Tag: magic kingdom

August 25, 2015

Ep 42 – Safari Mike Hopes For A Train But Not For a Monkey Island

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Safari Mike of Jambo Everyone/Radio Harambe stops in for a chat about the future of Animal Kingdom and the history of live animals at Walt Disney World. Ken is let down when Safari Mike tells him a monkey island in the Seven Seas Lagoon is unlikely. Jake asks about the role of the conservation message in the future of the park. Both SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are also brought up in the discussion. During the Punch List Brian, Jake and Ken talk about wine on 192, booze at a gun range, that odd leak from Universal Orlando and their favorite parts of IAAPA. Ken tells the guys about some bad news regarding the Mag-Lev train and some good news regarding Orlando International. A quick discussion on Monday’s insane stock market drop and what it means for Orlando is also included.

Show Notes

Hosts

Ken
Brian
Jake of Orlando Park Pass
Special Guest- Safari Mike of Jambo Everyone

Song One (Punch List)

Song Two (Main Event Intro)

Song Three (Closing Song)

Recording Dates: Main Event- Aug 21, 2015 | Punch List- Aug 24, 2015

The Punch List

Paul Brinkman’s analysis of how Monday’s stock market craziness affects for Central Florida businesses (And it doesn’t look good for SEAS)

Dismaland – Banksy theme park
Lord of the Rings park in Spain put on hold due to gov’t $ cuts
F&F at USF
Fantasy of Flight to reopen in 3-5 years
Falcon’s Creative Group announces office expansion.
Black Bear exhibit coming to the Central Florida Zoo
Winery, vacation home, botanical gardens development at Formosa Gardens area of 192 moves forward
Visit Orlando kicks off new campaign
MK, DLP make list of riskiest places to use public wifi
New renderings of Skyplex released, T-Mobile/AT&T announced as telecommunications partner
Occupancy and nightly rates up year over year in the region
Hotel announced for Bella Collina
AC Hotel/Residence Inn coming across from Millenia, new office building were also announced for across the street from that project
2 new hotels announced for OIA, no flag announced at this time
OIA announces Fentress (Denver, LAX) as the architect for the new South Terminal
Mag-Lev hits a snag with the OIA
Daytona Beach getting gun range with booze bar

Events

Magical Dining Month– Now through Sept 30
M.C. Escher at Dali Museum now through Jan 3
Florida Kids and Family Expo – August 29-30
O-Town Mac Down for GKTW – Sept 12
The Pineapple Ball – Oct 17

Ken Recommends – Florida Matters TIA Interview

The Main Event

Jambo Everyone

J.E.’s. Zazzle Shop

National Elephant Center in Fellsmere, Florida

DAK makes worst zoo list

Bronx Zoo’s World of Darkness

Potter Zoo’s new moose exhibit

Discovery Island

Flamingos at Epcot

Zootopia rumor for DAK

Wild monkeys of Silver Springs

Dixie Landings Radio

August 18, 2015

Ep 41 – Wars of Sabers and Wands

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On today’s show Griffin of Epcod joins Ken, Jay, Jake and Richie to discuss all the WDW related announcements from D23. Booze in Magic Kingdom, Super Heroes in Epcot, live actors in Rivers of Light, and Slinky Dog vs Barnstormer are discussed. Then Richie and Ken go at each other when Richie calls Star Wars Land the ‘Potter Swatter’ we’ve been talking about.

During the Punch List Lissa and Ken discuss the new Jimmy Buffet town being built on 192, another list that Orlando is #1 on, lots of good food, and the horrific crime that recently took place on a Carnival Cruise ship. Cruising to Cuba, a set of new twin 75 story tall towers in Tampa and bicycle ride that makes you work to escape it are also brought up.

Show Notes

Hosts

Ken
Lissa
Jay
Jake of Orlando Park Pass
Richie
Special Guest- Griffin of Epcod.com

Song One (Punch List)

Song Two (Main Event Intro)

Song Three (Closing Song)

Recording Dates: Main Event- Aug 16, 2015 | Punch List- Aug 17, 2015

The Punch List

MargaritaVillage coming to Kissimmee

New artwork added to Chef Mickey’s

German’s model railroad gets extensive refurbishment.

Del Frisco’s opens on I-Drive

Orlando #1 convention destination in the nation. Chicago dropped to #3, Vegas sits still at #2

USWN Soccer Team vs Brazil on Oct 25 at the Citrus Bowl

La Modeleine coming to Florida Mall and Millenia area

Johnny Rivers (former Exec Chef of WDW) teams up with Petrakis (Cask & Larder, Ravenous Pig) for proposal for new café at MCO

Executive Chef of the Alfond Inn invited to the James Beard House in NY

Sanford’s Limo Cycle creates cycling escape game

Daytona Rising 85% complete. $400 Million, 101,000 seat grandstand, 40 escalators. 4.5 months to go. Construction began July 8, 2013. Jan 30-31 Rolex 24 will be first event in the finish facility.

Carnival announces plans for cruises to Cuba. Fathom brand (a social impact focused cruise brand) 710 passenger ship. Would be the first U.S. based cruise ship operator to sail to Cuba. Plans call for every other week beginning in May 2016.

Carnival Valor crew member arrested in Brevard County for sexually assaulting an underage boy (13-16) on a cruise.

Port of Tampa Bay announces new plans that include a 75 story tall tower and new cruise terminals

BGT announces new partnership with Blair Witch Executive producer Robin Cowie for HOS

Florida Kids and Family Expo – August 29-30

O-Town Mac Down for GKTW – Sept 12

The Main Event

Here’s the D23 Announcements for each WDW park:

MK- Skipper Canteen

Epcot- Frozen Ever After, Innoventions West Closure, Soarin’ Around the World, Super Hero HQ

DAK- Rivers of Light, Pandora, Night Safari

DHS- Star Wars Land, Star Wars Launch Bay, Toy Story Land

August 11, 2015

Ep 40 – No Flakka’n Around With BriMan of Orlando United

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Today we are joined by BriMan of Orlando United for a discussion on the past, present and future of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. Miami’s new megamall, Mango’s and Columbian burgers are brought up in this fun chat. During the punch list we talk about those shocking Q2 results from SEAS, updates to Magic Kingdom, Zagat’s latest Orlando rankings and a new museum opening in town devoted to pencils. In the pre-Punch List chat Ken reviews Taste of the Nation 2015 while Lissa tells of some bad service she recently received at DHS. Ken admits to disliking Kickstarter while Jay admits to not listening to the show.

Show Info

Hosts

Ken
Lissa
Jay
Jake of Orlando Park Pass
Nikki of Lasting Impressions
Special Guests- BriMan of Orlando United

Song 1 (Punch List)

Song 2 (Main Event and Show Closing)

Song 3 (Main Event Closing)

Recording Dates- Punch List- Aug 9, 2015 | The Main Event- Aug 5, 2015

The Punch List

Taste of the Nation- SeaWorld | Universal

SEAS Q2 numbers (84.5% drop in profit) Joel Manby announces news on Nov 6 (International expansion details are expected then)

Disney Q3 Numbers

The Guardian reports new details on the Russian belugas that NOAA blocked The Georgia Aquariuam getting. Some of those would be headed to SeaWorld too.

BTMR getting updates

Duffy Meet and Greet closing at Epcot

New homes announced for Golden Oak. Prices start at $5 Million.

Zagat releases Best of Orlando restaurant list. Cress beats V&A, Capa at 4 Seasons ‘noteworthy’ but not on ranked list.

New restaurant announced for downtown by what Scott Joseph calls a ‘Dream Team’

Casey Anthony celebrated there after her ‘victory’

New friendly match announced for Citrus Bowl. Richard at OBJ asked ‘Can Orlando be Mexico’s favorite soccer city?’

OIA area Holiday Inn sells for $14 Million. JHM Hotels bought it.

Leogland Florida’s Legoland Dollars now listed on Travelex Currency Exchange Boards. The first time any theme park has had its internal currency listed on an outside exchange

Dixon opens new pencil museum in Lake Mary (free but reservations required)

The Main Event

Orlando United

HHN Forums on OU

USJ Night Parade

Ken is hiding in this questionable ATL IG post

Miami Wilds

Miami Megamall

Junior’s Columbian Burgers

Upcoming Events and Closing Remarks

The 21^st Annual Harvest Grape Stomp is Aug 15 at Lake Ridge Winery

Florida Kids and Family Expo – August 29-30

O-Town Mac Down for GKTW – Sept 12

Walt Disney’s hometown launches a Kickstarter to build a replica of its Autopia (based on one Walt gave them in 1966) in the middle of the town.

Fulton’s Crabhouse at Disney Springs offering kids cooking classes

July 28, 2015

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

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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 9^th 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

Song One (Punch List intro)
Song Two (Main Event intro and outro)
Song Three (Closing)

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 10^th 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!

June 2, 2015

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

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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.