Florida Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Orlando’ Category

Get ready to celebrate. While the official Mardi Gras celebration kicks off in New Orleans, Mardi Gras Universal Studios style has already started in Orlando with a a long list of weekly concerts and parades plus fabulous food and plenty of beads.

The party really gets cranking tonight, Feb. 16, at Pat O’Brien’s within Universal CityWalk where the popular restaurant/club is 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 p.m.

After 7 p.m., 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.

This week’s Mardi Gras concert features the music of Blondie and lead singer Deborah Harry. Ranging from disco and punk to new wave and hip hop, Blondie is best known for hits like Call Me, The Tide is High, One Way or Another, Heart of Glass and Rapture.

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.

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.

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort presents its monthly Velvet Sessions concert featuring A Flock of Seagulls on Feb. 25, 2010.

The band, which reached its peak of popularity during the ’80s, is best known for the hit “I Ran.”

Velvet Sessions is open to adults age 21 and over. The evening includes specialty drinks and hors d’ouevres which are included in the price from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Starting at 8:30 p.m., additional cocktails are available at a cash bar while the band takes the stage in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. Parking is free at the hotel situated adjacent to Universal Studios theme park.

Admission for the Velvet Sessions program is $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For details, see www.UniversalOrlando.com.

Discount Orlando hotel accommodations and discount Universal Studios theme park tickets are available at www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

With music, parades and the biggest street party imaginable, Mardi Gras celebrates its 15^th year in Orlando, FL with an amazing concert lineup featuring some of the biggest names in pop, rock, R&B, country, and hip-hop performing live in the Universal Music Plaza.

KC & the Sunshine Band get the party rolling on Feb. 6 - the first of 13 nights of concerts and Mardi Gras good times. Experience the fun, the colorful costumes, live street musicians and performers, dazzling floats and the delicious and authentic Cajun food. And let’s not forget about the beads…lots of beads!

Mardi Gras is part of your regular admission to Universal Studios. Visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on discount Universal Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages. Or see www.WestgateReservations.com for discount hotel and resort accommodations near Universal Studios.

The countdown is on to the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort this spring.

 The exciting new addition to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park is still under construction. But as the spires of Hogwarts Castle rise into the sky, worldwide anticipation is also on the rise.

Those expectations will get an additional boost during the 2010 Super Bowl on Feb. 7 when Universal unveils a new commercial to kick off a new, national advertising campaign. The commercial designed to hype the Harry Potter attraction which is based on the J.K. Rowlings books and movies will offer all new footage of the theme park area - from the bustling village of Hogsmeade to the immense castle.

The commercial is scheduled to air during the first half of the Super Bowl contest between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. Kickoff for the big game is 6:30 pm on Feb. 7 on CBS.

For more information on Universal Orlando Resort and discount Orlando vacation packages, theme park tickets or accommodations, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

There will be plenty of music, food, beverages and fun across Central Florida when SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay presents their annual Bands, Brew & BBQ 2010 - weekends throughout February.

This feel-good music festival and live concert series offers fabulous concerts, great BBQ food and ice-cold beer. It’s your chance to kick back, enjoy the music of your favorite bands, and experience the fun-filled attractions of the theme parks.

Bands, Brew & BBQ 2010 kicks off at SeaWorld on Feb. 6 with special guest performer LeAnn Rimes. The fun moves to Busch Gardens on Feb. 7 with a concert starring Dennis DeYoung featuring the music of STYX.

For more information on central Florida’s theme parks, details on discount tickets and savings on accommodations, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

Sports fans get ready. ESPN The Weekend returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, February 25-28, 2010.

Highlights of this popular sports fest include the ESPN Interactive Sports Zone, Fan Q&A with Athletes, Celebrity Game Shows, Athlete Motorcades, ESPN Live TV Telecasts and ESPN Radio Live Broadcasts of Mike & Mike in the Morning, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight and more.

Athletes scheduled to appear at ESPN The Weekend 2010 include Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts, retired major league baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, champion beach volleyball player Misty May Treanor, Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams, U.S. women’s soccer star Brandi Chastain, former NFL star Darrell Green, former NBA player Scottie Pippen, University of South Carolina football head coach Steve Spurrier, gymnast Shawn Johnson and NFL legend Thurman Thomas.

A variety of ESPN personalities are also scheduled to appear at ESPN The Weekend, including Mike Golic, Karl Ravech, Mark Schlereth, Skip Bayless, Mike Greenberg, Ron Jaworski, Tedy Bruschi, Trey Wingo, Dana Jacobson, John Kruk and others.

For details on great discount Orlando hotels and accommodations, go to www.WestgateReservations.com. Or for discount Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

The Muppets are coming. The Muppets are coming.

Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa, FL is preparing to open a new Sesame Street Safari of Fun area, featuring a kid-sized roller coaster, water playelements, a playground and lots of opportunities to take your photo with the ever popular Muppets!

Schedule to open in March, 2010, the new theme park area will boast Air Grover - a new family friendly roller coaster. Geared for children, the coaster will offer big thrills for the little ones, with a 23-foot high hill and hitting speeds up to 23 miles per hour.

Another key attraction to the Sesame Street area includes Bert & Ernie’s Water Hole where kids will enjoy a variety of water jets, dumping buckets and geysers designed for some cool, “splash zone” fun on a hot Central Florida day.

Of course, no Sesame Street attraction would be complete without the Muppets and there will be plenty of potential for meeting and greeting your favorite characters from Big Bird and Elmo to The Count, Bert & Ernie, Cookie Monster and more.

From Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando to Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando, you can visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com to find discount theme park tickets, discount Orlando hotels and discount Orlando vacation packages.

A new theme park is coming to Central Florida!

Merlin Entertainments Group announced that the world’s largest Legoland will be established in Winter Haven, FL on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park. The newest Orlando area theme park is slated to open by the end of 2011.

Located just a short drive from Orlando’s other popular theme parks and attrations, the new Legoland complex is expected to include 40 to 50 main attractions ranging from kid-powered rides to their signature giant Lego brick models.

The new theme park will also incorporate some favorites from Cypress Gardens, including the park’s magnificent historical gardens, its popular water ski shows and possibly one of the two existing wooden roller coasters.

Another section of the old Cypress Gardens - the Splash Island Waterpark - will also remain in operation, but as a separate ticketed admission.

Merlin said it plans to keep the popular Splash Island Waterpark operating, although it will be a separate, ticketed admission. Cypress Gardens’ water ski shows and one of its two wooden roller coasters will probably be integrated into the new Legoland as well, Varney said.

Visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for additional information about Orlando hotels, discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando theme park tickets.

The best concerts! The most spectacular parade! More fun than ever! It’s all part of Universal Orlando’s annual Mardi Gras celebration.

Bring on the music! Bring on the parade! Bring on the party! Now’s the time to celebrate 15 years of Mardi Gras with the event’s most amazing concert line-up ever, featuring some of the biggest names in popular music. Concerts will be held every Saturday night from Feb. 6 thru April 17, 2010, as well as Sunday, Feb. 14 and Friday, April 9, 2010

Enjoy authentic Cajun food vendors, outrageous street performers, a non-stop party and LOTS of Mardi Gras beads! The fun begins with February 6 with KC and the Sunshine Band kicking off the musical celebration.

Visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.WestgateReservations.com for additional details on discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando theme park tickets or accommodations.