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Showing posts from September, 2003

Universal Studios Florida: Production Central

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Orlando, Florida: Production Central is the main entrance of the Universal Studios theme park. Here guests walk by working soundstages as they embark on a day of riding the movies at the park. As you walk through the gates and see the large studios, its early to see that you are in the place that brings Hollywood to life. It is also home to the newest attraction, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. As you pass though the gates the first ride you encounter is Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast. Climb aboard a rocket to help Jimmy Neutron on a trip to planet Yolkus to retrieve his stolen rocket. Along the way you will pass through neighborhoods of some of the great Nickelodeon cartoons from past and present. Further down the road you will come across the next attraction, Shrek 4-D. Opened in 2003, it combines sight, sound and feel the movie come to life. The movie picks up between the first and second movie as Lord Farquaad returns to kidnap Princess Fiona. Join Shrek and Donkey on the jo...

Titanic the Exhibition

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Orlando, Florida: Located in the Mercado on International Drive, Titanic the Exhibition allows guests to relive the experiences of the Titanic. From the moment you walk through the doors you are immersed in the sights and sounds from the massive ship. As you enter the museum, you receive a boarding pass with a passenger name and classification from the fateful voyage. Then you meet up with your tour guide, dressed in period attire and speaking as if we were standing in front of the Titanic for its voyage, not present day. You will tour the boatyard and see the ship under construction and stand beside the giant propeller. Then its past the ticket booth and onto the docks, where you await to step aboard the giant ship. Once onboard the ship, you begin to feel like you are really part of the story. Your guide takes you through the ship. The ship is recreated with parlor suites, second class hallways, dining area, cargo hold and even the magnificent grand staircase. Along the way, ...

Downtown Disney

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Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Downtown Disney is the shopping, dining and entertainment complex for Walt Disney World. Divided into three sections (Disney Marketplace, West Side and Pleasure Island) with constantly changing venues makes it one of the premiere entertainment complexes in the Orlando area. The concept for Downtown Disney began in March of 1975 with the opening of the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. The village was to serve as the shopping center for the planned residential portion of the Disney development. The residential section never occurred and the complex became the shopping center for the Walt Disney World complex and was renamed Walt Disney World Village. In 1986, Walt Disney World Village grew with the opening of Pleasure Island. Pleasure Island was a an expansion to the village consisting of several adult night clubs, providing Walt Disney World with the adult nightlife it was looking for to help compete with other Orlando clubs. During this time, the Wal...

Islands of Adventure: Marvel Super Hero Island

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Orlando, Florida: Right out of the pages of a comic book, Marvel Super Hero Island brings the cartoon characters to live with thrilling amusement rides. The island is home to one of the parks major roller coasters, the Incredible Hulk. It is also home to the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, Storm Force Accelatron and many comic themed shops. The centerpiece of the island is the Incredible Hulk Coaster. Towering over the island, the neon green coaster shoots guests up the launch hill, reaching 40 miles per hour in only two seconds. The coaster features 7 inversions while reaching speeds of 67 miles per hour and pulling 4 G’s at one point during the ride. The top rated roller coaster is based on a Bruce Banner project gone wrong. As riders are in the Project Gama tube, the project malfunctions and guests are shot out of the tube embarking on a wild ride. Next to the coaster is the duel towers for Doctor Doom’s Fearfall. The towers are the tallest attractio...

City Walk Orlando: Dining

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Orlando, Florida: Dining is just one of the many things that City Walk offers its guests. Tastes from around the world can be found here from breakfast to dinner, there is something for even the pickiest eaters. It features dozens of restaurants from unique dining experiences to grab and go burger and fries. The restaurants of City Walk vary in dining style and food types, here is a summary of the restaurants and the foods they serve. Bob Marley’s-A Tribute to Freedom: the Reggae themed restaurant that features a replica of Bob Marley’s home in Kingston Jamaica. They serve up classic Jamaican foods like Oxtail Stew, Jamaican Curry Chicken, Beef Patties and more. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co: Forrest Gump is alive inside the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. with memorabilia from the movie throughout the restaurant. Just like the movie guests can dine on fried shrimp, spicy shrimp, stuffed shrimp, shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp. They also serve baby back ribs, mahi mahi, salmon and more. Emeril’s Or...

Hard Rock Hotel

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Orlando, Florida: From the moment you walk through the front door, the rock star experience begins at the Hard Rock Hotel. From the musician memorabilia on the walls to the comfortable rooms, it doesn’t take long until you feel like part of the band. Opened in 2001, the 650 room resort contains 29 suites. All rooms are designed with entertainment in mind featuring HD TV’s, CD players and MP3 docking stations. The amenities of the resort are world class. It features a 12,000 square foot pool area with a beach, water slide, Jacuzzi’s and a play area for the kids. They even have an underwater sound system that plays the music underwater. In addition to music, they also host dive in movies where you can watch a film under the stars or in the water. The resort also has the Rock Shop where you can purchase your favorite rock star clothes or Hard Rock logo gear. Finally there is a fitness center and children’s center to round out the vacation. Hard Rock Hotel also features several ...