Well, it's that time of the year again when the Brit's Guide team (that's me and Susan!) goes into serious action with a non-stop plunge into the hectic whirl of What's New in Orlando. And I think we've encountered a few gems this time around.
Foremost among them is a new dinner-show, not hugely publicised and struggling to find its niche among the plethora of opportunities, but a real pleasant and surprising change, especially for Brits. It is called Fiascos (Circus & Magic Show), but its title does it scant justice. It is not so much a dinner-show as inspired lunacy on a grand scale; a bit like being in a live version of a Marx Brothers film (if that isn't too weird a concept!). I can't say too much about what happens or it gives the game away, but there is a pre-show and then the main 'show' at which just about anything can, and often does, happen. It is run by an English couple who specialise in shows where things habitually go wrong, and a lot of the humour is off the cuff (although some of their set pieces are very funny). It does include magic acts and other sleight of hand, but the basic idea is controlled madness; you can't be worried by things like getting covered in popcorn or your dinner arriving at the wrong time. There is a huge choice of food (some 100 main course items) and, while most of it is pretty ordinary, you can choose from a range of Italian, Indian, Chinese and even Brazilian dishes. My curry was fairly uninspiring, but there was plenty of it and, quite frankly, this is not about the food ("Did you eat before you came here?" is the question you are asked when you arrive. "Because the food's terrible!"). There are still some rough edges as they are adding new elements all the time (they actually opened on August 12 last year - and closed on August 13 after Hurricane Charley hit!), and there are times when they truly live up to the name. But, all in all, this is an extremely funny show, quite unlike anything else on offer in the area, and I haven't laughed as much for a long time. Check them out on www.fiascos.us.
In the parks, the new Soarin' attraction at Epcot is superb. We did it five times in the first hour and 20 minutes and it is utterly captivating, not to mention majestic, fun and quite addictive. Once is definitely not enough, but beware the queues - some 100 minutes by mid-day - and that's before it is officially open. The two new entertainment acts in World Showcase - Le Serveur Amusant. in France, and madcap juggler Sergio in Italy - were also well worth seeing (although they are replacements for The Living Statues, which are a real loss). Lights, Motors, Action! at Disney-MGM is a good copy of the Paris version, albeit with a slight difference in the running order, no audience members being part of the show (apart from the stunt-car remote driver) and all in English, instead of bi-lingual. It really is a stonking good show, with the live action quite riveting. Lucky the Dinosaur at AK is a truly amazing piece of audio-animatronic entertainment, a 9-ft dino that walks out into the park in the Dinorama area with 'Chester and Hester' and puts on a good 15-20-minute show, with the help of some children from the audience. Get in front of Chester & Hester's store for the best view. We found the new Cinderellabration show at MK to be horribly saccharine and rather sickly; if you're a girl aged about 3-6 you will probably enjoy it a lot but, otherwise, you can safely give this a miss. However, the new Noodle restaurant in the corner of the Tomorrowland Plaza area (turn right at the top of Main Street) is well worth trying - some much more tasty, not to mention healthy, fare than the usual counter service offerings. Oh, and Crush 'n Gusher, the new 'water-coaster' at Typhoon Lagoon is just magnificent - a tube ride for 1, 2 or 3 people that really whooshes you along at a great pace and down a variety of drops and slides. Of the the three different fumes, the right-hand line is the smoothest, the middle one the fastest and the left-hand one has the most unexpected drops!
Other quick thoughts: Skyventure on International Drive is HUGE fun, quite addictive and great to watch even as a (free) specatator. They are happy just for people to go in and sit on their observation deck and watch just how difficult it is to 'skydive' on a column of air. The new Cypress Gardens Adventure Park is shaping up really well; the gardens are now pretty much fully restored, the waterski show is running twice a day, the ice show is good, and there are three more live shows around the whole park (which is now distinctly on the large size). The rides section is excellent for 4-14-year-olds, and doesn't distract from the peaceful nature of the Gardens. They will open a new Nature Walk/Animal area later this month and a six-acre water park by the end of June (provisionally). When the water park is open, they will be offering 2 days for the price of one, which will represent good value for money. The one drawback - horrible roadworks on Highway 27 for much of the way there, making for a 45-minute-plus drive. The roadworks on I-4 towards Tampa (south of Highway 192) are also very sticky at peak periods, and stretch for some 30 miles, so be sure to allow for plenty of time on that route. Highway 192 in Kissimmee from the SR535 to Hoagland Boulevard is typically stop-start; much better to use Osceola Parkway where you can.
Of the restaurant scene, the new Salt Island Chophouse & Fish Market is simply superb; an upmarket steak and seafood emporium with great style, service and cuisine, and a neat jazz lounge, (but prices to match). Whistle Junction Buffet, also on I-Drive, is a great new buffet alternative for lunch and dinner - huge amount of choice, good quality buffet (including excellent vegetables!) and very good prices. At the ever-expanding Festival Bay, their two latest are Fuddrucker's (excellent burgers served in a fun, fresh environment - counter service rather than waiter/waitress, and with some tasty salads and other choices for the more health-conscious) and Murray Brothers Caddyshack, an eclectic golf-themed restaurant (after Bill Murray's film of the same name) with a surprisingly wide-ranging and tempting menu, including good fish, salads and steaks. Sadly, Darryl's, one of my favourites on I-Drive has closed for a new Mexican place (not tried yet). Of the others, Wolfgang Puck's at Downtown Disney remains a fabulous choice, while Fulton's Crab House is simply some of the best seafood and shellfish around. Downtown, we also checked out live music venue The Social, which has a terrific variety of musical styles and a good 'clubby' atmosphere reminiscent of some of London's best live music venues. It holds only 400, so it has quite an intimate style, but very good sound and a neat bar area.
Hope that gets a few people raring to go, soon...................!
Foremost among them is a new dinner-show, not hugely publicised and struggling to find its niche among the plethora of opportunities, but a real pleasant and surprising change, especially for Brits. It is called Fiascos (Circus & Magic Show), but its title does it scant justice. It is not so much a dinner-show as inspired lunacy on a grand scale; a bit like being in a live version of a Marx Brothers film (if that isn't too weird a concept!). I can't say too much about what happens or it gives the game away, but there is a pre-show and then the main 'show' at which just about anything can, and often does, happen. It is run by an English couple who specialise in shows where things habitually go wrong, and a lot of the humour is off the cuff (although some of their set pieces are very funny). It does include magic acts and other sleight of hand, but the basic idea is controlled madness; you can't be worried by things like getting covered in popcorn or your dinner arriving at the wrong time. There is a huge choice of food (some 100 main course items) and, while most of it is pretty ordinary, you can choose from a range of Italian, Indian, Chinese and even Brazilian dishes. My curry was fairly uninspiring, but there was plenty of it and, quite frankly, this is not about the food ("Did you eat before you came here?" is the question you are asked when you arrive. "Because the food's terrible!"). There are still some rough edges as they are adding new elements all the time (they actually opened on August 12 last year - and closed on August 13 after Hurricane Charley hit!), and there are times when they truly live up to the name. But, all in all, this is an extremely funny show, quite unlike anything else on offer in the area, and I haven't laughed as much for a long time. Check them out on www.fiascos.us.
In the parks, the new Soarin' attraction at Epcot is superb. We did it five times in the first hour and 20 minutes and it is utterly captivating, not to mention majestic, fun and quite addictive. Once is definitely not enough, but beware the queues - some 100 minutes by mid-day - and that's before it is officially open. The two new entertainment acts in World Showcase - Le Serveur Amusant. in France, and madcap juggler Sergio in Italy - were also well worth seeing (although they are replacements for The Living Statues, which are a real loss). Lights, Motors, Action! at Disney-MGM is a good copy of the Paris version, albeit with a slight difference in the running order, no audience members being part of the show (apart from the stunt-car remote driver) and all in English, instead of bi-lingual. It really is a stonking good show, with the live action quite riveting. Lucky the Dinosaur at AK is a truly amazing piece of audio-animatronic entertainment, a 9-ft dino that walks out into the park in the Dinorama area with 'Chester and Hester' and puts on a good 15-20-minute show, with the help of some children from the audience. Get in front of Chester & Hester's store for the best view. We found the new Cinderellabration show at MK to be horribly saccharine and rather sickly; if you're a girl aged about 3-6 you will probably enjoy it a lot but, otherwise, you can safely give this a miss. However, the new Noodle restaurant in the corner of the Tomorrowland Plaza area (turn right at the top of Main Street) is well worth trying - some much more tasty, not to mention healthy, fare than the usual counter service offerings. Oh, and Crush 'n Gusher, the new 'water-coaster' at Typhoon Lagoon is just magnificent - a tube ride for 1, 2 or 3 people that really whooshes you along at a great pace and down a variety of drops and slides. Of the the three different fumes, the right-hand line is the smoothest, the middle one the fastest and the left-hand one has the most unexpected drops!
Other quick thoughts: Skyventure on International Drive is HUGE fun, quite addictive and great to watch even as a (free) specatator. They are happy just for people to go in and sit on their observation deck and watch just how difficult it is to 'skydive' on a column of air. The new Cypress Gardens Adventure Park is shaping up really well; the gardens are now pretty much fully restored, the waterski show is running twice a day, the ice show is good, and there are three more live shows around the whole park (which is now distinctly on the large size). The rides section is excellent for 4-14-year-olds, and doesn't distract from the peaceful nature of the Gardens. They will open a new Nature Walk/Animal area later this month and a six-acre water park by the end of June (provisionally). When the water park is open, they will be offering 2 days for the price of one, which will represent good value for money. The one drawback - horrible roadworks on Highway 27 for much of the way there, making for a 45-minute-plus drive. The roadworks on I-4 towards Tampa (south of Highway 192) are also very sticky at peak periods, and stretch for some 30 miles, so be sure to allow for plenty of time on that route. Highway 192 in Kissimmee from the SR535 to Hoagland Boulevard is typically stop-start; much better to use Osceola Parkway where you can.
Of the restaurant scene, the new Salt Island Chophouse & Fish Market is simply superb; an upmarket steak and seafood emporium with great style, service and cuisine, and a neat jazz lounge, (but prices to match). Whistle Junction Buffet, also on I-Drive, is a great new buffet alternative for lunch and dinner - huge amount of choice, good quality buffet (including excellent vegetables!) and very good prices. At the ever-expanding Festival Bay, their two latest are Fuddrucker's (excellent burgers served in a fun, fresh environment - counter service rather than waiter/waitress, and with some tasty salads and other choices for the more health-conscious) and Murray Brothers Caddyshack, an eclectic golf-themed restaurant (after Bill Murray's film of the same name) with a surprisingly wide-ranging and tempting menu, including good fish, salads and steaks. Sadly, Darryl's, one of my favourites on I-Drive has closed for a new Mexican place (not tried yet). Of the others, Wolfgang Puck's at Downtown Disney remains a fabulous choice, while Fulton's Crab House is simply some of the best seafood and shellfish around. Downtown, we also checked out live music venue The Social, which has a terrific variety of musical styles and a good 'clubby' atmosphere reminiscent of some of London's best live music venues. It holds only 400, so it has quite an intimate style, but very good sound and a neat bar area.
Hope that gets a few people raring to go, soon...................!
Thanks for the feedback, folks! Festival Bay is almost at the top (northern) end of International Drive. Take Exit 75a from I-4 (eastbound), and turn RIGHT on to Universal Boulevard (away from Universal). That brings you to the junction with I-Drive; turn left onto I-Drive and Festival Bay is a mile further up on the right. Fuddrucker's is one of the two restaurants right up front by the main entrance. The mall is still only about 60% full of its shopping units, but thgere is quite a lot tucked away here, with more to come this summer (and the unique Ron Jon's Surf Park being built later this year). 
