Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[jgardnerucf]

Matchstick apts.

[shardoon]

1 hour ago, jgardnerucf said:

Matchstick apts.

Oye, so many new apartments getting built in the area. 

[codypet]

12 hours ago, jgardnerucf said:

Matchstick apts.

Aren't there single family homes back there?

[shardoon]

2 hours ago, codypet said:

Aren't there single family homes back there?

Yea, Lake Ruby borders this. This one appears to be off Lake Street. There are also gonna be new apartments, townhomes, and single family homes in Otown West. 

Of note, the Otown West Boardwalk was cleared and now flattened bare, ready for construction...... but nothing progressed. Did they put a hold on it? There is still a permit box up. 

[spenser1058]

UCF’s Rosen School named best in US and #2 in the world - we Charge On! in the attractions area, too!

https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-rosen-college-of-hospitality-management-named-nations-best-2nd-in-world/

Edited July 1, 2020 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Now that Splash Mountain is on borrowed time and less-than-PC elements at Peter Pan’s Flight and Jungle Cruise may be next in line, is it also time to acknowledge Liberty Square’s Hall of Presidents (aka “the HOP”) is either (a) mostly suited for an afternoon nap or (b) much too partisan since The Mouse added the current White House occupant to speakers at the attraction?

What to do? Well.... Disney+ is streaming a version of “Hamilton” this 4th of July weekend. Is it time for something with that kind of pizzazz in one of the Magic Kingdom’s prime chunks of real estate?

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202007/7566/
 

From Theme Park Insider 

Edited July 3, 2020 by spenser1058

[jack]

On 7/2/2020 at 7:10 PM, spenser1058 said:

Now that Splash Mountain is on borrowed time and less-than-PC elements at Peter Pan’s Flight and Jungle Cruise may be next in line, is it also time to acknowledge Liberty Square’s Hall of Presidents (aka “the HOP”) is either (a) mostly suited for an afternoon nap or (b) much too partisan since The Mouse added the current White House occupant to speakers at the attraction?

What to do? Well.... Disney+ is streaming a version of “Hamilton” this 4th of July weekend. Is it time for something with that kind of pizzazz in one of the Magic Kingdom’s prime chunks of real estate?

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202007/7566/
 

From Theme Park Insider 

Excuse my ignorance but what's the matter with Peter Pan and Jungle Cruise?

[spenser1058]

15 minutes ago, jack said:

Excuse my ignorance but what's the matter with Peter Pan and Jungle Cruise?

Of particular concern are the Indian scene in Peter Pan and Trader Sam in the Jungle Cruise, both of which perpetuate rather unfortunate 1950’s stereotypes of the Native American and African-American communities.

It’s assumed the upcoming feature film of Jungle Cruise will address that issue and that may offer a way forward if the film is a success similar to Pirates. Peter Pan May be more challenging as it’s derived from a book, but Disney will likely work on that soon enough.

[jack]

20 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Of particular concern are the Indian scene in Peter Pan and Trader Sam in the Jungle Cruise, both of which perpetuate rather unfortunate 1950’s stereotypes of the Native American and African-American communities.

It’s assumed the upcoming feature film of Jungle Cruise will address that issue and that may offer a way forward if the film is a success similar to Pirates. Peter Pan May be more challenging as it’s derived from a book, but Disney will likely work on that soon enough.

They don't ring a bell and I have ridden Peter Pan a dozen times or more in the last 5 years. Jungle Cruise is always closed so I have not ridden it very often.  

[spenser1058]

On 6/24/2020 at 9:42 PM, uncreativeusername said:

Ugh - am I the only one who hates the rose? I only first heard about this a few weeks ago and was very disappointed.

I remember first finding out other Disney castles were pink when I was a kid, and I was so glad ours wasn't.  I always thought our stood out as especially elegant with its realistic color scheme.  The pink it looks cartoonish in the worst of ways...it isn't lost on me that I am talking about a construction based on an animation, but nonetheless, a bummer to me!  

Maybe good news for you - during the Cast preview in the MK, WDW News Today notes the Castle doesn’t look quite so, ummm, pink in person:

https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/photos-first-look-at-the-magic-kingdom-reopening-arrival-experience-and-a-walk-down-main-street-to-cinderella-castle/

[uncreativeusername]

29 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Maybe good news for you - during the Cast preview in the MK, WDW News Today notes the Castle doesn’t look quite so, ummm, pink in person:

https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/photos-first-look-at-the-magic-kingdom-reopening-arrival-experience-and-a-walk-down-main-street-to-cinderella-castle/

Hahaha, thanks for thinking of me.  

[nite owℓ]

Pastel pink, baby blue, gold and royal blue... starting to look a bit "Russian" to me

I think they should have left the bricks gray instead of baby blue:

https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/mandatory-two-week-quarantine-extended-an-additional-60-days-for-visitors-traveling-to-florida-from-new-york-tri-state-area/

 

[spenser1058]

10 minutes ago, nite owℓ said:

Pastel pink, baby blue, gold and royal blue... starting to look a bit "Russian" to me

I think they should have left the bricks gray instead of baby blue:

https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/mandatory-two-week-quarantine-extended-an-additional-60-days-for-visitors-traveling-to-florida-from-new-york-tri-state-area/

 

A Putin Palace?

[nite owℓ]

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

[codypet]

Never Forget

[spenser1058]

12 minutes ago, codypet said:

Never Forget

I keep trying to...

[shardoon]

Conrad building a resort by grand cypress

[spenser1058]

Who needs Halloween Horror Nights? We can scare you to death without ever leaving your car:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202007/7616/
 

From Theme Park Insider 

[codypet]

22 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Who needs Halloween Horror Nights? We can scare you to death without ever leaving your car:

I think you're talking about I-4.

[spenser1058]

Epic Universe remains on hold as Universal Park revenues plummet due to COVID:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202007/7622/
 

From Theme Park Insider

Just as retail in the US (and especially mall operators) are using this opportunity to look at how different their business will be going forward, our elected leaders and other Central Florida stakeholders would do well to use this pause to determine what we want our economy to look like in ten years, what changes we need and how to get there.

This could be a blessing in disguise if we don’t waste the opportunity.

[aent]

9 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

This could be a blessing in disguise if we don’t waste the opportunity.

Why in the world would we not want a more equitable competitor do Disney on our home turf and the among the most advanced theme park ever here? This is literally all around awful news.

[F-L-A]

15 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Epic Universe remains on hold as Universal Park revenues plummet due to COVID:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202007/7622/
 

From Theme Park Insider

Just as retail in the US (and especially mall operators) are using this opportunity to look at how different their business will be going forward, our elected leaders and other Central Florida stakeholders would do well to use this pause to determine what we want our economy to look like in ten years, what changes we need and how to get there.

This could be a blessing in disguise if we don’t waste the opportunity.

You have a very odd definition of "opportunity." A historically poor economy & the stalling of a major project that would've employed hundreds isn't an opportunity for anything.

[spenser1058]

5 hours ago, F-L-A said:

You have a very odd definition of "opportunity." A historically poor economy & the stalling of a major project that would've employed hundreds isn't an opportunity for anything.

So we go ahead and create more low paying jobs? The economy was doing just fine in the aggregate with the current number of parks. As COVID has proved, however (and the Great Recession and 9/11 before it) that puts the region at risk if we don’t pivot and diversify going forward. Instead, apparently you wish to double down and continue on that path.

Remember, thanks in large part to our overreliance on tourism in the economy, Orlando is 50 of 50 among MSAs on wages. 

I have long defended a lot of what the industry has done locally. A massive increase in our current business model, however, threatens to swallow us whole. The question I have asked in the past is, do you just close the parks and send everyone elsewhere. Obviously, that’s a recipe for disaster (as we’ve seen recently). On the other hand, when you find yourself in a deep hole, the first rule is to STOP DIGGING!

Edited July 31, 2020 by spenser1058

[jack]

50 out of 50? What is our ranking in the cost of living for the same 50 metros?  

[spenser1058]

22 minutes ago, jack said:

50 out of 50? What is our ranking in the cost of living for the same 50 metros?  

It isn’t nearly that low which is how our service employees get trapped. I remember the last time I looked we were above average for cost of living.

A big part of that, of course, is housing. Orlando once topped the lists of most affordable housing but that disappeared years ago as land prices escalated. Developers paying more for land had to build more expensive houses to cover their margins and off it spiraled. Meanwhile, with each new theme park and hotel built, the region’s average wage started declining. Today, it’s a model that doesn’t work, especially in a state with such a meager safety net for its citizens.

I remember being shocked when I first went to work in Nashville and, while being paid more for the same type of job I had in Orlando, the cost of living was somewhat lower.

That’s probably changed somewhat as Nashville’s become more of an “it” City over the years but it was definitely eye-opening.

While Disney and Universal have stepped up their game in wages and benefits during the last few years, the problem is that when they open a new park it also attracts new investment outside their gates. Those anonymous firms feel no compunction to follow the lead of the theme parks. 

Sea World is a whole other story that shows you just how bad things can get when private equity funds become involved.

I always feel badly for Harris Rosen who’s so convinced workers will be fine. If everyone were as caring as Harris is about his people (and the community), he’d be right. The problem is all those PEFs could care less.

Edited July 31, 2020 by spenser1058