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Orlando theme parks brace themselves for SeaWorld’s new Antarctica attraction
DestinationsThree years ago, Harry Potter loosened Mickey Mouse’s grip on Orlando’s theme-park market. Now, Puck the Penguin is ready to try pulling Mickey’s fingers even farther apart. After more than a year of construction, SeaWorld Orlando this week will open Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, a nearly 4-acre, multiattraction “land” built to look like the [...]
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Florida’s raking it in, record first quarter in visitor numbers
DestinationsState tourism officials say that more people visited Florida in the first three months of 2013 than any other quarter in the state’s history. Visit Florida announced Wednesday that preliminary numbers show that 26 million visitors came to Florida in January, February and March. It’s an increase of 4.7 percent over the same period in [...]
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Jilted airport disses Southwest Airlines but now engages in sweet-talk
TransportSarasota-Bradenton International Airport is keeping an open dialogue with Southwest Airlines despite its marketing encouraging travelers to not fly with the carrier. Rick Piccolo, president and chief executive officer of the airport, told his Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority board Monday morning that the two sides are talking again. “We reinstituted contact with them, all we’re [...]
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Universal Orlando replaces Jaws ride with Harry Potter world expansion
DestinationsFans of Harry Potter and magic, rejoice: Universal Orlando is expanding its Wizarding World of Harry Potter with a new area based on the books’ fictional scenes in Diagon Alley and London. Universal Orlando announced Wednesday the new area will open in 2014. “For Harry Potter fans, this is an opportunity to go to multiple [...]
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Car-sharing in South Florida spreads beyond big cities
DigitalSouth Florida’s sprawling development and limited public transportation make owning a car pretty much a necessity. But a growing number of services are popping up in South Florida giving people quick, cheap access to cars whether they’re lacking one of their own or need an extra set of wheels for a quick trip to Home [...]
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Orlando could be next U.S. city to roll out bike share program
DestinationsOrlando’s transportation planning agency says the city could see a bike sharing system up and running by next spring… On Wednesday Metroplan Orlando’s bike share working group got a look at bikes produced by one of the companies angling for a toe hold in Central Florida. SunCycles founder Peter Martinez wants to bring bike share [...]
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Fleet Week in Florida will be without the fleet this year
DestinationsPicture the scene of a Fort Lauderdale beachside hotel and in strut a couple of Navy sailors — in uniform — straight off the ship. They spot a table full of young women in swimsuits sipping cocktails and listening to music. One sailor dares the other: bet you can’t get them to dance with you. [...]
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Millennials in search of work join retirees’ migration from New York to Florida
DestinationsFlorida remains the top destination for outbound New Yorkers, but the new migrants are a lot younger than you’d expect. According to the five-year American Community Survey, which the U.S. Census conducted from 2007 to 2011, 78% of the people who migrated from New York to Florida in those years were under age 60. The [...]
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At Florida’s half-millenium anniversary big hopes on increased tourism
DestinationsFlorida officials are rolling out a vast history lesson to commemorate the first wave of Europeans to hit the state’s beaches half a millennium ago. The officials on Monday unveiled a series of events starting this week as part of a statewide campaign called Viva Florida 500, a yearlong commemoration to mark the 500th anniversary [...]
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After spending $1 billion on wireless tickets Disney lobbies to change Florida laws
DestinationsWalt Disney World has spent close to $1 billion developing its “MyMagic+” system, which includes replacing conventional tickets with wireless-transmitting wristbands that serve as all-in-one park passes, room keys and credit cards. Now Disney wants to make sure those “MagicBands” are protected by Florida law. The giant resort is lobbying the Florida Legislature this spring [...]
