Archives for June 2009

Disney, Sea World & Universal Studios 4th of July fireworks

Disney, sea world and universal studios fireworks in the 4th of july

Well everyone, soon it will be the 4th of July! As you can imagine Orlando has some major firework displays going on. For tourist most want to know about what types and when to see 4th of July fireworks at the theme parks. Just so you know, anyone can buy fireworks here in Florida, unlike some other states.

So watch out for people letting some loose around you, which they do. Last year it was very dry here in Orlando Florida. Because of that a lot of firework shows were canceled due to the fire hazard. But this year has been wet so everyone will be out shooting off their fireworks! The theme parks have some really good shows scheduled this year too.

The theme parks are always packed on the 4th of July, and some may stop admitting people in once they are full. So get there early and don’t leave the park until your sure your not going to stay anymore that day. Here’s a break down of what the major theme parks have in store for you on the forth of July:
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Universal Studio Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster snags

Universal Studios rip ride rockit roller coaster opening pushed back

One of the biggest ride openings that has been anticipated here in Orlando is the new Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios. Once open it will be one of the biggest rides in the two parks inside Universal Studios. However they seem to be having some problems with it, which is delaying the opening.

The new roller coaster will have a 90 degree ascend of the first hill. There has been talk that they are having problems with the device that keeps the cars from rolling backward on it. Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster will be 167 feet high and go up to 65 mph. It will have soundtracks you can customize to hear and cameras.

It also boast some industry-first maneuvers that will leave riders wanting more. A coaster this technologically advanced was bound to have bugs that need to be worked out. So it’s really not a surprise to me that the opening date has been pushed back. So just when will it be open?

Well they are not sure yet. They are working hard around the clock to get it open. Rumor has it they hope to have it open by late July. However anything could happen since they already have pushed the date back several times. I think we will see it open by this fall at the latest, if not earlier. I’ll let you know once it opens, after I ride it myself! 😉

Summer Orlando vacation hotel rates still a bargain

The 21st marks the official first day of summer. Of course it feels like summer already, especially down here in Florida! With the summer season comes the summer crowds and tourist. Many think that Florida is the most busy during the winter, but that’s not true. It’s in the summer, like most places in the USA, that Orlando gets the most tourist.

All the international tourist that are having winter in their side of the world come to Florida in the summer. Also here in the US summer is when schools are out, so that is when the family gets to take that yearly vacation. Along with the summer crowds are the summer prices on everything, which usually is higher!

Most of the time it can be quite a bit higher too. Hotels put their summer rates up, which can be anywhere from 20% to 50% higher than the fall and winter seasons. However that does not seem to be the case this year. As we all know it has been a bad year everywhere, and still will be well into next. So the hotel prices have been low.

They will jack them up higher in the summer, but not as much as before. Also since they are already lower than normal, the price increase is not as much as in the past. There will be plenty of “middle class” hotels in the Orlando theme park area with daily rates of $30.00 to $50.00 per day! Plus many weekend and weekly specials.

So there still will be plenty of hotel bargains in Orlando this summer. Just check out some of the hotel booking places you see in the sidebars here and see for yourself what a great summer of bargains an Orlando vacation this summer will be!

Orlando Gay Days at Disney a big success

Well this tourist site would not be complete without a recap of Gay Days in Orlando that was this past weekend. Started 9 years ago, Gay Days has grown into a large event with many big name sponsors and theme park activities. My good lesbian friend Ashley and her girlfriend went and stayed at The Regal Sun Resort, which was the place to be for lesbians at Gay Days this year.

They would not let me go with them, some friends huh! 😉 There is always conflicting numbers as to how many come into Orlando each year for Gay Days, but 150,000 is about what they expected. This year there was many pool parties at hotels, Gay Day parties at the local clubs, lots of special events and more.

Of course the big highlight of Gay Days was Saturday, when everyone wears red and goes to Disney! But this year there were plenty in the other theme parks too, like Sea World and Universal Studios. Gay Days pumps in millions of dollars into Orlando, so the parks and attractions are really starting to welcome them more each year. Check out the Gay Days official site for lots more information!