On this much-anticipated return of OTR Ken Storey addresses the controversy regarding his tweet about Texas. Then Ed and Kevin join the show and discuss all the news we’ve missed over the past month including Fashion Square Mall, T2 closing, a $20 million cash deal on 192, and much more. At the end of the show, we review the tourism industry’s response to Irma.Here i
I often cover issues related to pay and the struggles of Central Floridians in the local tourism industry here on Orlando Tourism Report and if any if you have even listened even once then you know that I’m passionate about ensuring we have a strong tourism workforce. But that can only happen if they’re healthy, happy, and willing to stay here.
In Central Florida, 1 in 6 people struggle with food insecurity. 44.5% of Florida households cannot afford basic needs such as housing, childcare, food, health care, and transportation – the vast majority of these families are working. As we work to ensure better pay in the hospitality industry, and in return better pay across the board in Central Florida. there is something else we can do to ensure that ALL Central Floridians are able to fall asleep every night with full stomachs.
The newly re-branded TASTE! Central Florida is this Saturday, August 19, 2017 from 6:45 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. I’m convinced this is the BEST foodie event of the year in Central Florida. If you’re a fan of the various food and wine events at the local theme parks you’ll love TASTE! It has well over 100 local restaurants who showcase the amazing creativity of their chefs with bite-sized dishes using the finest of ingredients.
Yes, tickets at $150 are a bit pricey but that’s honestly less than I spent at Epcot’s Food & Wine fest last time I went there and the proceeds from this go to a great cause. Both the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida are supported by the event. Approximately 498,000 individuals turn to Second Harvest’s food pantries and meal service programs to feed themselves and their family each year.
This year’s event will include OTR favorites like Yak & Yeti, Universal Orlando, STK, Satu-Li Canteen, SeaWorld, Raglan Road, Paddlefish, and tons of other local restaurants.
The food (and wine!) isn’t the only reason to go to the event. A silent auction has plenty of amazing Central Florida focused items with donations from many of the area’s hospitality leaders. A wine ring toss, the Edible Orlando Giving Tree, a wine cellar giveaway, and many more events take place throughout the evening helping make this one of the most enjoyable evenings of the year. And unlike the parks you don’t have to stand outside when going from booth to booth.
There’s a lot more we can and should be doing to ensure that the 113 million more meals needed per year to fill the hunger gap in our community is a thing of the past but TASTE! is a great first step in that direction. This year, instead of a hot and muggy day of food and wine in a theme park (or on top of it), why don’t you visit the air-conditioned foodie wonderland of TASTE! Central Florida.
TASTE! Central Florida takes place this Saturday, August 18 from 6:45-10:00PM at the Orlando World Center Marriott (the world’s largest Marriott!).
Robert and Ken visit the famous I-Drive NASCAR indoor karting experience and then have the crew stop by for a special episode of OTR. This episode includes a full hour of exclusive podcast content never heard before + one hour of #OTRonFM content from the April 21st episode. Hear as everyone talks about their favorite memories of old school I-Drive, what makes NASCAR such a huge brand, and why I-Drive NASCAR is here to stay.
Grab your favorite sample of a Busch beer, find some shade, and enjoy this history filled episode of #OTRonFM. Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez joins the guys to discuss his new Images of America book all about Busch Gardens Tampa. We start with the earliest days of gardens that sprung up beside the brewery and work our way through history to the coaster mecca it is today. We discuss Dwarf Village, the giant pandas, the monorail, and more in this wild episode of #OTRonFM
On this episode we have local haunt expect Benjamin O’Conner of Old Town’s new Mortem Manor. He talks about what it takes to do Florida’s only year round haunt. He also shares details on the new coffin simulator at the attraction.
We also have Rick Singh, Orange County Property Appraiser, call in to address a recent AP article about his fight against local theme parks. He shares tons of great insights and calls Orange County the birthplace of fake news.
Make sure to follow us on Twitter and tweet at us using #OldTownOTR to win tickets to Mortem Manor and the coffin simulator. Contest runs through 11AM, Friday April 21, 2017.
