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Tag: UOR

Ep 38 – Living the Florida Life with Dani of This Florida Life/Bay Lake Society

Dani of This Florida Life joins us today for our Main Event. She gives an industry insider perspective on the hospitality bubble and what it means for the future of Orlando. Plus she talks Bay Lake Society and much more. Richie stops by for The Punch List where we cover the recent rape at Downtown Disney, the new peer-reviewed study on captive killer whales, Ripley’s expansion plans to Africa, and recent construction announcements around Orlando.

Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment is buying 5% in SBM to diversify into other markets, Macau performance under expectations. Galaxy Ent shares are down 46% due to Macau’s performance. Hong Kong hotel occupancy rates down for the 9th straight month. China’s economy is off. Japan’s shrank last quarter, “a soft patch.” Does all of this point to a bubble in Orlando? Dani weighs in during the Main Event.

Show Notes

Hosts

Ken

Lissa

Special Guest – Dani of This Florida Life

Recording Dates: Punch List- July 26, 2015 | The Main Event- July 21, 2015

The Punch List

Ken Recommends- Resort Loop episode with Len Testa

Rape at HOB

Carjacking near DTD

HKDL’s Golden Mickeys show had its final performance this past weekend. How long till MK gets a show like this? Earvengers talked about this a few weeks ago.

Fantasmic testing reserved seats, rows and sections.

Comcast revenue skyrockets.

Iconic Daytona Speedway sign is removed

Orlando ranks 10th for fastest growing hotel market 4.5% growth in Orlando.

  • Davidson County, Tenn., which includes the Nashville metropolitan area, with 6.7 percent growth. Hillsborough County came in second overall with 6.12 percent growth. Employment in Orange County, FL reached 49,724 in 2014, up from 47,583 recorded for the previous year.

New peer reviewed study on Killer Whales released in the Journal of Mammalogy by the Oxford University Press. It found no difference in life expectancy between SEAS whales and wild populations. And found wild calf survival rates of Southern Resident killer whales to be significantly less that SEAS (79.9% vs 96.6%).

New apartments announced for the SWO area. Part of the Marriott Grande Pines Golf Club redo. $40 Million, 282 units

Orange County proposes mixed use development on 28 acres beside Aquatica.

$7.2 Billion in real estate sales across Orlando in the last 12 months.

Joshua Wallack may help pay for SLR/I-Drive ped bridge

Orlando HQ’d Ripley’s returns to Africa for the first time since 1933 when Robert Ripley visited. New 12 city traveling show stops by shopping malls in South Africa.

Last week we talked about the Tripadvisor Top 25 Theme Parks. E-Ticket Report did an excellent rundown of all 25 parks and gave insights into the American parks on the list.

The Main Event

Bay Lake Society

Ken Recommends- Dani’s Trader Sam’s article on Touring Plans

Dani Recommends- The Boathouse

Mango’s Orlando

iSquare Orlando

Dani Recommends- When visiting Orlando take a ride on SunRail on the day you visit Florida Mall

Dani Recommends- Park Ave in Winter Park

Dani Recommends- Downtown Sanford

Dani Recommends- Wekiva Island

Closing Remarks

Next week I’ll joining a new podcast. He Says, She Says. A Disney talking podcast. Follow along on Twitter @DisneyTalking

Speaking of podcasts check out The Park Blogger had a great show with Lite’em and Hyde this past week. WDW Today did an excellent job with their offsite episode last week, I give them a thumbs up for that but wish they had focused more on I-Drive, Park Ave and maybe even some places like downtown Sanford.

Happy birthday to space flight at Cape Canaveral. 65 years ago this past week.

Next week we’ll have John Frost of The Disney Blog joining us!

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Ep 37 – Low Ratings With Josh Gonzales

Josh Gonzales stops by today to share what he found while exploring TripAdvisor. We talk about restaurant ratings, off beat theme parks and Jake loses his gum. The Citrus Tower, Yalaha, Hot Krust, Artegon and Mythos are all mentioned in some detail. Ken has his usual random facts including some actually interesting ones for a change. The Punch List is Disney heavy with mentions of Prince Harry, Houlihan’s and a major identity theft ring busted in Orlando. Your credit card might’ve been stolen last time you visited Orlando but today’s show will at least make smile (or cry, or at least sigh heavily).

Show Info

Hosts

Song One

Song Two

Song Three

Recording Dates – Main Event – July 17, 2015 | The Punch List – July 21, 2015

The Punch List

  • Walmart proposed for 192 just off Disney property.
  • Shanghai Disneyland details released. First impressions? Anything there that we might see in Orlando? (Ken’s Tomorrowland comparison article)
  • SW Launch Bay from Shanghai might come to DHS? Screamscape and other sources are reporting it. Didn’t Jim Hill mention this coming to Innoventions awhile back?
  • Radio Harambe reporting that a SW themed Blue Sky Cellar might be coming to the SW meet and greet going into the old Animation Courtyard. Kevin Crossman joined the guys on the last episode and mentioned it.
  • Rumors of work in Frontierland, part of the $3 Billion WDW updating. Could this be the long proposed boardwalk between BTM and HM? That would close the Rivers of America but open the possibility of new attractions on Tom Sawyer Island. 416 ft from old TSI raft loading dock/smoking area to HM dock.
  • D23 details announced. George Lucas, Susan Lucci named Disney Legends. Parks gets 90 min presentation.

The Cardboard Art Festival

Taste of Nation Orlando

The Main Event

TripAdvisor Orlando Restaurant Rankings

3042 Ranked Restaurants

2 Hot Krust Panini Kitchen (Turkey Lake)

5 The Melting Pot (Sand Lake)

10 The Cheesecake Factory (Conroy Rd)

14 Fishbones (Sand Lake)

15 Olive Garden (I Drive)

16 Longhorn Steakhouse (Vineland Ave)

31 Red Lobster (I Drive)

38 Sanaa

47 Publix??

64 California Grill

153 Mythos

TripAdvisor Orlando Attraction Rankings

8 WDW

14 Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe

20 Gatorland

59 Jellyrolls

82 Holy Land Experience

166 Greenwood Cemetery

206 Festival Bay Mall/Artegon

 

Angel’s restaurant at MainGate

Planet Hollywood’s Stuff’s Magic Burger

Josh Gonz Recommends- Cowfish milkshakes, Bread Box.

Jake thinks PR’s Taco Palace has tiny tacos

Ken was wrong. Bill Whitaker founded Press 101. Hot Krust has Evan Dimov at Title Manger and Biff Godfret as Reg Agent listed

Bacon flavored seaweed

Ken Recommends- The Chicken Alfredo at the Sand Lake Road McDonald’s

Publix sub shop April Fools joke

Informative article from 2002 on the Millenia/Conroy interchange

Info on the TBN takeover of Holy Land Experience

2013 article on the planned Orlando TBN studio

Holy Land’s tax free loophole

Ken Recommends- Reptile World Serpentarium

Ken Recommends- Save Pleasure Island blog

The mystery of the I-4 Flea Market

Greenwood Cemetery Moonlight Strolls

Ken Recommends- Following Orlando Cemetery on Twitter

Citrus Tower

Presidents of Hall of Fame

Life-size replica of Graceland in Pine Hills

Jake Recommends- Roadside America

Ken Recommends- UCM Museum/Abita Mystery House

Ken then goes off how we should all sleep during the day

Splendid China themed Winn Dixie

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Ep 33 – May’s Big Rewind with Epcod, Elvenage and Sir Owen Disney

After a whirlwind month of announcements and news we gather some theme parks fan to break it all down. Sir Owen Disney, Epcod and Elvenage join Jake, Richie and Ken to discuss their takes on all of this past month’s news. The future of SeaWorld, the chances of Skyplex actually ever happening and the role of Value Resorts at the modern Walt Disney Role all come up. Hot takes on the latest news, reviews of Tomorrowland, gambling’s impact on Florida, and a lot more in the news round-up episode.

 

Show Info

Hosts
Special Guests
Recording Date
  • May 30, 2015
Music

 

Show Notes

News Round-Up from May
I-Drive and Surrounding Area-
Disney-
SEAS –
UOR-

 

Additional Notes

Wisconsin Dells- Noah’s Ark Water Park (with non-tube rides)

Ken’s M&M Star Wars treats

Camden Park

Darien Lake

Little Amerricka in Wisconsin

Epcod’s Tomorrowland rampage One | Two | Three | Four | Five

OTR’s tweet regarding Volcano Bay stucco work

Mr Brian in Orlando’s sad trip to I-Drive 360 (Broken exhibits at SEALife One | Views from The Orlando Eye One, Two)

Ken Recommends- Tin Roof at I-Drive 360

Florida Citrus Tower

Jack Recommends- #OrlandoEye on Instagram

#AskSeaWorld’s utter failure on Twitter

Sir Owen Disney Recommends- Christmas at SeaWorld

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Ep 28 – Floating Cars Get Across The Pond

First up today is a Punch List with Jay and Lissa plus we’re joined by Jake who is taking the Caption E.O. news pretty hard. After a touchy exchange between Ken and Lissa regarding Disney Jay brings up some UOR news.

Then for the Main Event today we have Part 2 of the interview with Simon and Susan of Veness Travel Media (Part 1 was posted March 16). They give their unique insights into the local British tourism trends and weigh in on all the news including Star Trek attractions, Star Wars and where SeaWorld goes from here.

Show Info

Music

Song 1

Song 2

Hosts

Special Guests

Recording Dates

  • Punch List- March 28, 2015
  • Interview with Simon and Susan- March 5, 2015

 

Show Notes

Punch List

WDW

UOR

Legoland Florida

  • Lego Friends announced as final room theme of LLF Hotel. Is it smart to focus so heavy on a gender specific brand

MAIN EVENT

Part 2 of the interview with Veness Travel Media (Part 1 is here)

5 Takeaways from the Interview

  1. Paramount is bringing an ‘American style’ park to U.K. and it will be interesting to watch how its received.
  2. Simon and Susan think gaming will be a bad mix for Orlando
  3. Tampa, Daytona and Miami have the adults covered, Simon and Susan think Orlando should be family focused
  4. SeaWorld does a great job of conservation but they could do more to focus on it
  5. 192 may have to give up on tourism as the main draw for certain segments of the road, but not the entire road.
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OTR Ep 26 – Ringling and the Brits

On today’s show Jason of Orlando Fun & Food weighs in on the shocking news coming out of Ringling Brothers. Then Jay and Ken talk about some recent news before Kyle joins. Kyle and Ken interview Simon and Susan of Veness Travel Media. Simon is the author of ‘The Brits Guide to Orlando,’ the best selling guide of its kind in the U.K.  Simon and Susan discuss their observations in the changing demographics of Orlando tourism and how the larger trends in Florida are affecting it.

Show Info

Hosts

Special Guests

Recording Dates

  • Interview with Jason- March 8, 2015
  • Interview with Simon and Susan- March 5, 2015

Music

 

Show Notes

Ringling Brothers/Feld Entertainment

SeaWorld

Disney

I-Drive

Other Tourism in Central Florida

Main Event

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