setting is wonderfully tranquil and relaxing. I thoroughly recommend this boutique-style hotel for anyone who wants a more romantic stay, and it is perfect for honeymooners.
I had a day at Busch Gardens where there is a lot going on this year. The Dolphin Theatre show has closed to make way for a new 3-D film spectacular this summer called the Haunted Lighthouse (based on stories by RL Stine), and early signs are it will be a real highlight. The Sultan's Tent and snake-charmer have gone, while Das Festhaus (the rather out-of-character German-themed diner) is being completely revamped to something called Kalahari, with a proper African theme. Rhino Rally is still a bit hit-and-miss. I rode it in the morning with the full water part of the ride, but the water had to be shut down later on with a technical issue (and this is a massively complex ride). The Stanleyville Theatre now features a brand new show featuring the Mapapa Acrobats from Kenya, who are genuinely good fun and will put a smile on your face with their antics. Also new is the Wild Wings of Africa show in the Bird Show Theatre, although the general idea is similar to the old For The Birds show, with various birds showing off their style. The Koala Display in the Bird Gardens has gone, but a bungee trampoline and rock wall have been added as additional options ($6 each) next to Gwazi (for which there was no line!). Akbar's was closed for a minor refurb, but should be open again now. There is also some thought that the great ice show at the Marrakesh Theatre will change by this time next year, but there is no word on the theme yet. The Crown Colony restaurant no longer accepts reservations, but is a first-come, first-served option now, with a new family dinner option at an excellent $10.95/adults, $5.95 for kids (virtually an all-you-can-eat deal).
More soon!
Simon.
