Space Mountain, one of Walt Disney World’s most popular attractions, will close for renovations later this year.
Disney reported today that the Magic Kingdom ride will close April 19 so that the 34-year-old attraction can be freshened up. Park officials expect the ride to reopen later in the year, but no date has been set.
The Florida RV SuperShow is coming to the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, January 14th – 18th.
The 2009 SuperShow will break the record for both manufacturer’s space and supplier’s booth space. “We will have more Suppliers’ booths than ever before and a record amount of Manufacturer space,” said Marketing Director David Kelly. “With the addition of new entertainment and more seminars, we’re anticipating record crowds this year. We’re also renewing the 2-day pass so the public will have two full days to see everything at the SuperShow at no additional cost.”
The theme of the 2009 Florida RV SuperShow is “Fun is Right Around the Corner”. With more families looking into RVing as a travel option and trying to stay closer to home, “Fun is Right Around the Corner,” seemed like an appropriate theme for the 2009 SuperShow. With a record amount of RVs on display and educational seminars, the SuperShow is the place to trade-in your old RV or get all the information you need to get acquainted with the RV lifestyle. And some of Florida’s finest campgrounds and resorts will have booth exhibits to show attendees the best camping opportunities found anywhere.
There will be plenty of free entertainment and all of the RVing information you could possibly want.
For more information on the 2009 Florida RV SuperShow contact the Florida RV Trade Association at 10510 Gibsonton Drive, Riverview, Florida 33569, (813) 741-0488, or visit our web-site at www.frvta.org.
Known as Florida’s first attraction, Cypress Gardens will be closing on November 17th.
This morning Land South Holdings LLC, the company that owns the park, announced Cypress Gardens would close after this Sunday for major renovation, with a reopening scheduled for March 2009. Plans call for a renewed focus on three areas — the ski show that was the park’s original draw, the botanical gardens that made it famous for generations and the water park that opened a few years ago. The zoo area, which specializes in exotic animals (including the albino wallaby at right,) and the ride area will be permanently closed.
Tropical Storm Fay is heading away from the Dominican Republic and toward the center of Cuba. The current forecast track has the storm turning into a hurricane and raking the west coast of Florida by mid-week.
AT 800 AM EDT…1200 UTC…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.8 NORTH…LONGITUDE 72.8 WEST OR ABOUT 35
MILES… 55 KM…WEST-NORTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI AND ABOUT
170 MILES…275 KM…EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GUANTANAMO CUBA.FAY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MPH…22 KM/HR. A TURN TOWARD
THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY…FOLLOWED BY A TURN
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST BY SUNDAY NIGHT. ON THIS TRACK…THE CENTER
OF FAY WILL MOVE ACROSS HAITI THIS MORNING…AND WILL BE MOVING
NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL CUBA TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a hurricane to watch out for. Stay tuned.
Winter Haven’s Cypress Gardens theme park is changing their hours of operation. Via the News Chief:
Cypress Gardens Adventure Park’s weekend-only schedule of open days in September might stop at the end of that month, but it also could stretch into October.
“Right now, we’re not sure,” park co-ower Rob Harper said Sunday.
[...]
Harper pointed out that most other theme parks the size of Cypress Gardens have a similar schedule. He said that when the winter residents come back to the area and attendance picks up, the management will adjust the scheduling accordingly.
“We’re business people,” Harper said. “We’re monitoring what’s feasible to keep (the park) open.”
Various local events are planned that should boost attendance and promote future visits.
The owners and managers of the park have also said they want to aggressively market the Gardens as a natural setting for weddings and wedding receptions.
“The wedding business will take on new importance, because the (recently renovated Magnolia) Mansion is absolutely stunning,” Gernert said.
Before Cypress Gardens implements its reduced operating schedule in September, the park has three events scheduled for August. On Aug. 16, the park will host the 2008 Florida Sports Hall of Fame Induction.
On Aug. 23, the park will be the site of the Florida Miss Cypress Gardens USA and Miss Winter Haven USA pageants. And on Aug. 30, the Belles, Blues and BBQ event will be held at the park as a fundraiser for the Winter Haven Firemans Association, an organization that helps local victims of residential fires.
Harper said Cypress Gardens management could release an official statement about the September schedule change this week.
FloridImagine Blog is looking for bloggers. If you would like to contribute we are looking for bloggers to write about:
If you’re interested leave a comment on this post. Use a valid email address. I will be able to see it, but it will not be published.
More and more Floridians are staying close to home and keeping their vacation dollars in the state. Joe VanHoose wrote for the Ocala Star Banner:
Vacations are expensive. Some tourists are cutting back, and it’s not just at the racetrack. Attractions in Central Florida are feeling the sting felt by their clientele.
Daytona Beach Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Lori Campbell-Baker said vacationers are driving shorter distances and booking accommodations and tickets later to get away. Because of that, the beach community is drawing more vacationers from Florida.
So, what are your vacation plans? Staying close to home, or going long distance? Have gas, and other prices, forced you to reconsider your leisure spending?
An announcement will be included as part of today’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Officials from Disney and Jostens Inc. will announce the construction of a 70,000-plus square-foot arena today as part of 10th-anniversary celebrations for Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
The Jostens Center, which will house more than 44,800 square feet of competition space, will contain six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, two roller hockey rinks, four locker rooms, two conference areas and two officials’ rooms. The venue is scheduled to open in fall 2008.
Disney officials said events at the Jostens Center would be comparable to those that take place at the Milk House, the complex’s current indoor facility that holds 30,000 square feet of competition space.
With temperatures reaching the 90’s yesterday many Florida residents only think of ice as something used to cool your favorite beverage. But for some the best use for ice is to run a Zamboni over it and pursue Lord Stanley’s Cup.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, 2004 winners of the cup, begin their playoff run today in East Rutherford, NJ as the 7th seeded Lightning face number 2 seed NJ Devils.
Tampa Bay is 13-4 with three ties in the last 20 matchups with New Jersey.
“You remember it, you learn and you try not to make those same mistakes,” Devils center John Madden said of figuring out how to beat the Lightning. “You take the videos and break them down and see what’s going on, the matchups and everything.
“At the same time, this is the playoffs and for the lack of a better cliche, it’s another season.”
The Bolts will be depending on their trio of forwards Brad Richards, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis.
During the regular season, Tampa’s core players kept up their end of the bargain for the most part. Lecavalier led the league with 52 goals and was third in scoring with 108 points. St. Louis exceeded his totals from his 2004 MVP season with 43 goals and 102 points. Richards, while his point totals were down for the first time in his career (finishing with 70), stepped up as a leader in the locker room. He took on more responsibility on and off the ice while finishing second in the league in ice time by a forward, trailing only St. Louis.
I am so ready for this. Let the games begin.
An announcement will be included as part of today’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Officials from Disney and Jostens Inc. will announce the construction of a 70,000-plus square-foot arena today as part of 10th-anniversary celebrations for Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
The Jostens Center, which will house more than 44,800 square feet of competition space, will contain six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, two roller hockey rinks, four locker rooms, two conference areas and two officials’ rooms. The venue is scheduled to open in fall 2008.
Disney officials said events at the Jostens Center would be comparable to those that take place at the Milk House, the complex’s current indoor facility that holds 30,000 square feet of competition space.
