Thursday, January 20, 2011

Walt Disney World's Fantasyland gets a massive facelift

In a new retooling of a major expansion project announced last fall and expected to open in phases starting in late 2012, the Fantasyland section of Walt Disney World 's Magic Kingdom will add an indoor roller coaster and scuttle a proposed fairy-themed "Pixie Hollow" greeting area.

The moves are part of what Disney expert Jim Hill calls "more boy-friendly plans" by the Orlando theme park. which has gotten some amped-up competition from Universal Orlando's new Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The Magic Kingdom revamp will double the size of Fantasyland by its completion in 2013. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the moderately intense "Seven Dwarfs Mine Train" attraction (shown above) will feature music from the animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and a first-of-its-kind ride system in which vehicles swing back and forth along a twisting track.

"Disney will scrap a pair of elaborately themed areas where guests could dance with Cinderella or celebrate a birthday party with Sleeping Beauty's Aurora. Instead, the two characters will be given a new home together — along with some of the company's other animated heroines — in a new set dubbed 'Princess Fairytale Hall.' The meet-and-greet area will replace an original Disney World attraction, 'Snow White's Scary Adventure,'" the paper says.

Among the features remaining from the original expansion plans: A Beauty and the Beast -themed restaurant, the dueling Dumbo flying elephants ride and "Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid," an indoor ride with animatronics identical to an attraction being built at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif.

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Woman Impaled by Barracuda Tells Dramatic Story

Karri Larson shows her scars from the bizarre incident.

Karri Larson



A Florida woman is lucky to be alive after a bizarre incident while she and her boyfriend were kayaking in the Florida Keys. A fish jumped out of the water, hitting her so hard it broke her ribs and collapsed a lung.

She struggled to breathe and was in desperate need of medical attention.

On "The Early Show," CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reported on the terrifying, almost deadly turn the excursion of Karri Larson and boyfriend Michael Hinojosa took last October.


In a 911 call, Larson's boyfriend can be heard saying, "Yes, I've got an emergency. My girlfriend's been hit by a flying fish. I think it was a barracuda or something."

First thought to be a needlefish, Larson says it was a barracuda that attacked her out of nowhere.

She saw it jump out of the water twice, and on the third jump, it dove toward the couple's boat and hit her on the side.

Hinojosa said on the call, "It came diving past the kayak, and hit her broadside, knocked her out of the boat and she's got, like, broken ribs and punctured lungs."

The operator asks, "She has a punctured lung?"

Hinojosa said, "Yes, sir. I have my hand holding her lungs closed."

Another operator responds, "Ok, sir, I need to know where you're gonna come in to."

"I'm holding her ribs with one hand," he responds. "I cannot paddle this kayak anywhere right now. I need you guys to come to me."

Getting to them would be no easy task in the Florida backwaters. Towboat owner Kevin Freestone volunteered to help search. He spoke to Hinojosa on the phone.

Freestone told CBS News, "He knew exactly what to tell me and he told me, he said, 'You need to get here as quick as you can. You need to save a life today."'

It had been about 30 minutes since the original 911 call, and time was running out.

Freestone explained, "We were going around the corner of this island. It's all mangroves. We were gonna see them soon see them soon see them soon all of a sudden, there it was -- orange kayak."

As Larson clung to life, she was transported back to the marina, then airlifted to a Miami hospital and taken straight to the intensive care unit.

Larson survived, but remained in the Intensive Care Unit for nine days, recovering from a shattered rib and a punctured lung.

In an exclusive "Early Show" interview Monday, Karri Larson and Michael Hinojosa, of Big Pine, Fla., and Kevin Freestone, of TowBoatUS, shared the story of what happened that day.

Larson said she's still in a lot of pain, but her condition is improving every day.

"Early Show" co-anchor Chris Wragge pointed out this incident left her with extensive injuries.

Larson explained, "The hole -- it opened a hole right up in my side. Shattered a rip where they eventually had to remove the rib and just pick pieces out, because it was just in little shards inside me and punctured my lung."

Hinojosa explained how it happened. He said, "We were out north of Big Pine, which is the island that we live on, feeling we were really safe. I spotted in the distance a giant barracuda coming in our general direction, probably 40, 50 miles an hour, really moving fast and skipping across the water. We've never seen a fish of this size jump before. I certainly didn't expect what happened to happen. It exploded on our left. Karri never saw it. It hit here in the ribcage and threw her out of the boat. It was moving really fast. It shattered her ribs, like she said. I had her scrambled back onto the boat and when I saw the wound, she had a hole in her side. ... I cupped my hand over it, her lung was trying to pop out into my hand. I realized then that she might not make it and I was really, really scared. I didn't know what I was going to tell her family if she didn't make it."

Larson said she realized just how extensive her wounds were when she was pulled aboard the kayak.

She said, "I had a towel, and I looked down and it was just completely saturated with blood, so I knew I was losing, you know, a lot of blood. And then, from the way I was breathing and the extent of the pain, I could tell it was a rib injury, and could hear the gurgling, so I knew I had punctured lungs."

As the couple waited in the boat, Hinojosa, holding her lung closed, ajd Larson talked about the days to come.

"She didn't want to talk about the injury," Hinojosa said. "She wanted me to talk about positive, happy things. So I began realizing, she's going to have a lot of time off of work, so I started talking about potential vacations we could take. Places that I could take her to visit. She'd never been to Europe. I pestered her into getting a passport, so she has a passport. I wanted to take her to Europe. So I began trying to distract her away from what was actually happening. Because it was just too long."

And then, finally, Freestone arrived.

"We shot across (the water) over there and got up alongside and you could see she was in pain, but very coherent, sitting pretty strong. Mike's sitting there, put the paramedic on the boat, and the paramedic looked at me after he looked at the wound, he says, 'Get me inclusive dressing,' and he's looking around like, this is bad. I knew it was a second chest wound, and it just was really serious."

Larson said she was thinking of her daughter through the ordeal.

"One of the first things I thought of is she's getting married June 30. And I need to be able to walk her down the aisle," she told Wragge. "And so I just kept thinking that in my head, you know, keeping positive thoughts. And just waiting. Waiting. That was the hardest part."

Wragge asked, "Such a big part of your life being down on the water. You guys do it every week. How difficult is it to continue going back out on the water, think about being back out on the water?"

Larson said, "Well, we worked on that. We would go to a restaurant near the dock and sit there by the fish. Our house is on the water, so it's -- it's hard. I've been out on a boat twice since then. Just recently. And I did pretty well. I did pretty well."

Recently, Freestone was given the Coast Guard's Public Service Commendation Award for his actions last October. The award is for acts of courage or assistance in Coast Guard missions.

New look for Cinderella Castle



After nearly 40 years as one of central Florida's most recognizable icons, Cinderella Castle, is set to get a makeover on select nights. The new "The Magic, Memories and You,” is the name of what Disney is calling a “dramatic new projection show” starring park guests.

On average, 500 photographs taken during the day by Disney Photo Pass Photographers are set to end up on the towers, spires and face of Cinderella Castle each evening. Disney cast members will select the photos just hours before the nightly program. A computer will then “populate” them into the after dark production.




“It actually took a couple of nights to align all the of the projectors and then literally map every nook and cranny on the castle,”Alan Bruun, associate creative director for Walt Disney Entertainment told CFNews13.com. Alan explained this helped allow designers to make the images appear to be three denominational.

“There is only one area that we made flat,” Bruun explained. The area just above the main entrance to the castle has a screen that drops down just before show time. “That is what we call the 'sweet spot,” Bruun said. “That is where we run a lot of the video.”


The photographs and video segments are splashed across the face of the castle by 16 different projectors, each located on rooftops around Cinderella Castle. Two sets of projectors are hidden from guest view along the buildings on Main Street USA. Another set of projectors are pointed toward the castle from Frontierland and Tommorrowland.

The story of the show unfolds as guests are prepping for their vacation at home, and then culminates with a traditional Magic Kingdom fireworks show.

A new score called “Let the memories begin,” was composed for the new castle show. A dozen other Disney songs are woven in. With the story and music set first, Bruun said then animators and designers then began the chore of creating the visual concepts of the program through storyboards.

The show is expected to run for two years in Orlando and at Disneyland in California. Bruun also spearheaded the show on the west coast for the original Disney theme park. The main difference between the two shows are the canvas. In Disneyland, the iconic facade of the outdoor “it's a small world” attraction will host “The Magic, Memories and You,” rather than Sleeping Beauty Castle.

“We hope it becomes a lasting memory of all of our guests,” Bruun concluded.

Guests remembering their vacations or feeling “homesick” for Central Florida may add their own photos, videos and stories after their vacation by visiting DisneyParks.com/memories and those of you who wish to have such memories could seriously take a look at some of the Florida luxury villas in central Florida area

Monday, January 10, 2011

Brazilian Guitar Quartet Returns by Popular Demand To Bach Fest Society 2011




After a sold-out performance in the 2006-2007 Season and numerous requests for another visit, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet returns to the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park Visiting Artist Series in 2011

The quartet's mastery of classical guitar repertoire and traditional Brazilian repertoire makes each concert experience unique and memorable. This season's concert includes Bach's Overture, Aria, and Gigue from Orchestral Suite No.3, selections from Albeniz's Iberia, Villa-Lobos' Quarteto Popular, and selected short pieces from Variations on a Brazilian Ballade by Brazil's Composer of the Year, Ronaldo Miranda.

Where/When

Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 3:00pm
Tiedtke Concert Hall, Rollins College
1000 Holt Ave, Winter Park, FL 327
89

Tickets
Performance tickets range from $30 to $40.
Call the Box Office at 407.646.2182 or visit www.BachFestivalFlorida.org.

More Info
Praised by the Washington Post for the "seductive beauty" and "virtuosic gusto" of its playing, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet has established itself as one of the world's leading guitar ensembles. The group's unique combination of regular six-string and extended-range eight-string guitars allows for the exploration of an original and unusual repertoire. In ten years the BGQ has performed more than 300 concerts on four continents, receiving ecstatic audience responses, garnering rave reviews, and entertaining sold-out halls.

About the Bach Festival Society
The Bach Festival Society celebrates 76 years of outstanding musical offerings and Annual Festivals in 2011. Located in Winter Park, Florida, it is one of the longest continuously operating Bach Festivals in the country and among America's great oratorio societies. The Bach Festival Society brings the highest caliber of classical music to Central Florida. Performances are held in the intimate settings of Tiedtke Concert Hall and Knowles Memorial Chapel on the beautiful campus of Rollins College.

For more information regarding the season or to order tickets, please call the Bach Festival Society at 407.646.2182 or visit us online at www.BachFestivalFlorida.org.



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Florida Tourism industry will feel effects of gulf oil spill for years


As chairman of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, he testified on Capitol Hill about fallout from the spill before a presidential commission investigating the disaster. He speaks regularly with Kenneth Feinberg, the attorney named by President Barack Obama to oversee payouts from the $20 billion BP victim compensation fund.

In a recent interview with the St. Petersburg Times, Overton talked about early friction over the fund, why he's convinced the oil spill caused last summer's tourism slump and problems for the industry that linger long after BP capped the Deepwater Horizon well.

How did you get to know Feinberg?

I first met him when we were testifying before the House Subcommittee on Energy. Everything he said initially, he didn't deliver on. Like he could deliver emergency payments in seven days. He really didn't understand the complexity of our business model. But he's a good listener and did a great job learning our business.

You were still criticizing him until a couple of weeks ago, right?


He took that position on proximity — that if you didn't have oil on the beach you weren't going to get paid. When he reversed it, that turned things around. Then he'd say, "Keith, you'll get paid. Just be patient." Six to eight weeks would go by and no one got paid.

I was inundated with calls to intervene from Florida representatives in Washington who said to either get this guy out or get him moving. It took him writing checks to get belief in the industry that everything would be okay.

How's the relationship now?

It's time our industry show him a little love. It's just fair that we take the politics out of it. I talk to him on the phone two or three times a week, and we e-mail all the time. I ask him about clearly compensable claims that are denied or administratively held up. And we've got to get (a formula for) long-term settlements taken care of.

A lot of people are skeptical that the downturn in local tourism resulted from the oil spill that never came here. How do you know it wasn't caused by the sluggish economy?

Once we got past the cold winter, things were looking up. There was pent-up demand for travel and such good deals, people were ready to release it. Things were supposed to be better and turned out not being better. BP is the only factor that caused that to happen.

Did the TradeWinds get stuck with empty rooms last summer when your customers went elsewhere?

Our occupancy didn't suffer. We had to react and did it by discounting. We shifted our focus from outside of Florida. There was a much broader misunderstanding of (where oil came ashore) in the Northeast and Midwest.

We targeted nearby travelers who knew things here were okay and could take advantage of the heavy discounts — in some cases 50 percent of what we'd normally charge. But it costs the same to service all those rooms (regardless of the room rate). It squeezed our profit in the five months when we (normally) make all our money.

Are there any feeder markets where the TradeWinds is still feeling effects of the spill?

We're down 30 percent in the U.K. market. Obviously, the (exchange rate) of the euro and the (British) pound to the dollar aren't what they used to be. But BP got more bad press there than in the U.S.

British travelers book package deals and for the most part they're two-week trips. So, they get a bill that reads the pound equivalent of $7,000 and say, "Am I going to risk that to go there?"

Will domestic travelers think twice about vacationing in Florida in the future?

One underlying thing people need to recognize is Florida has a brand that's the most powerful in all tourism: sunshine, beautiful beaches, blue water,Florida luxury villas and seafood. That brand has been damaged, and the impacts will last many years.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Keys tow captain gets award for kayaker rescue



A Florida Keys tow boat captain is being recognized by the Coast Guard for helping rescue a woman injured when a barricuda leaped into her kayak.

Tow captain Kevin Freestone was given the Coast Guard's Public Service Commendation Award on Wednesday in Marathon for his actions last October. The award is for acts of courage or assistance in Coast Guard missions.

Freestone was able to maneuver his boat into shallow waters where Coast Guard vessels could not go. He brought the injured woman on board and took her to a local marina where she was transported to a hospital in Miami.

The woman, Karri Larson, suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung when the barricuda struck her. She has recovered and attended Wednesday's ceremony.

If you are planning to go kayaking in Florida , do book your Florida Holiday Rental

2010 a mess for Florida tourism




The US state of Florida is still reeling in the wake of the ongoing recession, a record cold winter and the effects of the Gulf oil spill.

All of these factors have in turn contributed to a stall in tourist traffic to the state throughout 2010.

The Hubbard family, owners and operators of a marina complex and seafood restaurant in Madeira Beach on Florida’s Gulf coast, experienced turmoil last year.

“It was incredibly scary, because we didn't know if we were going to get oil” on nearby Florida beaches, said Kathleen McDole, a Hubbard sister whose Friendly Fisherman restaurant saw a 20 percent decline in business compared to 2009, according to USA Today.

Florida’s tourism industry employs approximately 1 million people and accounts for more than one-fifth of the state’s total sales tax revenue.

Prior to the oil spill, the state of Florida experienced freezing temperatures in January, spooking potential visitors and driving business away.

CEO and president of Visit Florida Chris Thompson was aware of the implications of these unfortunate events.

2011 is here and Florida is fabulous as ever so hope you book one of the Florida luxury villas and holiday in Florida soon

“The collective impacts of the economic downturn, and certainly the oil spill, were as significant a challenge as we've (ever) had to face.

“We realize we are in the recovery and restoration stage, and it's yet to be determined the extent of those two stages,” he said.

In light of the recent business downturn, Mr Thompson said Florida is expected to reap benefits from the Tourism Promotion Act, which was passed by Congress in February and created a non-profit corporation to promote U.S. tourism overseas

Monday, January 3, 2011

Florida man says he'll live in lions' den for 30 days

Jim Jablon smooches Lea, an African lioness. He's been penned with Lea and Ed, a male lion, since Saturday.



SPRING HILL, Fla. --
Whilst most of us keep complaining even when we get accommodated in a luxury Florida villa, here is a man who would like to sleep in a cage to raise funds for his wildlife.

A Florida man says he's going to spend the next month living in a fenced enclosure with two African lions.

James Jablon of Spring Hill hopes the stunt will raise money for his wildlife center, Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando.

Jablon entered the lions' den Saturday. He says he's going to sleep on hay near the lions named Lea and Ed and eat when they eat.

He says he's also going to build a place to sleep and hide in the trees in the enclosure, in case the lions fight with each other. His adventure is being streamed live online through January 31.

About 100 animals live at the center about 40 miles north of Tampa. It was started for native wildlife needing medical treatment, but Jablon says he's now being asked to provide homes for exotic pets.

Disney Florida Resident Ticket Price Increasing, Too


According to the OC Register, that the price of the annual California “winter deal” ticket is increasing significantly – but with the price, guests enjoy additional flexibility. This afternoon, word is coming in that the Florida resident ticket comparable to the West Coast deal is also increasing.

The 2011 iteration of the deal – the “4 Day Wild 4 Disney” ticket – is now on sale for $119. The same deal in 2010, then called the “Play 4 Days” ticket, was $99. The pass is good for four days of single park admission between January 2 and May 22 (with blackouts around the Easter holiday.) There are no other restrictions on the ticket; guests can choose to go to all four parks, the same park four times, or any combination in between.

Guests can add a “park hopper” feature to the ticket, which enables them to hop from one park to another on the same day, for an additional $27. Likewise, admission to the water parks can be added on for the same amount. The cost of the child’s ticket is the same as adult ticket.

While the price hike is significant, Walt Disney World is still charging less for the pass than they did in 2008, before the global economy – and Orlando tourism – went soft.

Disney price increase does raise a few eyebrows but you can save enough to go to Disney world by holidaying in one of the discounted Florida luxury villas

To learn more about the deal, vist DisneyWorld.com and look for “Florida Resident Discounts.”

Disney World says goodbye to Block Party Bash


New Year's Day is a day of beginnings, but it marked the end for a Disney World parade. The Block Party Bash ended its run at Disney's Hollywood Studios on January 1.

People who took their trip to Disney leaving their Florida Luxury Villas on New Year would have witnessed The Block Party Bash which was a rolling parade that stopped for a "street party" a couple of times along the parade route. It featured characters from DisneyPixar movies including Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and The Incredibles.

The Green Army Men from Toy Story served as hosts and narrators of the dance party, inviting park guests out into the streets to dance to "Celebration" and "Shout" along with the characters and Disney dancers clad in technicolor outfits.

Disney announced last fall that the Block Party Bash would be closing in January. It is being replaced by a new parade, the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun!

The new parade debuts Jan. 16. It will include four DisneyPixar characters not currently seen at Disney Parks parades: Remy and Emile from Ratatouille and Carl and Russell from Up.

It is believed that the new parade will use the music from the Pixar Play Parade, which will be put on hiatus for most of 2011 at Disney's California Adventure.


There will be no afternoon parades scheduled at Disney's Hollywood Studios between Jan. 2 and Jan. 15.