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Tag: tourism

November 18, 2015

OTR at IAAPA IAE 2015 Day 2 – Wanda Group, Goddard Group & ProSlide

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Today we have interviews with Wanda Group (they talk about building new parks, Disney as competition and the struggles of the industry in Asia right now), Goddard Group (they talk about the Cirque park in Mexico and the future of the industry) and ProSlide (they talk about their 2016 projects, new tech that might soon be in Orlando and the evolution of water slides). Plus we have Kevin Yee review the VR Coaster demonstration that’s currently at Fun Spot and Ed of Mickey Updates stops by to talk about what was happening on the IAAPA IAE15 floor today.

Show Notes

Hosts

Date of Recording: Nov 18, 2015

Music

Song 1

Song 2

News

Non-IAAPA

Monorail fender bender

Skyplex adds world’s largest wave pool, world’s tallest vertical lift

Port Canaveral votes NO on new resort complex

Port Canaveral confirmed as the world’s 2nd busiest cruise port

Boat accident at Port Canaveral

Disney unions group endorses Val Demings, Susannah Randolph

Great Wolf Lodge confirmed for Orlando

OSC extends hours to meet demand ahead of Mummies closure, new numbers say over 500K ppl visited last year

IAAPA

Owners & GMs Breakfast (Joel Manby spoke, reviewed the Nov 9th news)

Dynamic Attractions announced new Orlando attractions center

THEA awards

Hall of Fame inductees

Interactive game, Cosmic Quest, announced for KSC

Holy Land Experience announces Trin-I-Tee Golf mini golf attraction

Gravity Group saw coaster at Walibi

Tonight’s Interviews

 

Tomorrow-10a-Noon on WPRK, TuneIn app | Mack, Dynamic Attractions & Bill Kitchen of US Thrill Rides

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November 3, 2015

Ep 52 – Banks Lee Talks DHS, the future of I-Drive and HHN

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This week Banks Lee of Attractions Magazine calls in to chat about the sudden closure of 7220 I-Drive, safety at HHN, the future of DHS and more. During the FM segment Robert and Ken talk I-Drive NASCAR’s new partnership with the Orlando Magic, the new Orlando Pride soccer team and the James Beard chef who’s headed to Disney Springs.

Jake talks about Bill & Ted, a new indoor snow ski simulator center in town and Tiffany’s crazy concert at Epcot’s Food & Wine.

During the Aftershow Mr. Brian joins the show to talk the future of iFly and Pointe Orlando. What’s happening at the corner of I-Drive and Universal Blvd also comes up. And the latest details from Port Canaveral are discussed. Then Ken gives the very latest on the World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s.

Show Notes

Hosts

Recording Date: FM- 10-28-15 | Aftershow 11-2-15

Music

 

The Punch List

I-Drive

Orlando Eye closes for nearly a week

Magic, IDrive Nascar announce new partnership

iFly announces new location in between Wonder Works and Icebar. No word on what that means for the current location.

OTR’s tweets about Hawaiian Rumble

Dubai Skydive plans new indoor skydiving at I-Drive 360

Stabbing in parking lot near International Drive’s Howl at the Moon

Volcano Island mini golf owner’s odd Youtube video

World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s

Fun Spot’s Skycoaster lighting

WDW

Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless (6X James Beard award winner) confirmed to be opening new restaurant at Disney Springs.  Scott Joseph has been reporting since late 2014.

Permits show new entrance, expansion areas for DHS.

UOR

Universal theme parks have their highest attendance ever.

Safety of Scare Actors at HHN. Drunks, wild guest. What can be done to keep HHN under control?

Space Coast

Port Canaveral announces its slowing down cargo rail project

Port Canaveral terminal upgrades

Overview of Port Canaveral

Other Local Tourism

OCSC announces new details on Orlando Pride. 1500 season tickets sold, 3 new celebrity players.

10 more players announced

Tampa Bay Rays get out of Tropicana contract, can now look for new stadium home outside of Tampa Bay.

SunRail gets DOT approval for MCO leg (Still won’t open until 2020)

The Florida Aquarium starts construction on new events center.

Holy Land Experience gets more lights and mirrors

Central Florida Zoo changes expansion focus

 

Trending This Week

Indoor snow skiing coming to Winter Park

Fun Spot Kissimmee has a black out Monday. It lasted about an hour, no reports of stranded riders.

Film crew at the Sunday, Oct 25 Bill and Ted

Tiffany stopped by Epcot’s Food & Wine. Everyone is talking about her cover of Guns and Roses “Sweet Child of Mine.”

Custom Magicbands will soon be available (in a new Tomorrowland station)

Ahead of Shanghai Disneyland’s opening next year farmers in Shanghai welcomed Mickey Mouse this week with forming the famous cartoon star in a rice field.

A sinkhole opened up on the Maitland I-4 off ramp Monday swallowing the front end of a car.

Daytona International Speedway shares new aerial shots of Daytona Rising. Less than 75 days until it’s finished.

Screenshots of an AP survey asks how interested they would be in “Upgrading paper annual passes to plastic.”

Deadline gave new details, including who’s writing, the Tower of Terror feature film by Disney

 

 

 

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September 15, 2015

Ep 45 – Cali VIPs

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Today we have a full house as all but two of the regular hosts join us in a Punch List full of rabbit trails and additions. We talk about a giant observation that’s not in Orlando, a Soarin’ ride that’s not at Epcot, something that is closing at Magic Kingdom which the theme park community all seems ok with, a future where Orlando might not be the top tourist destination, and how to properly build a good drainage ditch.

During the Main Event we go high-end when Jake gives a trip report from Discovery Cove and his VIP tours at Disneyland, UOR and USH. He also mentions some from his visit to San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and more.

Show Notes

Hosts

Recording Date: Punch List: 9-13-15 | Main Event: 9-14-15

The Punch List Music

The Main Event Music

Closing Music

The Punch List

Disneyland announces new $300 breakfast that allows you to eat on the Jungle Cruise’s African veldt and captain a Jungle Cruise boat.

WDW announces new dessert party that will take place on one of 7 Seas Lagoon’s double-decker ferry boats. Its only $99.

Now along with Magicbands Disney will ship you luggage tags when you book a hotel room at WDW 

China shuts down 153 factories so that Shanghai Disneyland can have blue skies

UAE could rival Orlando’s tourism numbers

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July 21, 2015

Ep 37 – Low Ratings With Josh Gonzales

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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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April 7, 2015

Ep 28 – Floating Cars Get Across The Pond

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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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