Disney Hollywood Studios hosts ESPN The Weekend

Disney Hollywood Studios is hosting ESPN The Weekend February 25 – February 28, 2010. This action-packed weekend will be filled with all-star athletes, unique events, ESPN broadcast personalities and interactive sports experiences with Hall of Famers.

Sport enthusiasts will want to attend this spectacular Orlando event that is hailed as the ultimate sports fan fest. Notable events include celebrity motorcades and in-depth public discussions that will present star athletes and ESPN personalities to center stage for question and answer sessions, live tapings of popular ESPN show like Mike and Mike in the Morning, Baseball Tonight, and NFL Live, Inside ESPN – Live on Stage show which will feature interviews of sports stars sharing their most memorable sport-related moments, and an Interactive Sports Center where guests will get to test their athletic abilities and learn about the daily operation of ESPN.

Misty May-Treanor, Scottie Pippen, Curt Schilling, Frank Thomas, Shawn Johnson, Robert Horry and Jim Palmer are just a few of the athletes scheduled to attend the 2010 ESPN The Weekend. Dick Vitale, Bobby Valentine, Skip Bayless, John Anderson, Bruce Feldman and K.C. Joyner are among the ESPN personalities scheduled to attend.

ESPN The Weekend events are included with Disney Hollywood Studios admission. Disney World Tickets are on sale now.

Legoland Announces Plans for Orlando Theme Park

A new theme park is headed to the Orlando Attractions scene. Merlin Entertainment has announced that the world’s largest Legoland will open in Orlando by the end of 2011, at the former site of Cypress Gardens. Merlin Entertainment plan to incorporate some of Cypress Gardens existing features, while constructing Legoland’s signature attractions as well.

Legoland is expected to feature between 40 to 50 main attractions, including kid-powered rides and giant Lego brick models. The historical gardens of Cypress Gardens will stay intact, and officials plan to incorporate one of the two wooden coasters currently on-site as well as the water ski shows Cypress Gardens was famous for. The popular Splash Island Waterpark is also expected to keep operating under Legoland ownership and a new name, but it will be a separate, ticketed admission.

Some of the Legoland Theme Park highlights include lots of interactive, hands-on attractions, such as a kid-powered monorail, junior roller coasters and mild spinning rides, intricate Legoland dioramas, and a driving school for kids. The 145-acre site will be larger than any of the current Legoland operations. This new addition to Orlando Theme Parks will be geared towards the 12 and under set.

Merlin Entertainment officials stated they chose to renovate the existing Cypress Gardens location instead of building from scratch because it will shave years off development time. Instead of a 4-5 year development time, the park will be up and running in two years or less. Eventually, Legoland owners plan to build out the property with an onsite hotel and other gated attractions, similar to its additions at its California attractions.

Harry Potter Universal Orlando Attraction Releases New Photo

Universal Orlando is putting the finishing touches on its new Harry Potter Attraction, which is set to open in the Spring. The exterior of Hogwarts Castle at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is just about complete, and with this new milestone Universal Studios releases this official statement & photo:

The magical transformation continues. Although still very much a work in progress, the magnificence of Hogwarts castle is beginning to take shape above Hogsmeade as work continues on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Hogwarts will be the home of a thrilling, new, state-of-the-art attraction - Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - that uses ground-breaking technology to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in ways never before experienced. Set to open in Spring 2010 only at Universal Orlando Resort, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature multiple themed attractions, shops and a restaurant.

Celebrate Bands, Brew & BBQ at SeaWorld & Busch Gardens

Sea World and Busch Gardens, two of the premiere theme parks in Orlando, are gearing up for Bands, Brew & BBQ. This event, which features country and classic rock stars, will take place during the month of February. Performances will be held on Saturdays & Sundays.

This four-weekend long event celebrates music from award-winning artists, delicious barbeque, refreshing beer and the exciting rides and shows offered at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens daily. Plus, this event is included with standard Sea World tickets admission and standard Busch Gardens tickets admission.

Performers scheduled for Saturdays at SeaWorld:
February 6: LeAnn Rimes
February 13: Montgomery Gentry
February 20: John Rich of Big & Rich
February 27: Yes

Performers scheduled for Sundays at Busch Gardens:
February 7: Dennis DeYoung – The Music of Styx
February 14: Willie Nelson
February 21: Huey Lewis & the News
February 28: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Orlando Hosts The Festival of Chocolate in March

The Festival of Chocolate returns to Orlando March 6 & 7, 2010. The Festival of Chocolate, central Florida’s premiere chocolate tasting, shopping, interactive experience, has partnered with The Orlando Science Center to offer visitors four floors of chocolate flavored fun.

The event will feature the area’s best chocolate and confection companies selling tasty treats featuring deliciously decadent chocolate. Everything from truffles to cookies to pastries to chocolate drinks and more will be available.

Interactive presentations and live experiments are also planned. Pastry chefs and professional chocolatiers will share techniques and host classes. A chocolate themed exhibit is also planned, which will showcase chocolate in production, health qualities, history and more.

Kids will also be able to join in on the fun at the Kids-4-Chocolate Craft area where they can create their own edible creations.

A “Best Of” Chocolate Indulgences is also planned, as well a chocolate cookie stacking contest, chocolate cinema, historical presentations, book signings and live music.

Entrance into the Festival of Chocolate is included with an Orlando Science Center ticket purchase on March 6 & 7. The festival will be open from 10am – 5pm.

Earthquake in Haiti

The situation in Haiti is growing worse and worse by the minute.

Tuesday's earthquake has affected three million people, and the Red Cross estimates as many as 50,000 may be dead. Survivors are doing what they can to rescue those who are trapped, but they need help.

If this happened here, we hope people would give anything they could to help out.

Please take a minute to donate to these reputable charities that are providing care to fund their emergency efforts:

Doctors without Borders
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Oxfam America
https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3560&3560.donation=form1

The Red Cross
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_subsrc=RCO_ResponseStateSection

And a super-easy way to donate with your mobile phone:
Donate $10 to the Red Cross to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999."

Thanks for your time.

Cocoa Beach presents Chowder Cook-Off in February

The Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 25th Annual Chowder Cook-Off on Friday, February 5th, 2010 from 6pm – 9pm at Cruise Terminal #3 in Port Canaveral.

Local area restaurants will be participating in a cook-off, competing for the coveted Judge’s Choice Award for best chowder, and there will also be live music from “Hayfire,” drinks, and a silent auction. A People’s Choice Award & Best Decorated Booth Award will also be part of the event.

The 2010 Chowder Cook-Off tickets are available now.

Admission includes sample tastings of all entries, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, silent auction, drawings and live entertainment.

Universal Orlando Resort Celebrates 15 Years of Mardi Gras

Universal Orlando will begin its 15th year of Mardi Gras February 6th, 2010. The event will run every Saturday night through April 17, with additional dates on Sunday, February 14 and Friday, April 9. Mardi Gras is included in regular admission to Universal Studios.

Universal Studios Mardi Gras Event is the biggest and most authentic celebration outside of New Orleans. It features hundred of costumed characters, tons of souvenir beads, Cajun cuisine, an elaborate parade and live concerts by artists like Flo Rida and Sheryl Crow.

This year’s parade is being handled by Blaine Kern Artists, Inc., the same company that designs the floats for the New Orleans parade. They are incorporating new elements into some of the most memorable floats in the events history. This elaborate Orlando parade will feel even more authentic during the 2010 celebration as its theme is heritage.

Guests who attend the Mardi Gras Celebration will also be able to take advantage of Universal Studios exciting rides, like Hollywood Rip, Ride Rockit, and groove to music at Universal’s very own “French Quarter,” a replica of the New Orleans’ famed district.

The full line-up of concerts during Mardi Gras is as follows:

• Sat., Feb. 6: KC and The Sunshine Band
• Sat., Feb. 13: Heart
• Sun., Feb. 14: Kool & the Gang
• Sat., Feb. 20: Blondie
• Sat., Feb. 27: Dierks Bentley
• Sat., March 6: Akon
• Sat., March 13: Aretha Franklin
• Sat., March 20: Miranda Lambert
• Sat., March 27: 3 Doors Down
• Sat., April 3: Beach Boys
• Fri., April 9: Sheryl Crow
• Sat., April 10: Flo Rida
• Sat., April 17: Chicago

Aquatica Announces New Water Slide Details

Sea World recently released details regarding its new water slide planned for Aquatica in 2010. This is the first new attraction at Aquatica, since it opened almost two years ago.

The slide will be named Omaka Rocka (which means rocking river) and will feature moves reminiscent of extreme sports, like skateboarders and BMX bikers. The new Aquatica Water Park ride, which is scheduled to be completed by March, will send a pair of guests in a two-seater tube through a set of three tunnels that will replicate the half-pipe experience. Riders will slide up one part of the slide and get a sensation of near weightlessness. They’ll come down that side and back up another, in what SeaWorld officials are calling a vertical thrills experience.

This new water slide will be a great addition to the Orlando attractions at Aquatica. It features a new design that includes semi-transparent tubing. The semi-transparent tubing will allow for riders inside the tube to experience a bright atmosphere, instead of the dark one generally associated with tube rides. Guests waiting for or watching the ride will be able to see the riders sliding around above them.

Omaka Rocka will have no height restrictions.

Sea World tickets and Sea World vacation packages are on sale now.

Universal Orlando Resort Adds IMAX to CityWalk

Universal Orlando Resort is adding some new options to CityWalk, Universal Orlando’s entertainment district.

The Orlando resort announced yesterday, December 15, that it has installed an IMAX theater in CityWalk’s 20-screen Cineplex. The changes included adding IMAX’s digital-project system and upgrading the sound system.

The new IMAX Theater will open at 12:01am on December 18, coinciding with the premiere of the highly anticipated “Avatar” movie.

Universal City Walk Orlando is also adding two new eateries - Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar and a Fat Tuesday frozen-daiquiri bar. Fusion will open in January and Fat Tuesday will open in February.