Florida Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Florida Vacations’ Category

Boy Genius fans beware.

Universal Orlando® Resort is preparing to close the Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast attraction at Universal Studios Florida,® effective April 1, 2011.

Universal will immediately begin work on an all-new theme park experience, however, the Jimmy Neutron ride will be re-opened for limited periods throughuot the spring and summer. The attraction is slated to close permanently on August 11.

Universal states the the replacement attraction will be based on an amazing concept and be a natural fit for Universal Orlando. However, additional details are not yet available.

‘Tis the season for…football! The holiday break is filled with football and there’s no better place to be than Orlando to catch some of the very best college bowl games.

On Dec. 28, the Champs Sports Bowl takes over at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando. The game pits North Carolina State (8-4) of the Atlantic Coast Conference versus West Virginia University (9-3) of the Big East Conference.

The annual Champs Sports Bowl is the first of two inter-conference showdowns this week in Orlando. The second - the Capital One Bowl - matches the University of Alabama (9-3) of the Southeastern Conference against Michigan State University (11-1) of the Big Ten Conference on Jan. 1, 2011.

For complete details on both of these exciting NCAA college football bowl games, visit www.fcsports.com. For details on discount Orlando vacation packages and theme park tickets, visit. www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com or www.westgatereservations.com.

The countdown is on.

Visitors to central Florida will be flocking to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on May 14 for the scheduled launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission.

The shuttle is on Launch Pad 39A as crews continue with preparations for the scheduled liftoff at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

Atlantis will be heading to the International Space Station, where the shuttle’s six astronauts will spend a 12-day mission to deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built mini research module.

Favorable launch conditions are predicted as a high-pressure system continues to dominate Florida’s weather pattern, bringing plenty of sunshine to the sunshine state.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay recently welcomed a new baby. The little one weighed in at a mere 147 pounds.

The baby was actually a reticulated giraffe born to mother, Teesa, and father, Sterling. The addition now brings the theme park’s giraffe population to 15. Mother and baby are doing fine and are currently being housed in a private area where they can be monitored by zoo staff to ensure the little one is nursing and growing properly. In a matter of months, the pair will be ready to join the rest of the giraffe herd on the Serengeti Plain at Busch Gardens for all visitors to see.

The park’s 65-acre Serengeti Plain is a naturalistic habitat featuring a diverse population of free-roaming African animals including giraffe, zebra, white rhinoceros, eland antelope and additional species of hoof stock and birds. All of the animals can be seen up close via several different Busch Gardens attractions, including the Serengeti Express, the Skyride and the Serengeti Safari. The Safari offers an open truck tour of the plain during which you may have an opportunity to hand-feed the giraffe.

The giraffe birth at Busch Gardens is part of a successful long-term breeding program. A giraffe’s gestation period is approximately 15 months and the new baby will nurse for about a year. A second baby reticulated giraffe is expected to be born later this spring. The term “reticulated” refers to the giraffe’s net-like pattern of spots.

Visit the Web site www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on tickets for Busch Gardens as well as all the other Orlando and central Florida theme parks and attractions.

Spring is in the air and Major League Baseball is back in Central Florida. Orlando might be the theme park capital of the world, but when it comes to Spring Training baseball, there’s no better place to catch all the Grapefruit League action.

Fourteen different major league teams call Central Florida their home for spring training. As a result, baseball fans don’t have to look far for the next game throughout the month of March.

Two teams - the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros - have training camps right in the middle of the greater Orlando area. The Braves play at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista while the Astros take the field just down the road in Kissimmee.

From there, just a short drive down I-4 takes you to Lakeland, spring training home of the Detroit Tigers. And farther west along the Gulf coast, you’ll find the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, the New York Yankees in Tampa, the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte and the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater.

On the Atlantic coast side of Florida’s peninsula, you can catch spring training games and workouts for the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter and the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.

There’s no better way to see and interact with your favorite MLB stars up close than at a highly affordable spring training game. For spring training schedules of your favorite team, or for any of the Grapefruit League teams, visit www.MLB.com.  

For details on discount theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation package specials, please visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. For discount resort or hotel packages, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

ESPN’s annual fan-fest continues this weekend (Feb. 26-27-28) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL.

 With 35 superstar athletes, two dozen sportscasters, live shows, special motorcades, interactive sports zone and more, it’s sure to be a fun-filled weekend for sports fans of all ages.

Don’t miss your chance to get up close and personal with stars from the NBA, NFL, major league baseball, golf and more. Plus look for all of your favorite ESPN personalities.

Of course, you’ll also enjoy a full day of fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park which offers a wide range of thrill rides, shows and other attractions.

For information on Disney’s Hollywood Studios, discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando theme park tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for discount Orlando resort and hotel accommodations, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

Legoland® Florida, slated to open in the fall of 2011 on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park, will feature a unique mix of attractions. The largest Legoland park in the world, the Central Florida version will feature more than 50 rides, shows, attractions as well as spectacular LEGO models and other interactive elements for the entire family.

For information about the new park and the LEGOLAND sister park already open in California, please visit www.legolandfloridaresort.com. Or you can visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for more information on all the Orlando area theme parks and attractions as well as discount Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando hotels and resorts.

Universal Orlando is promoting vacation packages featuring the soon-to-open Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Islands of Adventure. Deals are valid for travel beginning May 28, 2010, meaning the long awaited Harry Potter adventure should be open no later than late May.

The $200 million theme park expansion project is taking shape with Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village as the central attractions.

For more information on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com. For details on discount theme park tickets, discount Orlando, Florida vacation packages and more, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.westgatereservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

The classic Main Street Electrical Parade is slated to return to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in June and run throughout the summer as part of a Summertime Nightastic! promotion.

The longtime favorite originally found its way down Main Street U.S.A. back in 1977 and ran until 1991 when Disney introduced the SpectroMagic parade. The Electrical Parade returned again from 1999-2001 but has been part of the fun at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim the last few years.

As part of the return to Disney World, the classic parade will feature a new Tinker Bell presentation at the start of the parade. Also new to the Main Street Electrical Parade will be Snow White and Pinocchio floats.

In Disney’s ongoing effort to “go green,” the thousands of lights in the parade have all been replaced with LED bulbs.

Visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on all the Disney parks as well as discount Orlando vacation packages and discount theme park tickets. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com for discount Orlando hotels, resorts and accommodations for the entire family.

The Mardi Gras celebration is in full swing at Universal Studios Orlando Resort. With weekly parades and concerts, lots of great food and plenty of beads, there’s a definite taste of New Orleans in the air.

The party amps up on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Pat O’Brien’s within Universal CityWalk. The restaurant/club will be hosting a Fat Tuesday celebration to kick off the Lenten season.

From 4pm til close, you can enjoy a live party band, special drink discounts, New Orleans style food specials, stilt walkers, bead girls and plenty of other fun and entertainment.

Admission is free until 7 pm. After 7, admission is $8 per person or $20 for a VIP ticket offering private balcony access, light appetizers from 4-8 pm and free admission to select CityWalk clubs.

For additional information on Mardi Gras events at Universal Orlando or discount Orlando vacation packages and theme park tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or to register for a free resort getaway sweepstakes, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.