Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: April 28 – May 4, 2013
OI Universal Center updates: April 28 – May 4, 2013 Greetings, vacation planners! Prepare to UPGRADE YOUR ADVENTURE to Universal Orlando with our Weekly Dispatch. … Read more
Star Wars Weekends returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios May 17 – June 9; Ray Park, Warwick Davis among celebrity guests scheduled to appear
Star Wars Weekends, the Force-filled fun-fest that takes place annually at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, returns to the Walt Disney World Resort galaxy every Friday, Saturday … Read more
Rumor round-up for May 3, 2013: Hogwarts Express tracks revealed, MagicBands delayed, Tangled charging stations closed, Captain EO quits
Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird…it’s a plane…wait, it’s a train?! This week an incredible picture showed up at Screamscape showing the Hogwarts … Read more
Decepticons attack downtown Orlando, leave world’s largest theme park advertisement behind
Update It is official: Transformers will celebrate its grand opening at Universal Studios Florida on June 20. Keep reading to learn more! Original post … Read more
FastPasses at Walt Disney World: Top 10 things to know before you go
FastPasses are often cited as one of the best features at Walt Disney World, allowing guests to skip long standby lines at no additional charge. … Read more
Busch Gardens Coaster Experience Tour: Central Florida’s best kept secret for coaster lovers
Busch Gardens Tampa is the quintessential Central Florida theme park for thrill seekers. With its impressive selection of roller coasters and a thrilling catalog of … Read more
Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: April 21 – 27, 2013
OI Universal Center updates: April 21 – 27, 2013 Greetings, vacation planners! Prepare to UPGRADE YOUR ADVENTURE to Universal Orlando with our Weekly Dispatch. This … Read more
Disney Parks kick off “Monstrous Summer” with 24 hours of magic on May 24; Disney Magic cruise ship gets new experiences
Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort will kick off a Monstrous Summer by keeping three theme parks open for 24 hours nonstop on Memorial … Read more
This week’s Harry Potter expansion news is all about Hollywood — still waiting for Orlando details to be announced
This week government officials gave their a-okay to NBCUniversal’s $1.6 billion expansion plan for Universal Studios Hollywood. This 25-year project includes the building of Hogwarts … Read more
Transformers at Universal Orlando: Technical rehearsals, grand opening date, Evac ride vehicle & inside the queue
Given the immense amount of excitement that is building for the opening of Transformers: The Ride at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, I thought I’d … Read more
LEGOLAND Florida brings back police, fire & EMS appreciation days in May – show your ID for free admission
As a special thank you, LEGOLAND Florida is bringing back Police, Fire and EMS Appreciation Days to honor our everyday heroes that work tirelessly to … Read more
Disney’s Animal Kingdom turns 15: An ode to Orlando’s most underappreciated park
It may be Orlando’s most misunderstood and most underappreciated theme park. Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which celebrates its 15th anniversary today, is Walt Disney World’s largest … Read more
Universal Orlando – a special place with extraordinary people
My husband and I have so many stories of Universal team members who have just thrilled us with their hospitality and care while visiting Universal … Read more
Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: April 14 – 20, 2013
OI Universal Center updates: April 14 – 20, 2013 Greetings, vacation planners! Prepare to UPGRADE YOUR ADVENTURE to Universal Orlando with our Weekly Dispatch. This … Read more
Rumor round-up for April 20, 2013: USF’s London waterfront concept, Harry Potter expansion announcement, Epcot technology festival
Are we looking at the London waterfront in Universal Studios Florida? In the March 30th Rumor Round Up we discussed the rumors buzzing around how … Read more
State-of-the-art WWE Performance Center & training facility to open in Orlando this summer
Opening this summer, the WWE state-of-the-art Performance Center will serve as the new home to WWE’s talent developmental system, recently re-branded NXT and create nearly … Read more
Islands of Adventure trip report – April 2013 (new experiences & beloved adventures)
Although I’ve visited this park many times, I went to Islands of Adventure last weekend and was able to experience some new adventures. The crowds … Read more
Universal Studios Florida trip report – April 2013 (construction updates, Megatron, Sledge Homer & free wifi)
I was able to visit Universal Studios Florida this past weekend. The weather was almost perfect with temperatures in the 80’s. The crowds were moderate … Read more
Hash House A Go Go “twisted farm food” restaurant opens on International Drive – start saving room right now
Yesterday Hash House A Go Go, an brand new all-day dining spot, opened at 5350 International Drive – just a half mile North of Universal … Read more
Special needs are Universal: Privileges for broken bones, more thoughts on guests requesting Assistance Passes
Welcome to the next edition of our Special Needs Are Universal column, featuring questions and answers to help those with disabilities plan their day at … Read more
THE BIG 5: Top five Extreme Eats at Walt Disney World
Welcome to THE BIG 5, a definitive top five list of various Orlando related, uh, stuff. THE BIG 5 is wide ranging, and will run … Read more
Kings Bowl Orlando: I-Drive has a new hot spot for drinking, dining & bowling in style
Kings Bowl Orlando is a retro-style bowling alley, full-service lounge and restaurant, swanky bar and entertainment center all rolled into one 30,000 square foot building. … Read more
Disney’s Animal Kingdom trip report – April 2013 (take a walk on the wild side)
Last week my family and I decided to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We were really looking forward to our adventure since our last visit to … Read more
Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: April 7 – 13, 2013
Special announcement Earlier this year I began a transformation of our website as we, along with the Autobots, prepare to do battle with the Decepticons … Read more
Rumor round-up for April 12, 2013: Hogwarts Express in the sky, Moe’s Tavern hiring, new bridges at Universal & Disney, Avatar update
Hogwarts Express lays new tracks in the sky With the intermittent closings of Dragon Challenge over the last few weeks, it seems that some major … Read more
Free wifi now available at Universal Studios Florida, but it’s not quite what we were hoping for
On Wednesday our Facebook fan Allen alerted us to the fact that there was a new public wifi source available at Universal Orlando. For those … Read more
Orlando Informer has transformed – learn about our changes!
Earlier this year I began a transformation of our website as we, along with the Autobots, prepare to do battle with the Decepticons this summer … Read more
THE BIG 5: Top five incredible entertainment features of Orlando International Airport
Welcome to THE BIG 5, a definitive top five list of various Orlando related, uh, stuff. THE BIG 5 is wide ranging, and will run … Read more
Margaritaville Volcano Nachos – bring that volcano home!
If you have been to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Universal CityWalk, then you most certainly are familiar with their famous Volcano Nachos. You can’t help … Read more
Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: March 31 – April 6, 2013
OI Universal Center updates: March 31 – April 6, 2013 Greetings, vacation planners! Prepare to UPGRADE YOUR ADVENTURE to Universal Orlando with our Weekly Dispatch. … Read more
Rumor round-up for April 5, 2013: Bungalows at Polynesian Resort, Islands of Adventure lagoon show details, Imagination Pavilion makeover
DVC bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Resort Hot new rumor this week coming straight from the DisUnplugged podcast. We discussed in the March 15th Rumor Round-Up … Read more
LEGOLAND Florida offers free admission to military; SeaWorld Orlando adds three months to new annual passes
LEGOLAND Florida LEGOLAND Florida salutes the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces with Military Appreciation Days now throughout 2013. As an … Read more
Discovery Cove at SeaWorld Orlando: A review of my tropical adventure & dolphin interaction
When I first pulled into Discovery Cove at SeaWorld Orlando, I found it to be unexpectedly tropical and the parking area smaller than what I … Read more
Moe’s Tavern at Universal Studios Florida now hiring – which means we could be eating at Krusty Burger this summer
Thanks to our Facebook fan Angelo, it has been brought to our attention that Universal is hiring for a “New Themed Restaurant” at their resort: … Read more
How to make the most of your Orlando vacation with your teenager
A vacation in Orlando is truly unique compared to any other vacation you can take. For every type of person, there are tons of different … Read more
Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: March 24 – 30, 2013
OI Universal Center updates: March 24 – 30, 2013 Greetings, vacation planners! Prepare to UPGRADE YOUR ADVENTURE to Universal Orlando with our Weekly Dispatch. This … Read more
Rumor round-up for March 30, 2013: Harry Potter expansion details, Pixie Hollow in Adventureland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios rebranding
The latest on the Wizarding World expansion In surprisingly quiet fashion, Theme Park Insider posted a story this week that seemed to confirm many rumors … Read more
Universal ScreenPlay now available for download; first look with photos and video from the park!
Thanks to our Twitter follower @garypounds, we were alerted this morning that Universal’s new app — called Universal ScreenPlay — is now available for download. … Read more
Twitter trip report: Spring Break 2013 at Universal Orlando
Today I’m going to try something new. I going to put together a trip report, but not in the convention way. See, usually I go … Read more
Special needs are Universal: Guests with food allergies visiting Universal Orlando
Welcome to our next Special Needs Are Universal article. The purpose of this OI Blog series is to answer your theme park disability questions and … Read more
This week at Universal’s on-site hotels: Taylor Dayne to perform at Velvet Sessions & Easter Sunday buffets
Velvet Sessions at Hard Rock Hotel Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando’s Velvet Sessions lobby concert series continues in March with Taylor Dayne performing her … Read more
2013 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival: New Garden Marketplaces make this the park’s most delicious event
I’ve never gotten overly excited about Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival, but this year offers something new to dig into: food and wine booths called … Read more
Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: March 17 – 23, 2013
OI Universal Center updates: March 17 – 23, 2013 Greetings, vacation planners! Prepare to UPGRADE YOUR ADVENTURE to Universal Orlando with our Weekly Dispatch. This … Read more
Rumor round-up for March 23, 2013: Johnny Depp & Big Thunder Mountain, Cinematic Spectacular & Harry Potter, USF KidZone & Dreamworks
Johnny Depp to appear in another Magic Kingdom Attraction Lots of changes have been coming to Big Thunder Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. After a … Read more
Five minutes with Dan Hatfield: OI Owner & Editor featured in the Orlando Business Journal
Late last week Rich Bilbao of the Orlando Business Journal approached me to request an interview about Universal Orlando’s new hotel, Cabana Bay Beach Resort. … Read more
Islands of Adventure trip report – March 2013 (an auditory exploration of the park, Spring Break excitement)
Every time I enter Islands of Adventure (IOA), I can’t help but notice the sound of the Incredible Hulk Coaster as it roars nearby. It’s … Read more
Universal Studios Florida trip report – March 2013 (construction updates, Transformers meet-and-greet, more Mardi Gras fun)
It was a beautifully sunny day in March, and with great anticipation I was looking forward to seeing and experiencing all the changes at Universal … Read more
THE BIG 5: Top five attraction queues at Universal Orlando
Welcome to THE BIG 5, a definitive top five list of various Orlando related, uh, stuff. THE BIG 5 is wide ranging, and will run … Read more
Orlando Informer Weekly Dispatch: March 11 – 16, 2013
OI Universal Center updates: March 11 – 16, 2013 Greetings, vacation planners! Prepare to UPGRADE YOUR ADVENTURE to Universal Orlando with our Weekly Dispatch. This … Read more
Rumor round-up for March 15, 2013: Halloween Horror Nights, Hogwarts Express, Grand Floridian DVC, Disney Springs
Never too early to get scared by Halloween Horror Nights It’s time to start getting excited for Halloween Horror Nights 23 as a couple red … Read more